Legend

These are very clear and great pics. Quite a lot of mine from air shows are blank sky as I've failed to keep up with plane! So these ones are really great. Look forward to anymore you might share

Yes one of the recent editions of Warship commented that the Kawasaki was in the frame, along with the Poseidon. Trouble is the cost of the Poseidon, although I understand we may be considering leasing them. When will people learn this is the most expensive option! The Nimrod had cost a fortune, but we had already spent the money ,a small amount more would have seen a very capable aircraft in service at less than the incremental costs of either of these two options Great pics from the show !

Yep the lack of a maritime patrol aircraft was one of the disasters of the last defence review. Just goes to show the Russians ,we hoped would be our friends at the time. Who could conceive of them sending submarines off our coast and tracking Trident subs. I mean the Cold War is over isn't it. Hopefully this travesty will be corrected in the next defence review, but I'm not holding my breath. In defence you need to be prepared for all eventualities even if you think it's a remote possibility at the time. The world is changing fast.

Great layout Robert. Still one of my favourites.

It's the same old story...Caveat Emptor......let the buyer beware. If you don't like Hattons prices don't buy from them. I don't see Hattons as being any different from Rails, Kernow etc.And in general I don't see increasing prices as being the fault of greedy retailers, I put the blame for that firmly at the manufacturers. In fact I have considerable sympathy for model railway retailers at the moment. Lack of goods, some manufacturers trying to sell direct, others with huge increases. Really who would be a retailer just now.

Not in electronics which is related. And yes i do work in a company that regularly benchmarks costs of its manufacturing in China , Poland and various locations in Western Europe. While there are increases in China , it's nothing of that level. And as previously pointed out £GBP is high, oil costs low etc. also I work in a company whose response to increased costs is to make efficiencies elsewhere because it can't pass on increased costs to it's customers. It's just too easy for model railway manufacturers to increase costs because of attitudes like "get used to higher prices and stop moaning". There needs to be consumer price pressure or costs just go up. As to retailing I take of my hat to the likes of Gareth. It can't be easy caught between a rock and a hard place as manufacturers increase their prices, lower retailers margins and have erratic or low supply. While on the other side you have people like me that simply won't pay more. Hattons must be in same position. I view their entry into special commissions as being a way of keeping profitability up rather than abstracting from their income.

Spot on Black 5 Bear. I just wish there was an agree 100 times button! So we are quick to hear about increased Chinese labour costs, necessitating immediate increase in prices. But the sound is deafening when it comes to factors going the other way, high £GBP, low oil costs ( and possibly even lower once Iran back on line), low freight costs. 0 inflation.......someone tell Bachmann!

Hornbys troubles were more about getting product on the shelves. Had they managed to do that there was a ready market out there and they could have transformed their losses into profits easily. Frank Martin completely failed to sort out the supply chain, and although there are still difficulties it appears the current management have done much more to sort this out. So they haven't been subsidising the hobby , just failed to deliver their plan As to "get used to higher prices and stop moaning" I must admit this had me spluttering over the cornflakes! Call it what you like, observation , whingeing, moaning, but if you don't comment and accept everything then prices will inevitably rise There are still bargains to be had at Hattons and elsewhere. Not on new releases, but after they've been out for a few years one of two things have happened,the models sold out or it's sitting on shelves and being offered at a discount. Fortunately we don't all like the same things , so there are bargains around. Ultimately you decide whether to buy or not. I certainly won't be buying a Bachmann Autocoach at £70. Good points on strong £GBP making imports less expensive ( does depend if you've bough currency ahead at a certain rate though) . Might help allieviate these huge labour costs increases. What no sign of that?............thought not

I think Hattons are getting squeezed by manufacturers. As has been pointed out Hornby effectively cut retailers margins last year. In addition Bachmanns prices have increased by at least 15%in the last two years, and in many cases more. In addition Bachmann restrict the discount retailers can offer new products over a period of time ( I would have thought a pricing restriction as this would not be legal , but others more learned than me can comment). Net effect is amount of money Hattons making from big ranges must be diminishing, so prices up. Possibly to maintain their overall profitability they have had to increase prices on other ranges too . I think the point is that prices are increasing all over the hobby , despite as you say 0 inflation, oil prices 60% of last year, freight costs low etc etc................. It's all due to increased Chinese labour costs, a factor picked in isolation!

Yes I got the brown retaining walls. Good product, reasonable cost. I'm wondering who will stock them now

I agree with you. I quite fancy an A3 but not paying £150 . Regrettably, though, I suspect these will sell faults and all.

That's the point. Some people would have you believe part of the reason for rising costs is freight. In fact you are correct shipping costs are immaterial in the wider scheme of things, like manufacturers European level margins!

Not as recently as April, but my company do tend to ship several at a time

That picture has been around for a while. It's not a sign that D16 is imminent, although it may well be

Fantastic layout just oozing atmosphere. And I love the train spotter type photos, indeed it just feels like trains spotting of old. Love the D30 The Pirate, I wonder if we will ever see anything like that in RTR. Scotland seems a forgotten backwater from the manufacturers

I think I saw this livery when they announced new trains for the West of England . Looks pretty drab to me , with GW green for the whole train. It was ok when it was just loco that was Brunswick Green and the coaches were choc and cream, but a whole train in green with some dark green relief doesn't look that great to me

Well done Hornby . Can't help feeling that they unintentionally gave the game away in the Adams Radial Engineshed blog which is why we've got this announcement so shortly after the Colletts . No matter it seems it's a good choice . As to what is announced in December, well I think it would be unreasonable to expect much more, unless of course it's an announcement for that forgotten outpost.........Scotland!

Just in case of confusion, the reference to the shop as MAC models that used to be in Helensburgh. The proprietors retired and sold business to someone I think in Kirriemuir. The shop in Helensburgh was closed and much missed. This is distinct from International Models who moved to Helensburgh and is now shutting down. I don't think they ever had a shop up here.

Absolutely. Still miss it!

These do look very nice. I've been building up some BR (W) stock , but these are making me contemplate back dating to GWR. I even just like saying Chocolate and Cream! Hornby have been under a bit of stick recently over not sending out review samples and lack of communication. But I think it's now clear they intend communicating directly with their customers through internet and relying on mags to subsequently publish details . There is certainly more information coming from them than we have seen for a long time. Well done them! Keep it up please

Well done Sandra!

But there is a difference in buying tube train coaches ,London Buses , taxis and buying a £280 4 car multiple unit. It's not a trainset either so not self contained, it relies on already having a layout or presumably a display cabinet. Hell of an expensive ornament though. I can't believe that casual visitors to the museum will buy this. It must be targeted at the enthusiast surely. Are there that many people really able to run an LT unit? . Can only assume that as it's a commission there is no risk for Bachmann and that LT museum are willing to take on the inventory costs of holding these until they are sold. As I've mentioned before it's a steep price for a 4 car unit in comparison to the APT which is a similar museum commission. Seems the Network Rail 150 was some sort of a leg pull. Fell for it hook line and sinker!

Do LT museum have retail outlets other than their museum at Covent Garden?

4 car mu commissioned by museum ( profits to museum) made in China for sale in UK. Bachmann £280 , Rapido £225. Both have lights, the APT possibly all sorts of gee whiz gizmo lights in test car and of course a working tilt mechanism . You could argue that the S stock is more mainstream , although I think that's debatable. If the markets heading that way it's because Bachmann are spearheading it