sanspareil

I mailed GM on the 73 and its general issues prior to my purchase and (to their credit at least replied) they said they were only aware of the lighting DCC issue! I replied with all the other issues known. I got no further reply though. Either head in sand or maybe they have been lucky and not seen many returns which would surprise for such a big retailer. I did warn them if I am not happy that I will be returning mine. I doubt they will bother to inspect each loco before shipping for major issues, and to be fair they shouldn't have to.

I wonder what happens/what is the legal situation with returned locos? Those with faults (whether the retailer agrees with the buyer or not) I guess will go back to Dapol, but what about all those that are just dissatisfied with livery type issues or just return under distance selling regulations with almost no reason? I thought after the Dixons incident some years ago they can't just be put back on the shelf can they (although I bet it still happens!)? My Royal Alex is due next week, I am still a little nervous (far more nervous than I should be at spending £130), I should almost be buying a BMW/Mercedes Benz of models at this price not concerned I am going to get one with wonky buffers etc. I have not read up on the SLW class 24's but weren't these supposed to the Gold standard Rolls Royce of models, with masses more detail than this 73 and no errors etc for not a lot more than the 73's for an analogue version? If the 24 is pretty much perfect (I assume the 24 is Chinese made) then China can do perfection (with proper supplier management)?

What coaches are you running it with, the more recent higher quality Hornby Pullmans (as opposed to older or railroad)? I think the Hornby loco livery rendition was somewhat darker than the original Lima version? The GM is more in line with the Lima one? PS Has anyone bothered tackling the over thick exhaust plate yet? Is it easy to remove? Maybe if they see there is a demand Shawplan et al may look to produce a replacement? PPS I have had the latest BRM through my letter box today, includes a review of the dutch 73.

Thanks for the royal alex postings and for forthcoming images. Didn't realise it had a black nameplate background on the real thing, I am sure I have only seen it with brown myself. One final thing (to help me personally), who is the delivery company GM use please? Leaving it on the doorstep is not great. I have 'issues' with certain carriers delivering to my address. Surprised GM didn't insist on signed delivery to cover themselves for such an expensive item.

It was commented on yesterday that the etched 'evening argus' plates oddly had a black background (I think they were only ever brown?), what's the situation with the 'royal alex' plates please. Black or brown? I assume the pullman livery rendition for the alex is the same for the argus? Could you maybe kindly post some pictures of the loco also including a front end shot. I think the yellow panel is too low and too wide but how much of an issue this is visually I am not sure of course. Cheers! On the subject of livery errors, for some they wont be an issue for others it will be serious - it will often depend on how familiar you are with the particular loco or livery (or what you run it alongside). Of course if manufacturers got it right it will be an issue for no one!!

I think its already been posted here but the GM Pullman 73101 is due in stock 29th (today) I understand. I am sure several people on here will appreciate any feedback/photos etc from any locals who get to pick there's up in store sooner than those by mail. I am pretty nervous about my pre-order given all the negative postings recently!

I notice that the GM website has now been altered to suggested that the Pullman 73's are now due 'Jan 2016' - as each month passes they just seem to add a month, but the they must be close now! I assume last weeks comment from GM that they are due this week is now void! Here's hoping this 73 is ok etc livery wise, from what I saw under the poor lights of Warley it didn't seem so bad. What is clear on this model is Dapol seem to have almost produced a pretty good model but really have let themselves down at the last hurdle on dotting the i's and crossing the t's (ie quality control/managing suppliers). If the comments on this forum are anything to go by basic improvements to quality control will increase sales to a good degree and avoid the number of returns people are undertaking. I don't honestly expected every rivet modelled perfection but for a £130 loco I and others don't expect basic glaring errors either.

Yes and many other models too like class 37 and so on. Early version models didn't but latter revisions did. I think they always could be controlled by DCC but DC required the switches or disconnection. Pretty poor by Dapol really for a new 2015 model. Expect to see this revised for future releases maybe (at least under DCC)?

Apparently the Pullman locos are due with GM 'in about a week' The ones I saw at Warley did look OK livery wise. Whether they partner the Hornby liveried pullmans well is of course another question.

Pre-production models I have seen had the buffing plates fitted, think its just not fitted to display production models as they probably didn't want to break in to the sealed detail bag so they can still sell them all on later as new! I think we still do see far too many basic errors on models. What's odd is you really would think manufacturers would get this right as it must hit sales, I know I have not bought many an item due to livery errors. Ones with livery errors are often the ones you see being sold heavily reduced some months later. As I said in a previous post modellers will be far more demanding now that prices are rocketing.

