[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE The British don't seem to care where their models are made as long as they are top quality. But they aren't though. There is no British model maker that makes top quality models. There is always some area which detracts from their quality whether it be poor build quality, weak motor, rubbish decoder, etc. These limitations are imposed by budget.

QUOTE What would be the views of Marklin collectors if Marklin models made in China were of superior quality and finish and with superior detail to the same models formerly made in Germany? My understanding is that a lot of Maerklin components are already made in China, this may well increase.

Made in Germany counts for a lot as they have a good reputation. Once "made in England" had the same conotations.

I don't mind too much if the quality remains as high as it is. After all the high quality is why I took up Continental and US modelling in the first place.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE Who would buy a merc or Beamer over a Lexus? Me, why would anyone want a lexus?

A toyota with a hefty price tag.

A BMW is an excellent car to drive. A lexus is like a pedal car by comparison.

As regards the Roco Hornby statement there is a difference between quality of product and quality of management, Hornby have a very high quality of management whereas Roco have a very high quality of product. Just shows you that there is more to succeeding in business than having a good product. Good management skills are far more important as you can get by with a mediocre product better than you can with a mediocre manager.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (goedel @ 23 May 2007, 05:51) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The point I was trying to make was not so much putting the boot in as saying that Hornby is compromising unnecessarily on quality to increase its profits which does not benefit modellers. It is important to remember that things will only improve is if we complain and demand better - we should not be sentimental about what Hornby is - it is just a train flogging business that will cut every corner it can get away with - the sharehorders demand it!

I think it is potentially dangerous to go around saying how much standards have improved without looking at the global context where the rest of the world has moved on with proper DCC and sound integration and non-falling-off-bits and better motors, greater detail etc. and so Hornby is actually treading water. We must not be complacent but demand more and better for the same money, otherwise newcomers will be less attracted to model railways and without new recruits the hobby will gradually decline in the UK. Given the profits and market share Hornby currently enjoys they're hardly being squeezed to strive towards greater things...but they should be!!

More vigorous and louder criticism (obviously of the constructive kind) is needed, instead of having a mindset accepting that a brand new model will be okay after a facelift and repaint and replaced decoder just because the manufacturer was lazy. Most unfortunate in this respect are the uncritical reviews freqen tly found in several popular railway magazines, who apart from wanting their free samples from the manufacturers, continue to willfully ignore stark errors and failings in the model for fear of putting the readers and potential buyers off. If only they stood up to the manufacturers and pointed out these mistakes and poor quality then they could influence the hobby for the good of the modellers...

Demand better!

Goedel

I couldn't agree with this more. No-one is putting the boot into British railway modelling, we are just asking for the same quality that the USA and Germany get.

In regard to the sycophantic reviews, Hornby's major release of the year, the Pendolino, was a poor offering. It displayed many of the shortcomings we have come to expect, poor build quality, garbage decoder and weak motor, lack of pick ups etc yet none of the magazine reviews gave it the canning it deserved. Some of them did not even mention some of these propblems readily apparent as they were. I think we are too tolerant in this respect.

QUOTE By contrast we had another thread discussing a prestigeous new Marklin boxed set new release of the Etoile du Nord. The loco, an SNCF multivoltage C-C electric , has a list price of 295 euros. By the time that gets to France, the importer's cut (not a eurocent of which goes to pay salaries in Goppingen) will push the price in the French shop window to 365 euros. The coach packs are 395 euros each - almost 100 euros a coach

I think Heljan's approach is much more beneficial to the hobby than that Marklin boxed set. I certainly don't see that the Marklin loco should be 3 times the price of the Heljan one. Remember both are European made , and we are comparing prices in the country of the prototype (which in both cases is diffiernt from the country of the producer)

The loco is 299 Euro top price but this will be discounted by the large German stores so expect to pay 250-260 euro. If you want to pay more for it that's your look out. This has a sound decoder preinstalled which is something Heljan don't do, it also has a metal body.

