Hornby | What set to buy?

During the festive season it can be difficult to find the right set. When you're buying for a railway enthusiast, where do you start? Well we here at Hornby have put together a few bits of advice to help you find that perfect Christmas present this year!
Hornby website - www.hornby.com/uk-en/
Hornby Forum - www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum
Support - www.hornby.com/uk-en/support
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Watch: "Hornby 2023 Range Revealed: All The Details You Need To Know"
• Hornby 2023 Range Reve...
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[@SamsTrains]

‘Perfect for your little train conductor’ 😂

[@Taggart00]

That line upset me.

[@originalsgame9918]

Surprised to see this comment but still very cool

[@wellsworthjunction]

Hey sam

[@juniorsjoking8802]

Hey, Sam :)

[@jedigaming1589]

I don't think I'm a little train conductor anymore, I'm in my double digits now

[@JAMESDEMU-RailwayModeller]

Bought my father in law a (nearly) mint starter set from 1976 for Christmas last year with a box load of accessories. Don't ofen see him with a big smile (he's a Forest fan so no surprises there) but this was definitely a winner. It's not Christmas without a Hornby train set.

[@gs425]

Hahaha made me smile. Poor forest....They were simply the best under clough. That's from a Liverpool fan !

[@pierrecaron8731]

I got my first Hornby model train for christmas 1969 from my father, I was just 3 years old so more a gift for himself, but just like my dad I was hooked. Over the years we added more and more, had a big lavish layout and hours of fun. I still have all my Hornby trains and hope to have a layout again soon.

[@thoriumplayzz7436]

I'm getting wood up on my walls tomorrow for all my track to go on

[@ktsp2538]

I have a suggestion which if this happened, I may be able to start a small collection to start a series. MAKE THE PRICES LOWER

[@Towel39855]

Lol true

[@James101]

So true. They are making a loss as the sets are too expensive and they spend far to much money on new model designs which only collecters buy. If they made everything 20% cheaper people would buy more and actually expand their layouts and their interest. I imagine 95% of people that buy a train set look at the prices for expanding the set and then decide not to bother.

[@daylightman8459]

Ah, what ever happened to the wonderfully large sets? Back then you could get about six wagons and a unique locomotive (such as a RailRoad class 55 or a Caledonian D tank) for roughly the same price. Some sets even came with scenery!

[@columnedfox5508]

i've been into hornby trainsets since 1998. my first trainset was flying scotsman

[@patrickcorby8712]

Same

[@mcjaranes3821]

Old man

[@mcjaranes3821]

No offense you adult

[@mcjaranes3821]

That's what me try to say

[@greenio2011]

This has helped me know a little more on the Hornby brand! I am planning on getting some train sets for my birthday! Thank you for making this video!

[@Jarmy05]

Hi great video, i must say i made a few cheeky purchases from you guys this year and have never been disappointed Merry Christmas and happy New year Hornby

[@thoriumplayzz7436]

I heard my dad talking about him getting me the flying scotsman for my birthday tomorrow!

[@nicky8895]

Love the vid merry Christmas and happy New year

[@HornbyModelRailways]

Thanks! Wishing you a fantastic Christmas too!

[@moxxierl1809]

Easy solution, get the Mixed traffic set, with the class 08 and the 2721

[@IxtimmiboRT1427]

My favourite Hornby Train are the Eurostars that you guys have made.

[@pythonprogrammer6773]

My first was the Flying Scotsman.. From there I got the Highland Rambler and the Hogarth Stone 0-4-0.

[@petersmith4455]

hi. my first train set was a triang transcontinental set with an r55 f7 diesel and dummy diesel and 3 usa style coaches..i now have an r55 with two motors in it and 3 dock shunters all perfect like mary poppins. triang power bogie was brilliant.

[@jamesmcdonald9799]

Hi, great advice for an old time modeller. Thanks

[@kellyashfordtrains2642]

I'm not a little train conductor, but I'm a big kid. I have something every young Hornby Fan would want to find under their Christmas tree. It is a Thomas the Tank Engine Electric Train Set. I also have the Santa's Express Model set and Sam has followed in my footsteps. He knows it's the best way to go.... Chuffing around the Christmas tree, have a happy holiday, Sam is dancing merrily in his new old-fashioned way.

