Hattons Model Railways to close

[Foden]

Very, very sad news to hear. Aside from being a very contented customer of theirs for decades, including the yearly Christmas presents that my wife genuinely enjoyed phoning up and ordering from, rather than doing it online as she enjoyed the chat, they dealt with the very sensitive task of purchasing my late Grandfather's collection some time after his passing, something they dealt with in a thoroughly decent and compassionate manner, turning something that was difficult and upsetting into a sense of closure. I'll forever be grateful for that, the business really felt like it had a good heart, and the staff and management there deserve the greatest of credit for that.

I can only give my best wishes for all persons connected with the business for their futures, and thank them for everything they've done through the years. The hobby is sadly losing one of the good guys.

[chuffinghell]

Very sad news, it’s come as quite a shock.

 

I hope the staff affected are able to find new employment elsewhere 

[Willie Whizz]

I’m just … stunned. Been a customer for about as long as I’ve been buying on the Internet (so about 20 years), and although I do spread my modest business around a bit, I always found Hattons offering extremely good, helpful service at competitive prices and kept going back. Their approach to the development of the Genesis coaches was a model of how it can be done.
 

A great shame, and my sympathy goes out to the owners and staff that this has come to be necessary; but if it was going to happen they have at least realised in good time to run things down in an orderly manner without (it seems) ‘stuffing’ the creditors, as so often occurs, and they deserve great credit for that. 

[Typeapproval]

So Sad, From the adds in the Railway modeller when I was much younger I've considered the deals by Hattons worth a second look. In later life I've had very happy contact with them. As others have said how nice to talk to a real person without having to 'Press 1-2-3' before I got there. Very best wishes to all the employees and management.

[PJT]

12 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

Hatton's will be much missed by many more than me. 

 

The Trunk facility has been a godsend to those of us who order smaller items, allowing us to keep delivery charges under control. I do hope others steal the idea....

 

I've also bought pre-owned models on numerous occasions, at worst, they have matched expectations but most have exceeded them.

 

In all my dealings you have been a credit to yourselves and an example to the industry, and the hobby in general as to how business should be conducted.

 

My heartfelt good wishes for the future go out to all concerned in the business.

 

John Street

 

Perfectly put, in every respect, John.

Thank you, Hattons, it's always been a pleasure.

Pete T.

 

[Gridiron]

This news was totally unexpected and a great shock. Having been a customer off and on from the late 1950's I can recall many a Saturday glued to she original shop window on Smithdown Road admiring the stock of "bargains" and then being totally absorbed by the well stocked shelves inside. Those were days when you had to queue to get to the counter where you could find pocket money bargains beneath the parts covered with a glass top whilst Norman offered friendly advice to customers. 

 

Whilst it's a very sad day for the hobby, it's also a big blow for the staff and management and I can only wish them all the very best for the future and thank them for their kindly assistance over the years. 

[John Tomlinson]

Terribly sad to read this. I've been in the hobby for over half a century, and Hattons has always been part of it.

 

On several occasions I've visited the new facility in Widnes, and always found everyone there helpful and friendly. My best wishes to all of them for the future.

 

John.

[melmerby]

I too found out via the Accurascale e-mail.

So sad to here such news. I have shopped with them for donkey's years and we will definitely miss their presence in the marketplace.

Edited January 8 by melmerby

[neal]

How many of us have the Hattons ‘new arrivals’ page as a favourite on our web browser?

 

Sad day,

 

Neal

[Godfrey Glyn]

A very sad and indeed shocking development. It just goes to demonstrate the intensity of the economic changes that surround us, some of International and some of them self inflicted by us as a country. My very best wishes and condolences go to the management and staff at Hattons as they go through this very painful period and hope that they all come through it with as much positivity as they can muster. Hattons will be much missed by the hobby.

 

Godfrey 

[The Black Hat]

Stunned that this has happened. Hattons has been a great company that has been able to serve the market brilliantly over the years. There surely has to be a lot more to it, but the wording and phrasing of the statement speaks for itself. Clearly there are trends identified and there has to have been a way that this decision has been reached. But thoughts to Richard and the team at the shop now. I hope they all manage the next chapter that comes and that things work out for all. Thanks to Hattons for all they have done for me. 

[Pmorgancym]

Going to be sone knock effects to, Mags are going to find it hard to replace the revenue from those multi page ads and inserts

[big jim]

Absolutely stunned by the news, like a few others first I knew was the email from accurascale

 

First locos I bought from them mail order were Lima 50015 in Dutch and a 47 in the same livery back in the early 90s £19.99 each and paid for by cheque! 
 

weirdly I drove a train past the shop in Widnes today and thought ‘I must call in there again soon’ unfortunately that won’t be happening now

 

thoughts are with those who have lost their jobs today 

 

[luke_stevens]

1 hour ago, LittleRedTrain said:

This is a real shock out of the blue! 
Hattons with their massive, almost industrial-scale, business seemed to be in a much better place to weather the various storms than anyone else. 

 

Even the giants in an industry can fall: think PanAm and TWA both international behemoths.

 

I feel incredible sad for the staff there. No-one has a job for life but they must have had a expectation that the job was theirs until they decided to move on. 

