Why is their no budget range for the younger modeller to get into this hobby?

[Zomboid]

8 minutes ago, DK123GWR said:

Lack brand recognition may be a minor issue. For example, you've never heard of Arnold.

Cuts both ways. Limited recognition, bit limited baggage from provide incarnations.

[Dungrange]

31 minutes ago, Binky said:

Being able to get everything you need from one manufacturer, and knowing they are designed to work together appears much more attractive to a beginner.

 

Is that not the reason why companies like Hornby sell train sets - you get everything you need in a box: track, controller, locomotive and some rolling stock?

[DK123GWR]

43 minutes ago, Dungrange said:

 

Is that not the reason why companies like Hornby sell train sets - you get everything you need in a box: track, controller, locomotive and some rolling stock?

It is but it's a little too simplictic to be rewarding for a lot of teenagers. What we are trying to advocate is a range of kits made by a larger manufacturer which are designed to fit onto a chassis produced by that manufacturer. This is to give them access to an area of the hobby many would consider more enjoyable than running an RTR loco around in circles while also reassuring them that they have all the parts they need, and that these parts are designed to work together.

[Binky]

51 minutes ago, Dungrange said:

 

Is that not the reason why companies like Hornby sell train sets - you get everything you need in a box: track, controller, locomotive and some rolling stock?

 

Yes, but I was referring to the idea of body kits to fit on standard chassies as has been suggested. Kits like this do exist but it's usually a case of sourcing a loco to take the body off and then buying 3D printed or resin parts from a one person operation on a different website.

[009 micro modeller]

1 hour ago, Binky said:

 

Agreed, I've seen people take an interest in various hobbies only to be put off by being told the best way to go is to get several things from various different manufacturers they've never heard of and modify them. Being able to get everything you need from one manufacturer, and knowing they are designed to work together appears much more attractive to a beginner.

 

Yes, and I never said they couldn’t also have other manufacturers making stuff, just that that a “one stop shop” manufacturer would be a nice way for beginners to get into it. Even as a more experienced modeller it gets less fun when you spend the whole time searching for different things online or in shops. The visibility and availability of the products is also part of the issue.

 

1 hour ago, Zomboid said:

Why not? I'm not aware of any baggage associated with either of them in the UK. I actually have a Rivarossi American passenger car, but I've never heard of Arnold.

 

Might be my age though!

 

I have heard of Arnold - as a manufacturer of old N gauge chassis used under whitemetal 009 loco bodies. I wouldn’t necessarily particularly associate it with quality though. Wasn’t an N gauge British outline train pack released fairly recently by Hornby, with Arnold branding?

 

3 hours ago, tomparryharry said:

Hornby produce the Railroad  models, and often get a kicking because people will write in and say:- "Oh, why didn't 'they' make so & so? I would have bought that if t was full spec".  It would appear you can't win either way....

 

Another producer will always charge 'Top Dollar' because you can "either like it, or go without".  And certainly no names, and certainly no pack drill; it is what it is......

 

This is developing in other areas of the hobby but is currently fairly specific to 00 standard gauge. In 009 most people still feel lucky to have modern British outline RTR at all (I don’t know if 0 gauge, for instance, is at a similar point). I can see a similar situation to 00 gauge possibly developing in 009, perhaps partly driven by those migrating from standard gauge now that RTR is available, but the nature of the prototype means that RTR will never get close to covering everything and there will still be room for people to do their own thing. One way to avoid the conflicting needs of people who want affordable stuff but can live with detail compromises and those who want super detail at any cost would be to pitch a beginners’ range in a different scale/gauge combination not already well-served by RTR; if the manufacturer made a lot of the stuff themselves and sensible choices were made to include an existing scale (for figures) and an existing gauge (to allow Peco or other widely available track to be used) then the lack of pre-existing RTR support would not matter.

