DC and DCC missed a trick?

[matt-b]

Hello.

 

I been looking at the new starter sets that are now out.

Is it just me or has a trick been missed by not making them so they can standard sized boxes?

It looks like they have been custom made to suit the locos, wagons and coaches, but making them so they take standard boxes would have opened up the chance for mixing and matching?

 

Matt.

[Stevelewis]

That is exactly the reason why they've chosen dedicated openings for stock and loco... Using standard boxes allows the public to tamper with the contents, which are then sold at a loss. Far fetched? Ever worked in retail?

One of the  products  groups I work with occasionally is  high value  cosmetics  etc!! ( I dont use  them personally  of  course!!!)    Product  packaging  switching used to be  a  real problem,  but over the last year  or  two  the  marketing lads  woke  up  and, played  arouind  with  sizes  so that  the  problems are now  much  reduced

[steveb860]

What is the link  between the title of the thread and OP's question ?

[Barnaby]

I'm totally bemused by these posts well actually just the first one.  What are you saying Matt, you want dcc manufacturers to use standard sized boxes just so you can do what exactly?  

 

Regards

[Ron Ron Ron]

?????????

[ess1uk]

Think that the dc and dcc stater sets are in different boxes if I read it right?

Guess this is as has been said already is to stop someone tampering with boxes and swapping a dcc loco for a dc loco and walking out with the more expensive loco in the cheaper box.

[Oldddudders]

Think that the dc and dcc stater sets are in different boxes if I read it right?

Guess this is as has been said already is to stop someone tampering with boxes and swapping a dcc loco for a dc loco and walking out with the more expensive loco in the cheaper box.

The best guess yet at the OP's meaning!

[Barnaby]

So what trick is it that Matt thinks the manufacturers have missed.  Doing what they do with different boxes sounds like very good business sense to me.

 

Regards

[andyman7]

But at least I've found a post I can justify clicking on the 'Indecipherable' icon for   

[matt-b]

If you open up a Graham Farish set and look at the slots inside the box you will see they are standard sizing..ie - so things are interchangable!... was it that hard to understand, jeeeeez!!!!

 

My question is why did Dapol not go down this route, i can see some have replied with answers, others just have ago... SEEMS VERY TYPCIAL OF THIS SITE!

[Andy Y]

If you open up a Graham Farish set and look at the slots inside the box you will see they are standard sizing..ie - so things are interchangable!... was it that hard to understand, jeeeeez!!!!

 

My question is why did Dapol not go down this route, i can see some have replied with answers, others just have ago... SEEMS VERY TYPCIAL OF THIS SITE!

 

Matt; your original post was far from clear so your post is somewhat insulting. It's not typical of this site at all, a lot of people bend over backwards but rudeness makes them reticent to do so next time.

[DapolDave]

Hi Matt,

 

I understand the confusion and perhaps I can help.

 

There are 2 Ian box sizes only,

The DC box is smaller than the DCC one because these are judged as starter sets and only have a Gaugemaster Combi controller in it and associated stock and small oval of track.

 

The DCC set is larger to offer more track, a DCC fitted loco plus associated stock and the larger Gaugemaster Prodigy Express DCC controller.

 

Now, the inner plastic tray is the only variable expense as it will change as Dapol change the look and stock, in its sets over the years.

The 2 size boxes are the only ones we will use for train set packs or the foreseeable future.

 

I hope this helps clarify things.

Cheers

Dave

[Nile]

The packaging style Dapol has chosen to use for its train sets (a vac-formed tray) dispenses with the need for individual stock boxes (apart from the loco). This saves both the cost and weight of the stock boxes, vac-forms being both light and cheap to produce. Seems like a sensible business decision to me.

 

The bad grammar in the original post didn't help its case.

[alfsboy]

Looks to be a great product .Really decent high quality starter set  .I would love one of these in my Christmas  pillow case but  settle for a bottle of JD or two to drown my disappointment...sigh .Cant say I understood the original post .Who cares about the packaging in a starter set ?.Its rip it all off and get playing ...isnt it ?.Well it was for me about 60 odd years ago.

[Barnaby]

I'm in your team alfsboy and the time period too.

[RWJP]

On the original topic: I've always seen the way Farish do things in their sets as wasteful. Carboard box, plastic tray and plastic boxes for each individual item in the tray. That's just excessive and most likely quite expensive. Considering how much plastic is put into Landfill every year, the less of it used in packaging, the better!

