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OO gauge Turbot


DapolDave
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  • 8 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Is there any news on the Turbot or BBA models yet DapolDave? I'm really looking forward to both of those appearing

 

Gordon,

 

You might have to wait for an update as I understand DapolDave is off on holiday until the end of August. Hopefully he will update us all when he gets back.

 

Regards

 

David

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  • 2 months later...

Hi everybody!

Not meaning to sound like a controversy stirrer/tabloid headline writer here, but.

I'd rather build my own from the proven Cambrian kit.

Now, I appreciate the all new CAD drawings and toolings, but yet again, its something thats already out there, and really all your doing is building it for me.

Maybe this is the wrong place to express my views (In which case it can be moved, simples) but yet again, its just another RTR release we didn't really need.

I've already had Simon Kohler of Hornby tell me how 'we can't please everybody, only the majority' (So thats saying only a minority want some new Mk3s and/or Mk2D/E/Fs?) but there's other stuff out there that would benefit from some attention.

ICIs Annhydrous Ammonia or Caustic Soda tanks? Murgatroyds Liquid Chlorine tanks? BOC liquid Nitrogen/Oxygen bogie tanks? Could have followed on nicely from those PO Silver Bullets...

The VTG three-door Ferrywagon, they'd go nicely with the telescopic hood model...

Wouldn't take much to poll some forums for some fresh ideas.

 

Yes, I know they're all about sell,sell,sell, but why oh why release something that doesn't need releasing!

In my opinion, freely developed and totally unbiased.

Regards,

Jon.

Edited by JonHGB
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Hi Jon,

 

As a modeller i do see your point of view, although i cannot wholly agree with it, sorry.

 

As part of Dapol, you have to look at it from our perspective. Will it sell? Will it sell lots? Will we have a model that we can keep manufacturing for 40+ years? Will we make money from it form all those that either cant, or dont want to make a kit version?

 

The answer to all those questions as a manufacturer is yes. Hence why we do it.

 

And it's hence why you will see it happen more often over the next few years as manufacturers look towards a contracting market (in models available that will tick all the boxes of those questions i posed above). Its not the manufacturer being mean, its just the manufacturer looking to make money, and if that means duplicatin a kit in RTR form, then it is going to happen, and has happened in both OO and N gauge already.

 

As for the progress? well its been quiet the last few months but is back on the burner now and i hope to have something to show after Christmas.

 

cheers

Dave

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Hi Dave,

I appreciate it has to sell, and I thank you for not following in Mr. Kohlers' footsteps and not replying with what was quite a rude email. I thank you for your politeness.

Having thought about what I said, I will admit I was somewhat brash. Alas, I will continue to use the kits, as I like that sort of modelling, and I would imagine others do too, but I can appreciate the fact that these have the potential for nice long rakes, and some reverse engineering (Bolster Es') is possible from a tooling point of view, without the hassle of kit after kit after kit! I do hope that this release will spur on further investment in the rake stock area, such as where hoppers are concerned, some new PGAs would be very welcome round here!

Again, thank you for your reply, and hopefully this will lead to a re-evaluation from the quote: "Cottage Industries" to give us some of the more rare items, like those I mentioned above. However, I do still stand by my original fishbowl stirring post regarding what could have been done!

Regards,

Jon.

Edited by JonHGB
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Speaking as a kit designer, manufacturer and retailer rolled into one I couldn't live with the pressure in this thread. The Difference is, being a one man band, anything that goes wrong is my fault!

 

If it were me I wouldn't show these drawings at all, knowing that the sharks are out there ready to criticise beyond belief.

 

Roger

 

Ps one of the sharks on here is responsible for the non appearance of my sea urchin.

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Just read the entire thread and there is a comment earlier on that kit makers should concentrate on prototypes that are unlikely to be produced rtr. We need to have our big sellers too!

 

The following is not a winge it is a statement of fact. The arrival of the Dapol N gauge Utility followed by the blue spot fish van took out the 2 best sellers in the range. I have subsequently picked several new potential best sellers but none have replaced the first 2.

 

Roger

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Hi Roger,

 

Not sure that your using of the word 'sharks' is a good one.

 

No one is looking to eat you up or put you out of business, each is just looking out for themselves. With that in mind most, if not all of the larger manufacturers, will look at what they perceive they can sell, and in quantity as a RTR model. They wont necessarily look at your range and think, 'i know, i'll muck up his investment', as thats not what we are here for. However the fact that it does, isnt our fault.