[@vxrdrummer]

My son has the Thomas set, and all the trucks for him, but for Xmas he has Edward, James, Percy and the mail train and James and Gordon's coaches. I need to get Gordon and Henry before everywhere runs out but they are £140 each. I have been collecting Scale Dale stuff for him for a while and also he has two further small Hornby trainsets for Xmas as well. I reckon he will fall to pieces when he sees it all. His Class 37 is his favourite at the minute but he likes to run it with Thomas helping to push as well ha ha. It looks funny with this massive freight engine and...little Thomas with Annie and Claribel and the troublesome trucks and breakvan etc.!!! The he has HST pulls coaches and wagons at the same time and he has a chemical carrier which he says is his milk truck ha ha. He is 3 and a half and obsessed with trains. He loves it all!!! I hope you have a railway filled Xmas as well!!!

[@dominicklmaviation8350]

I looking forward to buy the GWR freight set

[@NorthWestElectrics]

Hopefully getting a Scotsman for Christmas

[@user-gi5nh6ng7g]

Not had a good experience with Hornby. Bought a Flying Scotsman set in September 2020 for our son’s birthday. On its second outing on the layout it derailed. I realised the valve gear had come loose from the side, caught the track and bent the connecting rod wrecking the locomotive. Thanks goodness Amazon have a good return policy. I went on the Hornby forum asking if similar problems had happened to others and received one or two patronising responses from ‘serious modellers’ who do full ‘acceptance inspections’ when they receive a new Hornby product. One poster even said he “spent two or three minutes working out how to remove a new loco from its packaging”. It was also questioned whether “I was experienced with model trains” and whether my ‘inexperienced’ caused the problem. So if your thinking of buying a Hornby trainset it seems you have to have some kind of training and set aside a few hours to open the packaging and carry out a series of checks and tests to avoid it falling apart. I think that will be unnecessary for me however. There’s a lot of competition for places on a child’s Christmas and birthday lists. There’s a lot of things out there that work reliably, straight from the box, some of which cost a fraction of the price of a Hornby trainset and they don’t disappoint seven year olds.

[@wellsworthjunction]

Man, these sets look great, in the us, they are very hard to come by.

[@Cheeseburger148]

Well im here

[@patrickcorby8712]

I have the Santa's Express set and the Flying Scotsman set

[@aarongristwood7740]

We just brought the Santa express really good set

[@almostkentish3042]

I got the new GWR HST set on the way. It's joining a fleet rather than starting one, but it's a bargain for what you get, so who can complain?

[@hugothomas1199]

I had a train set wen I was 3 years old 😄🤣😀

[@sop3191]

I was 5 when my dad got me the old Hornby Thomas set!

[@kuregami3035]

Clockwork?

[@sop3191]

@@kuregami3035 No, electric

[@kuregami3035]

@@sop3191 nice!

[@matthewjones3246]

My first hornby train set was the virgin pendelino digital but I was to young to release what it really was

[@WMRailSpotter]

I started last year I started with the santa express then the west coast highlander then a Eurostar the box is blue not red

[@nabil944]

I’m hoping this year, it’ll be GWR freight under the tree ;)

[@thebirminghamtrainspotter8657]

Hornby i would like to see a Class 56 train set!

[@newwesterngrove]

I still use DC as it is cheaper and you can run old models by rovex/tri-ang, Mainline, Bachmann, 70s 80s 90s and early 10s hornby and lima

[@TiasVsEverything]

Does Hornby even offer any DCC sets atm?

[@James101]

Hi. For me the only sets of any value are the larger sets as £80-90 for an 0-4-0 and a few wagons and tiny loop of track is a joke. I love Hornby but need to see more trainsets in the range so there is more choice.

