Anticipation Fatigue

[Ozexpatriate]

A number of recent posts and the long list of models that have been announced but have not yet appeared have left me wondering if many RMwebbers (including myself) are starting to feel something that I'll call "anticipation fatigue".

 

Hornby has returned to an aggressive campaign of new model development. We have new entrants to the marketplace like DJModels and Oxford Rail. There is a dramatic increase in commissioning activity from entities like Kernow and Hattons, not to mention museums like Locomotion, STEAM and the London Transport Museum. All this has resulted in the announcement of many exciting models.

 

Given the lengthy development time and the extensive costs involved, it takes a lot of time for these projects to come to fruition. We wind ourselves up in a high state of excitement over announcements and then feel a bit let down as we wait, sometimes three or even four or more years, for the models to appear.

 

I've seen a lot of posters express posts like "I wish companies wouldn't announce products until they are almost ready", and many people are frustrated that catalogues include items that won't be available while the catalogue is current.

 

I think the cumulative effect of this might be a bit wearing on us as a community. Sure, it's a first world problem and if this is the worst thing we have to deal with then our lives are in really good shape, but it makes me wonder if it affects our online temperament.

 

Does frustration over having to temper our eager anticipation of newly announced products with patience lead to negativity*?

 

* Sometimes negativity is perceived where it is not intended, either in the authorship or comprehension.

 

For me perhaps it's just the embarrassment of riches in being a GWR (and SR/ex-LSWR) fan but right now I am personally interested in the following items:

 

Kernow/DJM SR (ex-LSWR) O2

Kernow/DJM SR (ex-LSWR) gate stock

Kernow/DJM GWR 1361

Kernow/DJM GWR steam railmotor

Kernow/DJM SR (ex-LSWR) road van

Heljan GWR 1366 pannier

Heljan GWR 47xx

Heljan SR(ex-L&B ) 0-6-0T

Hattons/DJM GWR 14xx

Hattons/DJM GWR King

Bachmann SECR Birdcage stock

Bachmann GWR 94xx pannier

Hornby GWR King

Hornby GWR Collett 57' bow-ended coaches

Dapol GWR AEC railcar

Locomotion/Rapido GNR Stirling Single

 

As soon as someone announces an LSWR radial tank in Southern livery I might pay attention to that too. (So far the competitors for this item have announced LSWR and BR liveries.) Plus there's some 009 stuff that might tempt me too.

 

Of course there are many other exciting projects that I haven't listed here that would be on other people's lists.

 

These things creep up gradually but when put together in a single list, it is pretty staggering. They won't all appear at once, (thank goodness) and while I am in fortunate enough circumstances to believe that, over time, they will be affordable, it's still a pretty considerable outlay.

 

Cumulatively it's a huge list and you'd think with so many things on the list things would pop out the other end with some regularity. They don't *seem* to and the list feels like it gets longer without ever getting shorter.

 

(In fairness, the Bachmann SR E4 appeared recently.)  

 

So can there be too much of a good thing? Does it affect our behavour? What do you think?

 

We have a lot to look forward to!

[Ben Alder]

Try modelling one of the more offbeat locations - Scotland for a start, not to mention most of the pre group companies- you'll find that anticipation is an alien concept - saves a whole lot of brainwear....

[woodenhead]

Try N gauge too, all these commissions and no one is interested in us mini folk.

[F-UnitMad]

Try N gauge too, all these commissions and no one is interested in us mini folk.

O Scale has it's share of "long promised" models.... Dapol 08, anyone?

[Paul Cram]

Modelling in P4 both NER and LNER there aren't any RTR models I would but so I don't have the problem. Currently enjoying buiding a NER T1.

[28XX]

There's the thick end of TWO THOUSAND POUNDS worth of models there. Let's hope they don't all arrive on the market at once.

[PaulRhB]

This isn't a dig at the op but my fatigue is the number of posts of "I'm fed up with waiting and have cancelled my order". Do we really need to know interests have changed or people are being impatient?

I can see genuine frustration if models are announced and people put up deposits then they are cancelled after few updates, this happens a fair bit with some of the small rtr Swiss models but I can't think of many UK examples except changes of number. The fact the Heljan Sarah Siddons has been cancelled without explanation raised minor suspicions of a 'Special' for me, I swapped to another named version, but it would have been nice for them to reply to my email asking if it was likely to be produced elsewhere or that it was stopped for X reason. The model being cancelled then reappearing after you've paid for something else would smack of cynical marketing after ignoring questions. Announcing it as an exclusive to X and that the main range model had changed would be perfectly acceptable leaving a simple option.

 

If it's likely a model taking three years to appear might exceed your life expectancy then there are kit and scratch built options to get your fix quick enough. If that's too expensive then I think you need to question why it's any worse in reality than it not being announced at all.

