rapidoandy

Evening all, OK - lots to take in here but people have asked some interesting questions. Please understand that I cannot go into exact details of things for a number of reasons but I will do my best to explain a few things. 1) We work with four factories in total who provide items for both the UK and North American companies. As a result I would like to say to people that yes we have had an issue BUT it is limited to one factory and is not affecting others. As a result I hope you will have confidence in your other orders with us. 2) This is the first time this factory has let either Rapido company down and frankly - it’s come out of nowhere. We are discussing it - but with Canada 5 hours behind me and China 7 hours in front discussions are not always as quick as I would like. It is also not helped that it is a National holiday in China this weekend so things we’re winding down and shut. Rest assured we are all speaking and will be ensuring things like this do not happen again. 3) The samples we received in advance showed no issues. When the production batch arrived we randomly selected a set % of each SKU for testing and did not find any widespread issues. We have a policy on how many returns we expect on each product line (a set %) and our. checks fell under this. What we have subsequently found is ‘groups’ of dud models within the run and other ‘groups’ of great models. We obviously got lucky (or unlucky) with our testing and didn’t find a bad batch. I am however looking at the policy to decide if we should sample a larger % going forward. It’s a fine balance between sample size and the enormous amount of time and man hours doing it. Checking every model would not be possible… 4) Away from this product we monitor all our warranty. Those of you who have used the system know we have an online form. It helps us keep track of repairs and returns but importantly also gives us data to analyse. Looking at last products we have had a fairly steady and even % of returns as expected. The exception is the class 28 in N gauge - where the decoder issue (from a 3rd party) meant the returns for replacements made the number higher. Take the decoder out and we were still on track. 5) Until Covid Rapido would regularly send staff to China to meet with the factory owners and managers. Covid has killed that off and it’s only recently we have been able to return. We have staff going over this month and they will be visiting this factory and taking some of the models with them to discuss. 6) When things like this happen we obviously get a lot of genuine returns - but sadly we do also get a lot of others that have been caught up in the (often) online hype from certain pages and reviewers. These get sent back as ‘poor runners’ etc and we check them out only to find there are no issues but the customer (or retailer) just wanted them checked and serviced. Whilst we want to give our customers the best customer service possible it does slow down dealing with issues for other people. 7) Whilst we see lots of glum comments in several places we have had a huge amount of happy people. Sadly this one is turning out a bit marmite - the good ones are excellent (even if I say so myself) but the bad ones are embarrassing and not what I want from our brand. Hopefully that explains a few things. I know it’s no consultation to anyone with a poor model but I have lost a lot of sleep over this and feel for everyone. This week should be pure excitement with the arrival of Titfield but I always work to the lowest denominator and sadly there are unhappy customers and until they are happy again I won’t be smiling as much as I should. If anyone has a problem please get in touch. We want you to be happy! Happy Sunday. Andy

We have already offered to resolve the issue - just the same as we have with any of our values customers 😀.

Good evening all, apologies for being quiet on here of late - I have been somewhat under the weather over the weekend. It’s been something of an emotional rollercoaster with the elation of having delivered the 15xx shipment tempered by the reports that some have defects. These problems were not present in the development prototypes, the sign-off sample models, or the QC samples we examined from the main shipment and we are absolutely gutted when we get these reports. We are realistic and do not expect 100% of the models to be perfect when they arrive, especially given the volume of orders, the 350+ parts, hand painting and assembly, not to mention the distance they have travelled. However, we are not happy about the errors made with glue marks, wheels etc. and will be taking this up with our factory and assembly line. In the short term, our goal is always to repair or replace defective models. We put a lot in to making these products and we are gutted when people can’t enjoy them, we are also aware that this is ‘treat’ money not ‘walking out’ money that people are choosing to spend with us. If yours has an issue, please please let us know via the warranty form and we will try to help ASAP. Anyone can make model trains - but a great company (which is what we aspire to be) is one that spends the time sorting issues out and dealing with customers afterwards. If anyone has any problems - get in touch. We have lots of parts and some spare models and will sort anything we have to. On the plus side, we are also receiving messages and emails from happy customers saying that the model has exceeded their expectations, runs really well, looks great etc., which is not only very kind of them to say, it also shows to us that all the effort we put in to try and make the best product we can was worthwhile. Whilst that may be little comfort to someone with a problematic item right now, we hope it can provide reassurance that soon you will have one that is something you can be proud to own. I know a particularly poor example has been delivered to a popular online reviewer and I’m under no illusion that we will be slated for it. Sadly that’s just the odds, but again we will repair or sort anyone’s problems. I’d love someone to do a review of our warranty service - but sadly I doubt that would be exciting enough for anyone. Happy modelling! Andy

Have you looked at the INSIDE of the cab shutter plates? I recommend a torch and magnifier…

You assume the boat was next stop UK after Belgium. They often carry up to Northern Europe before coming to the UK. Then again it might not 🤣

Believe it or not they are on different ships! Sadly I have just been informed they are about a week later than hoped which will make for a very busy time at HQ when they arrive a few days apart. Andy

I have to disagree - no tricks have been missed. The smaller size of the I / K would have increased the design issues. The L is small enough but a few extra mm here and here are useful. The I / K has already been done in kit form. Anyone who really wanted one will have built or had the kit built for them. The L has never been made in 00 in kit for RTR form and that will increase the sales potential. Preserved locos - particularly operational ones help sales - the L wins in this regard. The I / K had a huge amount of variations within it. The L also does but to a slightly lesser extent. Maybe we should just do a SECR version for the hell of it…

Hi John, Currently I cannot say. We are reevaluating the North American items. Whilst in the early days we were petitioned to provide it because there was apparently a very large demand the reality has been the opposite. Couple to that that we struggle to keep up listing their new items with the small team we have makes everything very very hard. Andy

Not that my new hobby is boat spotting…. but I can say that they have left Hamburg and are on their way to Antwerp before heading to the UK. Not long to wait!

