Oxford Diecast - 2013 Toyfair announcements

[AndyGif]

"cough" plenty of 70's and 80's cars in the local scrap yard, would be easy some laser scanned....

strange they all look like 24"x18"x18" cuboids......

[H]

* The Panorama I (1959 - 70 although updated in 64) is of interest but is it the 2 or 3 axle version?

* The Scania Topline is very welcome and should be easy enough to repaint.

* I don't recall ever seeing a Stobard Scania T cab - so perhaps they're not that common and an odd choice especially as they're also doing the Topline, but I guess they'll have the same trailer.

* Isn't the Guy Arab Utility a duplicate of the recent Farish version? Sure it will hopefully be to the correct 1:148 scale but being a metal lump it's very unlikely to be as crisp and finely detailed as the Farish version - but we shall see. However, IMO a Leyland Titan (made 1977 - 84 but lasting a lot longer) would have been a better bet. 

But as Carnefoxile says, its dissappointing that there are still no 70s and 80s iconic British cars announced or planned.  I agree that perhaps we should lobby - clogging up their inbox would at least demonstrate a demand.

H.

[Flounder]

* I don't recall ever seeing a Stobard Scania T cab - so perhaps they're not that common and an odd choice especially as they're also doing the Topline, but I guess they'll have the same trailer.


Hello H,

The Scania T Cab was called Kerry Jane with registration S777 ESL.  She was mainly used for exhibitions/shows.  I did see her once on the M6.  I assume she still exists somewhere.  She has been reproduced by Corgi in various scales.  There are also a couple of different sized radio contolled models of Kerry Jane with a curtainside trailer.  Mine's in the loft somewhere!

Cheers,
Flounder

[pape_timmo]

Woo hoo, I'm not the only Stobart fan Flounder ....

[Flounder]

Ummmmmm.... I accidentally broke cover there!   

[H]

The Scania T Cab was called Kerry Jane with registration S777 ESL.  She was mainly used for exhibitions/shows.  I did see her once on the M6.  I assume she still exists somewhere.

Thanks for that info, but that sounds like the Scania T cab is just a one-off and therefore very rare and hardly common on our roads. IMO that doesn't make it a very suitable choice (unless there are other Scania T cab rigs around).

Come on Oxford DC, you can do better by choosing from the more common and iconic British vehicles (which are likely to sell better and in quantity by customers) and let the Stobard Spotters Club commission such one-offs. For example I'd certainly buy quite a few Ford Escorts but I'm very unlikely to buy even one Stobard T cab.

H.

[woodbury22uk]

H. Picking up on your two posts above.

I think that by choosing the Eddie Stobart livery the models will have a larger appeal than just some other haulier's colours. Oxford have Stobart licences, and are already producing a Stobart collection for Atlas editions in 00 scale. If they sell well that helps amortise the investment cost more quickly. Maybe the next one will then be a 2 or 3 axle rigid or cattle truck or horsebox or tanker as exist already in the 00 range. OD's policy seems to be to launch many of the commercial vehicle castings in Stobart livery and then to introduce them in the general range often as plain colours with no signwriting, so one less aspect to be dissatisfied with.

On the Scania T it is used by quite a lot of hauliers often with bulk trailers for denser products where its extra length does not compromise payload, and for low loaders for very heavy equipment where special licence conditions apply. A Google search provides some knowledge. Would you like a bulk powder trailer, or a low loader?

The Plaxton Panorama 1 is a 2 axle version as fitted to many "heavyweight chassis" (AEC, Leyland, etc.). The 3 axle one was comparatively rare and usually came on a Bedford chassis in a Chinese Six wheel arrangement i.e. twin steering axles at the front and single axle at the rear. Pictures from the new catalogue show the Panorama as a Ribble one - see the Oxford Diecast Collectors Facebook page if you are interested.

I would not be surprised if the Guy Arab Utility turns out to be largely plastic like the recent Plaxton Elite coach. The real buses had almost flush glazing because the window pillars were such thin timber which might influence the design of the moulding. AFAIK the Farish Guy and Leyland PD2 have not been released.

I agree that some considered lobbying for vehicles to suit specialised eras might encourage Oxford. From the posts here and elsewhere it would seem that everybody wants something different as a top priority so I am not sure what OD would glean from random wishlisting.

