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Mainly Trains Winding Down


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Their website is still up. Just found this in a pile of old modelling instructions and manuals. Complete catalogue with highlighter marks of stuff I was going to or did order! Not dated but well over 20 year old.

 

gallery_24698_3502_26519.jpg

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  • 5 months later...

Dang!  This has been threatened for years.  I only made an order a couple of weeks ago, noting that the stock listed was quite depleted.  The MT branded components are incredibly useful.  Hope that someone picks up the range - previously Riceworks?

 

John

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Mainly trains apparently not currently taking orders according to the website

 

http://www.mainlytrains.co.uk/acatalog/index.html

I noticed this earlier today while nostalgically browsing bits and bobs from Chandlers Ford & Eastleigh of ye olde days...

Hope all is well with Dave, I remember him looking fit for retirement when he had the shop in Chandlers Ford!

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I noticed this earlier today while nostalgically browsing bits and bobs from Chandlers Ford & Eastleigh of ye olde days...

Hope all is well with Dave, I remember him looking fit for retirement when he had the shop in Chandlers Ford!

And so do I Bert C . I used to go into the shop in Chandlers Ford and what a help Dave was. Sad to see this go but inevitable I suppose, as someone has said previously, getting hard to find specialist suppliers now.

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  • 3 months later...

Because Alan Gibson is first and foremost a manufacturer, it doesn't have an ecommerce website and they can't sit around manning the 'phones all day.

 

This presents the slight difficulty on first contact (!), as I need to leave a telephone message and hope that their end of the day call back catches me in an area of mobile reception whilst on the school run with my order list in my back pocket!

 

They are very diligent about calling back, however, so it really is just a case of accommodating the way in which they must work.

 

The order then arrives with astonishing quickness.

 

All the more impressive as they were up to their eyeballs with post-Warley orders when I called.  Very efficient.

 

So, I would say that they are very good to deal with directly.

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Because Alan Gibson is first and foremost a manufacturer, it doesn't have an ecommerce website and they can't sit around manning the 'phones all day.

 

This presents the slight difficulty on first contact (!), as I need to leave a telephone message and hope that their end of the day call back catches me in an area of mobile reception whilst on the school run with my order list in my back pocket!

 

They are very diligent about calling back, however, so it really is just a case of accommodating the way in which they must work.

 

The order then arrives with astonishing quickness.

 

All the more impressive as they were up to their eyeballs with post-Warley orders when I called.  Very efficient.

 

So, I would say that they are very good to deal with directly.

You might try Parkside Dundas who advertise both Gibson and Romford wheel products. They have an automated online shop. http://www.parksidedundas.co.uk/acatalog/WHEELS_AND_FITTINGS.html. I am still working off my last Mainly Trains order from over a year or more ago. I am out of 12 mm OO split spoke wheels so that will be my first purchase from this source when I find something else I need.  Neither Kernow or Hattons stock specialist wheels. Usual disclaimer of no material interest in the Parkside Dundas other than as a customer of their products which I used to get from Mainly Trains.

Edited by autocoach
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You might try Parkside Dundas who advertise both Gibson and Romford wheel products. They have an automated online shop. http://www.parksidedundas.co.uk/acatalog/WHEELS_AND_FITTINGS.html. I am still working off my last Mainly Trains order from over a year or more ago. I am out of 12 mm OO split spoke wheels so that will be my first purchase from this source when I find something else I need.  Neither Kernow or Hattons stock specialist wheels. Usual disclaimer of no material interest in the Parkside Dundas other than as a customer of their products which I used to get from Mainly Trains.

 

Hattons have never really sold anything specialist apart from occasional ranges such as Keyser kits (which I think were bankrupt stock acquired cheap), and Langley 009 and N gauge body kits. It was nearly all new RTR or second hand even in the 1970s and 80s. Oh, he had a display of Humbrol paints that seemed to be left over from the 1960s as they were the old design of tin. You could get new ones from Woolies down the road.

 

For anything else we had to go to City Models or Beatties in town or use mail order.

 

 

Jason

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Hattons have never really sold anything specialist apart from occasional ranges such as Keyser kits (which I think were bankrupt stock acquired cheap), and Langley 009 and N gauge body kits. It was nearly all new RTR or second hand even in the 1970s and 80s. Oh, he had a display of Humbrol paints that seemed to be left over from the 1960s as they were the old design of tin. You could get new ones from Woolies down the road.

 

For anything else we had to go to City Models or Beatties in town or use mail order.

 

 

Jason

City Models - now THERE was an emporium :) Spent many happy hours in there over the years - and preferred the old shop near Central Station, although when they moved, there were so many more visible temptations to make you part with your cash...

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  • 4 weeks later...

Now sadly closed... sad had some great detail etches, details the lot... will certainly miss this company.

www.mainlytrains.co.uk

 

After 37 years of continuous trading, Mainly Trains has now closed its doors for the last time. We'd like to say thank you to all the loyal customers that have supported us over the years.

 

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It is a pity they have gone. It has been winding down for quite a long time, but the final crunch has come.

Dave Cleal was always extremely helpful to me, and had a great range of useful bits and bobs.

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Thank you Dave Cleal, you were always a true gent and very helpful when dealing with you. You and your range will be sorely missed. I can first remember mail ordering from Mainly Trains as a teenager from his ad in the back of Railway Modeller.

 

I hope you have a long and happy retirement, it's well deserved!

Edited by 57xx
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