Rapido/Locomotion Models GNR Stirling Single

[nerron]

 

What is going on??? I received an email from UPS advising delivery to Sydney on Friday 31/8. Two hours later another email advising the delivery had been cancelled by the NRM.I ordered as soon as it was announced and paid in full on 10/8. I will ring Locomotion this evening and hope  I can get an answer to this mess.

 

I phoned last evening only to be greeted by an answering machine.As I put down the phone an email from UPS advised a parcel from the NRM is scheduled for delivery on Tuesday.Checking the tracking this morning shows it is on its way. Fingers crossed!

[kwste]

After I had overcome the first enthusiasm, I became more courageous. a DCC chip was installed and thoroughly tested.

A very nice locomotive. However ... after a while she started screaming especially at medium speed. Not so bad, but annoying.

So disillusioned fall the last inhibitions. The coal seems to be an extra part. Out with it. The fans must be removed beforehand. The coal is then loose, but still holds on the crankcase of the brake. He broke off, as did the crank. Both, however, can be stuck again.

The bottom of the coal box shows rivets and is formed.

 

Two questions. Has anyone noticed this gear crank? And is there already a speaker preinstalled in the tender?

 

Aristoteles

 

 

[jwealleans]

I had spotted that the handbrake standard would probably come out with the coal, but as you say it can be stuck back. Did the mushroom vents just pull out?

Edited August 30, 2018 by jwealleans

[kwste]

The vents are easily glued. They are made of brass and can be pulled out without damage.

[Darius43]

I have now received the second of the three Stirling Singles that I ordered, which leaves a third and final one to be delivered.

When I spoke to Locomotion a few weeks ago they confirmed that had I ordered theee locos and this is borne out by the receipts that were posted to me separately to the despatch of the locos.

However I was contacted by someone at NRM York last week and they were of the opinion that I had only ordered two locos not three and that the second loco would be delivered soon, which it has been.

This leaves the third as yet to be delivered loco. I have emailed NRM as per the recent posting on this thread with attached scans of the receipts that Locomotion sent to me to see what is going to happen regarding the third loco.

Fingers crossed this will be resolved soon.

Darius

I have heard back from Tom Mackie and the third loco will he delivered soon

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[robmcg]

I have heard back from Tom Mackie and the third loco will he delivered soon

 

Cheers

 

Darius

 

For what it's worth (and it is only three days since emailing Tom about my paid-for order)  I have still heard nothing. Three emails to Locomotion unanswered in the last month.  

 

Nothing from anyone at Locomotion, nor the NRM,  nor anyone at all about my paid order for a DC loco.   Stuart wrote here in this thread that these o'seas DC orders had been 'done' some time ago now.

 

Complete silence.  Only the auto email when I paid the total over 5 weeks ago.  With my address and email address , freight and VAT all correct.

 

I live in hope....  I'm trying to be kind. 

[Andy Hayter]

The problem may well be Rob that order taking stopped in May.  If you ordered 5 weeks ago you missed the cut date.  While we are assured there will be some spares, at the moment I would guess the priorities are to sort out everyone who ordered before the cut-off date.

[robmcg]

The problem may well be Rob that order taking stopped in May.  If you ordered 5 weeks ago you missed the cut date.  While we are assured there will be some spares, at the moment I would guess the priorities are to sort out everyone who ordered before the cut-off date.

 

Indeed.

 

A note to that effect would be nice.

 

But you may well be right. Thanks.

[nerron]

For what it's worth (and it is only three days since emailing Tom about my paid-for order)  I have still heard nothing. Three emails to Locomotion unanswered in the last month.  

 

Nothing from anyone at Locomotion, nor the NRM,  nor anyone at all about my paid order for a DC loco.   Stuart wrote here in this thread that these o'seas DC orders had been 'done' some time ago now.

 

Complete silence.  Only the auto email when I paid the total over 5 weeks ago.  With my address and email address , freight and VAT all correct.

 

I live in hope....  I'm trying to be kind. 

