How often do you pre-order a loco?

[Mallard60022]

Sadly the only one I did pre order was the DJ J93 0.6.0.  thingy as it was recommended on RMW to 'help' the now considered 'notorious' person that produced it. It was bright yellow! Why did I do that? I have no idea and as with many, regret it profoundly. However it does work if I ever find it by mistake!

P

[woodenhead]

Anyone remember the chap who wanted bank transfers for a pre-order / crowd funded model, he was based somewhere in the Midlands.

 

Was demanding cash up front, was quite beligerent and surprisingly didn't get very far with his endeavour, there was a time when there were quite a few people who thought it would be easy to crowdfund a loco that they were passionate about.  Or as I see it, to have someone else pay for the loco they wanted.

[jjb1970]

Thankfully the crowd funding thing seems to have largely faded away. 

[30368]

Only loco I have pre-ordered is the forthcoming E1 0-6-0T - can't remember who is making it!

 

I have only ordered it because a few were shedded at 70D Basingstoke and I realise that I probably don't have enough time to build every type that was shedded at same, which is my objective. Yes I know......

 

Kind regards,

 

30368

[AndrueC]

I've pre-ordered a few things.

• RevolutionN Trains TPE Mk5a Coaches (imminent apparently).
• Dapol Class 68 TPE with sound (waiting - obviously intended to pull the above). I already have two of their 68s so am confident it'll be a good 'un.
• Dapol GWR HST Power Cars (Cancelled after I found an extra coach for the EMR HST I already have). As above their HST is okay. A minor reverse running issue that was easily fixed but that's all.
• Graham Farish Class 08 with sound (Arrived on time).

Most things I'm happy to pick up if/when I see them because I'll run anything on my layout as long as it looks good.

Edited November 24, 2023 by AndrueC

[Rich_F]

Never. Until Accurascale announced the 50 which is my favourite loco.

 

It's not cheap but compared with other releases it isn't too bad. 

Edited November 24, 2023 by Rich_F

[D9020 Nimbus]

I've pre-ordered models from a number of manufacturers in the past, but will not be doing so with Dapol N gauge in future as currently I don't trust them to get it right—they have made too many basic mistakes which should never have gone into production — the M7 tilt and the 156 with incorrect double arrows for example. They're not the only firm to have issues — there were issues with the Rapido class 28 — but I have confidence that if Rapido do make a mistake, they will put it right; I don't have the same confidence in Dapol.

 

I've pre-ordered the Accurascale "Buckjumper" too; it's competitively priced and I don't expect there'll be a competing product that will be better.

[Big James]

I only preorder stuff I really want and will

genuinely regret if I miss out on. Like the SECR D, D1 and O1. Otherwise I just wish list it and hope to have the funds when it's released. 
 

Big James

[OnTheBranchline]

7 hours ago, Mallard60022 said:

Sadly the only one I did pre order was the DJ J93 0.6.0.  thingy as it was recommended on RMW to 'help' the now considered 'notorious' person that produced it. It was bright yellow! Why did I do that? I have no idea and as with many, regret it profoundly. However it does work if I ever find it by mistake!

P

 

Just curious, what's "he-who-must-not-be-named" up to these days?

[Mallard60022]

6 minutes ago, OnTheBranchline said:

 

Just curious, what's "he-who-must-not-be-named" up to these days?

I have no idea, but he certainly upset many folk from what I've read on here O(not the daily fail).

P

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Three.

NRM/Bachmann Deltic prototype as I knew it would sell out.

NRM/Rapido Stirling single because it was the only way to vote for the proper 'in service' tender.

 

And now, since Rapido only commit to production on receipt of sufficient customer orders, have gone for the J52 in preservation GNR green.

 

I shall also preorder their J6, B16, J17, Park NLR 0-6-0T, D34, K2, C12, Y4, N5, E4, C1, C8, B6, LMS sliding door ventilated vans, LNER Flatrol AA with cantilever setand the complete range of Gresley teak bodied carriages for the GNR and LNER. No rush chaps, any order that's convenient.

[Longhaireddavid]

I have a simple rule. Only buy what is necessary. When I designed the layout - an 8' long GWR branch terminus - I worked out what I needed and that is what I have.  I will not buy anything more for the layout unless the new Accurascale Pannier proves to be a better fit than the Bachmann small prairie - which seems to have glossy wheels and slips at the slightest excuse. However, I will wait until they are out and see the reviews before I move - as I did with the Accurascale Manor and the Rapido 15XX.

[darrel]

2 hours ago, Longhaireddavid said:

I have a simple rule. Only buy what is necessary. When I designed the layout - an 8' long GWR branch terminus - I worked out what I needed and that is what I have.  I will not buy anything more for the layout unless the new Accurascale Pannier proves to be a better fit than the Bachmann small prairie - which seems to have glossy wheels and slips at the slightest excuse. However, I will wait until they are out and see the reviews before I move - as I did with the Accurascale Manor and the Rapido 15XX.