 

Earlier I suggested 1:32 on 16.5mm gauge - the scale provides lots of figures from toys, military/plastic modelling and potentially wargaming while the gauge is the same as 00. I didn’t specify narrow gauge for this because of my own modelling preferences, but because I was suggesting a system in which the beginner can build kits, use interchangeable parts or create their own stock. For beginners (especially kids) this would work better in a larger and less fiddly scale, but going larger than 00 gauge makes it hard to fit a reasonable layout in a sensible space, so the gauge must stay the same. Another reason I didn’t suggest 009 (my own main scale), apart from how fiddly it could be, is because I also suggested that battery power and radio control could be used; while there are RC locos in 009 they tend to be larger ones, and a larger gauge would be needed to have a chance of making a mass-produced, reliable and affordable RC loco chassis.

[009 micro modeller]

30 minutes ago, DK123GWR said:

It is but it's a little too simplictic to be rewarding for a lot of teenagers. What we are trying to advocate is a range of kits made by a larger manufacturer which are designed to fit onto a chassis produced by that manufacturer. This is to give them access to an area of the hobby many would consider more enjoyable than running an RTR loco around in circles while also reassuring them that they have all the parts they need, and that these parts are designed to work together.

 

Yes, it’s an extension of the way plastic model kits work - everything in the box, sometimes even the paints and glue and occasionally even a basic brush to apply these. The missing piece in a railway kit is a motorised chassis for locos, or perhaps a rolling chassis for unpowered vehicles (depending on the ease with which such a thing could be constructed). I notice that in recent years Peco N gauge wagon chassis kits have changed design slightly to incorporate fewer opportunities for misalignment leading to non-running wagons.

 

Regarding the material used for the body kits/parts - IMHO it really does need to be either injection moulded plastic, or wood and card for younger children and those on a very restricted budget. 3D printing has some issues with texture and getting paint to adhere, resin has the glue issues and even potential safety issues if improperly filed down, and whitemetal and brass, even if used with glue rather than solder can be expensive and not always very forgiving of mistakes.

Edited August 17, 2020 by 009 micro modeller

[RJS1977]

I think there's still some potential for an item to appear in both the 'main' and 'budget' range, particularly if it's a model nobody's made before.

 

As a hypothetical example, let's take a Vivarail D-train.

 

Nice and simple, two (as far as I'm aware) identical driving units so bodywork development is simplified (and quite a simple design anyway) - possibly the chassis would be mostly common parts as well, if a motor bogie was used.

 

So far, both basic and main range models are identical.

 

However the main range item is fitted with an interior and lights (exterior and interior), full painted cab detail etc, separately fitted exterior detail parts etc. The 'budget' item is just an empty shell.

 

So instead of doing a run of 5,000 'main range' items, it's maybe 3,000 main range and 2,000 budget range.

 

At some point in the future, the extra details could possibly be released as 'add-ons' for people who bought the budget ones (as it was all they could afford at the time) and now want to upgrade.

[009 micro modeller]

54 minutes ago, RJS1977 said:

I think there's still some potential for an item to appear in both the 'main' and 'budget' range, particularly if it's a model nobody's made before.

 

As a hypothetical example, let's take a Vivarail D-train.

 

Nice and simple, two (as far as I'm aware) identical driving units so bodywork development is simplified (and quite a simple design anyway) - possibly the chassis would be mostly common parts as well, if a motor bogie was used.

 

So far, both basic and main range models are identical.

 

However the main range item is fitted with an interior and lights (exterior and interior), full painted cab detail etc, separately fitted exterior detail parts etc. The 'budget' item is just an empty shell.

 

So instead of doing a run of 5,000 'main range' items, it's maybe 3,000 main range and 2,000 budget range.

 

At some point in the future, the extra details could possibly be released as 'add-ons' for people who bought the budget ones (as it was all they could afford at the time) and now want to upgrade.

 

I do like this idea and think it makes sense. I suppose there is still the issue that you potentially split the market down too much, or that one version sells out while the other doesn’t sell at all, or that somebody wants a level of detail half way between the two. I’m sure there must be examples of manufacturers doing something like this already though, so I’d be interested to know how that went.

