djparkins

Thanks. Well I remember Westbourne Model Supplies, and there was an afro caribbean guy used to work there around that time. I may be getting confused as I don't know if that was the same shop that became Dudley Dimmock's before he opened up in [IIRC] Charminster Road in Bournemouth. I certainly remember myself and a school friend cycling over 20 miles to Westbourne and buying Graham Farish points from him and then walking part of the way back to Ringwood over an overgrown part of the old Christchurch-Ringwood line - that closed in 1935. Later, in 1975, I interviewed Harold Delia [by then very old], he being the last member of staff at Hurn station, when he was told of it's impending closure in 1935. All interesting stuff. Does anyone remember the large scale models of rolling stock on display in cases in the main hall of Bournemouth West station? Imagine such a thing now!

Of course E. Rankine Grey was a very 'difficult' man and very easy to fall out with as my family can attest when he was trying to to sell the model railway as a going business concern. He and the proprietor of ERG Models, Jock Stewart, were at daggers drawn in the later years! I post below part of a piece I wrote recalling my own and my father's visits to ERGs, when it was in the basement at Roumelia Lane in Boscombe. As has been said, Jock was flooded towards the end, but was in any case, often in dispute with the Wimpy bar above regarding water leakage! The picture of the final location of ERGs relates, I believe, to the purchaser of the business after Jock Stewart's death when it carried on as a source of John E. Skinley drawings. Excerpt follows, which some my find interesting - "There was no greater one-off however, than Mr. 'Jock' Stewart the proprietor. Roumelia Lane was, in fact, a place I loved, and it was the epitome of an area that is missing from so many towns now - that delicious mix of small industrial premises amongst the residential. It was a narrow lane running parallel with the main high street, and it had lots of small businesses, such as a printers, a sheet metal workers at one point, and a much larger concern - a branch of British Insulated Calendar Cables [BICC]. A walk along the lane from the western end and a left turn before the printers would lead you across a patch of ‘waste ground' towards the top of some concrete steps. These steps lead to what was, for me, paradise. As you descended the steps, the first thing you would be greeted by would be two or three of the stray cats that Jock would feed. The steps would need careful negotiation, particularly in winter, as there was no handrail provided and would certainly fall seriously foul of today's 'ealth and safety regulations. At the foot of the steps were the doors to Jock's model emporium, which was entitled 'ERGs'. The almost Southern Railway Green doors complete with a small black and red sign, declared that this business was a member of META, the Model Engineering Traders Association, if I recall correctly. What greeted you instead was an array of open trays, that might have been from discarded matchboxes. They contained all the parts and accessories a serious modeller of the day might require to hand build, or 'scratch' build railway locomotives, carriages and freight wagons - wheels, axles and bearings, gears, buffers and a host of other fittings. Then there were most of the tools you would need to build these items. To the left of the counter were shelves with examples of locomotives his customers had built and these, as a child, were my inspiration. Oh that I might aspire to be that good one day, either at that, or at something else! The greatest treasure to me though were what lay in the wooden drawer units on the right of this basement shop. These were full of blueprints for the building of those same locomotives, carriages and wagons - white outlines on blue sheets from the firm 'John E. Skinley'. These held infinite wonder and possibilities for an aspiring young modelmaker. Likewise the ERG printed cardboard lorries. These you could cut out and reinforce for strength, then make into the classic road haulage vehicles of the late 1940s and 1950s. They were pre-coloured, and you would then use brass rod for the axles and add wheels, although I never got as far as actually fitting any with them. The old saying 'it is better to travel hopefully, than to arrive' is apposite, I think! Top of the tree for me though, were the Bilteezi sheets that Mr. Stewart sold you. These were pre-coloured buildings and lineside accessories - from station buildings and signal boxes to factories, corner shops, village churches and barns. Again, these you would cut out, score to bend and reinforce with thick card on the inside. He would also sell you the glue to make these - Pafra. Now Pafra was something else as regards the fumes and would find a ready market today for quite different purposes! My father was the master of the Bilteezi Sheet. He would cut out and individually glaze all the windows, shape and fit brass tubing for the downpipes and chimneys, and cut plastic drinking straws in half for the guttering. I recall a stone blacksmith's shop he made, complete with a glowing forge deep inside the building. This was achieved by the use of some ‘magic’ glow-in-the-dark red powder he purchased from Woolworths, from what he called their 'trinkets' counter - another source of useful modelmaking aids. To return to Mr. Stewart. He would greet you with a loud 'Hellooo' followed by two short snuffles - possibly due to his prolonged presence in the damp basement shop. He wore an overcoat over an engineer's apron, a cap and wellington boots. Over a period of almost eighteen years I don't think I ever saw him in any other attire. If you arrived near to his closing time and asked him if you were too late, his reply would always be "aye, that depends on how much you'll be spending laddie". To the right of the shop was a workbench at which would sit Mr. Stewart's daughter Nina, packing parcels for the mail-order side of the business. This constituted the main source of income, and was in response to the adverts he would place in model magazines [no internet then!]. For her, it must have been a very gloomy existence, working down in that basement each day, with only her father for company. Years later, after Jock's death in the early 1980s, I would often bump into her whilst shopping, and was struck by the change in her. She was absolutely transformed into an outgoing, and even vivacious, woman. So for all my own nostalgia about Mr. Stewart and his shop, I suppose its demise, after his death, did have one good outcome - Nina started to live a little! Jock travelled to and from the shop on an old tradesman's bike, with a basket at the front and a metal plate set within the 'triangle' of the cycle frame. As I recall, this was left blank however. In the later years of visiting the shop there would often be a ‘back in ten minutes’ sign on the door. On his return he would say "sorry to keep you waiting laddie, I was just having a flutter on the gee-gees", having visited the bookies at the end of Roumelia Lane. In later years particularly, the shop took on that unmistakable fragrance that only cat's urine can provide. He loved the stray cats and on cold nights would let them 'sleep-over' inside the shop! He also developed a unique way of turning the introduction of Value Added Tax [VAT] in 1973, into a sales promotion tool! He would jot down each item you purchased on a card and then add it up, saying "that’s £2.50 plus the VATees" and “£4.20 plus the VATees" and so-on. He would then reach the total, which by then, would of course include the VAT. Then he would say "that all comes to £19.50 plus the VATees, but since you're a good customer, I'll stand you the tax!". All these are little vignettes of a vanished world. Model shops today, at least those that still exist, are, for the most part, like many other shops. They are clean, bright, open, even slick, and mostly very well-run. They would have to be to survive! Not all the clientele have changed accordingly though, and I certainly look back on my 'ERG Days' with huge affection - and particularly those visits made during my late school years, when I would load up my duffel bag with 'goodies' before going for a day out on the real trains, during those final years of steam on the Bournemouth line. Once seated on the London-bound express, I would delve into the bag and inspect my purchases, dreaming of the models I would make from them – beginning, of course, the very next day! Mostly, I never did though - as I said earlier, it is better to travel hopefully, than to arrive."

