Rails of Sheffield/Dapol/NRM Announce OO gauge Stroudley A1/A1X

[Hilux5972]

10 hours ago, Kaput said:

The number of reports that are pretty much "bad quality control" is kinda depressing

I’m finding this quite amusing. I feel sorry for anyone who has had this happen to them of course, but I do feel that Rails have done this to themselves. All that talk of the “pedigree” terrier and being better than the Hornby one, it’s rather kicked them in the teeth. 

[Hilux5972]

deleted double post

Edited June 9, 2020 by Hilux5972
Double posted

[jonnyuk]

9 minutes ago, Hilux5972 said:

I’m finding this quite amusing. I feel sorry for anyone who has had this happen to them of course, but I do feel that Rails have done this to themselves. All that talk of the “pedigree” terrier and being better than the Hornby one, it’s rather kicked them in the teeth. 

i think the Big H has come out of this rather well...it's not too far behind the Rails in features.

I wonder if Rails/Dapol have took on board the QC problems for their next batch or would it of been too late for the next deliveries (i assume so thinking about it). hopefully for future batches these problems are addresses, 
i bet Rails are going nuts behind the scenes (should be)

Edited June 9, 2020 by jonnyuk

[Black 5 Bear]

15 minutes ago, Hilux5972 said:

I’m finding this quite amusing. I feel sorry for anyone who has had this happen to them of course, but I do feel that Rails have done this to themselves. All that talk of the “pedigree” terrier and being better than the Hornby one, it’s rather kicked them in the teeth. 

What was the Rails comment about their version being the "Steak" version of the Terrier lol ???

[Edwardian]

Well, I cannot comment on behind the scenes. QC certainly seems to be more of an issue with this release than is comfortable for Rails, though, to be fair, the Hornby Terrier seems to have had more than its fair share of QC issues reported.  The ones I saw were not in a good way; I remember a perilously wonky chimney on Rolvenden.  On the other hand, I have a fatal penchant for Hornby Pecketts, and have never had a dud W4 (4 out of 4 good ones to date), whereas the B2 had to go back for a missing whistle, but the assembly and decoration etc was fine. 

 

It is a shame because the Rails Terrier is a higher spec model; while Ernst Stavro Kohler's sneak attack probably forced Rails to up the ante in publicity terms, which some of you are now enjoying being somewhat snide over (not a good look), I have never felt that Rails were wrong to point out that it is in many ways the better model. It is. 

 

Rather, I do feel for Rails, who appear to have been let down by the QC of a far away factory which they cannot control. Rails will no doubt be doing their very best to offer replacements and ensure subsequent batches offer an improvement. So, if the lynch mob could take a tea break and let them get on with that, that would be nice.

 

As a paying customer for these models, I am not unaffected. I had the chance to inspect Hornby's Rolvenden.  That was a model I was keen to love, as it would have made the pair when Bodiam arrived.  i decided against that model on grounds of inaccuracy and lack of finesse, but, if I had decided to buy one, I would have rejected the particular model I received on QC grounds.  With the Rails Terriers. I have so far purchased three that have been delivered to me.  One I sent back (though the faults were not that great - it was the one I posted detailed photos of) and have had a good replacement.

 

These things happen.  I have every sympathy with customers who have sent them back; they cost a lot of our hard-earned, and I know the disappointment and the inconvenience. Hopefully they will get sorted. No need to crow over such misfortunes, though. 

 

In the meantime, I am fortunate enough to have three cracking little Rails Terriers to enjoy, so excuse me if I go and stare at them some more!

 

 

 

 

[friscopete]

Lets face it the customer is now the quality controller on most imports for the far east  or even nearer .You get a duff one back it goes .You have just become the QC inspector .As this stuff is very cheap and yes it indeed still very cheap ,its the price we pay for it keeping the cost down  .,If you want perfect QC on every item then it will cost more ,a lot more .I have had to send back poorly made  thousand pound guitars from America , ,a printer , and Bachmann Baldwin 009  that just slowly ground to a halt . Thats how it is and it will probably get worse as a huge recession bites all over the world.On the other hand we get some stunning models that few could replicate at 10 times the price.

[Ian Hargrave]

1 hour ago, jonnyuk said:

it does sounds like Dapol have QC issues, the fact replacements are going back as well though is worrying. You would of thought Rails would be checking replacements before sending out again, that's not good. i'm really wanting a mogul but with all these issues i'm thinking no now which is a shame.

Has it not perhaps occurred to ( some ) of us that Rails took delivery of these at a particularly difficult time for retailers and that consequently they may in terms of human resource be struggling to get these out to us ? 
 

