richscylla

I am a customer who has ordered a product from a retailer, who hasn't received theirs yet. I'm a customer who is a little annoyed at seeing people who have ordered the same thing as me with their models already in hand. I have no idea if retailers are happy or not with Accurascale - I'm just speaking from personal experience of ordering something and not having it. I have no agenda's against anyone, just want good service and good models on the occasion I buy something. If that makes me not welcome on this site I imagine many others fall into that group too. If you are getting something else by all means send a direct message and explain what you're on about. I asked a serious question of McC which he answered. Fine, the comment about 1 weeks and half ago confused me as people had their models before that, but I'm sure there are reasons. I'm not sure how you can say I'm doing retailers a disservice, all I have said is that I'm annoyed at the one that I pre-ordered through, and it turns out it's because they don't have stock. I wouldn't say I'm the one doing the retailer that dis-service (especially as I haven't named them). And @Accurascale Fran, my "months" comment was based on when I remembered them arrived, turns out it was Feb 24th people started posting theirs so maybe only a month.

I will give them a call tomorrow. A little confused how people were getting theirs on Feb 24th if the containers arrived a week and a half ago, but hey ho.

I'm still waiting on mine from a retailer, can only assume they don't have them. I understand that you use a fulfilment company to dispatch orders (which makes perfect sense when you're dealing with 2 full containers of stock), but if that is the case wouldn't it be sensible to up the staff for the period where these massive releases arrive and then keep a BAU level other times. Yes it might cost more, but not as much as unhappy customers and retails will cost you long term. Certainly the approach I've taken in previous roles where similar surges of orders were in place. Always worked well. Your retailers are wonderful, but I can't help but feel this gives them a bad name when people see other people with their orders online and they don't get their orders. Ultimately customers will learn that if they want their models early just to order direct rather than through a retailer that might take months to get their allocation, or maybe that's the point.

Are you saying for £45 you have to expect them not to work perfectly? I'm sure if that's the case customers would have been happy to pay an extra few quid a coach for some that did what they were supposed to straight out of the work.

If you want a pair of tits in the cab, you could always buy the ModelU representation of Will and Mike! (They're both great don't get angry)

Wonder how many of them will compare the Cavalex 56 to the real locomotive and how many will just compare it to the Hornby one? Or even to a Bachmann or Accurascale recent release? I'm sure it will do very well on all fronts, but only one is really relevant.

Seen a few people say the wait has been worth it, but I don't think it's been that long since it was announced. Feels like it's come together in a fairly normal timescale!

Last year there was loads of space that seemingly could have been used for some more societies and demos. We'll find out next week, but I'm sure it's going to be the same this year as well. It feels like sometimes what shows should be about gets lost or at least hidden under financial considerations. I'd much rather see a stand from P4, EM, DEMU demonstrating modelling skills that would inspire new modellers and show what can be done to improve old Hornby or Lima models (and brand new Accurascale or Bachmann ones at that) than a 4th stand selling books or another pitch about an old wagon a preservation society are doing up that has nothing more than a few pictures and leaflets. It's honourable and important work, but feels like a poor use of spacing a modelling exhibition.

I'm not saying you should, or shouldn't engage, I'm sure there are pros and cons for you doing so and it's up to each company to choose how they interact with these forums. I guess as you become a manufacturer as well as a modeller it does make things more difficult though, I'm sure 10 years ago you could have said the latest Hornby model had an incorrectly represented wing nut without causing a Anchor Man style fight out the back of an exhibition hall. Like I said, I like that we can interact with yourselves and the other manufacturers that are on the forum, I think that's great but you must admit at times there are times where you see things being said that you (as a company) feel you want to respond to. There are just good ways and bad ways about doing that. I'm really not having a dig at you personally in either tonight's posts or previous ones and it's obvious you care deeply and work the long hours repping your company (make sure it's all well documented for the annual PDR). Tiresome laughing emojis from others at any post that dares to air an opinion that isn't 100% favourable does get old quickly though. Thanks for the clarification on that, although I still don't think it will change my views on the windscreen shape in this instance but we will see and I'll happily admit I was wrong if I look at a production model and feel differently.