 

The problem that I would have is that for many people there would seem little point in buying the basic version knowing that the more detailed one was available - they might just continue to save up until they could afford the better version, and the extent to which this would happen would depend on the size of the price gap between them. But this effect would happen because a more detailed version existed. I enjoy 009 partly because there is hardly any super-detail RTR so this doesn’t happen - you make your own stuff and you can’t be made to feel inadequate by an RTR item that you can’t afford, or that you can’t approach the quality of by building from kits. I realise I’ve posted a lot in this topic but I am very close to the age group that seems to be the focus of it so thought it might be relevant. Whether I am particularly representative is another matter...

Edited August 17, 2020 by 009 micro modeller

[009 micro modeller]

2 hours ago, Binky said:

 

Yes, but I was referring to the idea of body kits to fit on standard chassies as has been suggested. Kits like this do exist but it's usually a case of sourcing a loco to take the body off and then buying 3D printed or resin parts from a one person operation on a different website.

 

Actually I should point out that at one point Smallbrook also supplied the Smokey Joe chassis that go under many of their kits. They don’t seem to any more (I wonder if getting the separate chassis as ‘spares’ has become more difficult) but they do still supply wheels and RTR chassis required for some of the wagon kits.

Edited August 17, 2020 by 009 micro modeller

[Binky]

27 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

The problem that I would have is that for many people there would seem little point in buying the basic version knowing that the more detailed one was available - they might just continue to save up until they could afford the better version, and the extent to which this would happen would depend on the size of the price gap between them. But this effect would happen because a more detailed version existed.

 

This would depend on an individual's budget and expectation of level of detail. I modelled HO American railways for a while as a youngster and when starting out I was happy with the cheaper toy like Bachmann and LifeLike RTR ranges available at the time because I could get 2 or more pieces of rolling stock for the price of a more detailed "Shake the box" kit such as Athearn. I progressed to these more expensive and detailed models as I got older.

 

[The Johnster]

Forget niche markets, you can't make money with them, that's why they're niche markets.  Cheap lo-fi trains for youngsters are a niche market.

 

How about coming at if from a different tack, the plastic construction kit guys,  Tamiya, Italieri, Revell, and a load of others I don't know about because I'm not into aircraft and tanks.  If they produced one or two locomotives as plastic construction kits to start with, complete with motors, gearboxes, and pickups, so that relatively unskilled modellers could kit built them, it would introduce the idea to people who model aircraft, tanks, battleships and such.  They already do railway guns; i built a big German Tamiya one that had a narrow gauge railway aboard it for shifting the shells around for a friend many years ago.  For this reason, the Kriegslok presents itself as the first port of call, but a few of the world's more common locos would get the idea up and running; P8s, Mary diesels (known as Stalin's Revenge in Poland), EMD stuff.  Rolling stock would follow, perhaps generic at first. and perhaps with a tendency towards military prototypes.

 

These firms, if their interest can be aroused, would come at the game with a different perspective, and might rethink power from the track based control systems for rechargeable batteries and NFC for example.  They might, speak it not in Gath, even produce UK outline models with a correct track gauge, be it to 1:87 scale or P4 gauge.  There is a lot of duplication in this market; Titanic, Bismark, T34, Panzer IV, USS Enterprise Star Trek and CVN, but this means that you have a genuine choice of Titanics or whatever, price reflecting scale and realism, and ease of construction, catering for several levels of competence simultaneously in a way which the model railway trade doesn't.  A Hornby Large Prairie and a Dapol large prairie are going to be be a pretty close call, but if they were motorisable plastic kits (that ran properly not like Kitmaster/Airfix; I mean with metal motion and plenty of ballast), and one was a bit basic and the other wasn't, there would be a proper level of customer choice, rather than a rather pointless choice between brands.

Edited August 17, 2020 by The Johnster

[mdvle]

5 hours ago, Zomboid said:

If they want a proper premium brand they should use one of the many others they own. I think Roco is theirs for example.

 

Likely better, as some of the US companies do, and create a sub brand with a suitable word to add to Hornby.

