A Great Western Railway ‘Saint’ 4-6-0 tops the bill for the steam locomotive releases that are planned by Hornby for 2025. There will be two versions initially, finished as new-build example No.2999 Lady of Legend (R30404) and as No.2975 Lord Palmer (R30405). Both versions will be finished in the same lined Great Western green livery with square-section frames.
200 years of train travel
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the events taking place throughout 2025 to celebrate 200 years of train travel have not been ignored, with a series of commemorative releases planned to mark this anniversary.
Foremost will be a special pack of locomotives (R30445) containing Locomotion, Rocket and Lion, whilst there will also be a commemorative ‘Railway 200’ wagon, and another version of No.1 Locomotion as a standalone release.
It is expected that other models with a ‘Railway 200’ theme will be revealed during the course of 2025.
Hornby Railroad
Headlining the new releases being introduced as part of the manufacturer’s budget range of models is new tooling for the AT300 series of Hitachi passenger trains, which provide modellers with an entry-level equivalent to the versions of these prototypes that already exist in the main Hornby range. A Great Western Railway Class 800 (2+1) train pack will be available (RRP £149.99), together with a trio of individual centre cars with which expand the formation (RRP £34.99 each). This suite of models will be mirrored by versions in LNER Azuma livery.
Also from new tooling will be an 0-4-0T in the style of an Adams B4 dock tank.
Train sets
A Christmas train set has been a staple of the Hornby range for many years, but a newly-tooled offering (R9363) is planned for this year, comprising a battery-powered 0-4-0T, which can be recharged via a USB-C cable. The locomotive and accompanying wagons will be coupled using magnets (rather than tension-locks), whilst stop/start operation will be achieved by pressing the dome cover on the loco.
In a bid to tap into the nostalgia market, there will be a High Speed Train set (R1289M) inspired by the R685 set released in the 1980s, complete with ‘retro’ style packaging, circle of track and 2+1 HST formation in BR blue & grey livery (utilising the Hornby Railroad tooling). Three additional trailers to expand the formation in the set will be released as part of the Railroad range, these comprising an FO, TRUB and TSO.
Benefitting from the aforementioned new tooling being produced for the Railroad range in 2025, there will be an LNER Azuma High Speed Set (R1288M) with Class 800 train (2+1), circle of track and controller.
Train packs
The revised tooling 4-VEP EMU (see reviews, RM April 2024) will be presented in BR blue as set 7712 and in Network SouthEast livery as set 3193.
There will be a four-car Class 390 Pendolino presented in Avanti West Coast ‘COP26’ livery, whilst also finished in Avanti West Coast scheme will be a five-car Class 805 unit.
The soon-to-be-released models of the Stadler-built ‘Flirt’ bi-mode units (announced as part of the Hornby 2022 range) will be augmented with a Class 755/4 four-car model in Greater Anglia ‘Pride’ livery.
Diesel and electric locomotives
Although no new diesel & electric models from new tooling have been announced, there will be a new Midland Pullman HST power car pack, this time with small yellow warning panels.
Another version of the Ruston & Hornsby 88DS will be presented as WMJEA No.1 in lined green livery.
The Class 91 will be available in a trio of new number/livery combinations.
Rolling stock
The BR Southern Region Tavern Car dining sets are to be produced from new tooling, based on the Bulleid-designed vehicles introduced from 1949. Constructed as two-coach sets (formed of a Dia.2663 Tavern Kitchen Car and Dia.2664 Tavern Trailer Car), each was given a traditional pub name. Hornby has announced a pair of twin-packs, presented in BR crimson & cream (with ‘White Horse’ pub) and BR green (with ‘Jolly Tar’ pub) liveries.
2025 catalogue
The preceding details cover the highlights from the 2025 programme. Further details will be published in the March edition of Railway Modeller, on sale from 13th February. Full details of the Hornby 2025 range of OO gauge models will be included in the manufacturer’s latest catalogue (ref.R8165), which is available priced £10.99 from Hornby stockists and via the Hornby website.
Details of new releases for the Hornby TT:120 range will be published later in the year.
