HORNBY is bringing AIRFIX production back to the UK.

[steventrain]

Hornby is bringing Airfix production back to the UK for the first time in 20 Years.

 

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/money/4865293/Airfix-kits-are-to-be-made-in-UK-for-first-time-in-20-years.html

 

Hornby model railways production could moved back to UK.

 

The company separately yesterday announced chief exec Frank Martin was stepping down after 12 years in charge.

[Warbonnet]

They've also brought or are bringing humbrol paint back to the UK too. I'm not sure if it would make economic sense to bring their more expensive items like train production back to the UK any time soon. Mind you if it cuts out some of the mistakes that have been made recently ( GWR suburban coaches with B4 bogies) I'm sure it would be welcome by some.

[RedRich]

They've also brought or are bringing humbrol paint back to the UK too. I'm not sure if it would make economic sense to bring their more expensive items like train production back to the UK any time soon. Mind you if it cuts out some of the mistakes that have been made recently ( GWR suburban coaches with B4 bogies) I'm sure it would be welcome by some.

 

Fran Dave Jones from Dapol was saying that if you don't have a presence on the factory floor in China mistakes do creep in before you can do anything about it. Paddy Murphy did say himself that the Chinese know lot's about model trains but nothing about real trains.

 

Rich,

[Warbonnet]

I understand that Rich but I can't see myself paying 300 quid for a loco if the production is shifted back to the UK. I think one of the spokespeople for one of the British outline companies (possibly Dave Jones) has gone on record to say that would be the cost of a loco if made in the UK

[RedRich]

I understand that Rich but I can't see myself paying 300 quid for a loco if the production is shifted back to the UK. I think one of the spokespeople for one of the British outline companies (possibly Dave Jones) has gone on record to say that would be the cost of a loco if made in the UK

 

Without a doubt Fran, especially when you look at the standards of the latest Steam and Diesel models. If you want to start to rebuild an economy you need to get people back to work, but if rebuilding an economy from inside means higher labour costs and eventually higher retail prices you shoot yourself in the foot.

 

I couldn't see the US based companies bringing manufacturing back home if it meant costs sky rocketed. Even with the market being small for Irish Railway models I would hate to imagine the costs if they were produced here or in the EU. It is a case of swallow hard and hope for the best. I wonder are Phoenix and Rail Match produced in the UK.

 

Rich,

[Mayner]

I think there are several forces at work here, intense competition between Kadar(Bachmann) and Hornby for a valuable but saturated UK market and higher production and shipping costs from Asia and the Far East. Hornby & Bachmann appear to haave covered most Grouping and BR era models, with Heljan and other comissioners producing a large range of odd-bod models particulary early diesels.

 

Hornby's production problems in China only seem to have arisen after Kadar took over Sanda Kan the company that manufactured the Hornby range.

 

Kadar manufacture a wide range of products not just model trains, have a reputation of buying up distressed companies with a good name and market share like, Bachmann, Williams, Trix, Graham Farish.

 

Hornby would be a good target for an acquisition by Kadar with a very strong brand name either for a re-branding exercise for Bachmann UK or to compliment the two ranges.

 

In this part of the World model shops generally appear to be cutting back on the railway side of things, but most maintain a reasonable selection of the more basic Hornby models and sets for younger people entering the hobby, most of the more serious modellers tend to purchase form a small number of specialist suppliers or by mail order from the UK or States.