maico

It looks like a case of reverse evolution... Some of the magazines will trot out the 'wealth of details' line (copyright railway modeller magazine 1975) but the retailers will find it a hard sell.

The Rails pic clearly shows separately fitted!

How come the shaft from front to back didn't start winding up, there doesn't seem to be any play in the system?

The Trix can be had for £298 if you shop around. What is a 'metallised plastic body'? It is zinc alloy die-cast.

The shadows in the opening photos in this thread seem to show the same thing

Yes, Marklin acquired German Trix in circa 1998. This is the 2003 Marklin https://www.marklin.com/products/details/article/39579 You can see the twin motors in the pdf. They drive a capstan system bc13e7dd9d99a55ca1aee80e9ce2445e1434542559 (1).pdf

You mean in British outline. My Trix has dual motorized pantographs each operated separately on DCC. The Marklin version of the same model is over 20 years old.

Eh? I've got a 19 year old Trix BR 103 that has motorized pantographs. Perhaps considered a gimmick by some back in 2005 but now quite a few makers have them including you! Here is the clever piezoelectric motor they used made in Germany by Elliptec

Marklin Trix BR 103 series locos have moving drivers

What were the X shaped rivets for on the prototype's front panel?

This is like a game of Whack-A-Mole, no matter how clearly you explain the warranty someone will pop up and ask a question...

Hopefully it will lead to a further cull of H&M intermixing with modern locos: "The Accurascale Limited Warranty does not apply: ... (c) to damage resulting from use with a third party component or product, including but not limited to use with older power supplies (e.g. Hammant & Morgan Clipper) which output impure transformation of mains AC voltage to DC voltage...."

When I was a small boy in the early 70s we used to see lunatics like this walking up and down Oxford street with placards helpfully informing us we had no future...

They should consult miniatur-wunderland who have 15km of track and over 1500 DCC HO train movements a day. Energy input every 150 to 200 meters using Marklin 3-rail, Peco code 75 in the American section, and some Roco and Fleischman 2-rail track.

?

Showing the RAL colour codes like this diagram is an excellent way to list a product https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/50707/K2302-DJ-Models-GWR-Steam-Railmotor-number-97-in-GWR-Choc-Cream

That middle chap is how I imagine AY Mod dresses....

Current Marklin-Trix models sold in the UK and EU don't say 'made in'. Roco normally says made in EU (which is Arad in Romania) or in Vietnam. Which Trix model do you have? I see it's got the recent UK type approval logo on it. Older Trix

Lilliput Hornby still make WW2 camo stuff, for example https://www.themodelcentre.com/l130002 https://www.themodelcentre.com/l131524

Are there any estimates for annual turnover of the UK model railway market as a whole? Richard seems to indicate Hattons were losing market share.

Post-war the eagle and swastikas were removed but clearly someone saved them. My Grandfather had a similar large metal one 'liberated' from a German government building.

Those are standard 12v E5 bulbs screw fit. On my long Roco DB coaches the insulated wheels are, not surprisingly, on the same side. The bogies just pull off revealing axle-point pick ups.

It looks like the covid bounce was masking a downward trend. I've added the 2016 figures which makes things a bit clearer. The wage bill alone was over £1million.

A number of people in this thread asked about EU exports so I looked at Hatton's published company accounts. In percentage terms exports were fairly steady. 2015 (pre- Brexit) turnover £11.3m, profit after tax 243k, 54 employees. 2016 turnover £11.6 profit, £400k loss 2017 turnover £13.6m, profit after tax 700k 2018 turnover £14.4m, profit £975k, 62 employees inc. directors 2019 turnover £14.7m, profit £839k. 69 employees 2020 turnover £12.5m, profit £455k 2021 turnover £12.3m, profit £623k 2022 turnover £10.9m (UK £8.8m, EU 1.4m, ROW 719k.) profit after tax £23k 2023 due April 2024 https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05131251/filing-history?page=1 Reserves generally around $4.5m Stock generally £3-4m

It's not luck, Stefan is correct! I have had the same experience. Your quote is for commercial transactions where no vat has been charged at the point of sale. The HMRC site aimed at consumers says: "Goods worth £135 or less in total: If you bought the goods yourself and they are not excise goods, the seller will have included VAT in the total you paid. You’ll be charged Customs Duty on all goods sent from outside the UK (or the UK and the EU if you’re in Northern Ireland) if they’re either: excise goods or worth more than £135. If you’re charged Customs Duty, you’ll need to pay it on both: the price paid for the goods postage, packaging and insurance." In practice HMRC has no sway on German dealers who decide to ship without applying local MwSt. The value of the goods (using the monthly exchange rate on the HMRC site) is the figure they use. That may not be the intension but many in the UK use a very imprecise form of English. (The way HMRC have worded the above statement is somewhat clumsy and probably written by someone who went to a failing comprehensive school...)