cromptonnut Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Just tried three local shops (<10 miles) for some Peco flexitrack. "Oh, we don't stock that sir, no demand for it, but we can get you a box of 12 in a couple of weeks". Not much use when I only want 2 or 3 lengths. I can understand shops not stocking obscure bits or everything, but Peco isn't an obscure brand, and flexitrack isn't exactly unusual either. Is 7mm modelling still that much of a minority- despite a range of rtr stock available and many easy kits - or am I just unlucky that the shops round me aren't interested in engaging with the 7mm community? I know the 7mm market is only a fraction of the 4mm market but still. Looks like it's a trip to Gaugemaster (which I didn't really feel like today) or do without. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGJ Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Have you tried a mail order supplier Hattons have bullhead at 3 £6.00 a length http://www.ehattons.com/stocklist/1000407/1000590/1000690/0/Peco_Products_O_Gauge_1_43rd_Scale_Track_Streamline_Code_124_Bullhead/prodlist.aspx The wife has just commented on the price of a double slip ( I have just been banned from any thoughts on doing a O gauge layout let alone bulding one ). Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGhostofNigelGresley Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 I guess it's a bit of a lottery according to where you live. I'm lucky, I've got a garden railway specialist within walking distance, but even having said that, 95% of the stuff I buy is mail order. It does mean I can't act on impulse mostly and have to accumulate supplies and plan ahead, but that is no bad thing I think. The mail order industry is so highly developed now, that if you order something from eHattons in Liverpool, or Kernow model rail, it usually turns up the next day. Are we a minority, clearly yes, but I think we are a growing minority from what I see. You've got itchy feet Crompton, haven't you ? You're wanting to get that class 33 trundling on your new boards..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbedford Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 I can understand shops not stocking obscure bits or everything, but Peco isn't an obscure brand, and flexitrack isn't exactly unusual either. ..but 7mm scale IS a niche market for most retail shops. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted June 15, 2013 Author Share Posted June 15, 2013 Agree Bill but is that because of the past, where if you didn't build everything from cardboard and biscuit tins, it was that or the crude Hornby tinplate stuff? Now that you can get very high standard rtr models, and with things like the Ixion/Dapol prices being well within the reach of most people, plus an excellent range of kits such as those you make, then 7mm is so much more accessible to "the average modeller" than it was perhaps even just 5 years ago. Is it just a case that shops haven't caught up, or are they not supporting 7mm for some other reason and leaving it to a few shops to bother? I went to Gaugemaster and asked if they happened to have the Peco 7mm catch points in stock, and they did. Apparently they sell one every 2 years but still carried them in stock. Ghost, most mail order places (from experience - haven't used Hattons so granted they may be different) only want to sell flexitrack (in any scale) by the boxful because of its fragility - and even if I could get one or two lengths then the carriage charges would be disproportionate. Yes, I do want to get my 33 going but I'm having a fight with a traverser at the moment, but I'm sure that somewhere soon is a solution... even if it ends up going out the b&!%y window! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugsley Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 It's still a minority sport - whilst these RTR models are increasingly affordable, they're still not exactly cheap. Also, there is the size factor - a lot of people don't have space, or perceive that they don't have the space, for 7mm scale. Also, in terms of sheer size of the market 4mm scale is where it's at. How many retailers will want their money tied up in stock that they might not shift for a couple of years? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Is it just a case that shops haven't caught up, or are they not supporting 7mm for some other reason and leaving it to a few shops to bother? I went to Gaugemaster and asked if they happened to have the Peco 7mm catch points in stock, and they did. Apparently they sell one every 2 years but still carried them in stock. I think you have answered your own question there - volume or lack of it. How many shops can afford to keep stock on their shelves which they might or might not sell one every two years? As mentioned earlier 7mm is, and always will be in my opinion, a niche market. Most model shops struggle with the 4mm market shifting sufficient stock, 7mm will always be the preserve of specialist suppliers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymw Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Hi Cromptonut, Compared to the price of everything else 'O- gauge', a box of Peco track is not that expensive. You will need more than you think, you can strip it from the sleepers and use the rail to make your own point-work, etc., and then there is your next layout. fwiw, you could also use your rail to model a traverser based on the full sized ones. Best wishes, Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Hi, At