 

For example:

 

Athearn Genesis, Athearn RTR (Ready to Roll), and Athearn Roundhouse

 

Atlas Master, Atlas Trainman

 

ScaleTrains Museum Quality, ScaleTrains Rivet Counter, ScaleTrains Operator

 

Edited August 17, 2020 by mdvle

[009 micro modeller]

44 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

Forget niche markets, you can't make money with them, that's why they're niche markets.  Cheap lo-fi trains for youngsters are a niche market.

 

How about coming at if from a different tack, the plastic construction kit guys,  Tamiya, Italieri, Revell, and a load of others I don't know about because I'm not into aircraft and tanks.  If they produced one or two locomotives as plastic construction kits to start with, complete with motors, gearboxes, and pickups, so that relatively unskilled modellers could kit built them, it would introduce the idea to people who model aircraft, tanks, battleships and such.  They already do railway guns; i built a big German Tamiya one that had a narrow gauge railway aboard it for shifting the shells around for a friend many years ago.  For this reason, the Kriegslok presents itself as the first port of call, but a few of the world's more common locos would get the idea up and running; P8s, Mary diesels (known as Stalin's Revenge in Poland), EMD stuff.  Rolling stock would follow, perhaps generic at first. and perhaps with a tendency towards military prototypes.

 

These firms, if their interest can be aroused, would come at the game with a different perspective, and might rethink power from the track based control systems for rechargeable batteries and NFC for example.  They might, speak it not in Gath, even produce UK outline models with a correct track gauge, be it to 1:87 scale or P4 gauge.  There is a lot of duplication in this market; Titanic, Bismark, T34, Panzer IV, USS Enterprise Star Trek and CVN, but this means that you have a genuine choice of Titanics or whatever, price reflecting scale and realism, and ease of construction, catering for several levels of competence simultaneously in a way which the model railway trade doesn't.  A Hornby Large Prairie and a Dapol large prairie are going to be be a pretty close call, but if they were motorisable plastic kits (that ran properly not like Kitmaster/Airfix; I mean with metal motion and plenty of ballast), and one was a bit basic and the other wasn't, there would be a proper level of customer choice, rather than a rather pointless choice between brands.

 

Like I said before - make it an extension of other plastic modelling and it could work. In aircraft modelling kit building is normalised (usually the main point is actually building the kits), whereas in railway modelling it’s often seen as something complicated and only done by more experienced modellers. From your post it seems that you would also entertain the idea that the chassis is also built by beginners from a kit, so the gearbox/motor/motion assembly would need to be pitched at a sensible skill level but it would get round the limitations associated with a standard or modular chassis common to all the kits. I suspect the actual problem might be the potential need to own and use a soldering iron for the sole purpose of doing the chassis wires/pickups, although with radio control pickups would be eliminated and it would be easier to make the wires just plug into the motor etc.

 

 I would be less sure about the idea of changing the gauge to P4, as I’d be wary of creating a completely incompatible (with other RTR) system. British H0 could potentially work though. What might be good to see would be a common track gauge (or a small number of track gauges) used appropriately in different scales. So going along for now with the idea of them accompanying military items, you could have a Kriegslok in 1:87 (or 76 or 72, depending on accuracy and what the market is likely to want) and a WDLR Simplex or Baldwin in 1:35 - they could both pretty accurately use 16.5mm gauge. You would need to make sure that there were a few similarly scaled items that could be used together though obviously - this is where the model aircraft concept of making lots of standalone models for diorama display in slightly different scales might not be the best approach. I did see a kit online recently for a German standard gauge loco in 1:72 scale, which is a bit useless for model railway purposes where Germany doesn’t even use 1:76 - I don’t know whether the assembled loco would have wheels to the correct 19.93mm gauge...

['CHARD]

7 hours ago, DK123GWR said:

Lack brand recognition may be a minor issue. For example, you've never heard of Arnold.

 

I have, it's a downbeat district of Nottingham.

[Joseph_Pestell]

18 hours ago, Zomboid said:

Why not? I'm not aware of any baggage associated with either of them in the UK. I actually have a Rivarossi American passenger car, but I've never heard of Arnold.

 

Might be my age though!

Arnold is a well-known brand in mainland Europe, producing models in N & TT for various countries. A bit of USA prototype in N as well.

