Model Rail issue 191 Winter 2014

[JCL]

I'm the other way round I'm afraid - I was on Zinio for quite a while with a Photoshop magazine, and while they always updated well. The on-going problem was that the page image quality was terrible (not good in a Photoshop mag), and that the software was slow compared to others. They then sent me a questionnaire to fill in, but none of the questions were about the apps or pc software, the bits that you want to comment about, but all about their marketing. In the end I decided not to renew my subscription there. Maybe they've got better.

 

Sorry, that was somewhat off topic.

[45059]

Happy to report that my paper edition seems to work just fine! (Is that my taxi??)

[JCL]

Happy to report that my paper edition seems to work just fine! (Is that my taxi??)

 

There's always a smart Alec!

[daftbovine]

I'm tearing my hair out with a new digital subscription (see other thread entitled subscription issues) I had the same problem with the Winter issue which was to be the first with my new one year subscription.

 

I contacted Model Rail for help who referred me to Apple who in turn referred me to Warners!!! Back to Apple who once informed that Warners do not publish Model Rail, decided that 'activate subscription' meant cancel it.

 

So now I'm stuck between Model Rail who are on holiday and Apple who don't understand English.

 

By the time it has been sorted out the special offer subscription will have expired. I feel I can't win.

 

If only there were someone like the very helpful people at Pocketmags.

[daftbovine]

The problem with the disappearing and reappearing Winter issue on iPads has most probably caused me to lose out on a special offer subscription.

 

In Model Rail's defence it is probably an Apple problem as similar glitches have cropped up with digital issues of Hornby magazine in the past and seem to be caused by a delay from Apple's side.

 

Why display the issue if it is not ready to download? It just aggravates customers.

[Neal Ball]

OR

 

Having downloaded magazines and books at home (Virgin fibre optic cables etc.) with no issues.

 

I tried downloading on our broadband in Spain..... completely different story.... In the end, I put it down to the speed of the connection. Pages missing / wouldn't download, despite deleting the mag app etc.

 

Could it be the speed of your connection?

[Tase]

what could be easier.....

what? Easier than not doing anything?....when it works

[dibber25]

Sorry for these problems with the digital version. I'm not due back until 6th Jan but I will go in on Jan 2 in order to see if I can get this resolved. If the problem is at our end, I'm sure we can arrange for customers not to miss out on whatever offers they were unable to access. I have to go in anyway as I'm expecting a parcel from Heljan/Howes.

CHRIS LEIGH

[daftbovine]

Thank you, Chris and this isn't even your responsiblity. I have since been emailed by Great Magazines subscription services who have said that there is nothing they can do as I have bought the subscription through iTunes ( I didn't know this was the case but perhaps it applies to overseas subscriptions )

 

I am now back to dealing with Apple 'Support' Heaven help me - at least the team at Great Magazines can understand English.

[dibber25]

Thank you, Chris and this isn't even your responsiblity. I have since been emailed by Great Magazines subscription services who have said that there is nothing they can do as I have bought the subscription through iTunes ( I didn't know this was the case but perhaps it applies to overseas subscriptions )

 

I am now back to dealing with Apple 'Support' Heaven help me - at least the team at Great Magazines can understand English.

I'm not really genned up on IT and how these things work through sales systems etc but I would expect that if you've bought something, you ought to receive it. Glad to hear you received good service from Great Mags, even if they weren't able to help. 

CHRIS LEIGH

[steveb860]

So it's ok to make negative comments on any new model produced, and comment you will not be buying one, but you can not comment on the contents of a magazine.

 

So how does that work then?

9. Please do not post pointless, irrelevant or inflammatory content.

 

I refer to the pointless part. The magazine had not even hit the shops and the poster was saying he was not buying it. Who really cares if he was not buying it? And the post was not backed by any constructive reason. Imagine if everybody posted similar posts, this forum will die out very quickly.

 

Since BRM took over RMweb, it seems the in thing at the moment to knock Model Rail, but obviously many forget it was Model Rail who embraced RMweb within it's pages and brought it to the attention of the masses. Yet prior to the take over, nobody ever posted on BRM threads.

 

Oh and usually when people post on here that they are not buying a Bachby class whatever, they usually give a reason, that's how it works.

