antrobuscp

Now this is one new announcement that I'm really pleased to see. I've a Cotswold version built, oh, 25 years ago or more, and it will "pull a house over", but it's obviously of its time and poorly detailed against today's rtr offerings. Mind you, I'll still wait to see the quality of Heljan steam locos before ordering - I think the Beyer-Garratt is a little too specialised and complex to take as a general marker for quality/detail.

The Clan is a very nice model. I bought one when they were newly released by Hornby. I promised myself a second but left it and suddenly realised there were very few in the shops. I was fortunate to find one after scouring the web early this year. A re-run by Hornby would be good.

I think your're very probably correct. The position of the image in the frame does, to me, rule out a tender loco that someone else has suggested.

I would give them a call. Before they set up the "collect in shop" system, I contacted them and they arranged to hold a limited edition advance order for me to collect. I've always found them helpful. I think my message(I tnink I emailed) was passed to Richard Davies, who is now the MD, but I'm not certain. I'm fairly sure he called me back - it was quite a while ago.

I'm not missing the point at all. I can see that there is a problem which, as I understand it correctly, is that some have missed out on expected delivery of a particular item which, because of supply problems, has been dealt with in chronological order. and the relevant date had been updated when another part of the order had been fulfilled. Quite honestly, I'd be "hacked off" at that. However. Hattons have(in my opinion) a very good website. I'm sure it doesn't suit everyone, but I think it's the best model railway website I've seen, bar none. I can also see that a "manual override" would seem to be common sense, but I can also see that there could well be a number of reasons why that facility is designed out in relation to certain data. I don't quite understand why the date should be updated when an order is part fulfilled. The problem could, for example, be that when an order is part fulfilled, there is manual intervention to ensure that the remainder of the order is retained. That procedure may forbid the entry of a date before the intervention. Whatever, I don't know Hattons systems, but manual override may well be designed out to avoid an undisciplined, unreliable, and chaotic system which would be far worse than appears to exist. My experience of 35 years in business, handling computer systems. and dealing with clients, is that errors arise when the system(manual or computer) you are using is broken for some reason by the customer, the staff, the hardware, the software, etc., and you would design systems to squeeze out such issues as were foreseen. Of course you want to put the fault/complaint right pdq, but if you don't have the stock and the system works for 95/99% of customers, and it's going to take time/money to fix, there simply isn't an overnight solution. Being a little facetious, you can't put a paper sticky note on an electronic order - and even if you could, the staff member dealing with the order may not open/read it. Been there, done that, and had to sort out the mess!! In an ideal world, the software would be re-written asap to eradicate the issue - as I said in my original post that may be easy/difficult to do and I've not the slightest idea if it may/may not happen. To expect it to happen immediately, I have to say, may engender disappointment. It would, perhaps be useful for Hattons to provide some guidance notes on their website of known customer related software issues so that customers could decide what to do, but I suspect they'd only be read after an event. I have to say that I've always pre-ordered each item on an individual order - even if done more or less at the same time - simply because it appeared more logical to do so when the actual delivery dates were totally unknown. I could track each item by the individual order number. The only time I've made a consolidated pre-order was for the Porthole Coaches which were then expected together, and one remains outstanding. I ordered a couple of locos at the same time, but on separate orders. I'm currently unhappy with O2, but that's another story, and I doubt I'll carry out my threat not to renew all the family mobiles with them!!

I agree with what you say. Software frequently has limitations that seem illogical to users/customers. I could well imagine that for some internal reason, or just lack of appreciation, the software may reset the order date when it is part fulfilled. Re-writing the software to avoid this could be as "simple" as building some form of work around or the rewrite of a module, but it could require a fundamental re-write of the whole program. What I hate are websites that send you round in circles. I've had that on the Sky website a while ago, and more recently on the EE website whilst trying to find contact email addresses/phone numbers. Then again I suspect they don't want customer contact anyway other than via direct debit. I had a lot of experience in the late 80s/early 90s tailoring software and writing formats for my firm, and I tried to make it all very flexible so that it could cope with future change that was obviously inevitable, yet set out a standard way of working as computer literacy in those days was not widespread. Most of it still works today and will see out my needs up to retirement. But, as one of the ultimate users, I had the advantage of knowing from a practical standpoint what was needed, and could tailor the software accordingly. Lack of this perpective is, I suspect, behind far too many software.glitches. What is possible is not always practical.

