Hornby

Hornby Railways launched its official Thomas & Friends range in 1985, shortly after the debut of the television series. It mainly utilises modified versions of existing Hornby engines, as well as existing rolling stock and accessories. In the early 1980s, there was a range of unofficial models released in the Playtrains range whereby the engines were Ex-Nellie/Polly locomotives on push-along chassis. The engines created were Thomas, James, Percy & Gordon, all with their original colour schemes but red wheels for most. Two other locomotives called Dixie & Pixie were released alongside, but only Dixie had blue wheels. More info can be found on Dave Angell's website. In 2014, the range was discontinued, although Hornby released a statement saying that it was 'under review'. In 2015, Hornby reintroduced the Thomas line with selected models, rolling stock and sets released in December 2015 and into 2016. The reintroduced models retain their original faces; Edward, Gordon and James received improved tender driven motors and Henry was upgraded with a loco driven chassis. In addition, Edward, Henry, Gordon and James can now be converted to run via Hornby's Digital Controller (DCC).

Parts from Hornby's 00 gauge models were used to make the engines and rolling stock for the 1953 television adaptation story, The Sad Story of Henry.

Hornby produces a series of 00 gauge model railway engines, track, accessories and box sets based on the characters and locations of Thomas and Friends. The track and couplers are Hornby's standard; therefore the range is compatible with their main range.

1980

 * Early Playtrains Push-Along Thomas - (retired)
 * Early Playtrains Push-Along James - (retired)
 * Early Playtrains Push-Along Percy - (retired)
 * Early Playtrains Push-Along Gordon - (retired)

1985

 * Thomas the Tank Engine - made using a London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E2 tank engine model with added splashers and a modified cab - (retired)
 * Percy the Saddle Tank Engine - a brand new moulding utilising the standard Hornby 0-4-0 chassis - (retired)
 * Annie - produced using Hornby's standard four-wheeled coaches - (retired)
 * Clarabel - produced using Hornby's standard four-wheeled coaches - (retired)
 * Cattle Wagon - made using the Tri-ang moulding - only available in the Percy Set until 1986 - (retired)
 * Milk Tanker - made using a standard four-wheeled tanker - (retired)
 * Open Wagon - (retired)
 * Closed Van - (retired)
 * Brake Van - made using a BR standard brake van - (retired)
 * Station and platform - (retired)
 * Water tower and crane - (retired)
 * Signals - (retired)
 * Signal Box - (retired)
 * Platform with canopy - (retired)
 * Footbridge - (retired)
 * Tunnel - (retired)
 * Engine shed - (retired)
 * Goods shed - (retired)

1986

 * Gordon the Big Blue Engine - made using the Tri-ang LNER A1 class tooling with a modified cab and six-wheeled tender - (retired)
 * Duck - made using the old Tri-ang GWR 57xx class tooling with a modified cab - (retired)
 * Gordon's Composite Coach - made using the GWR Composite Coach in a green and cream livery - (retired)
 * Gordon's Brake Coach - made using the GWR Brake Coach in a green and cream livery - (retired)
 * The Fat Controller, Driver and Fireman - (cancelled)

1987

 * Devious Diesel - made using the Tri-ang 0-6-0 class 08 diesel shunter mould - (retired)

1988

 * James the Red Engine - made using a Tri-ang LMS 3F class tooling with altered moulding around the smokebox and extended frames and an added pony truck - (retired)
 * James' Composite Coach - made using the GWR Composite Coach in a red and cream livery - (retired)
 * James' Brake Coach - made using the GWR Brake Coach in a red and cream livery - (retired)

1989

 * Tar Tanker - (retired)
 * Breakdown Crane - (retired)

Sometime between 1990 and 1994, Gordon, Duck, Diesel, the breakdown crane, the closed van, the cattle wagon, the tar tanker and James' coaches were quietly retired from the range for unknown reasons.

