ExPatBrit

I've got no evidence that Bachmann ever produced 1864 in malachite green, although I'm happy to be proved wrong. Any ebay listing of 1864 I've ever seen has had 1864 on the box but 1854 on the actual model.1817 may actually be a problem of photographic evidence, it only being noted as in malachite green with lining, but never photographed for confirmation, I'm presuming that 1854 got photographed in said livery at the time, but I could be wrong on both counts, I'd be interested in the response you get from Bachmann.

I think you'll find it's the loco box, (not Thanet set), that is printed wrong, what's in the box is numbered 1854, at least that's how mine is. The mistake then gets repeated in ebay listings, because that's what it says on the label, much the same as the Lord Nelson class #855 gets listed as "Robert Blake Maunsell", because that's what's on the box. A google search of "Bachmann n class 1864" will get you pics of the model actually numbered 1854.

Which doesn't change the fact that I was buying from Kernow, not Sagepay and I doubt there's any "Until death do us part" clause in any agreement between them.The fact that all these work arounds, for non UK purchasers, are being offered, speaks volumes and as I keep repeating, the competition have got it right, which shows Sagepay aren't the only game in town. So I stand by my statement, a method unique to Kernow in my experience, I'm not the customer of their software vendor, I was a potential customer of Kernow.

Thanks for the reply.Did he manage to keep a straight face while he was giving you that answer? Kernow are having a laugh aren't they? All the software needs is a placeholder, so they know they have pre-order and CC details on record, the rest of the world manages it, yes even Hornby, who according to the pundits are all at sea in the areas of sales, marketing and customer service, more capable software I guess. Why buy software that won't allow placeholders for pre-orders and CC details? Barmy! And, sorry, railway modelling isn't unique when it comes to pre-orders, what is unique, in my experience, is the way Kernow handles them. Anyway, my condolences, you tried..........

Thanks for your concern and kudos to you for getting involved, like I've already said, I'm puzzled, not angry, (not sure how anybody could tell from printed words). I'm quite happy for you to publish what Kernow say, on here, if you think that's the best approach, would think it would be, as it's in the interest of the wider, non UK residents. I'm sure none of them are the slightest bit interested in enriching the CC companies any more than they already are, it's not like Kernow recieve a brass farthing for trading this way. It's only their overseas customers who suffer and customers are such a pain for retailers and manufacturers, their business would be so much easier without them!!

Why the assumption I'm angry, because it's negative? More puzzled that in 2016 someone would be running such an antiquated pre-order entry system and I have to accept it because, "well we are in Cornwall, that makes us special", or "that's a first world problem", the implication being, "that makes it OK", or other such nonsensical twaddle. I don't know how I could be any clearer than my previous post, Kernow's pre-order entry system requires them to make a charge on the customers credit card and then immediately credit back the charge. Whether you are aware of it or not Kernow are, in fact, taking a pre-order deposit, however temporary, the CC get's charged. For a UK customer, this is no problem, the net effect is zero, but outside the £ currency area that means the customer gets hit with the buying, (order entry) and selling, (credit back to the card), exchange rate difference and if the credit card is so minded, foreign currency transaction fees. And another foreign currency transaction fee when the model ships. So, 3 transaction fees and the exhange rate difference, all for one transaction. That's the best that Kernow can manage?. The amounts are relatively small, but that's hardly the point, other retailers and manufacturers, all over the world, including the UK, get it right and have done from at least the last century, it's only software. If I couldn't write a database or spreadsheet app in a couple of hours, that didn't require prior CC charges, I'd need my bumps read and I'm no software engineer. The fact that you are using Kernow, means, by implication, that you have indeed "approved" Kernow's business systems, like it or not. "We didn't know" is hardly a defense, they are your business partner, not mine. And as a subsequent post, (SRMan, post #367, thanks SRMan) has explained, Kernow have a way to avoid this, so why isn't it an automatic procedure, without me having to phone them? Why have an internet pre-order system if you have to phone anyway? Lessons from Fred Karno's Circus maybe? But full marks to you for at least showing some concern, other posters attitudes show they don't have a clue about retailer/customer relations, but they must be very satisfied that Kernow have lost a sale and that's the real test that all is not right.

I pre-ordered the SR version 2 weeks ago and I'm out of pocket already, with the amateur way Kernow insist on entering pre-orders. Being outside the UK, I pay a foreign currency transaction fee, which is fair enough, some cards do, some don't. But then when Kernow credit back the payment, because it's a pre-order, I then pay another foreign currency transaction fee and I also get hit with the difference in buying and selling exchange rates and they manage this all in one day! And, of course, I'll be hit with another foreign currency transaction fee when the model is despatched and my card charged. Well done Kernow, fantastic system you've got there and well done MR for approving it, highly unimpressed. Hornby, by contrast, manage to charge my card once, when the model is ready to ship, pre-order or no and I don't get hit with a foreign currency transaction fee either, (yes, same card). Now, I know it's not vast amounts of money we are talking here, but money is money and it also happens to be mine! I find it hard to believe a major UK retailer can't handle pre-orders to destinations outside the UK better than this rubbish method, they'd get laughed at if they tried that crap in the US. I know now there's one UK retailer I won't be bothering with again for anything on pre-order, it's 2016 for heck's sake not 1916.

