TPO Stowage Vans - printing error?

[JSpencer]

xX/ you pay someone else to re logo and line it

Xxx/ you live totally without

Xxxxx/ you decide not to buy but keep an eye open in the hopes someone sells it cheap whereby it becomes acceptable to have an oddball in the rake

['CHARD]

 the alternative is no POT ...

 

to p*** in....

[Scottish-Exile]

Picked up my three red ones (one of each) this afternoon that had been on pre-order since the first announcement. In my view, even as a stand alone model, the finish of the yellow line just looks a bit poor and not as clean/sharp as normal Bachmann printing. Like others, I'm not happy that the livery has been changed from previous releases, especially on something that was so iconic, bright and vivid on the network at the time and was usually kept pristine. Not impressed with the Bachmann statement either that it was in response to customer feedback. Really!

 

However, like others have said, the option is to go without and I've been waiting for these to appear for nigh on 2 years. My skill set isn't there to repaint /re-line and they cost enough without paying for someone to repaint them so, I'll just have to live with it and hope it doesn't grate on me too much every time I run my postal.

 

Perhaps I should run it as per prototype, in the middle of the night sitting with the lights off in the dark and then I won't notice the colour so much

[Legend]

Sounds like a poor show but couldn’t an option be to use transfers for the yellow lines to make them more vivid . I’m sure someone like Railtec could produce something . Agree you shouldn’t have too but could it be option?

[Andy Y]

I presumably missed the release of their Blue and Grey or even Royal Mail red counterparts?

To the accompaniment of a heavenly choir.

 

[Steamport Southport]

Sounds like a poor show but couldn’t an option be to use transfers for the yellow lines to make them more vivid . I’m sure someone like Railtec could produce something . Agree you shouldn’t have too but could it be option?

 

Fox have made the transfers for years.

 

Here's the relevant page if anyone is interested.

 

https://fox-transfers.co.uk/transfers?model_product=1181&scale=2235&transfer_company=2303

 

 

 

 

Jason

Edited November 8, 2018 by Steamport Southport

[stewartingram]

Bachmann made changes in the light of feedback and now it does not quite match the rest.

 

So here are the choices:

1/ Bachmann recall them, and reprint the bodies to the same as the previous runs --> Nah! Cannot see that happening and we would probably see complaints from those who would live it and who do not want to wait for a slot in the factory (now a long way off) to sort it

2/ you live with it

3/ you weather it

4/ you sell all the previous ones and wait for Bachmann to rerun the other coaches to the same standard as the new (if it happens)

5/ you hope they do a rerun of the POT to the previous standard (unlikely and would be a really long wait).

 

Seriously, now they are here, I don't see what they can do to fix it. I'll be keeping mine though as the alternative is no POT on my long awaited postal train.

 

6/ you wait for the prices to fall as everyone shuns them; pick up a cheap one, then repaint it proper Royal Mail red (ie 1960-ish). [Just to confirm Rule 1 covers this]

 

Stewart

[MRDBLUE17]

Well I’ve been waiting for a pair of these and recently ordered a pair of Southern Pride sorting vans from Footplate to build to go with them along with a few BG’s or Guvs. The shade of red doesn’t upset me from looking at Kernow website which has good quality images which you can zoom on a smartphone easily. Yes the lines maybe are not as vivid as they should be or we would like, I could add Fox transfers once I get hold of them if it’s really that bad but the model itself looks very nice and good end detail too.

 

The earlier Bachmann sorting vans are for my CumbrianCoast TPO set which didn’t run with the stowage vans anyway but I can understand many will run them with those which are nice and bright.

 

Thanks

Mark

[hmrspaul]

To the accompaniment of a heavenly choir.

