Hornby issue profit warning.

[Broithe]

The Olympic venture seems not to have been a runaway success - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19710155

[Dave]

That's not good, if Hornby seek alternative suppliers they will also look to cut costs to turn a profit. Product will suffer.

[Guest hidden-agenda]

JJB called in the administrators yesterday,its a global recession and no company is bullet proof.

[Warbonnet]

I'm not surprised given the awful tat some of the Olympics merchandise was. Stupidly overpriced too. Hornby really need to get back to what they're good at too. After a number of years releasing some brilliant models they took their eye off the ball with this diversification and released some poorly received models like the 4-Vep. I am looking forward to seeing what their new 67 turns out like when my EWS one arrives.

[minister_for_hardship]

Yes. The Mascots were the worst things ever. Weird-looking one-eyed yokes.

 

Like the love child of a Teletubby and a Dalek.

[Broithe]

A lot of people were sucked into the Olympics periphery with promises of easy riches..

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19615815

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-19045825

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-19078847

 

Let's hope the damage isn't too great.

[Mayner]

Chinese manufacturing is being seriously hit by the European recession, Kader (Bachmann) lost serious money in 2011http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=70564 so potentially less R&D for new models and fewer low volume comissions.

 

While commodities like food are doing well coal and metal prices have collapsed leading to mine shut downs here and in Australia not good.

 

Maybe its time to dig out the cardboard and low cost modelling materials and bring skill back into modelling again

[Weshty]

Maybe its time to dig out the cardboard and low cost modelling materials and bring skill back into modelling again

 

There's truth in that. While I love the Murphy Model MK2 EGVs and have a few of them, the one I researched and scratchbuilt will always take pride of place. I know the blood sweat and tears that went into every little detail. Especially overlapping and laminating about 20 strips of 1mm pvc lining to get the effect of the ventilation louvres!

[RedRich]

I'm not surprised given the awful tat some of the Olympics merchandise was. Stupidly overpriced too. Hornby really need to get back to what they're good at too. After a number of years releasing some brilliant models they took their eye off the ball with this diversification and released some poorly received models like the 4-Vep. I am looking forward to seeing what their new 67 turns out like when my EWS one arrives.

 

I hope that the 67 is a return to the quality of the 08 and class 60 Fran. I'm not bothered about the gimmicky details like opening doors etc. I just hope it looks like a 67. Will it have brake disc's on the wheels also.

 

Rich,

[Warbonnet]

I'll let you know when my one arrives Rich, but I'm glad to report no opening doors at least! I don't think the brake discs have been replicated though, but will confirm when I get my hands on it. I'll stick a few pics up too

[Horsetan]

Yes. The Mascots were the worst things ever. Weird-looking one-eyed yokes.

 

Like the love child of a Teletubby and a Dalek.

 

The saga of the Olumpic alien mascots is an object lesson in why ye should never accept a consultancy's opinion of what children are supposed to like, still less pay them massive fees for coming up with the equivalent of UHT milk - lasts ages, "but there's no demand for that 'cos it's s***".

Edited September 27, 2012 by Anthony
language

[Mayner]

The article indicates that next years performance will "be constrained" by a Chinese supplier aka Kadar cutting back on production.

 

To a certain degree with Bachmann established as UK leading brand the writing was on the wall for Hornby once Kadar took over the company that supplied Hornby, Proto 2000 and other brands.

 

Kadar's position in the US is weaker they would probably have to take over Atlas or Athearn to get decent market share, as Bachmann's American models haven't exacty got a great reputation (diecast steam locos excepted)

Edited September 28, 2012 by Mayner

[Warbonnet]

The article indicates that next years performance will "be constrained" by a Chinese supplier aka Kadar cutting back on production.

 

To a certain degree with Bachmann established as UK leading brand the writing was on the wall for Hornby once Kadar took over the company that supplied Hornby, Proto 2000 and other brands.

 

Kadar's position in the US is weaker they would probably have to take over Atlas or Athearn to get decent market share, as Bachmann's American models haven't exacty got a great reputation (diecast steam locos excepted)

 

I'm pretty sure Bachmann are the biggest selling brand of model railroads in the USA. The quality might be dodgy but they sell loads of trainsets, do the Thomas the Tank Engine series and sell cheap locomotives across a variety of scales.

[minister_for_hardship]

The saga of the Olumpic alien mascots is an object lesson in why ye should never accept a consultancy's opinion of what children are supposed to like, still less pay them massive fees for coming up with the equivalent of UHT milk - lasts ages, "but there's no demand for that 'cos it's s***".

 

+1. I think it was the Sydney Olympics that the spoof mascot (Fatso the Fatar*ed Wombat) was more popular than the official Mascots.

 

Getting back to Hornby, I never did understand why they churned out models of fairly esoteric stuff (the Holden tank and others) with poor detailing and scale speed 100mph motors that hardly changed in decades. Surely there's a huge gap in the market for a Peckett tank or similar popular industrial designs.