1995

 * Gordon the Big Blue Engine - (reintroduction; retired)
 * Duck - (reintroduction; retired)

1998

 * Tar Tanker - (reintroduction; retired)

2001

 * Toby the Tram - a brand new moulding utilising a custom Hornby 0-4-0/0-6-0 chassis - (retired)
 * Bill - a brand new moulding utilising a custom Hornby 0-4-0/0-6-0 chassis - (retired)
 * Ben - a brand new moulding utilising a custom Hornby 0-4-0/0-6-0 chassis - (retired)
 * James' Composite Coach - (reintroduction; retired)
 * James' Brake Coach - (reintroduction; retired)

2002

 * Henry the Green Engine - made using Hornby's old LMS Stanier 5MT tooling - (retired)
 * Devious Diesel - (reintroduction; retired)
 * Sodor Fuel Tanker - (retired)
 * Troublesome Truck 1 - (retired)
 * Troublesome Truck 2 - (retired)
 * Sodor Scrap Co. Wagon - (retired)
 * Country Station - (retired)
 * Water Tower and Signal Box pack - (retired)
 * Radio-Controlled Sound System - (retired)

2003

 * 'Arry - made using the Tri-ang 0-6-0 class 08 diesel shunter mould - (retired)
 * Bert - made using the Tri-ang 0-6-0 class 08 diesel shunter mould - (retired)
 * Class 40 - made with Hornby's BR class 37 tooling - (retired)
 * S.C. Ruffey - (retired)

2005
The range got a huge revamp because of the 60th anniversary of the Railway Series, so characters from the Railway Series were introduced and other items were based on the eighth season.


 * Oliver - made using a repainted GWR 14xx class tooling - (retired)
 * Stepney - made using a London, Brighton and South Coast Railway A1X class tooling - (retired)
 * D7101 - made using a BR class 35 tooling - (retired)
 * Flying Scotsman - made using an LNER A1/A3 class tooling - (retired)
 * Bertie the Bus - (reintroduced from the Thomas and Bertie Set; retired)
 * Toad - (retired)
 * Old Slow Coach - (retired)
 * Brake Van - Grey - (retired)
 * Cattle Wagon - (reintroduction; retired)
 * Raspberry Syrup Tanker - (retired)
 * Ice Cream Wagon - (retired)
 * Cream Tanker - (retired)
 * 9 Circus Vans - (retired)
 * Circus Cattle Wagon - (retired)
 * Circus Flatbed No. 1 - (retired)
 * Circus Flatbed No. 2 - (retired)
 * Breakdown Crane - (reintroduction; relabelled as "Large Breakdown Crane"; retired)
 * Maithwaite Station - (retired)
 * Water Tower - (retired)
 * Signal Box - (retired)
 * Double Engine Shed - (retired)
 * Tunnel - (retired)
 * Goods Yard Crane - (retired)

2006

 * Edward - made using a repainted LNER D49 class model with a taller funnel and without the external cylinders and valve gear - (retired)
 * Weathered Oil Tanker - (retired)
 * Red Open Wagon - (retired)
 * Light Blue Open Wagon - (retired)
 * Sodor Mail Coach - (retired)
 * Cream Utility Wagon - (retired)
 * Light Grey Vent Van - (retired)
 * Red Oxide Vent Van - (retired; still available in the 2011 and the 2015 Percy & The Mail Train Sets)
 * Three circus tents and three circus stalls - (retired)
 * Dryaw Station - (retired)
 * Windmill - (retired)
 * Signal Box - (retired)

2007

 * Emily - made using a repainted GWR Dean Achilles class model - (retired)

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

2008

 * Spencer - made using a repainted LNER A4 class model - (retired)
 * Great Waterton Station - (retired)
 * Stanley's Shed - (retired)
 * Waterton Butchers - (retired)
 * Blacksmiths - (retired)
 * Post Office - (retired)
 * Ben's Books - (retired)
 * Ed's Garage - (retired)
 * Great Waterton Station Platform - (retired)

2009

 * Tired face Thomas - (limited production of 500 models, exclusive to now defunct "ModelZone" retailers; retired)

2011

 * Dart - (retired)
 * Murdoch - made using a repainted BR 9F class model - (retired)
 * Lime Wagon - Grey - (retired)
 * Lime Wagon - Brown - (retired)
 * Works Unit Van - (retired)
 * Breakdown Crane - (reintroduction; retired)
 * Sodor Mail Operating Coach - (eight wheel version only available in the 2011 and the 2015 version of the Percy & The Mail Train Sets)
 * Station and platform - (cancelled)
 * Engine shed - (cancelled)
 * Goods shed - (cancelled)
 * Signal box - (cancelled)
 * Water tower and crane - (cancelled)
 * Footbridge - (cancelled)
 * Platform with canopy - (cancelled)

1,000 special edition models each of Thomas, Percy and James were released, celebrating 100 years of the birth of the Rev W. Awdry which included a Royal Mail covered envelope with a stamp of a character and a certificate. This year was also notable for retiring a great number of items from the range.

