looking ahead to 2017 releases....

Many of you will by now be well aware of the ranges announced by Hornby and Bachmann in their 2017 catalogues, but for those of you who aren't a quick run down of some of the more interesting items:

Hornby

The undoubted star of Hornby's 2017 range is their retooled LMS Princess Coronation. Hornby have announced three different liveries for initial production:

• R3553 6231 Duchess of Athol in as built condition with single chimney and without smoke deflectors.
• R3509TTS 46235 City Of Birmingham in her final livery of BR green late crest and as she still stands dormant in the halls of the Thinktank centre in Birmingham. She comes fitted with TTS sound, although we are considering removing this addition for those who do not require it.
• R3555 46256 Sir William A Stanier FRS in BR maroon late crest. Featuring Ivatt's modifications as made to the final two members of the iconic class, 46256 received the name of her original designer and had something of a celebrity status, Hornby reproduce her is what was to be her final days.

At the other end of the steam era spectrum is the SECR H Class 0-4-4T, one of which is preserved (and at time of writing in working order) on the Bluebell Railway. Hornby have announced three different liveries for this model again.

• R3558 No.308 in original SECR livery.
• R3539 No.31518 in BR late crest.
• R3540 No.1324 in Southern Railway Olive Green.

There is also a train pack featuring No.31551 in BR Late Crest (a shame really considering there is a individual late crest example and early crest is yet to be offered) and a Maunsell Push Pull set in BR green.

Another new tooling for 2017 will be the BR electric class 87, like the LMS Princess Coronation that went before them, another loco that found itself earning a living on the west coast mainline. Two initial liveries will be available:

• R3580 87035 'Robert Burns' in BR Blue
• R3582 87010 'King Arthur' in BR Intercity Swallow livery

A few other highlights from the range include:

• Hitachi class 800s in GWR livery and test livery
• 'The Final Day' Collection, four limited editions of an express engine from each of the 'Big Four' companies in the liveries they carried on New Year's Eve 1947, the final day before nationalisation.
• Overrunning from the 2016 range the Merchant Navy class locos in original condition are due out during 2017. They are joined by 35018 British India Line in rebuilt condition (a release which will hopefully coincide with the return to steam of the real 35018!)
• The return of 8Fs, Rebuilt Scots, Std 4 4-6-0s and Q1s to the range.
• A new livery Peckett, '883' Lilleshall Co. in what appears to be plain black livery.
• HST power cars and matching coaches in the latest GWR green livery.
• Class 60 60087 in the ever popular Colas Livery.
• Class 50 D400 'Special Edition' in as delivered BR blue.
• Maroon livery Collett Coaches. Along with reissue GWR livery.
• Return of Maunsell coaches in 'ornate' Southern livery and the return of Stanier Period III stock in LMS and BR Maroon.
• For wagon fans an all new tooling GWR toad brake van (seen behind the H class in picture above)

Bachmann

Many modern image fans will be feeling somewhat let down by the Hornby range and it's large focus on steam era models but the Bachmann 2017 will more than make up for that!

The biggest announcement regarding new toolings was the class 20/3, which Bachmann assure me is to be an all new tooling with (for the first time on a 20) working lights. The model is set to be produced in three different liveries:

• 35-125 20306 in DRS Livery (as pictured)
• 35-126 20311 in Harry Needle Railroad Company Orange
• 35-127 20312 in DRS Compass Livery

For steam era modellers there is a slightly unusual choice, but a very charming one at that, in the Midland Railway 1532 (later LMS/BR 1P) an 0-4-4T loco designed by Johnson. The class survived into the 1950s before withdrawal and is represented by Bachmann in three different liveries:

• 31-740 1273 in Midland Railway Crimson livery
• 31-741 1303 in LMS black livery
• 31-742 58072 in BR black early emblem

as always with Bachmann new toolings the '2017' tag should be taken with a pinch of salt! However, we can look forward to seeing several new announcements this year and several long awaited new toolings! Including:

• Special Edition Avro Vulcan Set featuring 37558 'Avro Vulcan XH558' (actually 37424 as unveiled at the DRS open day last June) and 2 1/144 scale Avro Vulcan XH558 models of the aircraft.
• Expected release of much anticipated models including LMS Stanier Mogul, LNWR Coal Tank and possibly the Southern H2 Atlantic.
• Reissue of 9F as Evening Star and (from the same batch) 92211 in BR Black
• A range of Railfreight locos to commemorate 'Railfreight 30' including an 08, 37 and 47s in Railfreight liveries and appropriate Railfreight liveried rolling stock.
• Split Headcode Box 37099 'Merl Evans 1947-2016' in Colas livery.
• DRS 37688 'Kingmoor TMD' and 37884 in Europhoenix (sound fitted)
• 47245 in West Coast livery
• 66739 'Evening Star' in GBRf/BR Brunswick Green.
• 2017 should be the year we see LNER Thompson coaches and maybe SECR Birdcage stock.
• The previously exclusive to Invicta and TMC, Mk1 CCTs and Horseboxes also join the standard range.
• Due in very soon is the reissue Mk1 TPO with nets in 1960s livery.
• All new tooling VEA vans, Carflats and Prestwin Twin Silo wagons announced.
• 2017 should also see the release of the much anticipated Warflat wagons.

We are currently working on a payment scheme to help spread the cost of these products as we recognise that while Hornby and Bachmann are taking us to new levels in performance and detail, some of their range is getting beyond the resources of the common modeller. More details of that one to follow very shortly in another blog.

Full range details are available on Hornby and Bachmann websites:
http://www.bachmann.co.uk/index.php
http://www.hornby.com/uk-en/

Pre-orders are welcome on any items in the range (no deposit or upfront payments required!)

If I have missed any of your favourites from the new announcements please don't be offended and rest assured we can pre-order any item from either range, just drop us a line with your requirements :) Keep enjoying your modelling guys, Tony :)