Caddy

As Victor Meldrew would say "I don't believe it!" This morning - Saturday in Oz - DHL delivered the loco. I logged on to find this reply email from Hattons.... Michael Robinson (Hatton's Model Railways Ltd) 27 Nov, 18:55 Good evening Mr Clark, Checked up on this for you and the parcel has been sent, it was dispatched on the 24/11/15. Very sorry you didn't receive an email notification of this it looks like it wasn't classified as packed and so one wasn't sent, but i can assure you it has left us and is on its way. I hope this clarifies matters for you but if you have any further questions then please feel free to contact us. Kind Regards Michael Robinson The question is why did it take 3 to 4 days to ascertain that an order had actually been despatched???? Anyway a happy ending and the Oxford Radial is a smashing loco, love it.

Just want to add to the above post a copy of an email I have just sent to Hattons - very early Saturday morning here 7 days since I ordered the Adams Radial and it has still not been despatched...................... "Dear Hattons I woke up this morning really hoping to have an email to say that my Oxford Rail loco had been despatched, no luck. I have rung you twice, sent numerous emails, have had the money taken out of my account but after 7 days still no email to say that the item has been despatched. This is really beyond a joke. What on earth is happenning? After so many years dealing with Hattons, I am really saddened that this has occured, can somebody please sort it out. Regards Stephen Russell-Clark Queensland Australia"

I am currently having a very frustrating episode with Hattons. When they first introduced the DHL option all seemed great for us out here in Oz, parcels arrived quickly, order on Monday delivered on Friday plus you could track it all the way, great fun! Then the trouble started, order goes in, you get the picking email but then nothing......... 3 days later an email to say we need an exta 78p or some such rubbish because the parcel is the wrong shape etc. OK, I was a bit taken aback but coughed up and order sent. Next order I specify in the delivery instructions box of the order that if any "extra" funds are needed above the basic DHL amount they are authorised to process immediately and send the !@#$ order. Did it do any good? NOT ON YOUR LIFE! I have even asked them to flag my account with instructions to process any order immediately but that is apparently not possible. Now months later same thing happens The whole idea of using the DHL for us in Oz is to get the order fairly quickly and reliably but just about every order comes to a grinding halt for days waiting for someone to send an email for an extra few pence. Back to this particular episode. I ordered the Adams Radial on Saturday with the usual note slipped in the delivery instruction box, got my picking email very quickly then nothing - emailed Hattons on Monday - "Oh yes thank you sir, you pre-empted our email for the extra.....it will be despatched today". Got a second email with another picking number for the extra money! Still no despatch email. Rang Hattons on Wednesday spoke to Christine - "Sorry sir, will be despatched today........" Still here I am Thursday morning here in Oz, open up computer hoping but no, nothing! At this rate it would have been quicker to have swum over for it! Maybe I could yodel for it from he top of Mt Kosciosko! Good thing is, I am back over in Liverpool in April, might try and get this sorted once and for all...... I should add that I have been trading with Hattons since the early 1970's, have never not had an order delivered or even had a damaged item. Just getting older and more impatient and feel that when you are paying for a premium service like their DHL option, you should be able to expect just that. Cheers everyone, off to take some valium....................

Have just received an email from Greg at Kernow to say that they have just completed all the processing of the K2103 back orders and are moving on to the K2104's........................... If I lived closer I would go and volunteer my services to help them, they are doing a tremendous job and must be sick of the sight of 02's! I wonder how many in total were on back order?

Late crest version K2104 has arrived on the website, wonder where my order is on the list , checked my account and saw I ordered it 5 September 2010, should be hopefully an early posting?

Sorry, now I have the top off fully and can see that although long, the motor is conventional. It just runs so smoothly and seemed so balanced. It is the quietest steam mechanism I have had and really I thought at first it must have a flywheel. Anyway hopefully you fellows will have yours soon, I'm not going any further with dismantling mine! By the way with the body off you can really feel the weight built into the cab end of the body. I just think the design is superb for a 4-4-0, hope you agree when they arrive in the UK. Regards Steve

Sorry if I have pre-empted another poster, but I had taken this a few days ago and saw the request above. The locos have now been in service for 4 days and are both superb runners. There are no flywheels fitted but the small thin coreless motor seems to do very well on my Gaugemaster controllers. There is a lot of weight over the main drivers, very good design, much better than the T9. Well done Hornby.

On the box is a label with CHL01-P91472 with a line underneath R3234F-31-078 Hope this helps.

Sorry to everyone waiting still in the UK, but after receiving my tax refund I couldn't resist another one. Another superb runner. I just hope to get round to detailing them this weekend. Trouble is said tax refund has also paid for some re-tiling work and so the house is in utter chaos and "She who must be obeyed" wants her rooms back in order. On the second shot you can see some of the lovely cab details. With the J15 and now this............. life cannot get much better.