I've used Hatton's for many years. I've never found the ordering system a problem but then I usually order items separately and not on a bulk order. As it happens, I did do a bulk order on the Porthole Coaches, and the order date has been reset to July 2014 for the outstanding brake coach. Despite that, the order price is still shown as the original £24.00 which by July had become nearly £34.00. It does seem strange that part fulfilment of an order resets the order date but not necessarily other related data. I am not an apologist for Hattons, merely being a satisfied customer, but overall I think Hatton's websites are amongst the best on the web relative to the size and nature of their business. What I find rather bizarre is that some communications/technology companies websites are amongst the worst.

Great to hear. I'll probably buy one even though I've already got a kit built version from the old K's kit. Now, how about a 4-4-0 or 4-6-0 of LNWR origin?

Presumably the long lead times to delivery of new models and the production cost increases in China will mean more instances of RRP not being set until much later than hitherto. The consequence of this is going to be the withdrawal of price guarantees or at least a much clearer statement of when they apply and when they do not - the lack of which has really created the basis for Kris's original complaint. I can see his point, but I also see how for many items Hattons have stood behind their guarantee(historically they always have, so far as I am aware) and I appreciate the unexpected and significant nature of the price hikes. Hattons have responded to the situation by showing estimated prices for some items. I would suggest to them that these become guaranteed at some point once the supplier has set a selling price, but that might require significant changes to software to handle that automatically and correctly. For the above reasons, my personal take on the situation is that Hattons have had little choice other than to withdraw the guarantee in certain circumstances and that they will have thought carefully about the possible effect on their business. I would suggest, and I haven't looked today,. that they do place on the website a clear statement of their policy which only yesterday still gave the unequivocal guarantee stated in the past. That may, of course, still be correct provided all adjustments have now been made, and all estimated prices are now flagged.

On the other hand, I have certainly received notice that I will be charged an increased price for the BR Maroon version.

I don't know the terms that exist between the manufacturers and the shops but, I would expect it to be something along the lines that the goods are offered for sale to the trader at a unit price(which might vary with quantity). The trader orders what he wants, based on that price but in the knowledge that the price actually payable on delivery is almost certainly the price ruling at the date of despatch. The issue of pre-order prices having to be increased would not exist if the trader could order at a fixed price(or +/- an agreed allowable variation). Again, the problem would be much less likely to exist if the lead times from announcement to production were not so long. The risks of fixing pre-order prices have increased dramatically in the last 6-9 months.

Yes, but it seems more likely now to become the norm.

I received, last Friday, a similar email in relation to my pre-order for a Stanier "Crab". Given that Hattons have always previously honoured their pre-order prices - including the Porthole coaches - I was slightly surprised at the change. However, I had only ordered around the time that the price rises were becoming known and therefore I had half-expected that they would be revisiting the price. The Bachmann price increases were unexpected and unprecedented in their scale and I was surprised at Hattons not only standing by their price for the Porthole coaches, but giving us the chance to continue to order at that price for a further week, I think. Hattons have to protect their business long term and I won't be cancelling the order for the loco. Maybe, as both an accountant and the son of parents who ran small shops, I may be slightly biased, but selling at a loss, except on a very limited basis, is not a way to survive. I've bought from Hattons for 40+ years and for what they sell, I have found them the best to deal with. They are now the nearest model shop to me, and any(very few) problems have been dealt with quickly and effectively. Given the circumstances, I cannot see how the variation in prices can be held against them and it certainly does not make them untrustworthy or liars. Also, so far as I can see, they are still standing by their price promise for other items where there have been price rises but where the product is closer to release and, presumably, where there is still a quoted RRP. I have no connection with Hattons other than as a satisfied customer. To be honest, I think the "industry" has a problem looming over the way the manufacturers are headed with reduced quantity batch production. Overstating the point a little, we might effectively have to order in advance, a product unseen, to be delivered at an indeterminate time, the level of details and accuracy unknown, and at a variable price. I understand the reasons, but it's still a problem.

Initially, I tried fitting Kadee couplers to the Porthole coaches, but they were quite "sloppy" and the train behaved rather like a concertina - worse than a train of Bachmann Mk1s. The Roco couplers certainly do the job well on these coaches, and I've used them also to close couple the old/new coupler height Bachmann MkIs using their 40287(I think that'sthe correct reference) coupler.