I know the manufacturers are quite bored with certain elements of the press and modelling community/forums who nit pick their products but they do have to accept this scrutiny will only increase almost in line with the way the price of models rapidly and continually increases! Modellers will be less tolerant of glaring issues and basic mistakes. The manufacturers need to up their game and I know Bachmann have been trying - note how little stock there was on their return stand last weekend, QA has seemingly improved. One thing though while the rest of the UK talks of continual cost deflation the modelling world bucks the trend with continual inflation. For those interested Gaugemaster tell me with regards to LE 73101 more than 80% are sold and expect the rest to be gone by year end. They have said that the price will increase at some point to £139.95. Possibly once in stock rather than pre-order??? Models will include an etched name plate.

Is it me or is the 'cap' on top of the silencer rather too prominent? Also I assume the prominent radio aerials seen just above the drivers side cab roof will not be a feature of applicable models? I am sure shawplan wont be disappointed to see this omission

Thanks, I was reading pages and pages of this thread but missed the most important post!!!! Well at least that's good news, but not good news for the wallet! PS also have to hope a Shawplan et al nameplate fits nicely over the printed one as that doesn't seem to look too great. Im sure it wont be included with one.

Is it just me with regards to the GM Ltd Ed 73101 livery; would others have preferred to have seen at least one of their two releases with the seemingly more common/more pleasing on the eye white roof? The prototype photos on the GM Facebook page seem to show grey roof on both. The product photo imagery up until the prototypes showed white roof. I know I could just re-spray the roof myself but at the inflated Ltd Ed price kind of puts me off a bit. I don't run 73's that much so may just keep my heavily detailed Lima version and do something with improving the mechanical side of things.

Quite an old thread this one but does Dave or anyone else know when the OO versions of these are due out?? I seem to remember asking a Dapol Rep early 2012 and being told they were due anytime? I havent seen them anywhere unless they sold out fast? I want to get around 6 packs! Thanks

Hornby tell me that these are running late and will reach retailers some time in June.

OK thanks. So from what you are saying the Hornby boxes are nothing to write home about. I had heard about the wagons being good but nothing on the boxes, maybe explains it!?! I will get the wagons and ebay the boxes, im sure someone will want them! Going slightly off topic just briefly..... I love the C-Rail containers/transfers range by then way. Another order coming in soon. Im guessing you maybe Arran from C-Rail or just a coincidence? If so are you planing any pre-liveried 40ft 8ft6 boxes in the near future to add to the tanktainers and hi-cubes?

Maybe too early yet but will the containers be the same height as the Bachmann ones? I understand the Bachmann ones are actually incorrect height wise (too big), will Hornby provide a consistant (but incorrect) match or not? I think Dapol are correct height too, my guess would be Hornby will go the Dapol direction?

Loco gearing surely has to be the biggest single variable. Of course if you run a speed test with multi locos on same controller/track setup the variable that changes is the loco. My Bachmann 57 runs at or abouts 90mph, hence my original question. Of all my 50+ locos most run upto (and a fair few waaaaaaaay beyond) the prototypical max!. ViTrains 47's is my biggest exception in my view. Most people run smaller slow speed layouts its seems so never a big factor for majority I guess, most concerned about slow speed performance. If anyone can answer original question would be most grateful

Out of interest those that have bought the most recent batch of 47's, is there any difference in running characteristics compared to the older Bachmann 47's/57's? Do the loco's run any slower on the new batch? One thing I have noticed about ViTrains 47s is the relative low top speed, well below the 95mph max of the prototype, i think I calculated 65mph or there abouts. The older Bachmann 47/57's ran with a much more realistic max speed. Thanks again for any help

I asked Dapol direct, their comment was we know Kernows plans but I cant tell you, ask Kernow. Kernow would have be mad not to do another run on these given huge demand, all I kept hearing at Ally Pally was how do i get hold of the weathered ones. To me seems odd why Dapol would offer these up on ltd ed runs given how many many more they could sell on general release. To be fair to Kernow/Dapol, they arent marking them up excessively but on the other side of the coin Dapol then cant be making much more per wagon than general release examples, but this small gain is totally lost by choking back sales by creating a ltd ed! It may just be me some of this ltd ed stuff does seem to get a little out of control at times especially when it could have/would have been a general release item anyhow as per N scale example. I have bought the non-weathered ones but would have bought more weathered ones if I could have got hold of. Dont look too bad un-weathered to be honest. May one day give weathering a stab but not sure how well the paint will grip to the high gloss, look forward to others efforts first!! PS I was told rightly/wrongly Shawplan are doing etched bits for these.

Thanks looks good, will have get one now. I hope one day for a RES example with a cut away buffer beam too. Guess I could be in for some wait though......

I too looked for this loco at Ally Pally but didnt see it, was it there? Can anyone confirm the livery is wrong on the production examples. I was going to ask but the team were busy and forgot to go back!! I was hoping the Warley one was pre-production and somehow this masive error would have been rectified in time? The livery seems to look on the webite photo though? PS For the benefit of those that may not be aware the lowest band of white on the display loco was not white a warley but the kind of buff colour as worn non-swallow IC locos.