Hornby's Christmas Wishlists Are Back: Santa Comes to the Model Railway

Hornby has launched its annual Christmas wishlist promotion, inviting children who love model trains to have their festive railway wishes granted. The newsletter, headed "Hornby's Christmas wishlists are back…", announces that Santa has asked the company to arrange a selection of Hornby wishes this year, with his favourite elf on hand to help.

1. Contents of the Newsletter

The newsletter opens with a festive greeting, "Santa's back in town!", and explains the purpose of the campaign: to spread Christmas joy among children who are fans of Hornby. Children who have filled their Christmas wishlist with a Hornby train set, model or accessory are invited to tell the company about their wish, and Hornby will arrange for selected wishes to be granted.

The key details of the promotion are set out as follows:

• Who can enter: Children aged 5 to 16 years old.
• What to submit: A wishlist containing a Hornby train set, model or accessory.
• Information required: The child's full name, age, full postal address and email address.
• Deadline: Wishlists must be received by 4th December 2026.
• Terms: The full competition terms and conditions, along with the company's full postal address, are available on the competition page.

A "Find out more" button links to the competition page, and the newsletter closes with the line "We can't wait to receive all the magical wish lists!"

The email then moves into a product showcase titled "Add these to your Christmas wish list", featuring four train sets, each with an "Order now" button and a "View more" link to the wider range. A promotion for HOBBY Rewards, the company's loyalty scheme, follows, encouraging readers to join for free and receive 200 points to start. The email also asks recipients to add the sender address, noreply@hornby.com, to their contacts so that future communications do not end up in the spam folder. The footer provides options to view the email online, manage email preferences, unsubscribe, and includes the company's legal details.

2. The Products Featured

The newsletter highlights four Hornby-branded train sets as suitable Christmas gift ideas:

• Santa's Express Train Set – Rechargeable Battery: A festive-themed train set priced at £39.99. Its rechargeable battery makes it a convenient option for young children who want to run their train without constantly replacing batteries. It is the most affordable item in the selection and fits the seasonal theme of the campaign.
• Hornby GWR High Speed Train Set: Listed at £169.99 with a reduced price of £129.99. The Great Western Railway High Speed Train is a well-known British locomotive design, and this set is the most expensive product featured. The newsletter lists the product name with a typographical error ("Hart Potter"), which is likely intended to read "Hornby".
• Playtrains – Harry Potter Hogwarts Express – Train Set (with Steam): Priced at £79.99. This set is based on the iconic Hogwarts Express from the Harry Potter stories and includes a steam feature, appealing to fans of the films and books as well as railway enthusiasts.
• Playtrains – Steam Goods Express Train Set: Priced at £49.99. This is a steam-themed goods train set, suited to families and collectors who enjoy traditional railway models.

The Playtrains range is aimed at younger children, offering simpler, durable sets that are easy to set up, while the GWR High Speed Train set represents a more detailed model for enthusiasts. The newsletter also includes a "View more" link, suggesting that many additional products are available beyond these four highlights.

3. About Hornby

Hornby is a long-established British name in toy and hobby manufacturing, best known for model trains, railway sets and die-cast models. The company's website, hornby.com, is the online home of its products, promotions and customer services. The brand has a strong heritage in model railways, and its products range from starter sets for young children to detailed models for adult collectors. Its historic link to the Hornby name and the traditions of model railway making gives the brand a sense of nostalgia that makes it a popular choice for family gifts.

The newsletter reveals several details about the company behind the brand. The sender is Hornby Hobbies Limited, registered under company number 2065081, with VAT registration number GB 445 1860 49. The email is copyright 2026, which indicates the material is current. The company operates a loyalty programme called HOBBY Rewards, which allows customers to earn points, with new members receiving 200 points when they join for free. Its customer communications, including the wishlist promotion, are sent from a no-reply address, and recipients are given clear options to manage their preferences or unsubscribe, in line with good email practice.

The Christmas wishlist campaign shows how Hornby connects its brand with families. By inviting children to share their wishes and by combining the promotion with a curated product selection, the company positions itself as both a gift provider and a source of seasonal magic. The campaign also builds a database of young customers and their families, while offering a clear route to its online shop and rewards scheme. Overall, the newsletter presents Hornby as a traditional, family-friendly hobby brand that uses festive storytelling to encourage engagement.