dhdove

Hi All Newbie here, first post! I’m a plastic modeller of many years who’s built my first OO DCC sound layout in lockdown. It’s modern day and focussed on the Bristol area freight, industrial and nuclear movements. I saw this kit and was excited as I’ve already built my first pylon (laser cut, cheap and went together easilly) and I hadn’t previously found a “UK” substation. Oh dear, I’m disappointed. I don’t think it’s U.K., possibly US or continental, round transformers don’t look right and definitely not the colours shown on the box lid. The instructions are terrible, poorly printed vague drawings which give little idea of exactly how parts fit together. There appear to be colour call outs in letters but these aren’t referenced anywhere, either in the instructions or on the box. The plastic isn’t exactly Hornby bendy vinyl but it’s getting there. Lots of ejection pin marks. The “assembled” picture on the back of the box doesn’t match the instructions. Given that it’s not a U.K. installation I wonder whether it’s really OO scale, I suspect it’s probably HO, which is a bit naughty given the box is labelled as ‘OO scale”. I was so dissapointed I emailed Gaugemaster yesterday and received a rapid reply saying they had referred my comments to their product development team, I await their response. So here’s my question. Given the massive advances over the last twenty years or more by plastic injection moulded kit manufacturers, Tamiya, Wingnut Wings, Airfix, etc. etc. Why are railway modellers so poorly served with third grade ancient kits? The Hornby kits are generally appalling in my experience, absolutely awful, terrible vinyl plastic, loads of flash, and seem to date generally from the fifties and sixties? Others don’t seem much better. Why is that? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject. V Best and Hi! TonyS