first sight O gauge may sesm expensive and difficult compared to OO or N. However looking at the price of some of the latest OO models especially those fitted with a DCC decoder the price of O gauge seems reasonable to me. An Ixion tank costs £225.00 mail order which compared to a Hornby black 5 with sound is very reasonable indeed (you cna always add sound to an Ixion loco later on). When I decided to change to O gauge I had aquired a large range of OO equipment which when sold on the second hand market realized enough funds to give me a start in the larger scale. Furthermore in a given space the overall cost of a layout in the larger scale probably is not very different to a smaller scale owing to the fact that you do not need as much stock. This helps to keep you focussed and by planning ahead and purchasing items at such places as the GOG's Telford exhibition for example the availability issue is minimised. Again the cost of some kits may seem high but the time it takes to build them and the pleasure of seeing your finished model more than compensates for the initial cost. As regards to supply issues I have contacted retailers like Tower Models and Slaters one day and received them mext day and if the orser is large enough (£100.00 in the case of TowerModels) the carriage is free. Peco track comes in 12yard boxss and 12yards will not go very far even on a smalll O gauge layout and any left will always come in handy for "extensions" at a later date and if my experience is anything to go by extensions will happen, such is the pull of O gauge. Railwayrod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted June 15, 2013 Author Share Posted June 15, 2013 I know a box doesn't go far - however the problem comes when you've already bought a box and realised that, for whatever reason, you're one or two lengths short and don't want to buy another full box. £70 or so for a box of flexi is a large unnecessary expenditure when you only need a couple of lengths. Yes, if I was connected with a local club there may be others I could share a box with - but at present I am not connected with a local club. Experience of clubs in the past has been underwhelming to say the least and I'm wary of joining yet another club only to get bored or fed up fairly quickly with it. But "experiences with clubs" is probably a subject best left for another discussion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 link Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 A lot of folk seem to avoid track building which is a shame because not only do I find it enjoyable to construct but it is also a lot cheaper and looks far better than the R-T-R offerings. I was first taught track building at 15 yrs old by a member at my local club using copper clad sleepers and rail, this was handy as it also taught me the so called " black art " of soldering. A few years later I converted to EM and about the same time discovered that a guy called Len Newman had this new system of track components we now know as C&L, and I have always used C&L since then although now in 7mm. And as for making your own " flexi-track " it is honestly a piece of cake, and probably costs about a third of the price of R-T-R. And the added bonus of having the correct rail chairs and track keys makes it all so much more life like, no brainer really . Martyn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 I think our local shop The Hobby Box in Uckfield will sell them in single lengths although I have not bought any for years. They also sell a number of Slaters and Parkside wagon kits, the expanding Peco line-side range and they usually have a box under the counter of interesting 7mm bits. I guess there is no real answer to this problem as retailers won't carry expensive stock with a long shelf life although having said that a box of track would surely not break the bank. Dont forget many of us 7mm people still get a lot of their needs at the specialist 7mm shows although I for one still miss Home of O Gauge! Paul R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Hard? You wanna try doing it from 4,000 miles away... Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatB Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Hard? You wanna try doing it from 4,000 miles away... Best, Pete. Or 10,000. While unemployed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Except there is a tradition of modelling British railways in Oz - there is none here (statistically none anyway). At best it is considered quaint at worse "un-american"!!!! Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I see the problem from the other side. We have a number of retailers around the country who stock our Ixion locomotives. Typically, they order one of each colour as they are a significant investment of working capital and the decision to stock our locos depends on their assessment of the local hinterland. They tend to be based in cities and conurbations. The frequency of re-orders varies. Most of the more than 800 Ixion Hudswell Clarkes sold to date have been purchased through mail order with shows being the next biggest source. Frequently, models ordered on-line are delivered at the shows. For my O Gauge activities I rely on mail-order supplemented by the major 0 Gauge shows. We used to have a small shop called The Footplate in Southampton that stocked some 0 Gauge, mostly PECO, Slater's and Parkside lines, but it closed a few years ago. Kettering, Reading and Telford give a reasonable spread throughout the year and I keep a