Hattons pre-owned items

[OnTheBranchline]

On 06/11/2023 at 05:21, Sjcm said:

The fact that they seem to send out DCC fitted locos not realising it (and costing them profit) shows they're either snowed under by the  sheer amount of stuff arriving or their inspection process is a case of plonk it on a test track, mark as running/non-running, and then a detailed inspection of the box😂

 

Did you want to tell them or shall I? 

 

🤣

[MattR]

Has the ability to remove items from the trunk gone for everyone else, or has Hatton's finally had it with my constant item swapping?

[Zunnan]

On 06/11/2023 at 10:21, Sjcm said:

The fact that they seem to send out DCC fitted locos not realising it (and costing them profit) shows they're either snowed under by the  sheer amount of stuff arriving or their inspection process is a case of plonk it on a test track, mark as running/non-running, and then a detailed inspection of the box😂

 

Sssshhh...don't tell them!

 

I've had some real gems described as DCC fitted non-runners only to find the decoder not plugged fully home...and not only from Hattons!

 

I've only been stung by one model so far, a S&D 7F described as a non runner which turned out the entire tender electrics were stripped out and the fudged solder job at the motor had failed.

[OnTheBranchline]

It's a weird trend that it'll say both DCC Ready and DCC Fitted in the description - but I've been assured that it's DCC Fitted. 

[sandwich station]

On 09/11/2023 at 04:36, MattR said:

Has the ability to remove items from the trunk gone for everyone else,

 

It would appear so.

[GWR-fan]

Information provided for future troubleshooting.  Another "recently tested and running fine when last run" was a Bachmann 31-128 weathered early crest 30XX.   It arrived yesterday but only able to test run today.  Dead on arrival when tested on analogue!   

 

I thought maybe one of those elusive decoder fitted items so removed the tender body.  Bachmann must use the smallest screws of any of the manufacturers.  A 21 pin blanking plate was found to be fitted.  I exchanged the blanking plate in case there was a fault on the factory plate.  No luck.

 

Next I removed the body (one screw under the pilot bogie and one under the wires under the cab).  I manually rotated the armature to ensure the motor was not seized.  I then tested the bare chassis and tender underframe.  Success.

 

Reassembled the loco (not fun with those miniature screws) and it tested fine for about 2 metres then a dead stop.  Not wishing to once again dismantle the drive,  I decided to check the chassis pickups in case one was fouling the drive.  Sure enough,  the fireman side forward driver pickup had twisted itself into the wheel spokes.  I manhandled the pickup out of the spokes and positioned it basically back where it should have been originally (most likely now useless for picking up power).  Subsequent operation was fine in both directions. 

 

Now I do not know if the repositioning of the pickup has fixed the loco or if possibly there is an electrical gremlin.  I have only once previously had a pickup fouling a driving wheel and that was a Hornby B2 Peckett.  Oddly,  an old Bachmann split chassis Manor class also received yesterday ran perfectly.

[OnTheBranchline]

Congrats to the bloke who snatched up a Dapol GWR Railcar with added passengers DCC Fitted pre-owned for 86 quid - you were faster than I was. 

Edited November 10, 2023 by OnTheBranchline

[Halvarras]

19 hours ago, GWR-fan said:

Bachmann must use the smallest screws of any of the manufacturers.

 

Oooh, I don't know - check out a Dapol Western!

 

These small screws worry me because if they're screwed down too tightly the tiny crosshead recess has a very limited ability to take the force required to unscrew them, resulting in mangled screw heads - then you're bug.......I mean in some difficulty. For this reason it's very important to have a set of suitable screwdrivers and select the one that fits exactly - then turn slowly but avoid slippage. Sometimes I resort to gripping the screwdriver's shaft with a pair of pliers and turning slowly while pressing down to keep the driver engaged.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

On 09/11/2023 at 12:55, Zunnan said:

Sssshhh...don't tell them!

Heartily seconded. Lost count of how many 'non-runners (that looked perfectly well, undamaged, etc in the posted photos) proved to have the simplest fault or problem, or indeed ran immediately with not a hint of a problem, then or since.

 

My guesses, controller not plugged in, or if so, socket switched off, or if on mains power, one wire to track disconnected...

 

 

[Zunnan]

20 hours ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

My guesses, controller not plugged in, or if so, socket switched off, or if on mains power, one wire to track disconnected...

 

 

Missing blanking plugs is a fairly frequent one for a cheap and easy fix. Or the absolute best, next18 sound decoder sitting at an angle, presumably because it’s been shaken in transit. I got a ‘non running’ sound fitted Bachmann 1P for £127 for that exact reason. Took the top off, noticed the decoder loose and pushed it home and off it happily trundled. I also don’t shy away from bent valve gear, almost always looks worse than it is. Easily sorted and even in the worst cases replacement parts are usually readily obtained.

