[neil_s_wood]

Speaking as someone who has a wide variety of nationalitys of locos, I think the "luxury" packaging theory is incorrect. I have one American loco with the packaging described and I reckon it's a waste of space and money. It increases the mail order costs as well which is a consideration we have here in Ozz.

The German outline has packaging broadly similar to Hornby and Bachmann and is a more upmarket product than either US or UK outline, so I don't see how they can call this luxury packaging. Maerklin and Trix which are significantly better than most actually have very understated packaging. I guess with Americans it's the bigger is better theory. The current Hornby and Bachmann packaging is fine. It does what its supposed to do. I take the reverse arguement that the oversized American packaging is stupid.

QUOTE Why do they produce gold plated wheel editions?

Why limited collector club editions?

I actually bought one of these and I now regret it. It just sits on a shelf doing nothing and has two boxes. The regular Hornby box and a special display box, neither of which get used as it sits on the special gold rail provided. The newer boxes Hornby have are fine. I found the older ones from a year ago did lead to breaking detail parts when they came out the box.

As regards the 16 page instruction booklet, the one I got with my BLI J class is pretty crap.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE Dose every thing in the UK have to do what the Americans do the the biggest bunch of Raceists, bigots & hippocrates out there This is England, Great Britain Who cares what the yanks do.

Not every one who lives in the island of Great Britain is English. Eight million of us aren't. What you have said is offensive to all Scots and Welsh. Now what were you saying about racist's and bigots

England is not Great Britain you can't equate the two. Geographically it's only half of it.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE Magazines should stick to railway modelling rather than trying to tell Hornby and Bachmann how to run a manufacturing business.

On the other hand there are a few here also guilty of that sin! I think customer feedback is neccessary whatever business you're in. You can't make the assumption that Hornby and Bachmann are perfect as a few here are guilty of.

They aren't and continuous improvement is part of any business. If you are arrogant enough to believe otherwise your business wont last long.

Unless you have a monopoly of course....