Four types coming out next year.

That is undoubtedly very true but my point is quite different. I was simply saying that serious modellers had a way of getting some basic locos and coaches on the cheap and rebuilding areas of them, as I have. That was all I was trying to say. There are still some coaches to be had but the locos now appear to be going fast, as I suspect others have been doing the same as me. There are still some of those modellers out there as my own sales and those of some other kit manufacturers will attest - even if somewhat depleted. Why do you think with decades if experience behind me, I have been buying up ranges? Would it be because there is no potential left in them? I think not. They just need aspects of them pulling into the 21st century.

I can't quite see what all the fuss is about. Those who wanted to take the plunge have gotten some cut price top link locos. Any serious modeller is going to have to virtually strip them down anyway. Same with most RTR stuff. I've gotten myself eight pacifics at an average price of approx. £190 each. Many are in bits for sure, but I'd have soon made them that way anyway - as all would require replacement of several key parts in metal to have any hope of running reliably over time. But even if I spend another £200 on each loco, it is a lot lot cheaper than buying a kit for for an A3 or A4 at around £1100 each with wheels and motors. It is the same with Hattons LNER coaches. Got some for £90.00! Deal.

Hi John, I've not advertised or been to a show since 2002, but I earn a full time income and support four other people on the turnover from my web site and from one trade customer. So I cannot agree entirely, though I do see the point you are making. We certainly do live in challenging and difficult times right now, and it is so very sad to see a company such as this one have to close down. We've had three real bad patches in the 46 years I've been full time in the model business - the early 80s, early 90s and 2008-10. We have managed to come through them all though. This one feels different I have to say. It appears to me to be a kind of 'new reality', which is very painful for many. There are big adjustments to make, with the market being squeezed by both the economic/cost of living crisis and by the inexorable growth in RTR. IMHO this is how it is going to be going forwards and you can either survive in it or you can't. If I were just starting out I'd be very worried and probably just wouldn't bother! I'm lucky in owning both the roof over my head and my business premises outright and to have enough stock on the shelf to keep me going for a long long time. But not everyone is that fortunate, I agree. Best to everbody in these difficult times. David Parkins www.djparkins.com

Very Sad. Best wishes to you. As Hayfield said 'troubled times' - they are indeed. A real blow to the modelling end of the hobby.