[Robin Brasher]

The announcement of models years before they are produced shows me that there is light at the end of the tunnel and I know that items I am interested in like the LSWR gate stock, 02 and LSWR brake van will probably be produced some time in the future so I don't get frustrated by the wait. The present delays pale into insignificance compared with my 40 year wait for a Wrenn 00 gauge Adams Radial.

 

When my pre-orders exceed £1,000 I hope they don't come at once and if I was to die now my next of kin would have a shock after they have got a house clearance firm to clear all my model railway items from my flat to find an endless stream of them coming though my letter box over the next few years together with their inheritance dwindling.

 

I like it when a new model appears with no prior warning like the City of Truro from the National Railway Museum. To misquote Julius Caesar. I saw, I liked, I bought.

 

Robin Brasher

[ParkeNd]

I would like to suggest that "anticipation fatigue" is in fact a good thing. I am an N gauge fan with a layout and 32 locos and at one time had 2 pre-orders for DJM locos, and about 3 each for Farish and Dapol. The non-appearance of DJM in particular has given me the chance to think "Why do I want them ? What on earth would another 8 locos do for me?" Had they arrived within say 6 months that would have meant my impulse reaction in pre-ordering them would have translated into 8 more locos competing for running time.

 

"Anticipation fatigue" is a benefit, not an ailment.

[Reorte]

I would say "things happen when they happen" and to try to not be bothered at all about how quickly anything arrives, there's always something now (even if it's sitting back and relaxing) and you'll be a lot happier, but I doubt it works since I'm a miserable so and so.

[BG John]

The only item on that list that's on mine is the Kernow Railmotor. In fact my entire wish list of anticipated RTR is that and the O gauge Dapol K&ESR Terrier. The Railmotor has encouraged me to make a decision to focus my EM modelling on a particular year, 1905, so it will fit in nicely. If it never appears I can live without it, but if/when it does, I'll have the perfect environment for it. Hopefully the Terrier is due so soon that anticipation excitement is more likely than fatigue!!!

[roundhouse]

There's the thick end of TWO THOUSAND POUNDS worth of models there. Let's hope they don't all arrive on the market at once.

 

I have just posted something ot that affect in the Hornby 700 thread!!

 

There are some rather expensive US  locos on my pre order list so really hoping a number of other new items don't appear at the same time as them, when ever that might be!!

 

Luckily there is no rush for all these apart from I would like to get my hands on quite a few Oxford Diecast N scale Royal Mail transit vans but It looks like they are imminent.

[Arthur]

I would like to suggest that "anticipation fatigue" is in fact a good thing. I am an N gauge fan with a layout and 32 locos and at one time had 2 pre-orders for DJM locos, and about 3 each for Farish and Dapol. The non-appearance of DJM in particular has given me the chance to think "Why do I want them ? What on earth would another 8 locos do for me?" Had they arrived within say 6 months that would have meant my impulse reaction in pre-ordering them would have translated into 8 more locos competing for running time.

"Anticipation fatigue" is a benefit, not an ailment.

An interesting perspective and nice to see someone put a rational and positive thought forward concerning extended delivery times. Some time to reflect on the need for a model, away from the initial excitement of the product launch, is probably no bad thing.

[pointstaken]

I'm waiting for a PRR T1 4-4-4-4 in N scale. I can't be bothering with these minority "00" and "O" scale wallahs !

 

Dennis

[Rivercider]

Is 'anticipation fatigue' possibly because , in many respects, in modern life many things seem to happen faster?

 

Children grow up too quickly.

Fashion trends change with increasing frequency, are skirts long or short this year, is the 'grung' look still in, and what is this years black?

The England Cricket team are forever in the middle of a one day series, and 'Ashes' tours seem to come around more often. 

New cars are introduced more often.

IT development means your laptop/camera/phone is instantly out of date.

The internet brings much information at the touch of a button, no more visits to the library required.

A letter one sent could mean a wait of a week or two before a reply might be expected, whereas an e-mail reply is expected the same day.  

The radio now plays new tracks for weeks before release, then the single enters the top 10 in the first week of release, then sinks the next week.

Celebritys and pop stars are 'made' in one series of a TV programme.

 

On the railway side, trains are often quicker, or more frequent over many routes.

TOPS, mobile phones, and a wide range of magazines mean that there are seldom any surprises for a lineside enthusiast, we know where everthing is before it turns up.

And my old Hornby catalogues from the 1970s show that the same few locos in one livery with one number were available for years on end.

 

Nowadays there seems to me to be a lot more pre-release advertising and hype of books/films/IT as well as model railway items well in advance of availability.

Perhaps here in the Western world we have now become too conditioned to expect things instantly?