 

Rivarossi has, perhaps, a bit more reach as an international brand due to its HO USA models and even (long ago) a Royal Scot and LMS coaches and the Peco Jubilee for the UK. Over the last thirty years, quite a few models have been shuffled round the Lima/Hornby/Rivarossi labels - even before Hornby International got involved.

 

But I think that an altogether new name which reflects higher spec models would be better. Lima seems to have done well with the "Expert" branding although one or two items labelled as such probably don't merit the term. But "Expert Models by Hornby" with the by Hornby in smaller type could work.

[Dunsignalling]

14 hours ago, 009 micro modeller said:

 

Actually I should point out that at one point Smallbrook also supplied the Smokey Joe chassis that go under many of their kits. They don’t seem to any more (I wonder if getting the separate chassis as ‘spares’ has become more difficult) but they do still supply wheels and RTR chassis required for some of the wagon kits.

Not really a problem, a little internet cruising will soon turn up somebody discounting locos in the less popular liveries to clear stock that's not in the current catalogue. Sometimes, this can even be cheaper than buying a spare chassis.

 

John

[009 micro modeller]

4 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

Not really a problem, a little internet cruising will soon turn up somebody discounting locos in the less popular liveries to clear stock that's not in the current catalogue. Sometimes, this can even be cheaper than buying a spare chassis.

 

John

 

Actually, I’ve just checked and it seems they do still sell them - you select body only or body and chassis when you buy through the website, but the chassis can’t be purchased from Smallbrook separately. The point about it being better for beginners to buy everything they need from one widely available/well-known manufacturer still stands though.

[Pandora]

If Hornby or Bachamnn did have a set or sets of models for the "catch' em young" market,  how would they sell it?

The retailers such as Toy'R'Us, Woolworths, Toy shops, Department shops. Model railway town centre shops are either gone or minimal in presence .

Catalogue sales such as  Freemans etc, were one popular outlet for birthday and Christmas purchases in the past.   Do catalogue sales still exist?

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by Pandora

[009 micro modeller]

20 minutes ago, Pandora said:

If Hornby or Bachamnn did have a set or sets of models for the "catch' em young" market,  how would they sell it?

The retailers such as Toy'R'Us, Woolworths, Toy shops, Department shops. Model railway town centre shops are either gone or minimal in presence .

Catalogue sales such as  Freemans etc, were one popular outlet for birthday and Christmas purchases in the past.   Do catalogue sales still exist?

 

 

How are other toys sold? If it’s in supermarkets or online then that’s the answer surely...

[Zomboid]

My nephews & niece do Amazon gift lists for Christmas and birthdays. I imagine that's how a large proportion of toys are sold these days.

[Talltim]

19 hours ago, RJS1977 said:

I think there's still some potential for an item to appear in both the 'main' and 'budget' range, particularly if it's a model nobody's made before.

 

As a hypothetical example, let's take a Vivarail D-train.

 

Nice and simple, two (as far as I'm aware) identical driving units so bodywork development is simplified (and quite a simple design anyway) - possibly the chassis would be mostly common parts as well, if a motor bogie was used.

 

So far, both basic and main range models are identical.

 

However the main range item is fitted with an interior and lights (exterior and interior), full painted cab detail etc, separately fitted exterior detail parts etc. The 'budget' item is just an empty shell.

 

So instead of doing a run of 5,000 'main range' items, it's maybe 3,000 main range and 2,000 budget range.

 

At some point in the future, the extra details could possibly be released as 'add-ons' for people who bought the budget ones (as it was all they could afford at the time) and now want to upgrade.

Scaletrains in the US do this.  Same basic models but:-

Rivet Counter range  - full detail, full paint scheme

Operator - added detail left off, simplified paint.

The detail packs to go from Operator to Rivet Counter are available (although obviously the paint doesn't get an upgrade)

 

I couldn't find a really good comparison of exactly the same model in the two ranges, but this is quite good

http://rymalstation.blogspot.com/2016/11/scale-trains-crude-oil-tank-car-review.html

 

Their rational for this is different to that of this thread, the Operator range is aimed at those who want hundred car trains, rather than those who can't afford a 3 car train.

