Hattons Model Railways to close

[Nile]

1 hour ago, Fair Oak Junction said:

EFE re-released the DJ J94s with an upgraded chassis

I thought the only change EFE made was the motor.

[Fair Oak Junction]

Just now, Nile said:

I thought the only change EFE made was the motor.

 

Probably, I couldn't remember the full details. I knew something had been changed.

[Michael Hodgson]

16 hours ago, Morgenergy said:

I noticed that the subject of ''what will happen to the stock Hattons once bought?'' and wanted to give my two cents as it's something discussed within my circles. Hattons were massive and their annual orders with the likes of Hornby and Peco especially would've been eye-watering in value... losing that must be one helluva gut punch for suppliers.

 

Is there a gap in the market here for a wholesaler just supplying model shops?

[JohnR]

21 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Is there a gap in the market here for a wholesaler just supplying model shops?

The main manufacturers will only supply "bricks and mortar" shops. Hornby used to use a distributor for wholesale (A.B. Gee of Derby), but they no longer supply Hornby, so it all has to come direct. 

[St Enodoc]

3 hours ago, JohnR said:

The main manufacturers will only supply "bricks and mortar" shops. Hornby used to use a distributor for wholesale (A.B. Gee of Derby), but they no longer supply Hornby, so it all has to come direct. 

Hornby uses a wholesale distributor in Australia, as do other manufacturers, which, in my opinion, contributes to the inflated retail prices we see in our local shops (not saying this is wrong - just a fact of life).

[GrumpyPenguin]

As a modeller of many decades it will seem a bit empty without Hattons.

 

I never used them much but when I did always found the service to be spot on - I wish the staff the very best for the future.

 

Personally, I feel that Rails will take on much of the future business, the rest of the business probably spread thinly around the rest of the trade.

 

With Warley gone there are probably interesting times ahead, the hobby will survive and I suspect for the great majority of us will be little different.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

19 hours ago, phil-b259 said:

...to return to the 14/48XX, IIRC although the body for the Hattons release was a lot better than the then competing Hornby model, even at time of release it wasn't perfect. Since then we have also seen further enhancements to locos like firebox lighting and pre-fitted speakers ...

There's a much greater enhancement yet, demonstrated on Bachmann's two 0-4-4T; which makes all previous front coupled tank loco designs obsolete: superior body construction and mechanism layout.

 

Make the front of the body in metal.

Make the rear of the model in plastic.

Place a lightweight coreless motor behind the coupled wheelbase driving onto the rear coupled axle.

Likewise,  place lightweight DCC tackle behind the rear coupled wheelset.

 

That way you have a loco with the point of balance between the coupled wheels, so traction is stable and reliable forward and reverse, with no need for traction tyres.

 

Bachmann missed one trick from their demonstrated technique, pick up wipers are used on the bogie wheels. The split axle collection found on many of their products would have further iced the cake; but the little G5 0-4-4T I own is a delight nonetheless.

[AMJ]

Having seen the comments that the Barclay, P and a wagon are going to Accurascale along with a transfer of the orders one wonders if this was an idea behind not cancelling these and the coaches.  I wonder if the coaches will be announced as moving to maker X.

We have seen it in the past where models are moved or taken over by another company.

[AY Mod]

7 minutes ago, AMJ said:

I wonder if the coaches will be announced as moving to maker X.

 

It's already been covered that the Genesis range of coaches will move to Rails of Sheffield.

[PMP]

On 07/02/2024 at 14:59, phil-b259 said:

 

But to return to the 14/48XX, IIRC although the body for the Hattons release was a lot better than the then competing Hornby model, even at time of release it wasn't perfect. Since then we have also seen further enhancements to locos like firebox lighting and pre-fitted speakers becoming standard so I can easily see Acurascale taking the view that the body needs retooling too!

The chassis isn’t the best with it’s gear train drive and due to backlash in the gears it ‘clogged’ on downhill grades.
https://youtube/d73UU1bh6MY?si=YnYh8UqMTJ2WGqn9
Without the motor/gear interferences the chassis runs very well.

https://youtube/F4m73Ykr_JQ?si=7QkNUisnow_Z9TUs

The ashpan is missing but that could be an easy fix within the tooling options. The rest of the model is very good. The dimensions are correct with the exception of the splashers ( Bach 64xx similar) and slightly too large diameter wheels. Coupling rods had a daft slot in them as does the 02 and 13xx. The 14xx rods can be replaced with round crank pin holes without any problems and it runs fine.

 

The only ‘error’ on the body was the lack of a more visible seam around the base of the dome. There was lots of foam about the plates, however fitting replacements is easy and the recess doesn’t affect them so not really an issue. Putting a firebox LED in wouldn’t be a big issue, and there’s bunker space for a speaker already designed in, so no change needed there. The model could do with a few adjustments, but for a company taking it on, they wouldn’t be too onerous.

