G1mra Renewal Time

Neil

Western Thunderer
Whilst the small diesels are cute, imho they are of limited appeal in terms of audience, really they are a diesel era Manning Wardle. If I were doing a 1/32 kit I would want to hit the middle of the road in terms of appeal eg 0-6-0 tank

I'd take a different tack, possibly two. At the moment I guess that the 1/32 market is quite small (in comparison to most of the other scales) so something that may appeal to more mainstream tastes might only get a couple more sales. I'd go for something so ****ing drop dead gorgeous that no wallet would be safe; not many 0-6-0 tanks would fall into this bracket, though I do know of a single that just might. Which brings me on to another thought, that if the committed 1/32 modeller is a bit thin on the ground, then perhaps there are more sales to be had among those who may have designs on a large scale trophy piece to plonk on the mantelpiece. Perhaps the market to tap into isn't a 1/32 group with disparate interests but the Caledonian Railway Association or the Cumbrian Railways Association where at least there is interest in a common prototype. With a little luck and some goodwill the historical research may be gifted to the project, or at least eased.
 

Simon

Flying Squad
I'd take a different tack, possibly two. At the moment I guess that the 1/32 market is quite small (in comparison to most of the other scales) so something that may appeal to more mainstream tastes might only get a couple more sales. I'd go for something so ****ing drop dead gorgeous that no wallet would be safe; not many 0-6-0 tanks would fall into this bracket, though I do know of a single that just might. Which brings me on to another thought, that if the committed 1/32 modeller is a bit thin on the ground, then perhaps there are more sales to be had among those who may have designs on a large scale trophy piece to plonk on the mantelpiece. Perhaps the market to tap into isn't a 1/32 group with disparate interests but the Caledonian Railway Association or the Cumbrian Railways Association where at least there is interest in a common prototype. With a little luck and some goodwill the historical research may be gifted to the project, or at least eased.

Hmmm.....

Good thinking from our Mid Wales correspondent

Furness 2-2-2, Lovely looking, and the WC&P had one I think.

I can see the sense in the Buckjumper suggestion too. They don't fit any of my themes but I still find them moderately fascinating, Bernard Wright's great write up in "Model Railways" Iain Rice geting the cab wrong in an early MRJ, another nice blue livery possibility, austerity grey.....

Hang on, this thread is degenerating into a wishlist for supersized trains:p:))

Crewe goods?
 

John D

Western Thunderer
As the GE, was at the forefront of standardisation

Point of order here brother......... they got the idea from the Crewe via the Worsdell connection .....then the GWR twigged on after that :):drool:
 

Buckjumper

Flying Squad
Ha-ha! I didn't say originator of the idea, just leader in the execution thereof ;)

The old Green and Copper brigade were a bit slow to catch on though! :shit:
 

John D

Western Thunderer
Perhaps the market to tap into isn't a 1/32 group with disparate interests but the Caledonian Railway Association or the Cumbrian Railways Association

Which, strangely, leads back to the subject of the Crewe Goods variations of which ran on the Lancaster & Carlisle railway and the Caledonian ......bit like playing Mornington Crescent this..........

WAYYYYY off topic this.......but anybody else remember listening to Edmundo Ros on the good old steam radio in the good old days......:thumbs:
 

JimG

Western Thunderer
WAYYYYY off topic this.......but anybody else remember listening to Edmundo Ros on the good old steam radio in the good old days......:thumbs:

Yep. Light Programme during the 50s. He also used to do Music While You Work on occasion, IIRC.

Jim.
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Which, strangely, leads back to the subject of the Crewe Goods variations of which ran on the Lancaster & Carlisle railway and the Caledonian ......bit like playing Mornington Crescent this..........

WAYYYYY off topic this.......but anybody else remember listening to Edmundo Ros on the good old steam radio in the good old days......:thumbs:

Nah, best I can do is Billy Cottons Bandwagon whilst in the bath (me, not him) during my early years in Deptford - Wakey Wakey

Now if only you'd asked that question on the G1MRA site............

Yours

Horatio Montague Cholmondley-Warner, RN ret'd
 

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
Nah, best I can do is Billy Cottons Bandwagon whilst in the bath (me, not him) during my early years in Deptford - Wakey Wakey

Yours

Horatio Montague Cholmondley-Warner, RN ret'd

Simon,

you have me all of a tizz now - when were you in the land of SE 8? I was there from 1952 - 1961 in Napier Street, right behind the cop-shop! Certainly remember Billy Cotton and Breezy!!

cheers

Mike
 

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
WAYYYYY off topic this.......but anybody else remember listening to Edmundo Ros on the good old steam radio in the good old days......:thumbs:
Too young myself, but I've heard of him because one of my mother's anecdotes from when she was young was that when they announced him on the radio sorry, wireless, her older brother switched it off, saying "I doh wanna listen to Edmund's Old 'Oss..."
Think Black Country accent...... :D :thumbs:

Re that Class 14...
It's on it's way - slowly
.... sounds like mine...:(
 
S

Simon Dunkley

Guest
Re that Class 14...
.... sounds like mine...:(
Maybe the hydraulic transmission has locked up? :)

(Memorably, at the Rutland Railway Museum several years ago, the class 14 then in residence locked up in the one place where nothing else could move, and the driver lent out of the cab and said to his companion on the floor, "See that lever down there? The one which says, 'Do not move this lever'? Well, now is the time to move it.")
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Simon,

you have me all of a tizz now - when were you in the land of SE 8? I was there from 1952 - 1961 in Napier Street, right behind the cop-shop! Certainly remember Billy Cotton and Breezy!!

cheers

Mike

Hi Mike

Very formative years, born 1958 shipped out to the delights of East Molesey in 1964.