The decorated samples have arrived...

The models are in tooling right now and with a fair wind I am hopeful we will have them for display at Warley. The order book will close a few months after the tooling sample arrives before production starts - all being well we will have the finished models late next year.

Now the final design work is finished I am pleased to say the 44xx models are on sale now! DCC Ready models are £172.95 RRP and DCC Sound models are £284.95 RRP. Head over to https://rapidotrains.co.uk/gwr-44xx/ to order yours or visit any Official Retailer.

Love them or hate them, nearly everyone has a view on them – the S160 will be joining the Rapido Trains UK fleet. Having been in the top 10 of various wishlist polls for many years, the S160 has been one of our most requested models. Coupled to that, as we are a company with links to North America it seemed a no-brainer for us to make a model of an American-built loco that operated in the UK. Designing the S160 has not been the easiest of undertakings. We have been working on this alongside our other projects for well over a year. No two preserved locos are the same, and there are even differences between the locomotives as built because they were supplied by several different manufacturers. After the war, the engines saw service all over the world and were heavily modified to suit their new operators’ requirements. Our plan is to produce models of the original locomotives ‘as built’, when they were seen across the entire country during the Second World War. We will also produce tooling to allow for several preserved examples to be modelled as closely as possible. It's a little early for us to announce which exact locomotives and liveries we will be producing. Rest assured we will share the news as soon as we are able.

Since Rapido Trains UK started we have been asked to produce a small industrial locomotive suitable for industrial and light railway use. With Andy’s interest in such things, we didn’t need asking twice. Fifteen years ago, our General Manager Andy passed his steam loco driving test on “Matthew Murray”, an 'L' Class built by Manning Wardle in 1903 and residing on the Middleton Railway - a stone’s throw from its birthplace. The railway is also home to a sister L class “Sir Berkeley”. This type has never been produced in OO gauge in any form so it’s no surprise that we opted to produce this model. The L class were dainty and attractive little locomotives with double-bossed wheels and a variety of bolt-on options the purchaser could add. The resulting engines were unmistakably Manning Wardles. Our model is in the final design stages and will feature a number of tooling variants to allow for open and closed cabs, different pipework layouts, different frame styles and different wheels among others. We are currently finalising the design and until then will keep the planned list of liveries, physical specification and prices close to our chest to provide a little more excitement later on. "But why does anyone think you are making it?" we hear you ask. Well, when we visited the Middleton Railway earlier this year to record the sounds of the Y7 we also recorded “Sir Berkeley”. Obviously, this drew lots of attention and we were even caught on camera which may have fed the rumours.

We are a cynical lot aren't we?

Modelu are also working on a set of bespoke crew for Lion.

You assume these are part of the three we mentioned earlier in the week......never assume anything where Rapido Trains UK are involved ;-)

I know, I know! I’m fairly certain anyone who has read the various threads in this section of RMweb will know what it is and can probably even guess which loco(s) we may (or may not be) producing…

Ooooo that’s a good idea. RDC units in Network Southeast livery! Would save me tooling anything new…

Sadly - the "lot of unhappy people" actually seems to be a small amount. The sheer amount of emails I have had from the bus model world telling me it was the wrong model to make was very telling. Interesting comments on the 70s/80s stuff. What would you see us make? the NA stuff is very much Jason's wheelhouse where as with the UK company it falls to me and the team. Personally I think the 70s/80s/90s/00s market is getting quite crowded...If you have the next big seller in that area that one of the other manufacturers are certainly not doing then please do send me an email - I am always open to discussions...

I never got to play with it with the longer cab so never had the luxurious set up!

For those looking for some nice crew for Lion - watch this space as our friends at Modelu are working on something...

As standard all the models will come with a set of dumb buffers in a polybag for the user to fit. Whats more they will also come with 4 of the running plate mounted shunting poles and fire irons!

Sadly this has come about because of the microprocessor shortage. Everything was made at the same time - currently there are a large number of Titfield sets sat in China awaiting decoders. The plan was Titfield should be first. However not enough components were supplied to ESU that resulted in a decision being made. Either wait for enough to make Titfield and Lion in one go, or use the first delivery of decoders for Lion (which was smaller than Thunderbolt orders) and get something moving. The backlog also causes other issues, if we had waited we probably would have had Lion, Titfield and the 15xx arrive at the same time which is a headache logistically for us, our retailers and cashflow for the retailers and end users. As a result as soon as Lion was completed we air freighted it over to smooth out the flow. It was the best solution for the majority of people. Titfield is my daily priority and hopeful that the decoders will be delivered to the factory this week. Apologies! Andy

Joined up thinking? It will never catch on! Perfect for our NCB livery Hunslets, 15xx and the forthcoming Y7. Possibly some other stuff in the future too ;-)