Rob,

I am surprised you have not heard from Tom as I have had two emails from him in the last two days.I know he is on leave from 3 to 10 September. I have found the best means of contact is a phone call. My SS is on a world tour and has just left Honolulu! I sympathise with your feeling of frustration.                                                          

[Floreat Industria]

Tom has fixed up my return and replacement and I had a phone call from Locomotion yesterday. It's all in the hands of the carrier now so I am crossing my fingers!

[robmcg]

Rob,

I am surprised you have not heard from Tom as I have had two emails from him in the last two days.I know he is on leave from 3 to 10 September. I have found the best means of contact is a phone call. My SS is on a world tour and has just left Honolulu! I sympathise with your feeling of frustration.                                                          

 

I don't recall seeing Tom Mackie's phone number, only his email address. The Locomotion number I thought was mostly answer machine, and the team are as Tom has said, very busy.

 

I incline to think that because my apparently valid order was not made until 23 July it is in the list (if there is a list) for spare models after the delivery debacle has been sorted out.

 

The web site 'form' at the time of the order made it clear that a full-price purchase was ok, and I received a payment advice and order number which I have quoted in now five emails to two different addresses; Tom's recently offered one and 'queries at Locomotion', also a PM to Stuart... but still no reaction.  I can only assume my emails and order number are buried or there is too much to do.

 

Ringing from NZ is tricky for me for a number of reasons.

Edited September 1, 2018 by robmcg

[Steamport Southport]

I wouldn't panic.

 

I was a late orderer (May I think) and received mine about two weeks ago. My transaction was fine without any of the problems others have had.

 

Yes I would've liked notifications, but it's quite understandable why I didn't receive any.

 

 

 

 

Jason

[robmcg]

Thanks Jason, it's posts like that which allow me to try at least  to be calm and mature about it all!  My head says that the good people at NRM and Locomotion will sort it all out in due course.  As they have said so themselves.

 

Cheers

[adb968008]

I understand that my issues will be resolved on Tuesday.

[nerron]

Mine arrived this morning six days after it left the UK. I was most impressed with the robust and careful packaging.In the end Locomotion have made good the initial mix up.

Edited September 3, 2018 by nerron

[robmcg]

Someone had to do it, sooner or later...

 

 

picture edited, will remove if required, and no still no word from Locomotion, nor a model. that's why God invented PSP6 photo editing software.

Edited September 4, 2018 by robmcg

[adb968008]

Well, another day comes, and it goes.

We are now into week 8.

 

It appears Thomas Mackie’s promises of investigation and delivery today were false.

Nothing has been recieved.

 

I am now quite annoyed and ready to pursue further. I am interested to hear from anyone via pm, who is in a similar position and maybe discuss off forum.

[JSpencer]

Time to compare with a scale drawing.

 

Rule 1, scale drawings are never wrong.

Rule 2, if you think the rule 1 is wrong, read rule 1 again.

 

Overall it is a tad longer than the drawings, putting aside the drawbar distance, the loco part is a tad longer. I,m inclined to believe Rapido of course.

 

 

 

 

 

And now a glimpse of the single with 6 wheelers. The chassis won,t be universal, they are all different lengths depending on whether it's first or 3rd class, or composite brake....

 

 

 

 

While we are here, a couple of pics of the NRM Atlantic with a drawing, also with various differences.

 

[robmcg]

Well, another day comes, and it goes.

We are now into week 8.

 

It appears Thomas Mackie’s promises of investigation and delivery today were false.

Nothing has been recieved.

 

I am now quite annoyed and ready to pursue further. I am interested to hear from anyone via pm, who is in a similar position and maybe discuss off forum.

 

Thanks to your intervention adb968008 it appears that my order has been investigated by Stuart, Tom being on leave, and it seems what I thought was full price in fact may not have been, so the ambiguities of the web purchase, or my stupidity, combined with the delivery debacle and 6 or so emails on my part finally resolved into a request for a deposit, or proof of a deposit, so the order can proceed. Yet I had paid 'in full' and was given an order number with tax and delivery included.

 

Confused, I was, still am, (and have now requested a refund). If the full price was and is £220 I owe everyone an apology. I paid 'in full' £179.

 

Another question arises.  Having bought a couple of Ivatt Atlantics and a Duchess from the NRM in the past, how confident can I be that an order will be processed in reasonable time?   Probably 'give it a miss', as they say. 

