YOB Plasser 12t GPC in OO Gauge from Hattons Originals

[Mr.S.corn78]

On 22/10/2020 at 12:29, JSpencer said:

 

I suspect that - unless it is something really special (like Rails SECR van!) - most people are now no longer pre-ordering anything given all the constraints that are currently being imposed. Equally a lot is being proposed.

Net result is that there is a lot out there which has me "that's nice but I'll wait to see if prices drop or something else I prefer more comes along".

 

The problem is shops will eventually feed back "its not selling", Manufacturers will make smaller runs, which then puts prices up further still and leads too many situtations of "how the hell did that sell out so quickly?".

 

I ordered this crane right away but hung on a bit for the genisis coaches.

 

Have to agree with you on that plus and I've been bitten by Hattons on this a couple of times and don't pre-order anything with them. The most recently issue was with the RHTT wagons when i got a unpleasant phone call from them so politly asked then to cancel the order.

 

Once bitten twice shy.

Edited October 29, 2020 by Mr.S.corn78

[letterspider]

Hattons must have done some research before starting this project.  Cranes are a regular favourite in the RMWeb wishlist so they would have known what profit and demand to expect.

It may well be that there was too much uncertainty in projected costs and delivery times to make this viable. 

However fingers crossed someone else will see the potential and may even produce a model which doesn't have the jibs fixed in place

 

[BLK4Y]

Mr S Corn 78 misses the point. Hattons could have informed literally thousands of customers or potential customers simply by including an update on their website products page, as they do with many of their future products/projects. I did not expect a personal e-mail and I do receive their weekly newsletters so your rather patronising comment is disappointing. Hattons could quite easily have informed their clientele that unless an improved level of pre-orders was forthcoming then the project might be suspended or cancelled. This might have prompted an increase in preorders. That to me would be a simple, generic marketing method.However, as some have suggested, Hattons may have other strategic reasons for suspending .

 

 

[ruggedpeak]

There are any number of reasons why this may have happened, from problems with making this particular model to more strategic level decisions. The odd comms is also reflected in the Hornby 2020 thread however, where they told a customer that Hornby pre-order items were cancelled whereas they are in stock elsewhere. The simplest solution may be that whoever at Hattons is sending out update emails to customers is sending out spurious/inaccurate/incomplete explanations which is causing concern and speculation. Given the wider issues in the world of model trains retailing and manufacturing that probably isn't a great idea right now

 

First order of business for Hattons is to sort its customer comms in my view, whatever else is going on. If this was trying to be clever by stalling this model but not confirming it is cancelled to put off competitors, it may backfire. Given the 66 issues plus issues they and other retailers have had recently perhaps some clarity would be in their best interests. Learn the lessons of Perrier 101......

[Steadfast]

I can't help wondering if Hattons would have had greater uptake had they chosen to do a twin jib TRM rather than the single jib. Whilst I can't speak pre privatisation or areas other than the Western, we have twin jibs in the yard multiple times a year but I've never seen a single jib Plasser first hand. The twin jibs have just as many liveries (even narrowing it down to either Passer or Cowans Sheldon) but seem to get out a lot more. Whether this was also true in BR days (albeit in yellow) I couldn't say

 

Jo

[rob D2]

To be fair ,

having followed the 66 thread, I now rate Hattons communication as “ poor”.

 

They don’t appear to want to engage anymore with their own threads on the forum .

[7013]

It is unfortunate that this has been cancelled for those who were looking forward to it, but a lack of interest seems to have driven the decision, which appears to belie the posting that says cranes are always popular in polls, perhaps certain cranes are popular, but not this one.

I seem to remember that the crane jib and winding gear were cosmetic and non working which if correct limits the model to being towed in trains, which is, dare I say somewhat boring, a model with posable jib and working winding gear may have made it a more attractive proposition, its a fine line between features and costs. 

There are a lot of announcements across the Trade and Product Zone about prospective models and besides the Garrett and the Crane here it is looking increasingly likely that the Class 89 is going nowhere and maybe a couple of others. It is frustrating when things are cancelled but these are tough times for many people.

 

[No Decorum]

1 hour ago, 7013 said:

It is unfortunate that this has been cancelled for those who were looking forward to it, but a lack of interest seems to have driven the decision, which appears to belie the posting that says cranes are always popular in polls, perhaps certain cranes are popular, but not this one.

I seem to remember that the crane jib and winding gear were cosmetic and non working which if correct limits the model to being towed in trains, which is, dare I say somewhat boring, a model with posable jib and working winding gear may have made it a more attractive proposition, its a fine line between features and costs. 

There are a lot of announcements across the Trade and Product Zone about prospective models and besides the Garrett and the Crane here it is looking increasingly likely that the Class 89 is going nowhere and maybe a couple of others. It is frustrating when things are cancelled but these are tough times for many people.

 

The cosmetic specification did make me hesitate but in the end I decided I’d like a pair. Bachmann’s crane (completely different crane, of course) is fully poseable and very impressive but it’s offered at a price I’d only be prepared to pay for a motorised one, so I decided against it. Just my own reaction. 

[Roy Langridge]

6 hours ago, 7013 said:

It is unfortunate that this has been cancelled for those who were looking forward to it, but a lack of interest seems to have driven the decision, which appears to belie the posting that says cranes are always popular in polls, perhaps certain cranes are popular, but not this one.

