Rapido/Locomotion Models GNR Stirling Single

[mvwilson]

My sound fitted model arrived today in Melbourne Australia. Very well packed delivered with signature by UPS.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...I wonder now get you get on in GNR Blue?

 He's so transfixed by the peerless aristrocrat's transcendent beauty that his powers of expression have been disrupted... ;-)

 

So what was that line meant to read? Somewhat curious.

[Seanf]

I am starting to get concerned.

 

I sent an email last week just confirming my order but there was no reply. I realise they have been run off their feet but a simple, short reply would have been suffice.

 

I live in Australia and have a private post office box and I check every week, but still, there is nothing.

 

I am considering cancelling my order and getting a credit on my credit card.

 

Wow It has arrived. Patience is a virtue.

 

I was worried that UPS would get Austria and Australia mixed up since the package was in Germany.

 

I am not returning it now. Thanks Rapido/Locomotion...you sent the correct loco that I ordered.

 

I am over the moon.

[Georgeconna]

 He's so transfixed by the peerless aristrocrat's transcendent beauty that his powers of expression have been disrupted... ;-)

 

So what was that line meant to read? Somewhat curious.

 

Over in Ireland the GNR locos were light blue, I Reside here. Tongue in cheek comment my friend but looking at my sentence it should read: I wonder now can I get one in GNR Blue?

[stewartingram]

What about GNER blue instead (with the red stripe)?

 

Stewart

[adb968008]

Another week, still waiting without any response or update or a model delivered.

Edited August 24, 2018 by adb968008

[KymN]

My sound fitted model arrived today in Melbourne Australia. Very well packed delivered with signature by UPS.

 

That is promising.   I am down the road in Adelaide but have heard nothing. 

 I paid in full for my sound-fitted model over a year ago.  Just to make sure I have resent my new email address and other details to Locomotion.  The silence is deafening. 

[CrisisOnACanoe]

For any other people who ordered late, I was told I'd be getting an email with mine's invoice by the 25th, today (and I know it's a small team, don't think I'm having a go please!), but I haven't received one.
Can anyone else confirm whether these emails came within or out of working hours? Thanks!
- Edit, didn't receive the invoice at all. Whoops! 

Edited August 26, 2018 by CrisisOnACanoe

[adb968008]

For any other people who ordered late, I was told I'd be getting an email with mine's invoice by the 25th, today (and I know it's a small team, don't think I'm having a go please!), but I haven't received one.

Can anyone else confirm whether these emails came within or out of working hours? Thanks!

- Edit, didn't receive the invoice at all. Whoops!

 

I ordered late, in April. So far I received an invoice and set of chains in the mail, but no model or notification of getting a model.

My two queries have gone unanswered.

Its Bank Holiday weekend so I doubt much will move into mid-next week, which will be week 7 since they started shipping and this mess started, so we all should enjoy the bank holiday.

But If I’ve nothing, no response, no update and complete ignorance by week 8, it will be time to make a greater presence known, as I suspect my fears will turn more towards anger, as my concern grows that I’m being had in some hand washing exercise, or find I’ve slipped between a further crack in this crevice that no ones paying attention to.

 

Hearing a story that someone was told to contact APC and start finding who it was sent to and to self retrieve it, does not make for a reassuring resolution, nor is it one that may have success.

 

They really could do with providing a general update, if they don’t have time to respond individually, I suspect it will settle more than just my concerns.

Edited August 26, 2018 by adb968008

[robmcg]

I agree a general update beyond 'we are doing our best' would be welcome.

 

Stuart wrote a while back that all the o'seas DC models had been sent but I've heard nothing in NZ...  that said, I don't expect Stuart or Locomotion to send despatch advice because they do not apparently have the systems nor resources to do so, and have sub-contracted the job of delivering UK purchases, with what can only be called (to be kind) laughable results, but by any commercial measure, really very poor or mixed results. Equally o'seas orders some have arrived, some like myself have no idea. To be fair to UPS it can take three weeks by air to NZ, or 4 days.

 

The difficulty is that emails are not answered, phones apparently are answered by machine, I don't even know if my valid paid-for purchase has even been sent.

[Colin_McLeod]

Try snail mail by registered post. That usually grabs attention when it drops through the letterbox.

[John B]

Delivered by UPS successfully in California last Thursday. Well packaged, signature required (as I was away, but back that evening, and have a front porch, I signed for it electronically), replacement chains included even though the originals survived. Correct model, all good here.

 

Kudos to Rapido and Locomotion, excellent model and service!

 

Also picked up my Dynamometer Car from the post office on Friday. Another stunning model from Rapido.

