Bernard Lamb Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 'Design Clever' then! However if it is just the roof profile and ventilators that bother you then there are far cheaper options available. Ray That depends on what value you put on your time. Going by the work involved that would be several hundred pounds. The new uns still seem a bargain to me. However I will keep my modified originals as they are all my own work and thus have a value to me far beyond the cost. Bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porcy Mane Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 In which case they are in contravention of Bachmann's embargo on deep discounting of new releases.....and £30 surely is just that. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Make hay whilst the sun shines... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Decorum Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 (edited) Yes they are, but I had to look closely, and run my fingers over them to make sure. My eyes aren't very good at present, but I'd honestly say that it makes very little difference really. Nice bodywork! That’s a good excuse you’ve come up with. You are talking about your avatar and not the coaches, aren’t you? Edited March 26, 2017 by No Decorum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 I have finally gotten my hands on a couple of these and present a few photos here. Apologies if they duplicate ones that have gone before. The coaches are simply stunning (with a few exceptions). It has been reported previously that door handles/handrails are moulded on as is a lot of the end detail. However this has been beautifully done and is not apparent except under very close scrutiny. Some prismatic effect is present on the glazing especially when viewed from an angle but is kept to a minimum. To my eye the glazing of the toilets is not perfectly flat but slightly concave however they are moulded in an opaque white plastic giving probably the best representation of these that I have seen. The underframes must rate as one of the best produced to date on any LNER carriage, the battery boxes and representation of the Stone's Tonum dynamo being cases in point. A minor possible issue is that to the best of my knowledge when single battery boxes were used they tended to be placed on the opposite side from the dynamo, presumably to help with weight distribution whereas on th Bachmann models they are the same side. My biggest gripe, which is a real shame but I noticed on the first model images, is that the torpedo vents are too big and it does show as photos comparing them to my Shapeways 3D versions and Hornby's versions demonstrate. I doubt any of these issues will stop people buying and running these. More to follow 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 A minor possible issue is that to the best of my knowledge when single battery boxes were used they tended to be placed on the opposite side from the dynamo, presumably to help with weight distribution whereas on th Bachmann models they are the same side. So what do I know? Found a photo that proves me wrong! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Atilla Posted March 28, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 28, 2017 Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Make hay whilst the sun shines... None left today, only two coaches at £54.99 each Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted March 31, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2017 Some food for thought.Just called in at my nearest model railway retailer ( 5 miles ) who is a Bachmann stockist amongst other makes.Asked if he had any of these in yet. No he said.Won't be having any either unless to special customer order.Too expensive to stock and won't sell . I normally avoid comment on prices but this rather took me aback so I thought I'd share it .....without further comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 (edited) Some food for thought.Just called in at my nearest model railway retailer ( 5 miles ) who is a Bachmann stockist amongst other makes.Asked if he had any of these in yet. No he said.Won't be having any either unless to special customer order.Too expensive to stock and won't sell . I normally avoid comment on prices but this rather took me aback so I thought I'd share it .....without further comment. It is a sad reflection on box-buyers who have no idea of costs 'cos they've never built anything. The same happened with whitemetal bus kits. Tony Colbeck looked at the price of a Dinky double deck bus and ended up pricing his bus kits far too low. This in turn put pressure on casters to lower their charges and in the end the whole market crumbled. Only Pirate Models used sensible prices that covered costs and allowed some investment. I have some of the latest Thompsons on order because they are far far cheaper than building and painting them. Same with LMS 'Porthole' stock, GW Hawksworth stock and Hornby's 1920's bow-end stock. I just hope the people who appreciate value vastly outnumber the folk who seem to think someone owes them a living. Edited March 31, 2017 by coachmann 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Cannot argue with a retailer acting on his perception of what the customers will actually purchase. Possibly you are one of very few customers using that outlet likely to purchase these items? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheatley Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 (edited) Some food for thought.Just called in at my nearest model railway retailer ( 5 miles ) who is a Bachmann stockist amongst other makes.Asked if he had any of these in yet. No he said.Won't be having any either unless to special customer order.Too expensive to stock and won't sell . I normally avoid comment on prices but this rather took me aback so I thought I'd share it .....without further comment. Conversely my local retailer has sold out and re-ordered twice now, I had to wait for my BTK to come back into stock. The equivalent Comet kit is 45 quid plus maybe a fortnight's worth of free time to build it. Life's too short for that - my two Thompsons will go in the rake almost 'as is' with some re-profiled Hornby Gresley coaches, the time saved means I can concentrate modelling time on building things that RTR doesn't do. Edited March 31, 2017 by Wheatley 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted March 31, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2017 It is a sad reflection on box-buyers who have no idea of costs 'cos they've never built anything. The same happened with whitemetal bus kits. Tony Colbeck looked at the price of a Dinky double deck bus and ended up pricing his bus kits far too low. This in turn put pressure on casters to lower their charges and in the end the whole market crumbled. Only Pirate Models used sensible prices that covered costs and allowed some investment. I have some of the latest Thompsons on order because they are far far cheaper than building and painting them. Same with LMS 'Porthole' stock, GW Hawksworth stock and Hornby's 1920's bow-end stock. I just hope the people who appreciate value vastly outnumber the folk who seem to think someone owes them a living. Maybe so.....but this guy obviously knows his market,so the rest of us will not have the opportunity of buying them from him but from those who have the capital to stock them.We all know who they are .Ironic isn't it when it has been Bachmann policy for a long time to put a time embargo on deep discounting in order to favour the little shops? .Now here we have one who cannot even afford to stock the new Thompson coaches.One is tempted to think of shots through feet here.I don't believe for one moment that people don't appreciate quality.I went in to the shop a couple of hours ago knowing I'd be probably walking out with a couple even at his full rrp prices ( NO discount there ! ). I bought a couple of brewery vans instead.. Most of us lack the dexterity,eyesight and skills to build our own and age in any case denies most of us that facility.But here it seems we've reached a point where someone...a retailer,not a modeller (craftsman or box opener).....judges a product too expensive. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Some food for thought.Just called in at my nearest model railway retailer ( 5 miles ) who is a Bachmann stockist amongst other makes.Asked if he had any of these in yet. No he said.Won't be having any either unless to special customer order.Too expensive to stock and won't sell . I normally avoid comment on prices but this rather took me aback so I thought I'd share it .....without further comment. Almost every time a new set of coaches comes out the bar is raised considerable and the price, in relation to the real world, increases slightly. Yet still some people are unable to understand the point. Given the comment It does give me an insight into why model shops are closing. Bernard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted March 31, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2017 Cannot argue with a retailer acting on his perception of what the customers will actually purchase. Possibly you are one of very few customers using that outlet likely to purchase these items? Good question. One I cannot answer but he is the only specialist shop in the vicinity and there are local model railway clubs and societies locally.A pity when we have reached a level of quality such as this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaymzHatstand Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 When these were first announced I thought about upgrading my old versions, but then saw the price and considered a couple of Comet kits instead. I know my finishing wouldn't be factory quality, but I feel I could produce a decent (enough for me) maroon one or two. I still might do for carriages not covered by Bachmann to scatter amongst my MKIs for variation. Once I saw the production models, my mind was changed and today I picked up a 3rd Corridor from Monk Bar in York (satisfied customer, no other links etc!) as I know that I wouldn't be able to achieve that quality of finish and build. As prices rise however, I do think I'll lean more to kit built stock unless of course the price of those rises at the same rate. I personally don't count building time as part of the cost because to me, it's all part of the hobby, if I was anywhere near good enough for commissioning, I dare say I'd think differently about such things! Looking forward to hopefully adding a brake compo in due course as well! Cheers J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 A Comet Thompson coach kit is £45.50. Presuming it is complete with wheels and interior seating, it is £9.45 cheaper than a Bachmann Thompson coach costing £54.95. However, that £9.45 buys you the construction and the painting and that folks is the real bargain Bachmann is offering you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Sidelines Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Being a Yorkshireman now living