 

POT_4.jpg

POT_5.jpg

And the prototype for comparison - they did  a good job https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtpo/e31dbeec1 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtpo/e3f9f9637   https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brtpo/e3c386afa

 

Paul

[Godfrey Glyn]

I picked up my four from Alton Model Centre last Friday.  Comparing the POTs with the original POSs produced for Modelzone the body colour is slightly less glossy when looking at them under daylight conditions but not too far away and I can live with that. The yellow stripes are certainly less dense on the POTs and looking at the photos that Paul has on his wonderful site they seem to me to be outside the amount of variation shown in his selection. The bogies are certainly made from a newer moulding with much more detail on them and the crown appears to have more definition. If nobody else can do some comparison photos I will try and put some up on Monday. As Andy has demonstrated with his photo of the blue/grey version they have done a good paint job on that version. They also have quite a few additional fitting on them that were not on the original post office stock - they are fitted with footsteps for example.

 

all the best

 

Godfrey

[griffgriff]

Bachmann made changes in the light of feedback and now it does not quite match the rest.

 

So here are the choices:

1/ Bachmann recall them, and reprint the bodies to the same as the previous runs --> Nah! Cannot see that happening and we would probably see complaints from those who would live it and who do not want to wait for a slot in the factory (now a long way off) to sort it

2/ you live with it

3/ you weather it

4/ you sell all the previous ones and wait for Bachmann to rerun the other coaches to the same standard as the new (if it happens)

5/ you hope they do a rerun of the POT to the previous standard (unlikely and would be a really long wait).

 

Seriously, now they are here, I don't see what they can do to fix it. I'll be keeping mine though as the alternative is no POT on my long awaited postal train.

Times have changed..... remember when the blue EPBs was released with incorrect running numbers? Bachmann supplied correctly finished replacement body shells..... now that was customer service. Alas I’m not expecting this level of care these days so I won’t be troubling them with an order.

 

 

 

Griff

[leopardml2341]

My two penn'orth for what it's worth:

 

I don't have, nor do I intend to purchase, any of these 'red' vehicles, but it's plainly obvious to me that Bachmann have not considered the importance of continuity to modellers or collectors. See post#29 for instance; yes the colours may match, but the rendition is different - the spacng of the lines is obviously different, so if, as they say, the change is in response to feedback why haven't they at least matched the spacing of the lines to be consistent with other vehicles in the same livery as cited in their own comparative pictures?

 

I suspect that this model has been produced by a different manufacturer to a spec which is not clearly defined by the commissioner and the final 'go ahead' has been given by someone who 'was not around' when the PO(S) models were produced.

 

In the greater scheme of things, this is a 'toy' and if the approver of the livery scheme may not have had the knowledge or courage to challenge what is offered, then whatever is presented for approval will be accepted - following the time honoured path of least resistance.

 

It was once suggested to me that a Project Manager is a Project Manager and whether they were responsible for delivering baked beans or jet engines has no bearing on their ability to manage a project; maybe the delivery of this product has been a victim of this misconception?

 

Personally, I can't give much creedance to Bachmann's response in post #29; even if the colours were changed (by popular request?) then why not at least ensure other livery elements are consistent. Colours aside the line spacing is not the same and the published images are clearly not consistent, whether right or wrong. This would seem to be at odds with the self stated aim to 'resemble recently released models' {sic}.

 

Hopefully an objective assessment; I prefer blue and grey and I'm waiting for the dcc option.

Edited November 9, 2018 by leopardml2341

['CHARD]

6/ you wait for the prices to fall as everyone shuns them; pick up a cheap one, then repaint it proper Royal Mail red (ie 1960-ish). [Just to confirm Rule 1 covers this]

 

Stewart

 

Well, that WAS my thinking, Stewart; I was hopeful that I could credibly represent one of the 1966 built vans and do a quick respray in P.O.Red, but not sure if this is actually credible in detail terms.  It wouldn't take too long to check, but I don't have access to the Parkin from here.

Edited November 9, 2018 by 'CHARD

[Phil Bullock]

 

Hopefully an objective assessment; I prefer blue and grey and I'm waiting for the dcc option.

 

That'll be the one with the opening letter box then?