Whilst Dapol will need a new tray made for each set, I imagine that will be a cheaper method rather than having to provide a tray, plus multiple stock boxes in each and every set.

And Matt, please don't be rude to the rest of the community. When I read the topic of your post, I assumed you were talking about a feature that both DC and DCC controllers missed out on. Then when I read your post I began to understand that you were infact talking about the starter sets. Perhaps you whould have titled this post: "Have Dapol missed a trick with their DC and DCC starter sets." That would have made a lot more sense, and would have allowed us to understand the rest of your post a lot easier!

[steveb860]

Don't throw your toys out of the cot Matt,I simply did not understand what you were getting at.

[Kal]

Hi

 

Maybe I missed something, but this was in the Dapol section, so why would it apply to all DC and DCC?  I thought the point of having sections is that the threads applied to that section.

 

When read in that context, I am not sure where the difficulty lies.

 

I think it was a question that was fair to ask, and Dave gave an answer, I agree the response from the OP was strong, but I can see where he is coming from.

[steveb860]

Hi

 

Maybe I missed something, but this was in the Dapol section, so why would it apply to all DC and DCC?  I thought the point of having sections is that the threads applied to that section.

 

When read in that context, I am not sure where the difficulty lies.

 

I think it was a question that was fair to ask, and Dave gave an answer, I agree the response from the OP was strong, but I can see where he is coming from.

Do you disagree with the fact that I didn't get what the OP was asking before the answers were posted, because I can assure you, I was confused by what he was asking, just like many others it would seem.

[matt-b]

Right.. people aint getting what i`m trying to put.. i`m not on about the overall box, that makes no difference, the thing i`m on about is inside, where the models sit! The plastic tray.

Looking at the new Dapol sets they have shapes formed in this case for example to fit a 73 and 2 cargowaggons (hope everyone is still with me!)

Now my question was...which Dave has answered... how comes they have gone down this route and not like Farish do and make a slot which the plastic shell would then sit in. (every model comes with one). All locos, coaches and wagons share the same dimensions on the shells? meaning that the 73 could be replaced with a 66 for example cause it would fill the gap.

 

[oreamnos]

 

Right.. people aint getting what i`m trying to put..

 

[edit]

 

There must be a generation gap here regarding language and grammar.  I would have phrased the statment above as, "I'm afraid I'm not making myself clear" instead of criticising my audience for being uable to understand a poorly worded post.

 

I think it should be mentnioned that not all Dapol stock box "shells" (as the OP seems to be calling them) are the same size; there are two different sizes.  Its tank locos and 4 wheel wagons come in a smaller box than its boxes for tender locos, coaches, and bogie wagons.  Perhaps the OP is already aware of this but given that he wrote, "All locos, coaches and wagons share the same dimensions on the shells?" just in case that genuinely was a question I thought I would answer it.

[dave flint]

I don't see how the public can open up this boxes and switch loco's. No, it strikes me as a way to stop retailers from splitting sets as selling off the contents individually - at least not without having to describe them as unboxed.

 

I'm sure the OP could have phrased his post better, but some of the responses on here are OTT and a bit strong too.

[matt-b]

I noticed alot of people clicked the Indecipherable/Unsure of meaning and the Disagree buttons.. and thats fine, i dont mind at all. I admitt i`m not great at getting my words across. 

They say a picture tells a 1000 words and hopefully the picture now makes it clear what i was on about?

Could someone explain the ideas behind having these options for people to click? Surely if you click Disagree then you should have to say why and a solution.

It seems to easy to just click a button..I bet if you had to give reasons or constructive criticism then 90% of people wouldnt click it.

I know other sites dont use options like this cause it gets abused!

I`m all for the positive ones just 2 of them seem very negative?

[Dagworth]

Matt, have a dig through this topic http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/71655-whats-with-all-the-coloured-buttons-below-each-post/

 

 

Andi

[frobisher]

I`m all for the positive ones just 2 of them seem very negative?

Not that negative at all I'd say. Disagree is pretty mild, and Indecipherable is quite descriptive, and some posters really need to consider what they are typing for communication purposes.

 

Disagree is actually a better negative response than I have seen on other forums. You can be civil and Disagree, but it's hard to be civil when you Dislike something. Another forum I frequent has Thanks and Groan which causes a lot of polarisation (especially when it is customary to Groan bad jokes, but also posts you disagree with...). A multiple choice feedback system without the ability for non-positive feedback is just an exercise in back slapping.