 

So apologies from me, and now a humble quiet disappearance from view may be in order!. 

[mozzer models]

Thanks to your intervention adb968008 it appears that my order has been investigated by Stuart, Tom being on leave, and it seems what I thought was full price in fact may not have been, so the ambiguities of the web purchase, or my stupidity, combined with the delivery debacle and 6 or so emails on my part finally resolved into a request for a deposit, or proof of a deposit, so the order can proceed. Yet I had paid 'in full' and was given an order number with tax and delivery included.

 

Confused, I was, still am, (and have now requested a refund). If the full price was and is £220 I owe everyone an apology. I paid 'in full' £179.

 

Another question arises.  Having bought a couple of Ivatt Atlantics and a Duchess from the NRM in the past, how confident can I be that an order will be processed in reasonable time?   Probably 'give it a miss', as they say. 

 

So apologies from me, and now a humble quiet disappearance from view may be in order!. 

 

 

from the Locomotion web site 

 

Important Pricing Information – This is for balance payments for existing customers who have pre-ordered by paying a £50 deposit.

To pay a balance for an order placed after 1st November 2016 click on the links below:

Balance for DCC Ready version £179

Balance for Sound version £279

To pay a balance on an order placed prior to 31st October 2016 click on the links below:

Balance for DCC ready £149

Balance for Sound version £239

[adb968008]

Indeed, after speaking & emailing with a number of seniors today, I was able to get Stuart to a phone today. it’s taken 5 hours of trying various means and even then it would seem grudgingly by chance following insistence, pure good luck and on a different phone number than listed on the Locomotion models website, rather than by their reactions to a concern and chasing me.

 

The conversation was frank, the responses he asked me not to repeat here, so I will remain honourable. But another promise has been made, an intriguing explanation, added to my log of calls, emails, but i’m told Stuart, like Tom, Amanda before him, that he will sort it.

 

It somehow seems to be insurmountably difficult to take a box off a pallet, put a label on it and put it in a dispatch bin.

 

Needless to say my order is valid, but unfulfilled Confidence, remains low, but slightly raised again, so let’s see what comes this time. I don’t hold any individual responsible, and I wouldn’t want to be working in the position of dealing with this either, i’m sure right now this is an unpleasant job.

 

Despite comments about other traders made in this forum over the years I have found this the least pleasant experience, and may yet serve as a case study on why Pre-paying for models is a bad idea, but it’s too soon to be looking in retrospect..it’s not over yet, looking at the pictures is amazingly frustrating but hopefully it’s going to be worth the unprecedented efforts I’ve had to goto today and the wait.

 

Whilst my situation wasn’t resolved today, i’m glad to hear I’ve helped Rob, even if it wasn’t the outcome he wanted.

 

To sum today in 1 word.. persistence, hopefully I won’t need it and can focus on “playing trains” instead.

Edited September 5, 2018 by adb968008

[robmcg]

from the Locomotion web site 

 

Important Pricing Information – This is for balance payments for existing customers who have pre-ordered by paying a £50 deposit.

To pay a balance for an order placed after 1st November 2016 click on the links below:

Balance for DCC Ready version £179

Balance for Sound version £279

To pay a balance on an order placed prior to 31st October 2016 click on the links below:

Balance for DCC ready £149

Balance for Sound version £239

 

Indeed I didn't think it was full price, but the site also said that my payment would be automatically adjusted for over or under-payment (via my card presumably)  by the way the above is not the information as it was laid out on my screen in July.

 

and my payment wasn't adjusted by Locomotion..

 

And it had an order number and a total representing 'full payment', with VAT removed and delivery added. Presumably Stuart at Locomotion will either ask me for a further UKP50 with appropriate tax adjustments, or I will have the option to cancel and receive a refund..

 

I'm tired of this, to be honest.

 

At the point in early July when orders had closed I enquired at queries@locomotion.com as to a purchase of a DC version and after about 10 days got a request for me to state whether I wanted 'a DC model or a DC sound model' (their words), and they would 'put me on the list'. I replied immediately that yes I had already asked for a DC model, would you 'please put me on the list'. A few days later I paid, thinking it would improve the process, via their website which at that time described UKP179 as being full price, the 'total' with I realise now the balance owing after a deposit, not the full price.

