Ask Dave

[DJM Dave]

Hi everyone,

 

I have started this topic for you to ask me any questions of production, delivery, tooling slots, choice of model etc and in fact anything else you can think of that's not covered in the individual model topics in the main DJModels section.

 

I will, try to reply within a time frame of 48 hours at most (unless ill or on holiday), and i wont reply off forum unless you ask me to in your question. Please note, thee may be times that I go outside this time frame which are unavoidable, so please be patient.

 

However, please check the DJM section of this forum for any DJM project that may be listed as your answers may well already be in there somewhere.

 

I'll also not shy away from a question providing it's germain to DJModels, and i will not answer any questions about other manufacturers and their projects/decisions.

 

It could be a very useful information portal for everyone.

 

So feel free to 'Ask Dave', but please steer clear of 'wish listing' as there's a thread for that!

[davy crockett]

Dave In all your work in the model industry have you ever been asked to model the Gazelle or would you know if anyone has. Thanks

[DJM Dave]

Dave In all your work in the model industry have you ever been asked to model the Gazelle or would you know if anyone has. Thanks

Hi mate,

Gazelle is a lovely loco, that's for sure, however I've not heard of anyone that wanted one or a company that wanted to manufacture one.

Cheers

Dave

[davy crockett]

Im sure it would sell everyone has a soft spot for it. Some one should maybe you Dave ?

[DJM Dave]

Im sure it would sell everyone has a soft spot for it. Some one should maybe you Dave ?

Nice idea, but it does have very limited appeal to a manufacturer who needs to sell enough to turn a profit. Sorry :-(

[ady77014]

personal question...what's your favorite region?

[DJM Dave]

Good question.

Was bought up in high Wycombe but did spotting in the mid to late 70's on the LMR at tring and Western at Taplow.

Although I do have a real passion for the first class I followed, namely the Deltics, and I will never forget seeing my first one number 55018, Ballymoss, climbing out of gasworks tunnel and into Kings Cross, the sound was unreal and sticks with you!

 

Cheers

Dave

[frobisher]

What are your ambitions for the company ultimately? Is a Dapol-like expansion in range something you're aiming at (eventually)?

[DJM Dave]

Well, Frobisher, I'd does depend.

 

I'd like to be busy, and I envisage that I will, once fully up and running, produce maybe 3/4 locomotives of my own per year, but I have ample free capacity in my factories to push that up if needs be.

 

I'll also be doing quite a few models for outside commissions, and I know of 2/3 people who are contemplating models from me by using 'Kickstart' funding. I'll also be actively trying to manufacture models from others tooling, as I know what I can bring to market and at very competitive pricing which, in this day and age, for the same product and spec, is a real winner!

 

All in all I don't want to physically be a larger supplier, but a smaller one that 'does good' and produces quality, at a good price ( note mine have not gone up despite 20% pay rises in China) and gives a good, open and above all else, honest service.

 

Hope that helps?

Cheers

Dave

[sub39h]

(Referring to 00 gauge.) Do you have any intention of producing modern image (80s onwards) models or any larger locos, or will you be sticking to steam/early diesel and 0-4-0s and 0-6-0s? 

 

Also will you just be doing locos, or rolling stock as well? (I am aware you'll be responsible for production of FTG's SPA wagon, but I mean any under the DJM brand.)

Edited June 13, 2014 by sub39h

[Ian Hargrave]

Good question.

Was bought up in high Wycombe but did spotting in the mid to late 70's on the LMR at tring and Western at Taplow.

Although I do have a real passion for the first class I followed, namely the Deltics, and I will never forget seeing my first one number 55018, Ballymoss, climbing out of gasworks tunnel and into Kings Cross, the sound was unreal and sticks with you!

 

Cheers

Dave

 

Good question.

Was bought up in high Wycombe but did spotting in the mid to late 70's on the LMR at tring and Western at Taplow.

Although I do have a real passion for the first class I followed, namely the Deltics, and I will never forget seeing my first one number 55018, Ballymoss, climbing out of gasworks tunnel and into Kings Cross, the sound was unreal and sticks with you!

 

Cheers

Dave

As a coincidence,that is exactly the spot I saw my first Deltic....standing at the end of platform 10.Wind the clock back to Sept.1959.This one was in blue ...with "Deltic" embazoned on her sides.Yes...I can still hear that sound...amplified by the bore of Gasworks Tunnel.For a split second,before she burst into the sunlight,at the head of an up express from Doncaster,all heads turned,jaws agape.....thinking what on earth......? The original...on trial on the ECML.before the order book opened. You never forget moments like that.

