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EFE Rail launches


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1 hour ago, njee20 said:

I think I'm starting to get my head around this, but still confused by the JIAs (probably because it's the only model I know the provenance of!). I thought they were a Dapol product (insofar as they were made by them), sold through Kernow. So who's making them now, if not Kader? Surely Dapol aren't going to be making things for Bachmann t/a "EFE Rail"? Same re: the Hymek, are Heljan making them on the promise of extra sales, but sticking them in an EFE box? Or have Bachmann acquired manufacturing rights for these items not previously made by Kader (but they will be going forward)?

IIRC the tooling is owned by Kernow. Dapol were the agent between Kernow and the factory in China. Subsequently DJM became the agent, before Kernow started dealing directly with the factory.

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Thanks all for the clarification. As luck would have it I have a Next 18 decoder going spare, it would be so rude not to purchase a Clayton to make use of it so I have ordered one, D8560 in green small panel. I suspect I maybe back for another too in due course.

 

Checked the calendar, yep, definitely start of August not April...

 

Roy

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1 hour ago, JerseyJon said:

I think the motorised underground stock is a masterstroke, especially if it has lights and is DCC ready.  Already ordered one and fingers crossed for a 1959 stock in due course!!

 

I agree it is a masterstroke. But Bachmann will have to do more work to the 1938 Tube stock

than just motorise. I think EFE originally intended the models to be static, and as such the 

wheels are very stiff, and are far from free running, and are rather ' pizza cutter ' in design.

 

If Bachmann get it right I will certainly purchase a set. Former LT rolling stock is an untapped

market in RTR and this move from Bachmann might start the ball rolling!.

 

On another note, a new design of chassis for the former DJM models wouldn't go amiss.

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4 minutes ago, trevor7598 said:

I agree it is a masterstroke. But Bachmann will have to do more work to the 1938 Tube stock

than just motorise. I think EFE originally intended the models to be static, and as such the 

wheels are very stiff, and are far from free running, and are rather ' pizza cutter ' in design.

 

Quite true, all were static models supplied on their own piece of plastic 4 rail 'track'. Some of those I converted had wheels that weren't even circular!

 

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1 hour ago, Neverwood said:

 

This might be a shrewder move than it first appears......?

I strongly suspect that it is a much shrewder move than it might at first appear to be (assuming you actually regard it as a shrewd move in the first place?).  The big advantage for Bachmann is that it opens a new potential revenue stream for items with higher retail prices which does not rely on a a single main supplier - a source of comment and complaint in the past and one which the company itself has at times stated has held back its sales figures.  So a simple matter of diversification and, perhaps more importantly, establishing a wider range of suppliers where production priorities are not decided over a range of its model railway companies by Kader.   In other words EFE Rail products won't be as tied to competition for factory production slots with modes for other Kader/Bachmann ranges and that must deliver cash flow benefits if nothing else.

 

By, thus far using mainly existing models - hopefully with some re-engineering in several of them - EFE Rail can sidestep any log jams in the Bachmann/Kader portfolio.  Again that is something we have heard about, from the company itself, in the past.  Bolt a new brand onto the existing distribution and retailer network without too much need to invest in new tooling and its possible to quickly leap ahead from a standing start, that must in business terms be far better than trudging round the 'net for Expressions of interest before you actually start to go beyond initial investment in research and developing CADs etc because you will get return on your limited amount of spending more rapidly.

 

I don't know what JKernoe's involvement is beyond contributing some of their past models to the new brand but again it is a relatively low investment against what are likely to be early real returns - so it makes sense as a business mob ve for them as it comes with a wider market  than selling direct.   I can also think of another potential benefit for them in the longer term.

 

Hopefully it also offers something for us, the end customers, by hopefully righting the various engineering wrongs that came from DJM relying heavily on Chinese factory design and assembly methods without imposing any specifications for higher quality standards rather than ordinary factory methods.  The EFE Rail J94,  in particular, will be the proof of that - one way or the other.  