It's a good rule. But temptation gets in the way of common sense.... before you know it you have a lot of trains from all sorts of eras as Homer would say Doh!!

[JZ]

If I have pre-ordered, it was through my local model shop. Now that I model US narrow gauge, I have done some direct with the manufacturer. But in every case, no money has been asked for up front. Next one is this.

[cessna152towser]

I pre-ordered my Caley 812 class from Rails and currently have 2 x Class 66 on pre-order from Accurascale.

I would NEVER again pre-order from Hornby as they have twice cancelled my pre-orders for locos.   Luckily I was able to obtain both via retailers, in one case at a lower price than originally quoted by Hornby.

Edited November 24, 2023 by cessna152towser

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

14 hours ago, darrel said:

...the Bachmann small prairie - which seems to have glossy wheels and slips at the slightest excuse...

Long established known problems with Bachmann steam models. These are very variable, present on some examples, not on others, but are easily overcome.

First take the pony trucks off the model, and test its capability to push the load it currently slips with. If the model now performs, reduce the spring action on the pony trucks - it may well be possible to remove the springs entirely with no loss to track holding.

 

Now,  if that makes no improvement:

17 hours ago, Longhaireddavid said:

I have a simple rule. Only buy what is necessary.

Possible plan amendment required, a continuous run is a near necessity. (Nothing more elaborate than a circle of set track on a board will do the trick.)

 

Run the model - driven wheels only - for at least two hours, alternating forward and reverse, and turning it round on the track, something like half hourly. My worst case experience, Fowler 3F which could barely move its tender, needed near 8 hours. Now it performs as the weight on the driven wheels predicted it should. I suspect some manufacturing residue(s) lurking on the wheels needs to be polished off.

 

And return to preordering.

[Hesperus]

I've only pre-ordered one, an 0 gauge Dapol Terrier in KESR blue but it's the only new loco I remember buying.  I'd struggle to find it second hand and would struggle more to match the finish repainting another.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

19 minutes ago, Hesperus said:

...and would struggle more to match the finish repainting another.

After what I posted immediately above, I was thinking that the common factor in my three was all about livery: prototype Deltic, GNR lined green livery. I will never preorder something that is going to run in BR plain black; because black I can do, especially if there's some filth too. (In my search for best prices there are half a dozen locos on the layout that happened to come my way in a pretty lined livery, now forever concealed under grim reality.)

[Kris]

Now that runs tend to be smaller I do pre order most of the locos that I want for my N gauge layout. That said I don't purchase many for this. I pre order a lot more rolling stock than locos. 

I don't pre order locos for my children's railway. They get what I can get what I can find at a good price, almost entirely second hand (often from auctions). 

[pH]

I’ve only pre-ordered two locos. One was a really surprising prototype - only 20 ever built. I assumed it would be a (very?) short production run. That turned out to be a good decision; I can’t remember seeing even one turn up on e-bay.

 

The other decision wasn’t quite so good. Something I wanted was being offered  by a dealer at, basically, what it was going to cost him, so I pre-ordered it. The odd one, brand new, is now turning up on e-bay and going for quite a bit less than I paid. I may try for another, with a different road number. On the other hand, I may just be happy with what I have.

Edited November 27, 2023 by pH

[John M Upton]

Pre ordering does seem to be on the wane I think.  You used to see posts from people on the day of Hornby or Bachmann announcements proudly proclaiming they have just immediately preordered thousands of pounds worth of stuff in a heartbeat which I could never understand.

 

Still happens occasionally in N scale though where there are those who will immediately preorder pretty much the entire production run (it seems!) of Mk 1 or Mk 2 TSO's within milliseconds of the announcement going live.

[NBL]

10 hours ago, John M Upton said:

Pre ordering does seem to be on the wane I think.  You used to see posts from people on the day of Hornby or Bachmann announcements proudly proclaiming they have just immediately preordered thousands of pounds worth of stuff in a heartbeat which I could never understand.

 

Still happens occasionally in N scale though where there are those who will immediately preorder pretty much the entire production run (it seems!) of Mk 1 or Mk 2 TSO's within milliseconds of the announcement going live.

I take it you don't visit the Accurascale threads?

 

Absolute frenzy on there 

[Helmdon]

If it fits with what I need and I think it’ll sell out I do. One variant of the A5, the LNWR liveried Precedent, now Gordon (from ECR) 

 

almost everything else I buy is second hand anyway 

 

I did pre-order the second batch run of GT3, but only because I missed the boat the first time and the reviews by that stage were positive

[John Tomlinson]

I've never pre-ordered anything, and am very unlikely to start doing so.

 

Reviews often throw up defects and faults, which may or may not be fixable/ acceptable.

 

Moreover the pricing pattern in the hobby now is that things usually become much cheaper after a while, particularly if you are prepared to buy "pre-owned mint", items that often have never been used.

 

I've far too much stuff anyway, and if this means I miss out once in a while then so be it! The world isn't going to stop rotating on its axis because I didn't manage to get "x"!!

 

John.