Rapido/Locomotion Models GNR Stirling Single

[southern42]

Something that has not beewn mentioned here as far as I can see is the following statement from the last Locomotion Models newsletter

 

"Unfortunately, demand for the Sturrock tender option has been low as the majority (approximately 85%) or orders were for the original/current tender.  It is with great regret that we have decided to cancel the Sturrock tender option as it is not financially viable for the museum to progress further.  Every customer who ordered the Sturrock tender variant will receive a letter or an email to let them know our plans and they will be arriving from today onwards. "

 

Shame for those of us (like me) who wanted the Sturrock tender option, as I would have liked it how she was running in the 1980's, still a model of No;1 with the "wrong" tender (as far as my preferred option goes) is better than no model at all.

 

 

Gutted.  I, too, requested the Sturrock tender and that was because I hope to model its arrival at 81C and its departure to Waterloo for one of The Railway Children performances and that was the tender I saw it with at my visit to Shildon.

 

To calm me down, and to avoid the risk of cancelling my order, I thought I would go along with the one offered and put a sign on it saying "wrong tender"...and one thought led to another...

 

Feeling happier?  A bit.  Still buying, it?  Definitely.  It is a pretty loco, after all!  I'll just have to turn the lights out for its trip in the dark and no-one will notice.

[Jol Wilkinson]

Couldn't resist a Hardwicke though.

Nor could I, so I have a London Road Models kit in stock.

 

In the meanwhile I built the smaller wheeled Whitworth from the same stable.

 

 

It's all a question of how much you really want something.

[Corbs]

If anyone really wants a small tender version, I can offer

'Honest' Corbs' Tender Small-ifying Service

Simply send us your tender and we will return (most of) it, smaller!

 

[stewartingram]

I've still got an unmade Kitmaster, maybe pinch the tender (body) from that?

 

Stewart

[chris p bacon]

I've still got an unmade Kitmaster, maybe pinch the tender (body) from that?

 

Stewart

I might have to hone my burglary skills......

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I'll joyfully trade my assembled Kitmaster tender for the big one from the Rapido/NRM production. Naturally there will have to be a financial adjustment, because the Kitmaster is a RARE! COLLECTABLE!.

[sp1]

I'll joyfully trade my assembled Kitmaster tender for the big one from the Rapido/NRM production. Naturally there will have to be a financial adjustment, because the Kitmaster is a RARE! COLLECTABLE!.

You'd probably get more interest if you added L@@K

(!!)

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Showing my total and complete ignorance of Ebilk protocols there, never having used it...

[Colin_McLeod]

I'll joyfully trade my assembled Kitmaster tender for the big one from the Rapido/NRM production. Naturally there will have to be a financial adjustment, because the Kitmaster is a RARE! COLLECTABLE!.

  

You'd probably get more interest if you added L@@K

(!!)

And you can genuinely say "kit built"

[JSpencer]

While I was expecting the original/current tender to sell better out of the two, I am surprised it sold 6 times more. Between that and the price increase, economics are starting to hit home. Putting aside the political upheavals, *maybe* sales were not quite enough and there were doubtless people who did find the original price too much which *might* have lead to a smaller order book than expected.

 

The APT-E, a much bigger train for not much more, sold for only 2000 units. I would have expected 4000 to 5000. So given that, I suspect there *may* be just a 1000 singles in the end. Even if 2000 are reached, that makes for just 300 small tenders. You can almost feel the economics bite without seeing any actual figures..

 

The NRM are not the first to drop features to save costs though. Hattons dropped the cab step less 14XX option from the design (the models now all feature with steps), at the same I do feel some saturation is creeping in. So definitely wise not to rush other projects like the HST prototype for now.

[chris p bacon]

While I was expecting the original/current tender to sell better out of the two, I am surprised it sold 6 times more. Between that and the price increase, economics are starting to hit home. Putting aside the political upheavals, *maybe* sales were not quite enough and there were doubtless people who did find the original price too much which *might* have lead to a smaller order book than expected.

 

The APT-E, a much bigger train for not much more, sold for only 2000 units. I would have expected 4000 to 5000. So given that, I suspect there *may* be just a 1000 singles in the end. Even if 2000 are reached, that makes for just 300 small tenders. You can almost feel the economics bite without seeing any actual figures..

On the other hand I'm surprised the APT-E sold as many as 2000, this is the figure for a normal production run for other recent releases that are able to be purchased some time after release meaning stock on the shelves. The figure of 4-5000 is very optimistic nowadays but a figure of 1000-1500 for the Single could well be correct.

[JSpencer]

On the other hand I'm surprised the APT-E sold as many as 2000, this is the figure for a normal production run for other recent releases that are able to be purchased some time after release meaning stock on the shelves. The figure of 4-5000 is very optimistic nowadays but a figure of 1000-1500 for the Single could well be correct.

