Class 66 in OO Gauge - New Announcement

[Johnfromoz]

15 hours ago, ERIC ALLTORQUE said:

 

 

And not one mention of this product, such as ‘we’ve rechecked those for sale’ or ‘in fitting more with sound we’ve checked for running’.  Nope, a big solitary nothing.....

[rob D2]

16 hours ago, ERIC ALLTORQUE said:

I just dont get why folks come on and say they are going with the Bachmann one over the Hattons because of the running issue.

Remove the axle box caps and they run smooth as silk,pull more,are far more detailed,the sound versions have a far superior fun factor with the drivelock and lighting on tap,unless you want a large light one the big gripe is the wobble caused by glue on axle caps,if i was that bothered i would cut them off and glue them in,so its like the Bachmann one but better detailed......

I do.

One if the big selling points was the rotating axle boxes . Don’t ask me why, just stand another foot back and you’d not notice , but it is clear that they make it run like a dog.

 

solution - remove one of the big selling, points , get the lathe out, reengineer the whole thing....basically do the design work Hattons should have done ( and I’m not impressed by their silence on here about all the issues, may be for legal reasons though ).

 

It’s not good enough for £150.And bear in mind a lot of people aren’t into DCc sound with drivelock ( no idea what the hell that is ), and yes the lights will be better  than Bachmann, the main issue with theirs is the lack of triangular normal lighting config, and that can be fixed with kits available.

 

So for me, Hattons have too many issues at £150, Bachmann are pushing their luck at £130. If I can get SH or even new Bachmann around the £100 mark I’ll run with that .

Edited September 22, 2020 by rob D2

[truffy]

44 minutes ago, Johnfromoz said:

 

And not one mention of this product, such as ‘we’ve rechecked those for sale’ or ‘in fitting more with sound we’ve checked for running’.  Nope, a big solitary nothing.....

You did better than me. I got about a quarter of the way in, and he still hadn't said anything of note. At that point, my algorithm closed the browser tab.

 

I guess rambling is just the nature of unscripted live feeds.

[YesTor]

4 hours ago, truffy said:

You did better than me. I got about a quarter of the way in, and he still hadn't said anything of note. At that point, my algorithm closed the browser tab.

 

I guess rambling is just the nature of unscripted live feeds.

 

Ditto!  A twenty-minute broadcast, six minutes in and still burbling on about Covid...   

 

Boring!

 

Edited September 22, 2020 by YesTor

[Class 158 productions]

This is what has caused me the most annoyance. I get all model manufacturers make mistakes, that’s a given. But it’s how they deal with it that shows the true quality. And quite honestly hattons have been pretty lacklustre. I was hoping they would be transparent much like accurascale, but they have taken a more traditional approach. Luckily 66s aren’t a massive part of my fleet, but if they are the mainstay of your fleet and you were promised a definitive model, you can see why those people are disappointed. This experience has really put hattons in a different light to me, such a shame. 

[TomScrut]

2 hours ago, Class 158 productions said:

And quite honestly hattons have been pretty lacklustre.

 

How do you mean? I have returned quite a few of these with no issue whatsoever.

 

Given the circumstances I aren't sure what else you'd expect them to do. Turn up with a van full of locos and keep pulling them out until you get one you're happy with? Tongue in cheek, and I don't really like sticking up for Hattons on this because of how annoying the issues are, but I don't think they have really done anything wrong that there wouldn't be a good business reason for doing (or not doing) so since the things turned up, the mistakes were made beforehand IMO.

 

And I don't think it's fair to bring AS into this as a stick to hit Hattons with given as far as I am aware they haven't had any situations such as this to cope with, and as you say yourself it's how they are dealt with that shows the true quality. I aren't suggesting anything about AS in this respect but I don't think it's a fair comparison.

 

 

[Class 158 productions]

50 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

How do you mean? I have returned quite a few of these with no issue whatsoever.

 

Given the circumstances I aren't sure what else you'd expect them to do. Turn up with a van full of locos and keep pulling them out until you get one you're happy with? Tongue in cheek, and I don't really like sticking up for Hattons on this because of how annoying the issues are, but I don't think they have really done anything wrong that there wouldn't be a good business reason for doing (or not doing) so since the things turned up, the mistakes were made beforehand IMO.

 

And I don't think it's fair to bring AS into this as a stick to hit Hattons with given as far as I am aware they haven't had any situations such as this to cope with, and as you say yourself it's how they are dealt with that shows the true quality. I aren't suggesting anything about AS in this respect but I don't think it's a fair comparison.