2012

 * Spencer - (Limited production of 1,000; retired)
 * Stepney - (Limited production of 1,000; retired)
 * Spencer's Composite Coach - (retired)
 * Spencer's Brake Coach - (retired)
 * Tanker Wagon Pack - (retired)
 * Open Wagon Pack - (retired)
 * Closed Van Wagon Pack - (retired)

2015

 * Thomas the Tank Engine - (reintroduction)
 * Percy - (reintroduction)
 * Annie and Clarabel - (reintroduction)
 * Troublesome Trucks - (reintroduction)
 * James' Composite Coach - (reintroduction)
 * James' Brake Coach - (reintroduction)
 * Gordon's Composite Coach - (reintroduction)
 * Gordon's Brake Coach - (reintroduction)
 * Tanker Triple Pack - (reintroduction, retired)
 * Wagon Triple Pack A - (reintroduction, retired)
 * Wagon Triple Pack B - (reintroduction, retired)
 * Old Slow Coach - (reintroduction, retired)

2016

 * Edward - (reintroduction)
 * Henry - (reintroduction)
 * Gordon - (reintroduction)
 * James - (reintroduction)
 * Thomas the Tank Engine 70th Anniversary Limited Edition - (retired)

Train Sets
The newer sets are supplied with a "Midi-Mat" with printed scenery and track layout, enough track to create a basic oval, one or two engines and rolling stock, a transformer, controller 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. The older sets had cut out figures (such as The Fat Controller) and tunnel and the sets also advertised the buildings and accessories within the range.

1985

 * Thomas Set - (retired)
 * Percy Set - (retired)

1987

 * Gordon Passenger Set - (retired)
 * Duck Set - (retired)
 * Devious Diesel Set - (retired)

1988

 * James Passenger Set - (retired)
 * Thomas and Bertie Battery Powered Set - A battery-powered set including an unpowered Thomas, a motorised Annie, Clarabel, Bertie and a copy of Thomas and Bertie and Thomas Down the Mine, which allowed children to recreate the story of Thomas and Bertie (the book was omitted from 1995 onwards, however). The track for this set was double sided; one side for Thomas and one side for Bertie - (retired)

1995

 * Thomas 'Musical Ride' Battery Powered Set - A musical set with an 0-4-0 Thomas, Annie, Clarabel and a battery powered station. Whilst Thomas moved around the track, the original theme music would play - (retired)

1997

 * Thomas and Percy Electric Train Set - (retired)
 * Thomas and Station Battery Powered Set - (retired)

2002

 * Radio-Controlled Thomas Set - (retired)
 * Radio-Controlled Thomas and Percy Set - (retired)
 * Radio-Controlled Toby Set - (retired)

2005

 * Thomas Passenger Set - (reintroduction; retired)
 * James Passenger Set - (reintroduction; retired)
 * Percy Set - Circus - (retired)
 * Thomas & Bill Set - (retired)

2008

 * Thomas & The Great Discovery Set - contained an exclusive tired and weathered Thomas, weathered versions of Annie and Clarabel and weathered versions of the red open wagon and the light blue open wagon, which also came with loads - (retired)

2009

 * Thomas Train Set - (retired)
 * Thomas & Percy Electric Train Set - (reintroduction; cancelled)
 * Thomas Passenger & Goods Set - (retired)

2011

 * Percy & The Mail Train Set - (retired)

2012

 * Thomas & The Breakdown Train Set - (retired)

2015

 * Percy & The Mail Train Set - (reintroduction)
 * Thomas the Tank Engine Train Set - (reintroduction)
 * Thomas Passenger and Goods Train Set - (reintroduction)

Clockwork Train Sets, Locomotives, Rolling Stock, Buildings and Accessories
Hornby also produced Thomas and some of his friends in clockwork form. The sets were available as 'Playtrains' (plastic track) or as standard Hornby track. The playtrain coaches and wagons had simple up and down couplings and plastic playtrain wheels which meant that they were not compatible on normal Hornby track. The rolling stock on the normal Hornby 00 gauge track clockwork sets were exactly the same as the electric versions.