 

The larger manufacturers have just taken time to get round to picking the higher hanging fruit, that's all, and you occupy that space already so it will continue to affect yours and others ranges.

 

cheers

Dave

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The sharks are not you, they're these critics! As you probably know looking a 3d renders gives you only a rough idea of what the product is going to and it depends on the angle of view.

There's two ways of perceiving these 'sharks', either as critics (which seems to be your opinion), or people that are interested in your potential product and are trying to help to make it the best it can be. How many 'sharks' were involved with the Dapol Western?

 

If I was in your position, I'd put images of the CAD work up for all to see and welcome any feedback, to make the product the best it could be within the commercial limits.

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Hi Roger,

 

I'm with Pugsley on this one, as i seriously believe that the use or forums is here to stay, for this type of thing.

 

With regards to the Western i have found it invaluable and its been good in that its shown members on here just what needs to go into a model, how it can go wrong, and how you eventually get it put right to the benefit of all.

 

Cheers

Dave

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I sympathise with kit manuafcturers who having invested in tooling for a kit, need to generate sufficient sales to cover their investment costs, generate a profit and hopefully a continuing income stream from that investment. However, I can't agree with the sentiment that if there is already a kit available none of the ready to run manufacturers should make a ready to run model available. It may be true that some modellers enjoy building kits, but personally, like many others, I'd much rather have a ready to run version. I've tried a few plastic kits, but have never been happy with the results. I'd much rather spend my time operating trains and if I have to spend time 'constructing' something, then it has to be baseboards, track, wiring etc, that are not so easy to produce in a ready to run format! I don't have enough time to also construct locomotives, wagons etc.

 

As for an earlier suggestion that kit makers should concentrate on prototypes that are unlikely to be produced ready to run, I can appreciate that kit designers and retailers need big sellers: I think the suggestion is that concentrating on models that are unlikely to be available ready to run reduces the risk to a kit manufacturer that the economics of a major tooling investment is suddenly changed adversely because a major manufacturer has announced a ready to run model. Therein lies the problem though: it may mean that no-one is likely to compete with the obscure kit, but it also means that the sales will be lower, the income stream will be much slower and therefore it will take considerably longer to cover the tooling investment costs. This means that more capital is tied up in the business and the return on that capital is lower.

 

As for the 'sharks', I'd have thought that comments on CAD drawings would have been helpful. Surely it is cheaper to have criticism before the model progresses to the tooling stage rather than when the model is actually released, reviews are critical and sales are impacted? I'm sure that much of the criticism is intended to be helpful and you can always choose to ignore it.

 

To return to topic, thanks Dave for updating us on when to expect these Turbots. They don't exactly fit my time period and I'd never buy a kit, but I could be tempted by a few ready to run versions.

 

Regards

 

David

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Ps one of the sharks on here is responsible for the non appearance of my sea urchin.

 

Roger, I might be one of those sharks, but its your choice - you suggested that your model would have compromises due to the limitations of your moulding process, and your customers gave feedback about whether they thought that would be acceptable. You could still go ahead, but YOU have chosen not to take the risk.

 

Jon

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  • 7 months later...

Hi Dave

 

Looking forward to the Turbots and just placed a pre-order for a couple.

 

Looking at the CAD drawings, I could not help but notice that they are depicting a cranked NEM coupler, similar to what another manufacturer uses.  In and of itself, not an issue for most, but those of use who use 3rd party couplers (Kadee, ect) end up having to butcher / modify their models in order to make them line up with everything else.

 

Is the cranked coupler 'set in stone' or is it simply there for show?

 

Thanks in advance!

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry Rob D2, that's just not funny and I publicly ask you to withdraw your comment that someone has already ill advisedly thought funny.

 

You should know as an adult that saying such daft things can only bring hassle and distress. You know as well as I do you should have said 'decade' not year.

 

As captain mainwaring would say 'stupid boy' ;-)

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I've got some Turbot kits on the go now too!

 

Sick of waiting i'll be dead by the time anything comes out that i want :beee:  so i'll be building my rake which is better as atleast the kit versions won't have the chunky look that rtr wagons do + its fun to do rather than just buying & weathering them up or should i say correcting the yellow stripe atleast before weathering them up! :no:

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