 

Phil

[Bob Reid]

No, its the one that blasts out "This train is being robbed by bandits - this train is being robbed by bandits - this train is being robbed by bandits - this train is being robbed by bandits - ad.inf. - and you have to take it to your local Royal Mail to find someone who can reset the DCC alarm (CV 999)....

[Phil Bullock]

No, its the one that blasts out "This train is being robbed by bandits - this train is being robbed by bandits - this train is being robbed by bandits - this train is being robbed by bandits - ad.inf. - and you have to take it to your local Royal Mail to find someone who can reset the DCC alarm (CV 999)....

 

D326 required for haulage then?

 

Phil

[Bob Reid]

Nah, unfortunately Phil, they were only fitted post 1963...  Believe me when they go off at 3 in the morning they don't half spoil your nightshift

[JSpencer]

Looking at them, the originals were generally too bright with the bands too thin and the new POT has correct bandwidths buy maybe is too faint. With the differences between the old and new being a consequence of the perception of previous feedback.

 

I can understand replacing bodies on the EPB where the number was wrong, but here Bachmann would need to replace the bodies on all these vans made to date to ensure they all have the correct band widths, correct colours and to have a consistent rake!

 

The alternative is to hope they do an entire new rake, produced in a short time but that won't be soon for sure, especially if previous stock is still laying around.

[Simon Bendall]

The bogies are certainly made from a newer moulding with much more detail on them

 

The bogies on the POT are newly tooled B5, they should also be under the POS rather than the stand-in B4.

[ThaneofFife]

Just received my stowage vans, 39-760 and 39-765. The logos and yellow stripes are very dull when compared with those on the sorting vans. Looking at photos of the real ones this is not the case. Are mine unique or are they all like this?

 

Johnimage.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpeg

 

were those coaches ever actually turned out with red painted gangways?   I know its a easy fix if they were black but still...……...looks odd.

[adb968008]

were those coaches ever actually turned out with red painted gangways?   I know its a easy fix if they were black but still...……...looks odd.

yes there were red.

[GordonC]

Red on the Royal Mail Letters coach behind the Class 85

 

http://www.lightstraw.co.uk/gpo/tpo/nightmail3.html

 

also

 

http://www.marcmodels.co.uk/Images/Diagram%20726.jpg

 

I'm not finding too many pictures that are all that clear though, I suspect regardless of how clean the bodysides were kept, the gangways would be left to get dirty so it might only have been obvious on fairly freshly repainted coaches the actual colour underneath the grime

[letterspider]

 

Bachmann made changes in the light of feedback and now it does not quite match the rest.

 

So here are the choices:

1/ Bachmann recall them, and reprint the bodies to the same as the previous runs --> Nah! Cannot see that happening and we would probably see complaints from those who would live it and who do not want to wait for a slot in the factory (now a long way off) to sort it

2/ you live with it

X/ you re-line and re-logo it yourself - or on your behalf

3/ you weather it

4/ you sell all the previous ones and wait for Bachmann to rerun the other coaches to the same standard as the new (if it happens)

5/ you hope they do a rerun of the POT to the previous standard (unlikely and would be a really long wait).

 

Seriously, now they are here, I don't see what they can do to fix it. I'll be keeping mine though as the alternative is no POT on my long awaited postal train.

 

 

Re-lining those recessed doors is the reason that is putting me off buying!

[GordonC]

Re-lining those recessed doors is the reason that is putting me off buying!

 

I've put the lining on Southern Pride TPOs before and the recessed doors aren't too bad, but its not just that in this case, all the lettering all the yellow in the logo and the bodysides should match up and is going to look odd if one bit is done and the rest isn't so it'll be a full repaint basically.

 

I shouldn't have to do that for a brand new coach with an RRP of £50 RRP

 

At least when Hornby or Oxford Rail make a mess of their painting the base model isn't so expensive to start with!!

[Crocodile414]

 

I've been looking at these for a few days now and I am very dissapointed with them - they just don't match each other. I know in real life not every vehicle is identical but the colour variation is just too far apart in my opinion.