Why Hornby?

[PasqualeCS96]

 I keep on hearing how some of the hornby models are so great witch a lot of them are not even close to accurate. Like Hornby Thomas It doesn't even look like that in the book series only the face is accurate, same with Henry, although Henry partially looks like that in the book( the tender is all wrong). Bill and Ben are to big compared to Bachmann engines and the faces look exactly the same. Oliver has that wire in his forehead, and Duck's face is to dark and Is to tall if you ask me the wheels need to be shortend. Don't even get me started with Gordon, Edward, Emily, Spencer. James is to long and so is his tender, Percy is to dark a green and has a green stripe on his funnel only the face is accurate. Toby has no bell. Diesel, Arry, and Bert's body's need to be reshaped and Arry and Bert are Green! Bear and the Flying Scotsman are good but F. Scotsmann needs a bonus tender. Rolling stock for hornby is pretty good in my opinion like the coaches, scruffy, vans ext. But Annie and Clarabel never looked like that! In conclusion why don't we just wait for Bachmann to make Duck, Oliver Diesel ext.

[Cheeky_ULP]

Answer: Hornby is lazy.

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

True that. But not all his complaints are right. That "wire in Oliver's forehead" is part of his smokebox handrail, and it is there in the books.

[Cheeky_ULP]

True that. But not all his complaints are right. That "wire in Oliver's forehead" is part of his smokebox handrail, and it is there in the books.

Yeah but they didn't need to drill a screw in his forehead to keep it in place. Talk about pain. 

[The Chaz Storm]

The Hornby Thomas, Henry, Gordon, James, Percy, Duck, Oliver, Bear and Stepney models are all decent models.  Not the best, but they are pretty nice models.  The rest of the engines get two thumbs down from me.  The rolling stock I like too, some rolling stock I prefer over Bachmanns (IE express coaches, tankers, etc.) 
Most of the Hornby models I didn't like though have been sold except for Toby since he is one of my favorite characters.
Hornby though has much better and accurate buildings then Bachmann does.  
So Hornby isn't at all that bad...but most of Bachmanns engines and some of their rolling stock are better then the Hornby models.  Edward and Emily to name a few.
However with Hornby's current progress they aren't doing well, they're barely making anything for their Thomas range right now.  Whereas Bachmann is starting sell models like crazy and is soaring to success.  
Total Hornby has made 19 engines in the past 25 years with their small lack of effort put into the engines alone.
Bachmann on the other hand has made 15 (including the four new engines) with PLENTY of effort put into each model in the past EIGHT years.  If this keeps up in the next two to three years Bachmann will end up with more engines then Hornby.  

Bachmann and Hornby both have their ups and downs, but I'm starting to think that one of these days Hornby's Thomas range is gonna be in trouble...

[Cheeky_ULP]

Bachmann and Hornby both have their ups and downs, but I'm starting to think that one of these days Hornby's Thomas range is gonna be in trouble...

There's truth in this. UK stores have been importing Bachmann Thomas models, and the number of them doing so has been dramatically rising the last few years. Bachmann already won the license to sell G scale Thomas in the UK. I wouldn't be surprised if OO was next.

It doesn't help much that they list HO/OO on the boxes, instead of just HO...

[StanierJack]

It doesn't help much that they list HO/OO on the boxes, instead of just HO...

Since when have Bachmann done this? The models I have came with HO if I recall correctly.

[PasqualeCS96]

Answer: Hornby is lazy.

My point exactly.

