Sutton's Locomotive Works *NEW* Class 25

[Gary H]

1 hour ago, zr2498 said:

Same with emails.

In my experience,  many folk don't mind delays if they are kept informed of what the delays are. Ie, 'we have such and such problem'  etc etc. Perfectly understandable, sometimes,  things dont go to plan.Communication is important. 

Still, I digress , each to their own.🙂 

[Michael Hodgson]

1 hour ago, Gary H said:

In my experience,  many folk don't mind delays if they are kept informed of what the delays are. Ie, 'we have such and such problem'  etc etc. Perfectly understandable, sometimes,  things dont go to plan.Communication is important. 

Still, I digress , each to their own.🙂

 

Maybe that's true in Cornwall - not in the Home Counties, where rush hour trains should always have been classified as "Perishables" because nothing goes rancid quite as fast as a Surrey commuter whose next train home has been cancelled for the third time this week!

[Albie the plumber]

On 09/03/2024 at 20:55, zr2498 said:

I see there is an advertisement in the lastest Hornby magazine.

A chance to see (and hear) some 25s 🙂

I wonder if there will be chance to pick up my sound fitted D7599 at the York show?

 

 

The short answer is sadly not .

An email to all subscribers explains this is due to logistics/manpower issues. 

The Sound fitted models will however be available for scrutiny 

[zr2498]

On 27/03/2024 at 19:24, Albie the plumber said:

 

Deleted

Edited April 3 by zr2498

[Ian Hargrave]

19 minutes ago, zr2498 said:

Yes, I received the same email.

I don't seem to recall all of these problems with delivery when the 24s came out.

We still don't have firm information as to when the first two 25s will be posted out. It doesn't give the confidence needed to place further orders.

But,allowing for the frustration and delay,at least in my case,no money has been paid out. I’m very much happy to wait for what will be an exceptional model.

[Legend]

I’ve always been interested in the SLW 25 , I think it will genuinely be a superb product. However this drip feed of product , it’s had a huge gestation period , just puts me right off . 

[zr2498]

On 27/03/2024 at 20:45, Legend said:

 

Deleted

Edited April 3 by zr2498

[younGGuns7]

Solution is for a certain (Guinness based) company to take them over 

[NBL]

7 minutes ago, younGGuns7 said:

Solution is for a certain (Guinness based) company to take them over 

Solution for who?  For those who are too impatient to wait?

 

SLW are 2 man team, who have day jobs too.  They produce their models to extremely high standards and thus are not mass-market by any means.

 

People need to learn to be patient.

[zr2498]

On 27/03/2024 at 21:18, NBL said:

 

Deleted

 

Edited April 3 by zr2498

[47007stratford]

I spoke to SLW around 6 weeks ago and was told then it would be 2 to 4 Weeks for delivery for Sound 25 324 , so hopefully some information will come to light over the next few days as to what the delays are.

[E100]

I understand people's frustration. There is a valid expectation that they would ship somewhat more expediently but ultimately there's a reason we all ordered - word got around that these are the definitive model. I would say a reasonable comparison is with Cavalex who are also a small team, however they have utilised a retailer network to distribute rapidly and effectively but that does take some margin away. If you are happy to spend another 10-20% (or whatever a retailers margin is - absolutely no idea) then sure they probably could ship this more quickly but for me I'm happy to wait a bit longer. I'm also expecting that things will speed up over time.

 

11 hours ago, zr2498 said:

Agreed, and the comment that 'cannot collect at the York show' does not make sense. Surely if the customer is prepared to collect then it saves on packaging and

posting. Something does not add up.

 

It does save on the postage but if a few hundred people turn up then they will solely be doing that and the queues will be round the block (with probably a fair few making the trip especially). Honestly I'm not sure that's what the attendance at the one or two shows a year is about. I'll be heading and having a chat and yes I'm sure the delays will come up but I'm interested to try and glean what is next on their list and have a look at what has landed.

[alastairb]

6 hours ago, E100 said:

... It does save on the postage but if a few hundred people turn up then they will solely be doing that and the queues will be round the block (with probably a fair few making the trip especially). 

Not to mention the people who join the queue thinking the Loco is on general sale.

 

I understand people's frustration as the delivery has been dragging on a bit, but as SLW's email says there are logistic issues (including but not limited to transporting and storing locos, checking orders, and afterwards reconciling what has been collected and what needs to be sent out by mail etc) with doing show pickup

[The Ghost of IKB]

What's the point in Phil Sutton turning up at the york show taking even more orders when they can't cope with dispatching even the first two locos from the first batch. He'd do better spending the easter weekend packing up locos for mailing on Tuesday.

It's simply not acceptable to wait four months for a loco that's in stock! Don't tell me I need to learn to be patient in condescending replies either.

I was told at the Bentley "launch" event they'd be despatched before Xmas. Foolishly I didn't realise they meant Xmas 2025!!

And what kind of business would keep all that stock sitting around for so long, reserved but unpaid for?  Couldn't they offer the option of collection from slw's base. Couldn't they get friends, family, or take on temps to get the orders out, generating revenue?

Shambolic in my opinion. With so many locos still to come, not to mention further 24's, this saga will drag on all year unless they pull their fingers out.

