chaz Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 The only Agenoria kit I have built is my Peckett 0-4-0ST, seen here with an Ixion Hudswell Clarke. This was a lovely kit, very nice to build with no need to replace any parts and offered an easy (if undocumented) way to add compensation. Reading through this topic it is clear that the 1366 kit is not in the same class. It's a pity if later kits in the range are not up to the previous standard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 The only Agenoria kit I have built is my Peckett 0-4-0ST, seen here with an Ixion Hudswell Clarke. This was a lovely kit, very nice to build with no need to replace any parts and offered an easy (if undocumented) way to add compensation. Reading through this topic it is clear that the 1366 kit is not in the same class. It's a pity if later kits in the range are not up to the previous standard. Yes, but a different designer/pattern originator (who has since sold the range to whoever it was that designed this kit). It's a lovely model though. Adam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daifly Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Yes, but a different designer/pattern originator (who has since sold the range to whoever it was that designed this kit). It's a lovely model though. Adam Up to and including AM41 are the Pete Stamper designed kits. Since the range was sold to him, Mike Williams (ex-College Models - nuff said!) has added to the range but appears to have failed to maintain the design quality of Pete's kits. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daifly Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 (edited) Never came across 'College Models'. Did they make 7mm kits? The inference is 'Not good'? Yes and correct! I believe the College Models range passed to Acme Models if that helps to give you a flavour. Edited October 23, 2014 by daifly Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Why stop at a loco kit, you could buy the whole company! http://www.acmemodels.co.uk/CompanySale/OGauge/AcmeSaleOKits.html Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 2ManySpams Posted October 23, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 23, 2014 Why stop at a loco kit, you could buy the whole company! http://www.acmemodels.co.uk/CompanySale/OGauge/AcmeSaleOKits.html Simon The quoted costs are interesting... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Depends what you get for your money! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 2ManySpams Posted October 23, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 23, 2014 Depends what you get for your money! I was thinking more of the production costs than his 'business for sale' costs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I suppose this loss in quality is always a risk when the proprietor of a good kit range retires and sells his business on. Although we can hope that some of the poor kit ranges (no names - no pack-drill) might get an upgrade if and when they are sold on..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted October 23, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 23, 2014 Although we can hope that some of the poor kit ranges (no names - no pack-drill) might get an upgrade if and when they are sold on..... Trouble is that while a new poorly designed kit added to an established and trusted range might ride the coattails of that range's good reputation, a new better quality kit added to a previously poor range will probably struggle to disassociate itself from the bad reputation of the rest of the range. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Trouble is that while a new poorly designed kit added to an established and trusted range might ride the coattails of that range's good reputation, a new better quality kit added to a previously poor range will probably struggle to disassociate itself from the bad reputation of the rest of the range. Word soon get's around amongst the cognoscenti..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted October 23, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 23, 2014 As a GWR fan I would decline the offer JLTRT do the ones that might be of interest. The great bear is not available elswhere afaik. I think I have seen two built one by Steve Naylor which I think he was persuaded to part with. It looked nice but not much use on Branch lines. The College Models ones were LMS I think. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Word soon get's around amongst the cognoscenti..... Chaz, Surely not!!! Taking the "Windscale/Sellafield" example here, if you bought a dodgy range of kits, and wanted to upgrade them, (or even just be able to sell them) you'd definitely rename the range, you'd do everything you could to dissociate yourself from the bad reputation of the previous seller. Look how much effort & money recognised brands invest in ensuring that their reputation stays both untarnished and in the forefront of the public eye. Best Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Never came across 'College Models'. Did they make 7mm kits? The inference is 'Not good'? Some are better than others, I think the Ivatt class 4 was the one that gave everything else a really bad name. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev_Lewis Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Why stop at a loco kit, you could buy the whole company! http://www.acmemodels.co.uk/CompanySale/OGauge/AcmeSaleOKits.html Simon £35K!!!!!! Crikey..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 link Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Skoda has done quite well under new ownership . Martyn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted October 23, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 23, 2014 Skoda has done quite well under new ownership . Martyn. Ah, the exception which proves the rule Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted October 24, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 24, 2014 A bit like buying a cheap kit and finding it has an ABC motor gearbox! Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 A bit like buying a cheap kit and finding it has an ABC motor gearbox! Don Dream on! I bet Mr Clapperton is pleased that his gearboxes are first choice for so many 7mm modellers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 2ManySpams Posted October 24, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2014 I bet Mr Clapperton is pleased that his gearboxes are first choice for so many 7mm modellers. One will be in the 1366, ordered it at Telford so shouldn't have much longer to wait. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Re the Skoda thing, they were the butt of lots of jokes by (I think) Jasper Carrott amongst others, and we all loved them, the jokes that is. But the bottom line is that Skoda was a company with a very proud and distinguished engineering tradition of production of, amongst other things, locomotives, aircraft, tanks and trucks. It was probably easier to take the p155 out of them than Rover, Austin, Morris and the other sad remnants of a once-proud UK automobile industry - noteworthy that Skoda are still making cars, etc, within the VW conglomerate, but even the might of BMW couldn't save British Leyland Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted October 24, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 24, 2014 Some years ago the delivery of ABC gearbox was less reliable than today. Brian came to one of Bracks open days and was comments were made! Howver I think the arrival of Mrs Clapperton on the scene focused his attention on delivery (getting married can be expensive). It is always worth discussing your needs with Brian he will do specials to suit particular kits and when asking about a powerful small motor suggested a Maxon instead of the Mashima. or Cannon Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 2ManySpams Posted October 24, 2014 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted October 24, 2014 Some years ago the delivery of ABC gearbox was less reliable than today. Brian came to one of Bracks open days and was comments were made! Howver I think the arrival of Mrs Clapperton on the scene focused his attention on delivery (getting married can be expensive). It is always worth discussing your needs with Brian he will do specials to suit particular kits and when asking about a powerful small motor suggested a Maxon instead of the Mashima. or Cannon Don I took the 1366 kit along to Telford and Brian had a measure up. I took his advice and went for a mini-s 3 stage box with a Maxon motor. The original mashima motor wouldn't fit within the tank when fitted to the gearbox. Looking forward to the arrival... 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Mine is fitted with ABC 3-stage mini with a Mashima. Pretty much all my locos have ABCs of one form or another. It's a bit noisy, but I put that down to the antediluvian decoder with which it's fitted. Certainly adequately powerful - I recall it hauling four Bachman brass mk1's. Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted October 25, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 25, 2014 Had a trip to the Bodmin show today. On the Cornwall 'O' Gauge Group layout, 'Woolbridge' I spotted a 13xx saddle tank. On enquiry I was told it was a Tower Brass loco. Opposite was the Burnham on Sea layout 'Moorfield', where another 13xx pannier version was spotted hiding in the shed. Despite the collective memories of the three operators, the origins of the loco are unknown. Some photos later. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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