Thanks for posting. Problem is that these vans are only accurate as depicted for the BR built versions of these vehicles [i. e. construction that continued in most cases after nationalisation, until the BR standard types were introduced]. So in other than BR livery, they represent ficticious wagons, and even then the lettering isn't right. It is such a shame as they do look very good otherwise, but those BR W irons/axleboxes stick out like a sore thumb. I would buy a load myself but it's quite a lot to pay per wagon for something I'd have to either re-chassis or at the very least do a lot of surgery to in order to replace the W irons. They will be great re-lettered for those wishing to have the BR built ones, but just be aware that any painted and lettered as for pre-nationalisation never existed with those 'undernoothes'!

Evening All - a further update for those interested. 43-two-1 7mm Wagon Kits - since the previous posting we have now added even further discounts for multi-packs of either three, four or five wagons [according to type] - and only where stocks allow. In some cases only one or two multipacks are available. They are all listed in the relevant wagon kit categories of GWR, LMS, LNER or SR - https://www.djparkins.com/home.php?cat=348 Other stocks of remaining wagons and wagon accessory packs are dwindling fast since we announced our wagon and accessory pack meltdown deadline of the end of January 2023. So pick up what you think you might want before it is too late Same applies to the Cavalier Coaches Bogies and Accessory Packs. Several bogie types have now sold out and some remaining ones are now being offered at only £5.00 for a pair - https://www.djparkins.com/home.php?cat=351 Prices like this are little above the cost of the metal in the product! We have to have this melting down deadline to make way for the re-introduction of other items from the ex-ABS stable later in 2023. In addition, we have added two categories to the web site of new condition Ready to Run items and of 7mm Kits from other brands all at competitive prices. More will added in due course. Happy Modelling and Grumpy Season's Greetings to All. David Parkins

Arun - will this include intermediate cars? On a personal level - any luck with the battery loco/wagons we spoke about. David

Hooray!

Simon Varnam has ceased trading due to ill health following two strokes, as has been been stated previously. But as pointed out above above, there is an equivalent available. David Parkins

I hope it will be next year. The kit will be significantly upgraded and until we know the proprtions of etched metal, resin and cast metal used, and with prices increasing seemingly by the month, I can obviously give you no idea on costings at this time. We'll always try to keep prices as low as we can, even if it means me having to lay-off another man servant! But in the end it will cost what it must, and will either sell, or not. DJP

Hello All - If Andy will permit, I thought it might be helpful to start a new thread that is devoted only to the above 7mm ranges that we acquired from ABS Models, as the original thread seems to be dealing now with mainly the 4mm items - thus any news for 7mm modellers may have a tendency to get lost on the existing thread. For any that still don't know we acquired the following ranges from the estate of Adrian Swain after his untimely death - The Classic Commercials range of 1:43 0 gauge road vehicle kits. All of the 7mm wagons from the 43-two-1 Wagon Range [Adrian’s own in-house range], and all the other wagon ranges absorbed or purchased by Adrian over the years, that we now hold the original masters for, and the sole manufacturing rights to. Well over 200 wagon types. The 7mm Cavalier Coaches range of coach bogies and fittings. The following subjects from the Zero Zephyrs 7mm loco range – Class 03 0-6-0 Shunter Class 04 0-6-0 Shunter Class 07 0-6-0 Shunter Sentinel Shrewsbury Industrial 0-4-0 Shunter Wickham Permanent Way Trolley Simplex 40HP Diesel And two steam locomotives - LSWR/ST/BR B4 0-4-0 Dock Tank LSWR/SR 0330 0-6-0 Saddle Tank Plus – The ex-LSWR Cowans Sheldon 36 ton Breakdown Crane. And - The entire Wrightlines O/16.5mm/14mm narrow gauge range of locomotive, coach and wagon kits, including some iconic unreleased items. As we seek to start re-introduce these ranges , I thought an update on the situation regarding the original stocks passed to us direct from the ABS Purchase would be helpful to modellers who wish to take advantage of the last chance to acquire anything they may need from these ranges With regard to the last remaining 43-two-1 ABS 7mm wagon kits and Freight Stock Accessory Packs -. Some 500 43-two-1 wagon kits have gone leaving around 200 kits remaining. Any sold out items have been deleted from the web site and only the types remaining in stock are listed. In the run up to Christmas/New Year we are reducing some of these kits in price to ridiculously low levels – in fact little more than the cost of the white metal in the kits. Those that have not sold by the end of January 2023 will be melted down, as production of the revised range gets under way. The same comments apply to the Wagon Accessory Packs. https://www.djparkins.com/home.php?cat=348 On the Cavalier Coaches side the same comments apply - https://www.djparkins.com/home.php?cat=351 Note that not all of the subjects in all these ranges will ever re-appear, as each subject will be re-assessed on its merits. The accessory packs too will be vastly reduced in number, and likely be consolidated into larger more ‘themed’ packs – but this really depends on the final setting out of our moulds for the re-introduced complete wagon kits. Something we just do not know yet. Finally we have put several Christmas Offers on for the remaining Ex-ABS stocks of the Wrightlines 7mm NG items. https://www.djparkins.com/home.php?cat=352 So as usual – the advice is to get anything you think you might require from Adrian’s traditional kits and packs whilst you still can – and at ludicrously generous prices! Happy Modelling David Parkins www.djparkins.com