 

There remains one interesting question which is perhaps a little too intrusive.  In the 2019 Interim Results Kader's income from 'model trains' had fallen considerably in comparison with the previous year's Interim results.  Thus it might well also make sense from Kader's perspective to diversify and create a brand which is not wholly reliant on their ability to manufacture models for all its markets?

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21 minutes ago, trevor7598 said:

Former LT rolling stock is an untapped

market in RTR and this move from Bachmann might start the ball rolling!.

 

I don't think it's limited to former TBH, I think only S stock is available RTR out of modern and it's sought after at stupid prices.

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 I owned a converted EFE tube with two Tenshodo motors, it ran like a pig on my track, very poor on corners, barely pulled itself and ultimately ran it as a 3 car, then later as a 2 car.
The problem seemed to be lack of weight, pickups & manoeuvrability, I was resold for £400, I could have easily spent months on perfecting it, but I made a profit so let it go.

 

I’ll be very pleased to see a Bachmann motorised tube, I assume its drawing on experience from the previous Tube set from the main range this should be a great model, especially as its at the price.

 

I wonder if they will give thought to motorising the buses range some day ? - wireless charging and remote control steering, producing some street diagrams, and drawing buildings from the existing ranges?

 

 

 

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This approach strikes me as a way to ensure that a "Hattons issue" does not arise again. It gives shops a chance to create their own models and still work with Bachmann, all round a win win. 

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Hi,

 

The description of the Hymek on the Bachmann website is similar to that of the Heljan model including the use of an 8pin DCC socket.

 

However the recommended DCC decoder has a max continuous current of 0.9A and I measured my Heljan Hymek at 0.88A on my rolling road. So going up a gradient with a train could take it over 0.9A. Maybe they are going to give the Hymek (if it is from Heljan) the motor from the original Bachmann Class 25 which I understand gives good slow running and lower power consumption.

 

Regards

 

Nick

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Interesting to see the 18" Austerity re-surface. Readers will probably know I have a real soft spot for these. However, just an observation, if I may. The DJM version had the SiCA & SiCB wheels reproduced on the earlier model, which is (still is) a significant identifying feature on the model, and the real thing as well. Bagnalls continued with the Austerity, but with a different type of driving wheel. One wonders if Kernow/EFE  will re-instate the wheel detail.... I suspect not.... Still, at least we can ask Kernow to re-introduce the MSC version. There are enough south Wales versions to see Kernow EFE through to the 22nd Century.

 

The odds of ordering the 'Amazon' model, being delivered by Amazon, with someone working in the North West in an Amazon Fulfilment Centre, is, I think, fairly high....

 

Toot, Toot, everybody!

 

Ian. 

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6 hours ago, Alex TM said:

Hi folks,

 

Very interesting video.

 

What caught my eye, and made my wife ask "did they really paint it like that?", was Comrie's no. 19 (HE3818).  Very ugly, but "I want one"!  Once repainted a Farish one in that scheme, only to be told that there never was one like that despite me having a magazine article (c/w colour photo) to prove it.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

 

Mmm, I see what you mean- 1970's NCB corporate blue and yellow really doesn't do much to complement the lines of an Austerity tank, it really is hideous!

https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/hunslet-works-no-3818-east-fife-area-no-19-68019-0-6-0st/

 

I think I might have to have one for my little NCB collection though....

 

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1 hour ago, Crepello said:

That's brilliant news about the Clayton; I'm hoping the Baby Deltic will follow in due course.

 

I guess they'll want to see how these introductory products fare before embarking on new ones. Consequently it's probably not a good idea to start wish listing even before the first new models are available. Other attempts at suggestions have already been closed down. Also I don't recall DJM getting any other loco projects, like the King and baby deltic, to tooling stage, so they'd require more development time and sound financial consideration.

 

I'm under the impression that the class 17 tooling wasn't owned by DJM (as apparently he never paid for it) meaning it's ownership was with the factory (who did hawk it around looking for interested parties). No doubt anyone could have commissioned them to produce models from the tooling. There was some work/corrections required and I hope that at least was undertaken.