[Pint of Adnams]

It's not just the digital versions that are difficult to access, had no success yesterday in getting my hands on a print edition either locally in WHS, Martins or supermarkets in Diss, and today nothing in either of the city centre WHS branches or independent newsagents in Norwich. According to a guy in one branch of WHS who looked up this issue on the in-house system, it's only one of a number of Boxing Day publications missing from the shelves. 

 

Thought - does WHS still have the principal distribution contract?

[Pete 75C]

9. Please do not post pointless, irrelevant or inflammatory content.

 

I refer to the pointless part.

 

So Wheeltappers is to be removed from the forum? A lot of that's pretty pointless, but some of us like pointless.

[Budgie]

Thought - does WHS still have the principal distribution contract?

Don't know about that. I bought my copy in Sainsbury's, on Boxing Day.

[Robin Brasher]

I don't think Andy Hayter's Supply & Demand article on page 153 will do anything to boost Hornby's sales. A toy train is a representation of  a train. What we would like to buy from Hornby is a scale model and this is not a toy. I should think anyone who collects models is fully aware of the issues in China that labour costs have gone up and fewer factories are producing models. Our wish lists have an impact because Hornby has promised to produce what we want: for instance an 0-6-0 goods engine, pull-push coaches for an M7 and BR (SR) coaches in the correct shade of green for Southern Region modellers as a result of looking at the wish lists. We do not want to pay more for models than we need to but we are prepared to pay realistic prices. For instance I paid £190 for an 00 works Drummond 700 made in England and a similar price for a kit built Q class when I thought there was no prospect of Hornby making them. What I find frustrating is Hornby promising delivery dates and then breaking their promises. It is like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey. Hornby promised the Maunsell pull-push in the first quarter of 2012. It was produced in such small quantities that it sold out within hours when the first batch was produced. Then Hornby promised another model in September 2012 but then kept on changing this until the last date was November 29 2013 and has still not supplied them. 

[dibber25]

The distribution of Model Rail is and always has been handled by Frontline. Some independent retailers obtain their copies through WHS Wholesale but WHS has never had 'the principal distribution contract'.

CHRIS LEIGH

[dibber25]

I don't think Andy Hayter's Supply & Demand article on page 153 will do anything to boost Hornby's sales. A toy train is a representation of  a train. What we would like to buy from Hornby is a scale model and this is not a toy. I should think anyone who collects models is fully aware of the issues in China that labour costs have gone up and fewer factories are producing models. Our wish lists have an impact because Hornby has promised to produce what we want: for instance an 0-6-0 goods engine, pull-push coaches for an M7 and BR (SR) coaches in the correct shade of green for Southern Region modellers as a result of looking at the wish lists. We do not want to pay more for models than we need to but we are prepared to pay realistic prices. For instance I paid £190 for an 00 works Drummond 700 made in England and a similar price for a kit built Q class when I thought there was no prospect of Hornby making them. What I find frustrating is Hornby promising delivery dates and then breaking their promises. It is like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey. Hornby promised the Maunsell pull-push in the first quarter of 2012. It was produced in such small quantities that it sold out within hours when the first batch was produced. Then Hornby promised another model in September 2012 but then kept on changing this until the last date was November 29 2013 and has still not supplied them. 

It was an opinion piece and I see no reason why it would affect Hornby's sales in any way. It was (yet another) attempt to explain the situation in model railway manufacturing in China and to, perhaps, stem the flow of complaints about the supply situation. Manufacturers make their delivery predictions (not promises) based on the best information available at the time. Sander Kan, which was Hornby's manufacturer, was ten times the size of any other Chinese model railway factory. It has gone under. Hornby is doing its best to obtain supplies from several other sources but there are issues which are taking time to resolve. 

CHRIS LEIGH

[Robin Brasher]

I cannot understand why the Graham Farish Bulleid coaches have only been given 92% in the review on page 35. There is nothing in the text to show why they have been marked down to 8 out 10 for features. The final paragraph says the recommended price of £21 seems remarkably reasonable yet they only have 9 out of 10 for value for money. My only criticism is the livery. The Swanage Railway has just repainted its two semi-open brakes in BR green which matches the original Graham-Farish Mk1s when they were made in Hamworthy. The Bulleids are darker but they are in a slightly lighter shade than Bachmann's 00 gauge coaches.