[@salmansaad43]

Hello Sam where is the homby shop

[@chuckmaddison2924]

He's 3 and loves trains. I've shown him cab rides on big screen and other videos. He has a little Thomas, and I was thinking something bit better. Thomas will run on the tiles without track : (

[@NightOwlGames]

i wish i had the space

[@T-Darien]

Most of these Sets arent even on the Hornby website

[@GuyKenward]

T-Darien go on hattons you can find most of them or ebay

[@999spongey6]

Yeah my first one isn’t

[@skalemodelkorner289]

Hey Mike, what do you think is the best analogue set?

[@HornbyModelRailways]

Hi RM289, great question, there are so many to choose from. It could depend on your budget if you want a great starter analogue set the Valley Drifter from this years range is great - uk.hornby.com/products/valley-drifter-train-set-r1270m If you wanted to go with something a little bigger the Flying Scotsman Train Set is great too - uk.hornby.com/products/flying-scotsman-train-set-r1255m Hope that helps and thanks for watching!

[@icklebean0365]

Well, time have come on in the years, I got dcc at the age of 4!

[@robbiecranch1806]

The mallard Pullman sets are always out of stock, but if there not they'll be about 200 to £300 can you tell me why?

[@rhysmchugh3714]

I may start a train layout

[@HornbyModelRailways]

That's great news Rhys. We would love to see the progress! Thanks for watching.

[@udavinjayaweera2344]

Done

[@JustJamesYT]

Im 10 and just got the lms blue streamlined coronation, and the old hornby flying scotsman set with 4 coaches, plus track packs A, B, C, D, and E, and the airfix 14xx. im loving them so far, I highly prefer hornby track than bachmann track too.

[@TiasVsEverything]

I may have stumbled on the wrong video because a lot of the sets I’d been looking at have been discontinued.

[@harryellott1640]

✅

[@Palolo_mlt]

Do you deliver your products to Mexico? By buying them in the OFFICIAL store?

[@adamkowalski1226]

Will hornby Come to the polish market one day?

[@marines285]

Yes😂

[@legalburglar4404]

I have a 50 year old hornby which is my grandfathers. i need some help in restorring it.

[@jerryjohn1317]

buy one and make someone's day

[@copystrikeme7576]

hey hornby do you mind adding big boy to your train brand🚂

[@merlinandmurdoch7837]

why is searching for a specific engine so hard to do?

[@thefordguy4015]

I’m 10 I have n scale a lot of it

[@johnmcpherson8403]

Um so How much for the flying Scotsman

[@dominustaker1651]

Me: oo i want a dcc fitted train Looks: ............£100

[@merlinandmurdoch7837]

why aren't all of the Hornby items available in Hornby America, like smokey joe?

[@HornbyModelRailways]

Almost all Hornby items will be available in the USA, however, they can always sell out and it isn't always possible to replenish the stock.

[@Marvlgamer10]

Can't you open a Korean branch?

[@rodneymcgiveron7494]

Hornby used to be great....Now they build a lot of stuff that leaves a bit to be desired ..The prices are not that great either ..I'll stay with Bachmann I think .. Better value for money I'd say ..

[@tomnook2612]

I’m 8 and have a model train set

[@HornbyModelRailways]

That's great! What set do you have? Thanks for watching!

[@funibikeman6769]

I had a virgin pendelino but it wouldn’t work so I’ve just gave up 😂😂😂

[@roka3611]

I am buying for 9 year old but he has got a previous train set

[@maydeliramirez7883]

I'm sad I live in the US

[@MrTantrums007]

Hornby Ting Tong Railway Imports LOL!

[@gabrieljennings5255]

This guys pained expression looks like kier starmer

[@BritishRail60062]

The junior set is ideal for kids but I disagree about the analogue sets because they are ideal for adults as well that want to just set up some track, plug in a train controller and GO! Being new to the hobby and perhaps having their first train set, they probably don't want to faff about with DCC and having the mess of fitting decoders into other model trains later on. Also there is the factor of preference because until very recently. I was mostly into diesel and electric locomotives and steam didn't really interest me until very recently. DCC is more for the veteran user more than a newcomer to model trains. The price factor can vary greatly depending on what the buyer wants. I tend to shop around and wait until the hobby stores have a sale as then my money will go further. If you would pass a message onto Hornby for me. I would like to see more modern diesel train sets because available for those on a budget. Considering that there is a good range of Railroad models. I think something like a Colas Class 37 with a selection of wagons with a medium oval of track in analogue would make for an attractive modern train set for a newcomer. I hope that model train set suggestion will help and I will look forward to the 2019 range of model trains to come from Hornby. Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas to all the staff at Hornby Hobbies. Have a good one.