Well as I said in my post above, if you are capable of doing the kind of basic bench work of a kit builder that I outlined, then it doesn't really matter. Alway assume you'll get a bad one and you won't be disappointed. A lot of things you would probably want to change anyway. For example, the front bogie wheels need changing for Slaters wheels in order to look anything like the real thing. But at the £220 mark for the pre-owned ones, you can't really go wrong in my view. David Parkins

I can quite see your frustration, but given that the cost of a DJH/Piercy A4 kit without motor and wheels is now up to over £800, then even if you spend £150.00 on wheels and metal fittings to replace the plastic parts, and improve the valve gear fixings, you are still going to come out of it with a top link loco for a fraction of that cost. And the bodies of the locos [both A3 and A4], and the tenders, are really quite good. it's the same with the Hattons Gresley coaches. If you can get a coach for £105-£110 or around that, rebuild the underframe with accurate parts, and replace those truly awful bogies [the wheels are quite OK IMHO], then you've still got yourself a pretty good coach on the cheap. David Parkins www.djparkins.com

Very sad for his widow as she had hoped they would reach 62 years together. His book on Bulleid is arguably the best ever published on the subject. The introduction, 'Under Steam to Devon', is in my view perhaps the finest piece of railway prose ever written. It captures a time that I am just old enough to remember so well. The detail and description of so many small details made you feel that you were on the footplate of 35014 as it powered the ACE westwards.

Very sad news. Another Great of the hobby leaves us. He wrote such brilliant books, which were inspirational and so imaginative.

Hello Mark Lazy might be not an extreme enough word in my case! But seriously back when the 142/143 Pacer kits came out you didn't have to think about RTR because there was none! That is really the consideration now. Not other kits. It is my belief that the flow of RTR from China will slow, as I've already said on this thread. Some here disagree, but if you heard the news yesterday then you might have gotten a steer on why it might very easily get harder in the future. I'm mindful of the no politics rule, so will go no further. I'm committed to kits and bringing them out, but only at my own pace, and in balance with the other things I want to do in life. If they come out - great. If they don't then that is fine too [well for me anyway!]. It is true that model companies are not charities and should make a profit [I feel it is unhealthy if they do not seek to do this]. No one wants to see model companies in it just to feed their own egos. For myself I don't want to be greedy, but I do want a fair return on my investment of time and money. I know I'll get that within the first month on almost any military or ship item. Finally may I say how much I admire what Chris Turnbull has done. He wanted what was not readily available but got on and built those dmus anyway! He may have still elected to scratchbuild them even if there had been kits available but whatever - he did it. That is modelling. Best to all. David Parkins Modern Motive Power/ABS 7mm etc. www.djparkins.com

Well I mainly concentrate on my military ranges. That's where the profit is [not that I need to earn a living anymore] - but hey, I'm greedy! But I have purchased many ranges lately so am committed to bringing out/re-introducing many many railway and road vehicle kits + my own in-house un-released stuff, and most will never be produced by RTR companies. And even if they are, with enough time elapsed, they will vanish from the market again. Still, what do I know? [no don't answer that!!!]. I'm an etched kit producer primarily and suggesting I become something else is maybe like telling a jzzz musician to play pop music because he'll make more money. Too late - after 48 years it's in my blood. But for your information, I did actually procure a Dapol Mk.1 Coach and a Heljan Class 60 to investigate the feasiblity of doing detail sets for them - from details culled from our own kits of these. With both, I just didn't know where to begin that wouldn't have resulted in the modeller having to repaint the model, since so much paintwork would been disturbed - and that rather defeats the idea of buying RTR in first place! If you really want to understand what is happening to O gauge then I suggest you seek out and read some of the late Adrian Swain's postings before he was banned from this forum [if they are are still in the archive]. He had it sussed, but it is an unwelcome message he was imparting. I recall him pointing out the shortcomings of one product, and one reply in block capitals was 'We don't care!". That says it all. His fifty years in the model industry obviously counted for nothing. But I think I'll just duck out of this discussion now as it seems to be going nowhere.

