Stevelewis

Re the E4 and the poor sales reports, I dont recall seeing many posts regarding quality issues with the E4 ( I wondered that if there had been it may suppress sales) However I had an E4 delivered yesterday and I found that there were a couple of issues which i found annoying, the pickups on some wheel were very poorly adjusted so on analogue test running was very poor and Stuttery! I rectiied that problem by removing the keeper plate and adjusting the pickups so they actually made contact with the wheel backs at the same time correcting the position of the sand pipes which were pointing in many different directions!! When I fitted a decoder running was very erratic, an alternative decoder brand was tried with smilar results, so I removed the 3 capacitors and running is now perfect. Sorry to wander off the topic, but I do use Hattons very frequently, the service is good, The order containing the |E4 was placed latish PM on Dec 30 and delivered 08-15 on 31st. Last week I returned a faulty Oxford Adams radial to them posted Christmas Eve, recvd email notification of refund+post cost on 29th Dec which I consider to be excellent customer service

Smoke worries me! Some may remember if they were into modelling in the larger scales in the late 70/early 80s that there was an article in one of the magazines stating that the inhalation of smoke from smoke units was many times more dangerous than smoking cigarettes, I think the original research had been carried out in the states, I remember attending exhibitions and shows during that period and the presence of smoke in the halls was sometimes quite overpowering. As a result of the report some exhibition managers banned the use of smoke units. In those days there were few locos in the smaller scales with smoke units, I remember owning a Hornby GWR 2-8-0 with one fitted but I only used the smoke unit on or twice before disconnecting it.

Purely as a matter of interest......... I recvd a Pull-Push set a few days ago, it was obviously perfectly sealed and unopened since packed in China..... The pack contained 2 x driving end cars!! I am actually not too concerned by this I have spoken to the retailer, just in case he gets a customer complaint from a customer whose purchase lacks a driving end car!!

Our plans to purchase a couple of these is definately on hold now! Hopefully the problems may be rectified but I am not all that confident that they will. It is sad really that new long awaited models don't live up to expectations, when other do and sometimes exceed expectations. Interesting to note though that Dapol motive power does not feature much on our n gauge layouts at the last count I think the total was 1.

Yes agreed ........ many years of buying model railways in the old days!! Faulty locos were proportionally higher than todays performance, but always a shame when it is a 'new' model from a 'new' supplier. The Radial was actually purchased for a present, so it wont be replaced now (too late)

I have unfortunately just returned an Adams Radial! One footstep loose in box, one front buffer loose in its socket, upper section of cab a poor fit Worst of all placed it on the track to test on analogue, Nothing no movement, at all, no load when meter tested! So back in its box and back in the post! Anyone else had any problrms?

Had to smile re 'sending a quality control TEAM over to China, One of my sons is a regular traveller to China ( works in the energy supply industry) , but when he makes the journey he has to be very sure that the costs which he will incurr will provide a tangible benefit to the company he works for. China is approx 7,500 flying miles away, The typical airfare is just short of £3K, Hotel accomodation is not exactly cheap either, so I wonder how much more expensive models would be if the UK manufaturers did send out a team! Thinking further on this subject would it not be rather less expensive for the manufacturer to actually send a completed loco(s) over to Chirk for Dapol to check the colour(s) before full production (painting) of the batches commenced? Maybe they do that already?

I am informed that deliveries are not expected until 2016,

Ordered another Midland Pullman Yesterday (23/10/2015) at 14-00 hrs, delivered today Royal Mail 08-30Hrs Yodel turned up lunch time for a collection of returned goods booked yesterday latePM ( Not railways!!!)

Everything is despatched from the Widnes warehouse!

Check Tower-models.com price which includes next day dely

I used to see them quite often in the Warrington Area

KERNOW............Dely due in UK next week

Not much point in bothering!! Although I am a long term hattons customer and i do buy quite a lot from them I get frustrated by their communications. I have contacted them quite a few times re price anomolies but nothing ever gets ammended. Currently they list some kato items at well above the 'new' prices obtainable from other retailers in the UK Incidentally i have only purchased a few minor items from the S/H lists where i can see unopened packs in the photos!!

