This is a name that keeps popping up on ebay like a sore irritating spot on one's buttock!
What instantly enters my mind when I notice these 'one off' decorations on ebay, especially in the recent departure of Dapol Dave. Who the bloody hell made the decision that these fine examples should be given the sole rights to be sold from someone in Germany?
The examples in question are:
Dapol / Modellbahnunion MU10004: steam loco A4 Mallard wartime black LNER (NE)
Dapol / Modellbahnunion MU10003: steam loco A3 Flying Scotsman British Rail blue
Dapol Modellbahnunion GPV freight wagon Salvage GWR special edition
Dapol Modellbahnunion conflat freight wagon BR tractor special edition
Dapol Modellbahnunion Vent van freight wagon Islay Ales special edition
Dapol Modellbahnunion GPV freight wagon Willow Brewery special edition
Dapol Modellbahnunion 5 plank freight wagon Frame Perth special edition
And finally one decoration that really is so annoying that it should have never strayed from our shores of good old blighty is this one, yet again sold in GERMANY! Our beloved Queens DIAMOND JUBILEE EDITION!! Dapol Modellbahnunion Class 67 Diamond Jubilee Royal loco special edition.
For me the class 67 is a model that must have surely been kept to British shores, what in the hell were Dapol thinking when they agreed such a ludicrous deal?
They say that money speaks all languages but in the case of the class jubilee 67, I don't believe for one moment this deplorable decision was made by one person to have this unique model marketed from Germany.
So what the hell are the directors of Dapol thinking, as it is very clear to me being patriotic is the last thing that enters their minds!
Dapol do commissions for anyone who wants them and pays for them. Modelbahn Union are one of Dapols main distributors in mainland Europe.
If you are such a little Englander you can't face ordering from Germany you'll find Heiko at TINGS in September and he'll be happy to take your money off you there.
Specials from all over the place are a normal part of European modelling, particularly brewery wagons.
He's also btw recently announced a version of Stepney in museum livery.
Alan
DCC Supplies have had some of these on sale this weekend at RailEx NE. So you can buy them in the UK if you want.
What Alan said ... Also, DCC Supplies sell these in this country too.
If Dapol couldn't be bothered (or didn't dare) to release these particular liveries, I don't see why you're so upset that someone else has the balls to do it ?
There's nothing stopping you, you know, from contacting Dapol and having a special made for an edition of (say) 100 ... that's all these guys have done ...
Hi Alan, as you put it "A little Englander" I am not. But I guess thinking about it you are correct about "specials from all over the place are a normal part of European modelling" Its a bit like people with the name of "Joel" buying and driving cars manufactured by Volkswagen!
I am shocked I hope I've read the OP's statement wrong. Why shouldn't our fellow Europeans be interested in British rolling stock? After all we are in the common market arent we? Or EU or smoothing like that.
The Modellbahnunion I think is the German equivalent to the N gauge society.
But I think I might of read your post wrong, I'm sorry if I did. :doh:
I think it should be quite flattering if someone outside of the UK is interested in British Railways. :thumbsup:
I also hope that I am reading the OP wrong, otherwise I am really dismayed that he made those types of comments. Regards, Bill.
Hi Guys,
I would rather a model was done by someone - no matter where they are - than not done at all. Still it was surprising to see considering some of those are iconic - BUT - as were still in the EU then you can order what you like for MBU - or DM toys which is another source of interesting items. Just makes sense with the postal charges to chat with your mates and come up with a bulk order to share the postage costs.
As for decisions - Probably made by the same person that stuck a Loadhaul 56 in a train set with a gaugemaster controller....
Regards
Russ
I have to agree with all the comments. Doesn't matter where the commissioning dealer is based so long as they aren't refusing to sell to customers in the UK...
They were the ones to take the financial risk, if they hadn't there's no guarantee those liveries would have been produced at all...
To put things back into perspective, I haven't a problem with various decorations being commissioned to various parts of the world, I suppose in a way we as a nation should be flattered and proud of our vast history of rail and that many people all over the world want to model our trains.
However I think it was madness for Dapol not to release and sell the class 67 Diamond Jubilee and the wartime A4 mallard themselves.
Apologies if my post last night gave resentment towards Modellbahnunion it wasn't meant to read that way, only that I felt it annoying their name was connected to good models that Dapol should have marketed themselves.
So basically without wishing to sound too opinionated I feel someone could have made the wrong decision in Dapol!
I guess next time its probably better that I keep of off the forum when I've consumed a couple of large glasses of claret! :-[
I guess at the end of the day Dapol made a commercial decision about what would sell and provide them with a profit. Every decision that a manufacturer makes has an element of risk.
Modellbahnunion removed that risk for them. It is as simple as that.
If anyone wants that model they can buy it from Modellbahunion.
The irony of it all is probably the models were made in China.
Kind regards
Geoff
Had a quick look at their website, quite a varied selection , including
Oxford Diecast VW vans with Sid James and Kenneth Williams faces
on them. Weird ...
Pardon my ignorance here but why does the mallard of only have ne on the side? Or are you being a bit unfair to the original poster as we can blame the germans for not being able to stretch to an L and an R in wartime?
Seriously though as someone after an n gauge mallard at the time of the 75th celebrations i also find it bizarre there are none available in the uk.
