Binky

3 hours ago, Pandora said:

If Hornby or Bachamnn did have a set or sets of models for the "catch' em young" market,  how would they sell it?

The retailers such as Toy'R'Us, Woolworths, Toy shops, Department shops. Model railway town centre shops are either gone or minimal in presence .

Catalogue sales such as  Freemans etc, were one popular outlet for birthday and Christmas purchases in the past.   Do catalogue sales still exist?

 

People buy on the internet these days. If a manufacturer wanted to push a certain range of model railway sets they'd just have to make sure it gets an online presence (youtube, social media, perhaps some reviews on modelling websites, available on ebay, amazon etc) and if people are interested in railways/train sets and researching their interest online they will find them.

I see Argos and John Lewis list Hornby train sets, as do Aldi at the moment but I presume that's only for a few weeks of the year as is their modus operandi.

27 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

The problem that I would have is that for many people there would seem little point in buying the basic version knowing that the more detailed one was available - they might just continue to save up until they could afford the better version, and the extent to which this would happen would depend on the size of the price gap between them. But this effect would happen because a more detailed version existed.

This would depend on an individual's budget and expectation of level of detail. I modelled HO American railways for a while as a youngster and when starting out I was happy with the cheaper toy like Bachmann and LifeLike RTR ranges available at the time because I could get 2 or more pieces of rolling stock for the price of a more detailed "Shake the box" kit such as Athearn. I progressed to these more expensive and detailed models as I got older.

8 hours ago, CameronL said:

That's bad news for ABC & AC/DC as well. XTC are totally knackered.

 ..and what's going to happen to ZZ TOP?

51 minutes ago, Dungrange said:

 

Is that not the reason why companies like Hornby sell train sets - you get everything you need in a box: track, controller, locomotive and some rolling stock?

Yes, but I was referring to the idea of body kits to fit on standard chassies as has been suggested. Kits like this do exist but it's usually a case of sourcing a loco to take the body off and then buying 3D printed or resin parts from a one person operation on a different website.

10 hours ago, 009 micro modeller said:

 

Exactly - and having something more kit-based and creative could appeal to people who wouldn’t be interested in a conventional ‘train set.’ Hence my RTR chassis + interchangeable kits and bits idea.

 

Obviously this already exists in a sense with the combination of cheap RTR chassis and simple scratchbuilding/body kits/3D printed bits from smaller manufacturers, but I think to appeal to a wider market it would be necessary for a mainstream manufacturer to make both the chassis and the body parts, and to sell the chassis as separate items (Kato already does sell separate chassis). This is a lot more accessible and encouraging to newcomers than buying a chassis with a body they don’t want attached to it, then having to seek out a fairly obscure small manufacturer to get a body kit, and in other areas of model-making it is often expected that one manufacturer will supply most of the different bits for something like this.

Agreed, I've seen people take an interest in various hobbies only to be put off by being told the best way to go is to get several things from various different manufacturers they've never heard of and modify them. Being able to get everything you need from one manufacturer, and knowing they are designed to work together appears much more attractive to a beginner.

11 minutes ago, Trains4U said:

There IS a cheape, entry level range.

its called “Second hand”

Agreed, for someone wanting an 0-4-0 and a circle of track for their kids, or wanting to create a small shunting layout such as the one on Budget Model Railways' youtube channel there's plenty of suitable stuff on facebook marketplace etc.

The only issue I can see is if there is someone on a budget wanting modern diesels or multiple units. The only modern outline trains that could be found RTR on a similar budget would be Class 08s and maybe some smaller wagons.

54 minutes ago, Andy Reichert said:

The drawback is whether even simplistic kit construction would appeal to a modern youngsters used to having instant, perfectly moving screen images at touch of a finger and the (free) price of watching an ad.

 

Andy

This doesn't seem to be a problem for tabletop gaming such as wargames and scifi/fantasy games. Games Workshop are doing very well and many other systems seem to have a healthy following, with youngsters prepared to assemble and paint figures which come as plastic kits and make scenery from scratch.

