Hornby have been promising new wagons for several years and, compared to Bachmann, have been very slow to deliver. For this year, a new effort has been made and four new wagons tooled. The BR 'Tippler' has already been reviewed and here we have the second of the new subjects - a GWR horse box.

Lima had produced a GWR horse box to their 00 range in 1979 and it was one of their better wagon models. They went on to produce it also in LMS maroon and Southern green but not, it would seem, in BR livery.

The new Hornby horse box is a superbly detailed model, with separately attached handrails and conduits on one end of the van, glazing, separate door handrails, corner step irons and a wonderful detail beneath the floor and around the axleboxes.

The GWR horse box changed very little down the years, although there were four diagrams used. The Hornby model is based in diagram N16 and is known as the 1937 series.. The absence of a tumblehome on this design made it easier to model than the more numerous N15 design. It may, however, limit livery variations in the future.