 

cheers

[Jon Fitness]

Whenever I read one of those "how long must we wait for xxxx model to be released?" threads, it always reminds me of the Simpsons episode where Mo installs a massive deep fryer in his bar so he can turn it into a diner and  serve fast food;

 

Mo, "This baby will flash fry a buffalo in 30 seconds!"

 

Homer, "30 seconds? but I want it NOW!".....

[BG John]

And my old Hornby catalogues from the 1970s show that the same few locos in one livery with one number were available for years on end.

There may not have been much choice, but at least when you wanted to buy something you could just walk into a model/toy shop and buy it. And it encouraged creativity and imagination in adapting what was available, even if the results weren't very accurate. The outcome was something that gave the satisfaction of having created it, rather than just of buying it. And everything seemed a lot more affordable too.

[Horsetan]

A number of recent posts and the long list of models that have been announced but have not yet appeared have left me wondering if many RMwebbers (including myself) are starting to feel something that I'll call "anticipation fatigue".

 

Hornby has returned to an aggressive campaign of new model development. We have new entrants to the marketplace like DJModels and Oxford Rail. There is a dramatic increase in commissioning activity from entities like Kernow and Hattons, not to mention museums like Locomotion, STEAM and the London Transport Museum. All this has resulted in the announcement of many exciting models.

 

Given the lengthy development time and the extensive costs involved, it takes a lot of time for these projects to come to fruition. We wind ourselves up in a high state of excitement over announcements and then feel a bit let down as we wait, sometimes three or even four or more years, for the models to appear.

Part of this is down to the way that the Internet has conditioned many people to expect something to be ready, yesterday.

 

I've seen a lot of posters express posts like "I wish companies wouldn't announce products until they are almost ready"......

This is how things used to be. I remember Hornby Margate just released stuff they had worked on behind the scenes - the only hint you'd have was an appearance in the catalogue and price list for that year. None of this pre-ordering hype either.

 

To some extent, Bachmann / LT Museum have returned to that approach by keeping quiet about the "S" stock. Nobody knew about it until it was on the ship.

[colin penfold]

I am a sufferer off the ailment described by the OP and have to admit it bugs me. It's worse than any other product group that I buy, with books, CDs and DIY being my other main spends. It's also worse than at any time in my memory, but I do recall dragging my poor mum round all the local toy and model shops loking for the latest Hornby/matchbox/dinky model only to be told "oh yes it's in the catalogue but we don't know when it will be in stock" Plus ca change...

[stewartingram]

I started "serious" modelling (if you can call it that; basically moving away from the trainset to a themed layout) about 1964.

I chose a place close to me (I lived in Cambridge, so GE area) and a time (more or less current at the time, though backdated to include steam which had gone from the area a while before). I've more or less stuck to that, but have acquired a few other tastes along the way, so there are mini collections as well.

Now when I started, the rtr locos would be these:

B12 Triang

Britannia Triang

class 31 Triang

class 37 Triang

Met-Camm dmu Triang

 

I could supplement that with probably no more than 1/2 dozen kits, either bodyline or complete. Today, I have almost a full complement of what I would call core models, with numerous others that are correct but not quite "everyday" locos. Not a lot available then, let along accurate, but today the core collection numbers say 30 steam, 30 diesel, plus the extras.

Just look at what is available today, firstly rtr, then additionally in kit form. To use a well known phrase, "We've never had it so good". Truly. And that doesn't even take into account the incredible increase in accuracy today.

Now the point is, it took me a while for the collection to get going, as I didn't purchase until I could afford things, an important point often overlooked these days. No credit cards used! I was fortunate for a time in doing a servicing sideline for shops which ploughed income back into modelling though. Over the years, the older models have largely been replaced by newer/better ones, but I still have the "layout loco" approach advocated by Tony Wright (though some of mine might be pointing more to "trainset loco"...).

The new announcements we get sometimes tick boxes for me, and perhaps allowing an upgrade when they appear. But I don't get uptight about delays; I appreciate the knowledge that they are planned and am aware of the problems of getting them into production. It's good to know that Bachby have that class 38 diesel that I want on their radar, but I'm not going to lose sleep if it is 3 years away - just put off any plans to scratchbuild/modify or even bodge something, and wait (patiently) for it to arrive.

In the meantime, my 1st "proper" loco, a Triang B12, still soldiers on. It's origins were in CKD form, which I assembled; it has over the years had a new body, chassis, and tender at some point, but it will stay. If Bachby announce a modern B12, whoopee, but I still enjoy the old girl. It even went missing once, I decided I "ought" to have one and picked up a brand new (Chinese) Hornby blue one about 3 years ago for £10 at a show, as a non-runner. 10 minutes and no cost saw it become a goer, it remains in blue (so wrong!), but I like it.

Thing is to enjoy what you have, expand when you can financially and when it is available. Treat everything as a source material for improvement, don't just wait for the perfect model. Enjoy the hobby, it should be fun!