If there is a gap in the market for modern trains that people want to model but can't afford then perhaps a good compromise may be the body kit on a standard chassis system that has been mentioned, possibly using a powered bogie like a Tenshodo Spud or Black Beetle. These sort of systems are not uncommon for narrow and minimum gauge modellers but tend to be produced by smaller manufacturers and one person operations. It shows that it can be done though, the only hurdle may be producing modern liveries to apply to locos/multiple units whereas narrow gauge/industrial kits can mostly be satisfactoraly hand painted and lettered.

I'm planning on building a small space layout and using a Class 08 loco but have read that some small locos struggle over insulated (dead) frog points.

Is this likely to be an issue if I use Peco Insulfrog points as the "dead" space on the frog is smaller than some other manufaturers points?

Thanks

8 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

 

Smallbrook is incredibly close to the sort of thing I was thinking of, albeit without the battery-powered aspect (although it may be possible to fit this to Smallbrook locos). They do an increased range of scales these days, including 1:32 scale on 16.5mm and Gn15 as well as larger gauges, together with the IoW prototype 00 stuff as well. I must find a pretext to build a Smallbrook kit at some stage. (Usual disclaimer - I like Smallbrook but have no vested interest etc etc.). They even do the interchangeable parts thing I mentioned - boilers and cabs etc. can be shared between multiple different kits. For the purpose of encouraging beginners I think being resin is a bit of a pain, as it can cause dust issues if filed or sanded incorrectly and needs to be stuck with superglue or epoxy (when I was starting out, and even now really, I found the plastic/polystyrene cement combination much more relaxing, safe and forgiving of mistakes than anything involving superglue). The cost can also actually be quite high, once chassis and body are purchased and paint and details added. However, volume production by mainstream manufacturers could potentially drive costs down over time and make plastic moulding viable.

So for the beginner modeller who wants to start making kits or this would be an option, especially if a larger manufaturer could produce plastic body kit parts cheaper. It seems to have a following in a few of the narrow and minimum gauge scales. They would need to sell chassies at the right price though, perhaps as a "chassis + choose your body" type deal, otherwise buying a small loco to discard the body and replace it with your own would be a false economy.

I'm not sure what age or level of skill the OP was thinking of but this system wouldn't be much help for those wanting a "train set" for their younger kids though (personally I think these do exist at a reasonable price), but might be a good compromise for those who remain interested long enough to want to start modelling particular rolling stock but on a budget.

20 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

 

I suggested something vaguely similar earlier, but with modular body parts and kits or the option to construct your own body.

I like what Smallbrook Studio have done with their O-16.5 range, providing kits to put other loco and wagon bodies on easily available chassies, and it certainly encouraged me to give that scale a go.

If someone could produce a few types of battery powered generic r/c chassis (0-6-0, Bo-Bo, multiple unit, etc) and a choice of bodies to fit them it might be an option for youngsters starting out. The chassies wouldn't be prototypical for every loco but it didn't stop people from buying early Hornby class 08s and other locos that weren't 100% right. Bodies could then be made for different markets but using the same chassis, and no doubt aftermarket bodies from different manufacturers would appear in time.

It would be perfectly possible for many layout operators to all use radio control in one room as the modern 2.4ghz systems all find a vacant frequency to use and swap to another one if there is interference, this is how radio control car racers can all turn up and race together without having to discuss what crystals everyone is using like the old 27mhz days.

I'm guessing it comes down to numbers again, drones are hugely popular right now and the same design drone can be sold the world over, a radio control UK locomotive which mostly only appeals to the UK market would probably not sell in large enough numbers to turn a profit.

2 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said:

At least half the people I've known who use train simulators do so instead of having a model railway.

 

John

Same here, and it makes sense when so many people already have a computer in their house and younger generations have grown up knowing that whatever their hobby/interest is they can probably get a computer game or simulator of it.

