The Class 56 burst onto the scene with Hornby at the end of 2007, way back in the eighth issue of Hornby Magazine. Back then it was a revelation over its Mainline/Dapol parentage predecessor and it has been a common part of the Hornby range ever since.
This year the Hornby Class 56 has received a small refresh to incorporate a 21-pin DCC decoder socket in all future versions in place of the previous 8-pin socket. This upgrade is backed up by changing of the connection for the cab front lights which no longer rely on the previous sprung contact arrangement – instead the lights are permanently wired through five-pin plugs which make for a more robust arrangement.