New Issue: Hornby Railways (GB)

Royal Mail's next new issue will be released on 19th February. It commemorates Hornby Railways.

Hornby is a very famous brand of model railway, which has been made in the UK since 1920. The first trains were clockwork but later this changed to electric. The original business was based in Liverpool and founded in 1901, not so far from where I live. This year is Hornby's 125th anniversary, but to start with it made Meccano so their trains are only 106 years old! There are eight first class stamps in this set which, Royal Mail tells us, "showcase iconic Hornby trains that have captured the imaginations of railway modellers for more than a century." The model locomotives are:

1920 GNR No.1 Locomotive

1937 Princess Elizabeth, LMS

1954 BR 4MT Tank Locomotive

1963 AL1 Electric Locomotive

1977 Inter-City 125 High Speed Train

2000 Merchant Navy Class

2009 Bournemouth Belle Pullman Cars

2021 ‘Hush-Hush’ Experimental Locomotive My dad had the 1977 Inter-City 125 High Speed Train but sadly he doesn't know what happened to it. He thinks Grandma probably threw it away in a house move, which is a shame because it looks classy. In fairness, all of the models in the stamps look brilliant, and I would guess some of them are very collectable especially the older ones. There is of course a miniature sheet with four completely different stamps. Most of these minisheets feel unnecessary and a way of making extra money from collectors. This is no exception. The four first class stamps show: Hornby Book of Trains - Early catalogues that inspired generations of young enthusiasts

Hornby Dublo Electric Trains - The revolutionary 1930s range that brought realism to miniature railways

Tri-ang Railways Era - The bold advertising and colourful packaging of the 1960s and 70s

Modern Classics - Inter-City branding and contemporary designs that reflect Hornby’s evolution into the modern era

The design of the minisheet is not as strong in my opinion and in my review I will focus on the main set. Hornby Railways have featured on GB stamps in the past. This one from 2017 was part of the Classic Toys issue.

However, this is the first time there has been en entire issue dedicated to them. Design Quality - The stamps show classic model locos with some accessories and the Hornby logo of the time. This shows how the brand and the trains themselves have changed over time. The stamps look like advertising posters which is fine and gives that nostalgic feel. But aren't they all a bit "samey" - with the same composition and angles used for all the stamps? It just looks like someone made one design, copied it eight times and then just swapped the train and the background colour. Every stamp has the train in the middle, the same layout, same font, same little info bits in the corners. It feels more like a worksheet template than something exciting. It doesn't feel inspired and while the design is OK, it doesn't feel as good as the 2017 stamp. 6/10

Theme and Subject Choice - It's not a bad one. It is the 125th anniversary of Hornby (not their trains though). There was been a stamp showing a Hornby Dublo train (the first electric Hornby) a few years ago but not a full set. 8/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance - Hornby definitely has some historical and cultural relevance. It is a world-famous business and the most famous creator of model railways and trains.7/10

Innovation and Creativity - This is where the stamps are weakest. Hornby was a very innovative company in its time, but this tribute to them seems to overlook this and instead falls into the trap of focusing on nostalgia. For a company that used to be super innovative and ahead of its time, this feels way too safe. Hornby was all about imagination and the future - but these stamps don’t really show any of that energy. They're neat and tidy, and that's it. A better tribute would feel more innovative. The design is disappointing in its lack of creativity. The stamps look like they were created in five minutes in a design app.  OK, so I hear you say "It's easy to criticise. What would you do different?" And if you are thinking that, it's an excellent question. Here are some ideas that I have come up with, which I think would have made a much better tribute to Hornby. a) Show the trains bursting out of the frame, with steam or sparks coming off the edges.

b) Do completely different art styles for different eras. So maybe a vintage poster style for the old steam engines, bold 70s vibes for the High Speed Train, maybe even a blueprint-style design.

c) Do much more with the background, maybe kids playing with train sets, old advertising posters, factory scenes, perhaps even people watching at a model railway club. d) Use dramatic angles instead of standard side-on shots — like low angles to make them look powerful and huge.

e) Maybe have each stamp connect into the next so they form a big track scene when lined up.

f) Perhaps even a split design with half the real locomotive, half the Hornby model version. They're just some ideas from me, my sister and my dad (he gets the credit for the last two). So I think there's not really an excuse for the lack of creativity. 3/10

Collectability - This is where the stamps are strongest. There will be a lot of interest in these because of the subject. Hornby trains and railways are still very popular and near me there is a model railway club with lots of enthusiasts who show off their collections at big events. Hornby is still a big name and the most respected name in the world of small railways. Also, a lot of people who remember having a Hornby train set in the past will like these. 7/10

Personal Appeal - It's another one of those sets from Royal Mail that I think are good but not great. And another set that could have been so much better with a bit more imagination. The miniature sheet is very poor but I've ignored that in my review. 5/10  

Overall score - 36/60