My grandad used to always say, "As one door closes, another one opens."

Very wise man, terrible cabinet maker!

Thanks for all the information. Plenty there for me to be thinking about.

I've also discovered photos and info on Wolverhampton Low Level station which closed to passengers and continued handling parcels (after some alterations) until 1981. A similar layout of 2 platforms with 4 tracks in between should be fairly simple to model and would give enough scope for interesting operations.

27 minutes ago, Daddyman said:

The premium models are the China-made Hornby ones: 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hornby-R3037XS-Fitted-Electric-Locomotive/dp/B004QGSK9C

If it's Hornby and it has outside frames (wheels hidden behind the plates which carry the spring detail) then it's the super detail model. 

 

The Bachmann model is less fine than the Hornby super detail one - note especially cruder/missing detail below the footplate: 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/38924/bachmann_branchline_32_116a_class_08_shunter_d3986_in_br_green_with_wasp_stripes/stockdetail.aspx

 

In contrast to the Hornby model above, here's the toy they also make: 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/20054/hornby_r1075class08_class_08_shunter_d4093_in_br_green_dcc_fitted_split_from_r1075_set/stockdetail.aspx

 

Note: I'm not endorsing either Amazon or Hattons - it's just that these photos can be blown up. 

Thanks for this, it's easy to see the differences once pointed out.

Thanks for the advice. I've seen a few older Hornby locos around. Is there much difference between newer and older versions? I seem to remember the slow running abilities of some Hornby locos varied in quality depending on what motors were put inside them.

I'm after an OO gauge Class 08 and am on a bit of a budget so am looking online to see what is available 2nd hand. DCC isn't needed.

Are there any brands that are recommended or worth avoiding? Are there any upgrades that can be done to cheaper models to get them to run better? Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

What are the advantages of living in Switzerland?

Well for starters, the national flag is a big plus!

Thanks @anroar53, this was just the kind of information I was hoping for, an 08 shunter shuffling vans around will be ideal. Was the mail transfered straight into road vehicles within view of the platform or was it taken into a depot or building? I'm thinking about what scenery and buildings I could add to give an indication of the mail movement process.

I also found this post on another thread which is useful.

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/66383-modelling-a-traditional-parcels-train/&do=findComment&comment=3883266

I'd like to build a small layout representing parcels operations but am limited for space so am thinking of limiting my stock to smaller vans such as SPVs, Vanfits and perhaps some of the smaller SR or LNER parcels vans, and modelling a small bay platform or depot. I might be able to use longer bogie stock but probably only handling one at a time.

Were there any prototypical scenarios where only smaller vans/single vans were used for parcels services? I've read that SPVs were often used at Aylesbury for printed catalogues, are there any photos of where these were loaded?

Any suggestions or information would be appreciated. Thanks

I grew up in Addlestone in the 1980s and could see the mill buildings by stepping out of my house into the street. I remember walking across the yard whilst on family walks which would go along the edge of the mill pond and canal, the mill was closed by then.

My father and uncle built a small layout based on the mill and lock area however I don't know how true to prototype it was, he passed away in 2013 and the layout found a new home.

I remember us having at least 2 paperback books featuring old photographs of Addlestone, if I find them or any photographs of the layout I will scan any photos of interest.

Hi everyone,

I've just joined after being impressed with the 46 pages of knowledge in the "Modelling a Traditional Parcels Train" thread.

I presume my story will be a familiar one, introduced to OO gauge model railways as a kid by my father and uncle, life got in the way but I've always had an interest in railway modelling sitting away somewhere in the back of my mind, and now I'm in my 40s I'm thinking a micro layout could be just what I need!

I've inherited a small amount of OO gauge stock from my dad which I still need to go through (mostly Southern Railway I believe) so I'll have something to get me started. I quite like the idea of a small inglenook style layout with a platform for parcels traffic, I'm sure I'll find lots of inspiration here.

Nice to meet you all.