RTR Manufacturers Spare Parts

[Chris hndrsn]

G’day all,

 

Do the UK manufacturers provide a spare part service? The US manufacturers, Athearn, Atlas Bachmann and others, each have a webpage where you can find and order the spare parts you may need to repair, customize, or create a unique model, and I was wondering if the UK companies provide the same fast service.

 

 

Cheers,

Chris

[Guest Half-full]

2 hours ago, Chris hndrsn said:

G’day all,

 

Do the UK manufacturers provide a spare part service? The US manufacturers, Athearn, Atlas Bachmann and others, each have a webpage where you can find and order the spare parts you may need to repair, customize, or create a unique model, and I was wondering if the UK companies provide the same fast service.

 

 

Cheers,

Chris

Both Hornby and Bachmann have service sheets on their website, Bachmann you can order via email, Hornby spares seem to be mostly available from Peters Spares (I guess there are others too)

 

Dapol have appointed DCC Supplies to sell their spare parts, ditto Gaugemaster for Heljan

 

Accurascale and RevolutioN you can contact direct

[smokebox]

Hornby have a variety of spares available online but it is quite limited.

New modellers shop https://www.newmodellersshop.co.uk/ have a good selection of spares.

[Chris hndrsn]

Smokebox you are certainly quite right that the range of spare parts is quite limited. In comparison Bachmann US sells every part used to manufacture a locomotive. A good example is the Alco 2-6-0. They stock painted and unpainted examples of all the loco body shells which helps with kit bashing a loco to create a specific variation. 

[The Johnster]

Back in the day, you could order any part of anything from Triang or Hornby Dublo so long as you knew the part number (not that it was always in stock, mind), but the way RTR is produced nowadays mitigates against it.  Production of components, assembly, and packing all take place in the hands of Chinese subcontractors who are contracted to build x number of parts for a production run.  Thus, exactly x number are produced, and used in assembly to make exactly x number of models, no more, no less, no spares.  Stocks are not held if this can be avoided as the production process is on a 'just in time' basis.

 

The storage of spares and the task of cataloguing and distributing/marketing them is regarded as a wasteful overhead cost better done without by the manufacturers, and we are reduced to the likes of Peter's for much of the sourcing.  The most commonly requested spares were probably carbon brushes and the pingy springs, which were stocked at the model shops, even not very good ones, but these are no longer needed as motors are sealed can units that have to be replaced as units deze daze.  The motors are not much more expensive than a set of carbon brushes, and are generally very good quality little things.

 

As for speed of service, hmmm.  Bachmann have a very good reputation in this respect, which suggests that the others are not as good.

 

As for customising or creating unique models, there is a plethora of sources for 'retrofit' details, but the main manufacturers don't really engage with that market; to be fair, it is more suited to low volume production with castings or etches.  This may go some way to explaining the difference from the American way of doing things, though I am sure such niche producers exist over there as well; the UK railway modelling world is a much smaller one than the US, and economies of scale in producing things are thus harder to come by.

Edited May 19, 2020 by The Johnster

[Il Grifone]

The brushes and springs are expensive today, but in Tri-ang/Dublo days cost (old) pence.

[hallmodelspares]

New modellers shop is alright but you have to be aware that a lot of items they are out of stock and because some are no longer used it is doubtful they will be able to get them again. Brushes and springs are not too bad, just a case of looking around, its often better to buy a few at once.