 

Also got a DCC sound LGB mallet for half its true worth as a non runner only to find one chassis keeper plate fitted back to front causing the gears to bind. Corrected that and it was otherwise perfect.

[MattR]

So the culprit for the missing "Remove Item" from the Trunk was due to stock take time. I had wondered if that was possibly it.

[GWR-fan]

Another purchase that has me believe that the loco may not have been inspected when listing as pre-owned, possibly relying on information from the person selling the item.  The loco in question was a rebuilt Merchant Navy which actually does run reasonably well.  Listing description stated front bogie suffering mazak rot and rear bogie broken.  The images showed the R2300M "Bournemouth Belle" loco and carriages and also showed a broken half of the rear bogie.  As I had a spare leading and trailing bogie from a previously failed arrival I decided to purchase the train pack  as the asking price was more than reasonable given the stated defects.  The set arrived this afternoon and indeed the leading bogie was impacted and it split in half when removed from the tray packaging.  Also included was a small zip bag containing the broken half of the rear bogie.  However, the rear bogie on the loco was intact and still wired for the tender pickup.  Obviously,  the bogie must have been replaced previously or possibly the broken piece included had no relation to the loco in question.  A simple look at the loco would have shown that the trailing bogie was actually intact and thus making the listing more attractive to a prospective purchaser.

 

Another failure to properly describe a loco is  that lately I have received several Manor locomotives described as "Mainline" brandname.  Obvious by the single listing image shown with each loco in its "Mainline" packaging was that the loco chassis was actually a replacement split chassis Bachmann product.  In all cases the tender still had the shiny "Mainline" original wheelsets.  I consider the Bachmann chassis to be superior to the original "Mainline" chassis.  Perhaps listing the item as having a replacement Bachmann chassis may have increased the price somewhat.  Also possible that the person inspecting the model had no idea a swap had been made.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

On 13/11/2023 at 18:02, MattR said:

So the culprit for the missing "Remove Item" from the Trunk was due to stock take time. I had wondered if that was possibly it.

 

Out of interest, could I just ask if this means the "Remove item" option has reappeared? (My trunk is currently empty as I've had my items shipped).  The website dates for stocktaking suggest a different timetable - has Hattons confirmed that was the reason?  Just curious in case it happens again.  On the subject of bargains, my latest purchase would fit that criterion: an HO InterMountain 60' boxcar that seems to be in mint condition (based on opening the box when it arrived).  Paid far less than I have for other eqiivalent products recently.  Very happy, Keith.

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Keith Addenbrooke

[irishmail]

1 hour ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

 

Out of interest, could I just ask if this means the "Remove item" option has reappeared? (My trunk is currently empty as I've had my items shipped).  The website dates for stocktaking suggest a different timetable - has Hattons confirmed that was the reason?  Just curious in case it happens again.  On the subject of bargains, my latest purchase would fit that criterion: an HO InterMountain 60' boxcar that seems to be in mint condition (based on opening the box when it arrived).  Paid far less than I have for other eqiivalent products recently.  Very happy, Keith.

 

 

This is a quote from an email I had from Hatton's yesterday. Hope this helps.

 

"With Christmas fast approaching, we are due to perform a warehouse stocktake imminently. This means that we will need to dispatch all Trunks by Wednesday 22nd November. We will automatically dispatch them from Tuesday 14th November if you do not dispatch it yourself. Thank you for your patience and understanding regarding this."

 

[Keith Addenbrooke]

4 minutes ago, irishmail said:

 

This is a quote from an email I had from Hatton's yesterday. Hope this helps.

 

"With Christmas fast approaching, we are due to perform a warehouse stocktake imminently. This means that we will need to dispatch all Trunks by Wednesday 22nd November. We will automatically dispatch them from Tuesday 14th November if you do not dispatch it yourself. Thank you for your patience and understanding regarding this."

 

 

Thank you - makes sense.  I'd processed my Trunk for shipping last Friday evening, so wouldn't have qualified for an email.  I note the reference to Stock Take dates I'd previously referred to in the Trunk FAQ's has now also been updated with a more general explanatory note so it all fits together.  As a customer of Hattons for many years it's helpful to understand - and the bubble wrap comes in handy in the run up to Christmas too.  Thanks, Keith.

[MattR]

Quote

Out of interest, could I just ask if this means the "Remove item" option has reappeared? 

 

I hope so! After receiving the email irishmail quoted above, I had my trunk processed, so it's empty now too. We'll see what happens. I'm sure it won't be too long before I add something new in there ...

[sandwich station]

18 hours ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

 

Out of interest, could I just ask if this means the "Remove item" option has reappeared? 

