Jol Wilkinson
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Posts posted by Jol Wilkinson
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27 minutes ago, arran said:
Paying up front for a room is no different to paying for the van or the fuel .
if that’s the deal that’s offered then take it or leave it .
I can understand not wanting to be bothered with booking all the rooms and trying to keep the small amount of prima donnas happy .
Regards Arran
We have already discussed the effort and incidental costs involved in exhibiting a layout. Paying for van hire and fuel up front is usually a cost only over the weekend as expenses are normally paid on Sunday. If show organisers want to put exhibitors to the further hassle of booking their own accommodation, which may involve paying weeks/months in advance to get rates that fit in with what they will be reimbursed, then some will undoubtedly pull out. Clubs should also know which hotels are best suited to exhibitors needs from their local knowledge and also be able to negotiate better rates through group bookings.
Further, if the organiser's attitude was "take it or leave it" as you suggest, then some exhibitors would probably prefer not to deal with that organisation.
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1 hour ago, alastairb said:
Yes they could set up a system to do just that. Practical for kits etc but maybe not for the myriad of lines they carry on their exhibition stand, many of which are not packaged or barcoded, eg switches, nuts and bolts, sheet material etc. Their stand at exhibitions is large and very busy, usually with several people waiting to to pay for items at any one time. Scanning everything through will not be quicker than the staffs impressive mental arithmetic.
Ironically it is keeping control of stocks of non packaged and small items that sell in volume which are generally harder to manage. Boxed, slow selling kits are relatively easy to manage as stocks are low, easily identified, counted and kept under control.
As you say Squires staff do a great job at exhibitions. I generally have a specific list and sometimes find difficult to see what I want amongst the myriad of items.
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1 hour ago, LNER4479 said:
Perhaps Squires should go the whole hog and acquire Markits as well?
Maybe those discussions are already taking place?!
Maybe there are lots of other secret negotiations going on we no nothing about?!!
Whatever - stay tuned for the next exciting episode of: 'Railway Modelling - a hobby in decline?'
Graham,
or Phoenix Precision Paints, another business that has been on the acquisition trail. They already own Sharman Wheels, although they haven't really kept that going strongly.
Markits is a somewhat different proposition though. A wide range of machined parts parts, produced on one - possibly two - CNC controlled large and expensive machines. The wheels use dicast centres manufactured outside, and the assembly process has to press in the centre to the tyre while incorporating the insulation, which I believe is a bit tricky. I have been told that the die casting and pressing was done outside and it is that which I believe may be causing the delays in getting wheels.
Jol
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21 hours ago, alastairb said:
Yes it would be great if Squires had an all-singing and dancing website with real time stock levels. However, I am not an e-commerce expert but it looks like it would be a nightmare to integrate this with their exhibition sales stand. Would require either a 100% stock check after each exhibition or for them scan every single thing they sell at each show. The guys are working like one-arm paperhangers as it is.
At least one "Small Supplier" has managed this by setting up a system where all items are bar coded and has a reader that can record sales as they happen. That feeds back into a stock record system. The items sold are modelling materials (wire, tube, nuts, bolts, glues, solder, etc.) and not usually individually packaged. He attends some shows and has an online sales website.
That would probably be similar to what Squires would need to do. It would take some time, effort and cost to set up but would, over time, provide benefits. I have found that telephone orders placed with Squires now usually have several items not identified as unavailable when ordering or charged for when the shipment arrives, but listed as "Backorder". However, their system doesn't put them on Backorder, so they aren't supplied unless re-ordered at a later date.
The sales of SEF and DJH kits will be a relatively small percentage of overall unit sales, although of a greater financial percentage. So dealing with those, managing stock, etc. should be more straightforward, although the associated bits, pieces and accessories will be more time consuming. I think that Squires perhaps need to reflect that they are effectively running two different types of business alongside each other and set out strategies to ensure that they can manage each most effectively. One is based on buying in, storing and retailing a wider range of differing items in volume, the other is about manufacturing as well as buying in some items, packaging, storing and retailing a smaller range of more expensive items at lower volumes.
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16 minutes ago, wainwright1 said:
What an excellent range it was.