Oops, sorry again, slip of the finger - that should be $229 Australian, even better value.

Sorry, forgot to mention, price was a very reasonable $239 Australian. With the current exchange rate probably the same or even cheaper than in the UK. She looks superb with a train of the Bachman Eastern Region vans........ Yes I am excited................

There has been mention in other threads recently about Hornby now shipping directly to Australia. I went into Hobbyone at Mt Gravatt, Brisbane this morning and there were 4 D16/3's in the showcase, there are now 3! We may have lost the Ashes but................... She is a beautiful runner, now to spend a happy hour with some more weathering, coaling, crew and lamps, joy on a wet Saturday afternoon......

Julian, Love Portwey, looking forward to seeing it in the Modeller. Can I also say "hear, hear!" regarding your guest editorial in the July Modeller. Needed saying and I'll happily join you at the barricades!

Mine arrived yesterday, opted for the weathered 30316, only took 4 days from Liverpool to Brisbane, thanks DHL! Magnificent runner considering there is no double flywheel like on the J15. Can't say I notice the handrails much but the weathering was something else! Reminded me of what came out of my son's rear end some 40 years ago! Certainly does not look like any photo I have seen of a "Black Motor". I spent a little time looking then moved in to work, firstly on the coupling rods. Imagine my surprise when the weathering just flaked off with the rub of a toothbrush. Soon had all the loco and tender wheels cleaned and then after some trials decided to use Tamiya X10 Gunmetal, almost dry brushed on over most of the Hornby weathering, then on to the wheels and motion, with great care I should add. To finish, I reverted to the normal weathering powders and am very pleased with the overall result. Approximately 2 hours work including fitting the crew, lamps etc. By the way the driver was demobbed from the Luftwaffe ground personnel. What a great loco though, well done Hornby. Hope the Radial and the LSWR coaches are as good.

Me too, and if they don't hurry up we could have 3 Adam's radial tanks hitting the shops at once! Was it really only 35 years ago, where did they all go?

Agree wholeheartedly, the J15 is absolutely superb. Would love the Dean Goods to have this treatment.................

Sorry Paul, you are quite correct - having a senior day, lot of difference between a 38-401 and 38-401a ....................................

Thank you for that - had never noticed or realised what that was.........

Sorry everyone, was just so shocked with the price - did not really think about the consequences but assumed that posting the message in the Down Under RM section would mean that primarily Australian readers would see it and respond, plus my location is clearly shown as Queensland. I must admit though that I do not fully understand how a message is seen in the UK when it is posted, just getting a bit old but I do try to keep up. Not quite up to facebook or tweeting yet though. Again apologies to everyone confused by the post.

Visited Hobbyone at Mt Gravatt today, they had received their first shipment of Bachmann wagons since the price rises. The new weathered version of the SR Brake Van, over $70! Same wagon in the UK 13 quid, what would you do? I dread to think what new loco prices will be................. Someone is making a "killing" Anybody seen what the prices are like in Sydney or Melbourne?

I am late coming to this thread but here are some rambling thoughts. I have often thought that if i started over I would like to model a standard gauge preserved or heritage line. They are very much part of our railway heritage now with many approaching 50 years of service during the next decade, and the old Bluebell nearly 60 years! That means that whole generations of workers have contributed to their development and they really do have their own histories. I had the good fortune to visit the Swanage Railway last October on a normal working day. It had been raining when I alighted at Corfe Castle. I spent 15 minutes enjoying a rather Betjeman like experience waiting for the train to return from Norden. I saw the signalman in the box and a relief guard walked up on to the platform and chat with the porter. The sense I had all through the day was that these people, these volunteers were actually running a railway. They were professionals in every sense of the word. Another experience I really enjoyed was at Bodmin where you have the two lines merging at the station. I think this would make a great model in the preservation era. If you set it some years back in "Speedlink" days there was also a regular freight trip to Fitzgeralds Lighting I think. Does anyone have details of how that worked? Were the VGA's ever steam hauled? For anyone collecting modern road vehicles, the car parks at a railway site would be a boon with of course a preserved bus pr two thrown in for good measure. The research would be fun too, looking through old Railway Magazines etc to find what locos were running where and when? I think I might be talking myself into this.

The latest photo on Kernow's Facebook page shows a pair of Radial tanks...................

I have just been totally "blown away" by spending the last hour catching up with this wonderful thread. I have always liked the Westerham and Hawkhurst lines and to see and follow your progress with this model over the past two years a real privilege. Your modelling sir is outstanding, in the very best traditions of our hobby, thank you very much. I just wish I had a fraction of your patience and dedication. I shall look forward to the November BRM arriving here in early January...............

I wonder if I dig out my old K's Radial tank kit and start building...........

I still have a half-built BEC kit!