[34C]

Out in the real world, there's a large cork blocking movement in the Suez canal.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-56505413
Who knows what is on it, or backed up behind it...

 

[Julian2011]

..... Puts a new light on the term.... Container Ship.....

..... I know, very sad and going to be quiet now... hide behind hedges and stuff.....

J

 

[34C]

Meantime, in happy RTR OO railway world:
https://uk.hornby.com/community/blog-and-ne...-shed/full-tilt

The fictional 'in service' APT is very attractive, the all new 9F seems to be coming on nicely, and the livery sample of a photographic grey presentation of the rebuilt W1 is railway porn in the highest degree.

 

[butler-henderson]

At least they have accepted the need for the central headlight on the "Midland Pullman" HST.

 

[dwb]

I am really cheesed off.

I got an email from Hattons telling me that my pre-orders for the Gresley Hush-hush in fictional LNER apple green and BR in rebuilt form have been cancelled because they could not get enough stock to fulfil orders. I placed those orders when the models were announced with Hattons. I did not realise then that I would dodge the bullet of Rails ceasing to be a Hornby dealer but I did lose my orders for the Liverpool & Manchester railway open third waggons and I have none to date. So from all the models I took a fancy to in Hornby's catalogue of 2020 all I have actually ended up with is the Rocket train pack (ordinary version).

Shall I try to get them elsewhere? You know I really don't think I'll bother. Somehow the link between models being announced and being able to get your hands on them is well and truly broken for me.

I've still got some Rivarossi VSOE coaches on reservation from their Jan 2020 announcements. I wonder will they go the same way?

David

 

[Julian2011]

QUOTE (dwb @ 10 Apr 2021, 19:51) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I am really cheesed off.

I got an email from Hattons telling me that my pre-orders for the Gresley Hush-hush in fictional LNER apple green and BR in rebuilt form have been cancelled because they could not get enough stock to fulfil orders. I placed those orders when the models were announced with Hattons. I did not realise then that I would dodge the bullet of Rails ceasing to be a Hornby dealer but I did lose my orders for the Liverpool & Manchester railway open third waggons and I have none to date. So from all the models I took a fancy to in Hornby's catalogue of 2020 all I have actually ended up with is the Rocket train pack (ordinary version).

Shall I try to get them elsewhere? You know I really don't think I'll bother. Somehow the link between models being announced and being able to get your hands on them is well and truly broken for me.

I've still got some Rivarossi VSOE coaches on reservation from their Jan 2020 announcements. I wonder will they go the same way?

David

It has to be an experience faced by quite a number and is no less bothersome for that.
The "excuse", that lack of "enough stock to fulfil orders" would suggest that they had set a figure for the production run and accepted orders for more than the planned run. That is, also, a plan to guarantee that there will be disgruntled customers, who will express their opinions online. It is difficult to imagine that other disappointed customers will not react as you have and others will be less likely to want to put in bids for reservations.

Julian

 

[dwb]

QUOTE The "excuse", that lack of "enough stock to fulfil orders" would suggest that they had set a figure for the production run and accepted orders for more than the planned run.
That's not an excuse, it's poor business practice. It's not difficult to see the orders coming in and scale up production accordingly. If the new kids on the block like Rapido and Accurascale can fit their production runs to meet demand then why not Hornby?
Or is this Hornby trying to get us back to buying from our local hobby shop?

David

 

[Julian2011]

QUOTE (dwb @ 10 Apr 2021, 22:02) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>That's not an excuse, it's poor business practice. It's not difficult to see the orders coming in and scale up production accordingly. If the new kids on the block like Rapido and Accurascale can fit their production runs to meet demand then why not Hornby?
Or is this Hornby trying to get us back to buying from our local hobby shop?

David

Absolutely right David.

{My use of the term "excuse" was deeply sarcastic and the same for the disgraceful treatment of their customers.}

Julian

 

[kristopher1805]

Sadly very typical is why I do not pre-order, in many cases this works the other way as sales do not reach projections and surplus stocks lead to discounting so some really great products like the K1 for instance get knocked down, As to Hattons since they fell out with Bachmann they will be doing everything possible to keep every Hornby customer happy if they can, just be aware that they will resell ones that have been returned, I have had new locos with the brakes rods already fitted, my crosti had wheels so dirty it would not run and so on so examine your purchase carefully but I am sure it is just not them, OK I get that the manufacturer wants some surety they have a winning seller on their hands but they experiment at our cost and frustration level.

However a BR W1 would be on my list along with some others, I'd still like a Bugatti streamlined P2 in late BR - way to go! they should have been given to Gorton which was wanting them in WW2 for the huge loads it was dealing with and with super heavy infrastructure and no level crossings would have been a good outcome. then the new V2, the 78xxx class, the new J39 (one day I'm sure) - a matter of funds more than a matter of desire.

So back to the old Roman way - Caveat Emptor!

 

[Free_at _last]

QUOTE (Julian2011 @ 10 Apr 2021, 22:01) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The "excuse", that lack of "enough stock to fulfil orders" would suggest that they had set a figure for the production run and accepted orders for more than the planned run.
Julian

They always seem to have enough left to be able to sell direct from their own shop.

 

[34C]

(dwb @ 10 Apr 2021, 23:02) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>That's not an excuse, it's poor business practice. It's not difficult to see the orders coming in and scale up production accordingly...