[KymN]

Just had a knock at the door.  A nice chap from the local company that subcontracts to Startrack (now an Australia Post company), which in turn subcontracts to UPS which has been handling the overseas deliveries for Locomotion. 

 

I now have my sound fitted Stirling Single, and a beautiful thing it is.  The only complaint I have is that I have not received any notifications - I suspect that Locomotion still is trying to use my old email address, despite me advising them of the change several times. 

 

Anyway I can now stop bleating.  The package was well wrapped, undamaged and included the chains (as well as the stunning model). I shall now read the well written amusing user manual in detail and not just the 'Read this bit first' and 'Unboxing' sections. Well done Rapido, Locomotion, and all the parties in the supply chain.    

[WD0-6-0]

My safety chains arrived intact so I have used my spares to upgrade my Ivatt atlantic

[Tom Mackie SMG]

Morning All,

 

The distribution of the Stirling Single models has been a major challenge for the small team running Locomotion Models. 

 

The problems caused by the distribution of the Stirling Single were down to a ‘glitch’ during the transfer of the names and addresses to the mailing system. Since then our efforts have been directed in resolving the issues this caused and more importantly collecting incorrectly delivered models and redirecting them to the correct person. For this we can only apologise.

 

Once we have completed the distribution of the outstanding models we will sit down as a team to identify the issues that have arisen and put processes in place to ensure that we have a more robust distribution network for subsequent releases. Previous releases were handled in-house and this was the first model to be distributed using a specialist mailing house and was necessary as our small team was running below strength I was our plan to ship all orders to our loyal customers at the same time.

 

In the meantime you have my assurance that we are doing everything we can to get models into the hands of those who ordered them as soon as possible. With many I believe receiving there delivery. Please feel free to email me personally at thomas.mackie@sciencemuseum.org.uk or contact me on here if you are still awaiting delivery or collection of your model and I will look into it asap.

 

Since the resignation of the previous Manager of Locomotion Models we have undergone a major review of the business and structure with these matters taking time to complete and with the plan to have the business working in the correct & professional way we expect and you our customers expect also, please accept my apologies if any of your queries have not been dealt with in a timely manner as you can expect it has been a very busy time for the team.

 

Rest assured we are very concerned and doing everything we can to put it right.

 

Cheers

 

Tom

[JSpencer]

Morning All,

 

The distribution of the Stirling Single models has been a major challenge for the small team running Locomotion Models. 

 

The problems caused by the distribution of the Stirling Single were down to a ‘glitch’ during the transfer of the names and addresses to the mailing system. Since then our efforts have been directed in resolving the issues this caused and more importantly collecting incorrectly delivered models and redirecting them to the correct person. For this we can only apologise.

 

Once we have completed the distribution of the outstanding models we will sit down as a team to identify the issues that have arisen and put processes in place to ensure that we have a more robust distribution network for subsequent releases. Previous releases were handled in-house and this was the first model to be distributed using a specialist mailing house and was necessary as our small team was running below strength I was our plan to ship all orders to our loyal customers at the same time.

 

In the meantime you have my assurance that we are doing everything we can to get models into the hands of those who ordered them as soon as possible. With many I believe receiving there delivery. Please feel free to email me personally at thomas.mackie@sciencemuseum.org.uk or contact me on here if you are still awaiting delivery or collection of your model and I will look into it asap.

 

Since the resignation of the previous Manager of Locomotion Models we have undergone a major review of the business and structure with these matters taking time to complete and with the plan to have the business working in the correct & professional way we expect and you our customers expect also, please accept my apologies if any of your queries have not been dealt with in a timely manner as you can expect it has been a very busy time for the team.

 

Rest assured we are very concerned and doing everything we can to put it right.

 

Cheers

 

Tom

 

I guess one lesson will be - when transferring a mass of data from system A to B, make sure there is a 3rd system to cross compare between the two to ensure the two sets of data are exactly the same.

 

I do this sort of thing day in and out. The results of all mass issues it avoids are not always visible. But the results of not doing so quickly erupt into a disaster, visible to all and expensive to address.

IT tools are great when they work fine, but screw up big time when they don't.

[jwealleans]

I've had mine a few weeks now and it's had a bit of use on Little Bytham and this weekend for the first time on Grantham.   It's had the accessories fitted and also had a Smiths coupling on the rear of the tender. 

 

Has anyone removed the cast coal from the tender yet?  It looks very firmly attached and i think I may have to end up coaling over it.

 

Wrenching loco and tender apart to rebox them was a bit nerve-racking at first, but I'm getting more used to it.  Haulage wise, it manages the 7 6 wheelers it will have to deal with quite adequately.