We were in a flat in Grinstead Road, a few doors down from the pre-fabs at the Evelyn Road end. I went back to have a look in the late 1970s and they'd demolished the half of the houses where we lived.

I recall that the back garden ended in a huge (to me) wooden fence behind which was a canal(?)

I've just had a quick look on Google maps - a few more changes and the corner shop is long gone.

Main claim to fame would have been going to hospital after bombing into the concrete blocks around the sandpit in Deptford Park and needing stiches around mouth - ouch.

Also remember running down the hill at New Cross Gate to get the bus back home.

Simon
 

John D

Western Thunderer
My gut feeling with Johns range is, nice kits, wrong prototype.

Having more or less got over my bout of depression after reading this , pause for thought.......... is it (they) the wrong prototype(s) ?.........my idea in doing them would be to provide a small loco that would be a 'toe in the water' for 1:32 scale that could run ,with half a dozen wagons, on a 'micro' size layout, for not a lot of outlay ( not everybody has the wad of cash to splash out on the top end kits in this scale, plus the 'extra' bits.) in not a lot of room. But heck what do I know? I guess this has put the final nail in the already stagnant sales , hence I've taken them all off my website.....onwards and 'upwards' :(
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
.... My gut feeling with Johns range is, nice kits, wrong prototype. ....

Having more or less got over my bout of depression after reading this , pause for thought.......... is it (they) the wrong prototype(s) ?.........my idea in doing them would be to provide a small loco that would be a 'toe in the water' for 1:32 scale that could run ,with half a dozen wagons, on a 'micro' size layout, for not a lot of outlay ( not everybody has the wad of cash to splash out on the top end kits in this scale, plus the 'extra' bits.) in not a lot of room. But heck what do I know? I guess this has put the final nail in the already stagnant sales , hence I've taken them all off my website.....onwards and 'upwards' :(

It's probably no consolation whatsoever that both the Ruston and the Manning Wardle would have been my choice of prototype in your position John. I do have fairly weird tastes, so perhaps asking my view and doing the opposite would give a better chance of commercial success. I'm surprised at the relative number of western region hydraulics in 1/32 that seem to have been bought and built, but have they been general sales or targeted at a small group of like minded souls who may have instigated their production? I do wonder if the 1/32 market is too small (and too fragmented in its tastes) for the purely speculative kit rather than one that may have the backing of a number of pre-orders?
 
S

Simon Dunkley

Guest
It's probably no consolation whatsoever that both the Ruston and the Manning Wardle would have been my choice of prototype in your position John. I do have fairly weird tastes, so perhaps asking my view and doing the opposite would give a better chance of commercial success.
I would say, speaking personally and also following conversations with friends, that a Manning, Wardle 'K' class would have done better than an 'L', not massively so, but better: there are those who would have bought a kit for either class, but more who would want a K rather than an L specifically.
I do know and understand John's reasons for doing the L, though, but will not reveal a private conversation in a public forum.
I'm surprised at the relative number of western region hydraulics in 1/32 that seem to have been bought and built, but have they been general sales or targeted at a small group of like minded souls who may have instigated their production? I do wonder if the 1/32 market is too small (and too fragmented in its tastes) for the purely speculative kit rather than one that may have the backing of a number of pre-orders?
Some history for you, Neil.
Bob Hunter is a great fan of NBL diesels - especially hydraulics - and essentially put a lot up front for the production of some kits.
Something like a Warship will sell well, as it can be stuff full of batteries and r/c and be running quickly round a garden track if visitors call. A 47 would have sold just as well, maybe even better.
The 22 goes with it nicely and is a popular prototype: it has not sold as well as the Warship, however, but it has done well.
Sales of the 21/29 have been single figures.
Thing is, in 1:32 scale, these beasts are between 18" and 22"+ long, and with something as sharp as a B6 turnout taking up 2', there isn't much you can indoors beyond a loco depot, so building a number of these kits is a logical thing to do, especially as there are not (yet) many wagons to be had, and even a humble 16 ton rot-box is about 8" over the buffers. Also, of course, hydraulics were concentrated on one region, so if you have one, you probably want more than one...

Personally, I would have much preferred a Derby type 2, but I think what we had here was the happy coincidence of the right kit coming along at the right price, with the right market in place at the same time.

Don't forget that these kits - which are still state of the art, and still streets ahead of most manufacturers - have been around since the late 1990s, so there has been no great rush of them coming into service, but after people producing a finished loco every year or two, there are suddenly quite a number about.
 

28ten

Guv'nor
Having more or less got over my bout of depression after reading this , pause for thought.......... is it (they) the wrong prototype(s) ?.........my idea in doing them would be to provide a small loco that would be a 'toe in the water' for 1:32 scale that could run ,with half a dozen wagons, on a 'micro' size layout, for not a lot of outlay ( not everybody has the wad of cash to splash out on the top end kits in this scale, plus the 'extra' bits.) in not a lot of room. But heck what do I know? I guess this has put the final nail in the already stagnant sales , hence I've taken them all off my website.....onwards and 'upwards' :(
It is just my gut instinct, nothing scientific. I totally follow your reasoning, but im not sure punters do :)
I couldnt count the number of times I have suggested to people a small shunting loco would be an ideal starter for a layout and 2 weeks later they turn up with an express loco :eek:
My other observation as a p/t kit hacker, it is rare these days that I am asked to build anything pre British rail, so I would tend to think the 1950-1970 period is the one to aim at. As I said, no science just my gut feeling :))
 
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