RMweb Premium Legend Posted July 18, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 18, 2019 55 minutes ago, Fenman said: You may well be right (and I wouldn’t punt my money on it), but you seem to be missing the point. Very few of us seem to have just one interest which has a monopoly on our purchasing decisions. By actually designing a survey that insists each of us may only declare one era, you will inevitably get a distorted view of the potential market. I’m interested in early and transition BR; and 1970s blue; and in pre-war M&GN, ex-GER and ex-LSWR. I buy stuff from all those. And others. But, as far as Fran is concerned, my sole interest is in transition-era BR. I’m not at all criticising the company for going where they think the biggest market is, and there was a nice clue from Fran that it’s in prototypes which offer the opportunity for multiple runs and variations (so that class 37 might be looking more likely, then?!). But I am criticising the logical leap that says this survey proves whether or not there’s a viable market. Paul I get that the survey needs to be targeted . Make it too wide and it loses relevance . But I must admit I'm with Fenman on this one . I'd say primarily I'm a BR transition period person but I also run LNER/LMS, BR Blue and most recently thanks to Dapols 68, back into post privatised layouts . I don't run them all at the same time , but I am equally interested in them, so I could have ticked quite a lot of boxes in your options but by constraining me to one I don't think you got the full picture . 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Accurascale Fran Posted July 18, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 18, 2019 22 minutes ago, wombatofludham said: Despite having multiple interests myself, I found the "choose one era or the puppy dies" approach extremely useful as it helped me focus on the main RTR gaps I would prefer to be filled. My only caveat - and it's one I've raised before - is how widespread the database will be as not everyone in the modelling community is a member of this forum, or Facebook, and how that might reflect in the results. That said, I'm not entirely sure how you get round that and reach out to those not aware of the survey (or the annual wishlist for that matter) so it's probably the best we can hope for. By the way, one of my other interests is Irish railways - is there a similar survey being planned for the Irish side of the business or is it a case that the smaller pool of subjects more or less defines what your plans are for the range? Hi! I completely agree that getting just getting forums and Facebook will only get a certain sample of the market. We are keeping it open until September and have sent a press release to all the model railway magazines who hopefully will put it in their news pages, and it is in our next round of print adverts too. Thinking to the future we may in a future survey send questionnaires to clubs too, but that’s a big undertaking which we may be able to do with more resources in the future! As for the Irish market, we are thinking for one for later in the year. Cheers! Fran 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbo675 Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 Hi Folks, Perhaps the survey needs a "Random Factor" choice for the most off the wall thing you can think of that you would genuinely be interested in purchasing. Such a section may be best not to be non era specific because there would be no point in say asking for an 1849 vintage London to Birmingham Railway coal wagon as there is not currently anything to run it with. This is precisely why I chose BR Blue 1970's and a Cartic-4 in the format offered because I have plenty of stuff to run it with and plenty more available. I would genuinely like an era 1 railway, I would like it even more if I could just buy some models, especially locomotives, and set it up for I would struggle to build a reliable locomotive to such a small size in OO gauge. As it is I mainly detail, kit-bash and scratch build my 1970's stuff and have a great time doing it. The thought is still there though ! However, the survey doesn't give that option but does, as others have pointed out, channel available options rather than expand thinking to what may be termed a new direction. I have previously mentioned GWR broad gauge despite not at all being interested in GWR broad gauge, I would likely decline it all the same, but should the opportunity to select it as a random factor be offered then food for thought will be provided by those that feel that way inclined. To quote dj_crisp : "You could argue a great opportunity as no-one has done it before but far more risky than say a CDA. ". He is quite correct but then I doubt that was the mindset of Rovex at the time they introduced the plunger pick up Princess with two short coaches. Market research is a very tricky subject and should it go right or wrong may be either the making or end of a company in that conservative prudence certainly pays in that respect. Fran has a difficult enough job as it is without feeling that we offer undue criticism and wish that what I write is in someway of assistance and an enrichment of the discussion. Gibbo. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegleg90 Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 Just seen this thread but completed the survey almost immediately on receiving the email about it. Definitely a good shout for a widely varied market that’s changing constantly. I’m a modern era modeller and would particularly like to see engineering equipment/wagons such as sleeper carriers, salmon flats with and without the frames to hold track panels, tilting point carriers etc. There’s a broad range of kit that no one seems to touch in RTR form. Look forward to seeing/hearing the results. Regards Ali 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted July 28, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 28, 2019 15 minutes ago, Pegleg90 said: Just seen this thread but completed the survey almost immediately on receiving the email about it. Definitely a good shout for a widely varied market that’s changing constantly. I’m a modern era modeller and would particularly like to see engineering equipment/wagons such as sleeper carriers, salmon flats with and without the frames to hold track panels, tilting point carriers etc. There’s a broad range of kit that no one seems to touch in RTR form. Look forward to seeing/hearing the results. Regards Ali Flangeway were looking at a Salmon. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted July 28, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 28, 2019 All we need is for the long-lost "sell 185s" to Ireland project to kick off again. Then Accurascale can sell it in two countries! 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