I attach photographs of the prototype and model on the Swanage Railway and you will see the difference.

 

[dibber25]

 

I cannot understand why the Graham Farish Bulleid coaches have only been given 92% in the review on page 35. There is nothing in the text to show why they have been marked down to 8 out 10 for features. The final paragraph says the recommended price of £21 seems remarkably reasonable yet they only have 9 out of 10 for value for money. My only criticism is the livery. The Swanage Railway has just repainted its two semi-open brakes in BR green which matches the original Graham-Farish Mk1s when they were made in Hamworthy. The Bulleids are darker but they are in a slightly lighter shade than Bachmann's 00 gauge coaches.

I attach photographs of the prototype and model on the Swanage Railway and you will see the difference.

 

"ONLY been given 92%"!! I gave them 92% as being the closest I was willing to go to 100%. Once you give 100%, what do you do when someone makes a better model? Personally, I dislike the score system but it's not my decision and (as I've said before) its a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. However, people want quick answers and they don't READ the reviews so the score system is the next best thing. There are set criteria for marking most of the categories and for coaches the 'features' score will include things such as interior detail and lighting. If a model doesn't have lighting it will automatically reduce its score. Like I said, 92% is a fabulous score. Don't knock it - nothing should ever get 100%.

Chris Leigh

[grahame]

Bearing in mind the vastly different lighting between the two photos (one outside in natural bright sunlight and the other indoors and probably under artificial light) plus the effect of distance on colour and shine (the model although closer in real terms is a lot further away in scale distance) the two greens look pretty much spot on similar IMO and I'm unable to discern any significant difference. In fact it's the roofs that look significantly different, but then that is probably due to the bright sunlight.

 

G.

[westerner]

I always worry when people bang on about the exact shades of colour, as Grahame has pointed out the quality of light makes a huge difference in the perception of colour and one is assuming that the real carriage has the exact correct shade of the carriages when in service., knowing that paint mixes alter slightly with different batches and the colour would look different depending on the number of coats of varnish applied.

[Legend]

I don't think Andy Hayter's Supply & Demand article on page 153 will do anything to boost Hornby's sales. A toy train is a representation of a train. What we would like to buy from Hornby is a scale model and this is not a toy. I should think anyone who collects models is fully aware of the issues in China that labour costs have gone up and fewer factories are producing models. Our wish lists have an impact because Hornby has promised to produce what we want: for instance an 0-6-0 goods engine, pull-push coaches for an M7 and BR (SR) coaches in the correct shade of green for Southern Region modellers as a result of looking at the wish lists. We do not want to pay more for models than we need to but we are prepared to pay realistic prices. For instance I paid £190 for an 00 works Drummond 700 made in England and a similar price for a kit built Q class when I thought there was no prospect of Hornby making them. What I find frustrating is Hornby promising delivery dates and then breaking their promises. It is like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey. Hornby promised the Maunsell pull-push in the first quarter of 2012. It was produced in such small quantities that it sold out within hours when the first batch was produced. Then Hornby promised another model in September 2012 but then kept on changing this until the last date was November 29 2013 and has still not supplied them.

 

I read it,admittedly quite quickly,but I thought it came over as an apologetic piece for Hornby

 

Yes everyone has major issues over the breakup of Sanda Kan, but this has been going on at Hornby since before break up ( 4 years at least they have failed to deliver on time) they were guilty of putting all their eggs in one basket and even when the break up occurred they were slow to correct the issue. 2012 was bad, remember the promise in 2013 that all that program would be delivered in one year. They just don't seem to be able to match their ambitious program with actual manufacturing capacity. Jury's out for 2014. Yes nice program but will it deliver?

 

Also I'm getting a little fed up with people preaching woe, we are all going to have to pay more,we are going to have to order in advance, without seeing what we are buying. It's all championing the manufacturers cause.......what about the consumer in all this? Our mags still seem very manufacturer centric, compare that to some photo magazines.

