Introducing Simon Bendall - Hattons Contributor

[Hattons Dave]

Afternoon all.

 

Today we are proud to announce the vastly experienced and highly knowledgeable Simon Bendall, previous editor of Rail Express Modelling has joined our team. Simon will be helping us with:

 

• Product announcements, previews & reviews of all major diesel & electric era product releases - including products we may not stock.
  

• Locomotive and rolling stock profiles. The first of these being his brilliant article documenting the history of the Beilhack snowploughs which can be found HERE.
  

• News pieces & features about the current UK rail network. Look out for an upcoming piece about the newly acquired Class 60s by GB Railfreight.
  

• Various other content that bridges the gap between prototypical and model railways aimed at entertaining and informing.
  

 

We are delighted Simon has chosen to work with us and invite any others who may be interested in acting as a correspondent, to email our Marketing team (via advertising@hattons.co.uk) with details of their experience and preferably samples of previous work.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

Edited November 2, 2018 by Hatton's Dave

[Godfrey Glyn]

Given the number of modern image modellers on RMweb I have always been surprised how few comments have been posted on the excellence of Rail Express Modelling, and now I feel guilty at not having done this myself. Congratulations to Simon, I think Hattons are fortunate to recruit him and I just hope Rail Express can find somebody to replace him as up to now I have found it very useful reading and he will be a difficult act to follow.

 

all the best

 

Godfrey.

[blueeighties]

Nigel Burkin is taking over REX Modeller.

[Covkid]

Given the number of modern image modellers on RMweb I have always been surprised how few comments have been posted on the excellence of Rail Express Modelling, and now I feel guilty at not having done this myself. Congratulations to Simon, I think Hattons are fortunate to recruit him and I just hope Rail Express can find somebody to replace him as up to now I have found it very useful reading and he will be a difficult act to follow.

 

all the best

 

Godfrey.

 

Totally echo Godfrey's comments.

Hattons have certainly recruited a very knowledgeable chap and I wish a long and successful union between Simon and Hattons. 

 

Now about the Swindon Cross Country DMU Simon ........................ 

[No Decorum]

 

Afternoon all.

 

Today we are proud to announce the vastly experienced and highly knowledgeable Simon Bendall, previous editor of Rail Express Modelling has joined our team. Simon will be helping us with:

 

• Product announcements, previews & reviews of all major diesel & electric era product releases - including products we may not stock.

• Locomotive and rolling stock profiles. The first of these being his brilliant article documenting the history of the Beilhack snowploughs which can be found HERE.

• News pieces & features about the current UK rail network. Look out for an upcoming piece about the newly acquired Class 60s by GB Railfreight.

• Various other content that bridges the gap between prototypical and model railways aimed at entertaining and informing.

 

We are delighted Simon has chosen to work with us and invite any others who may be interested in acting as a correspondent, to email our Marketing team (via advertising@hattons.co.uk) with details of their experience and preferably samples of previous work.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

 

 

Dave,

 

I notice that the piece is copyright. Information on the Web has a tendency to disappear or be difficult to find. I don’t suppose it would be possible to make a piece such as this to be downloadable as a PDF? It would add very welcome background to an excellent model.

[Enterprisingwestern]

Congratulations to Hattons and Simon.

REx is now a poorer place.

 

Mike.

[Grimly Feendish]

Good luck to Simon. I've really enjoyed his work in REx over the last many years, not least his product reviews.

 

Congratulations to Hattons, a smart move.

 

John.

[rob D2]

Good news !

What vehicle do you have to deliver said content ? Hattons mag ? Or something else

[4railsman]

Seems to me that Hattons are diversifying again, this time into the realms of becoming an Online Model Railway Publisher.

 

Maybe RMweb forum members could suggest some suitable titles for Hattons to consider for the Publications Title Header/Banner.

 

First it was as a designer/manufacturer of r-t-r models, now looking to be a digital publisher, so wonder what their next diversification will be in the coming year? Suggestions anyone?

[blueeighties]

Hats off to them...forward thinking and innovative in a rapidly changing marketplace.

[John M Upton]

I have to admit I would rather Hattons stuck to their core business of selling stuff and leave journalism to established magazines.

[PMP]

I have to admit I would rather Hattons stuck to their core business of selling stuff and leave journalism to established magazines.

 

Why? If they stuck to selling stuff we wouldn't have the Hattons range of models. In Simon B they've got someone who can write, has relevant experience, undoubted prototype knowledge in D&E fields and will know other contributors with different expertise. Depending on how Hattons develop/distribute/publish the periodical, and how readers 'pay' for it I can see the established magazines taking a keen interest in it, but despite writing myself for most of the mags in the past, I don't see this as a bad thing, more likely to be complimentary to existing publications.