 

It has not re-appeared on mine but I did email them the other day and was told If I wanted something removed from My Trunk, let them know what it is and they will do it for me.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

2 hours ago, sandwich station said:

 

It has not re-appeared on mine but I did email them the other day and was told If I wanted something removed from My Trunk, let them know what it is and they will do it for me.

 

Thank you.  Now I understand it's due to a stocktake, I wouldn't expect the removal button to reappear until they're done counting.

 

I had a problem a few weeks ago that fraud on my credit card meant my Bank cancelled it and issued a new one.  It meant I couldn't use the remove button on some small items I had to cancel from my Trunk, as the system couldn't then do a refund back to my card.  Hattons processed the removal manually for me instead (refunded to my bank a/c same day).  It was very efficient - I really appreciated it took Hattons extra time and effort on my behalf, due to no fault of theirs (or mine - the fraud was completely unconnected, just to be clear).  I did then replenish my Trunk with other items, the ones I've now happily received.  I was very grateful, Keith.

 

Edited November 16, 2023 by Keith Addenbrooke

[GWR-fan]

I suppose right time,  right place.  There are (were) some bargains in the store's latest Christmas sale.  I could not resist the following,  all apparently "fine when last run" - 

 

Dapol streamlined banana railcar,  DCC fitted in blood and custard (GBP56.00 after VAT)

Hornby "Northumbrian" train pack with loco drive A4 and superdetailed Gresley coaches (GBP91.00 after VAT)

Hornby "The Tysley" train pack with missing buffer (GBP55.00 after VAT)

 

The "Tysley" train pack was GBP112.00 (around GBP95.00 after VAT) only yesterday afternoon, prior the sale.  I had been "following" it for a couple of weeks.

 

I placed my order late yesterday afternoon (UK time) and was surprised to have a picking list email early this morning (my local time).  Perhaps the store has enlisted additional shipping staff to clear the books prior the stocktake.

 

[MattR]

I got some good deals as well (no VAT since I'm in the U.S.)

 

- Bachmann Crab: £51.67

- Bachmann Austerity 2-8-0: £48.33

- Bachmann Class 40 (the 2014 version with lights): £64.17

- Hornby Mk. 1 SK coach (2013 Railroad version), previous owner swapped the plastic wheels for metal: £11.67

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

Hattons are selling pre owned and damaged examples of their P class for upwards of 120 pounds, when the brand new ones will be 85 next year.

[John M Upton]

Had a trawl through their discounted preowned HO selection and most of it seemed to be what my old farming dad would have called the sweepings off the barn/warehouse floor that nobody wants.

 

Some of that tat has been there for months, in fact I am pretty sure some of it was discounted in the last preowned sale they did!!

[298]

On 17/11/2023 at 22:30, John M Upton said:

Had a trawl through their discounted preowned HO selection and most of it seemed to be what my old farming dad would have called the sweepings off the barn/warehouse floor that nobody wants.

 

Some of that tat has been there for months, in fact I am pretty sure some of it was discounted in the last preowned sale they did!!

 

All of those Chinese HO coal hoppers invariably come up when I do a search, although I think they might have actually sold some since the last time I did a broad look at their stock levels. Still plenty of Chinese coaches tho and the contents of what must have been a Model Power dealer's back room that will never sell.

[Halvarras]

I was very tempted by a boxed Hornby Sentinel 'Barabel' for just £32.......

 

.........but I already have one, so let somebody else grab it 😉!

[GWR-fan]

My love/hate relationship with the Hornby Rebuilt Merchant Navy, West Country and Battle of Britain class locomotives has once again bitten me on the posterior.  Purchased for a good price as part of the current sale in seemingly as new condition in the "Atlantic Coast" train pack,  the loco was described as DCC fitted, fine when last run and missing the whistle (very common problem with the Rebuilt Merchant Navy models).  Arrived this afternoon and found the unit to be inoperative both on analogue and digital.  A check of the fragile Walschaerts lingage showed part of the follow up linkage attached to the fireman side slidebar crosshead had been bent in hard against the slidebar causing the drive to seize.  Even with exercising extreme caution in freeing up the linkage I managed to shear off a delicate pivot pin.

 

I raided the wife's sewing box for a dressmaker's pin and fortunately was able to salvage the part and reattach the linkage.  Further investigation showed the drive fitted with a small DCC Concepts decoder (plus another very small mystery DCC Concepts unit mounted to the rear of the motor.  See DCC forum), so a bonus.  After reassembly the loco actually ran perfectly on digital, however, the loco runs backwards to convention and analogue has been deactivated,  or perhaps DCC Concepts does not support analogue running.   A bit of a heart starter purchase but it seems to have worked out well after some very nervous repairs carried out. 

 

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