 

My fault ?  Yes.   My error?  Yes. The website at no time said I had to pay more. It had said that money owing or to be refunded would be done automatically. It gave me an order number and all details.

 

I should not have expected plain sailing after the delivery debacle, but at that early stage would have paid extra, even though it would make me liable for heavy NZ import duty (applies over $NZ400 approx UKP200)...

 

but no longer.  The pleasure has all gone because Locomotion do not have appear to have the resources currently contact me in a timely manner (or at all, but for adb968008) , nor answer my six emails, I only got attention by sheer chance and adb968008's good fortune in making contact with Stuart.

 

No doubt I have 'been impatient' given that orders had closed, and the extra models available would be allocated after pre-orders had been fulfilled . It hasn't been a great buying experience and will probably not proceed now.

 

I have enjoyed making photos of others' models though. 

Edited September 5, 2018 by robmcg

[jwealleans]

While we are here, a couple of pics of the NRM Atlantic with a drawing, also with various differences.

The principal one, surely, being that the model and drawing aren't of the same locomotive?

[JSpencer]

The principal one, surely, being that the model and drawing aren't of the same locomotive?

Indeed the earlier Atlentic which is also preserved.

[JSpencer]

Indeed I didn't think it was full price, but the site also said that my payment would be automatically adjusted for over or under-payment (via my card presumably)  by the way the above is not the information as it was laid out on my screen in July.

 

and my payment wasn't adjusted by Locomotion..

 

And it had an order number and a total representing 'full payment', with VAT removed and delivery added. Presumably Stuart at Locomotion will either ask me for a further UKP50 with appropriate tax adjustments, or I will have the option to cancel and receive a refund..

 

I'm tired of this, to be honest.

 

At the point in early July when orders had closed I enquired at queries@locomotion.com as to a purchase of a DC version and after about 10 days got a request for me to state whether I wanted 'a DC model or a DC sound model' (their words), and they would 'put me on the list'. I replied immediately that yes I had already asked for a DC model, would you 'please put me on the list'. A few days later I paid, thinking it would improve the process, via their website which at that time described UKP179 as being full price, the 'total' with I realise now the balance owing after a deposit, not the full price.

 

My fault ?  Yes.   My error?  Yes. The website at no time said I had to pay more. It had said that money owing or to be refunded would be done automatically. It gave me an order number and all details.

 

I should not have expected plain sailing after the delivery debacle, but at that early stage would have paid extra, even though it would make me liable for heavy NZ import duty (applies over $NZ400 approx UKP200)...

 

but no longer.  The pleasure has all gone because Locomotion do not have appear to have the resources currently contact me in a timely manner (or at all, but for adb968008) , nor answer my six emails, I only got attention by sheer chance and adb968008's good fortune in making contact with Stuart.

 

No doubt I have 'been impatient' given that orders had closed, and the extra models available would be allocated after pre-orders had been fulfilled . It hasn't been a great buying experience and will probably not proceed now.

 

I have enjoyed making photos of others' models though.

 

I am quite sympathetic but can equally imagine Locomotions predicament in this. You missed the pre-order deadline, had your name added to a list of which we can be sure you are no where near the top of it.

You then went and used the pay the remainder part on their site, knowing full well you never paid the £50 deposite. That page has not changed in years and was there to allow people who had paid their deposits, to pay off the remainder. I,m not sure why you would think full price is £179, when it was £199 when first announced, then later £230 but maybe in your haste, you overlooked that.

If locomotion credit you back, they face a bank change on top of the one they already had when you used their site. They then have moral questions.

Do they allow you to jump ahead of the rest on the list? What happens if your name was far enough down that you just missed out? Do they now deprive someone else? I think not.

As we have seen on here, there are still people out there who met the deadlines but have yet to get a parcel that must surely be sorted before dealing with those that came after after the deadline and part of a list.

 

I agree it is rather unprofessional that any mails you sent are not replied too, but equally I can imagine some head scratching on their part trying to think how best to explain it. Something for which they probably don,t have time for. Keep trying to contact them by all means but please try to see the other side of the story. It is rather a special case.