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Rails announce NER electric autocar in OO

Andy Y

By Andy Y,
in Rails of Sheffield

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Johann Marsbar

Johann Marsbar

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11 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Ipswich transport museum.

https://www.ipswichtransportmuseum.co.uk/

 

The chassis was kept at Amberley Museum as far as I know, but the chap who originally owned it died earlier this year and it was put up for auction a few months back.  The identity of the chassis isn't known, but it carried a false CD registration as a Southdown vehicle on various occasions in the past. The former owner was building a (rather odd, when you look at is construction) Charabanc body on it which we don't need so that will be sold off at some stage and I believe a couple of people are interested in it already.

 

We have a genuine ECRC lower saloon body to fit to it that survived (under cover) for many years as a childrens playhouse.     Some of the ECRC vehicles of that era did have CD registrations, but it'll most probably end up with a false DX one for display purposes when it's restored.

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Andy Hayter

Andy Hayter

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2 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Leaves me wondering if any contemporary vehicles (e.g. Nissan Qashqai Mild Hybrid) infringe Lanchester's patent because it does exactly what he describes with stored self-generated electrical energy driving the motor to assist the petrol engine.

 

No question of infringement.  From memory a patent has a life of 25 years and after that it is anyone's game to use the intellectual property.  That is why so many medicines are generic - because the patent has expired and any J Bloggs Pharma ltd has a chance to produce.

 

The only way to keep early patents alive is to publish improvements encompassing the original and even then the unimproved version is patent free although a good patent writer will make it as difficult as possible for someone to use it.  

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RichardT

RichardT

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Meanwhile, getting back OT, if including sound gimmicks means a further delay to delivery I’d much rather happy have an earlier delivery estimate for a silent autocar. Leave sound for an after-market supplier.

 

I suspect that, notwithstanding the angels on the head of a pin discussion above, any sound chip will be of the restored autocar, aimed at modellers running it in its preserved guise. What would be the point of a sound-equipped one for the NER/LNER modeller, given that there aren’t any authentic sound chips for all of the NER steam locos that would be working with it? ;-) 

 

Richard T

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Andy Hayter

Andy Hayter

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Isn't that a rather selfish view?

 

I would not be upset if for example they delayed shipping because the teak finish was not to their satisfaction even if I were only interested in the NER liveried version.

 

A producer has to take into account the whole of his market for a model and if a bit is lacking then it needs rectification (preferably) or a model sold below standard - and that leads to a bad reputation and a bad reputation leads to reduced sales and reduced sales equals no new models.

Edited by Andy Hayter
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RichardT

RichardT

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3 hours ago, Andy Hayter said:

 

Isn't that a rather selfish view?

 

Not surprisingly, I disagree.  I was simply asking for some clarity about delivery dates for the autocar model to the specification as originally advertised.

 

Sound-fitting the autocar is not part of the core design spec in the same way as is getting the basic livery finish correct. Sound options haven’t been mentioned before now. Offering this option is relatively easy to do as an add-on, and indeed could be left to the after-market in the same way as the alternate exhaust fittings that have been mentioned above.  The preceding discussions illustrate the potential for identifying and sourcing a suitable sound clip for this vehicle to become  a time-consuming wild goose chase which will satisfy no-one, given that an authentic sound source is non-existent.  
 

I’m not just chuntering for the sake of it. I placed my reservation for an autocar in November 2018, and also paid a deposit upfront which I was happy to do as I hoped this would help speed the development of this imaginative commission, and also because I felt that this was likely to be a one-off chance to obtain a rtr model of this vehicle. The model offered was not a sound-fitted one.

 

Since then information on design progress and delivery dates from Rails has been very poor. There have been no direct communications from Rails about delivery expectations, despite them holding my deposit which I would have hoped might have meant some on-going updates direct to customers. Instead I, and presumably others with reservations, have had to rely on reactively checking the Rails website or hearing updates via third parties such as RMWeb - if I wasn’t an RMWeb member I’m not sure I have known anything.
 

Now here we are in the fourth year of waiting for this model to appear.  OK, let’s be understanding and say it’s the third year, discounting one year’s delays as being down to Covid. Perhaps you can understand my slight frustration when an already vague delivery date may  be delayed further because of a late change to the specification relating to a feature (on-board sound) in which I have absolutely no interest and which wasn’t part of the original basis on which (sorry for repeating this) I paid a deposit.

