D&S Models

[micklner]

If you look at post 105 above it's been posted here 2 months ago.

 

Could have saved some exclamation marks.....

 

I totally agree , not much point in ordering what might not exist however     . My point also was he might be busy !!  

[PenrithBeacon]

I totally agree , not much point in ordering what might not exist however . My point also was he might be busy !!

Whatever happened to the concept that a customer comes first?

[Bucoops]

Coming back into the hobby after many years out it does seem that some suppliers seem to be run on the basis of "whatever". The extreme is of course cooper-craft, but I've had and am having issues with Markits, I'd like to uy some GE kits from D&S and the new batch look of interest but I'm rather nervous. If I send a cheque off, I don't really want to have to keep ensuring I have that money in my account for an unknown length of time, and then also not knowing how long until I can expect my eagerly wanted kits...

 

Conversely - I'm sure it would be easy for a supplier to just pull the plug and then we wouldn't have these items at all.

[chris p bacon]

In answer to the 2 replies above.

With Dan the customer does come first, there just happens to be a lot of them. Following the death of his wife some years ago he really is a one man band, etching, casting as well as fulfilling orders. 

 

If you're worried about sending off a cheque then call him first and find out when the etches are due and what the timescales are.

 

You really couldn't meet a nicer and more helpful chap, he still does the OO kits because of demand even though he has enough to do with 7mm.

[Bucoops]

Oh I don't doubt it - I don't mean to sound disparaging but it's a strange hobby when even the suppliers work to hobby timescales. And I should probably clarify - I'm not putting Markits or D&S in the same boat as coopercraft!

[chris p bacon]

Oh I don't doubt it - I don't mean to sound disparaging but it's a strange hobby when even the suppliers work to hobby timescales. And I should probably clarify - I'm not putting Markits or D&S in the same boat as coopercraft!

 

I don't doubt you, but when I dropped in there were sheets and sheets of etches that had just been delivered and needed dealing with, in the afternoon he said he had 4-5 hours of continuous casting.  

 

All this and he should probably be retired . . .I'm glad he's not.

[31A]

Just to let anyone who might be waiting know, my LNER 4-w "General Van" kit was delivered today, with a note on the invoice apologising for the delay due to waiting for frets.  Having first met Dan at local model railway exhibitions in the Beds / Herts area back in the '70s and dealt with him on many occasions since, I'd wholeheartedly endorse Chris Dave's comments above.

[RANGERS]

Dan really is doing this as little more than a hobby nowadays and keeping the demand in line with what he can actually produce is a tricky balancing act. Whilst it does take a bit of effort to buy from him, that we have that option is something for which we should be thankful, unless of course anyone has another option for GER bogie coaches etc?

[newcastle_central]

I ordered 4 NER kits from the last batch and Dan is a true gent and consumate professional. My kits arrived very quickly as I ordered when the list was announced. If you ring and speak to him he'll tell you when the kits might be available and payment only goes when the kits are ready. These kits are excellent, rare in terms of prototype and are eye-watering second hand. I for one was immensely glad when Dan started re-doing the 4mm kits even if only on a hobby basis and with longer lead-time. You're never going to be mislead or promised something that can't be delivered. The hobby could do with another 20 Dans.

[Paul Cram]

I totally agree. My kits have now arrived not that I ever diubted they would. I have ordered several item over the past lists and they have always arrived. Would you rather pay ebay prices?

[EHertsGER]

Out in the Colonies chances of getting stuff is hopeless.

With no UK bank account, payment by cheque is realistically impossible .

PayPal acceptance by vendors helps tremendously.

In my dealings with Danny from over here I have used the wire transfer method, but that is expensive, attracting a fee of $ 40. I have only been able to justify this as my orders were quite large (several orders of 20+ kits at a time). Certainly they take time, but Danny can only work at a certain speed, so best sit tight. They will arive!

[DougN]

I know this is a bit of a crazy question, (I have just looked in the box of kits to build and found 7 D&S kits to be built) does any one know of the new list as the last one from Jonathan, ran out in January this year.

[jwealleans]

I haven't seen a list since and my order only came just before Christmas (with a couple more to follow). I'm not expecting another one before Easter, tbh, but I expect to see Danny at Ally Pally so I can ask him if there's no definite news before then.

 

If you run out, do you fancy putting some of mine together for the practice?

Edited January 26, 2018 by jwealleans

[Bucoops]

I've had a response to a letter I sent and in it Dan says he's hoping to get a new list out next month.

[micklner]

Perhaps I will get my list then ?? (126) 

[chris p bacon]

I'm popping over either later or in a day or so, I'll ask and report back.

[cctransuk]

Coming back into the hobby after many years out it does seem that some suppliers seem to be run on the basis of "whatever". The extreme is of course cooper-craft, but I've had and am having issues with Markits, I'd like to uy some GE kits from D&S and the new batch look of interest but I'm rather nervous. If I send a cheque off, I don't really want to have to keep ensuring I have that money in my account for an unknown length of time, and then also not knowing how long until I can expect my eagerly wanted kits...