25901 Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 A new MEA coal box wagon would be nice but depends on price if people want to do a big formation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Trainshed Terry Posted July 28, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 28, 2019 I had forgot to add the Raodrailer that was made by "Scalecraft" it would be great to see the rebirth of that model in O and OO Terry. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sorabain Posted August 15, 2019 Share Posted August 15, 2019 Would be interested to see any graphs of survey submissions over time as well. Has been a looong wait and wouldn't be surprised if they tailed off rapidly after July (and wonder if this post re-awakening the beast will give you a minor spike in mid-august) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted August 15, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 15, 2019 On 18/07/2019 at 13:51, Legend said: I get that the survey needs to be targeted . Make it too wide and it loses relevance . But I must admit I'm with Fenman on this one . I'd say primarily I'm a BR transition period person but I also run LNER/LMS, BR Blue and most recently thanks to Dapols 68, back into post privatised layouts . I don't run them all at the same time , but I am equally interested in them, so I could have ticked quite a lot of boxes in your options but by constraining me to one I don't think you got the full picture . Also, of course, whilst you and I declare an interest in "BR transition era" it doesn't pick up our regional preferences/prejudices within that. In my case I'm up for items suitable for the Western Section of the Southern Region, the Somerset & Dorset line and some bits of the Western. Any loco (for instance) with a number beginning with a 6 (curly or otherwise) will be of no interest whatever. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad McCann Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 Well, I played the game on this one and picked an era. It does give a focus that would otherwise be lacking. Plenty others will make steam era choices but a modeller of both late transition and TOPS era blue, ScR, it’s unlikely my steam choices would be viable anyway so I concentrated on the latter. Personally, I still think a decent HAA is an open goal... 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TravisM Posted August 16, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 16, 2019 I think your on a no win solution regarding this survey as you’ll never please everyone. I think you should look carefully at peoples suggestions but I would stay with the more modern era and leave steam to others. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Saunders Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 1 hour ago, jools1959 said: I think your on a no win solution regarding this survey as you’ll never please everyone. I think you should look carefully at peoples suggestions but I would stay with the more modern era and leave steam to others. What is steam era as many items that some classify as steam era survived as traffic wagons till the mid to late 1980's with some into the 90's. Worse still is what is now modern as it seems to go back to the 1950's Modernisation Plan, some of the current wagons in use are well over 45 years old and the BDA's even older just rebuilt! The Dorman Long tipplers currently under development are still with us with some now into their second rebuild! Mark Saunders 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdvle Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 6 hours ago, jools1959 said: I think your on a no win solution regarding this survey as you’ll never please everyone. I think you should look carefully at peoples suggestions but I would stay with the more modern era and leave steam to others. My feeling is that they should do whatever they think they can bring their talents and capabilities to that will allow them to make enough profit to continue in operation, and part of that can be spreading out the product line either to various regions of the UK or to various eras. This will allow them, as they build up the business, to bring out multiple items a year without running into the risk that customers end up having to choose based on budget what not to purchase, thus resulting in reduced sales and profit. 1 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Piewalker Posted August 16, 2019 Share Posted August 16, 2019 All I know is I need to start saving for that O gauge 89.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bucoops Posted August 17, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 17, 2019 14 hours ago, jools1959 said: I think your on a no win solution regarding this survey as you’ll never please everyone. I think you should look carefully at peoples suggestions but I would stay with the more modern era and leave steam to others. I'm sure they aren't looking to please everyone, but are looking for a trend to aim for to please as large a chunk as possible. I doubt I'm in that group but that's my problem not theirs 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted August 17, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 17, 2019 (edited) 16 hours ago, jools1959 said: I think your on a no win solution regarding this survey as you’ll never please everyone. I think you should look carefully at peoples suggestions but I would stay with the more modern era and leave steam to others. The point of taking a survey is surely to identify prototypes that would prove popular but are not already made/announced by others (to current standards). If Accurascale already had a strong policy leaning in a particular direction, would they not have stated their parameters? Certainly, making an item that "goes with" something they