 

As always, it’s about managing customer expectations. I always assumed it would take at least a couple of years to deliver this model. But having shown some small financial commitment to the project it would have been good to have been given some progress updates from Rails and not to have to hear via third party web sources.

 

Hmm, time to chill now I think!

 

Richard T

 

 

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Trog

Trog

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If the Autocar contained a tank engine could they not just go to a preservation society and have them run a Pannier or a Jinty up and down a few times while they record it?

 

Please note that this suggestion might not be quite 100% serious.  

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Les1952

Les1952

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3 minutes ago, Trog said:

If the Autocar contained a tank engine could they not just go to a preservation society and have them run a Pannier or a Jinty up and down a few times while they record it?

 

Please note that this suggestion might not be quite 100% serious.  

 

Perhaps it is just as well it isn't as it doesn't......

 

Les

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charliepetty

charliepetty

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 26/12/2021 at 16:13, RichardT said:

Meanwhile, getting back OT, if including sound gimmicks means a further delay to delivery I’d much rather happy have an earlier delivery estimate for a silent autocar. Leave sound for an after-market supplier.

 

I suspect that, notwithstanding the angels on the head of a pin discussion above, any sound chip will be of the restored autocar, aimed at modellers running it in its preserved guise. What would be the point of a sound-equipped one for the NER/LNER modeller, given that there aren’t any authentic sound chips for all of the NER steam locos that would be working with it? ;-) 

 

Richard T

There are no delays re the sound, the sound project is finished and was recorded two years ago, the long delays are with China, Hornby stuff very late, Bachmann Stuff very late, we have been getting very frustrated trying to get CAD & Livery drawing from China for over 12 months !!!!

Look at the TMC G5, and currently with Electricity rationing there it not getting better before the Chinese New Year.

Edited by charliepetty
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Johan DC

Johan DC

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I just got an update by e-mail from Rails, there is indeed a DCC-Sound option, £125. They included a demo-video.

And the autocars are already on their way!

Now, which one will I have upgraded? :dancing:

See the website:

 

https://railsofsheffield.com/collections/ner-electric-autocar/products/north-eastern-railway-electric-autocar-dcc-sound-upgrade-package?utm_source=Mailing+List&utm_campaign=ce5875fff8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_05_23_10_32_COPY_05&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_74d01bc2ed-ce5875fff8-5517849&mc_cid=ce5875fff8&mc_eid=915f5cafab

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KymN

KymN

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On 27/12/2021 at 02:43, RichardT said:

 

I suspect that, notwithstanding the angels on the head of a pin discussion above, any sound chip will be of the restored autocar, aimed at modellers running it in its preserved guise.

 

 

Rails has said that both diesel and petrol sounds are included.

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Bishdurham

Bishdurham

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19 hours ago, PeterH said:

I see Rails have put a video up of the sound version of the model.

 

 

It looks and sounds great but why have the diesel engine as the factory set option?  3171 never had a diesel engine, 3170 didn't have a diesel when it was in "teak".  It is only the restored 3170 that is fitted with a diesel.

 

 

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Michael Hodgson

Michael Hodgson

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2 hours ago, Bishdurham said:

It looks and sounds great but why have the diesel engine as the factory set option?  3171 never had a diesel engine, 3170 didn't have a diesel when it was in "teak".  It is only the restored 3170 that is fitted with a diesel.

True, but does it matter, given that switching between the two is trivial?

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Bishdurham

Bishdurham

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18 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

True, but does it matter, given that switching between the two is trivial?

Why not get it right first time?  Or do you prefer a list of things to do when you pay three hundred quid for a model?

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Les1952

Les1952

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6 hours ago, Bishdurham said:

It looks and sounds great but why have the diesel engine as the factory set option?  3171 never had a diesel engine, 3170 didn't have a diesel when it was in "teak".  It is only the restored 3170 that is fitted with a diesel.

 

 

 

I had the same issue with my N Gauge Hunslet shunters where shunt mode isn't the default factory setting.  It seems customising the decoders for each model is rather an expensive process.  the things are dear enough already.

 

Les

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