Prideolino

The Hornby Pendolino model is one of the most impressive looking EMU’s that we gave produced, pairing the sleek design of the Alstom unit itself with some excellent branding and design from Virgin Trains and Avanti West Coast for which they should both be commended. It is amazing how much nostalgia emanates from the Virgin livery on a Pendolino only a few years after the end of Virgin’s lease on the West Coast Main Line. The Below version was worn by 390004 ‘Virgin Scot’ when it was renamed and re-liveried to 390104 ‘Alstom Pendolino’ in a colour scheme honouring the Alstom and Virgin partnership.

One of the more striking liveries the Class 390 Pendolino has ever been outshopped in is that worn by the unit formally known as ‘Virgin Warrior’ and ‘Unknown Soldier’, 390119 ‘Progress’. Progress has a vinyl wrap on all 11 coaches in support of Pride, and Pride month seemed like the perfect time to show this model again in its new livery. The vinyl name plate can be seen on the coach below.

Avanti themselves say “In a world where anyone can be anything, we all want the opportunity to be ourselves. That’s why we’re encouraging colleagues, customers and communities to share their spark. And when it comes to Pride, we’re proud to stand out”. This vivid wrap has led to the informal name of the unit as the Prideolino.

This is a complex livery that I have seen close up on a recent research trip in the North, and on our model, as seen below, a real challenge for our graphics man.

The Pendolino has been a stalwart of the Hornby range, first introduced in 2007 and enduring to this day. One of the more curious aspects of the Hornby model dates back to 2009 when the model featured in the R1076 digital train set with the power car fitted with a seven pin decoder, the only Hornby model ever to do so.

R30081 Avanti West Coast, Class 390 Pendolino Train Pack 

Last year, when announcing some pride related products, we were thrilled to see that these were well received by a good number of our customers.

Red Rover

The last time that a Hornby train set was introduced that included a large diesel locomotive was in 2007. That set, the R1092 City Freight set included a Co-Co Class 55 Deltic, four freight wagons and a brake van, which made up an interesting set.

In 2022 we are seeing a release of a comparable set, the ‘Red Rover’. This set includes a DB Schenker liveried Bo-Bo Class 67 as well as a container wagon, a tanker and a bogie tippler wagon.

This is an era 11 set, with the stock included being of the type that can still be seen on the UK’s main line rails to this day. The set includes a standard third radius oval with Track Pack A which also includes a siding. This track circuit can easily be enlarged with the addition of Track Pack B through to Track Pack F.

R1281M Red Rover Train Set 

The Class 67 has proved to be a popular model, with its frequent appearances hauling freight in service in many different liveries allowing us to create a litany of different guises to satisfy any modern modeller.

Are you FLIRTing with me?

In 2022 Hornby announced several models based on the FLIRT platform from Stadler Rail, with the units in operation in the UK being designated the Class 755 and introduced in 2019 with Greater Anglia. Below is the 755/3 variant and below that the 755/4, no prizes for guessing how they received these designations.

The FLIRTS being covered in this edition are in an earlier stage of development than is the norm, with only CAD data available at the moment. Typically we await samples before covering a model, but going forwards I want to take you further behind the scenes and into the development process.

The Class 755 FLIRT is equipped with a 21 pin decoder socket with easy access via a roof panel. In the same image, your eyes are not deceiving you, there are two couplings on the front, this is a design variant and as you can imagine only one will be fitted to each model.

The designers have gone to extreme efforts to include an exceptional amount of detail as can be seen in the images shown.

The roof of the central power pack is also a sight to behold, with each top fan grille, as well as each side grille, being a photo-etched component.

Despite the level of detail on the roof of the central power pack vehicle, this is not where the models derive their power from with both variants of the FLIRT being powered by a motor situated at each end of the unit, the first Hornby model to be fitted with dual motors since the Pacers of the early 1990s. These motors are flywheel fitted and connected to the end bogie via a driveshaft.

The FLIRT range will make use of a shared bogie design, something common in the modern era and something that we have replicated on our model.

As you can see the above images are shown in different styles, one has more of a 3D look to it showing how the model will look when in hand, and the other is a flatter render version, able to display different details with more clarity.