[55020]

20 minutes ago, The Ghost of IKB said:

not to mention further 24's,

Oh no, you had to remind me of my long desired Highland Class 24, so cruelly teased in late 2017 when I placed my pre-order.  I just hope I last long enough to receive it, something that is becoming less likely as each year ticks by.  🥺

 

 

Steve

[jjb1970]

Not a great situation but it is what it is. If people are that unhappy then cancel, I am sure SLW will sell any cancelled orders so will be OK. I am sure the SLW model will be superb and probably the definitive OO class 25 but there are alternatives so it's not a captive market for SLW.

[NBL]

10 hours ago, The Ghost of IKB said:

What's the point in Phil Sutton turning up at the york show taking even more orders when they can't cope with dispatching even the first two locos from the first batch. He'd do better spending the easter weekend packing up locos for mailing on Tuesday.

It's simply not acceptable to wait four months for a loco that's in stock! Don't tell me I need to learn to be patient in condescending replies either.

I was told at the Bentley "launch" event they'd be despatched before Xmas. Foolishly I didn't realise they meant Xmas 2025!!

And what kind of business would keep all that stock sitting around for so long, reserved but unpaid for?  Couldn't they offer the option of collection from slw's base. Couldn't they get friends, family, or take on temps to get the orders out, generating revenue?

Shambolic in my opinion. With so many locos still to come, not to mention further 24's, this saga will drag on all year unless they pull their fingers out.

Grow up

[The Ghost of IKB]

2 hours ago, jjb1970 said:

Not a great situation but it is what it is. If people are that unhappy then cancel, I am sure SLW will sell any cancelled orders so will be OK. I am sure the SLW model will be superb and probably the definitive OO class 25 but there are alternatives so it's not a captive market for SLW.

I'm unhappy with the delivery time, and the poor communication not the model. I have 6 SLW class 24s already  and 5 class 25s on order. I believe their locos are among the very best, and there is no acceptable alternative rtr class 25 available, at least not yet, (Bachmann my offer a rival soon, but heljans is nowhere near imo) so canceling would be cutting off my nose to spite my face.  I'm moaning about their ability to deliver models already in stock, nothing more.

Anyway that's my last comment on the matter. Complaining on here is pointless anyway, to my knowledge slw don't read this forum.

[zr2498]

On 29/03/2024 at 09:40, The Ghost of IKB said:

 

Deleted

 

Edited April 3 by zr2498

[25901]

It's safe to say if you wait you will be rewarded. It is a thing of beauty.

I have only found two small errors (and I mean small) which I will not say what they are due to the fact that I know ever inch inside and out of a 25/3.

With my aged eyes (lol) it looks right which only a few other models these days match, no drawing or tape measures needed to compare, "It looks right".

My only big issue is with them doing 25904 because as a /9 she was never mint.

 

Now will they do a super 25/3 ( no small grill)

Edited March 29 by 25901

[GordonC]

18 hours ago, The Ghost of IKB said:

What's the point in Phil Sutton turning up at the york show taking even more orders when they can't cope with dispatching even the first two locos from the first batch. He'd do better spending the easter weekend packing up locos for mailing on Tuesday.

It's simply not acceptable to wait four months for a loco that's in stock! Don't tell me I need to learn to be patient in condescending replies either.

I was told at the Bentley "launch" event they'd be despatched before Xmas. Foolishly I didn't realise they meant Xmas 2025!!

And what kind of business would keep all that stock sitting around for so long, reserved but unpaid for?  Couldn't they offer the option of collection from slw's base. Couldn't they get friends, family, or take on temps to get the orders out, generating revenue?

Shambolic in my opinion. With so many locos still to come, not to mention further 24's, this saga will drag on all year unless they pull their fingers out.

 

To be fair, I do think you've got a point here - to have 2 locos in stock for 3 months and not gotten through pre-orders for those in that time it does seem very odd. There must be a fair amount of money paid out to the factory for production that will need collecting in on dispatch.

 

If it's taking this long I do wonder if they've taken on more than they can manage as a small team and potentially part time (I don't know if it's a full time job for them or not). Maybe distribution could do with being outsourced.

 

There's no doubting the product quality is outstanding and will be worth waiting for, but it's frustrating when I'm waiting for more than these first two and looking forward to several pre-orders

[MidlandRed]

I’m happy to be patient and am confident the locos will be great. In fact I’m thinking of ordering another. 

 

One thing in SLW’s favour, most of us haven’t paid any money so far, in stark contrast to some suppliers, whose requirement (or option in one case) to pay in advance seems v often to be taken up by purchasers. 

[97406]

I too will wait this one out, having an Ice Cream Van and the Rainhill one on order from the current batch (I don’t believe these have landed yet), and 25244 from the early body style batch. I will be getting a Bachmann 25060 in the meantime when it’s released to tide me over.

[Ian J.]

I know it doesn't suit most, but due to my financial constraints at the moment, the longer SLW take to start sending out sound versions, the better. It gives my finances a bit more time to recover.

[Roy Langridge]

I have six 25s and a headcode box 24 on order and they all arrive as and when they do.

 

Getting annoyed only raises my blood pressure and achieves little other than potentially meaning I am not here to enjoy them when they do arrive. 
 

Roy