Can't disagree with anything in your post, it's debatable as to whether the 700 was even the first with horizontal handrail knobs. Here's a link to the J15 thread were much the same was being said at roughly the same time as in this thread, (sorry, not sufficiently motivated to find out dates for other models for sure, the J15 was one I recalled from memory) : http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/80950-Hornby-announce-j15/page-6 To my eyes, the J15 looks worse than the Black Motor, didn't stop that model being well received. And that whole period of design was when resistance to any kind of price increase was being strongly voiced, much as we might like, we can't have it both ways.

Not actually true, in general, whatever you can do on an injection mould tool, you can also do on a diecasting die, only the construction materials change and naturally the price of the mould or die, because complication has changed. But with either production process, small holes not in line of draw are a pita. As sure as god made little apples, when, (not if), the pin forming the hole breaks, the broken bit will end up somewhere it shouldn't and guaranteed the following "crunch" sound will be expensive. If you take the sane and sensible approach and drill the holes after moulding or casting, then the drill fixture for a radial hole will be more expensive, because the fixture will need to sit at an angle. Someone else has already said, the horizontal holes would have been a conscious, deliberate decision by the Hornby design team to contain tooling costs. And offset cranked handrail knobs would be harder to fit in production, because they automatically become "handed" by the crank. The fact that our US cousins have made models like this in the past is more a reflection on the quantities their production runs are, (and justification for assembly tooling and aids), compared to average British outline production quantities, roughly 6 times smaller based on population alone. Again, to repeat another poster, if it's a deal breaker, don't buy the model, personally, I think it's a super model and don't view it as any kind of slippery slope, the handrail knobs are just one of many compromises r-t-r manufacturers have to make, radial holes wouldn't have come for free and neither would cranked handrail knobs.

According to Bradley, "Locomotives of the LSWR", #'s 182/3/7/207 & 255 were converted to pneumatic push pull between October 1931 and September 1933. So you're not that far out, but in any case it's your layout, your rules. Good luck finding transfers, HMRS Pressfix or Methfix maybe?

As a lifelong Spurs supporter, (and whoever Arsenal are playing), I think it's inevitable that Leicester have won, but I'm not too unhappy, I may be wrong, (I've been out of the UK for a few decades now), but I think the '62/'63 season, the days of Greavsy being league top scorer, was the last time Spurs have been this high up so late in the season and I recall LC were also in the running that season as well.We have a young team and if we can hang onto players like Kane, Alli, Rose, Walker and Erikson, then the future looks good, we've played some great football. Unusually, for a Spurs team we have a goal difference worth a point, resolute defence was never a strong point, and the best record in gaining points from a losing position, in the past we'd go a goal down and wilt. Just too many draws have made the difference, but at least this year we've been able to go to places like Anfield and Old Trafford and give them a game. As long as we finish above the shower from the Emirates, I'll be really happy. So, well played Leicester!

Sounds like they didn't and paid the price, but learn't from the mistake and now they do. Rewarding to know they listened to me, lol So the headcount in the annual report is not all UK based.

Ime, if they don't have a permanent office in Hong Kong/China with someone responsible for management of the contract manufacturing and toolmaking, then they are making a serious mistake, (while admitting I have no idea if they do or they don't). And the individuals concerned better have a stronger allegiance to Hornby than they do the locals, with enough skills to be "dangerous" to those locals in moulding/diecasting manufacturing, tooling and quality control. Again, ime these individuals won't come cheap, they'll want Hong Kong levels of renumeration, not Chinese. Flying a pencil pusher in and out once a month or so won't cut it, (part of the key to Oxford Diecast's success is the guys overseeing Hong Kong/China, know the manufacturing/tooling side of the business).

Again, ime, I've never heard of a trade injection moulder/diecaster/assembler needing prepayment to reserve manufacturing capacity and with reports of excess capacity in China, I'd think that's extremely unlikely, but in theory there's nothing making it impossible. If I was in Hornby's position, would I use a source that required that? Not a chance, there's too many that don't. I think the Chairman will need to be a walker on water to get the bank to approve a recovery plan which includes all the currently planned capex expenditure. Frankly, if he needs telling by the bank to cut the program back, then he's no better than the guy who has already departed. If Hornby don't have a wide enough product range now, then further new releases ain't gonna solve their problems, new releases was the story of 2015 for Hornby and it got them what exactly? Like you, there's a few models on the 2016 list that I'd dearly love, but there's wishful thinking and then there's really wishful thinking.....

You need to read my first paragraph in the context of the post I was replying to, and with a reminder that difficult doesn't mean impossible. The sentence starting "The only leverage...." In my second paragraph covers your second point. If the new owners went to the moulder requesting new product, then the moulder would now have 100% assurance of getting more work and would therefore be highly unlikely to turn it down. Lima I know nothing about, but presumably Lima was a self contained unit with all tooling present and accounted for afaik.