Edited February 8 by PMP

[57xx]

4 hours ago, PMP said:

The only ‘error’ on the body was the lack of a more visible seam around the base of the dome.

 

There's also the superfluous holes in the front of the cab.

[tractionman]

Latest Railway Modeller mag but no Hattons double spread ad 😞 really brings it home, end of an era.

[Colin_McLeod]

3 hours ago, 57xx said:

 

There's also the superfluous holes in the front of the cab.

 

Windows 😁😁

[No Decorum]

9 hours ago, Colin_McLeod said:

 

Windows 😁😁

It doesn’t surprise me that Microsoft is the underlying cause.  😁😁

[Widnes Model Centre]

This an extract from our shop Facebook, Friday update, as ever written by my wife, Gill. As usual she reads it out to me prior to posting. In between sobs she eventually managed to read the post to me. 
 

This hopefully answers the question that we must be pleased to see the back of Hattons. Most definitely not. Friends and dear Neighbours. 
 

 

Last update Gill and Barry went and had a brew with Richard Davis Managing Director of Hatton's last Monday. 
It was a strange situation as we sat in an office alongside the warehouse that was now quiet still and empty of people and stock. This was once not too long ago a hub of frenetic activity but no more. 
I think we can say that we can only give credit to Richard for the years of hard work that he committed to Hatton's but also now what a brave man to recognise how times have changed mainly financially and he alone was able to hold his hands up and take the giant step away from it all. 
We understand despite this evenings television scheduled slot on the BBC Local news about the Hatton's closure this will possibly take place at a future date.

Edited February 9 by Widnes Model Centre
Spelin

[GWR-fan]

I still cannot bring myself to delete the favourites link to the store,  hoping it has all been a bad dream.  Optimistically,  I click on the link with fingers crossed with expectations of a positive finding,  but alas,  I need to come to terms with reality.   Hattons has been a ritual daily part of my life for many years looking for something that I wanted.

[Retrobloke]

Today, I have received the contents of my trunk. I live on the West coast of Canada so I might be the last to report a package from Hattons. I will certainly miss the daily ritual of looking at the used items and selecting them for my trunk. The trunk was a god send for me as I wouldn't normally purchase low cost items that costs over 20 pounds to ship.

 

I have asked ROS if they intend to offer a trunk service but the answer was a resounding negative. If no other company steps up and offers a trunk service then my days of buying from the UK are over. Might be good for the bank balance!

 

Cheers

Graeme

[irishmail]

14 hours ago, GWR-fan said:

I still cannot bring myself to delete the favourites link to the store,  hoping it has all been a bad dream.  Optimistically,  I click on the link with fingers crossed with expectations of a positive finding,  but alas,  I need to come to terms with reality.   Hattons has been a ritual daily part of my life for many years looking for something that I wanted.

Took me some time before deleting Hatton's from my bookmarks! 😞 

Has others have mentioned,  not the end of the world, but as yet not  found any other retailer who is as good has Hatton's were, (For non UK customers).

 

[Nile]

While the directory is still there it's worth keeping a link to that.

[Hroth]

Other retailers may well stock the same sort of stuff that Hattons did, but their websites are nowhere near as logically laid out and easy to navigate as the Hattons website. It made it so easy to find and buy what you wanted.

 

 

[Colin_McLeod]

It's popular to put up a post of one's last parcel from Hattons so here's mine. 

 

By the way I had two 'last parcels' before this, but this really is the last. 😥

 

 

[MattR]

My final Hatton’s order arrived today — coincidentally three years to the day my first Hatton’s order arrived.

 

So long and thanks for all the trains!

 

 

[melmerby]

That flat car looks like it should have a brake wheel sticking up.

The last one I bought had it loose in the box, presumably to stop it being broken off.

 

 

[MattR]

On 10/02/2024 at 17:36, melmerby said:

That flat car looks like it should have a brake wheel sticking up.

The last one I bought had it loose in the box, presumably to stop it being broken off.

 

 

 

Looking in the 2012 Bachmann catalog, you are correct. Looks like it's missing stakes as well. This was in a replacement box with none of those accessories, unfortunately.

[Mike Harvey]

Drawing up a Belgian Railways Dms full baggage car and bar-disco for N 1:160 I needed some extra photos to check details of the real things and the LSModels H0 versions. However I searched it was always Hattons which came up in the results with useful links and good quality photos of the models. They probably never stocked the models new so the images of the pre-owned versions confirmed again what a valuable and professional outfit they were, and how accessible their product and directory pages were.