Hornby

Hornby Railways produces a series of OO-gauge model engines, track, accessories and box sets based on the characters of Thomas and Friends. The track is standard Hornby track; therefore the range is compatible with their main range. This range is designed for somewhat older children than most Thomas toys, as young children are likely to find Hornby trains quite fiddly, and the higher price and level of detail than cheaper plastic toys make rough handling of the toys by young children unadvisable.

Hornby launched its range in its current form in 1985, shortly after the debut of the television series. It mainly utilised modified versions of existing Hornby engines.

=Engines and rolling stock=

1985

 * Thomas - made using a modified version of a London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E2 tank engine
 * Percy - a brand new moulding utilising the standard Hornby 0-4-0 chassis
 * Annie and Clarabel - produced using Hornby's standard four-wheeled coaches
 * Open wagon
 * Van
 * Brakevan - made using a BR standard brakevan
 * Milk tanker - made using a standard four-wheeled tanker. Although the tanker usually carried blue lettering, several have been made with red lettering; these are extremely rare.

Thomas and Percy were also released as clockwork "Playtrains". Percy used the same moulding as his electric counterpart, but Thomas had an entirely unique body which ran on an inaccurate 0-4-0 chassis. As well as these, there were also clockwork sets which ran on normal 00 guage track.

1986

 * Duck - made using the old Triang 57xx class tooling
 * Gordon - made using the Triang LNER A1 class tooling with a six-wheeled tender
 * Gordon's composite and brake coaches - made using GWR coaches in a green and cream livery
 * Cattle truck - made using the Triang moulding

Oddly, the cattle truck carried the words "TO BE RETURNED TO LEWES".

1987

 * Diesel- made using the obsolete Triang diesel shunter mold
 * The breakdown crane

Neither models were a great success.

A battery-powered set featuring Thomas, Annie, Clarabel and Bertie was also released, which allowed children to recreate the story Thomas and Bertie. Thomas was unpowered, being pushed along by a motor in Annie. The track for this set was double sided; one side, train track for Thomas and one side, road for Bertie. The Bertie featured in this set is still availble today!

1989

 * James - made using a Triang LMS 3F with altered moulding around the smokebox and extended frames
 * Tar wagon
 * James' composite and brake coaches

James was first advertised in 1988.

In the following years, Duck, Gordon, Diesel, the crane, the van, the cattle truck, the tar wagon and James' coaches were quietly retired. Annie was modified so that her face carried a surprised expression, rather than the smiling one previously carried. It was not until 2000 that Hornby revamped their range, bringing Gordon, Duck, the tar wagon and James' coaches back into production and revamping the track system.

2000's

 * Toby
 * Bill and Ben
 * Troublesome Truck 1 and 2
 * 'Arry and Bert
 * The Diesel - made with Hornby's Class 37 tooling.
 * Scruffey

2001

 * Henry
 * Fuel tanker
 * Sodor Scrap Co. truck

Diesel was also reintroduced.

2005
The range got a huge revamp because of the 60th Anniversary so characters from the Railway Series were made and other things were based on Season 8.


 * Oliver
 * Stepney
 * 7101
 * Flying Scotsman
 * Bertie (reintroduced from Thomas and Bertie Set)
 * Toad
 * Old Slow Coach
 * Weathered brakevan
 * The circus train, with twelve wagons (now nine) and three ice cream trucks were brought out.
 * Maithwaite Station (retired)
 * Water Tower (retired)
 * Signal Box (retired)
 * Double Engine Shed (retired)

Reworked versions of the cattle truck and crane were introduced.

2006

 * Edward

2007

 * Emily

Emily was meant to be released in 2006, but her release was delayed until January the 29th, 2007.

2008

 * Spencer

Buildings from Great Waterton were released. 500 limited-edition tired Thomas models, based on the model included in those sets but without weathering, were also released separately.

=Sets= The newer sets are supplied with a "Midi-Mat" with printed scenery and track layout, enough track to create a basic oval, an engine and rolling stock, a transformer and a power clip. Customers were encouraged to purchase further Thomas-branded "track packs", "building packs" and other models to complete the layout printed on the mat.

1980s

 * Thomas Set
 * Gordon Set
 * James Set
 * Percy Set
 * Diesel Set
 * Duck Set
 * Thomas' Musical Ride Set
 * Thomas and Bertie Set

2000's

 * Radio-Controlled Thomas
 * Radio-Controlled Thomas and Percy
 * Radio-Controlled Toby

2005

 * Thomas Passenger Set
 * James Passenger Set
 * Percy at the Circus Set
 * Thomas and Bill Set

2008

 * Thomas and the Great Discovery set

2009

 * Thomas Set
 * Thomas & Percy
 * Thomas & Friends Passenger & Goods

Trivia

 * Bill and Ben's models originally had yellow wheels.
 * Emily is a repainted GWR Duke of Edinburgh model. However, this has been highly criticized by modelers, as it is very inaccurate to Emily's true basis.
 * To date, Percy is the only engine to have been built from scratch. All other models use existing bodies from previous Hornby models.
 * Oddly, Donald and Douglas have not been made, however, less common characters like 7101 have been released.
 * Spencer's wheel's are black, not silver.
 * Edward is a repainted 'Shire' class, minus cylinders and valve gear.
 * 'The Great Discovery' set came with an exclusive tired and weathered Thomas and weathered versions of Annie and Clarabel.
 * Flying Scotsman appears in 'Thomas and Friends' with two tenders, but the Hornby model only has one.
 * For an unknown reason 'Arry and Bert have Splatter and Dodge's faces!

External link
Hornby Trains