 

We did find that to allow it to negotiate the very tight Code 100 double slips on Grantham that the inside bogie splasher had to be removed.  That was not the case on Little Bytham. It's on the non-viewing side so shouldn't present a problem.  Picture below by Graham Nicholas.

 

 

Like many other people, I received two additional parcels with this one.  I have emailed Locomotion to notify them; I have had three separate phone calls from the courier, all on the same day, none knowing about the other calls I had already received and all given clear instructions about when they could collect the two (yes, two - they thought there was only one) extras.  Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that I still have both.  If Mr. or Ms. Pell is reading this, be assured I am taking good care of your parcel.

[Tom Mackie SMG]

I guess one lesson will be - when transferring a mass of data from system A to B, make sure there is a 3rd system to cross compare between the two to ensure the two sets of data are exactly the same.

 

I do this sort of thing day in and out. The results of all mass issues it avoids are not always visible. But the results of not doing so quickly erupt into a disaster, visible to all and expensive to address.

IT tools are great when they work fine, but screw up big time when they don't.

Of course totally this should have happened with the data been checked between the 2 sets and accept that this IT error shouldn't have happened, the tools we all thought where right weren't and will probably never happen again.

[JSpencer]

Has anyone removed the cast coal from the tender yet?  It looks very firmly attached and i think I may have to end up coaling over it.

 

 

Nice photo. The coal is loose fitted (in one sense - meaning it is not glued down), but blocked for removal by the air vents. I have not tried to pull the air vents off.

[jwealleans]

The coal is loose fitted (in one sense - meaning it is not glued down), but blocked for removal by the air vents.

Pretty well exactly where I am and I didn't want to get violent with them and do something irreparable.

[robmcg]

...

 

Like many other people, I received two additional parcels with this one.  I have emailed Locomotion to notify them; I have had three separate phone calls from the courier, all on the same day, none knowing about the other calls I had already received and all given clear instructions about when they could collect the two (yes, two - they thought there was only one) extras.  Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that I still have both.  If Mr. or Ms. Pell is reading this, be assured I am taking good care of your parcel.

 

As one of those buyer who has received neither a model nor a reply to several emails regarding my valid paid-for order, I was pleased to be able to email Tom from the Sciencemuseum.org  who is helping to fix things at Locomotion (a couple of few posts back) .

 

I know that it's possible the model may turn up at any time but it would have been nice to receive ANY communication re the order, other than the computer-generated payment advice with addresses etc.

 

As a small time trader I wouldn't last long with this style of service, so I hope Tom and the NRM can sort it out.  I find no humour at all in the situation and would like to buy more NRM models, I have bought several in the past, but this serious vacuum in information puts me off.

[nerron]

What is going on??? I received an email from UPS advising delivery to Sydney on Friday 31/8. Two hours later another email advising the delivery had been cancelled by the NRM.I ordered as soon as it was announced and paid in full on 10/8. I will ring Locomotion this evening and hope  I can get an answer to this mess.

Edited August 28, 2018 by nerron

[MikeTrice]

As one of those buyer who has received neither a model nor a reply to several emails regarding my valid paid-for order, I was pleased to be able to email Tom from the Sciencemuseum.org  who is helping to fix things at Locomotion (a couple of few posts back) .

 

I know that it's possible the model may turn up at any time but it would have been nice to receive ANY communication re the order, other than the computer-generated payment advice with addresses etc.

 

As a small time trader I wouldn't last long with this style of service, so I hope Tom and the NRM can sort it out.  I find no humour at all in the situation and would like to buy more NRM models, I have bought several in the past, but this serious vacuum in information puts me off.

I emailed Tom yesterday and within half an hour I had a phone call from a courier company arranging to collect my surplus models today and confirmation from Tom. Fingers crossed for those still waiting for their models.

[MikeTrice]

I emailed Tom yesterday and within half an hour I had a phone call from a courier company arranging to collect my surplus models today and confirmation from Tom. Fingers crossed for those still waiting for their models.

Just been collected.

[Darius43]

I have now received the second of the three Stirling Singles that I ordered, which leaves a third and final one to be delivered.

 

When I spoke to Locomotion a few weeks ago they confirmed that had I ordered theee locos and this is borne out by the receipts that were posted to me separately to the despatch of the locos.

 

However I was contacted by someone at NRM York last week and they were of the opinion that I had only ordered two locos not three and that the second loco would be delivered soon, which it has been.

 

This leaves the third as yet to be delivered loco. I have emailed NRM as per the recent posting on this thread with attached scans of the receipts that Locomotion sent to me to see what is going to happen regarding the third loco.

 

Fingers crossed this will be resolved soon.

 

Darius