stewartingram Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I'm still unsure of what type of coach these are? Not bothered about the source, just wondering if they are suitable for a bit of 'cut & shut' to give a representative (only) rake for LT steam use? Thinking of the coaches ony as a cheap source of material really. Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
orcadian Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Unless I'm way out on my memory time scale, wasn't it some two or three years ago that Hachette tested the water with a very similar projected series? At the time, there was a great rush to get Issue 1 and its cheap coach, but so few follow-on subscriptions that the series was 'spiked'. Please, has anyone who has bought this one still got the Mark 1 coach from the previous attempt? If so, how do they compare? If very similar or identical, then we could get an idea of the age of the tooling, at least. Although all details are moulded, so it seems, the pictures show quite a good Mk 1 roof to my feeble eyes - no covering bars/ridges on joints between roof panels, and reasonably flush glazing, which was not a feature of Lima or Mainline! Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
18B Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 It must be extremely hard to judge the numbers on these things, for issue one seems to have sold really well, and yet from this forum, it would seem that only 1 in 5 purchases are by a seperate indivdual and thus, with only a tiny proportion ever likely to see it through to the end, that's prob several hundred issue 1's to one person who buys the lot. Are they selling issue one as a loss leader? or can it really be produced for £3:99? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Unless I'm way out on my memory time scale, wasn't it some two or three years ago that Hachette tested the water with a very similar projected series? At the time, there was a great rush to get Issue 1 and its cheap coach, but so few follow-on subscriptions that the series was 'spiked'. Please, has anyone who has bought this one still got the Mark 1 coach from the previous attempt? If so, how do they compare? If very similar or identical, then we could get an idea of the age of the tooling, at least. Although all details are moulded, so it seems, the pictures show quite a good Mk 1 roof to my feeble eyes - no covering bars/ridges on joints between roof panels, and reasonably flush glazing, which was not a feature of Lima or Mainline! Richard In all fairness to Mainline though, their RU was probably one of the best coaches produced for a long time, and it didn't need flush glazing. I still buy them now if they're a tenner or less. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dorset Wanderer Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Even my local convenience store had! them. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertcwp Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 In all fairness to Mainline though, their RU was probably one of the best coaches produced for a long time, and it didn't need flush glazing. I still buy them now if they're a tenner or less. The Mainline buffet was an RB not an RU - a different vehicle type and a major omission from the current RTR range in 00 in my view. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelson Jackson Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 They are already hitting eBay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dorset Wanderer Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Should post and say they are available from WHS,ASDA and local convenience stores at £3.99- and One Stop in Hampshire/Dorset anyway! Hope they sell for £1- teach the greedy people! Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
18B Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 They are already hitting eBay. Under what listing, I couldnt seem to see them, I searched Mki coach and couldn't see them Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dorset Wanderer Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Your model railway village Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
18B Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 They are all buy it nows, and to be entirely fair, Given the way some people have hoovered them all up from their local shops, you can't blame folk for putting them on as there will be some disapointed poeple out there when they pop into smiths reading room after seeing it advertised on the tele, only to be told some bloke came in a took the lot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 The track is not an equivalent of a Hornby, or Peco, setrack length, at 230mm it is a Roco setrack length. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim49 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 The bogie & pivot post as shown in 5BEL's post 113 reminds me of Mainline/Replica style. Has anyone had these apart yet? Are the body sides moulded with the roof or to the chassis or are all three separate from one another? Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman7 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I picked up a couple of these coaches with track piece on card backing only (no magazine) a few months back from a toy fair stand for £4 each; they are identical to the ones in this partwork. My view at the time (which hasn't changed) is that they are contract manufactured by Bachmann/Sanda Kan. The production run will be enormous by modern model railway standards (probably 10,000 plus compared to maybe 1500-2000 pieces for the average mainstream release); with modern CAD/CAM techniques this almost ceratinly means new tooling made using drawings/design elements already on hand from Bachmann/Replica production, easily amortised over the production run of this size. Re impact on Hornby Railroad coaches - minimal I would say, especially as there are no Brake ends - but they are cracking value at the price. Obviously collecting the full set of 120 mags at £5.99 for issue 2 and £8.99 for the rest is where the money will be made by Hachette, and they know and will budget for only a fraction of the buyers of issue 1 continuing - but if it gets anyone new into the hobby, I don't really have a problem with it. It does make me wonder whether there is market for uber-cheap items where the basic shape and construction is sound but that leave lots of scope for added detail - coaches at maybe £8.99 and wagons at £3? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 is this the one ive seen advertised 3 times tonight on tv? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
