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Hornby R40018

Avanti West Coast, Pendolino Motor Standard (MS) – Era 11

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

Prototype Eras
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation
Era 11 (2016 to 2026) The Last Days of Privatisation

Manufacturer description

During the 1970s, British Railways had pursued the concept of tilting train technology for the West Coast Main Line through the Class 370 Advanced Passenger Train concept, allowing for higher speeds to be taken through curves. By minimizing lateral forces on the passengers, the tendency to slide sideways was reduced, which in turn allowed passenger comfort levels to be maintained at higher speeds.

Even with the cancellation of the APT project, the idea of train tilt was still being considered in the 1980s for the InterCity 225 project, and again during the 1990s for the aborted InterCity 250 concept. In 1997, when Virgin Trains were awarded the franchise to operate the West Coast Main Line following the privatization of British Rail, it was on the proviso that new rolling stock was to be introduced, replacing the ageing Class 86/87/90 locomotives and Mark 2/3 coaches and so a £500 million order was placed with Alstom/Fiat Ferroviaria to construct fifty-four, eight-car tilting train sets, later increasing to nine, then eleven car sets.

The current Pendolino fleet of 52 sets comprises 31 eleven-car sets and 21 nine-car sets and all have been transferred to Avanti West Coast, the operating name for the new West Coast Partnership between FirstGroup plc and Trenitalia UK that took over the operation of the existing West Coast Main Line services on 8 December 2019, from Virgin Trains.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

Hornby Avanti West Coast Pendolino Motor Standard (MS) – Era 11 is a OO‑scale model of the Alstom Class 390 “Pendolino” tilting train. The model is finished in a pristine condition with a cyan‑coloured livery on a black and blue base, carries the running number 69756 and bears the manufacturer part number R40018. It represents the current era of the fleet in service with Avanti West Coast.

Key specifications include a 3‑pole skew‑wound motor, a length of 335 mm and a minimum curve radius of 438 mm (second radius). Power is collected from the power‑car only and the model is classified as Motor Standard (MS). The coach type is Alstom Class 390, built jointly by Alstom at Washwood Heath, UK and Fiat Ferroviaria at Savigliano, Italy between 2001 and 2012.

The real‑world Pendolino fleet originated from a £500 million order placed in 1997 for tilting train sets to replace ageing locomotives on the West Coast Main Line. The fleet now consists of 52 sets – 31 eleven‑car and 21 nine‑car – all transferred to Avanti West Coast, which took over the franchise on 8 December 2019. The model reflects this contemporary service and the historic development of tilting train technology on the West Coast Main Line.