Why Farish doesn't re-release its steam?

[Le Night ferry]

Sometimes Farish's steams are found on ebay, but some steams(like crimson Royal Scot or BR early green Tornado) are very hard to find.
Seems like Farish doesn't like re-release them...

[ntpntpntp]

Modern production is in batches. The UK market is small and doesn't warrant large batch sizes as you get for Japanese, US, European stuff.

Another batch won't be produced unless the company sees demand for it and can justify a production slot with the factory.

It's not always as simple as a re-run without changes:  technology moves on, motors or other components may no longer be available and require a chassis redesign to accommodate something different. That can have high cost and again needs to be justified.

[PLD]

They do re-release the same locos but usually with new identities or different liveries rather than repeating exactly the same loco in the same condition. This appeals more to collectors and modellers who don't have confidence to renumber for themselves.

Tornado has been produced in each of the liveries the prototype has carried, and the A1 has been released with a few other identities.

The Maroon Royal Scot is an exception as it represents a one-off preservation era loco, because in original LMS service they only carried Maroon livery in the original parallel boiler condition, so there are no others they could do in maroon.

[Bigmac]

do the major manufacturers even think its just not worth making any more new-tooled UK steam outline locos ?

Are we facing a future where self-building or kit builds are the only way to get what we want ?

[GlenEglise]

do the major manufacturers even think its just not worth making any more new-tooled UK steam outline locos ?

Are we facing a future where self-building or kit builds are the only way to get what we want ?

You will only get what you want if there are a large number of people identified as creating a market for a supplier to fill.

Otherwise you have to seek alternatives.

There are many things I would want but know that they will never be produced by a manufacturer as there wouldn't be a big demand.

In these instances it may be a requirement to seek out enthusiasts that will allow you to commission a model which could be 3D printed to a desgin which would fit an available chassis from a manufacturer. It can be done.

Depends on how much you are willing to pay to get what you want.

GE

[Dorsetmike]

So you're saying I'll never see a Southern 4-6-0 from Farish nor Dapol?

[PaulCheffus]

Are we facing a future where self-building or kit builds are the only way to get what we want ?

Hi

For most things I want that is already the case.

Cheers

Paul

[Bigmac]

Are we facing a future where self-building or kit builds are the only way to get what we want ?

Hi

For most things I want that is already the case.

Cheers

Paul

Yep--me too.

So far this year ive hacked a Star, a 15xx shunting tank, and a County class.  OK--not good enough for many modellers--but they pass my eyesight test.  Next up will be a saint--when i can get a suitable cheap donor loco.

I get more satisfaction in creating a model-you-cant-buy from a cheap everyday model, than forking out well over £100 for a ready to go job that everone has got.

[trkilliman]

I hope I am wrong, but I do feel that it will be Sonic that will be the company that releases Steam in the future.
Along with a couple of 60 years plus friends, I feel that Dapol and Farish are now looking towards the younger generation, along with Revolution and their recent and forthcoming releases.

[chrism]

I hope I am wrong, but I do feel that it will be Sonic that will be the company that releases Steam in the future.
Along with a couple of 60 years plus friends, I feel that Dapol and Farish are now looking towards the younger generation, along with Revolution and their recent and forthcoming releases.

Unfortunately, I suspect that you are correct. Most potential customers are more likely to purchase what they currently see or remember having seen which, apart from preserved locos, will generally exclude steam along with many of the older diesel locos too.

I myself turned 60 this year and I cannot recall having seen any BR steam other than the Vale of Rheidol narrow gauge locos. The primary draw for me to model the steam era was very much the 20-odd years I spent working on a preserved railway where, for much of that time, diesel power was just the yard shunter.

As those of us who do prefer steam age and, eventually, pass on, the market potential will shift even more away from steam.

For the younger potential customers, I suspect the period that would interest them most is post-privatisation, with the multitude of liveries both from the different companies and from their changes of livery from time to time, gaudy though I think they are.

The big manufacturers will be well aware of what will sell and they will not very often produce things that will only have a small, and shrinking, market.

[GlenEglise]

So you're saying I'll never see a Southern 4-6-0 from Farish nor Dapol?

I am not saying you will never see one.

I am saying it is highly unlikely you will see one if there is no market in it for the major manufacturers.

GE

[Dorsetmike]

Actually not too worried, from hacking and kit bashing I've produced about a dozen SR 4-6-0s of 4 classes; doing a bit of mix and match between Langley S15 and BHE N15 plus different loco chassis, I've produced Urie and Maunsell versions of N15(king Arthur), H15 and S15 and a bit of hacking plus a BHE N15 tender will produce a Nelson from a Scot or Patriot (the Nelsons originally had the same tender as the Maunsell N15s, Bullied introduced the higher sided tender, as I model mid 1930s Bullied's influence is absent.)

[Newportnobby]

Bullied introduced the higher sided tender, as I model mid 1930s Bullied's influence is absent.)

I never realised Bulleid was bullied. Poor chap

Farish just seem to be re-issuing steam with sound which interests me not one whit. Dapol have yet to give us the light pacifics and the Mogul so they're an unknown as regards new items.
Sonic are doing the more simple steam but may build up to something larger. RevolutioN appear to keep well away from complicated stuff so 'boxes on wheels' seems the norm (and my 128s are just awesome), and Rapido seem happy to knock out steam era wagons but no locos to run with them.

As those of us who do prefer steam age and, eventually, pass on, the market potential will shift even more away from steam.

I think Chris is right, although the second hand market will blossom for a while as we shuffle off this mortal coil

[Bealman]

Well all of this is nothing new. When I was a kid I'd read magazines and see model locomotives with LMS, LNER, Great Western and Southern written on them, and I desperately wanted them.

But look in the Triang and Hornby Dublo catalogues of the day, and all you will see are BR liveries - the modern image of the time.

These companies were aiming at the younger, toy market - kids. They (including me) would see the real thing regularly.

So nothing has really changed!

[Adam1701D]

Dapol are still very much flying the flag for N Gauge steam with both the GWR Mogul and Bulleid Light Pacifics both underway and in tooling. There are a few other kettles in development that I cannot talk about yet, as well as planned upgrades to some of our older models.