 

Indeed things have changed in the past 10 years. Heljan did their BR unique prototype diesel runs in the 3000 to 4000 locos. In the 90s, Hornby 2 tender Flying Scotsman was run twice for 5000 units each. So I agree (with hindsight) that maybe 4 to 5000 units is optimistic, but 3000 still looks reasonable. I hope the Single gets close to 1500 and is viable because if it "just recovers" the investment, the NRM may shy away from others (and they have plenty of stuff that would interest me in model form!).

[Edwardian]

I have yet to pre-order, but I, too, Will plump for the large tender.

 

The abandonment by Hattons of the as built tooling was a decision that lost the a sale and it is little short of cynical to sell them in pre-war liveries.

[Colin_McLeod]

What has Hattons got to do with it?

[chris p bacon]

What has Hattons got to do with it?

 

This comment as a comparison to the NRM's changes in production.

 

The NRM are not the first to drop features to save costs though. Hattons dropped the cab step less 14XX option from the design (the models now all feature with steps), at the same I do feel some saturation is creeping in. So definitely wise not to rush other projects like the HST prototype for now.

[No Decorum]

On the other hand I'm surprised the APT-E sold as many as 2000, this is the figure for a normal production run for other recent releases that are able to be purchased some time after release meaning stock on the shelves. The figure of 4-5000 is very optimistic nowadays but a figure of 1000-1500 for the Single could well be correct.

The limited edtion cerificate says 2,000 but the APT-E was built to match the number of orders (plus a few spare), which was unknown at the time that the certificates were printed. My understanding is that fewer than 2,000 were produced but we are not privy to exactly how many.

[adb968008]

I was surprised they split the market by offering it with two different tenders.

 

I wouldnt buy both, but if they had offered one version with the option to buy the other tender as an additional item I would have done so.

[Steamport Southport]

I was surprised they split the market by offering it with two different tenders.

 

I wouldnt buy both, but if they had offered one version with the option to buy the other tender as an additional item I would have done so.

 

I would have preferred the Sturrock tender as it could then be used during LNER days and the 1970s and 1980s when it was in steam.

 

 

The "original/current" tender is useless for anyone modelling most of the 20th Century. So either everyone is modelling pre 1907, they don't know/mind/care as it's a pretty engine regardless or most of these are going into cabinets never to turn a wheel.

 

 

 

 

Jason

[JCL]

I'll put my hand up to being part of the pre-1907 brigade.

[asmay2002]

I would have preferred the Sturrock tender as it could then be used during LNER days and the 1970s and 1980s when it was in steam.

 

 

The "original/current" tender is useless for anyone modelling most of the 20th Century. So either everyone is modelling pre 1907, they don't know/mind/care as it's a pretty engine regardless or most of these are going into cabinets never to turn a wheel.

 

Jason

For "most" of the 20th century the loco was stuck inside a museum not turning a wheel so it's useless to most 20th century modellers anyway.

[JaymzHatstand]

I would have preferred the Sturrock tender for recreating it's jaunt on the NYMR and for shunting up and down outside the NRM with the de streamlined Mallard. But I have now cabbed the loco with the original style tender, so that makes it a little more justified on a personal level! It'll still get run alongside my C1 Atlantic and all sorts of anachronistic stock combinations because rule 1!

 

The price hike will see the non sound version being my choice, but I can make choo choo noises myself!

 

Running for cover!

 

Cheers

 

J

[Steamport Southport]

For "most" of the 20th century the loco was stuck inside a museum not turning a wheel so it's useless to most 20th century modellers anyway.

 

Yes. You could argue that.

 

The same as the Dean Goods, 251, 1008, Lode Star, APT-E and other models that Locomotion Models have commissioned. All have spent a significant period of their lives in a museum. So all useless unless they worked the 9 o'clock train at whatever location you are modelling.

 

But the Single has had spells where it was running around during that time, even on the mainline. So many modellers could find an excuse to run it with everything from LNER A4s in the 1930s right up to Deltics, HSTs and the APT P. Alas not possible now. I understand the reasons, just disappointed.

 

 

 

Jason

[Budgie]

Hang on a minute, folks. Whatever happened to Rule 1? "It's my railway, and I'll run what I like." Swiftly followed by Rule 2: "If you don't like it, that's your problem. Don't bother me with it."

[No Decorum]

I would have preferred the Sturrock tender as it could then be used during LNER days and the 1970s and 1980s when it was in steam.

 

 

The "original/current" tender is useless for anyone modelling most of the 20th Century. So either everyone is modelling pre 1907, they don't know/mind/care as it's a pretty engine regardless or most of these are going into cabinets never to turn a wheel.

 

 

 

 

Jason

There is such a thing as sequence modelling. The Flying Scotsman hauled by a Stirling Single, then an Atlantic, an A1, an A3, an A4, a Deltic, an HST and a Class 91.

[JSpencer]

There is such a thing as sequence modelling. The Flying Scotsman hauled by a Stirling Single, then an Atlantic, an A1, an A3, an A4, a Deltic, an HST and a Class 91.

 

We would certainly need suitable coaches for first few of those and I think we are missing a 2-4-0 and a few 4-4-0s in that list too.