RMweb Gold 57xx Posted February 28, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 28, 2022 On 26/02/2022 at 13:24, gwrrob said: Arrived and very nice it is too although I will be replacing the wheels with Gibson's. Those fitting Kadee No. 18 will need to replace the Oxford effort as there is too much slop in a straight fit. I used Hornby X 6354 without modification. It is very light but how to add weight to the interior without breaking it is another story. Aside from the brake blunder (when are Oxford going to learn?), that does look very nice. I really should sort out an order for one. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted February 28, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 28, 2022 I think Oxford missed a trick by not doing these in packs of three with different running numbers . 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 Oxford don't have a great history with LNER running numbers ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted March 1, 2022 Share Posted March 1, 2022 I'd just be happy to get the BR ones. Already got the LNER and GER versions. Slung them in my trunk, but the BR ones and Pilchards haven't come into general stock yet. Wasn't going to bother with a GER one, but at that price I'm not complaining and it can go in a train of other pre-grouping/early Big Four era stock. Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted March 1, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 1, 2022 I have apparently misunderstood the BR livery situation, taking GWRob's post on 9th February as an announcement of the issue of the model and it's imminent availability, The Ox website still has it as 'available for pre-order' and taking up to 9 months to delivery, but I'm sure it will be in my sweaty little paws before that! It'll come when it comes, Johnster, even the Baccy 94xx did eventually! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted March 1, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 1, 2022 4 minutes ago, The Johnster said: I have apparently misunderstood the BR livery situation, taking GWRob's post on 9th February as an announcement of the issue of the model and it's imminent availability, The Ox website still has it as 'available for pre-order' and taking up to 9 months to delivery, but I'm sure it will be in my sweaty little paws before that! It'll come when it comes, Johnster, even the Baccy 94xx did eventually! Hope it'll be sooner than that. I have a Banana van in my Hatton's trunk waiting for it to save on postage! John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted March 1, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 1, 2022 1 hour ago, The Johnster said: I have apparently misunderstood the BR livery situation, taking GWRob's post on 9th February as an announcement of the issue of the model and it's imminent availability, It was in stock when I posted that and I wish I'd included the link as proof now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted March 1, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 1, 2022 (edited) The plot thickens, Robin! The link in your post takes one to the Oxford page with the black & white photo of the prototype in BR livery and a note beneath 'add to basket' that the item is 'in Development (their capital) and will be arriving soon', though of course this is the case when one clicks on the link in your post (from the 9th) today, and it may well have taken one to a different page when you originally posted on the 9th. This 'Development' page is still up on the Oxford site today, I am in no way holding you responsible for any of this; Oxford are much better known for errors than you are.... I am confident that you saw a release notice and you don't need to prove it so far as I'm concerned! On top of Ox's 9 months to 1 year 'Development', they quote 3-5 working days to delivery, and as I've pre-ordered mine from Rails (cheaper and postage free) I will have to add the time Rails take to sort their delivery and get their orders out, then postage time, and if there is an intervening bank holiday and a Jubilee we may be talking at least 2 weeks from Ox's delivery announcement to getting into my sweaty littles, so it's not time to start getting excited about it yet! Given the previous releases, it is probably that the banana van will be out before the 10T. Edited March 1, 2022 by The Johnster Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted March 2, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 2, 2022 And I see from the banana van thread that it is! So it can’t be long to wait now… Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted March 6, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2022 On 26/02/2022 at 14:09, jamesC37LG said: Body removal is really easy to do on these and so adding weight shouldn't be an issue. Good luck! - James Agreed and it’s much better for 20g of weight added. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted March 6, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2022 On 26/02/2022 at 14:09, jamesC37LG said: Body removal is really easy to do on these and so adding weight shouldn't be an issue. Good luck! - James Agreed and it’s much better for 20g of weight added. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted March 10, 2022 Share Posted March 10, 2022 (edited) That's the quickest I've ever got rid of TL couplings! Less than five minutes and now have four with proper couplings (as provided) being dragged around by a bargain Hornby Thompson O1. I'll wait until I get the LNER Wagons books before I do any messing with the brakes though, and patiently wait for the BR version to come in to stock. Jason Edited March 10, 2022 by Steamport Southport Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickham Green too Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 (edited) Edited April 6, 2022 by Wickham Green too Photo reinstated 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phatbob Posted March 18, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 18, 2022 On 17/03/2022 at 11:56, Wickham Green too said: THe picture of the pilchard wagon is in the wrong thread mate. 