Dapol New Releases 2016/17

[Carmont]

there's plenty of people telling us what a great job their doing but it's NEVER dapol themselves.

I'd rather that, than A.N. Other manufacturer who is always telling us what a great job he's doing but has yet to produce any tangible product in N gauge on which others can fairly judge for themselves...   

As it states this is a DISCUSSION questions raised and comments /moans about dapols lack of communication with us their customers desperate to purchase the models that have been delayed. I've never suggested that i could do better so don't see why you would try to phrase things as a personal attack on me for asking what the members of this very INFORMED forum knew to update us as we were getting nowhere with dapol.

I don't think this was a personal attack in any way. Further, I don't think it was referencing you in any way Craig. read between the lines..........

[Portpatrick]

To try and pick up where this one has got to.  Development can sometimes be easy, and sometimes it may not be.  The Dapol issues on the BoB seem to be the latter, and badly aggravated by changes in the management team.  That's life.  The saga of Farish and the small motor needed for the Ivatt should be less unexpected - they knew it was a small loco and how small they could initially make motors.  But once a manufacturer has publically announced a model they have created the expectation, especially if they have set out an expected timescale.  And this is something which actually they did not need to do at all.

Having done so, it is not just simple courtesy, but treating their customers respectfully for what they are - the most important people in their world - to keep us aware of progress and what is delaying it.  I am not myself a Southern modeller and have no interest in 142s but I feel for those who are.  Which points me back to my earlier post.  It would seem to me to be better that announcements are delayed until there is a high probability of a release date being met - ie somewhat later in the process.  Those who might be a little peeved are those such as myself who are happy to explore the scope for kit and rtr bashing and building to produce reasonable attempts at things we might want, and then find a nice rtr produced shortly afterwards.  And in that respect I suspect I am in a small minority.  I'll live with that risk.

[exmouthcraig]

Indeed which was comments we agreed with way back in this post. Ben informed us of issues the had with the pendilino, which as a crowd funding exercise you have to be public about and anyone who has signed up for one has been informed by Ben and Mike with every issue they have encountered and I'm quite sure they still reply to personal emails relating to the project.
But as our quest for the closest to the real thing with every detail drives on I would prefer 'manufacturers' to try to develop as much as possible behind closed doors before announcing them to the world where they can try to resolve issues.

On a different note we attended a model show which Hornby/Airfix had a vast display and they had an artwork box mockup of a 1:48 Avro Vulcan just as a gimmick. Airfix could of sold hundreds on the day and have been bombarded ever since with requests to get it into production.

People see = People want

[Snowwolflair]

and have been bombarded ever since with requests to get it into production.

By the RAF?

[exmouthcraig]

[mod]Political comment removed[/mod]

I think I'd use it as a coffee table with its metre wide wing span!!!

[Carmont]

This whole thread is tongue-in-cheek, right?!

[exmouthcraig]

It has to be now!! I'll just make it clear I have never intentionally set out to upset anyone I was just trying to clarify what was happening. I think that has been drummed home and we will wait impatiently but we will still buy them when we can!

I'm just wondering what Ben and mikes plans are for their next project!! W class tank maybe???

[Richard G Dallimore]

If you do not except the history and its consequences you will be forever complaining. All these delays are a direct result of the Dapol members open day pantomime under George Smith and Dave Jones (know DJ Models) the pair loved doing fancy presentations and big grand plans, even better if it steppe on Farish toes. One year in (can't remember which) BRM (Warners) Publications released the new Dapol catalogue early before the members open day. The Dapol team were fuming with fair reason, so as to not upset the members the came up with an extra list, The Magnificent Seven. These in all reality were probably going to be slow burns as the release program and funds were fully taken, it had more to do with showmanship. The magnificent seven included 142, BoB, Pendolino, GWR 48xx, class 50?( i think) amongst others. It was quite a few years ago so I can not remember the full list.

Some were made quicker than others and some were dropped like the Pendolino, (this has always be on Daves wishlist to make, hence why he wanted to get Ben and Mie to crowdfund it for him).

Others have been very slow burners, when Dave left, the new team picked the BoB as it had the least work done on it at that point to start a new loco from the rails up.

Remember that at this time Dapol and Farish were announcing several locos a year each plus coaches and wagons. Since then production costs have increased, Chinese priorities have changed, the British N Gauge market has stopped growing (this may be due to Price or ever increasing age of its market), deep recession in the UK where wages for average workers have not increased for nearly 10 years.

I have seen threads asking and complaining when are Dapol going to announce their catalogue for 2017 with new items in it. While here we debate the long lost items and poor communication, unfortunately the god times are over for N Gauge this is the new norm.

On the communication front, no news means that nothing to report good, bad or indifferent. A small team does not have time to go around updating forums on every product either daily or weekly with nothing to report, hence there own forum. Also bear in mind that if an alteration needs to be made it is identified sent to China and sits in a queue
until the apporiate person or team are allocated to work on it. Other contracts at the factory might be more important and lucrative so will get the priority. So 30mins of CAD work might take several weeks or months to come back.

[leachsprite4]

I'm sorry Richard but you are wrong the magnificent 7 did not include the BoB, but did include the B1 and GWR 2884 class. Yes if I recall it included the 142 however this was in 2008 and a few years before the BoB

[leachsprite4]

To quote @rwjp from 2011
"Also, people seem to have forgotten which models were actually on the magnificent seven list. The Magnificent 7 were: Pendolino, HST, Class 153, B1, Class 26, 28xx and the Class 56. Of those, the HST, Class 153, Class 26 and B1 have all been released. The Pendolino was officially put on hold a fair while ago, so out of the original 7, only the 28xx and 56 are missing. The Class 92 and Class 142 were not announced until at least a year later (Class 142 was announced 2010 IIRC),"

[johnlambert]

To quote @rwjp from 2011
"Also, people seem to have forgotten which models were actually on the magnificent seven list. The Magnificent 7 were: Pendolino, HST, Class 153, B1, Class 26, 28xx and the Class 56. Of those, the HST, Class 153, Class 26 and B1 have all been released. The Pendolino was officially put on hold a fair while ago, so out of the original 7, only the 28xx and 56 are missing. The Class 92 and Class 142 were not announced until at least a year later (Class 142 was announced 2010 IIRC),"

The Dapol 28xx was released a few years ago, I've got one. 

[acko22]

The 56s are also on sale I have a few

[JasonBz]

Do you not think you ought to calm down a bit?
Im sure Exmouth is not used to to such vociferous one topic posting

[Adam1701D]

I would rather that manufacturers actually announce their new products when there is actually something tangible to show, as Realtrack have done in 4mm with their 156.

Dapol still have a massive amount of previously announced models to appear in N - Class 50, Pacer, 68, Light Pacifics, etc, etc. Surely enough to keep a small company busy for 2017 without any new announcements?

[Richard G Dallimore]

Hi Adam which is why nothing was announced in N Gauge at the open day last October, my gut is it may take 18 months to clear. We certainly won't get the big announcements like we had in the past. Projects may well be at tooling before we get to hear about them, which may be a shame as it will be to late to point out errors. Farish and Dapol have both stated that new   items will only be announced when they are ready (ready may have many definitions). Joel is very aware of the backlog he inherited but has to way it up against the current market.

That said some of the missing items are no brainers to me, class 50 will sell for years in good numbers, first gen diesel still in use. Class 142 1st gen still in use how many liveries have they worn now. Class 68 new kid on the block, will be around for years already on 3 liveries. BoB big prestigious southern loco will sit in the range for years.