Matthew Richter

Any reference to Gem/ Fleetline, please start a new thread on John Day Models. Lytchett Manor Models has nothing to do with Gem/Fleetline any more, we are busy working on our own new range of products, and news about that will be posted once we have stocks available.

****** NOTICE******* As of Yesterday 01.12.2021 I am no longer the owner of GEM/ FLEETLINE range of products. Lytchett Manor Models has nothing to do with the GEM/Fleetline range of products from this date. I would like to thank all of our customers during my tenure of the range of products. I have been in contact with the new owner hopefully he will announce himself soon.

****** NOTICE******* As of Yesterday 01.12.2021 I am no longer the owner of GEM/ FLEETLINE range of products. Lytchett Manor Models has nothing to do with the GEM/Fleetline range of products from this date. I would like to thank all of our customers during my tenure of the range of products. I have been in contact with the new owner hopefully he will announce himself soon.

We have removed all the pages for the time being as we have full order books and we want to get as much cleared before Christmas as we can. The pages will be back up in the early part of 2022. I am also looking in to improving the site and putting in order acknowledgements wwhen orders are palced. I can only apologise for the delays but I am working on getting everything out as quickly as I can.

Just to stop the rumours before they start ,the pages on the website have been taken down for the time being as we have full order books and we are trying to catch up. The pages will be back up in the early part of 2022, you are still able to order direct, but I am unable to give any confirmed date that it will arrive before Christmas. It is aso to give me sometime to recover from having had 3 months of building work being done on the house which has taken a lot out of me. Again all I can do is apologise for any delays and say that I am doing my best to catch up with everything.

Further update There is a small delay at this current time as we are having some building work undertaken, this is being dragged out due to the very well documented various supply issues of materials within the building sector. Whist this is hampering our operations we are still getting orders out and we are doing this as quickly as we can. Living with a hidden illness is not fun, and I have never wanted to be in a situation where I am needing more help with the simple tasks, like getting out of bed for example. I can only apologise for the delays and say that they are out of my hands, but I am doing my best to get back up to date and work on new models.

Further Update Following the news that Hatton's have now suspended the work on their Garratt, I will be looking in to re doing the mould so further kits can be produced, I am also looking in to producing it as a 3D printed kit as I have purchased a 3D printer to make some things for myself and also to slowly expand my range. Further to this if there is sufficient response I will also look at the S&DJR 7F again, but I will not invest unless their is a demand for both models. There is lots of work going on behind the scenes, all be it at a slower pace and only when both time and pain allows me to try and do things, it may take me a while to bring these items back but I am working on them and also other new items to go in to both ranges. Further to this the old "Fleetline" name is now officially no longer used, and all new N gauge items will be under the Lytchett Manor Models name, look out for new packaging coming soon and new models.

Most of the cost comes from duty taxes and freight costs of shipping from China to the UK, If any of you still have an old 1997 pricelist, you can then work out the costs from that. In answer to a couple of questions raised, the first 5 pole motor came in back in 1984/85, the blackened wheelsets did indeed come in to production towards the end of the Poole operation, around June 2000, the first locos to feature them were the Class 33, (FA83111) and the Virgin 47 named after the company. I do know that there was a lot of design work being done by the Poole designers, no I will never let on what was in the design stages. I will say this most of the train sets were actually thought through by myself and my father, it was both of us that persuaded Peter Farish to do the named locos that were in the trainsets, and also the named Pullmans, we did also put forward the idea of changing the running numbers on all of the coaching stock and freight stock, the PCA's and PGA's being the first ones that had different running numbers.

Paddy, As I said maybe one day, but even if I did write said book, I have no idea how to get it published, and the market for such a book would be very small. But as I said one day it may happen. Matthew

Ok so I am fortunate to say that I worked for Graham Farish (Grafar) right up until the end and even helped pack the machines, moulds and tools in to the container to send them on there way to China. I was one of 4 (from a workforce of 35 ish) that produced the entire range of products. The print shop had a team of 4 ladies who printed everything. I am proud to have made history in producing a British made product, I am also proud to have gone around the UK and helped promote N Gauge, (yes I was the tall one who had his hair on fire from the lights of the stand!!). Along with my Father Marten Richter, who was the agent for Grafar until the end, he travelled half the UK going in to Model Shops , getting the sales . It was Father Farish (Thomas Graham Farish) who gave my father a job and it was his son Peter who gave me the job. I have to say it was the best company to work for, and the one time I only ever had to complain the matter was dealt with, while I was attending an exhibition. Perhaps one day I may sit and write my own history of working for the company and give further insite in to how much extra work I did, apart from my job in the loco shop. It is a shame that many of the people behind the product never got the thanks that they deserved. if you have ever seen the Model Rail video I do appear on it, never has it taken so long to make one loco than it did with that take!!!

A further update for you all, ALL pages are now back and live, I still aim to get ALL orders cast and delivered within the 28 day period, if there are going to be any delays then I will email you.

A further update for you all, ALL pages are now back and live, I still aim to get ALL orders cast and delivered within the 28 day period, if there are going to be any delays then I will email you.

Just to hopefully put all these rumours and other comments to sleep. 1. I have NOT given up! 2. I have been having to ease back what I do due to a rather difficult life changing illness that I am suffering from which will not get better. 3. I am working hard to get items back in to stock that are out of stock namely Mercontrol being one. 4. The N gauge range is still available, please email and I will send out a list, the N gauge pages are being re worked for the website. 5. I am still working on new products which are taking time to develop but are progressing slowly. 6. I lost a family member 2 years ago and it has taken time to get over it. hopefully that will put paid to all these comments and rumours that have been put around about me, yes it is taking longer to get orders out than i would like but when you are left with days with little or no energy, it takes time to even get out of bed and those days even that is enough. When you are living in constant 24/7 pain and no pain relief will work,you then find that energy reserves disappear very quickly. All I can do is apologise and if you do place an order please understand that it will be dealt with as quickly as I can.

Just to hopefully put all these rumours and other comments to sleep. 1. I have NOT given up! 2. I have been having to ease back what I do due to a rather difficult life changing illness that I am suffering from which will not get better. 3. I am working hard to get items back in to stock that are out of stock namely Mercontrol being one. 4. The N gauge range is still available, please email and I will send out a list, the N gauge pages are being re worked for the website. 5. I am still working on new products which are taking time to develop but are progressing slowly. 6. I lost a family member 2 years ago and it has taken time to get over it. hopefully that will put paid to all these comments and rumours that have been put around about me, yes it is taking longer to get orders out than i would like but when you are left with days with little or no energy, it takes time to even get out of bed and those days even that is enough. When you are living in constant 24/7 pain and no pain relief will work,you then find that energy reserves disappear very quickly. All I can do is apologise and if you do place an order please understand that it will be dealt with as quickly as I can.

Everything is made to order, and it is all dealt with in date order so it makes everything fair all round.