 

It depressing if the hobby currently cannot support such a major retailer/ manufacturer (commissioner). Hopefully no one else follows in their footsteps.

 

Luke

Edited January 8 by luke_stevens

[Kickstart]

So sorry to hear this

 

All the best

 

Katy

[Sasquatch]

Totally shocked! As an expat this will be a huge blow to my hobby as Hattons are the only people I trust and have been a cost-effective way of supporting things on a very tight budget. Very sad about it too because I wrote my first ever check out to Hattons over 40 years ago!

Let's hope that all the staff find reemployment promptly! Or someone steps with a takeover.

[TravisM]

To say I was shocked to hear this, is a understatement.  I would like to offer my condolences to the staff who no doubt be losing their jobs.

Edited January 8 by jools1959
Spelling

[APOLLO]

Memories.

 

180 Smithdown Road. Small shop front but seemed to go on forever inside.

 

 

Second shop just down the road - much bigger.

 

 

Widnes shop / warehouse

 

 

This in the Liverpool Echo

 

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/hattons-model-railways-announces-closure-28411645

 

Brit15

Edited January 8 by APOLLO

[AY Mod]

11 minutes ago, AlfaZagato said:

Disappointing.   I've found Hatton's about the best for shipping back here to the US.   Doubling disappointing, as there were a couple of their exclusives I'd wanted and missed on the first go-round.

 

To any of the manufacturer's with a presence here - any immediate plans to chase Hatton's tooling?

 

Most selfish insensitive post of the day goes to...

[Martin_R]

I am totally stunned, many visits to Smithdown Road and the help given will always be remembered and treasured. Thank you Hattons for all the help and assistance going back to the 1960’s, I just hope everyone from Hattons manages to survive this terrible event and move on successfully. 🤞🤞

[spamcan61]

3 minutes ago, AY Mod said:

 

Most selfish insensitive post of the day goes to...

As if they'd broadcast it on a public forum if they were! 

[bradfordbuffer]

31 minutes ago, cessna152towser said:

Sad news indeed.  I thought my wife was winding me up when she said that she had seen on Facebook that Hattons were closing down.   I go back just a few months short of 50 years, summer of 1974 in fact when the West Coast electrification north of Crewe began and there was a promotional offer, Glasgow to Liverpool in 3 hours each way for £3 return.   A few times that summer I was up early to catch the train, then one of Liverpool's green Leyland Atlanteans from Lime Street station to 180 Smithdown Road, where the late Norman Hatton would be behind the counter.  I would buy a boxload of stuff, from obsolete Hornby-Dublo to contemporary new and second hand rolling stock.  i vividly recall carting big cardboard boxes of stuff back onto the train in the evening.  Around 90% of my purchases were quickly sold on to clubmates or at swapmeets but many of the items I still have to this day.    Since 1974, I have been buying rolling stock for my personal collection from them occasionally, though now by mail order (never got round to visiting their new Widnes outlet).   Really shocked and sorry to see the end of an era.

On the No86 bus!

[E100]

Very sad news. I vividly remember visiting the one of the old shops as a boy some 25 years ago or so. My heartfelt thoughts are with all the employees and owners.

 

Since coming back to hobby in 2020 I honestly haven't bought a lot from them compared to others and I imagine my reasoning is probably similar to others (no Bachmann or Hornby new releases), so in some ways I'm not as shocked as some but nevertheless the service for the things I have purchased has been 1st class. I do try to support several shops by spreading my orders around and with the recent revival of Hornby orders I would probably have put in a 2024 range order. The timing does feel a little odd with the green shoots of several popular originals products getting ready for a presumably more profitable re-release and the recent acquisition of the American retailer. I suspect this has been a fairly recent decision and pre-orders and the like have been taken in the best of faith. I am sure many overseas customers will mourn the loss of the innovative trunk service.

 

Credit to them for having an orderly closure. This very much is closing on their own terms and is a real sign of respect to customers in terms of how this appears to be being managed.

[Jack P]

I have a lot to thank Hattons for. 

My return to the hobby started on a long, hot, dreadfully boring Thursday afternoon at work in early February 2017. I still don't really know how I ended up on the website, but before I knew it, i'd ordered an S15. 

That was that, I was hooked, life sentence.

 

Thoughts go out to those impacted by the announcement.

 

The french say: "Le bonheur n’est pas quelque chose de prêt à l’emploi." (Happiness is not something that comes out of a box), but I don't know about that, those rectangular brown cardboard boxes always brought me happiness. 

 

 

Edited January 8 by Jack P

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Like others who’ve already posted, my first memory of shopping at Hattons was in the original Smithdown Road store a quarter of a century ago.  Regular visits to the later store, where the friendly, knowledgeable (and patient) staff, along with the wonderful glass display cabinets, made it a real destination to visit.  More recently,  I’ve mainly dealt with the Pre-Owned team, who have been excellent on every occasion.  The Trunk service has been a genuine (award-winning) innovation too, and my last visit in-store to Widnes was only just before Christmas.  Gasps of shock from the family when I told them - will leave a big hole in my modelling memories, as well as future.  Can only wish the very best to all the staff.  Take care, Keith.