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pillar Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 (edited) Are there any pictures out there of these in BR departmental service? There are a few on Paul Bartlett's website but all either internal user or condemned. Edited March 31, 2022 by Pillar Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSG Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 Well, my BR one arrived in my Hattons trunk yesterday. As I said before, I planned to leave it there until something else I'd ordered turned up as well, as £4 postage on a £14.50 model is a fairly big proportion of the price. But, lo and behold, my Rapido SECR wagon arrived in the trunk today, which is convenient. Given that all my other pre-orders will be a while yet, I decided to process those two now, and with postage being still £4 for two wagons it's a lot more reasonable. So they should both be with me early next week, assuming the order is dispatched tomorrow. It will be nice to see them in action. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted April 2, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2022 BR liveried van now in stock at Rails, and I will be ordering one next pension day, unless they've sold out by then! Nice looking little van, and satisfyingly unlike anything else I have on Cwmdimbath in terms of appearance, a good 'pre-grouping' style vehicle redolent of the early 50s. Will go very easy on the weathering for this van, and I can live with the brake issue! Rails are also charging £14.50 but with free postage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted April 2, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2022 (edited) 8 hours ago, The Johnster said: BR liveried van now in stock at Rails, and I will be ordering one next pension day, unless they've sold out by then! Nice looking little van, and satisfyingly unlike anything else I have on Cwmdimbath in terms of appearance, a good 'pre-grouping' style vehicle redolent of the early 50s. Will go very easy on the weathering for this van, and I can live with the brake issue! Rails are also charging £14.50 but with free postage. I received mine from another well known mail order outfit yesterday lunch time. I have to say that I'm extremely impressed with this model, and amazed by the value-for-money. Don't delay any longer than you must! The quality of the mouldings, the fit and finish of the parts, and the running quality, are every bit as good as anything else on the market, irrespective of cost. I really don't know how Oxford do it and, the way things are going, I doubt such prices will be repeatable with future products. The brake lever issue will be dealt with in due course but, TBF, I had to look pretty closely to notice the discrepancy, and even closer to be certain which side is wrong! The non-compliant NEM pocket is a bit of a pain (for those who want/need them) but mine had them taken off flush and a pair of #146 Kadees fitted in their place before teatime. EDIT: while I had the body off, I added a little extra weight, taking it from 28g to my preferred 35. Well done Oxford, easily nine out of ten on this showing. My most serious criticism is that these vans would have been a rare sight on Southern Region territory in the West Country, c1958, so I probably can't convincingly get away with having more than one! Hint, hint. John Edited April 2, 2022 by Dunsignalling Addition re. weight. 5 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkSG Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 56 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said: I received mine from another well known mail order outfit yesterday lunch time. I have to say that I'm extremely impressed with this model, and amazed by the value-for-money. Don't delay any longer than you must! The quality of the mouldings, the fit and finish of the parts, and the running quality, are every bit as good as anything else on the market, irrespective of cost. I really don't know how Oxford do it and, the way things are going, I doubt such prices will be repeatable with future products. I think the answer to how Oxford do it is illustrated by your next comment... 56 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said: The brake lever issue will be dealt with in due course but, TBF, I had to look pretty closely to notice the discrepancy, and even closer to be certain which side is wrong! The non-compliant NEM pocket is a bit of a pain (for those who want/need them) but mine had them taken off flush and a pair of #146 Kadees fitted in their place before teatime. EDIT: while I had the body off, I added a little extra weight, taking it from 28g to my preferred 35. ...that is, Oxford's policy is to get it "good enough", rather than spending a lot of time and effort in the development stage making sure that everything is as close to perfect as possible. All of these issues (the brake lever in the wrong place, the NEM pocket, and the lack of weight) could have been fixed if they'd wanted to, but at the cost of additional R&D time that wouldn't necessarily have been justified by the increased costs it would have imposed. I should add that I'm not necessarily criticising Oxford here. Most of their customers won't care about these relatively minor issues (and, to be honest, the only one I really care about is the weight, which I will fix myself), and they've made a perfectly justifiable commercial decision to focus on value for money rather than getting involved in the contest for the most accurate and detailed model. And I think there's a definite place in the market for this approach; not everybody can afford to keep on shelling out for the ultra-detailed models from some other manufacturers how ever much they may wow the eye. It's a sign of a healthy industry that there's scope for different approaches in the market. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted April 2, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2022 Has anyone found a way into to these vans yet - mine has turned up from Derails this morning and looks excellent but I'd like to add some weight? Chris 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted April 2, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2022 56 minutes ago, Gilbert said: Has anyone found a way into to these vans yet - mine has turned up from Derails this morning and looks excellent but I'd like to add some weight? Chris The body is just clipped on, I inserted a thin flat blade between the chassis and body half way along, and gently levered the body-side out a little (the clips only engage by a millimetre or so), then back the other way to flip that side of the chassis free. I had to repeat the operation on the other side, as it is a pretty precise fit, and the chassis came clear. John 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted April 2, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2022 38 minutes ago, Dunsignalling said: The body is just clipped on, I inserted a thin flat blade between the chassis and body half way along, and gently levered the body-side out a little (the clips only engage by a millimetre or so), then back the other way to flip that side of the chassis free. I had to repeat the operation on the other side, as it is a pretty precise fit, and the chassis came clear. John Thanks - that worked! Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted April 2, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2022 1 hour ago, MarkSG said: I think the answer to how Oxford do it is illustrated by your next comment... ...that is, Oxford's policy is to get it "good enough", rather than spending a lot of time and effort in the development stage making sure that everything is as close to perfect as possible. All of these issues (the brake lever in the wrong place, the NEM pocket, and the lack of weight) could have been fixed if they'd wanted to, but at the cost of additional R&D time that wouldn't necessarily have been justified by the increased costs it would have imposed. I should add that I'm not necessarily criticising Oxford here. Most of their customers won't care about these relatively minor issues (and, to be honest, the only one I really care about is the weight, which I will fix myself), and they've made a perfectly justifiable commercial decision to focus on value for money rather than getting involved in the contest for the most accurate and detailed model. And I think there's a definite place in the market for this approach; not everybody can afford to keep on shelling out for the ultra-detailed models from some other manufacturers how ever much they may wow the eye. It's a sign of a healthy industry that there's scope for different approaches in the market. I largely agree, but most people who want model wagons to museum standards probably make their own, and in scales where small detail is far more visible! Anyone with the ability to build a simple wagon kit shouldn't have any difficulty dealing with the very minor shortcomings on these vans, but even stuff that costs twice as much isn't immune from issues. Note the comments on one representation of SECR buffers..... In any case, suspect that less than 5% of buyers would even have identified the brake lever error unless those with more knowledge had pointed it out. Most can't differentiate between types of wagon brakes any better than I can spot the reverser setting on Walschaerts valve gear! I'm actually having second thoughts about bothering to fix it as it was less than six inches from my face before I could spot the difference. In use, I'll not get much closer than a couple of feet away. Most RTR buyers would probably make the thing look worse in the attempt anyway. Better slightly wrong but neatly finished than a poorly executed correction? In terms of overall appearance, this van is extremely impressive, irrespective of the bargain price. The finesse of the body detail is rather better than most wagons from Hornby and Bachmann, and equal to the likes of Accurascale and Rapido. Is it millimetre perfect? Well, it's certainly close enough for there to have been queries as to whether it represents the 19' or 19'3" version of the prototype! In my innocence, I'd assumed those were the inside and outside measurements....🤡 John 5 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted April 2, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2022 4 hours ago, Dunsignalling said: Well done Oxford, easily nine out of ten on this showing. I'm very happy with my Oxford 7-plankers, and appreciate the low cost compared to blue box or hifi models from red box. Ox have a reputation for poor attention to detail but by and large the mistakes are usually minor and rectifiable when it comes to wagons. I do feel sometimes that they are unjustly criticised (Oxford get it wrong, again, as we all expected) when some other companies continue to market hopelessly inaccurate stuff without much adverse comment, such as Bachmann's LMS van and cattle wagon, or Hornby's stretche 16ton mineral, or Dapol's GW Fruit D, which are dimensionally hopelessly off target and impossible to rectify. The examples mentioned are all older toolings, and in Bachmann's case inherited from Mainline, but this is not IMHO a valid excuse; they should be retooled. The Hornby 16tonner dates back to Triang days, I believe, and the Dap Fruit D is a Hornby Dublo. Mineral wagons are bread and butter to any layout set in a pre-80s period, and steel bodied 16tonners are essentials for any layout set post WW2. I model a South Wales mining branch in the 1950s so am particularly interested in them. The only acceptable RTR 16tonner is the Bachmann, and comparing this for price with the Oxford XPOs does lead one to question why the Bachmann product is so expensive! Thank goodness for Parkside... 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 Yeah. But they really did make a dog's breakfast of the Toads and LNER Cattle Wagons though..... Total beginners errors that a little bit of research would have sorted with a few minutes in the library or an outlay of a few pounds on buying the relevant books. Most of that information is now online. https://www.steve-banks.org/modelling/256-lner-cattle-wagon How anyone can get the handed-ness of a Cattle Wagon partition wrong is bewildering and almost certainly suggests not understanding what it was for. I notice the newer version omits the partition and frame completely, but they've still not sorted out the bottom planks. https://www.oxforddiecast.co.uk/products/cattle-wagon-lner-196488-or76cat003 Unfortunately it does take a lot of work to put right and if you were so inclined it would probably be better starting with the Parkside kit. If you are one of those people who doesn't mind, fill your boots. It's a reasonable model otherwise. But could have been excellent. Jason 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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