Ray
Fortunately a few kits (LNWR NPCS and various brake vans) transferred to London Road Models. Possibly others went elsewhere. However, I believe that the layout of Danny's artwork and tooling made this rather difficult with other kits in his very comprehensive range.
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20 hours ago, Keith Turbutt said:
I'm pleased to hear that Squires will be taking over the O and OO DJH ranges.
Specifically concerning the OO range, DJH did not in recent times include the wheel sets but I believe they could be supplied separately (Markits). Will Squires also be offering the wheel sets or will a kit purchaser have to source his own wheels? If so, given the recent concerns about the availability of Markits wheels will this discourage DJH sales. There are alternatives such as Gibson but not everyone likes 'pushon' wheels. Ultrascale deliveries take months and have a limited range. Some RTR manufacturers offer wheel sets separately but axle diameters differ.
Among my stash of kits I have some older DJH kits that were supplied with Romford wheels. I understand that Markits wheels are an improvement on the older Romfords.
What is the general view on going to the expense of replacing the Romford wheels with Markits. Presumably the Romfords could be sold through eBay to offset some of the expense.
Keith,
the size of Romford wheel flanges sometimes meant that you had to go to the next size down with some kits, to avoid touching the splashers or footplate. Undoubtedly the finer flanges on Markits wheels look better.
I have been told that the Markits wheel centres were cast by someone who now wishes to retire, now making supply difficult. Hopefully this will get sorted out for those who are dependant on Markits wheels for their kit building.
Jol
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Mike, the definitive book on the Coal Tanks is Bashers, Gadgets and Mourners by Peter Skellon, published by the Bahamas Locomotive Society (who have just been given Coal Tank 1054 by the NRM). It provides much more detail than Talbot. It doesn't appear in the BLS shop so may now be out of stock but does pop up on the usual online booksellers sites from time to time.
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2 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:
The 2,000 gal Webb tender attached to the Renown would certainly be insufficient to get between Bushey troughs and Brighton without a water stop. Perhaps tender size was the key consideration in putting a Precursor on the job?
Stephen,
the Renowns ran with 2500g Webb tenders, the Precursors 3000g Whale versions.
My post was in reference to Bucoops comment that the BM Precursor kit (or the GEM one) are no longer available
If the Precursors were stopping for water between Bushey and Brighton as claimed, then the Renowns would have to do the same.
Jol
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4 hours ago, Brassey said:
Getting hold of a kit for a Precursor with a Whale tender is a bigger challenge!
Try an email to Brassmasters. It may be that they could have a set of etches and castings available. The Whale tender top casting isn't available but it might be possible to scratch build that.
The other option might be a LNWR Renown, sometimes referred to as "Little Precursors".
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5 hours ago, Michael Edge said:
And the buffers…..
and cast number plates, wooden brake blocks and possibly a steam heat valve and a second whistle (I can't see if the valve is fitted). Are the coal rails plated/filled in? If so they should be open. I'll have to get the book out to see what else.
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3 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:
Therefore, if it's such an unenjoyable chore, why do it?
Mike.
BTW. Where did I say they didn't deserve a little thanks?
Mike,
those that exhibit models probably do so for a number of reasons. Amongst those are probably and significantly;
- They like showing off what they have made.
- They enjoy the camaraderie of those viewers/fellow modelers that they interact with.
The time and effort that goes into exhibiting a layout is perhaps not always appreciated, especially a larger one. However there are limits, perhaps not always financial, which some are not willing to accept. Although I now longer exhibit my layout, I would draw the line at taking it to an exhibition where I was required to significantly subsidise a business putting on a show for profit, beyond the normally accepted minor incidental costs, evening meals and drinks.
Jol
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26 minutes ago, Re6/6 said:
Most 'specialist' shows seem to dogedly stick to low tables!
Probably because that is what the venue (school, college, sports hall, etc.) has available.
We don't have many dedicated exhibition venues in the UK. Even those we do have will be used to exhibitors providing their own facilities (Motor and Motor Cycle shows, the Boat Show, The Clothes Show, etc.). Some exhibitions that are heavily trade orientated will also have traders providing their own purpose built stands. I worked at the London Boat Show for several years after I retired from the motor industry and it took three to four days to build and stock the large chandlery stand I worked on and two days to dismantle it.