I seem to remember that the crane jib and winding gear were cosmetic and non working which if correct limits the model to being towed in trains, which is, dare I say somewhat boring, a model with posable jib and working winding gear may have made it a more attractive proposition, its a fine line between features and costs. 

There are a lot of announcements across the Trade and Product Zone about prospective models and besides the Garrett and the Crane here it is looking increasingly likely that the Class 89 is going nowhere and maybe a couple of others. It is frustrating when things are cancelled but these are tough times for many people.

 

 

I would say that for many people working winding gear / jibs is just a gimmick. After all, for most people the crane will either be in a a yard or getting hauled in a train.

 

Roy

[25901]

I’m sorry but I see other things at play here, to me this project has been at CAD stage too long while other companies seem to move quickly from CAD to tooling stage quickly.

Could the truth be that they have don’t have anyone lined up for tooling and production, ie maybe pis@@ng off a manufacturer and the ripple effect has come back to bite them.

But what do I know, well I know I wanted two of them.

let the debate continue.

[96701]

5 hours ago, 25901 said:

let the debate  speculation continue.

Fixed it for you.

[Baggie]

I've been expecting the 'We're sorry for the continued delay' email only to realise that I never bothered preordering my two cranes.  Has anyone counted up how many cranes weren't preordered in this thread alone?

[SHMD]

I've just come across this.

If any ones counting, I'd definitely have a yellow one.

 

 

Kev.

[Butler Henderson]

On 24/10/2020 at 16:16, Roy Langridge said:

 

I would say that for many people working winding gear / jibs is just a gimmick. After all, for most people the crane will either be in a a yard or getting hauled in a train.

 

Roy

Indeed unless it was motorised when it could be activated without all the all the messing about but then, looking at HO models,  you are looking at a lot more in price than the Bachmann one, which itself is plainly time consuming to make ; consider how many box vans could be produced could be made in the time one of the cranes is assembled.

[blueeighties]

On 23/10/2020 at 10:23, Mr.S.corn78 said:

 

 when i got a unpleasnet phone 

 

A new division of Plusnet?

[black and decker boy]

Well I was going to buy a couple but hadn’t progressed to pre-order for various reasons but chief among them was the predicted delivery date and lack of visible progress.

[slg]

 

Shame as I was going to put together a couple of trains like the first 2 

 

As for communication.

 

1st October put on their website as the 5th of 10 news items which meant that at the end of that day it was bottom of the home page in the featured new section. 2nd October 1 new article which meant it dropped of the front page so unless you look at their website everyday or go back through the featured articles you would have missed it. I only looked back as I'd  wanted to show my father something I'd seen.

 

21st October announced on here!!!!!!! 

 

[Mel_H]

On 26/10/2020 at 09:52, Butler Henderson said:

Indeed unless it was motorised when it could be activated without all the all the messing about but then, looking at HO models,  you are looking at a lot more in price than the Bachmann one, which itself is plainly time consuming to make ; consider how many box vans could be produced could be made in the time one of the cranes is assembled.

For £720 the new Roco crane is all singing and dancing, Gaugemaster has them in stock

[dogbox321]

Well if you look at the criticism of the Class 66, then maybe Hattons are going to go back to what they were good at - Selling Model Railways!  Go to what Hattons were excellent at -  and that were going to manufacturers and clearing them of all the slow moving stock and selling it at bargain prices whilst making a healthy profit for themselves....   

 

Thats what has been the major success for Hattons and sent them go from strength to strength over the years.  

 

Best Regards,

 

C.

[newbryford]

4 minutes ago, dogbox321 said:

Well if you look at the criticism of the Class 66, then maybe Hattons are going to go back to what they were good at - Selling Model Railways!  Go to what Hattons were excellent at -  and that were going to manufacturers and clearing them of all the slow moving stock and selling it at bargain prices whilst making a healthy profit for themselves....   

 

Thats what has been the major success for Hattons and sent them go from strength to strength over the years.  

 

Best Regards,

 

C.

 

Part of the reason that Hattons started to commission/produce their own stuff was because the big two have had supply issues in the past few years.

 

i.e. How can they sell model railways when there is nothing to sell?

 

Other larger box shifters have gone down a similar route, but not in direct competition with the big two - such as the 66 with Bachmann or Rails with the Terrier and Hornby.

(There are most likely other factors as well  that have contributed to the above and we, as mere mortals, will never find out - or TBH - care about)

[TravisM]

I was wondering if there’s been anything on the jungle drums about Hatton’s having a change of heart regarding this model?  I was surprised when they cancelled it as I thought it was one of those models anyone can have without someone asking why you’ve got it.  It can either put it in a PW train or a siding without being a scene stealer.

[47164]

Interesting as well in that hattons still have these on their website despite communication last year, be great if they have had a change of heart.!

[Kaput]

They never removed any of the stuff they cancelled from the website. They just disabled the ablity to order it.

Bit of an odd choice.

[Ian_B]

On 22/10/2020 at 22:05, Roy Langridge said:

 

I received an email explaining the pause in relation to my pre-order.

Roy

Lucky you Roy,

I got nothing!

Ian_B

[Gwonder318]

It would be a shame for Hattons to cancel this model, the only other available option is the kits that are not very affordable. PLEASE BRING IT OUT!!