Model railway fans furious after Hornby releases new toy train costing ‘ridiculous’ £550

[dutchman]

Hornby has debts of £19m and is receiving advice from ex- Newcastle FC owner Mike Ashley



MODEL railway fans are steaming after Hornby released a new toy train costing £550.

They slammed the price tag of the Avanti West Coast-liveried Class 805 as “ridiculous”.

The model, with two locomotives and three carriages, is one of dozens of new products in Hornby’s Autumn 2025 range, which collectors claim are too expensive.

Critics also say rival brands offer similar models that are better quality and around £100 cheaper.

Modeller Matt Hill, 44, from Leeds, said: “They seem to be living on the name. But the quality of some newer manufacturers ridicules them.

“They are very overpriced for the quality. Especially with other companies upping their game.

“When I pay £400 for a loco I want it to wow me.”

One enthusiast said online that £550 for the Class 805 was “totally deluded”.

Other products in the autumn range include a £450 Greater Anglia train with Pride livery.

Hornby, founded in 1901 and based in Margate, Kent, has debts of £19million and is receiving advice from ex-Newcastle FC owner Mike Ashley.

A spokesman said: “Over time, the pursuit of greater detail and advanced technology in models has led to increased production costs.

“This includes the need for more components and meticulous craftsmanship to achieve the high standards that many collectors appreciate.”

[dutchman]

In fairness to Hornby they've also massively increased the range of cheaper, more basic models they offer including this complete train set with track, controller and scenic track-mat at £179.99:



Additional coaches are available separately for £34.99 each. (You need two of them to complete a five-car set).

While for the nostalgia enthusiasts there is this train set also at £179.99:



Please note that in common with the original Triang version this set does not include a transformer or controller.

[dutchman]

It's a shame the Azuma train set couldn't be released in time for the crucial Christmas market, especially as they've just announced a version in the new "Great British Railways" livery:

[dutchman]

It's a shame the Azuma train set couldn't be released in time for the crucial Christmas market

Apparently it was!

[dutchman]

An arguably more representative review of the train set:

[dutchman]

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Hornby's newly-announced beginner set includes a station platform and building for the first time that I can remember.





There's also a bargain pack of freight wagons to go with it:



Re-released is the travelling post office with working post-bag collector and ejector:

[dutchman]

Hornby sells slot car racing brand Scalextric for £20m



For almost six decades Hornby has watched Scalextric drive revenues for its hobby business but on Friday the company said it had decided to sell the famous slot car racing brand for £20m to a little-known buyer.

The model railway company, which also sells toy planes and cars under the Airfix and Corgi brands, has sold the Scalextric business and intellectual property rights to Purbeck Capital Partners.

Kent-based Hornby, which experienced a hobby boom during the Covid pandemic, has owned Scalextric since 1968. Invented by Fred Francis, the very first Scalextric set was made in Hampshire in 1956.

On Friday, Hornby’s parent company, Castelnau, which also owns businesses including the funerals firm Dignity, said it was selling the toy car racing business to Purbeck Capital Partners.

Purbeck is run by Mark Brown, the former chief executive of Sazerac, the US-based spirits company that owns brands including Southern Comfort. The deal is the first investment by Brown’s family office.

Hornby, which dates back to 1901 and produced its first model train set in 1920, said the proceeds of the sale would be used to pay down debt and invest in its other brands.

The company said it would manage the Scalextric business as an agent and support it through its existing infrastructure.
In 2024, the founder of Sports Direct, Mike Ashley, became a consultant to Hornby after his retail empire Frasers Group took an 8.9% stake in the business.

Last April, Hornby delisted from London’s junior stock market, Aim, ending almost four decades as a public company.

The company, which had been publicly listed since 1986, blamed the “regulatory burden and cost of maintaining the public quotation” and said delisting would save it about £400,000 a year.

Richard Brown, the chief executive of Castelnau, said: “Scalextric has made significant progress in recent years, and we are truly excited for its next phase.

“We look forward to working closely with him going forward on the wider transformation at Hornby. This transaction is consistent with Castelnau’s strategic intention to ensure that our businesses are owned and led by the best owners to deliver their full potential.”

As part of the deal, Mark Brown, who has set up Scalextric Motorsports to house the business, is to take a role helping Hornby with a longer-term strategic transformation to create a “series of entrepreneurial, profitable brands operating sustainably and independently, led autonomously from the centre”.

He hopes to develop the Scalextric business into new areas as an antidote to online pursuits.

“As we look to a long-term future, with Scalextric as a now family-owned company, we are energised by the opportunity to continue bringing competitive racing fun to families,” he said.

“While [also] expanding into new areas of motor sport and helping to build physical and hand-eye coordination skills, particularly at a time when families are trying to balance time spent online versus real world activities.”

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/feb/27/hornby-sells-slot-car-racing-brand-scalextric

No one saw that coming! What next? Airfix?