Hornby 00 Gauge Trains on Film Titfield Thunderbolt Steam Locomotive Train Model

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Our plan was to wait until we had Engineering Prototypes of the various models before we made our big announcement.

Suffice it to say it's a Downing Street-level unnecessary own goal, by what alchemy of incompetence, hubris and lack of standards I cannot say and don't much care!

Hornby and Rapido obviously both had the same idea and started work before either knew about the other.

Secondly If I was a retailer Id be doing my utmost to lessen dependence on Hornby or even do without .However, there is a wrinkle in the story, as Canadian model train manufacturer Rapido Trains had previously announced their own Titfield Thunderbolt train set. In terms of trademarks, those extant before 01/01/2021 in Europe still hold value in the UK at the current time. Yes because as the Hornby Facebook has shown many are unaware of the other shenanigans behind all this. have decided to remove the two ‘Trains of Film’ packs from the Hornby 2022 product range and acknowledges and accept that Studiocanal own the licensing rights to the ‘Thunderbolt’ locomotive as depicted in the ‘Titfield Thunderbolt’ film as well as Dan Taylor’s grounded carriage body. Hornby 'heard about' the other Lion and Titfield products when they approached Studio Canal for the licence and were told that it had already be acquired by another manufacturer.

There are plenty enough models that they could make, they could even make the ones promised in 2021 and 2020 catalogues, without having to copy someone else. Simon K has made it very clear in both Hornby series he’s going to go after ‘their models’, although how Lion fits that I don’t know, and he’s stepped across into making them seem like bullies rather than the victim with the antics as a result. They've already got things such as the four- and six-wheeled coaches, which are in competition with Hattons, they've got their Terriers, which are in competition with Rails of Sheffield, and then they've got this - a set featuring what is probably the most specific and niche combination of engine and train you could ever have thought of.

these were done some years ago and already included the ‘grounded coach body on well wagon’ coach, even if the rest of the set was made up of items lifted from the main range. The original production company that made the film no longer exists and Studiocanal/ inherited the assets of many British movies. So they blast a load of their limited resources just to get it out before their competitor and generally it is not as good. But we couldn’t do anything without securing permission from STUDIOCANAL, which owns the rights to Ealing Studios' archive.

So the question is, if what Rapido says is true, is Hornby's train set violating Studiocanal's copyright? If they were just producing a model of Lion, perhaps with Thunderbolt nameplates as an extra, then there might have been an argument to suggest that their "inspired by" had more credit. If Rapido have an exclusive license from StudioCanal to use the Titfield Thunderbolt designs I can't see how Hornby think going "inspired by" will be any defense to using the designs, its one step above uploading copyright material to YouTube and saying "I don't own the rights". it is very poor form though, and there certainly has been a ‘nasty’ side to Hornby in recent years trying to drive out smaller manufacturers.

As ever, I tend at these moments to feel most sympathy for all those talented and well-meaning folk who work for the brand. have decided to remove the two ‘Trains of Film' packs from the Hornby 2022 product range and acknowledges and accept that Studiocanal own the licensing rights to the ‘Thunderbolt' locomotive as depicted in the ‘Titfield Thunderbolt' film as well as Dan Taylor's grounded carriage body.