orcadian Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Are they selling issue one as a loss leader? or can it really be produced for £3:99? Yes, most certainly! It's the standard formula for these part-works, cf Titanic, Flying Scotsman in 0 Gauge (remember that one?) and numerous others. Then the price increases by steps for the next few parts, and becomes subscription-only . By which time, all those who wanted the 'sprats' but weren't willing to buy the 'mackerels' have worked out the total cost for the whole series and disappear, happy with what they've had. At this point, in many cases, the publishers know that they haven't won the Golden Ticket and the series is abandoned, or put away in the cupboard for a few more years. But, as the publishers certainly know it's a marketing ploy, and the aware customers also know it, then it seems to be completely fair for those who feel that the coach is good value in itself to buy it and wave bye-bye! I don't think the publishers of this sort of part-work make their decisions until the subscription period starts. they do not deserve to survive in business if they base their future plans on the sales of the loss-leader alone! Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderer08 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Looking at the picture in the magazine and publicity material supplied the jinty appears to be the standard Bachmann model, albeit unnumbered. Would anyone with greater knowledge be able to tell me if they have to supply the exact model they depict in the literature? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dorset Wanderer Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Looking at the picture in the magazine and publicity material supplied the jinty appears to be the standard Bachmann model, albeit unnumbered. Would anyone with greater knowledge be able to tell me if they have to supply the exact model they depict in the literature? It appears from the blurb that the loco and controls are to be available as an offer to subscribers- A Jinty for £8.99- that would be a result! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
18B Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 Thank you for all the breakdowns of costings, I had started another thread to specifically ask the question whether thee is a market for ultra cheap (coas) models, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Deltic Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 is this the one ive seen advertised 3 times tonight on tv? More than likely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
18B Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 It appears from the blurb that the loco and controls are to be available as an offer to subscribers- A Jinty for £8.99- that would be a result! It's an offer, so its not one of the part works, it'll prob be something like under/circa £30 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunderer08 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 In the blurb it's a little vague as to whether the jinty comes with issue 4 or is an extra special offer with issue 4. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Huw Griffiths Posted August 29, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 29, 2013 The bogie & pivot post as shown in 5BEL's post 113 reminds me of Mainline/Replica style. Has anyone had these apart yet? Are the body sides moulded with the roof or to the chassis or are all three separate from one another? Separate. The bogies unclip from the chassis - they're held in by pivots with a slot running along the centre line. The couplers "float" in shaped openings under the chassis - but have springs hooked to the "inside" ends of the couplers. The other end of these springs go to hooks moulded to the floor. If you carefully remove the bogies, couplers and springs, you'll notice 3 flat-ended Philips screws - removing these allows you to release the chassis/ends moulding and the interior/seating moulding. The sides are self-coloured - and have "flush" window mouldings attached to them (I haven't tried removing the windows - but they look like they have a number of small, round holes, hidden from outside view by window pillars on the sides - the "interior" faces of the sides have "pins" that fit into these holes). You'll then notice 5 slots at the top of each side - not visible from outside, when the coach is assembled. There are lugs on the roof moulding, which snap into these slots. I hope at least some of this makes sense to someone. Huw. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Adam1701D Posted August 29, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 29, 2013 I've picked up a couple from my local newsagent this morning, with an eye to seeing how suitable they are for my EMU conversions. For the price, they are amazing value, particularly with those NEM close-couplers. Now, what to do with them....? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 7013 Posted August 29, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted August 29, 2013 I am a little concerned about people labelling multiple buyers as greedy. If one went into your local shop or was at an exhibition and bought a few coaches this would be perfectly acceptable, IMHO so is going to Smiths and buying a few of these coaches. What is greedy is if someone bought up the whole of a shops stock to profit from resale.I bought five because they fulfilled a need for me and there were at the very least ten more in the box, I must admit I did feel a little guilty but I knew once they became common knowledge they would fly, as they have done.I am not for profiteering but I am for buying them whilst they are cheap, each individual knows what their needs are, mine was for extra MK 1 s to expand my small fleet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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