With regard to Dapol getting it in the neck for QC issues,I suggest you trawl back through the many posts on this forum for a sense of proportion in regard to that thorny issue. Hornby QC anyone ? Rocket I recall being the latest in the hall of infamy on that one.Stuff happens I’m afraid and has been happening on a regular basis for some considerable time given the remoteness of the source of manufacturing and of course given the present nightmare scenario.

  
Anyway for the Dapol bashers ( Who me ,guv ? ) suggest therapy in the form of a B4 .Ctracking little thing.

 

Now off to run 643.....another cracking model.

[Oliver Rails]

Thanks for the comments,

 

We are aware of the QC issues on a minority of products. We are taking steps to address current issues and also in communication with Dapol and the factory to ensure tighter quality control on the future models. 

 

Oliver

[Silly Moo]

Not only did Rails take delivery of the locos at a difficult time, the actual human beings who assembled them are most likely recovering either directly or indirectly from the affects of the virus. 

[No Decorum]

It isn’t only Dapol. I have 10000 & 10001 produced by Bachmann for Rails. One was fine from the outset but the other had to be returned and its replacement returned before I got a good ’un. My LBSC Terrier is at the moment in Sheffield Mail Centre awaiting delivery back to Rails (smokebox handles broken off). In all cases, Rails e-mailed me a reply-paid label to stick onto the parcel; Rails could not have made matters simpler short of driving to my house and picking them up. When I did telephone, the person I spoke to was friendly and helpful. It does make a difference.

 

As for the model itself, it’s breathtaking. I can’t comment on the running yet but the pre-fitted speaker and firebox glow glare alone would  justify the premium over the Hornby model to me.

[No Decorum]

4 hours ago, Edwardian said:

Well, I bought one of the old Dapol Terriers in Days of Yore, with the intention of carving a reasonable A1 out of it.  There are sometimes advantages to not getting around to things ...

 

Anyway, I excavated it last night with a view to seeing quite how far we've come. 

 

We have indeed. The original Dapol J94 was a pretty decent model for the time – particularly its running, which was superlative. I rather felt that the Terrier which followed it was not so good. Two features which continue to catch my eye are the feed pipe, which is moulded on and cut short, and the wheels, which looked very clumsy*.

 

* Granted the J94 wheels were not right either but then neither were the wheels on the DJ J94.

[jonnyuk]

56 minutes ago, Ian Hargrave said:

Has it not perhaps occurred to ( some ) of us that Rails took delivery of these at a particularly difficult time for retailers and that consequently they may in terms of human resource be struggling to get these out to us ? 
 

With regard to Dapol getting it in the neck for QC issues,I suggest you trawl back through the many posts on this forum for a sense of proportion in regard to that thorny issue. Hornby QC anyone ? Rocket I recall being the latest in the hall of infamy on that one.Stuff happens I’m afraid and has been happening on a regular basis for some considerable time given the remoteness of the source of manufacturing and of course given the present nightmare scenario.

  
Anyway for the Dapol bashers ( Who me ,guv ? ) suggest therapy in the form of a B4 .Ctracking little thing.

 

Now off to run 643.....another cracking model.

 and similar things are said in the other manufacturer threads....this is not a lets bash only rails/Dapol forum.....they all get it in the neck when busted stock is delivered, i was very much on the fence about getting a Rails Terrie but i'm not that desperate for one that i will get a first batch model now. Like the Hornby Terrier (i read the QC and detail issues and that information directly had sway on my purchasing decision), i shall wait for the second run with the issues ironed out.

It's good to see rails above communicate to the customers on this thread and they are trying to address the issues. Hopefully further batches do not have the same issues.

 

And i 100% agree on the B4, i had one and it's stunning.

[spamcan61]

36 minutes ago, jonnyuk said:

 i shall wait for the second run with the issues ironed out.
 

Trouble is; if a significant number of people do that, there won't be a second run...

[Edwardian]

Yes, i was forgetting that I had to reject my Hornby Rocket and have it replaced.  The same happened with the Rapido Stirling Single.  Perhaps the more ambition the product, the more susceptible.  The fact is, a proportion of every RTR product release will have QC problems. 

 

53 minutes ago, No Decorum said:

We have indeed. The original Dapol J94 was a pretty decent model for the time – particularly its running, which was superlative. I rather felt that the Terrier which followed it was not so good. Two features which continue to catch my eye are the feed pipe, which is moulded on and cut short, and the wheels, which looked very clumsy*.

 

* Granted the J94 wheels were not right either but then neither were the wheels on the DJ J94.

 

It's an optical illusion, but those cruder wheels on the older model look smaller to me than the scale appearance of the wheels on the new model.  It was buggubng me, so I measured them, and, yes the old wheels are the full 16mm diameter. I'd say this is because the old model has a thick plastic inner tyre in addition to the metal one. Perhaps also the fact that the body is mounted higher.

