phil gollin Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Thank you for posting this. I sent a note to Mr. Kohler on this subject yesterday. I receieved a very nice note from him (overnight my time, time zones being what they are, but I'm guessing it was at about 9:35am GMT today on Easter Saturday morning) which is extraordinarily responsive for a holiday weekend. His note essentially says the same thing as the Facebook post. . I hope that Hornby send you a couple of models just to say "tahk-you" for saving them the embarrassment (and costs) if the full scale selling had gone ahead. . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 If these make it to market, I suppose Gostude will be flogging them on eBay as "rare factory errors"....And no doubt that one day Pat Hammond will have a special place for them in an updated Ramsay's Guide to British Model Trains and they will become highly collectible and sell at exorbitant prices. Next someone will suggest that this was a ploy to gain attention and drive up prices on the existing stock. In all likelihood, someone in China in a new factory that is ramping up production made a mistake. We were told to expect a container with the 8-coupled tanks (and probably the B set coaches) arriving at Margate this week on Monday. Hornby (who closed their books on Thursday) probably rushed to ship these items out (on Tuesday according to Facebook) to make sure the shipment counted to the current financial year's numbers - and missed the error. It is embarassing for them but understandable. Under pressure, more mistakes get made. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Every way I look at this debacle, it's simply hilarious. Perhaps I should get out more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I hope that Hornby send you a couple of models just to say "tahk-you" for saving them the embarrassment (and costs) if the full scale selling had gone ahead. That's not necessary Phil. It wasn't me who noticed it in the first place. Thanks are due to Martin who spotted it first. I just carried a message and wasn't the first to do try to contact Hornby though their website. If anything, this demonstrates the utility of enthusiasts collaborating here on RMweb. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Indeed so Chris. To squash all this nonsense about Airfix production coming back to Britain - the "Quick build" Airfix kits are essentially Legos with lots of custom bricks as shown below. "Production" is a matter of moulding bricks, some minimal printing, and putting them in boxes. quickbuildspitfire.JPG Perhaps this image violates our copyright guidelines - if so I'll be happy for the mods to delete it, but actually I think these kits look fun for youngsters (and other not so young people who like Lego). The source material is from the airfix website. Click on the exploded view. What a bargain. Only £9.99, and they fly and have working weapons, according to the video! Aren't they a bit dumbed down though? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 And no doubt that one day Pat Hammond will have a special place for them in an updated Ramsay's Guide to British Model Trains and they will become highly collectible and sell at exorbitant prices...... ....no doubt leading to "fakes", as pseudo-Gostudes buy up all the spare B4 bogies.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted March 30, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2013 That's not necessary Phil. It wasn't me who noticed it in the first place. Thanks are due to Martin who spotted it first. I just carried a message and wasn't the first to do try to contact Hornby though their website. If anything, this demonstrates the utility of enthusiasts collaborating here on RMweb. I wonder what would have happened here in the days before the internet and its forums. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BG John Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I wonder what would have happened here in the days before the internet and its forums. Everything had BR bogies in those days! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multiple identity account 2 Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Hornby are recalling/providing spare bogies now....chance to be happy news from twitter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multiple identity account 2 Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 From Hornby's facebook page: R4549/A - GWR Suburban B coach. Just prior to the Hornby offices closing for Easter break we were made aware of the situation in respect of B4 bogies being used on the GWR Suburban B coach in place of the correct type. Unfortunately as the error was spotted ''late in the day'' it was difficult to prevent shipment to our stockists. What I can advise you is that replacement bogies have been requested but as we have no ETA of their arrival. In the meantime all shipping of the Suburban B coaches have been halted until we can replace the bogies. We will be contacting those stockists who have received the coaches on Tuesday and they will be asked to return the coaches or wait until we are able to sent them replacement bogies. For those enthusiasts who have received the coaches already we can advise them to return the coaches to their supplier or contact Hornby Customer Care so that replacement cogies can be sent to them as soon as they arrive. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted March 31, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2013 What's the problem? Hornby have been selling a class 37 model with class 47 bogies under it for years, before that Triang sold the same model with class 31 bogies. Just because it's a GWR model everyone gets all excited ;-) Andi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted March 31, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2013 a GWR model everyone gets all excited ;-) Andi Yes a GWR model thats been around for 35 years so they should get it right by now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Simon Kohler has emailed me a response about this issue: Just prior to the Hornby offices closing for the Easter break we were made aware of the situation in respect of B4 bogies being used on the GWR Suburban B coach in place of the correct type. Unfortunately as the error was spotted "late in the day" it was difficult to prevent shipment to our stockists. What I can advise you is that replacement bogies have been requested but as yet we have no ETA of their arrival. In the meantime all shipping of the Suburban B coaches have been halted until we can replace the bogies. We will be contacting those stockists who have received the coaches on Tuesday and they will be either asked to return the coaches or wait until we are able to send them replacement bogies. For those enthusiasts who have received the coaches already we can advise them to either return the coaches to their supplier or contact Hornby Customer Care so that replacement bogies can be sent to them as soon as they arrive. I am grateful for those who have contacted me directly pointing out the error. It was a silly mistake on our part and can only apologise for the inconvenience caused. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave47549 Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium brushman47544 Posted March 31, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 31, 2013 Perhaps more significant in a wider context is Simon Kohler's use of the word "enthusiasts". Is this a recognition by Hornby's new top management of a large part of their customer base and a signal of a change in emphasis, I wonder, or just Simon's friendly style? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Chris, that's a very negative attitude (although unfortunately it's one that I share). Imagine if Isambard had thought that way? Not only would future generations been denied the magnificence of the 'Western, He'd have most probably downed tools after his first 'shower' under the Thames! Unfortunately, Chris has his finger on the pulse. This country doesn't really make things like this anymore. As mostly ageing individuals, we can, but as a major company the education and skills appropriate for the work have virtually all evaporated. And that's before you start going into motivation of the potential workforce. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted March 31, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2013 And of course the 'elephant in the room' is the time-limited age profile of most of 'us'...as Chris has already perceptively reminded RM webbers a short while ago. We are part & parcel of a downsizing market.A simple question.......how many of us will be in the client group by 2023 ? How many will be there to take our places? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptic Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 These bogies wouldn't be the redundant, back to front B5s off the 4-VEPs ?, by any chance ?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceptic Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Or a Ha..Ha....Hattons' / Hornby's April 1st. jape. ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Chris, that's a very negative attitude (although unfortunately it's one that I share). Imagine if Isambard had thought that way? Not only would future generations been denied the magnificence of the 'Western, He'd have most probably downed tools after his first 'shower' under the Thames! It's not about 'attitude' it's about facing facts. I would LIKE to see lots of manufacturing back in Britain but the fact is, we've been spoiled by the high quality and low prices of models made in China and if we brought manufacturing back to the UK it would take us years to re-learn the skills and invest in the machinery and by then we would have a very high-priced product for which the market had, in the meantime, died. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold checkrail Posted April 1, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 1, 2013 I too received my new B-set coaches (pre-ordered from H's) just before Easter, and immediately emailed Simon Kohler about the bogies under the heading 'Bizarre B-set - shurley shome mishtake?', surmising that it was a mix-up at the factory in China. He kindly replied within the hour, confirming this and assuring me that he was already on the case, with the correct replacement bogies on order to supply to purchasers. So no big deal really, just something in the 's*** happens' category. But have you seen the coaches themselves in their new incarnation? Ok, I know about the 30 year old Airfix tooling, the incorrect guard's door window on one side, the sketchy underframe, the superfluous inner end detail, and the wrong outer end buffers. But look at the quality of the finish, even down to the 'Bristol Division Train Set' no. on the solebar and the signs on the windows. Exquisite. Some of you out there can achieve this yourselves, but I don't think I could in a million years. A long way from the days when r-t-r models were just a basis for butchery and repainting. Pending arrival of new bogies I dug out 2 old Airfix/Mainline B-set coaches (awaiting aforsesaid conversion and repaint) from store and put their 7ft bogies on the new set, cuttting off the inner couplings and joining the 2 vehicles almost buffer-to-buffer with some brass wire. Looks great and goes round 30" curves. Think the others can go in the bin! Interesting too, following recent posts, to note the double lining. Not sure what Hornby's prototype source material was, but if I'm reading it right the latest edition of 'Great Western Way' quotes instructions and memos from Swindon suggesting that there was a brief window in late 20s/early 30's when most new stock was thus turned out, soon overtaken by a subsequent instruction to restrict double lining to stock used on principal expresses. Anyway, the new Hornby version certainly looks very nice. Livery-wise I guess it just needs the droplight frames touched up in mahogany or Indian red, instead of the Hornby-applied coach brown. John C. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 But have you seen the coaches themselves in their new incarnation?John, thanks for the update. I'll look forward to mine, hoping the proper bogies get sorted out in time. Are the B4 bogies a press fit and how easily are they removed? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach bogie Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 If Swindon can put B4 bogies under a toplight, then what is to stop Hornby? http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/47327-is-this-an-inspection-saloon/ Mike Wiltshire Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 I think you need a more appropriate username for this thread Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted April 2, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2013 I'm curious about how these things work (genuinely curious, not Hornby bashing!) When a batch has been assembled on the production line, I assume someone does sample quality control. I assume this includes testing functionality, that the parts are assembled correctly, and that all parts are there. But would it not also involve checking that it is the right parts? And if so, how is that done - by visual checking against a diagram of parts, and maybe a diagram of the finished model? And who would do that - someone in China, or by uploading an image for Hornby UK to approve before shipping? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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