Coming Soon

One of our favourite locomotives and possibly yours too… the W1! It’s the locomotive that keeps on giving and with two new models arriving our W1 has won us over again. These locomotives will not be hanging around and with limited stock available already be sure to place your orders via our website or your local Hornby stockist.

The Mk4s are making their way to us! LNER, TFW, BR, GNER, including the DVTs. Explore the full range of Mk4 coaches here and be sure to pre-order yours now to secure your new rake of coaches!

Dutiful diesels in bold liveries are guaranteed to bring even more life to any modern day layout! As part of the RailRoad range, both locomotives are ideal for those starting off in the hobby, young railway modellers or simply those who collect and admire Network Rail and Colas Rail. For more information about RailRoad click here.

Message from Montana

Exclusive Tickets for Collector Club Members

Following a two-year stint of not being able to exhibit at shows due to COVID-19, we are looking forward to returning to model railway events this year, including The Great British Model Railway Show at the Motor Museum in Gaydon. Better yet we are pleased to confirm that in the coming weeks, Collector Club Members will be able to purchase exclusively priced tickets for the show. Watch this space and keep an eye on our socials and newsletters for further information.

The Collector – Summer Issue

The summer issue of the Collector Club Magazine is about to be printed and we can confirm it’s an electra-fying issue! Featuring the recent Class 91s, details about the new magnetic couplings, plus features on the Hornby Jubilee models and the chance to win an amazing Terrier 150^th anniversary bundle, there is a whole host of exciting reading material included. Keep a look out for your magazine which will be arriving in the coming weeks – if you’re not a member sign up today and gain instant access to various benefits including a 10% discount off all orders at Hornby.com.

Go Grab A Gresley

Two weeks to go until #GoBrabAGresley starts! Together with IG @neville.grove @bluffers_to_buffers, @flyingscotsdan and @lner_steam, we invite you all to #GoGrabAGresley! Between the 7th and 10th July we'll be celebrating the centenary year of Sir Nigel Gresley's first Pacific locomotive to hit the rails: A1 Class 4470 "Great Northern". Over that long weekend, we'd love for you all to get involved by sharing pictures of your Gresley-designed models and using the hashtag #Gograbagresley. As an added incentive, we're pleased to be giving away not one, but two brand-new Hornby 00 gauge Gresley Pacifics, to two lucky winners!

The two incredible prizes up for grabs include our A3 Pacific ‘Lemberg’ in its Wartime Black livery and A1 Pacific ‘Knight of Thistle’ renamed and renumbered by Neville Grove to 4470 Great Northern in LNER apple green livery in celebration of the locomotive’s centennial year. To enter this amazing giveaway, all you have to do is share with us any images or videos on Instagram of your Gresley models between the 7-10th July using the hashtag #GoGrabAGresley. One winner will be picked at random, the other for their photography skills! So make sure you capture your best Gresley scenes to be in with a chance.

All the finer details will be announced at the start of the competition on 7th July. Get those Gresleys ready!

Hornby: A Model World

A second series of Hornby: A Model World will be returning to screens in 2023 on UKTV's, Yesterday channel! Following the success of series one, the new episodes will be taking viewers behind the scenes of all Hornby Hobbies brands including Scalextric, Airfix, Corgi and Hornby. We will be sure to keep you updated on further details as they become available. To catch up on series one, click here.

And with that, we reach the end of the line for this edition of Engine Shed which I hope you have enjoyed. This month has seen the first appearance of my face on Hornby’s social media and those of you who survived the experience will remember that it was in our Father’s Day video talking a little bit about my history in this fantastic hobby. I don’t think my story in this hobby is unique in any way but conversely, it is rather common with most of us owing a great deal to our fathers and our fondness for this hobby is no different.

If you would like Engine Shed to cover a specific subject in a future blog or if you have any images of your locomotives and coaching stock in action, or maybe you have a suggestion of a particular model that you think we should produce in the future, please do let us know. We are always keen to receive all feedback.

Be sure to follow Hornby on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram to be kept up to date on all the latest news and product updates. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Hornby YouTube channel and tune in to our Beyond the Buffers Podcast.

Happy Modelling!

The Engine Shed Team

Return to Engine Shed homepage

© Hornby Hobbies Ltd. All rights reserved.