So the needs of a group of people at a model railway show are rather outside what the NEC, London ExCel and others are likely to provide. Some exhibition layout builders recognise this and provide suitable height legs, lighting gantries, etc. for their layouts. Other rely on using venue tables and lighting, which is usually not the best way to display your work. Some traders and national modelling or line Societies have their own purpose built stands, others sit behind a low table. If you want something better suited to your needs, it seems you have to provide it yourself.
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36 minutes ago, Roger Sunderland said:
From a personal point of view I think this is a great idea. I’m a very poor sleeper at best and hated having to share rooms, leaving me exhausted by the end of a 2 day show. But I didn’t have an issue with making a contribution to our exhibition outings. This idea at least allows flexibility to suit people’s preferences .
Like you I have difficulty sleeping in a shared room. I have found that show organisers will provide a single room if you offer to pay.
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48 minutes ago, Chris M said:
I would expect that Key and Warners need to make a profit on every show because they are businesses and profit is what keeps a business going in the long term. A club can afford to just scrape an excess of income over expenditure and be happy whereas a business must get a reasonable return on any investment. Businesses do have professional people who are organising exhibitions all the time which will help them put on a show that is highly cost effective.
In the same way shouldn't exhibitors expect reasonable out of pocket expenses to be reimbursed, rather than subsidise the profits of commercial businesses?
Exhibitors freely give up time to transport and exhibit a layout. They also put themselves and their models at some risk. More than once I have driven back over 200 miles from a show after a weekend exhibiting and a couple of hours packing up, to unload a SWB Transit in the dark so I could return it early on Monday morning. I received reimbursement of van hire and fuel cost, while the operating team were provided with overnight accommodation. Apart from tea/coffee and lunch (sometimes a sandwich and packet of crisps) all other costs were down to us including operators' fuel. I kept costs to a minimum where possible, hiring the smallest van that would take the layout and three of us travelling in it.
You are suggesting that we should respect the need for commercially run exhibitions to make a profit from their business. Nothing wrong with that but should not those businesses also respect their "suppliers" by covering their reasonable out of pocket expenses as has been the norm?
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On 09/02/2024 at 13:51, micklner said:
Yes always excellent service. The problem now is a lot of his stock has sold out especially the Markits range.
The Markits wheels situation appears to lie with Markits supply. Roxey Mouldings website shows a similar picture.
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As Graeme points out, much depends on how much influence accountants are given within an organisation. My experience in the companies I worked for was that they were relied upon to provide an accurate picture of the company's financial performance and situation, offering advice on action that could be taken. Ultimately it was down to the directors and operational management to decide what to do, given their knowledge of the business.
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11 hours ago, BlueLightning said:
I have gone and dug out Bradley to double check, he is apparently referring to both coal and water, and on a round trip, so a total of 264 miles, the I3 managed Brighton - Rugby - Brighton without taking on coal or water, although this was apparently a worry for the LBSC originally and they carried milk churns loaded with water and sacks of coal to refill the loco if needed on the first few runs, and clearly it was close as he states the I3 as using 3 tons 6 cwt of coal in total on the round trip.
He also gives stats for fuel used per mile, with the I3 using 27.4lb of coal per mile, and 22.4 gallons of water, and the Precursor using 41.2lb of coal per mile and 36.6 gallons of water. These figures were apparently noted by Marsh in his report to the directors of both companies at the end of the trials.
There is some other anecdotal stuff about how hard the engines were worked during the trips, but nothing to back that up. He states that crews worked the locos as hard as they could with Titan "arriving at Brighton with it's smokebox glowing red" meanwhile the LBSC drivers were told off for speeding and not slowing down for junctions.
Another point to note is that the LBSC took number 23 out of service before the trials and had engineers from Schmidt (manufacturers of the superheater) visit Brighton to fine tune the engine to get the best possible performance out of the superheater. Another I3 did one run to Rugby and back and performed slightly worse that 23, but not by much, 28.1lb of coal per mile and 22.7 gallons of water.