 

Stewart

[The Stationmaster]

This isn't a dig at the op but my fatigue is the number of posts of "I'm fed up with waiting and have cancelled my order". Do we really need to know interests have changed or people are being impatient?

I can see genuine frustration if models are announced and people put up deposits then they are cancelled after few updates, this happens a fair bit with some of the small rtr Swiss models but I can't think of many UK examples except changes of number. The fact the Heljan Sarah Siddons has been cancelled without explanation raised minor suspicions of a 'Special' for me, I swapped to another named version, but it would have been nice for them to reply to my email asking if it was likely to be produced elsewhere or that it was stopped for X reason. The model being cancelled then reappearing after you've paid for something else would smack of cynical marketing after ignoring questions. Announcing it as an exclusive to X and that the main range model had changed would be perfectly acceptable leaving a simple option.

 

If it's likely a model taking three years to appear might exceed your life expectancy then there are kit and scratch built options to get your fix quick enough. If that's too expensive then I think you need to question why it's any worse in reality than it not being announced at all.

I agree very much with that.  Generally the folk who are making or commissioning the various models give us some sort of update if there is one to give - if they don't give an update it seems not unreasonable to assume they have no update to report.  In very simple terms, and unless things are cancelled, all we have to do is wait should we happen to have ordered any of the variously announced models.  

 

I could say, with some accuracy, that I have been waiting for several years for some of the things I have ordered.  I have also had some models finally delivered into my eager hands 3 years or more after I placed my order (and all of those were from 'big' manufacturers as it happens, and all of them were at least two years after the promised delivery date for those models).

 

But equally I can sit back and say I have so & so on order and I will be quite happy to receive when it arrives - no need for drama, no need to splatter the web with cries of 'where is my XXXX?', no need to splutter with indignation because my XXXX wasn't delivered into my hands within days/weeks/months, or even years, of ordering it for the very simple reason that such protracted gestation is not the end of the world.  And, far more importantly, I have not committed to that purchase anything more than the cost of a 'phone call or conversation in a shop; it has not cost me any money and nobody else is receiving the paltry interest I would be forgoing.

 

Just keep calm and keep on modelling and working with what you already have.

[PaulRhB]

Just keep calm and keep on modelling and working with what you already have.

And can afford as certain members have to sit and watch the rest of us froth about it knowing that even in three years they have no certainty of the money still. Being ready and willing to work and seeing your dream loco pass you by because of the current job situation is gutting on top of an already stressful situation.

[Horsetan]

I agree very much with that.  Generally the folk who are making or commissioning the various models give us some sort of update if there is one to give - if they don't give an update it seems not unreasonable to assume they have no update to report.  In very simple terms, and unless things are cancelled, all we have to do is wait should we happen to have ordered any of the variously announced models.  

 

I could say, with some accuracy, that I have been waiting for several years for some of the things I have ordered.  I have also had some models finally delivered into my eager hands 3 years or more after I placed my order (and all of those were from 'big' manufacturers as it happens, and all of them were at least two years after the promised delivery date for those models).

 

But equally I can sit back and say I have so & so on order and I will be quite happy to receive when it arrives - no need for drama, no need to splatter the web with cries of 'where is my XXXX?', no need to splutter with indignation because my XXXX wasn't delivered into my hands within days/weeks/months, or even years, of ordering it for the very simple reason that such protracted gestation is not the end of the world.  And, far more importantly, I have not committed to that purchase anything more than the cost of a 'phone call or conversation in a shop; it has not cost me any money and nobody else is receiving the paltry interest I would be forgoing.

 

Just keep calm and keep on modelling and working with what you already have.

 

 

And can afford as certain members have to sit and watch the rest of us froth about it knowing that even in three years they have no certainty of the money still. Being ready and willing to work and seeing your dream loco pass you by because of the current job situation is gutting on top of an already stressful situation.

This is partly why, if I've ever bought RTR to use as a basis in P4, it's generally been secondhand and reasonably cheap via eBay. Last brand new RTR I ever bought was a Dapol Western, and a stock clearance Hornby B1 before that - those are the only two RTR models I've bought brand new.

 

Similar principle applies to kits.

 

People who buy new tend to get bored of it after a while, or develop cold feet, and invariably sell on. Why pay full price when some other poor mug already has?

[Ozexpatriate]

There's the thick end of TWO THOUSAND POUNDS worth of models there.

Yes, it sort of creeps up on you.

[Adrian Wintle]

There are some rather expensive US  locos on my pre order list so really hoping a number of other new items don't appear at the same time as them, when ever that might be!!

 

 

I have the same issue - there are some Broadway Limited items that may eat up a lot of ready (or not-so-ready) cash. PRR M1a/b, Baldwin Centipede...

 

Add to that enough of the Hornby Collets for a train or two...

 

Adrian