RMweb Gold Adam1701D Posted January 19, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 19, 2012 I'm happy with the Leyland National as looking "close enough" but will probably keep the VR and Lodekka as display models - not that they are too suitable for by London Country collection. If the Atlantean is similarly messed up, i wil not be a happy bunny! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1059 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 I may still buy a few to lurk at the back of the layout if the prices are now slashed in an effort to dispose of the current batch. STEVE Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixie Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 During my nine-to-five I'm employed to buy artists materials from Chinese OEMs, so I can certainly empathise that things do get 'lost in translation'! However, I would have thought from experience here that the OEM would have provided fully dimensioned drawings that would have to be signed off by the commissioning party where such scaling issues should have been picked up. I certainly know of another model railway manufacturer who recieved the CADs back from their contractor at HO scale (rather than 4mm/ft) so it does happen, however they were found before any tools were cut. There have been situations I've been involved in at work which has seen products produced outside of the agreed specification - the usual route is for the contractor to recieve back all the goods and supply replacements at spec ASAP (usually via airfreight) or if the the goods can be corrected here in the UK, the OEM is charged for all materials and labour involved. I'm not trying to point the finger at Bachmann or their contractor here, just saying there can be a lot of variables that those outside of the issue are unlikely to know. Pix (Who's got 2 containers of dud artists notebooks to deal with!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oreamnos Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 When Ixion/Dapol owned up to producing a British N gauge model (GWR steam loco) to the wrong scale (due to a communication mix up) they withdrew them and re-made it to the correct scale; exchanging customer bought models at no further cost. Will Bachmann match that I wonder? G. I strongly doubt they will. The Manor was an expensive bit of kit and as a loco was at the front and center part of our hobby. I think Ixion as such a small company really had no choice but to take the tack they did in order to salvage their corporate goodwill. By contrast, these buses are selling for a fiver (and hopefully for less soon!) and are one of the "supporting cast of players" part of our hobby. Bachmann as a larger company has also developed sufficient goodwill (and generally well earned, too) that they can afford to turn its back on this particular fiasco. I think the best we can hope for is for the problem to be corrected on future models. I simply returned my buses to Hattons for a refund, which was promptly issued. If other people cannot live with the error in scale I'd think returning them to their retailer is probably their best recourse. Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bingley hall Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Bachmann's response seems rather glib if the following suggestion that they knew about the problem almost 3 years ago is anything to go by......... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ngauge/message/135908 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oreamnos Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 If Bachmann indeed was told 3 years ago when the engineering prototypes went on show at Coventry Arena that the buses were the wrong scale, then I'd say it's time to resurrect the nickname we gave Bachmann here in the States during the 1970s and 1980s when the stuff it sold was just a hair better than complete rubbish: Botch-man. Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy L S Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 If Bachmann indeed was told 3 years ago when the engineering prototypes went on show at Coventry Arena that the buses were the wrong scale, then I'd say it's time to resurrect the nickname we gave Bachmann here in the States during the 1970s and 1980s when the stuff it sold was just a hair better than complete rubbish: Botch-man. Matt Hi Matt I have read this elsewhere, but in the fog of a busy day at Leamington maybe the comments never got through to the people they needed to. While I find it strange that this has happened, especially if they DID know they were to 1:160 when the vast bulk were likely to be bought by 1:148 modellers (and udoubtedly very frustrating for those who have been waiting so keenly for them) I do not think that this necessarily justifies the label you suggest. Look at the rest of their new products, like the B1, Class 24 Diesel, new 08, Mk1 coaches, to name just a few. The products are of excellent quality and to a standard us long time N Gauge modellers would never have dreamed of ten years ago. Yes, a shame this has happened, but give them a break, the business is run by people not machines, and we are all prone to make mistakes occasionally. Roy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oreamnos Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I agree completely with your sentiment, Roy, and I can see that I was misunderstood. I was trying to say that only with regard to these buses had Bachmann botched it. In general I have been very pleased with their products and - some spotty QC aside - as I posted elsewhere in this thread, the people on Moat Way in Barwell have genuinely earned the corporate goodwill they presently enjoy. Given how right they seem to have gotten so much else, that such a basic error was made with the buses is, as you have put it, strange. Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNCF stephen Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I think I might be one of the very few people who is considering buying these BECAUSE they are at 1:160. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted January 22, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 22, 2012 I'm still going to buy a Leyland National and I'm still going to use it on my layout - I doubt I could get one of the kits to the same standard so I'm not going to try. One question I do have though: Can I get the top off to add passengers? Metrorider next please Bachmann! Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 The body unclips quite easily, Simon. The interior has seats as well, though the passengers can't get their feet under the seat in front, of course! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted January 22, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 22, 2012 Thanks Bernard - good thing I can't paint shoes! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Given the number of legless passengers riding round in N-gauge stock adding passengers to these buses wouldn't be an issue- just use the bulk Continental ones rather than the bulk British ones to avoid having to cut the heads off too... Strange N-gauge passengers get legless without the aid of alcohol- or does this reflect the owner's desire for an odd tipple? (almost teetotal) Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
oreamnos Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 There are two threads about these buses on this site. (Is there anyway one of the Mods can combine them?) In the other thread, a poster has stated that he heard at Model Rail Scotland that Bachmann will not be retooling the underscale buses: http://www.rmweb.co....ft/page__st__25 Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold A Murphy Posted May 29, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 29, 2012 On the Bachmann website tonight they are saying a new batch of these have arrived, including the Leylend PD2 in Stockport Corporation livery. Does anybody know if these new arrivals are to 1:148, 1;152 or 1;160 scale? Cheers Alastair Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rope runner Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 On the Bachmann website tonight they are saying a new batch of these have arrived, including the Leylend PD2 in Stockport Corporation livery. Does anybody know if these new arrivals are to 1:148, 1;152 or 1;160 scale? Cheers Alastair Still 1:160 I'm afraid Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold A Murphy Posted June 1, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 1, 2012 Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeharvey22 Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 I have now got two of the Guy Arab II Utility buses and can confirm that they are almost exactly 1:160 on length and very close to that on height and width. So no good for 1:148 if placing near other vehicles. But the quality of the mouldings is very good, and the finish is good apart from the crests on the Birmingham buses which seem to have missed some stages of the printing process so are just dark blue/black blobs. There are two main compromises - the nearside front bulkhead window pillar on the outside appears over thick because it is adjacent to the thickness of the side moulding, and the nearside rear bulkhead window and panel are too narrow. They will be fine for me to re-livery and convert for a standalone project where 1:160 will not be a problem. I was astounded at the number of parts which go to make up these models - at least 17 - and can see why they were not re-tooled to get them to 1:148 scale. I still hope that they will continue to release the final basic moulding - the Leyland PD2 - as I have some conversion plans for that too. It will be interesting to compare the Farish models with the forthcoming Oxford Diecast version of the same bus which I am confident will be closer to 1:148 scale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLD Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Have to agree Mike. The quality of the models is certainly superior to the offerings from both Oxford and BT, but comletely undone by the fundamental issue of being the WRONG scale... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeharvey22 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 There is a photo of the Oxford Diecast Guy Utility in Southdown colours on Facebook along with the Plaxton Panorama in National Express livery. The Utility is decidely chunkier than the Farish model. The Panorama has flush glazing and follows the pattern of having glazing printed on to a clear plastic section. There is also some comment about Oxford Diecast's tooling costs - £4500 for an N car, £9000 for an N bus, £10000 for a 4mm scale large van, and upwards from £8500 for a 4mm scale van. https://www.facebook.com/groups/282491821467/ yesterday contained a vast number of posts on the new items including a lengthy dialogue with Lyndon Davies the MD (and owner) of Oxford Diecast, who stated the typical tooling costs and confirmed the tooling investment in N as over £250000 so far. Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky-CRS Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Where is this dialogue, which picture as I am struggling to find it wading through? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky-CRS Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Found it in a strange place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeharvey22 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Found it in a strange place. Sorry for not guiding you better earlier. I was on a train with a patchy internet connection! Glad you found it at last. Unfortunately Facebook is not very searchable! Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky-CRS Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 No it is quite bad to find slightly older stuff on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted October 13, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 13, 2013 I know I'm referring to a very old comment now, but my god, the hand wringing from a certain poster on this thread seems ridiculously excessive! Puts me right off reading this forum. The latest Oxford models look great! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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