Capacity limitations in manufacturing are real. We have to at least allow the possibility that Hornby's offerings have generated demand greater than can be supplied from the booked 'slots' that Hornby have available from their various manufacturing contractors. Whether that is the underlying cause, is unlikely ever to be known to us.

 

[dwb]

QUOTE Capacity limitations in manufacturing are real. We have to at least allow the possibility that Hornby's offerings have generated demand greater than can be supplied from the booked 'slots' that Hornby have available from their various manufacturing contractors
In the case of the Rocket special edition, we all knew pretty much straight away that we were not going to be one of the 500. Fair enough I accept that but I don't accept that you can pre-order within days of the model's announcement but then 15 months later learn that your pre-orders have been unsuccessful.

It gives me no confidence that when Hornby announce a range of products - such as the Coronation Scot set - that I would be able to obtain a complete set. As 34C has already mentioned, the QoS Pullmans were a challenge. First we had five pre-war liveried models, then five post war which is unhelpful if you were after an eight car set from the same era.

It's going to take a long time for the bad taste this has left to wear off but I think I've said enough.

David

 

[butler-henderson]

Its a constant theme with Hattons cancelling pre-orders; people do not seem to have problems with other suppliers and I would suggest it would be best to try Derails or Kernow if you really want to pre order as invariably their are stacks of Hornby stockists who will have stocks once a model is released; many smaller model shops for example sell through ebay

 

[butler-henderson]

More duplication as Bachmann today announce newly tooled Class 24s - D5036 BR Green with yellow end panels, D5094 BR Green, 24035 BR Blue, 97201 RTC Red/Blue priced at £179.95 (or an extra £100 DCC Sound fitted)

 

[34C]

Also the LMS 4P Compound in the LMS red livery that some have been requesting over a fairly long term.

QUOTE (butler-henderson @ 5 May 2021, 18:32) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>More duplication as Bachmann today announce newly tooled Class 24s ...
Fairly inevitable given how few UK diesel traction classes there actually are, and still fewer that have the combination of all of significant numbers, widespread use in multiple liveries and decades in service?

A duplication that didn't happen: I was surprised that Bachmann blew all that investment cash on the Blue Pullman, when they could have used the same money to begin tooling up the HST, and then used the initial earnings to expand the tooling to enable exploiting its many formations and liveries over decades...

 

[34C]

QUOTE (butler-henderson @ 5 May 2021, 18:32) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>More duplication as Bachmann today announce newly tooled Class 24s - D5036 BR Green with yellow end panels, D5094 BR Green, 24035 BR Blue, 97201 RTC Red/Blue priced at £179.95 (or an extra £100 DCC Sound fitted)
Or perhaps not? I gather that the only competing product which would be from SLW is possibly no longer available.

If Frogspawn Industries appeared out of nowhere with a first class model of a Gresley V2 available tomorrow, I wouldn't see that as duplication. Bachmann have failed for years to deliver the announced goods. Snooze, you lose.

Equally, had another manufacturer (top suspect, Heljan) brought out a competent model of the class 21 at any time between the 2010 Dapol announcement and 2018, I would have purchased it. First to market takes the prize, devil take the hindmost.

I feel there is something of a lack of competitive pressure in RTR OO, as indicated by the frequently leisurely progress on the path to bringing announced product to the retailer's shelves.

 

[butler-henderson]

QUOTE (34C @ 7 May 2021, 13:36) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>If Frogspawn Industries appeared out of nowhere with a first class model of a Gresley V2 available tomorrow, I wouldn't see that as duplication. Bachmann have failed for years to deliver the announced goods. Snooze, you lose.

The V2 is currently due Aug-Oct depending on the actual version.

 

[34C]

QUOTE (butler-henderson @ 8 May 2021, 13:45) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The V2 is currently due Aug-Oct depending on the actual version.
Perhaps in the same consignment as the CR 812 0-6-0 that Rails commissioned from Bachmann then, as that's 'September'? And also the first of the NER 0-6-0s from Oxford Rail?

I have made a decision on my slowly building pre-group 0-6-0 collection: the 'furriners' are going to rotate alternately in turn onto the workings that should be the sole preserve of the 'native' J6/J11/J15/J17 0-6-0 classes that were the local team. Too attractive to only get an occasional run out. Fingers crossed that the market for these holds up long enough that we get a round dozen or so in RTR.

 

[butler-henderson]

According to the Collectors Club magazine the V2, 812 (for Rails) and Improved Precedents (for Rails/NRM) are approved for production while currently in a crate somewhere on the seas are a stack of diesels; 20/0, 24/0 and 24/1 along with 150/2 and 410 units.

 

[34C]

QUOTE (butler-henderson @ 9 May 2021, 10:47) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>...currently in a crate somewhere on the seas are a stack of diesels; 20/0 ....
Yes, I have been watching that item. What I am hoping is that some of the first version EE type 1s of the disc headcode all over green liveried persuasion may be 'displaced' by the new version and find their way onto the s/h market. Ideally at a low, low, price, but that may be expecting too much?

These appear to have been popular. I bought one for assessment, essentially because pleasing as Bachmann's Derby type 2's had been mechanically, the bodies were not that special. (The very nice drive though won the day, exterior modifications were made by a friend good at that sort of thing.)

But the 'Thousand Horse' was a cut above: the same sweet running drive combined with a bodyform that still pleases. So once I had sorted out its design flaw of the clumsily executed NEM coupler pocket mounting fouling on the main casting and decided on another they had 'disappeared', and I don't think they were ever repeated, and neither have good specimens shown up s/h in the years since ...