 

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2 hours ago, Pre Grouping fan said:

Isn't gaugemaster now Heljans UK distributor? So in theory it should be easier than how rembrow describes it now? 

Gaugemaster did become a distributor for Heljan and the change was fairly recent, from memory earlier this year,  the change was welcomed by my favourite retailer,  who  preferred to source Heljan products via a Gaugemaster account over  the Heljan company

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Seems to me as a sweeping up and tying together of loose ends and the opportunity for ground breaking,mutually beneficial cooperation 

 

Having been there at the beginnings of the Hymeks in the early 1960’s (Cardiff - Paddington,13/14 Mk 1’s load) I am truly intrigued by this rebranding.Hope for distinctive cosmetic improvement if possible,particularly with the 4 character route indicators.

 

All in all,an optimistic announcement.Look forward to the end result.

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Sorry not had time to watch the video as at work but I would guess all these models will be in efe rail packaging suggesting we could have a Heljan and an efe hymek next to each other on the shelf?

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2 hours ago, trevor7598 said:

I agree it is a masterstroke. But Bachmann will have to do more work to the 1938 Tube stock

than just motorise. I think EFE originally intended the models to be static, and as such the 

wheels are very stiff, and are far from free running, and are rather ' pizza cutter ' in design.

 

If Bachmann get it right I will certainly purchase a set. Former LT rolling stock is an untapped

market in RTR and this move from Bachmann might start the ball rolling!.

 

On another note, a new design of chassis for the former DJM models wouldn't go amiss.

The wheels on some of my static EFE's would have made Lima wince... :lol:

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I'm really pleased that the Clayton will be released as I had presumed that it was dead as a Dodo after the demise of DJM. I wonder who would have predicted at the beginning of this year that Bachmann would be distributing Heljan & DJM models? 2020 really is a year of surprises. And who is going to be the guinea pig who buys the first re-tooled J94s to see if the chassis issues have been fixed?

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So N gauge king and shark in next round, as I believe both were part or possibly fully tooled. This does explain alot and has obviously been in the planning stage a while, possibly waiting for DJM to be finally wound up. DJ may have even seen this coming hence the IP rubbish and other brain fart moments. The factory may have carried on and designed some of the other stuff as well ready, so we may get a few items as I doubt this will be the limit of this range.

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I have a northern line efe that I treated myself to a while ago.  If I remember, I paid  around £150 for it.  And I think that's a fair price for what it is - a reasonable but basic model.  The glazing is thick, the couplings are weak, it makes a godawful noise as it trundles on track.

 

But I like it and there is scope to add more detail.  If EFE Rail can add a decent motor and improve the wheels and couplings then the RRP becomes more justifiable.    However I'll be waiting to see more details of the improvements before I order.  Fingers crossed.

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6 minutes ago, Tricky-CRS said:

So N gauge king and shark in next round, as I believe both were part or possibly fully tooled. This does explain alot and has obviously been in the planning stage a while, possibly waiting for DJM to be finally wound up. DJ may have even seen this coming hence the IP rubbish and other brain fart moments. The factory may have carried on and designed some of the other stuff as well ready, so we may get a few items as I doubt this will be the limit of this range.

 

The King CAD work went to KR Models and I believe the Shark too so unless there is some collaboration I suspect not.

 

On the other hand there was some CAD work done on the J94 and Baby Deltic and there were supposedly some other wagons in gestation (LSWR Road Van for one) so maybe these may be next?

 

Roy

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2 hours ago, Invicta said:

 

Mmm, I see what you mean- 1970's NCB corporate blue and yellow really doesn't do much to complement the lines of an Austerity tank, it really is hideous!

https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/hunslet-works-no-3818-east-fife-area-no-19-68019-0-6-0st/

 

I think I might have to have one for my little NCB collection though....

 


I was desperate for this livery to appear on an austerity, complimentary to the shape of the loco or not, it’s weird and I want it :)

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18 minutes ago, Tricky-CRS said:

The factory may have carried on and designed some of the other stuff as well ready, so we may get a few items as I doubt this will be the limit of this range.


APT anyone? :diablo_mini::lol_mini2:

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