[@Poliss95]

What faffing around is there with DCC? To fit a decoder into a new loco all you have to do is take the body off, remove the blanking plug, replace it with a decoder and put the body back on. The hardest part is usually taking the body off. I've seen 2 year olds running DCC without problems.

[@BritishRail60062]

@@Poliss95 Depending on the train. Most newcomers into the hobby like I was many years ago wanted to just lay some track and run some trains. Yes I agree with you that DCC ready models are very easy to convert. However small engines have to be hard wired on older models without a plug and would be quite intimidating for a newcomer that buys an older model that is non-DCC compliant. That is my arguement here.

[@Poliss95]

@@BritishRail60062 I have a switch on my control panel so I can change between DCC and DC extremely easily.

[@BritishRail60062]

@@Poliss95 That's grand.

[@That_0ne_avgeek2024]

Diesel>>>

[@kylethegod4151]

11 Laiss yeer 2020 I Got the Pepsi crank set. No h j

[@patrickmccabe820]

Hornby should make a new hornby junior set dut instead of a electronic train it should hav steam engine

[@lucianopaulis4884]

E POSSIBILE CHE GLI ORDINI VENGANO INDIVIDUATI IN ITALIANO

[@HornbyModelRailways]

We do have plenty of Italian retailers who may be able to help. Find out more here: bit.ly/2rXrxov

[@jotdancobra126]

Bring back thomas

[@leeludlowart237]

Unless you bring the extortionate prices down I think you’ve got another 25 years maximum as a business. Young people arnt taking up the hobby fast enough to keep you going at those prices. Most people now buy second hand.

[@joshstrainspotting2586]

im8

[@johngarcia9614]

Make your prices cheaper

[@theollies1722]

Buy the scuffed Harry Potter set

[@Poliss95]

DCC advanced, complex? Computer savvy users? Can you please explain how a DCC set with say, The Select, is more complicated to operate than an analogue train set? Can you also find me a child that doesn't know how to operate an app on their mobile phone? Get with the times Hornby. It's 2018, coming up to 2019. Things have moved on since the 1950s.

[@HornbyModelRailways]

Difficulty is completely relative, what someone finds difficult someone else may not. We're giving general advice, from what we've found, to help this Christmas.

[@_chp_]

DCC is quite obviosly a lot more advanced,anoluge is more simpler but you can only run one train,while with DCC you can run a lot more.

[@Poliss95]

@@HornbyModelRailways No. Difficulty is not relative. DC train set. You put the track together. Put the power clips into the track. Connect leads to controller. Plug controller in. Place loco on track. Turn knob on controller. Loco moves. DCC train set. You put the track together. Put the power clips into the track. Connect leads to controller. Plug controller in. Place loco on track. Turn knob on controller. Loco moves. There's absolutely no difference. It's a shame when you don't even know how your own products work.

[@Poliss95]

No. DC is not simpler to use. DCC is simpler, especially if you have more than one loco. Take a layout with two ovals connected by points with one loco on each oval. To move a loco from one oval to the other using DC, you will need to fit isolating sections controlled by switches. You will have to put the first loco into an isolated section before you can move the second loco from one oval to the other. Then you will need to put the second loco in another isolated section before you can move the first loco. With DCC you don't have to have isolated sections at all. You just move the first loco from one oval to the other.

[@_chp_]

@@Poliss95 agreed.

[@trainzinnit9232]

Your website is crap it has no trains on there I type ews train what do I get NOT THE EWS I GET A STEAM TRAIN

[@MrTantrums007]

Hornby died with Meccano c1960s!

[@tfsmf]

Maybe make the models reasonably priced then people will buy the sets

[@haz2005]

LOWER YOUR PRICES

[@bobsemple07]

Lol doesn't work like that

[@lukeslocomotives]

HORNBYS PRICES ARE REALLY GOOD