 

 

I think it’s been covered that the return policy works well, I was more aiming at the issues in tooling and criticism that was levelled at hattons well before release. The accurascale comparison might not work, however it should be how most manufacturers act (in my opinion) and what have we actually seen from hattons other than a few stock responses or “speak to our customer service dept”, although this is a similar response you would get from most other big manufacturers. I just hoped hattons would pave a way and be transparent, guess they went a different way. 

[TomScrut]

11 minutes ago, Class 158 productions said:

I think it’s been covered that the return policy works well, I was more aiming at the issues in tooling and criticism that was levelled at hattons well before release. The accurascale comparison might not work, however it should be how most manufacturers act (in my opinion) and what have we actually seen from hattons other than a few stock responses or “speak to our customer service dept”, although this is a similar response you would get from most other big manufacturers. I just hoped hattons would pave a way and be transparent, guess they went a different way. 

 

I think it's a difficult situation that there isn't a universally correct answer for. They are a business that needs to look after itself even if their strategy has annoyed some customers.

 

Hattons were a lot more talkative before the issues, that's what I was getting at.

 

On another note (in terms of righting wrongs), Hornby have a good record of doing new body shells where they have screwed up the livery. Bow Fell and the NMT wonky writing being recent examples. OTOH there is at least one other manufacturer that consistently makes simple livery errors and they don't even acknowledge the mistake when confronted (at least in the time I confronted them).

[TomScrut]

1 hour ago, ERIC ALLTORQUE said:

no we will re run or repair of any issues or flaws

 

It's probably more cost effective to refund people and then sell them off cheap (as returns) later on when new is depleted.

 

Redesigning and reworking would cost a heck of a lot of money.

Edited September 23, 2020 by TomScrut

[TomScrut]

58 minutes ago, ERIC ALLTORQUE said:

Sell them off cheap,that would make the who issue a joke

 

When they have no new ones left I'd hazard a guess there would be takers for any that are still in their possession at a lower price. I'm sure they'd rather sell them for £110 for example than spend a load of money employing people to mend them. Have you not seen returns being sold at a discounted price in lots of other shops?

 

1 hour ago, ERIC ALLTORQUE said:

The returns should be returned to factory

 

That's if the factory would accept them. I'd expect at the moment they are in a position of strength, given it would appear there are a load sat on the shelves, i.e. another order in the near future not looking likely, and even if they did go back to China who's to say that the factory would acknowledge some of the things (bits falling off etc.) as their fault? I'm not saying it shouldn't/wouldn't happen I just don't think it's as simple as Hattons posting a load of boxes off to China and getting a credit note.

 

1 hour ago, ERIC ALLTORQUE said:

Its in there interest to keep the price up

 

On brand new ones yes. I'm talking returns.

 

1 hour ago, ERIC ALLTORQUE said:

if there is to be future runs it needs fixed

 

On the future run yes but not when there are probably loads sat there in their warehouse.

 

1 hour ago, ERIC ALLTORQUE said:

Its there reputation on the line too so the money needs put in to sort it

 

Putting everything that's already made right may cost more than the project has already! How far do you go with it? Getting locos back and regluing stuff that falls off in?

[truffy]

And, yet, the world turns.

[Roy Langridge]

7 minutes ago, truffy said:

And, yet, the world turns.

 

Just like this thread, where we keep covering the same ground.

Roy

[Colin_McLeod]

And with many other threads!

[Johnfromoz]

So in an attempt to move off the endless speculative discussion about future moves by Hattons, , how about any Freightliner livery afficionados’ thoughts on a possible livery error on the green/yellow  versions of this product?
 

A credible You Tube review suggests that the slightly darker green oblong background ‘patch’ behind the large bodyside Freightliner logo is not in fact prototypical. I am aware that this darker background has been used on other Freightliner traction (57,86 etc). But starting my own research am struggling to find a 66 with it.

 

Any views? Is this another livery error or in fact based on some prototype loco?

[Roy Langridge]

33 minutes ago, Johnfromoz said:

So in an attempt to move off the endless speculative discussion about future moves by Hattons, , how about any Freightliner livery afficionados’ thoughts on a possible livery error on the green/yellow  versions of this product?
 

A credible You Tube review suggests that the slightly darker green oblong background ‘patch’ behind the large bodyside Freightliner logo is not in fact prototypical. I am aware that this darker background has been used on other Freightliner traction (57,86 etc). But starting my own research am struggling to find a 66 with it.

 

Any views? Is this another livery error or in fact based on some prototype loco?

 

It is there on a 66 also: Flickr (not my photo)

Roy

[classy52]

If anyone is considering buying the DCC Sound fitted Class 66 variants which are now available to purchase I have been advised by Hattons when I spoke to them they are not customer returns, just thought this may be useful info in case you were in two minds about it.

[maico]

49 minutes ago, classy52 said:

If anyone is considering buying the DCC Sound fitted Class 66 variants which are now available to purchase I have been advised by Hattons when I spoke to them they are not customer returns, just thought this may be useful info in case you were in two minds about it.

