Hornby adds Network SouthEast Class 50 Ark Royal to TT:120 range

Hornby’s TT:120 fleet has picked up another ready-to-run diesel: 50035 Ark Royal in Network SouthEast livery is available now through the Key Model World Shop. In a scale still building its footprint, that makes this more than a catalogue update. It is another chance to buy into a growing modern-era diesel range with a locomotive that carries instant recognition and strong layout appeal.

The prototype gives the release real weight. Hornby says 50035 entered service on 3 August 1968, was built at the English Electric Vulcan Foundry and first allocated to Stoke division as D435. The model represents the locomotive in mid-1980s condition, complete with Ark Royal nameplates and the vivid NSE scheme that so many late-BR and early-privatisation-era layouts chase. For TT:120 collectors, the pairing of a famous Class 50 identity with a compact scale is exactly the sort of release that can anchor a shelf, a display case or a working fleet.

Hornby has also aimed this at operators, not just collectors. The TT3042M model carries a five-pole motor, dual bogie drive and a heavy die-cast chassis, with an HM7000 Next18 sound decoder option, full lighting package and support for Hornby’s Class 50 sound profile. Hornby says the locomotive was developed from extensive research, including 3D scanning and original works drawings, while retailer listings put the model weight at 195 grams. That combination suggests a TT:120 Class 50 meant to run as confidently as it looks.

The historical backstory helps explain why 50035 stands out. Ark Royal was the first BR Class 50 to enter preservation, was withdrawn in 1990 and is listed by the Severn Valley Railway as active at Kidderminster TMD. The railway gives the locomotive’s length as 68ft 6in and its weight as 115 tonnes. Historical references also place the Ark Royal name application on 10 January 1978 and note the large ship crests fitted above the nameplates during service. In TT:120, that kind of identity matters: it gives Hornby a locomotive that speaks to NSE nostalgia, main line diesel fans and preservation followers at once, while also showing that the range is still being filled out with stock you can actually buy.