The most fruitful route would be to choose specific castings already in the 00 range and lobby for the ones which are most wanted in N first. Cars, light vans, small rigid commercials are there aplenty in 1/76 scale.

So who would reject a Ford Transit van (Mk1 is in the 00 range as well as the latest model)? Who would reject a modern fire pump ladder appliance? What about the Mk1 Escort you mentioned or the current version of the Vauxhall Corsa which is now coming in 1/76?

Mike

[H]

On the Scania T it is used by quite a lot of hauliers often with bulk trailers for denser products where its extra length does not compromise payload, and for low loaders for very heavy equipment where special licence conditions apply.

So it does sound rather rare and unusal - I've certainly not seen any on the roads - making it not the best of choices by Oxford

So who would reject a Ford Transit van (Mk1 is in the 00 range as well as the latest model)? Who would reject a modern fire pump ladder appliance? What about the Mk1 Escort you mentioned or the current version of the Vauxhall Corsa which is now coming in 1/76?

The Corsa is rather recent and not really from the 'forgotten era' of 70s, 80s and 90s. Jet Flame produce a very nice Scania fire engine and Parker already produce a decent SWB and LWB trannie, so other more iconic vehicles would be better like Fiestas, Escorts, Capris, Granadas Chevettes, Novas, Cavalliers . . . . .

H. 

[Sprintex]

On the Scania T it is used by quite a lot of hauliers often with bulk trailers for denser products where its extra length does not compromise payload, and for low loaders for very heavy equipment where special licence conditions apply.

So it does sound rather rare and unusal - I've certainly not seen any on the roads - making it not the best of choices by Oxford

The biggest user of T-cab Scannies was Cyril Knowles in the 80s and early 90s for bulk cement, then they were taken over by Civil & Marine with the same trucks and they're still using T-cabs today. Sadly not for long I'd guess as Scania have ceased production 

Having said that, even spending all day tramping around the motorway network like I do you can go weeks without seeing a T-cab, so hardly a common sight as Grahame rightly said!


Paul

[H]

The biggest user of T-cab Scannies was Cyril Knowles

Not the old Spurs player? Nice one. 

H.

[BernardTPM]

* The Panorama I (1959 - 70 although updated in 64) is of interest but is it the 2 or 3 axle version?

If the drawing is accurate, then this will be the two axle 1964-66 version (66-8 very similar). After 1968 it was replaced by the Panorama Elite which had curved side windows with rounded corners, flush (save the rubber beading) to the sides.

[Chetcombe]

The biggest user of T-cab Scannies was Cyril Knowles

Not the old Spurs player? Nice one. 

H.

"Let's ave a nuvva one"

Nice one H!! (or should that be nice one son...)

I hope I'm not the only one to recognize such an obscure 1970s footballing reference!

[woodbury22uk]

February releases shown on page 6 in the new edition of the Globe available to view here:-

http://media.solnet.co.uk/oxford/globe157/files/globe%20157%20ebook.pdf

Mike

[justintime]

As much as I appreciate Oxfords latest offerings in N Gauge, I'm still disappointed to see no 70's or 80's vehicles, so still no Sierras, Fiestas, Chevettes etc. 

Maybe we should all do what Richard from NTastic has suggested and email lobby them to produce some.

Regards

Neal.

Couldn't agree more. We need more late 60's and 70's motors

[woodbury22uk]

Maybe we should all do what Richard from NTastic has suggested and email lobby them to produce some.

Regards

Neal.

Couldn't agree more. We need more late 60's and 70's motors
[/quote]

I know it is human nature to campaign for personal favourites as long as someone else is footing the investment bill.

I believe there are two things people need to bear in mind:-

1) A list of "I want" emails will not produce a convincing picture to Oxford Diecast. Agree on which make and model of car you would like to see and propose one that will make money for OD.

2) Realise that you are competing against other modellers and models for attention. Have your persuasive arguments ready to justify that this one car will support 4 to 6 colour variations, and is a better money making opportunity than the re-livery of a bus.

Get those two right and you will be a trusted source of suggestions for OD, and can then build a bigger range in the same way.

As for complaints about no Sierra - Wiking have had one in their range for over 20 years in 1/160 scale. Is the size more important than the make?

Mike