Edited August 18, 2020 by Talltim

[Dunsignalling]

Just noticed Hornby R1230 actually labelled as a starter set, Railroad (ex-Lima) HST in current FGW green, two power cars, one coach, track, railing ramp and layout mat, controller. Ready to go and all in one box.

 

Hatton's price is £108 which, compared to most things on kids' Xmas/birthday lists these days, counts as peanuts.

 

Seems to align perfectly with the general tone of the aspirations laid out in this thread, and should sell like hot cakes.

 

If it fails to, I'd consider the Junior Starter set market to be past saving.

 

John

 

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by Dunsignalling
R number corrected

[1E BoY]

There are a large number of cheap train sets available in discount stores etc. ranging in price from a few pounds upwards. They are, however, of little interest to most on here as they are without doubt toys and are sold as such. Each Christmas you will find plenty of them at Garden Centres, discount stores and other retail establishments featuring Santa, nodding elves etc. Some have obscure dimensions between the rails. In OO, Hornby also cater for this market with their annual Christmas set using the 0-4-0 loco and a couple of Christmas inspired wagons usually for just under £50 and cheaper in the after Christmas sales. With the exception of the Hornby ones, most of these sets are free standing and you will find it difficult to add more track. These cheap sets are inevitably powered by batteries of one type or another.

 

The model railway world has changed considerably since my youth. In those days you could buy model railways just about everywhere. My first train set (Tri-ang Princess and two coaches) came from Axfords in Aylesbury Street, Fenny Stratford which had a toy department but was primarily a newsagent and fancy goods store. They ran a Christmas club which allowed Santa to spread the cost of purchase  over the months leading up to the big day itself and brand loyalty was therefore established from that moment on. Equally other shops in the town stocked Hornby Dublo and in some towns Trix held sway. Of course when my first train was bought the three main brands could not work with each other and 2 rail Dublo had yet to appear. Retailers would range from chemists, bike shops, toy shops, department stores (such as the Co-op) or specialist model shops. I well remember walking past Harrington's Handicrafts on my way to school each day and they carried a range of models from companies such as Kitmaster and Keil Kraft. They were also a Hornby (Meccano) stockist at one time. I bought my first (and only) motorised balsa wood boat kit from them. It is probably still languishing in the bottom of the Grand Union Canal near the bridge to the sports ground  at Manor Fields!

 

Model railways were at the cutting edge of toy technology back then. Unlike Dinky toys or construction sets they did something when you had finished putting them together. Of course I was brought up in a railway town so that influenced many of us to get involved with toy trains and take up serious railway modelling in later life or even make a career out of it by working with real life ones.

 

Such a cheap range of toy trains did previously exist. Playcraft Railways were introduced in 1961 by Mettoy. Mettoy had produced toy trains for many years in O gauge and this was a serious effort to get into mainstream HO/OO model railway production. The models were made in France by Jouef and included British outline models, albeit closer to HO scale than OO. They ran on conventional two rail track and allowed many entry into the hobby at incredibly low prices when compared to the three established brands at that time Hornby Dublo, Tri-ang and Trix. Their introduction, with the weight of Mettoy behind them (Corgi Toys, Wembley footballs etc.), had managers in both Liverpool and Margate wondering how it was done and forced them into introducing their own cheaper ranges to combat the combined Mettoy threat from Northampton and France. 

 

There is no doubt that some of the models were dimensionally challenged but they were toys and as long as they looked something like what they were supposed to represent - we were all happy. That would not be the case today and I can only imagine the furore on here (and elsewhere) about a company wasting resources and tooling opportunities to produce "toys" when they could have put it towards producing the definitive fine scale ___________ (insert any model of your choice). The Playcraft locomotives I have still run well although they would be unlikely to get many votes for 'model of the year'. 