Edited November 4, 2018 by PMP

[LBRJ]

I have to admit I would rather Hattons stuck to their core business of selling stuff and leave journalism to established magazines.

 

Providing a more rounded service is very much a part of the core business - Information educates customers and then they may just spend rather more £££ with the provider.

[Nile]

Standing still is no longer an option, unless you want to end up like BHS etc (a very long list). This could be about giving people reasons to visit their website other than to just check what's new in and compare prices.

[Steven B]

I have to admit I would rather Hattons stuck to their core business of selling stuff and leave journalism to established magazines.

 

PECO manage to do both without too many problems.....

[JohnR]

PECO manage to do both without too many problems.....

 

And for many people in East devon, their nearest model shop is at Pecorama....

[Hattons Dave]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the feedback, it's great to see you're enjoying Simon's work so far and we're excited to have him on board.

 

We've just released a second article, this one concerning GB Railfreight's expansion of their Class 66 fleet over the past year.

 

You can read the full article HERE.

 

Cheers,

Dave

[rob D2]

Interesting article Dave !

Nice one

[RichardS]

There's one or two organisations changing at present. We've already seen a more bullish Dapol emerge, the entry of Rapido into the UK market, Hattons now clearly diversifying, and I sense a reawakening in Beer - new website, Parkside kits and now EM Gauge Track. There's obviously some new brooms in use - or at least the handles and heads have been renewed.

[John M Upton]

To explain my previous comment, I am old fashioned(!) and believe a retailer should sell stuff and a publisher publish stuff.  It is sort of like when I walk into Marks & Spencer's, I want a sandwich, a pair of socks and a packet of yummy if overpriced chocolate biscuits yet they want me to also get a mortgage, credit card and a bank account as well as electricity and gas as well which is areas quite frankly they have no business in being in.  I just want my pair of socks thanks...

[Enterprisingwestern]

To explain my previous comment, I am old fashioned(!) and believe a retailer should sell stuff and a publisher publish stuff.  It is sort of like when I walk into Marks & Spencer's, I want a sandwich, a pair of socks and a packet of yummy if overpriced chocolate biscuits yet they want me to also get a mortgage, credit card and a bank account as well as electricity and gas as well which is areas quite frankly they have no business in being in.  I just want my pair of socks thanks...

 

Aaaah, the good old days, poverty, high mortality and rickets!!

 

Mike.

[MRDBLUE17]

It’s great to see Hattons have got Si on board. I’ve read his two articles and they are of his excellent high standard of useful prototype info which makes modelling so much easier. It can see thus being a very good move for Hattons as it does help focus on what products you might need to model a particular interest.

 

I’ll look forward to more. Something on TPO formations would be good with the new stowage vans out as well as more on the RHTT.

 

Thanks

Mark

[Roy Langridge]

To explain my previous comment, I am old fashioned(!) and believe a retailer should sell stuff and a publisher publish stuff. It is sort of like when I walk into Marks & Spencer's, I want a sandwich, a pair of socks and a packet of yummy if overpriced chocolate biscuits yet they want me to also get a mortgage, credit card and a bank account as well as electricity and gas as well which is areas quite frankly they have no business in being in. I just want my pair of socks thanks...

I guess, however, that as they (be that M&S or Hattons) are doing things away from what was once their core business, there must be a business benefit to it. In which case, people want what is being offered.

 

Edit: and as aside, Nokia started off as a paper producers. Mobile phones can’t have been their business once.

 

Roy

Edited November 6, 2018 by Roy Langridge

[iands]

I guess, however, that as they (be that M&S or Hattons) are doing things away from what was once their core business, there must be a business benefit to it. In which case, people want what is being offered.

 

Edit: and as aside, Nokia started off as a paper producers. Mobile phones can’t have been their business once.

 

Roy

 

Apologies for going slightly off topic, but Nokia, in the 80s and 90s, were a very big (globally) manufacturer and supplier of 'fixed' telecommunications equipment, e.g. transmission systems and networks (fibre cable/copper cable and microwave based), and their equipment is still in use on the ECML north of York (and possibly other areas of the rail network). I also believe at one time Nokia were a major manufacturer of footwear.

[Fat Controller]

Apologies for going slightly off topic, but Nokia, in the 80s and 90s, were a very big (globally) manufacturer and supplier of 'fixed' telecommunications equipment, e.g. transmission systems and networks (fibre cable/copper cable and microwave based), and their equipment is still in use on the ECML north of York (and possibly other areas of the rail network). I also believe at one time Nokia were a major manufacturer of footwear.

Rubber boots and galoshes, I believe.