The 4 coach set is 199 Euro list price and the 3 coach set is 149 euro. That would be 50 Euro per coach list price. You will be able to buy this cheaper from the larger model stores.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (Ravenser @ 24 May 2007, 02:42) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>BRITHO:

So am I , and it might be courteous to move the thread to somewhere more appropriate. This must be very boring/mystifying to those with an interest in Continental or HO

The thread seems to have gone into "familiar territory" about half way down page one, sometime on Monday night
And who took it there. You do this to every thread with a Continental angle.

QUOTE Tony's comments on the various coaches are far more critical of errors in the Hornby Gresleys than Neil S Woods review, which actually missed every single error and asserts that the Brawa vehicles are better because the colour of the roof is nicer.. Both Neil's review (above) and the BRM DVD are readily available so anyone can verify the facts in this case My review was about Brawa coaches, as you have been previously advised the Hornby coach was only included as an aside for comparison as a medium priced coach which most people can relate to. I find it a bit rich that you slag of the reviews on this forum when you contribute nothing to this forum.

These reviews are intended for the potential purchaser to help decide whether he would like to buy a product.
Maybe if you were spend some of your own time and money buying products and reviewing them you would have more appreciation of what is involved rather than picking faults in what was never the main focus of the review. We are still waiting on you doing some reviews, until you do you are in no position to criticise.

QUOTE I've seen a Pendolino and seen it run. It appeared to run entirely adequetely at slow speed on DCC and fine at speed. Well this is not the finding of other reviewers or myself.

To try and drag this back onto subject, if Brawa are made in China then there is no reason why the quality of Maerklin would be affected if it went to China too. It would seem that the Chinese assemble according to the instructions and budget they are given.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE On an unconnected side note, does anybody remember Märklin´s "Alpha" train line? ( Alpha engines ) And, back to the ´70s, when the Les Humphries Singers ruled (my parents place back then, anyway) - Märklin Sprint slot car racing? Sprint slotcars Or, the vintage Märklin metal construction kits? Märklin Metall ? I guess when you run a business you try to branch out and sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (Dennis David @ 25 May 2007, 09:50) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Yeah, like the German Doll House company that expanded into trains in 1891.

That turned out to be a very wise decision in the end!

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (ME 26-06 @ 24 Sep 2007, 08:31) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Judging from your posts, you don´t like Germany, Austria, Märklin - which may be fine for you. However, do you find it appropriate to insult both goedel (whom I respect very much by the way), Märklin and their clientéle in your post, thus displaying an immature xenophobia that I for one do not visit MRF for?

Oh yeah, and WW2 ended in 1945. There´s no need for Hitler references outside continental Ep.II threads imho.
To be honest even in regard to Epoch II he had very little to day with Railways so he does not merit a mention. Just for the record I disagree with the comments about Maerklin and find their Trix range some of the best product available for the price.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (simonj @ 25 Sep 2007, 07:23) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Back to the original thread subject, are you sure Marklin/Trix are 100% made in Germany? I just bought a Minitrix wagon set and the cost of each unit was £14. The chassis are die cast metal and even the containers are weighted. They are superior to the Fleischmann equivalents at twice the cost. It makes me wonder where these are actually made as nowhere on the packaging is a definitive "Made in Germany" stamped.

ps (sorry if there was a hit of A vs B in the paragraph)
Apparently some of the stuff is being made in China now. The quality issue is not down to the Chinese but to how much effort is put in by the manufacturer in getting the desired result so the quality should be the same.

ME26-06, I was really looking forward to your S2/6 review, I would be really dissapointed if you chose not to share it with us.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (simonj @ 25 Sep 2007, 10:21) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Legally they need to say where something is made, but for instance if the major parts were made in China then the bogies attached in Germany then it could still where the "made in Germany" label.
I have heard, but have not seen, that some models do have made in China lables on them