Yes, he surely was with most things, but because he would only use one grade of metal, he was sometimes forced into situations with certain parts where an excess of feeds and vents were required. Also he would only use black rubber moulds, which although best for production [some of our black moulds used for ship parts are still going strong after 2500+ spins], the use of some other mould options enable much more control over part lines. Some of the Wrightlines moulds for the 7mm NG kits I now own have part lines right along a row of rivet detail rendering the castings unusable in my view. Anyway these parts will be going to resin upon re-release so any such issue will not occur.

Ha! thanks fror the trip down memory lane. Your soldering looks OK to me! Well those castings were done by ABS [Adrian Swain] but that all changed when RJH took over. I remember we released about seven wagons that week, and the following week I was on Mount Desert Rock off the coast of Maine watching the Aurora borealis with Humpback whales singing all around the little island. Upon my return I got admonished by several customers and traders for being away for three weeks! Tut tut. Might be a good time for some kit manufacturer to re-visit the VGA since they are still in service. I know Simon V has possibly done some work towards one, so we'll see what happens if I can re-kindle his work. DJP/MMP

Who is this Parkin geezer then? As JeffP [evening Jeff!] has explained there were two very separate ranges. Post-War Prototypes, which started in 1979 with a Class 47 which sold for £37.50. I think the 31 was £51.50 when it came out in 1985. These were sold to RJH Model Railways in 1988 and they couldn't form the bodies or cast very well AND inreased the prices by more than double - thus sales fell away. Then there was the MMP range started in 1988 and the MMP 31 kits were released in [IIRC] 2004. The range is in suspended animation at present and there are many other sets of masters that have never been released. And now with our purchase of the 7mm ABS stuff will kind of get mixed in with that. David ParkinS

Yes and it is those very locos and liveries that Hattons are now discounting - so they actually follow what they think might be the demand. The Dapol 66 is, I agree, potentially a game changer, but it wasn't in evidence at the GOG do last weekend as I understand it, and I cannot see how they are going to produce a large complex locomotive to the spec. they have given, and comparable in detail to their smaller locos, for the price quoted. I feel the price must end up being significantly more. Now I want seven of them, so I hope I'm wrong! I'll have to wait until Hattons discount them heavily! Then we need current freight stock - which does not mean 'banana' shaped resin wagons. We need fidelity to works drawings and thinness of edges. Plus on modern wagons you really can see lots of underfloor detail. Simon Varnam begun work on a range of five modern wagons. He showed off the bogies for some of them, and they were works of art - but got dispirited and gave up when he was told in no uncertain terms on these forums that they were too complicated! Simon can no longer re-consider this decision following two strokes, but I am doing my very best to resurrect the project. And I'm not the sensitive soul he is!

I too have plenty of RTR - trouble is once I buld a kit I have to sell on the RTR as it kind of looks, well plastic, beside the metal! I suppose it depends on how closely or sharply you view a model and how thoroughly you also know the real thing. A common 16 ton Mineral wagon in 7mm should have sides around .011" thick to be scale, and even at .012", people say the sides on our own MMP family of mineral wagons are too thin! They most certainly are not. But once you know those wagons intimately then the Dapol RTR one just doesn't cut it [at least for me]. I guess it all depends. If you want to model a 9F with 30+ 16 tonners whizzing by, then Dapol is fine. If you want one or two in your rural coal yard where the vehicles are as much lineside fixtures as wagons, then you might want ours - with the thin edges of the body top turn-over etc. But there is very definitely a place for both. Believe me there was a time when the demand for detailed kits was there, and folks like myself and one or two others did very well at that time. I still do well, as I've diversified into military kits, where building and detailing models is still king and across a much wider range of ages than in O gauge. Plus in military modelling the world is your market. 70% approx of everything we currently sell goes abroad. I'm not sure either that the model railway market is evolving down a more commercially viable path. Just look at how most RTR stuff ends up being heavily discounted - see Hattons latest offers on Class 50s and 60s. It was the same with their GWR Moguls, so it isn't just a diesel thing. The more likely conclusion is that no one is making much money now in railways, be it from kits or RTR. Finally I would make the point that if you feel there has been a rapid influx of RTR up to now, then I don't think it is going to be anything like so rapid in the future. Rising labour and transport costs the world over, political instability, and the consequent premium on raw materials will all take good care of that. Don't sell off your soldering irons just yet! DJP/MMP