Hornby : Class 87 Decoration Renders and Class 37 Final Upd

Hello and welcome to the 56th edition of The Engine Shed! Join us won't you, for another look at what's been happening in the Hornby Development Office and a look forward to what will be available to buy from our 2017 range very soon!

Last time we featured a plethora of updates for some new tooled 2017 items like the decoration samples for the Wainwright H Class and a running sample for the highly anticipated Hitachi IEP Class 800 Five Car Train Pack. It's been fantastic to read so many positive comments, particularly regarding the H Class, but we wanted to just lay to rest any concerns regarding the running numbers. We are aware that on the decoration sample we showed you last time the running numbers were different on the side of the cab and on the buffer beam, but rest assured this will be corrected for the final production run and we can confirm it will be '308'.

A close up of the first running sample of the upcoming Hitachi IEP Class 800

There were also some questions regarding the clear plastic doors on the Class 800 cab and we can confirm that no, the doors on the final product will not be transparent. However, we will be using clear plastic as this makes up the window section as well, hence why this material is present on the running sample. The actual door section will be sprayed and made to look the same colour as the rest of the body. This is a technique that is very common and one we have used multiple times before. For example, on steam locomotives, you will often find cab windows that are moulded with the small seats found inside the cab which are then sprayed a different colour. As soon as we have the decoration sample to show you, we will be sure to feature it so you can see how it looks.

We love to hear your feedback on our upcoming products and whenever we release images and video like we did in our previous blog the valuable feedback we receive is always considered as we move through the development process.

The Class 87 has box artwork!

The first look at the artwork layout for the new Class 87, as seen in Hornby Magazine, June 2017

It's been the talk of modern era modellers since its announcement in November 2016 and we are really excited to at last be able to give you an update for the Class 87. Keen readers of Hornby Magazine will have seen the artwork layouts for the Class 87 in the latest issue. Well, we're pleased to say that since June's edition was released we have progressed even further with the project and the box artwork is now complete.

A 3D rendering for R3580 - Class 87 87035 'Robert Burns' BR Rail Blue

Like with the Princess Coronation Class box artwork, as featured in The Engine Shed back in April, our team of talented Graphic Designers have been hard at work once again to produce these 3D computer renders that will take pride of place on the box of the eagerly awaited Class 87 when it is released. R3580 will appear in the iconic BR blue, and R3582, complete with high speed pantograph, will appear in the Intercity 'Swallow' colours with running number 87010 (which will be Tampo printed to stand out in high detail on the main body).

A 3D rendering for R3582 - Class 87 87010 'King Arthur' BR Intercity 'Swallow' logo

Our team in the factory are working hard to get the tooling ready for the first running sample of the Class 87 which we are expecting very soon so watch this space for further updates.

The Class 37, arriving soon, complete with TTS sound!

Continuing with our modern theme, we had an exciting arrival in the Hornby Development office last week in the form of R3583TTS - RailRoad BR Co-Co '37040' Class 37 in BR Railfreight colours. The arrival of the approval sample can only mean one thing; its release date is imminent...

Entering service as the English Electric Type 3, the British Rail Class 37 diesel locomotives were built at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows in a Co-Co configuration, based on locomotive designs for export markets. Built to undertake both freight and passenger work across all BR sectors, these engines proved highly reliable and, after overhaul, many survived in service across the network into the 1990s.

37040 awaits its next service at Bath Road depot on 21st March 1994 Credit Sean Lancastle-web

British Rail first placed an order for forty-two Class 37 locomotives in January 1959, the first of which was delivered in November 1960, entering service on 2 December with the last of this original batch complete by mid-1962, by which time subsequent orders had been placed. The last of the 309 locomotives built was delivered to the Western Region on 9 November 1965, originally numbered in the range D6700-D6999 and D6600-D6608.

In 1987, the Railfreight Sectors were launched, incorporating a new livery of 'three tone grey'; a light grey lower bodyside, medium grey cantrail and a dark grey roof, along with a bright Sector logo (Coal, Metals, Petroleum, Distribution and Construction) and our model is depicted in the Metals Sector livery.

37040 was photographed on the 6th May 1995 in the Doncaster BRML Work complex

Class 37 locomotives have proved to be very popular in the heritage sector, with many examples saved for preservation on heritage railways or by enthusiast groups. Notable examples saved include the first-built locomotive, No. D6700, at the National Railway Museum and the last built locomotive, 37308.

Affectionately known to many rail enthusiasts as 'Tractors' due to the distinct 'agricultural' sounding diesel engines, we have worked hard to ensure the sound of these recognisable locos is as close to the original as possible on our TTS release, using real world recordings of the diesel engine in action. So, without wasting any time we got it on our test layout and broke out the trusty video camera to show you what's on the way!

The Class 37 with TTS is available to pre-order now on the website or through your local stockist and will soon be on the water and on its way to a model shop near you. Keep an eye out on our website and our social media channels for more details coming soon.

Well that about does for this week. As many of you now know, The Engine Shed is a fortnightly addition to the Hornby Website however we will be taking a break on 9th June to prepare for our appearance at the Great Central Railway Model Event. All our 2017 projects are gathering momentum now and we can't wait to share with you all the latest updates as and when they happen. We will have them all on display at the show on the 16th, 17th and 18th June so if you're in the area, why not come on down to say hello and get a close look at what's coming up for the rest of the year?

As always, be sure to let us know what you think of the blog and any of model updates you've seen over on Facebook, Twitter and our Official Forums.

Until next time...
Happy Modelling!

The Engine Shed Team

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