Gary
The water capacity of the I3 is given as 2100 gallons, as opposed to 3000 for the Precursor. So the LNWR loco apparently used at least twice that of the I3, but that isn't reflected in the GPM figures of 36.6 and 22.4 respectively, a difference of about 64%.
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6 hours ago, BlueLightning said:
Assuming it was the same photo I have, a Precursor 4-4-0 number 7 Titan originally published in The Locomotive Magazine in Jan 1910.
From what I have read elsewhere, though I cannot recall the source right now (May also be Bradley as per the next paragraph that I know is), the LNWR were so impressed with the I3 that ran the alternate service during this time that they borrowed it for a few days to study why it was so efficient compared to their engine and the findings they made from this were incorporated into the George the Fifth class engines.
One of the things that impressed the LNWR the most was that the I3 could do the full run from Brighton to Rugby without needed to refuel, while the Precursor had to refuel twice on the journey. (Source: The Locomotives of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway by D L Bradley)
Gary
It was the performance of the I3 that opened the LNWR's eyes to the befits of superheating. However it seems odd that the Precursor needed three tender refills (15 tons) whereas the I3 managed it on one bunker full of coal (3.25 tons). That would have meant that the Precursor was consuming about 125lbs of coal per mile, five times that of the I3 and something even the strongest fireman might have found difficult to do for 135 or so miles to do.
I sense a bit of partisan LBSCR b*llsh*t
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1 hour ago, LBSC123 said:
Is anyone able to advise if this happened? I am after some BFW020 coach W irons (happy to join the society to get them!)Current recommendation is to email Jeremy Suter, S4 Stores to enquire/order.
stores@scalefour.org-
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One way to get some tuition/mentoring is to join a local club, EMGS or S4 Society Area Group.
As EMGS or P4 modellers tend to build models rather than buy RTR, there will be group members who have experience of kit building and finishing. My local S4 Group has several members who model in 00 and 7mm as well as P4. We have members whose skills include building kits and track, resin casting, electric wizardry, etc. and are more than willing to share their experience and knowledge. Most groups will welcome people who aren't Society members, although there may be a little gentle persuasion to join.
Local clubs should be able to provide the same sort of support although some I have encountered increasingly prefer to follow the RTR/RTP route strongly and consider kit building as witchcraft.
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4 hours ago, Barry O said:Using my engineers eye and looking across the spokes of Gibson drivers I can manage to quarter them so they work just fine...life is sometimes too complicated..
What is a pain is the occasional older Romford axles which are too short. You must check them when fitting you make sure the Back to Back is correct. . You can get them to be the correct size using a suitable washer.. but then take care when quartering them.
Baz
I used to use that approach, but it invariably took too long to get a chassis running as wall as I wanted. So I bought a George Watts wheel press and found it very good.
The wheels on this LNWR Class C were fitted with the GW press. The loco is driven on the rear axle, uses LRM horn blocks on the front three axles, aligned with taper end axle jigs. After fitting the wheels it ran perfectly first time.
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It sounds as though the EMGS have persuaded Peco to do what those who have been building their own points have been doing for years.
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Ian,
no one is, as far as I can see, criticising RMRC and the organising team, who do a great job.
My criticism is aimed at those venue owners/operators who provide poor facilities for the revenues they receive.
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You could perhaps break this down into two parts, someone to build the kits and, if you want a particularly good paint job, one of the top line professional painters such as Ian Rathbone or Geoff Haynes. If it is the "finishing stage" that you are least confident about, then you could do the building yourself. Like Steamport Southport, I don't know of any professional builders (but do know a lot of amateurs who get great results).
The moulded plastic kits should be easiest to build (Peco and Slaters). The mainly etched kits (Caley, Wizard) more complex but not actually difficult. The Stephenson kits have a more diverse set of components that may take more time/experience.
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Squires to take over DJH products
in Smaller Suppliers
Posted · Edited by Jol Wilkinson
typo
There is no mention of that on the Squires website as far as I can see. I have taken a look and it doesn't look very "searchable", given the range of items Squires sells.