Main Lines: 23rd May 2026
Welcome to this week's Main Lines.
The past seven days in UK railway news have been dominated by the unveiling of the first red, white and blue Great British Railways-liveried train at Brighton, marking a major milestone in the government’s plans to bring Britain’s railways under a unified national identity. The Southern-operated Class 387 made its debut in Brighton ahead of Govia Thameslink Railway transferring into public ownership on 31 May, with Southern effectively becoming part of the wider GBR structure from the end of this month while still retaining the familiar Southern branding alongside the new identity. Elsewhere, attention remains focused on future GBR station branding, ongoing infrastructure upgrades and wider rail reform plans as the transition towards a publicly operated railway network continues to accelerate across the country.
This week in model railway news, we have seen Hornby announce a new set in their PlayTrains range based on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Piko have announced a new charity wagon, and there have been announcements and releases from Wiking and Herpa, who have expanded their ranges to offer even more diversity for populating layouts and dioramas.
In This Issue:
American Model Railway News
European Model Railway News
British Model Railway News
New Harry Potter Playtrains Set Announced
Step into the magical world of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone with the enchanting Hogwarts Express Toy Train Set and add-on pack, inspired by the famous journey from Platform 9¾ to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry seen in the beloved film series.
Oxford Rail Totem Update
Oxford Rail has provided an important update on its upcoming Totem Wagon range, with production scheduled to begin at the end of May 2026. Following strong interest in the project, Oxford has confirmed that manufacturing quantities will be closely aligned with pre-order demand, making early reservations especially important for modellers and collectors hoping to secure stock from the first production run.
New Bullhead Code 75 Curved Turnouts Announced
PECO has announced that production is now underway for the highly anticipated curved turnouts in its OO scale Bullhead track range, marking another major milestone in the continued expansion of this popular fine-scale system.
New Bullhead Code 75 Curved Turnouts Announced
Rapido Trains UK has announced that its highly anticipated Highland Railway Loch class locomotives are now scheduled to enter production during the coming weeks. Alongside this update comes a surprise opportunity for enthusiasts of Highland Railway motive power, with Rapido securing a limited additional production slot for three more Jones Goods locomotives in their popular pre-grouping liveries.
American Model Railway News
Cornerstone Announcements: May 2026
The latest additions to the Walthers Cornerstone range bring even more everyday realism to modern and mid-century layout scenes, with two new structure kits designed to capture familiar features of American life. The new Mobile Home 2-Pack recreates classic vintage trailer homes complete with detailed corrugated siding and authentic styling, making them ideal for campground, roadside, or residential settings, whilst the new Self-Storage Facility kit adds a highly recognisable suburban commercial scene perfect for contemporary layouts.
European Model Railway News
New TT Scale Container Wagon Announced
PIko has unveiled a charming Special Edition release for 2026, celebrating Children’s Day with a unique TT scale container wagon designed to appeal to collectors and younger railway fans alike. Combining playful interaction with attractive presentation, this eye-catching model features a removable container load that encourages hands-on enjoyment whilst still delivering the high-quality finish expected from the PIKO range.
Releases: May 2026
The latest announcements from PIKO deliver a substantial range of new releases across G Scale, H0, TT, and N gauge, covering everything from modern European traction to classic steam locomotives and contemporary freight stock. Highlights include the impressive BR 248 NorthRail locomotives in the Gartenbahn range, a strong selection of HO Expert electric and diesel locomotives from DB, ČSD, PKP, SBB Cargo International, and Northrail, as well as the eye-catching BR 442 S-Bahn Rostock EMU and DE18 Leonhard Weiss train sets.
Other News
Herpa Vehicles Releases: May 2026
The May 2026 announcements from Herpa deliver another varied selection of highly detailed road vehicles, commercial transport models, and modern emergency service subjects, with something to appeal to collectors across both civilian and specialist vehicle ranges. This latest wave includes an impressive line-up of contemporary trucks from manufacturers such as MAN, DAF, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Scania, alongside eye-catching logistics liveries, container trailers, and timber transport vehicles that reflect the diversity of modern European road haulage.
Oxford Diecast Reintroduce DAF Recovery Models
Oxford Diecast has announced the return of two popular DAF recovery truck models alongside an all-new plain white edition. Following continued collector demand, the highly regarded M8 Recovery and Ken Williams liveries are set to return to the range, recreating two distinctive heavy recovery operators.
Announcements: May 2026
The May 2026 releases from WIKING continue the brand’s tradition of celebrating classic European motoring and commercial transport history with a varied selection of finely detailed vintage vehicles. This latest line-up spans everything from post-war passenger cars to hardworking utility and agricultural vehicles, featuring iconic subjects such as the Volkswagen Beetle, Audi 100, Volvo 850 estate, Ford Taunus, and the unmistakable BMW Isetta in BMW Motorsport colours.
Check out the new items that have arrived into stock since the last Main Lines update. The list might be a bit long, but it's packed with exciting finds we think you'll love.
End of The Line
That's the end of the line for this week. We will be back next week with another packed edition of Main Lines.
Until then, Happy Modelling
Before You Go...
If you are interested in other areas of the hobby, or looking for a new past time, then why not check out one of our other publications. Published thougout the month at different intervals, these publications complament the breaking news behind these subjects, and bring you the latest news in one convienient place.
Our Publications
MAIN LINES
This weekly newsletter is published every Saturday of the Month.
Focused on Model Railways, this newsletter rounds up news from the biggest names in the model railway industry, such as Hornby, Märklin, Bachmann, Dapol, Noch, Piko and many more.
PIT STOP
This monthly newsletter is published on the second Sunday of the month.
Everything Slot Car Collecting and Racing can be found in our Monthly Slot Car Newsletter. Focusing on many of the leading brands of slot cars, ideal for those who love the thrill of the racetrack and taking the chequered flag.
KITS & BITS
This monthly newsletter is published on the first Friday of the Month.
Kit building can, for many, be an interesting and enjoyable pastime, and this publication takes a look at all brands of kits from the traditional Airfix and Revell to the brick-built kits compatible with other building block systems.
THE CABINET
This monthly newsletter is published on the third Thursday of the Month.
Model collectables are no longer just limited to cars and vehicles. This publication looks at all the collectables brands we stock, which also include ranges of iconic Film and TV merchandise, aircraft, agricultural vehicles, and, of course, collectable cars.