[dwb]

Last week Mintel reported that the UK was now Europe's top market for internet sales having just overtaken Germany. You can read the BBC's brief report here. The BBC report does not list the figures for other markets, so I can't extrapolate any further than that.

It's an interesting challenge that Dennis has thrown down. It would be interesting to see the result. It seems to me that a lot german engineers/designers seem to have moved into the toy space to try to continue to make a living.

and while waiting for the show to begin I paid a visit to the Uhlenbrock site and downloaded their 2006 new products brochure - there is an English version. The first page is all about a new lighting system for model railways which runs the full gamut from dawn to dusk to dawn with lightening thrown in - so it appears that a German company is giving the Dark ages and the Light ages too! Donner und Blitzen. I wonder will it catch on. I noted their web counter is now over 900,000. You can check them out here

David

 

[dwb]

Dennis, I didn't think you were "having a go". I was just pointing out some recent information which shows that the UK Internet market is taking off, but as you say that doesn't extrapolate onto all sectors equally. It does seem to me that there are more people interested in model railways than in Germany than in the UK, and if that is the case, there will probably be more "cottage industry" types who have turned to the Internet to sell their wares.

I would advise anyone who is thinking of accepting Dennis' challenge to consider the "anti DCC" attitude displayed in the letters' pages of Britain's largest circulation model railway magazine and then decide whether this is "anti technology" or just "anti DCC". It is possible that these same people might not use technology to purchase items for their hobby. By contrast, consider the fact that the Germans seem to have cornered the European market in DCC equipment and having weighed these two considerations decide whether or not to proceed.

At the very least we might have some interesting new websites to visit from the links page??

David

 

[dwb]

I came across this French website this evening. It looks like the "master" site for the French equivalent of the MRC here. Unfortunately my French is rather weak, so I can't be sure. Perhaps Doug can say?

David

PS. For Dennis: Check out this roundhouse!

I wonder where they get their kit?
DWB

 

[dwb]

>I got a bid in for the 15-16th stalls of my roundhouse
All the best; I hope you get it.

You should explore the other stuff around that French site - there are some pretty amazing model photos on there. Check out the stuff on the 2006 model fair. I shouldn't really bring this subject up, but there is a truly enormous US based model in 3 rail HO and it's computer controlled. The site is "frame based" and I haven't been able to get a URL from it, otherwise I'd post yet another link here.

The trouble is, I can't find any details for 2007. It seems to be held around Easter time, and if they maintain the standard year on year, would be well worth a visit from the UK.

David

 

[dwb]

Here's a photo of my new narrow gauge HO layout loosely based on Swiss practice:-

Correction: I just checked the date on the photo and remembered that I was on a footpath between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen at the time. That rolling stock is just too clean and the grass really had me fooled

David

 

[dwb]

>France lost Jouef
I have been wondering what affect that has on the state of railway modelling in France, so when we were passing through during the summer I kept an eye open for model railway shops.

In Colmar we found a model shop that chock full to the gills with model cars. Right at the very back of the shop there was a tiny selection of model railway stock. Across the street there was another shop dedicated to model construction kits. I think it was owned/run by the same guy because I saw him cross the street from one to the other.

We looked round Metz on a Sunday, so everything was closed. There was quite a well stocked looking model shop in an arcade in the centre of town. I know from last year it stocked a lot of model cars. We did locate a small model railway shop near the river in the old town. It was hard to see much stock through the window, which also had a "For rent" notice. That doesn't sound too promising.

This is by no means a scientifically sound survey but from what I have seen the French prefer inanimate model cars to model railways.

David

 

[dwb]

>the deliberate high pricing to force people onto the road.
My son's way to work around this is to buy single tickets in advance. He claims this usually works out cheaper than buying a return for the same journey. His experience is based on travelling the ECML from Leuchars to London.

>Can magazine circulations really be a reliable guide
Most magazines have their circulation audited, so they can't be too far from the truth.

David