 

I haven't seen any such special comments pages in Model Rail before although I'm not a regular buyer. I really wondered why it was felt necessary to publish this piece now, again could it be a reaction to the adverse comments Hornby have been receiving? I look forward to a similar piece on Hornbys pricing policies , concessions, and what it's doing for the independent retailer.

 

The piece is deliberately provocative , as in fairness the author alludes to himself in conclusion. I said to myself I would not rise to the bait, but dammit have failed again!

 

Sorry just found the magazine under the fall out from Christmas and re read the article. Rather than not being about one manufacturer it is mainly about Hornby. I have edited post slightly to reflect this. All other points remain the same however

[gr.king]

Perhaps the pre-Christmas rush to get editions out on time did not help with the checking of some of the details in my K3 and K4 follow-on articles in this edition. I've had no chance to see the finished versions until today. I feel there are some points that I ought to clarify:

 

1. In the K4 rewheeling article, a Hornby A3/A4 valvegear set seems to have appeared in the shopping list. I have no idea why at present, as I cannot see any need for one.

 

2. In step 4 of the same, the remarks about the 3 thou brass shim for the driving crankpin may seem a little confusing. It boils down to the fact that 3 thou shim is enough to take up the slop and leave some running clearance when fitted "dry", but once soldered in place the clearance is lost and the hole has to be eased out to regain the correct size.

 

3. The header image for the article dealing with Bachmann K3 wheel slop is an ironic choice. I'm "guilty" of supplying this image of one of my K3s, originally as a means of showing the contrast between a K3 model with FULL SIZE coupled wheels and a K4 conversion with smaller wheels fitted. This particular model is a little out of place as an example of a typical Bachmann K3, as it isn't one! I scratchbuilt that particular loco body almost 15 years ago and it sits on a Bachmann V3 split-chassis mechanism.....

 

4. The link at the end of the K3 wheel-slop article made me chuckle too. I don't have any plans to build models of items from Dr Who, nor as far as possible to build any locos that are utter dogs, so the refrence to a K9 must be a typo.

 

Season's Greetings All!

[Robin Brasher]

"ONLY been given 92%"!! I gave them 92% as being the closest I was willing to go to 100%. Once you give 100%, what do you do when someone makes a better model? Personally, I dislike the score system but it's not my decision and (as I've said before) its a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. However, people want quick answers and they don't READ the reviews so the score system is the next best thing. There are set criteria for marking most of the categories and for coaches the 'features' score will include things such as interior detail and lighting. If a model doesn't have lighting it will automatically reduce its score. Like I said, 92% is a fabulous score. Don't knock it - nothing should ever get 100%.

Chris Leigh

Model Rail gave the Graham Farish LMS Period lll  and BR Mk1 coaches 95%. I thought the Bulleids were just as good. The N gauge coaches are giving the 00 gauge coaches a run for their money. Perhaps the ultimate coach is like the 0 gauge coaches they had on the layout at New Romney Station with working corridor connections, interior lights and passengers reading newspapers. Peco used to make some wonderful interiors with correctly coloured seats, passengers and carriage prints for Kitmaster coaches for 2s 6d each.

[kevinlms]

It was an opinion piece and I see no reason why it would affect Hornby's sales in any way. It was (yet another) attempt to explain the situation in model railway manufacturing in China and to, perhaps, stem the flow of complaints about the supply situation. Manufacturers make their delivery predictions (not promises) based on the best information available at the time. Sander Kan, which was Hornby's manufacturer, was ten times the size of any other Chinese model railway factory. It has gone under. Hornby is doing its best to obtain supplies from several other sources but there are issues which are taking time to resolve. 

CHRIS LEIGH

For which Hornby don't really have any control over, re the poor Class 31 chassis. They've admitted it was a faulty product and intend to replace those, but its taking/took forever. The only way to be in full control is to do the job yourself, but that's most unlikely to happen. That capability has been lost (without vast expense to re-equip Margate). Hornby ought to have considered the worst case scenario, temporary or permanent.

 

BTW, there seem to lots of models of Australian trains, coming through, so perhaps the problem is, position in the queue? Maybe, (because I don't know) that position is determined by how much the new factories, get paid per model and if Hornby is less, then their position in the queue drops, making availability dates impossible to ascertain. Supply & Demand, is the theory, I'm told.