have already produced is not a bad idea, but putting all their eggs in the same basket over several consecutive releases might be. John Edited August 17, 2019 by Dunsignalling 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invicta Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 (edited) On 18/07/2019 at 10:04, Accurascale Fran said: Hi Paul, Is it a huge leap? You must accept then even by the law of averages in a sample size of 1500 so far that someone would select it if they had interest in multiple eras and so many of those people had an interest in this particular period? This, coupled to pretty much zero RTR models from any manufacturer currently or over the last couple of decades would speak volumes to me, but I might be completely wrong. I understand the creating of markets by producing something in that space that was previously untouched, indeed we have seen that in the Irish market over the past 20 years, but I know if I went to my MD with a proposal to make a model in this period he would be contemplating looking for my P45 in the filing cabinet. Maybe it will be worth one of the long established companies taking a punt on it, but for a growing one like us it would be far too big a risk. Novelty items might work once, but multiple bangs from the tooling? I just can’t see it and that’s what Accurascale needs over the next decade. We just do not see that period as commercially viable to Accurascale right now. Cheers! Fran I totally see where you're coming from on the 'Era 1' early stuff- on the other hand, I can think of quite a few 'Late Era 1/Early Era 2' loco classes from the end of 1870's/1880's which were very long-lived, even into the BR transition era- we're starting to see an increasing amount of pre-grouping steam available from manufacturers, even if in grouping/BR condition, so there ought to be a few open goals worth taking a shot at, and would give those multiple bangs from the tooling- Something like a Midland 2F comes to mind, for example... Edited August 25, 2019 by Invicta 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted August 25, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 25, 2019 On 04/07/2019 at 19:39, Clive Mortimore said: ........whatever you like! Hi Fran Can you be kind enough to change my loco request to a working shunting horse, a grey would be preferred. Hi Fran Back to the shunting horse, that will cover many eras, epochs, periods, time lines, even applicable to both sides of the Irish Sea. Something that has crossed my mind, did each railway have a different type of harness for their shunting horses? I know there were different style of harnesses used in Scotland for their draft horses, and the Midland had a slight different type to the LNWR. I don't want Accurascale running into problems where people won't buy the shunting horse because the bridle on a GWR horse didn't have that wide a nose band. I have change my mind on what livery, a nice black horse like this one. Not a naughty grey. 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 There's often mention of the Class 37 - which is an admirable beastie, still doing excellent service despite it's many years, but it's bigger, and more-familiar - for me as I'd see them working every day on local lines when growing up - brother, the Class 40 1-Co Co-1 seems to be becoming overlooked now. This is a pity. The 'whistling Willies' as our family called them were daily viewing around our way. Bachmann's is excellent, but it appears to be starting to fall behind 'latest modelling techniques and expectations'. I VOTE THE ENGLISH ELECTRIC TYPE 4, CLASS 40. Al. PS: A consideration for Stephenson's Rocket and LMS' Turbomotive as well!! (I suppose the latter would need to have 'normal' 'Lizzies' which would put you in direct conflict with 'another manufacturer' ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 55020 Posted August 25, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 25, 2019 3 hours ago, atom3624 said: I VOTE THE ENGLISH ELECTRIC TYPE 4, CLASS 40. Al, Given you said "vote" rather than "voted", can I assume that you haven't completed the survey (have a look at the first message in the thread). Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 It says I've already 'voted' so I'll just 'add a cheeky vote' ... as you do!! Class 40 is greatly overlooked I reckon. Al. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted August 25, 2019 Share Posted August 25, 2019 On 28/07/2019 at 17:11, Eddie R v2.0 said: Something else that we were chatting about over the last few days is a 4 wheel CO2 or LPG tank. I know there is a few varieties but for a lot of “average modellers” they would be happy to run which ever is produced.* * I would like to point at this moment that I am ashamed to say I haven’t much clue about them and need to do some research to see which ones ran to Inverness! LPG, on behalf of Esso, I would expect. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted August 26, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 26, 2019 (edited) On 14/07/2019 at 22:14, gary_lner said: Great to see others also want a 377/387 electrostar made. That's what I've thrown my vote in for. Not too fussed about a 3 car 377 but I'd snap up a 4 car or 5 car 377 in southern rail livery in a heartbeat. And a 4 car 387 in GX livery. Regards Gary Given my 8 year old has cleared nearly all her 377’s in little over 8-10 days out this year, I think i’d be a willing owner of a few of these, in a few liveries, and sub classes. Edited August 26, 2019 by adb968008 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Accurascale Fran Posted September 3, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 3, 2019 (edited) Hi everyone, Thank you to everybody who filled out our little market research survey which is now closed. Over 1,800 participants is pretty impressive! We now begin the long process of collating feedback and suggestions. We will do a video later this month dealing with this feedback and other areas of the survey later this month, but it's going to take a good while to get through it all! We will also do the draw for the prize too and announce the winner in the video. Cheers! Fran Edited September 3, 2019 by Accurascale Fran 17 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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