1985

 * Thomas Passenger Set - plastic track - (retired)
 * Thomas Passenger Set - metal track - (retired)
 * Thomas Goods Set - plastic track - (retired)
 * Thomas Goods Set - metal track - (retired)
 * Percy Goods Set - plastic track - (retired)
 * Percy Goods Set - metal track - (retired)

Additional sections of playtrain track including points and buffers were available.

1990
Thomas and Percy were available separately - (both retired)

1995
The clockwork playtrain sets now had the normal Hornby logo rather than the Playtrains logo.

1997

 * Bertie
 * Annie and Clarabel were available separately - (both retired)

1998
This year saw a revamp in the clockwork Thomas system. The system was now only available as clockwork 'Playtrains'. Thomas' chassis was remodelled to an 0-6-0 chassis rather than the inaccurate 0-4-0 previously carried. Also, the plastic track had a totally new design. The models, accessories and sets were as follows:


 * Toby - (retired)
 * Bill - (retired)
 * Ben - (retired)
 * Troublesome Truck 1 - (retired)
 * Troublesome Truck 2 - (retired)
 * Thomas No.1 Set - (retired)
 * Thomas and Ben Wind-up Train Set - (listed as Thomas No.2 Set; retired)
 * Signal Box/Water Tower pack - (retired)
 * Thomas Station - (retired)
 * Turntable pack - (retired)

In 2003, the entire clockwork system was retired from the Thomas line.

Other
This section is of locomotives made by Hornby, that have appeared in the Railway Series or the television series, but not boxed by the manufacturer, as a Thomas and Friends product. To date, Adams is the only locomotive to get this treatment, but he would sit well with Hornby's Thomas products, hence it being listed.