 

Anyway, one of the aspects of the Rails A1 that I am happy about are the tool box lengths.

 

You'll notice that Bodiam has a longer box, as originally carried by the class, and which she would still have had when sold out of service in 1901. 643, in contrast, has a shorter box, which I understand is appropriate to the class members as they entered the works for motor train fitting and the new umber livery; the change is associated with a slight alteration to the buffer height.  In the case of 643 this would have been in 1907. 

 

[jonnyuk]

1 hour ago, spamcan61 said:

Trouble is; if a significant number of people do that, there won't be a second run...

very good point, but then i don't want to spend money and have to return two of the same loco's before i get a good one, chicken and egg i suppose 

 

all this terrier talk does make we want to go and buy another though, they are addictive....

Edited June 9, 2020 by jonnyuk

[The Stationmaster]

A potential benefit of the QC problems might be (I hope) that they will have been resolved before the NRM version is despatched, fingers are crossed here.   But in respect of QC I think we are overlooking one thing, not that it is any comfort for rails or Dapol in that these models would appear to have been early manufacture after the factory got back to work and possibly before the staff got ful;ly in to their stride or while newcomers were still learning?  In some respects maybe a sort of opposite of the 'Friday afternoon car'. british factories seemed so god at producing in days gone by?

 

And hopefully, assuming it is the same factory, the folk there will have got fully into the swing of the job before the Dapol GW mogul hits the assembly tables. (I will admit there to an obvious interest in receiving a trouble free version of one, or more, of those  )

[spamcan61]

5 minutes ago, jonnyuk said:

very good point, but then i don't want to spend money and have to return two of the same loco's before i get a good one, chicken and egg i suppose 

Yes, it can be a tricky one to call.

[stephennicholson]

On 06/06/2020 at 20:57, Roy Langridge said:

Any news on the remaining models that were due end of May? Looking forward to using mine on my new micro layout that should be up and running in a week-or-so. 
 

Roy

 

I asked specifically about the dcc fitted versions of the models already released and have just got this response:  

 

"Hi, hopefully this month but sadly there are delays with items getting over so it could take a little longer."

[Ian Hargrave]

Just to add.643 runs beautifully.There are no bits in the box.The chimney is not wonky.The fire box flickers as it should and it looks exactly as Edwardian’s images show. There then.At least one of us is happy.Wonder if there are any more out there.......somewhere ? A sweet ever so tiny model.

[The Stationmaster]

1 hour ago, spamcan61 said:

Yes, it can be a tricky one to call.

But this is really a problem with buying by mail order for the simple reason that you are not in the shop inspecting the goods before you take the model home.   I fully realise that mail order is keeping many model railway retailers alive, especially at the present time, but there is a lot to be said - if you can do it - for examining the model and seeing it test run before you leave the shop even if that might add inconvenience or delay to your making the purchase.

[Roy Langridge]

49 minutes ago, stephennicholson said:

 

I asked specifically about the dcc fitted versions of the models already released and have just got this response:  

 

"Hi, hopefully this month but sadly there are delays with items getting over so it could take a little longer."

 

Many thanks for that - mine is a DCC fitted Terrier as well.

 

Roy

[Ian Hargrave]

1 hour ago, The Stationmaster said:

But this is really a problem with buying by mail order for the simple reason that you are not in the shop inspecting the goods before you take the model home.   I fully realise that mail order is keeping many model railway retailers alive, especially at the present time, but there is a lot to be said - if you can do it - for examining the model and seeing it test run before you leave the shop even if that might add inconvenience or delay to your making the purchase.

 
You can of course specifically request if mail order is your only option that the model is checked and tested for faults prior to packing and posting.Some retailers....Derails for example....do this as a matter of policy..But at  this moment in time and under current circumstances it might be a tall order for Rails to do this. Having said that, I did in fact request when ordering a Heljan WR 47XX from them that this process be carried out. Most of you will remember the QC issues with that particular model.They duly did as requested and I received....as I always do....exemplary service.

 

   Oliver will probably be giving me a good cussing for bringing this up now.But there...

 

 

 

[Hilux5972]

7 hours ago, Black 5 Bear said:

What was the Rails comment about their version being the "Steak" version of the Terrier lol ???

Just one example, posted on this thread March 9th 2019 by Oliver.

[Ian Hargrave]

11 minutes ago, Hilux5972 said:

Just one example, posted on this thread March 9th 2019 by Oliver.

Feel better now you’ve got that off your chest ?

[Hilux5972]

I was replying to someone that asked when they had made that claim.