 

Perhaps the returns go into the spare parts inventory, they must have one...

[classy52]

8 minutes ago, maico said:

 

Perhaps the returns go into the spare parts inventory, they must have one...

 

No idea, but I was informed the DCC Sound versions currently available are either cancelled pre-orders or straight from the factory and reiterate they are not customer returns or retro-fitted.

Edited September 24, 2020 by classy52

[john new]

2 hours ago, Johnfromoz said:

So in an attempt to move off the endless speculative discussion about future moves by Hattons, , how about any Freightliner livery afficionados’ thoughts on a possible livery error on the green/yellow  versions of this product?
 

A credible You Tube review suggests that the slightly darker green oblong background ‘patch’ behind the large bodyside Freightliner logo is not in fact prototypical. I am aware that this darker background has been used on other Freightliner traction (57,86 etc). But starting my own research am struggling to find a 66 with it.

 

Any views? Is this another livery error or in fact based on some prototype loco?

 

I append a PDF extract of the review of 66957 (the SLS named loco) I wrote and ran in the May/June SLS Members Newsletter. My view on the patch mentioned was whether you can see it or not on a prototype loco is lighting and/or cleanliness dependent. As you can see from my review there are other livery omissions too. I think these were mentioned umpteen pages back in this thread. For what it is worth I scored the loco an 8/10.

Newsletter May Jun 66957 only.pdf

[Johnfromoz]

3 hours ago, Roy Langridge said:

 

It is there on a 66 also: Flickr (not my photo)

Roy

So looking further, I would summise that on a great many FL 66s this (presumably vinyl backing) is completely invisible, on some it appears darker and and some markedly lighter! I guess the obvious variables are age and fading of the loco paintwork, weathering and lighting.  I suppose Hattons had to pick a version and run with it, though the darkening looks a tad exaggerated.  Thanks to John and Roy for input.

[newbryford]

6 hours ago, Johnfromoz said:

So looking further, I would summise that on a great many FL 66s this (presumably vinyl backing) is completely invisible, on some it appears darker and and some markedly lighter! I guess the obvious variables are age and fading of the loco paintwork, weathering and lighting.  I suppose Hattons had to pick a version and run with it, though the darkening looks a tad exaggerated.  Thanks to John and Roy for input.

 

Immediate sister to 66957 - this is 66956 less than one week after being unloaded in the UK in November 2008 and put straight to work.

 

And on the same day - a work stained 66526 less than 400 yards away. 

Both sides with different lighting.

 

 

[rob D2]

1 hour ago, ERIC ALLTORQUE said:

The dirty bogies on 66526 lowerview is interesting,its spot on the brownrailmatch frame dirt but looking at all the film one sees of these they look more grey ballast dust coloured,the more you look into getting things right the harder it gets to do so.

I thought 526 would have made agood candidate fora model and a fitting tribute to driver Dunn lost in 66521.

Like everything , the weathering does show quite a range from the more ploughed field of railmatch frame dirt through the greyer roof dirt...

[Steadfast]

On 24/09/2020 at 13:55, john new said:

My view on the patch mentioned was whether you can see it or not on a prototype loco is lighting and/or cleanliness dependent.

The green patch is reflective so will vary depending on the lighting angle of the photo.

The cabside logos are also reflective, as are (I think from memory) the numbers. The replacement numbers fitted to some locos in the UK (a noticably much skinnier typeface) in the last couple of years aren't all reflective though, but irrelevant to 957 as it still has its original numbers fitted.

 

Jo

[7013]

You can photograph a loco from the same position several times and you will get several different variations of the livery. This not only caused by the light falling on the subject but also how the light meter in your camera interprets that light. And of course (as already shown) dirt and grime to varying degrees affect the hue. And of course our eyes interpret colours slightly different, even more so if we have any degree of colourblindness. So to sum up the permutations are endless and unless it is painted  completely the wrong colour we will continue to get these variances. You can live with it, repaint it weather it, or not buy it, but it is what it is.

[Roy Langridge]

6 hours ago, 7013 said:

You can photograph a loco from the same position several times and you will get several different variations of the livery. This not only caused by the light falling on the subject but also how the light meter in your camera interprets that light. And of course (as already shown) dirt and grime to varying degrees affect the hue. And of course our eyes interpret colours slightly different, even more so if we have any degree of colourblindness. So to sum up the permutations are endless and unless it is painted  completely the wrong colour we will continue to get these variances. You can live with it, repaint it weather it, or not buy it, but it is what it is.

I am not colour blind, but I do see slightly different colours one eye to the other. Something to do with cones and rods if I recall right. 
 

Roy