detheridge Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 (edited) Hi folks, mods please remove this post if its in the wrong place, but: I've just seen elsewhere that Gem/Lychett Manor models has creased trading. Anyone know any more? Update: It seems that it's through illness. Big opportunity for someone to take the Gem range over? David. Edited March 9, 2018 by detheridge Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike Bellamy Posted March 9, 2018 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 9, 2018 A statement regarding the situation is on the website http://lytchettmanor.co.uk.websitebuilder.prositehosting.co.uk/ . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike morley Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 (edited) I think the writing had been on the wall there for some time. When Lychett took over the brand from Harrowden a few years ago there were immediate complaints about a huge drop in quality, with a couple of kits being described as being so poor they werent worth buying. Then, when kits suddenly became extremely difficult to obtain it was assumed production had been suspended so the quality issues could be addressed. Bit by bit it became apparent that the problem was somewhat more serious than that, with orders from retailers being unfulfilled, e-mails and phone calls chasing up those unfulfilled orders being unanswered and so on. Branchlines, for instance, were trying to get me a North London tank kit for a layout based on the Cromford and High Peak (A standard-gauge railway that is narrow-gauge at heart, if ever there was one!) that is now unlikely to ever get built because of the lack of the aforementioned NLR tank. After a year of Mr Branchlines sadly shaking his head whenever I asked if contact had been made I gave up asking, and it must be well over another year since I gave up! What, I wonder, are the chances of someone else taking over the range? Hopefully not any of the notorious "Black Hole" manufacturers. Edited March 9, 2018 by mike morley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaughan45 Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 (edited) I suspect in reality that some of the tooling was rather tired. Although the previous owner had developed some new tooling and replaced others, the slow sale rate of some items probably meant some tooling had been around since Roy Dock or even George E. Mellor's days Vaughan Edited March 9, 2018 by vaughan45 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike morley Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 No! I understand from the various comments made (a lot of which are on here) that the problems were with the extremely poor quality of the metal used and the complete lack of quality control. Harrowden - the immediate predecessors - would have used the same moulds and masters and their products were reckoned to be the best ever in terms of quality - even better than the original GEM. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Kirk Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Sad. I have known GEM since it was old George Mellor at Rhos on Sea. GEM were always white metal casters. The "tooling" was vulcanised rubber moulds formed over brass patterns so if the quality deteriorated it could always be rectified by making another rubber mould from the original patterns. As long as the patterns exist the kit can continue. In the days when white metal was "state of the art" good casters would renew the moulds when wear (burning out) became obvious. Nowadays I suspect that with diminishing sales it is less easy to justify the costs/effort in getting a new mould set out and vulcanised so quality could go down. Many years ago I produced brass patterns for GEM in fact I produced the patterns for the NLR tank someone mentioned. best wishes, Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad McCann Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Still got a couple of NB 4-4-0s to build and fettle. Must get them done since there won’t be any more coming. Must get a couple of generic 4-4-0 chassis etches too. D4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
009 micro modeller Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Sad news. I still have an unbuilt GEM Baldwin, complete with Grafar inside-framed 08 chassis for when/if I build it. I might do something with it one day but it shows how much 009 has changed even since I started about 10 years ago. I liked and extensively used the 009 loco detailing parts. I hope the range reappears at some point but with RTR, 3D printing and etching as well as plastic kits I wonder whether it would still be worth it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 No! I understand from the various comments made (a lot of which are on here) that the problems were with the extremely poor quality of the metal used and the complete lack of quality control. Harrowden - the immediate predecessors - would have used the same moulds and masters and their products were reckoned to be the best ever in terms of quality - even better than the original GEM. I can only agree with you, the three locos I bought when they were produced in Bedford had cast whitemetal parts which were far better in quality than any earlier GEM model I have come across. Certainly the etched chassis can be easily reproduced and reading the statement from Lychett it seems to me models will still be available via selected retailers, or have I got the wrong end of the stick ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davefrk Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 I think people still remember the horrible white metal from the olden days, grainy, brittle stuff it was. There is no excuse for using that stuff now, yes modern whitemetal for casting is more expensive but what price quality and therefore repeat orders.... Dave Franks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
009 micro modeller Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 I can only agree with you, the three locos I bought when they were produced in Bedford had cast whitemetal parts which were far better in quality than any earlier GEM model I have come across. Certainly the etched chassis can be easily reproduced and reading the statement from Lychett it seems to me models will still be available via selected retailers, or have I got the wrong end of the stick ? I interpreted it to mean that retailers with existing stock are still selling it but there won't be any new production, but I could be wrong. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoffAlan Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 Yes I saw that on my monthly check to see if the S&DJR 7F was back in production. in late 2016 I enquired and he tild me it would come back. Now I'll probably never see one to buy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 I'm sure everyone would join me in wishing Matthew all the best as recent times have been very trying with health issues with himself, and within the family. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike2steam Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 As Matthew is not a member of RMweb he has asked me to point out that the 'closure' is NOT permanent, but only temporary until he gets his 'health issue' sorted out, so please could you be patient (?) while it all gets sorted out. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted March 14, 2018 Share Posted March 14, 2018 I'm surprised at the comments about poor quality. I've got seven GEM loco kits that have been bought recently, the oldest less than eight years ago and the most recent last year, and all of them are perfect. Quite possibly amongst the best whitemetal castings that I've seen. Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike morley Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 Eight years ago GEM kits were still being made by Harrowden, and your more recent purchases might well have been old stock also cast by them. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted March 15, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 15, 2018 The word "temporarily" is highlighted in red on the index page. Full marks to him for taking down the rest of the site rather than allowing a situation, like some, where orders keep coming in that can't be fulfilled. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredb99 Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 I read with interest these comments. I have the patterns for all of the GEM kits from Terry Henson are there any you would like me to make available again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoffAlan Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 I read with interest these comments. I have the patterns for all of the GEM kits from Terry Henson are there any you would like me to make available again I'd love the N gauge S&DJR 7F, please. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredb99 Posted April 26, 2018 Share Posted April 26, 2018 I'd love the N gauge S&DJR 7F, please.i will give it some thought and check out the patterns to see if they are all there Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike morley Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 North London 0-6-0 tank, please. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarryscapes Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 Original Cambrian 2-4-0 Please, been years since that was available sadly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jol Wilkinson Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 I read with interest these comments. I have the patterns for all of the GEM kits from Terry Henson are there any you would like me to make available again Fred, are these for the kits that GEM have recently been producing and could start again? If so, what is the legal position on the intellectual property rights? As I don't have any need for any GEM kits (I stopped using them many years ago) I have no personal interest but do wonder that would be an issue. Jol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredb99 Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Hi Terry still owns the business and has given me the rights to redo the range as and when I have time Graham Fred, are these for the kits that GEM have recently been producing and could start again? If so, what is the legal position on the intellectual property rights? As I don't have any need for any GEM kits (I stopped using them many years ago) I have no personal interest but do wonder that would be an issue. Jol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 Hi Terry still owns the business and has given me the rights to redo the range as and when I have time Graham Fred Good news that these kits will be available again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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