 

I attach a copy of a price list from around 1963 which shows just how cheap they were when compared with the other brands. They are in the old currency so 5/- = 25p, 10/- = 50p with 12 pennies to the shilling and 20/- to the pound (I now feel old!). Where Playcraft really scored was that it was sold in many branches of F.W. Woolworth who had over a 1,000 stores at that time across the UK in addition to the more specialist outlets (see list attached). None of the current manufacturers has exposure like that and have to rely on around 500 specialist dealers to move their current output.

 

Rolling stock or other items could be purchased quicker and cheaper at pocket money prices. Despite these advantages the range ceased to exist within a decade in the UK. 

 

The introduction of Mainline Railways and Airfix Railways in the mid 1970s catapulted the ready to run market from toy to models almost overnight. Previously the model trains we ran were unashamedly toys, although many could be made into reasonable models by those who had the time, skill and inclination. I cannot be alone in remembering articles in the model railway press which started with something like "take a Tri-ang Princess and a hacksaw!".

 

Regarding plastic construction kits. Railway wise these began with Kitmaster producing plastic locomotives which could be assembled and then used as static models on our layouts. Airfix joined in and subsequently took over Kitmaster. Airfix also had a range of building kits. Dapol currently market some of this range. There have been quite a few plastic kits produced under various labels over the years including those from continental manufacturers specifically for the British market, some of which are still available from the likes of Gaugemaster.

 

However the big difference is that that model railways are no longer exposed to the buying public as they once were. Every branch of F.W. Woolworth had stacks of them. We no longer have a Beatties or a Modelzone in our large shopping centres. A recent visit to a local branch of Hobbycraft had a selection of plastic kits (along with some Woodland Scenics) but their range was nowhere near the breadth and depth of Airfix kits that once existed in the local Woolies! I did note one plastic kit of a locomotive produced by Revell for £25. Link here https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/revell-big-boy-locomotive-plastic-model-kit-187/561044-1000 so they do exist. I believe there also some produced of European outline prototypes.

 

I bought and made plenty of Airfix wagon kits at 2/- (10p in todays money) and when they were discovered in a box many years later, they were restored. Pulling the wheels out and replacing them with modern ones soon identified why I could never get them to run previously!! 

 

Sadly, the days when we would accept compromises are long over. I still have some of my old models to remind me of just how far this hobby has come in my own lifetime. We may have so many outstanding scale models these days but are we happier? - I doubt it!

 

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by 1E BoY
Clarification

[RJS1977]

2 hours ago, Pandora said:

If Hornby or Bachamnn did have a set or sets of models for the "catch' em young" market,  how would they sell it?

The retailers such as Toy'R'Us, Woolworths, Toy shops, Department shops. Model railway town centre shops are either gone or minimal in presence .

Catalogue sales such as  Freemans etc, were one popular outlet for birthday and Christmas purchases in the past.   Do catalogue sales still exist?

 

 

Heritage railway shops for a start.

 

Several heritage railways already have model shops (Bure Valley and Festiniog are obvious examples), and I'm sure there are other heritage railways who would like to enter the model railway market were it not for the amount of capital required to get started, and spending power of the visitors (bearing in mind most will have already spent quite a bit of money on train tickets!).

 

On the C&WR, we've dipped a couple of tentative toes into the water with limited edition wagons and some Railroad Mark 1s, but it's a big step from there to stocking a fuller range of models. Having more budget models available would help bridge that gap.

[Binky]

3 hours ago, Pandora said:

If Hornby or Bachamnn did have a set or sets of models for the "catch' em young" market,  how would they sell it?

The retailers such as Toy'R'Us, Woolworths, Toy shops, Department shops. Model railway town centre shops are either gone or minimal in presence .

Catalogue sales such as  Freemans etc, were one popular outlet for birthday and Christmas purchases in the past.   Do catalogue sales still exist?

 

 

People buy on the internet these days. If a manufacturer wanted to push a certain range of model railway sets they'd just have to make sure it gets an online presence (youtube, social media, perhaps some reviews on modelling websites, available on ebay, amazon etc) and if people are interested in railways/train sets and researching their interest online they will find them.

I see Argos and John Lewis list Hornby train sets, as do Aldi at the moment but I presume that's only for a few weeks of the year as is their modus operandi.