small note-book in which I note my needs and desires. Warley is hopeless, with very little 0 Gauge available. I do miss the Home of 0 Gauge and was able to visit it quite regularly as I work in London, but most of its business was mail order. Regards, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGhostofNigelGresley Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 A lot of folk seem to avoid track building which is a shame because not only do I find it enjoyable to construct but it is also a lot cheaper and looks far better than the R-T-R offerings. I was first taught track building at 15 yrs old by a member at my local club using copper clad sleepers and rail, this was handy as it also taught me the so called " black art " of soldering. A few years later I converted to EM and about the same time discovered that a guy called Len Newman had this new system of track components we now know as C&L, and I have always used C&L since then although now in 7mm. And as for making your own " flexi-track " it is honestly a piece of cake, and probably costs about a third of the price of R-T-R. And the added bonus of having the correct rail chairs and track keys makes it all so much more life like, no brainer really . Martyn. Martyn, there you are. How is the garage conversion coming along - I heard rumours that you had temporarily mislaid your Mojo - hope that's not true ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyfox Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 If you research the 7mm scene before taking the leap, one quickly realises that it's protagonists are rather resourceful in their abilities to obtain items. Once you embrace the adventure of kit building and the striving of achieving as realistic reflection of what was//is the reality; then you become evermore able to source the items you need. If you want track build it. O gauge, despite the recent RTR releases, remains largely a kit and scratch building sector that you have to master (or at least have the willingness to attempt) if want want to have he full richness of the fruit that is 7mm. With the Internet it's very easy to research and source virtually anything pretty quickly. To be very frank, 7mm scale is as hard and expensive for that matter as the individual wants it to be. I find it a challenge and enjoy that immensely, I don't approach the hobby with an expectation that all that I desire will appear on my lap... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poggy1165 Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I would suggest that mail order and attendance at (specialist) exhibitions are the way to go. The only location I know of that is anywhere like a 7mm retailer nowadays is Tower Models, great if you happen to live in Blackpool or the Fylde. Local model shops are an endangered species now and they overwhelmingly stick to 4mm scale. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcm@gwr Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I guess that I must be lucky then, (and those who live nearby) as my local model shop stocks quite a range of O gauge bits, R-T-R and kits. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGhostofNigelGresley Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I think it's probably fair to say that most specialist hobby shops are run by fellow enthusiasts attempting to make their hobby a paying business. Guess it then depends on whether your interests align with theirs as to compatibility of offerings. My local store has two rooms, one given over mainly to OO and N and then out the back all kinds of jumbo garden railway items. There are quite a few kits in O, Parkside etc.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted June 16, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 16, 2013 Fortunately for me Brian at Modelmania In Bristol is carrying a bit more O gauge and has Peco Track, lineside kits etc plus various wagon kits - enough to do something meaningful anyway - he has some Heljan locos in his cabinet as well... Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 link Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Martyn, there you are. How is the garage conversion coming along - I heard rumours that you had temporarily mislaid your Mojo - hope that's not true ? Hi Chris, Yes the missing enthusiasm is still present, although working up to 80 hours a week does not help either. But I still lurk around from time to time to see how other folk are getting on. You can see from the photos below how far I have got with the garage. The outside of the garage where the doors use to be are being rendered on tuesday weather permitting. The plastering is now finished, and all that is left to do are some skirting boards and a coat or two of paint. As you can see there is still a lot of non-railway clutter to be taken to my bulging garden shed, but I have managed to stamp my claim to the room by the sign I have put on the door that leads through to the kitchen ( her domain ) . ATB, Martyn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGhostofNigelGresley Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 Now I have garage envy. Very nice indeed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted June 16, 2013 Share Posted June 16, 2013 I guess that I must be lucky then, (and those who live nearby) as my local model shop stocks quite a range of O gauge bits, R-T-R and kits. Jeff What is the name of the shop? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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