Fair enough, from what Fran says it sounds like there is an option from EE for those now.

Of course, choice is a great thing for us customers. But I guess for you guys it creates direct comparisons which can be good, bad or indifferent depending on how your model stands up against the competition's efforts. That's all that is happening here. I have no expectations for you to come out and praise your competition or point out flaws in your own model, like you say you have skin in the game and you should (rightly) be proud of your efforts. But it doesn't stop the community/customers having a debate or conversation on a public forum that was set up by modellers for modellers. It's great that we can use this forum to speak directly with the powers behind (some of) the manufacturers that make our hobby great, but occasionally it gets a little annoying that we can't say something slightly negative without people from those companies bringing out the overly defensive posts or the PR talk and spin or even just laughing emojis. I'm not talking directly about your post tonight Fran, all perfectly reasonable and I'm interested to see a competitors model with replacement glazing in in the flesh. It's a balance because some companies don't interact and that means we can discuss pros and cons of their models to our hearts content but don't get that personal touch that is great on occasion too, or a burning question answered straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Talking of which, I still don't really understand how the final production models are different to the production samples. Genuinely thought they were a random sample of the production run sent ahead so companies could do reviews/promo pictures/whatever else. Can you clear that up?

Are the windscreens significantly different on the production models to the production samples? (If they are it seems that these aren't really samples of the production run as they name would suggest). It just looks that the way they have been designed, which I'm sure was done for a good reason and has benefits elsewhere, means that the windscreens aren't going to look as good as they are made up on the insert. Add to that, some will (as we've already seen and you've admitted) be fit less than perfectly or could come loose with slightly over zealous handling it just looks like this will be the weak point of the model. So unless the whole design concept has been re-done between production sample and production model (which clearly it won't have been) then I think we can start to make judgements. That's ultimately why you show us production samples in super high res professional photography isn't it? You're making models and I'm sure it's impossible to get things perfect due to the scaling down of a huge prototype which comes with challenges and material and manufacturing tolerances. Whoever is designing these models has made a choice, and to my eye it seems they made great choice when designing the nose and a less great choice making the windscreens, but maybe one necessitated the other? I don't know, but I'm sure your designers had their reasons and I'm sure they stand by them. Doesn't mean another company making another decision can't have made a better one? No.

I'm sure when the production models arrive there will be lots of positives, areas where the Accurascale 37 will be better than the Bachmann one (the one piece nose is an obvious win for Accurascale) but if you can't see that the windscreens on this model are the weak point vs the Bachmann one you just aren't looking.

Will we be able to lift our 37s off the layout by the roof grab handles and have the sound carry on with the stay alive?

@Accurascale Fran/ @McC are you able to help @Nick-L with this?

Let's hope he doesn't get the photos confused!

This would also be of interest to me as I'm in the process of correcting these wagons. In addition to the lettering and the logo, the number also needs to be re-positioned so might be good to get that artwork or a confirmation of font and sizing.

As long as DB don't do an ARC retro livery ;)

This looks stunning! Will certainly pick up one of the earlier ones, but a Transrail one would be great at some point!

That might be awkward, heard from a very good source if Accurascale announce a 58 this weekend they won't be the only ones....

Hatton's have just emailed saying Q4 2021.

I would imagine it's more about who does it better. They'll both be of a similar price and there is no confirmation Bachmann will even do one although I admit it looks likely after the 69 announcement. However, if they haven't started the tooling, they may decide against it. Who knows and we'll see.

Cav, Alex, Superb work - these look stunning. Will certainly be getting a couple of these monsters! Big day for Cavalex! Rich

Either that or they are one of the growing number of people who think their opinion is equally as valid as an expert because all opinions are equal...

If both companies have done their homework then they should be almost identical I suppose. Will make for very interesting comparisons.