Traditionally, at the beginning of the year the novelties for the coming year are announced. We looked at the court suppliers Arnold, Minitrix, Fleischmann and Hobbytrain for the notable novelties in Era IV and more recently.
PRICE RATES OF 10% and more
That everything is getting more expensive is old news. Suppliers also struggle with this. Delays in deliveries due to the endless chip shortage are also the rule rather than the exception. A real-world example is Minitrix’s BR218 announced for 2022. Digital, with sound for a suggested retail price of 279 euros. The same locomotive is now also announced as a novelty for 2023. Presumably because of the chip shortage. And the price up by over 10% to 309 euros. Price increases of up to 12% are expected in the market.
fleischmann 2023
For 2023, Fleischmann is fully committed to modern trains. Analog and digital versions of each exist. The BR211 (721280) that is on almost everyone’s layout is being released in a new version. The photo montage promises a detailed model with a clear view into the cabin. In the classic dark red color we know from the Deutsche Bundesbahn. Again, a digital version including sound. Which is exceptional for Fleischmann, which as a rule does not equip smaller locomotives with a sound decoder. Recommended price 282 euros.
Another particularly fine model is the Fleischmann (732175) RailAdventure version of the Dutch ‘1600’ series. The locomotive “with broken nose” is digital and sound on the train track for over 340 euros. Furthermore, a remarkable number of closed freight cars are planned.
Hobbytrain novelties 2023
At Hobbytrain, the fall novelties are still on the site. New models for 2023 are hardly known yet. Most likely there will be entirely new models for the Austrian railjet “Dani”. The purple-red wagons are released in sets of 2. The matching Vectron was already announced as a novelty in 2022.
(mini)trix more of the same
The novelties from Minitrix seem to be more of the same anyway. Many German models made from existing molds. Where Fleischmann made a good move with the new “intercity wagon” molds, Minitrix sticks to wagons that are high on their bogies.
Nice in the new collection is the ability to create a “replacement” train consisting of a rental locomotive and wagons. DB’s BR143 in matte gray livery. And passenger transport with the three-car set of Train Rental GmbH (TRI). The locomotive 16435 costs 269 euros for the analog version. The set of wagons with steering stand (18289 for 249 euros) is also not digital.
piko news 2023
Piko’s site promises 60 novelties in scale N. That would include newly designed starter sets. There is a remarkable amount of Dutch equipment among them. An 1100 with (40376) and without nose (40378). The photo does show the yellow of the locomotive very prominently. The digital variants cost 340-360 euros. Also available is a brown 1200 (40466) and a 2200 series work clock from Strukton (40446).
In addition to the “usual” BR216 series in a variety of variants, there is extensive further development on variants of the BR101. This showpiece is a very successful locomotive from Piko, with outstanding details. Of course, the mold of the new Silberlinge will also be utilized. And with that, there are also shape variations for various intercity wagons based on the German model.
arnold more than 160 novelties
At Arnold, novelties fly around your ears. More than 160 items will be announced. The high number is also due to many shape variations of the same models. Arnold is one of the suppliers that clearly looks beyond German borders. Models from Italy, Spain and France pass in review. Dutch models have not been announced.
The ET420 is the most notable announcement though. This almost legendary trainset was produced by Arnold back in the 1980s (Arnold 2940). And can be purchased as a used model for only a few tens of dollars. The new version (HN2494S) goes for over 460 euros digital with sound. The site lacks details of what changes were made to bring the model up to 2023 quality standards.
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