[Roy L S]

Hi Dave

 

In N Gauge do you see any potential growth in the market for the simpler and more "mundane" types of loco as opposed to the bigger mixed-traffic and express passenger types that we seem to see more of produced?  I am thinking in particular of the much neglected (ex) LNER tank loco such as the J50, N2 and N7 etc but also maybe the simpler if more obscure 0-6-0 tender types like the J36 which had such long lives? Naturally I am not asking you to talk about future plans, just the general idea and whether these could be less expensive options for people in a Market which will inevitably become more price-sensitive?

 

Second question, given in N most principal diesel types are "spoken for" by the main manufacturers could you see any market for some more of the more obscure modernisation plan locos beyond the planned Clatyon and Baby Deltic, for example something like the Metrovic Co-Bo?

 

Regards

 

Roy

[PhilH]

How does a manufacturer, be it large or small, decide on which model to produce? Obviously we are in a position whereby most prototypes have been done ( to death, some might say), so do you wake up in the morning, and think, say, LSWR/Southern B4 0-4-0 , yep, why not?

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, did I just hint out loud..... 

[Black Sheep]

Will you ever make an N gauge pug

 

On a serious note, do you plan to branch into rolling stock or focus purely on locos?

[Tim H]

In N Gauge do you see any potential growth in the market for the simpler and more "mundane" types of loco as opposed to the bigger mixed-traffic and express passenger types that we seem to see more of produced?

 

Second question, given in N most principal diesel types are "spoken for" by the main manufacturers could you see any market for some more of the more obscure modernisation plan locos beyond the planned Clatyon and Baby Deltic, for example something like the Metrovic Co-Bo?

 

Or put the two togather - the D&E era equivalent of the those smaller and more mundane steam classes is surely multiple units, which have always been the poor relation of locos. Yes, it's got better in recent years, and the late BR/Early privatisation period is better covered, but there are still plenty of gaps, from workhorses to iconic trains. Cross-country class 120 and 4-VEPs (at least in N) are two of the more obvious.

 

On the other hand, D600s in N. You know you want to....

[DJM Dave]

(Referring to 00 gauge.) Do you have any intention of producing modern image (80s onwards) models or any larger locos, or will you be sticking to steam/early diesel and 0-4-0s and 0-6-0s? 

 

Also will you just be doing locos, or rolling stock as well? (I am aware you'll be responsible for production of FTG's SPA wagon, but I mean any under the DJM brand.)

Hi Sub39H,

 

Oh yes, I see myself branching into anything I can see a market for, whether that be diesel or electric or turn burning ;-)

I'd like to do wagons and am working on some really interesting deals regarding bringing some 'aquatic ones' to market.

However, wagon costs per tool are quite extreme in comparison to a nice simple 0-6-0 or similar.

 

Cheers

Dave

[DJM Dave]

Hi Dave

 

In N Gauge do you see any potential growth in the market for the simpler and more "mundane" types of loco as opposed to the bigger mixed-traffic and express passenger types that we seem to see more of produced?  I am thinking in particular of the much neglected (ex) LNER tank loco such as the J50, N2 and N7 etc but also maybe the simpler if more obscure 0-6-0 tender types like the J36 which had such long lives? Naturally I am not asking you to talk about future plans, just the general idea and whether these could be less expensive options for people in a Market which will inevitably become more price-sensitive?

 

Second question, given in N most principal diesel types are "spoken for" by the main manufacturers could you see any market for some more of the more obscure modernisation plan locos beyond the planned Clatyon and Baby Deltic, for example something like the Metrovic Co-Bo?

 

Regards

 

Roy

Hi Roy,

 

N gauge still has a growing market but not growing enough for say , alternate exhausts on a diesel, as the business plan on doing something like that ( should I even contemplate it) just isn't there for the very limited sales, and hence profit I would make.

 

More obscure diesels I do see a market for if it's done right like the Farish Deltic and not flogged to death, livery wise, like Lima did in their last days with more mainstream models in OO.

 

Same for steam loco's and I do have a nice list of ones I'd like to do in the future.

 

Cheers

Dave

[Penrhos1920]

Hi Sub39H,

 

Oh yes, I see myself branching into anything I can see a market for, whether that be diesel or electric or turn burning ;-)

I'd like to do wagons and am working on some really interesting deals regarding bringing some 'aquatic ones' to market.

