QUOTE (Oakydoke @ 6 Mar 2007, 23:05)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>I'm sure he'll be glad to get rid of them, judging by his posts on various forums !
Having viewed his comments, I don't see anything in the content that varies from what others, and myself, have observed.
At least he is honest.
However, he does leave decisions up to the customer in the end......and if shortcomings are acceptable, then fine...he praises the slow speed running qualities.......the main thing that attracted me to the Vitrains item.....the rest I can deal with!
I'm quite happy with the product..given that I rarely leave well alone anyway......somehow doing the same thing to a loco from elsewhere at £20 more doesn't sit too well with me.
My main niggle with most Bachmann products of late, is their inflexibility of running.
I find it disappointing that many of their products cannot be run on all available set track radii.
Try explaining to an 8 year old, why he cannot run an item he has set his heart on?
Every Bachmann coach he has 'bought' has had to be subtly modified by Dad so he can run it on his small layout.....with perforce a minimum radius at some points equal to No 1 curves.
Ok..I know about 'markets'.....and the answer is to not use tight curves, or to only use selected stock......and that is how he started.......but once he gets hold of the latest of dad's model mags, and see's what's on offer....then different forces begin to work.
One look at a working turntable, and he had his mind set upon one for his layout.........his layout is restricted by set-up space, and storage space when folded.......5 foot3" by 3 foot 7"......folded in half!.........a 'waisted' oval...dad's idea....with a passing loop on one half, with station...a tunnel on the other quater, much like one of the initial designs in the old Peco '60 plans' book?.........he DID have a bay platform, headshunt and goods yard...until the 'turntable' thing hit......plus, 'someone' bought him a Hronby engine shed, without prior consultation...I had steered him away from that one, for space reasons......he has a loco servicing spur, with ash pit.......so, out came the goods yard...he never did do much shunting anyway.... and in went Peco's turntable......and to make lining-up kid proof, I even fabricated sliding locks, which doubled as power selectors.
Since the last thing I would want to do is discourage someone from this hobby at such a tender age, I tend to view models from a different angle......what Dad would like, inevitably get's borrowed!
Dad's birthday prezzies also have a remarkable affinity with what No. 1 son has noticed locally on the prototype, and found a model of.........red and silver bachmann DMU's, for example?
which hardly fitted in with MY ideas!
(He doesn't grasp the idea about all my miriad of US stock...since the last time he saw anything like that for real, he was a babe-in-arms.......he does, however, want a 'City of Truro'.....if anyone has one for sale?)