 

Conversely - I'm sure it would be easy for a supplier to just pull the plug and then we wouldn't have these items at all.

 

The first few words of your post are the answer to your problem!

 

Coming back into the hobby after many years - the suppliers that you fondly remember as reliable and prompt are now many years older, and many (most?) of them are 'one-man-bands'.

 

I can think of a considerable number of suppliers that I used back in the 1970s who are now either semi-retired, retired, have sold their businesses to far less reliable successors, are seriously ill or are deceased.

 

Time moves on, and those of us who have remained in the hobby throughout have accepted that, over the years, trading practices have changed as a consequence of one or more of the above factors.

 

Getting the niche products now requires more effort and patience than when we were younger, but then there are far less of us around who still want these (to us) indispensable items.

 

I don't in any way blame aging suppliers for simplifying (from their point of view) their trading terms - it would be far easier for them to say 'enough is enough' and close altogether.

 

This situation is well known nowadays, and repeated posts bemoaning the fact are only likely to make matters worse by antagonising those traders still minded to supply us, albeit on their own terms.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Bucoops]

Hi John,

 

No doubt that is a fair comment - the "problem" I have is when I was modelling last it was the late 90s and I was in my teens. I built a grand total of two loco kits (DJH and someone else) - badly. I build a few Parkside kits reasonably well however. Everything else was RTR. Now I'm older, I want to get into it again but concentrate on building my own stock it's frustrating to find that the kits I want are hard to get. Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic that Dan is still churning out kits after 40 years - I've only just reached 40 so that commands true respect from me. But that doesn't stop if being frustrating. But as above, it's more for the likes of Cooper-Craft that I'm annoyed with, at lease D&S, Markits etc. you CAN actually get what they advertise.

 

But having said that - I also have to take into account I've been interested again for nearly a year and not finished a single flipping kit  so it's not like I'm desperate to get my hands on stuff.

[johnarcher]

John

You're right, and I hope anyone who (like Bucoops and me) regrets the current situation re various kit ranges makes it clear that they are not blaming the originators of them, who deserve great credit for developing these ranges and providing a valuable service for decades. Naturally one can't expect them to carry on the same in the face of increasing age (I know how that feels).

One can still regret aspects of the current situation without suggesting they are at fault.

[chris p bacon]

. I'm not expecting another one before Easter, tbh,

 

 

I've had a response to a letter I sent and in it Dan says he's hoping to get a new list out next month.

 

 

 

As an update, I Popped in to see Dan this afternoon to pick up some goodies and he said that he hoped to have a list out April/May time with the content being coaches. 

 

I left my SAE in readiness. (The only letter that gets a 1st class stamp on it!)

[Bucoops]

Oh, my letter definitely says Feb for the list with production for about April GER bogie coaches and NER elliptical coaches.

 

I did send off a small order for some etches and overpaid slightly as he wasn't sure exactly how much it would be so hopefully that will make up for my SAE being used already for the reply to my letter!

[Brassey]

The first few words of your post are the answer to your problem!

 

Coming back into the hobby after many years - the suppliers that you fondly remember as reliable and prompt are now many years older, and many (most?) of them are 'one-man-bands'.

 

I can think of a considerable number of suppliers that I used back in the 1970s who are now either semi-retired, retired, have sold their businesses to far less reliable successors, are seriously ill or are deceased.

 

Time moves on, and those of us who have remained in the hobby throughout have accepted that, over the years, trading practices have changed as a consequence of one or more of the above factors.

 

Getting the niche products now requires more effort and patience than when we were younger, but then there are far less of us around who still want these (to us) indispensable items.

 

I don't in any way blame aging suppliers for simplifying (from their point of view) their trading terms - it would be far easier for them to say 'enough is enough' and close altogether.

 

This situation is well known nowadays, and repeated posts bemoaning the fact are only likely to make matters worse by antagonising those traders still minded to supply us, albeit on their own terms.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

Agree totally.  Falcon Brassworks withdrew recently due to adverse comments on this forum.  Thus we lost some valuable etches.

[cctransuk]

Agree totally.  Falcon Brassworks withdrew recently due to adverse comments on this forum.  Thus we lost some valuable etches.

 

Fortunately, and thanks to subsequent support expressed in RMweb, it is my understanding that Falcon Brassworks is still operational after all.

 

I recently received a kit, and have another on order.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[chris p bacon]

Agree totally.  Falcon Brassworks withdrew recently due to adverse comments on this forum.  Thus we lost some valuable etches.

 

This gets to be like Trumps 'Fake News'

 

Nothing was withdrawn and it's still there, it was a comment made in haste by a co-owner, and after a period of reflection was swiftly put to bed.

[MarkC]

This gets to be like Trumps 'Fake News'

 

Nothing was withdrawn and it's still there, it was a comment made in haste by a co-owner, and after a period of reflection was swiftly put to bed.

Very true - but the next time that it happens (and it inevitably will, given the nature of social media and the odd keyboard warrior) then the supplier concerned, whoever they are, might well not change their mind.