However, wagon costs per tool are quite extreme in comparison to a nice simple 0-6-0 or similar.

 

Cheers

Dave

 

How do you gauge the market and determine whether something is going to be profitable? 

 

Does that mean a small loco is more profitable than a wagon?  That surprises me.  I'd have thought that a wagon had less parts and would sell in much bigger volumes.

[DJM Dave]

Or put the two togather - the D&E era equivalent of the those smaller and more mundane steam classes is surely multiple units, which have always been the poor relation of locos. Yes, it's got better in recent years, and the late BR/Early privatisation period is better covered, but there are still plenty of gaps, from workhorses to iconic trains. Cross-country class 120 and 4-VEPs (at least in N) are two of the more obvious.

 

On the other hand, D600s in N. You know you want to....

Yes a D600 in N would be nice :-)

[DJM Dave]

Will you ever make an N gauge pug

On a serious note, do you plan to branch into rolling stock or focus purely on locos?

I can see, as technology gets better and indeed smaller, a DCC ready 'stay alive' N gauge pug.

I'm not sure it's possible at the moment though, but I'm always giving things like this thought, so who knows?

[DJM Dave]

How does a manufacturer, be it large or small, decide on which model to produce? Obviously we are in a position whereby most prototypes have been done ( to death, some might say), so do you wake up in the morning, and think, say, LSWR/Southern B4 0-4-0 , yep, why not?

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, did I just hint out loud.....

 

Hi PhilH,

Yes, very subtle hinting. :-)

 

You know, it's a bit of a sixth sense, tied in with the knowledge of model railways.

Too many companies now employ people who just don't know model railways or what the modeller wants, and as such run them like normal companies rather than ones that deal with 'fashionable' or en vogue items. ( for that's what model railways are as we all change regions and eras etc)

I'm lucky in that I have been left alone to choose what I want to do.

 

A good example is this........"one morning back a goodly few years, George Smith came into work one morning, said hello to me, and said, 'have you ever thought of doing a OO loco?', I said yes, he said what, I told him, and he said 'get on with it then'! That conversation led to the Class 22!"

 

But the knowledge albeit not as extensive as it is now, allowed me to recognise a wanted model, with an 'ok' life span and a few variants, plus being synonymous with the West Country and milk trains etc.

 

So yes. You wake up and say "why not?" :-)

Cheers

Dave

[DJM Dave]

How do you gauge the market and determine whether something is going to be profitable? 

 

Does that mean a small loco is more profitable than a wagon?  That surprises me.  I'd have thought that a wagon had less parts and would sell in much bigger volumes.

Hi Penrhos 1920,

 

Yes it does, by a fair margin and as such you get into profit so much more quickly.

Remember we are talking 10's of thousands of pounds here for both models.

Cheers

Dave

[DJM Dave]

Does that include foreign and/or narrow gauge models in non-UK scales?

 

Would you mind giving us an estimate on R&D costs for particular types of models (various loco types, wagons, carriages, etc)? Especially as this is turning into another "wish-list" thread

Hi Dutch Master,

 

Yes I'd love to branch out and negotiations to produce a couple of European mainland loco's are continuing, and I have a particular soft spot for the Austrian, Canadian and American railways, so I keep all options open.

 

Sorry, no estimate per se, but nowadays your looking at 5 figures for a small OO engine, which on the face of it is a lot of money until you work out the math of retail against cost with tooling thrown in. Once you do this it's possible to see that with the right model and good sales you can get into profit within a reasonable timeline.

 

Cheers

Dave

[darrel]

Hi Dave 

Have you considered doing EMU s? There is a surprising lack of modern 25kv overhead EMU models. Bachmann in my view picked the wrong class when they did the class 350. If you did a class 313 it would allow you to also do class 314 and 315 Not to mention class 507 and 508 there is a lot of liverys possible there. 

Alternatively the class 317 would give potential for class 318 and 455, change the tooling and there is class 319 320 321 and 322. 

Or for something older and since I ask for it in every wish list a class 303.

Thanks.

[PhilH]

 

 

Sorry, no estimate per se, but nowadays your looking at 5 figures for a small OO engine, which on the face of it is a lot of money until you work out the math of retail against cost with tooling thrown in. Once you do this it's possible to see that with the right model and good sales you can get into profit within a reasonable timeline.

 

Do you do your maths at full retail or factor in a percentage for discounting for bulk orders by the big boys?