2016

 * Adams

Trivia

 * The 1997, 1998 and 1999 Hornby catalogues are the only catalogues that did not illustrate the Thomas and Friends range since its debut in 1985. Instead, the range was listed in the price lists and published its own catalogues.
 * To date, Thomas (clockwork and 0-4-0 shell only), Percy, Toby, Bill and Ben are the only engines to have their tooling created from scratch, coincidentally these are the most TVS looking characters to date, with Thomas (clockwork/free-rolling) and Percy being the closest to their series 1 models (although Percy is 8mm too long).
 * To date, Bertie is the only non-rail Thomas character to have been released.
 * Flying Scotsman, Bear, Spencer and Murdoch have sprung buffers. This is likely due to them being made using newer toolings than some of the locomotives made before them.
 * The Thomas and Bertie Battery Powered set was later reused as a Fireman Sam set.
 * The close-up pictures on the prototype box cover of the musical Thomas set showed pictures from Hornby's station master train set, as using the same tooling. The same set was later used as the 'My first Hornby' set.
 * Hornby also made toys for one of Britt Allcroft's other major productions, Magic Adventures of Mumfie.
 * There have been several instances where the Hornby Thomas range has been featured in pop-culture:
 * Several models were featured in a sketch on Bobby Davro's TV Weekly called Thomas the Tanked Up Engine.
 * An Annie or Clarabel model along with the early cattle wagon appear briefly on Last of the Summer Wine.
 * The promotional photo of the Thomas model is used in a recurring gag on The NRL Footy Show in Australia, with Paul Gallen's face edited over Thomas'.
 * A model of Thomas made a cameo on a 2003 Comic Relief parody of Harry Potter.
 * A model of Percy along with a tar tanker and a Mail Van were seen briefly in James May's Top Toys.
 * In 2014, when artist Jenny Bell decided to paint a mural of the nativity at Nottingham railway station for Christmas, she added a golden model of Thomas into the picture, using the wind-up model of him as a guide.
 * Thomas' model originally came fitted with traction tyres on the centre wheels which helps give the model grip on the rails. However, these have been omitted from Thomas models produced in recent years, likely to improve its running performance.
 * Thomas' 1985 model had a face that resembles his appearance in The Railway Series, but was changed the following year to match his appearance in the television series. Earlier models of Thomas also featured the red lining on his back.
 * Thomas and Percy's models originally had a blue and green running board respectively, but since their 2015 re-releases, they have both gained a splash of white, Thomas on his front valence and Percy up to the front of his cab.
 * In 2016, Thomas gained a lamp on the front of his running board.
 * Edward and Henry's 2016 re-releases' face sculpts were updated to resemble the newer CGI seasons of Thomas & Friends.
 * Edward's model is incorrectly depicted as LNER D49 with pistons and corresponding linkage removed and funnel changed.
 * Henry's 2016 re-release is the only tender engine in the revised Hornby Thomas range to be given a loco driven chassis, while the 2016 Edward, Gordon and James models have improved tender driven motors.
 * Gordon's prototype model had a different face when he was featured in the 1986 catalogue. Duck and Diesel's prototype models also share this distinction in the 1987 catalogue.
 * The original Gordon models (1986-2013) had oval buffers, however the 2016-present models have round buffers.
 * Percy's prototype model was originally a modified Caledonian Pug, but it was decided to use a new-build tooling, likely to make it look closer to his appearance in the television series.
 * Toby's model is oversized and is too tall to fit under most shed doors and tunnels because of it.
 * On Duck's model:
 * His handrails are painted gold, similar to his earlier appearances in the second season.
 * His wheel arches are green, when they should be painted black.
 * Oliver and Stepney's models state 2004 underneath them, despite not being released until 2005. It is likely that they were meant for release in 2004, but were delayed to the following year.
 * Bill and Ben's models are oversized and their prototype models had yellow wheels.
 * Stepney and Class 40's buffers are black instead of silver.
 * Flying Scotsman appears in the Railway Series and Television Series with two tenders, but the Hornby model only has one.
 * Emily's coal load is removable.
 * Murdoch's name is written in black on his nameplates.
 * On Spencer's model:
 * The wheels and tender corridor are black.
 * He has a double-chimney instead of a single one.
 * His tender buffer-beam is red.
 * The 2008 model had silver handrails, while the 2012 version had black handrails.
 * For an unknown reason, 'Arry and Bert's faces look like Splatter and Dodge's. Interestingly, however, their prototype faces resemble that of their Ertl faces. Their prototype models also had red buffer-beams.
 * Dart's model has side rods, due to using an inaccurate tooling.
 * The brown first season style Troublesome Open Wagon originally had a 5 plank wagon tooling, but it's none-faced replacement has a 7 plank tooling.
 * Although the milk tanker usually carried blue lettering, several earlier models were done with red lettering; these are extremely rare and are likely to be factory errors.
 * Oddly, earlier releases of the cattle wagon carried the words "TO BE RETURNED TO LEWES" on it; this was removed on the 2005 re-release.
 * The mail coach originally had four wheels due to being tooled from a CCT van, however not of southern origin as the show ones were; however now the mail coaches have eight after being reintroduced in the Percy and the Mail Train Set using the toolings of the existing Royal Mail Operating Coach.
 * Toad is brown, when he should be grey.
 * The prototype models of Spencer's coaches were LNER Gresley coaches painted red.
 * The stickers on Bertie's 2005 model are different from those on his 1988 model.
 * Toby, Bill and Ben all share a chassis designed specifically for them which can be in either 0-6-0 or 0-4-0 configurations respectively.
 * D7101 (Bear) is the only character exclusively from the Railway Series to be released from Hornby.
 * The Great Discovery's Behind the Scenes was filmed for Hornby.
 * Product pictures of "Great Waterton Footbridge" and "Stanley's Shed" are photos of Behind the Scenes.
 * In the early 1980's, Hornby had made use of an existing tooling of the loco commonly referred to as a "Nellie" to make variants of Thomas, Percy, James and Gordon. Not much is actually known about them as they were probably not officially licensed, but they were released under the "Playtrains" brand and featured a yellow chassis with red wheels, whilst Dixie another loco made had blue wheels. There is a sixth called Pixie too.
 * The light blue open wagon featured in "Mr. Perkins' Railway".
 * The Thomas model made for the Thomas & Bertie set has a variation with flanged wheels, similar to the 0-4-0 clockwork engine, however they likely got quickly replaced, no-one is quite sure on whether it was a first run, or it was simply just an error, in any case these are very rare and hard to come by, so far only YouTube user flyingtardis is known to own one of these however another was sited by YouTube user Blue Tank Engine Pictures a while ago.
 * Thomas' 0-4-0 counterpart can be seen re-liveried as well as carrying a smokebox door in Hornby's main range, these include:
 * Billy
 * LBSCR No.629
 * Mosley Tarmacadam
 * BR No.43209
 * Transatlantic Industries No.585
 * Queen Elizebeth II No.60

External link

 * Hornby Trains
 * Hornby Trains Thomas & Friends™
 * Twitter account
 * YouTube channel