Yes the Germans are to blame, or rather, the Second World War; shortening LNER to NE, like painting the engines in unlined black, was an economy measure. Use less paint, and use less expensive colours too.
Cheers, NeMo
Quote from: Norfolkrover on August 26, 2013, 06:48:52 AM
Pardon my ignorance here but why does the mallard of only have ne on the side? Or are you being a bit unfair to the original poster as we can blame the germans for not being able to stretch to an L and an R in wartime?
I can understand your frustrations that the Mallard and the Class Jubilee 67 is not available in the UK - it would be nice to be able to trundle down to your local model shop and check one out before purchasing so maybe an email to Dapol is in order? I also think that it is terrific that Modellbahnunion are producing UK stock (assuming they are 1:148) and wonder if they might consider commissioning a Javelin ;)
I've found that it is not a hassle to buy stuff from Germany. After being initially nervous about ordering anything expensive from abroad, I have ordered ICE trains and a Thalys from a couple of companies in Germany and have been delighted with the speed of delivery and the price (much cheaper than in the UK - saved over £100 on the Thalys) and excellent quality of customer service :) And being in the EU, you don't run the lottery of being clocked for import duty etc like you do with buying stuff from Japan.
I'm not sure that I'm entirely happy with some of these comments throughout this thread about the Germans :worried: although I'm sure they are probably intended as friendly banter :D
Me as born in Holland, lives in the UK and modelling British thinks this story is very offensive, and completely nonsense. Assuming you're also voting Ukip. what the.... does it matter that models designed by people from Wales, Scotland and mainland Europe, produced in China are sold by a company in Germany who has got the guts to do a special commission ( which also has to be pre-paid, so financial risk)
Instead of moaning like the worst thing ever has happened you should ask yourselves why non of the British suppliers hasn't done the same
and be grateful that at least this model is available. And for your information people from Germany can also speak your language, assuming that you can't speak theirs.
:veryangry:
ow to be honest I wasn't serious in my above post, I was writing as a joke the same nonsense as the first poster. ( and this is serious )
For what it's worth I DID purchased the class 67 Diamond Jubilee from Modellbahnunion a while back for my collection.
Compared to the average price of around £85.00 the various decorations of the 67 sold for in this country through the likes of ehattons etc. I thought the total of £124.00 was a bit steep!
Anyway I wanted it and paid for it. But as a frequent customer to Dapol I felt a bit let down over what I feel was a poor marketing decision. Regarding the wartime A4, yes I would love to have it my collection but realistically its getting a bit overpriced.
I do hope that someone in Dapol reads this post, as I am lead to believe they do hover and eavesdrop on a couple of forums.
Quote from: Maurits71 on August 26, 2013, 08:56:44 AM
ow to be honest I wasn't serious in my above post, I was writing as a joke the same nonsense as the first poster. ( and this is serious )
So it wasn't a U turn then? :hmmm:
Personally I believe it is a GOOD THING that manufacturers are prepared to make short run commissions as (a) it gives us models that wouldn't be considered 'mainstream' and (b) it is a benefit to them as they take no risk themselves in having stuff left on the shelf (a BAD THING)
Of course, small runs are going to be more costly (witness the Inspectors Saloon from Farish/NGS) but we, as a modelling community, ended up with a beautiful addition to our layouts which, under normal circumstances, would never have come about.
The manufacturers are there to mass produce and it is pleasing others are prepared to take a risk with small runs. Regardless of where they are based - we benefit.
Quote from: Mr Sprue on August 26, 2013, 09:17:28 AM
But as a frequent customer to Dapol I felt a bit let down over what I feel was a poor marketing decision.
Not sure it's a "marketing decision" on Dapol's part at all. Marketing implies they went out with a certain model trying to find retailers who'd sell it. But in this case it looks much more like MU approached Dapol and asked them to make a specific set of models exclusively for them. MU took on the risk of selling the models, not Dapol.
It's not as if this doesn't happen with UK retailers. Kernow and Osborne for sure have Dapol exclusives, for example. Some other retailers do likewise no doubt. Your real question has to be why hasn't a British retailer commissioned these designs?
For that matter, a bigger issue for me is why Dapol make such small runs of things that end up selling so well. Take those weathered china clay wagons. The money they go for on eBay is daft! Dapol: do us a favour and make some more! But then Dapol seem happy to make a gazillion livery versions of 73s and 66s, and dummy versions especially seem to hang around the shops like a bad smell.
Quote from: Mr Sprue on August 26, 2013, 09:17:28 AM
Regarding the wartime A4, yes I would love to have it my collection but realistically its getting a bit overpriced.
Indeed, and I don't think all that pretty. Give me a Duchess any day of the week!
Cheers, NeMo
Quote from: Mr Sprue on August 26, 2013, 09:17:28 AM
I do hope that someone in Dapol reads this post, as I am lead to believe they do hover and eavesdrop on a couple of forums.
If you are unhappy about Dapol :worried: then I think it is best that you contact them directly about this issue rather than the off-chance that they might read a post entitled Modellbahnunion.
I am going to lock this thread now as the points regarding why Modellbahnunion are producing the Mallard have been answered.
A gentle reminder to all members to be very careful about posting anything that could be considered to have racist overtones even if it is meant in jest or is light hearted banter. Link to code of conduct (http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=425.msg2865#msg2865)