in Scotland you will forgive me if I appear tightfisted. I love the latest coach offerings and am constantly updating my fleet. Looking back at my own recent purchases (brand new from retailers) I bought some Hornby Collets at c£30 each. They were followed by some Hornby Staniers at c£35 each, plus a Bachmann Mk1 c£30. The Thompsons are available at a touch above £45 - in round terms half as much again as the previous offering. I doubt many of us have had a 50% pay rise over the last twelve months so may be this is where your retailer is coming from. I would further suggest that those of you who rely on savings and dividend interest to fund their life style may find that over the forthcoming twelve months that they have even less to spend on coaches. Regards Ray 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidw Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Digressing away from price. Larry will you be doing a repaint to maroon? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted March 31, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2017 Some food for thought.Just called in at my nearest model railway retailer ( 5 miles ) who is a Bachmann stockist amongst other makes.Asked if he had any of these in yet. No he said.Won't be having any either unless to special customer order.Too expensive to stock and won't sell . I normally avoid comment on prices but this rather took me aback so I thought I'd share it .....without further comment. I'd be interested to know where in the country he is located. My local dealer (in Devon) stopped getting in pretty much anything LNER / Eastern Region some time ago unless pre-ordered. He reckons there's almost nobody in the area who buys it from him and he has had to flog off some past releases for virtually no profit after they've spent a couple of years on his shelves. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheatley Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Maybe so.....but this guy obviously knows his market I'd be interested to know where in the country he is located.My local dealer (in Devon) stopped getting in pretty much anything LNER / Eastern Region some time ago unless pre-ordered. Ah, that's a good point actually, mine is firmly in LNER territory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 (edited) Digressing away from price. Larry will you be doing a repaint to maroon? Thanks It crossed my mind I might fit etched sides and spray them maroon, but after seeing the detail on Gilberts Peterborough thread I will wait till they arrive and see if the glazing is easily removed or not. Since returning to 4mm/00 a week or two ago, every RTR coach I have bought has been in BR two-tone livery. It looks like BR maroon is a summer waiting game... Edited March 31, 2017 by coachmann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted April 1, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 1, 2017 (edited) I'd be interested to know where in the country he is located. My local dealer (in Devon) stopped getting in pretty much anything LNER / Eastern Region some time ago unless pre-ordered. He reckons there's almost nobody in the area who buys it from him and he has had to flog off some past releases for virtually no profit after they've spent a couple of years on his shelves. John Interesting points that both you and Wheatley make. However,given the location which is ex-LMR but with a healthy ER incursion this is not really of any consequence.It is "Middle England" ...an area in which during their lifetime these coaches would have been a regular sight.There should be no lack of interest. Edited April 1, 2017 by Ian Hargrave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted April 1, 2017 Share Posted April 1, 2017 Layouts chock full? Among the small group of friends local to me, one of our number has a layout rather like the little 'one space only' puzzles of my childhood, (now totally superseded by computer games) which results in much shuffling of stock onto shelves when anything new is brought over for a test run! A product of the surfeit of the past two decades... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaymzHatstand Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 I've been scouring my books and am unable to find the photo I'm after, and I hope someone can help me (as it's relevant, I think to this thread) The photo I'm looking for is, if I recall correctly, a Thompson brake (probably compo) being shunted at York after arriving as part of the Scarborough Flier. The coach is in Crimson and Cream livery and has Kings Cross - Whitby destination boards. I know it's a photo in one of my well thumbed books, but have been unable to locate it of late! If anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd be most grateful! Cheers J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted April 5, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 5, 2017 Interesting points that both you and Wheatley make. However,given the location which is ex-LMR but with a healthy ER incursion this is not really of any consequence.It is "Middle England" ...an area in which during their lifetime these coaches would have been a regular sight.There should be no lack of interest. Mine are going into an inter-regional train currently made up of a mix of Hornby Gresleys and Bachmann Mk.1s. I picked up the first arrival (a corridor 2nd) yesterday and I'm very impressed. I think the Mk.1 content of the set may gradually reduce................ John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now