Photos from the days when you largely took the picture in the camera, not "cooked" them on the computer later. Recently been scanning old slides, and they only required a little correction of the colour balance. In some cases I've also done another, selectively cropped, version.

My layout has a slight rise which often proves challenging for lighter locos. I modified my Dukedog very similarly to yours, John, and it can now comfortably handle 6 coaches up the rise. The performance was so enhanced that, along with satisfaction at the look of the model, I bought 9017 to go with the weathered version. The same modification to a City improved that so that it will take 7 slightly heavier coaches up the incline with just a trace of slip. It's well worth makiing the changes. Colin

Further to my post 456 above, I picked and modified my Dukedog today. I added some lead to the tender in the recesses under the coal casting. This made a great improvement, but it was further improved by taking out the spring from the bogie mount as John Isherwood mentioned - the clearance is much tighter than on the City and I suspect the spring is very largely compressed, taking weight off the drivers. Colin

I'm picking up my weathered Dukedog tomorrow and will do the mod as well. I don't know why I hadn't done this with my "City" (until tonight) as I've hung the tender on the back of my kit built versions - Duke/Bulldogs/Dukedog. I've just made the alteration to my Bachmann City and it will now pull 6 light Bachmann/Airfix coaches up a very slight incline with just a little slipping. I didn't take out the front bogie spring as the loco doesn't appear to transfer any weight to the bogie. I found with one of the kit built locos that the weight of the boiler castings tipped the loco onto the bogie, and a front bogie spring from a Bachmann Royal Scot was needed to push the weight back onto the drivers - it pulls 6/7 heavy coaches without any problem now.. Colin

I picked up my Lanky tank from Hattons yesterday. Lovely model, runs smoothly, and should cope with a reasonable load. I built a Cotswold(I think) kit of the larger Class 6 tank as 50925 about 30 years ago and set the two side by side. The Bachmann loco obviously has a lot more fine detail, and is vastly better below the footplate, but the old kit doesn't look that bad for its time. Colin

Hattons is effectively my local model shop. I usually order online and go to the shop to pick up, rather than use the post. The range is good, and the prices are competitive. Pre the web, their prices seemed to me to be more or less always the cheapest. Since then, with the pre-ordering and email facility to notify arrival even if not ordered, the pricing seems more sophisticated. I've put this down to them using the demand information that the website must give them via those facilities. Over many years, I've certainly had no complaints with their service, be it postal or in the shop. On the very odd occasion I've had a problem with something, it's been swiftly dealt with. Colin.

I see these are now on the Bachmann website as expected within the next 60 days. Colin

Great shot that. The nearest side in the view of the triangular car park in front of the shops provided the terminus for the no 23 bus route which was my route home from Liverpool. It was also the site for the Punch & Judy stand before it went on to St George's plateaux. Colin

This is a really inspiring layout - if one has the space. I first saw it at Wigan a few years back and after seeing the photos above I'd certainly like to see it again as it develops I spent many an hour in the station in the late '50s and early '60s watching the comings and goings. The next to last photo in post #429 brings back memories of queueing to board the train for Butlins Pwhelli on summer Saturdays. The trains - usually 2 or 3 in the peak weeks, I think - would be in platforms 8 or 9, and the queue would be out of the station and right down the little road behind the row of shops facing Lime Street and out onto Lime Street itself at times. Colin

Just as a matter of interest, I've very recently managed to obtain an HM Walkabout unit after mine packed some time ago. In another thread there was mention of surging with some Bachmann Emus/Dmus, and I've experienced this with my other controllers. Interestingly, the Walkabout seems to "manage" these units better than any of my other controllers. Excellent controller. Colin

I use a Dell 15.6in screen portable, with an additional 19" screen. Both are widescreen format, and I would not now be without the dual screen facility for my main workdesk - I've even thought about a 3-screen setup. Initially, I did have some formatting problems when using a 4:3 format, lower resolution, screen, but it's all settled down now. I sometimes have to translate data between programs, or visually check consecutive years' spreadsheets against one another. Opening 2 instances of Excel, one on each screen is a godsend. I find cutting and pasting between programs is that bit easier as well. I still use one or two old DOS programs, and it all works very sweetly. I'm trying to run an office as "paperless" as possible, and the twin screens are a major help in making it work.. Colin