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Hornby R3824

BR 35028 'Clan Line', Centenary Year Limited Edition - 2000's

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest

Manufacturer description

Although the introduction of new locomotives and rolling stock provided by the purchase of tooling in 1997 from an external source had been extremely useful, Hornby desperately needed to introduce a totally new locomotive and one in demand by the railway modellers. After much research it was abundantly clear that the model most in need of introduction was the rebuilt Merchant Navy. Hornby"s rebuilt Merchant Navy was released in 2000 and was the first Hornby model to be designed in the UK but developed and manufactured in China.

The body and chassis detail were like nothing else that Hornby had ever produced. A totally new power drive was developed which utilised a large 5 pole, skew wound motor that provided ultra smooth and low speed running, while the gearing and weight of the model offered immense tractive effort. In short it was by far the most advanced locomotive that Hornby had ever produced.

The first model released was the rebuilt Merchant Navy "Clan Line" and heralded Hornby"s desire to produce high quality, detailed model locomotives. Since then Hornby has continued to develop new and ground-breaking models but the success and development of such items stems back to the launch of "Clan Line" in 2000.

A landmark in Hornby"s development programme, the rebuilt Merchant Navy models and in particular, "Clan Line" were milestones for Hornby in the 2000s and consequently "Clan Line" has been included as part of Hornby"s Centenary Collection, celebrating the 2000 decade by utilising box artwork inspired by the Hornby Railways packaging style of that period. However, the model has also been produced where the exterior metal parts have been plated in 18ct gold.

Product videos

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  HORNBY | Signal Box - 'Hush Hush' & 'Clan Line'

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Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

Hornby BR 35028 ‘Clan Line’ is a limited‑edition OO gauge model of the Southern Railway Merchant Navy 4‑6‑2 steam locomotive, released in 2000 as part of Hornby’s Centenary Collection. The locomotive is finished in pristine condition with a lined green livery bearing the British Railways late crest, and carries the running number 35028.

The model measures 285 mm in length and is DCC ready, featuring an 8‑pin socket and a 5‑pole skew‑wound motor that provides smooth low‑speed operation and high tractive effort. Power is taken from the driving wheels only; it rides on a minimum radius of 438 mm (second radius), uses NEM/tension‑lock couplings, and runs on a 4‑6‑2 wheel arrangement. The chassis and body detail were newly developed for this release, and the locomotive is equipped with a wooden plinth, an 18‑carat gold track piece, and a numbered certificate confirming it is one of 1 000 models produced.

The ‘Clan Line’ represents the rebuilt Merchant Navy class as operated by British Railways between 1941 and 1949, designed originally by Oliver Bulleid and built at SR Eastleigh Works. The model’s metal components are plated in 18 ct gold, and it forms the first Hornby locomotive designed in the UK and manufactured in China, marking a milestone in the company’s product development programme.