Further to my above re the noise aspect, I found it possible to suppress the noise by wrapping thin - ish foam ( from boxes used to pack locos etc) around the motor section a couple of layers seemed to work OK, no problems with overheating as signal motor only runs occasionally. Must admit though i dont have these any more as I pulled out of 00 some months ago!!

Yes Underground Ernie! BUT long long ago!!!!!! I had an EVER READY ( The battery manufacturers) Underground Train Set, oval of track and a 3 car train, hours of fun. It was 3rail configuration the track was pressed from some sort of alloy with the centre 3rd rail insulated, power was from a battery controller. If i remember correctly the cars were made from thinnish aluminium No photographs I am afraid,, as I dont think they had invented cameras then!!!!!!!

Around £100, continental is more expensive than UK but the quality is superb (although looking at eBay this may be a bit low!) Suggest you look at Rails Sheffield Ebay site to get a guide on prices Got a Nice LNER 4-6-2-2 Hush Hush nearly £3K on!!

Brown or Green ones look a little more refined I think. All this Crocodile talk has now got me wanting one myself again for the Garden Line currently under ( quite slow construction!!) Oh Dear that would mean catenary wouldnt it??!!

For info....... the BIG Croc in the above picture was at Tan - y Bwlch station on the Ffestiniog Rly, A temporary length of 7.25" track was laid in the car park occasionally for a few days so that locos could be run, The Gentelman that arranged this had a 7.25 railway in the grounds of his property in Llanfrothen which is betrween Porthmadog & Tremadoc, I forget his name, but he did write some Railway books including 'How to Drive a Steam Engine' weel worth a read! There were usually 3 locos in the carpark, The Croc, a Massive 2-8-2 8-2 SAR type Garrat named Mount Kilimanjarrow, and I think it was 1 2-6-o Amercan style NG steam loco. I know that the Croc was built by a company called Pfeiferbahn ( Preston area) who dealt in mainly 16mm Gardenraliway items, but occasionally built for other scales, The owner told me he had bought an LGB Crocodile to use as a guide to building the big one. All this was in the 80s

Crocodiles come in many sizes From Z gauge thro' to 7.25" gauge!! Pics attached show one of the very large ones! 7.25" and a couple on one of my garden lines from the past in 45mm ( G scale) These are photos of photos!! Also woth a look at Rails Sheffield SH & Ebay listings they sometimes list a few ( Ihave used this source frequently for many items never a problem)

I remember Hattons in the OLD days I often used to pop in when my calls found me in Liverpool, The shop was never busy just a constant customer flow trickle, I used to have some interesting Chats with Norman Hatton, who really was a very shrewd businessman. My big regret was not buying some Wrenn Steamlined Coronations which were being cleared at £25 each, I actually placed an order with Hattons Thursday ( quite a frequent occurance!) The conversation I had with the order taker about railways and model railways makes me think that some of the staff at least are quite knowledgeable so maybe 'box shifter' is not fully appropriate.

Maybe Just Maybe....................the hoped for interest from the market place has not approached the expected levels to justify their initial enthusaism?

I have been putting further smiles on Tims face in the last few weeks, with my return to Garden Railwaying, Loads of track £6 per foot nearly, points £70 !! locos & rolling stock 00 prices x around 5!! Still its only money and i have sold off all my 00 & N gauges to help pay ( only some 0n30 remains in the shed for the wetter days but am considering selling that also)

There were problems from the beginning, poor running qualities etc lack of sufficient steam , controllability, etc. The problem was it was produced down to a price I cant remember what the original price was, but a reasonable 16mm/foot live steam gas fired loco running on 32mm or 45mm gauge track would have cost around 4 times more! The other big snag was the 3.5" track gauge which made the Rocket more or less a stand alone product, apart from the coaches, there was nothing else reasonably available. At the time of the Rockets availability I bought quite a few live steam locos, but never considered a Rocket!!