[buzz]

I would disagree with the proposition Hornby is lazy, and in fact that statement should not be made on this forum.
Hornby put OO/HO on the boxes because thats precisely what it is and I hate to say this so is Bachmann Thomas
Bachmann Branch lines is the UK outline Bachmann
What the marking on the box means is OO scale 4mm = 1' HO 16.5mm gauge.
What you have to remember is Bachmann make the TV trains
Hornby make the proper scale Thomas trains both have there markets
The Hornby Thomas trains cannot help but be scale models,
when you have Stepney being a very real Brighton "Terrier" which Hornby Have produced and the real one is preserved on the Bluebell railway.
You then have the Thomas Stepney which is based on you guessed it
a Brighton Terrier if you where Hornby would you not use the same mold.
Hornby also have to match it with there pre existing range a thing Bachmann did not have to do.
There is a reason all English trains are OO scale and it goes back to clock work train days being able to fit the smallest motor in a HO scale US locomotive.
But because the English trains are smaller than the US ones that smallest clock work motor would not fit in an English loco at HO scale.
regards John

[Michigan Railfan]

I would disagree with the proposition Hornby is lazy, and in fact that statement should not be made on this forum.
Hornby put OO/HO on the boxes because thats precisely what it is and I hate to say this so is Bachmann Thomas
Bachmann Branch lines is the UK outline Bachmann
What the marking on the box means is OO scale 4mm = 1' HO 16.5mm gauge.
What you have to remember is Bachmann make the TV trains
Hornby make the proper scale Thomas trains both have there markets
The Hornby Thomas trains cannot help but be scale models,
when you have Stepney being a very real Brighton "Terrier" which Hornby Have produced and the real one is preserved on the Bluebell railway.
You then have the Thomas Stepney which is based on you guessed it
a Brighton Terrier if you where Hornby would you not use the same mold.
Hornby also have to match it with there pre existing range a thing Bachmann did not have to do.
There is a reason all English trains are OO scale and it goes back to clock work train days being able to fit the smallest motor in a HO scale US locomotive.
But because the English trains are smaller than the US ones that smallest clock work motor would not fit in an English loco at HO scale.
regards John

Actually, Bachmann's Thomas models are scale to Hornby's.  Heres a link where I asked why Bachmann's and Hornby's Thomas trains are the same size. http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,8593.msg70678.html#msg70678

[Cheeky_ULP]

I would disagree with the proposition Hornby is lazy, and in fact that statement should not be made on this forum.

What?

We have rights to what we think. Scale is hardly a factor anyway. I was just saying that "OO" being there means they could appeal to a UK market.

I doubt anyone really cares the "scale" of a Thomas model, as long as its not too noticeable, doesn't ram into station platforms or can't fit into tunnels. (I say this because the Tomix range gets HUGE praise, despite the fact they're oversized  )


But if Hornby weren't so lazy, I'd like them to at least try custom molds. They did it during their first years, but then just decided to "recolor" engines. Bachmann could of easily done the same thing.

[StanierJack]

At the end of the day, they are toys guys. Stop getting so stressy about them.

[Cheeky_ULP]

At the end of the day, they are toys guys. Stop getting so stressy about them.

Looks like we got mail for Knuckles.

[jettrainfan]

At the end of the day, they are toys guys. Stop getting so stressy about them.

Last time i checked they were models!

[buzz]

I would disagree with the proposition Hornby is lazy, and in fact that statement should not be made on this forum.

What?

We have rights to what we think. Scale is hardly a factor anyway. I was just saying that "OO" being there means they could appeal to a UK market.

I doubt anyone really cares the "scale" of a Thomas model, as long as its not too noticeable, doesn't ram into station platforms or can't fit into tunnels. (I say this because the Tomix range gets HUGE praise, despite the fact they're oversized  )


But if Hornby weren't so lazy, I'd like them to at least try custom molds. They did it during their first years, but then just decided to "recolor" engines. Bachmann could of easily done the same thing.

yes you have rights and one of them is to obey forum rules,
and it is against the forum rules to bad mouth other manufactures
Who are not here to defend them selves.
Feel free to give Hornby the hundreds of thousands of pounds it would cost to make dedicated molds for a very limited market.
I like Hornby Thomas just the way it is it fits in well with my UK models
I also Like Bachmann Thomas Just the way It is as it fills the cartoon train market long may it stay so.
If you want to compare Hornby And Bachmann at least have the good manners, to write a revue that will be published in an open public domain
where if both the companies don't like it.
They can both respond.
regards John