Hornby 2026: A Landmark Refresh Built on New Toolings and Modern Ambition
Hornby’s 2026 catalogue—unveiled on 14 January 2026—signals one of the company’s most technically ambitious and broad-ranging releases in recent memory. Rather than leaning on historical commemoration, the 2026 range focuses on engineering upgrades, long-awaited new toolings, and a bold expansion across both the main range and the Railroad line. The standout headline is the all-new ‘Rebuilt Merchant Navy’ 4-6-2, a completely fresh tooling of one of the most iconic Southern Region express locomotives. This meticulously detailed model includes working lighting, firebox glow, cab illumination, and an optional steam-generator, with multiple tender variants and versions of 35028 Clan Line offered in both DCC-Ready and DCC-Sound-equipped forms. With no shared components from earlier generations, the model marks a full-scale re-imagining of a classic that once helped steer Hornby’s early-2000s renaissance.
Alongside it, the RailRoad range receives an unusually strong push through a newly tooled BR Class 60. Despite its entry-level positioning, the model includes features traditionally reserved for higher tiers—directional lighting, 21-pin decoder socket, detailed cab interior, and a full suite of separately fitted parts. Three liveries debut at launch—EWS maroon, Trainload triple grey, and DB red—each available in both DCC-Ready and HM7000-equipped sound-fitted versions. The breadth of new additions doesn’t stop there: across steam, diesel, rolling stock, sets, and special editions, the 2026 range introduces hundreds of new items, with many long-requested re-runs and revised liveries returning to the catalogue. Highlights include fresh A4 variants with steam-generator-compatible tooling, a National Railway Museum Deltic, updated Coronation coach sets, and a wealth of new train packs and wagons spanning multiple eras.
How It Builds on 2025’s Direction
The 2025 catalogue was shaped by the national Railway-200 commemorations, with an emphasis on historical storytelling and major heritage toolings such as the newly tooled GWR ‘Saint’, Bulleid Tavern Cars, and themed Class 395 ‘Javelin’ releases. In contrast, 2026 pivots decisively toward technical progression and range-wide modernisation. While 2025 offered a cohesive anniversary narrative, the 2026 catalogue widens the aperture: it delivers more new toolings, more variations, and a noticeably expanded Railroad offering, reflecting Hornby’s aim to serve newcomers and seasoned enthusiasts alike.
Where 2025 provided a celebratory, commemorative showcase, 2026 feels like a forward-looking engineering statement—a year defined by design upgrades, broad platform support, and the return of enthusiast-favourite classes rebuilt from the rails up. The result is a catalogue that positions Hornby not just as a custodian of railway heritage, but as a manufacturer leaning confidently into its next generation of model development.
