Hornby 2008

What do you call "Underground Ernie"? It isn't exactly an adult's model and yet it's produced to a high standard from new tooling and is also DCC ready. 'Railroad' is neither one thing nor the other, just a dumping ground for obsolete junk that can't be fit into the Thomas range.

(kim)

So why spend money *removing* detail and upgrading the mechanism when nobody can tell the difference?

Also do you seriously think it would be priced as low as £60 if Bachmann weren't offering their own version of the 9F at a much higher price?

(kim)

Hornby has already said the body will not be produced to the same standard as the previous 9F. Likewise the re-issued A4.

(kim)

Since it's totally new, they are going to make it to current standards.

It enables adults who built up their fleets before the current "superdetailed" era to supplement their layouts with matching stock, e.g. the "old" Gresley or Stanier coaches.

I can't believe Hornby are *removing* detail, just making use of older tooling developed before production was moved to China. I assume the mechanisms come off the same production line as their newer models. Many people built up large fleets of these older models in the 1970s-1990s, and aren't keen on replacing everything with the latest versions.

Do you have no interest in the future of the hobby?

Which previous 9F? Which previous A4? Will it have less detail than my tender-drive A4 from the early 1990s?

I expect they will use the same moulds; they may not add as much additional detail (e.g., fragile motion, handrails, cab interiors).

On 09/01/2008 19:40, kim said,

What a narrow, selfish, short-minded point of view.

On 09/01/2008 19:48, kim said,

Underground Ernie is aimed at very young children. Can you see anyone over the age of about 6 wanting that? The Railroad range is a budget range of model trains that actually look like real trains, but are cheap and robust enough for children rather than toddlers.

And there are probably several other reasons. Here are three more, off the top of my head...

1. It enables people who are primarily interested in operation, rather than detailed modelling, to build up a suitable collection of equipment at reasonable cost. (And by "operating" I don't mean "playing trains" - there's a significant subset of the modelling fraternity who are interested in reproducing realistic timetabled and signalled train movements rather than the "whatever I feel like" movements that are more common on otherwise rivet-perfect layouts).
2. It enables people who aren't particularly RTR users, but are happy to use RTR models as the basis for a bit of customisation and kit-bashing, to obtain cheap supplies that can be hacked around without any major cost.
3. It offers a route into the hobby for people who would like to try it, but are put off by the cost of some of the better quality kit.

People can be snobbish about it if they want to, but the real test is whether or not it fills a suitable gap in the market. My suspicion is that it will.

Mark

On Wed, 9 Jan 2008 19:40:23 +0000, kim wrote

The more people in the hobby then the more purchasers means more money available for new model development. Thats the cold view, theres also the pleasure in watching a happy tot.

Cheers, Simon

Perhaps they had already done the development and its not a case of removing detail, just not addidng it.

Yes, because no one is forced to buy it.

Cheers, Simon

Many of us started in the hobby saving our pocket-money to buy a "trainset" and additional track and rolling stock. I'm sure I wouldn't start a model railway at today's prices, nor would I appreciate the level of fragile detail. From what I've seen of modern product there is very little available that is as robust as the Tri-ang/Hornby Dublo/Marklin of 1960 and I'll guess nothing current that will be around in 48 years. My first loco still runs nearly as well as it did back then although the cardboard box is long gone.

Greg.P. NZ

"MartinS" wrote

I won't dispute that has happened, but my retail experience suggests that people have often upgraded models as better examples appear. This is proven to some extent by the deluge of old rebuilt 'Royal Scots' which have flooded eBay in recent months.

John.

I get happy drinking a tot, does that count?

MBQ

Well, I have a 30' space in an unconverted loft. to fill that with superdetailed locos would cost a lot more than Railroad locos. But it's academic, really as I model in N which could cost me 4x given N locos are comparable to 00 and I have 4x the scale area. There'll probably be a lot of rural line modelled!

MBQ

Why do supermarkest sell essentially the same items with slightly different ingredients as "value", "regular" & "best"? To allow then to be sold at a different price points to a different target market.

Tesco Value model railways, anyone?

I suspect neither of us are privy to details of Hornby's business model, but I doubt they would do it if they weren't sure about the market.

MBQ

Don't laugh - if Tesco thought there was a market they would. Only they'd just cream off the top as they have done with all their other non-food lines. No spares, minimal range (best sellers only), no decent advice, re-stocks on whim, etc etc = no model shops left. But hey, we can pride ourselves that we've saved a few quid and buy another (if still avalable) when it breaks/needs a service. Who needs model shops/white goods shops/clothes shops/toy shops/ tv shops/hi-fi shops/car accessory shops/music shops/etc if we can save a few bob *now*.

(I've no problem with Tesco doing food, but hate what they have done to the book and music market - "greatest hits" and Chart albums only, nothing more than a couple of months old - no back catalogue. It's killed our local music shop that used to have *real* choice..... and, no, I don't use them any more because of that. Moan over!)

Indeed - I suspect that someone from Hornby has been to Toys'R'Us and listened to potential customers looking at the sets - "HOW MUCH?"

Cheers Richard