Quote from: woodbury22uk on February 12, 2013, 09:57:56 AM

I suppose you could always ask Oxford Diecast or rely on the revised dates in the new catalogue as linked in an earlier post. 

It's a rhetorical question. There'd be little point in asking Oxford as so far all their published information about sheduled release dates has been wrong. 

H.

Grahame

Is there a smiley for rhetorical?

Mike

Quote from: woodbury22uk on February 12, 2013, 10:09:45 AM

Is there a smiley for rhetorical?

I was wondering . . .  .

H.

I have had am email today from Oxford blaming the unexpected Chinese New Year for the delay. Now they reckon some of if not all the missing items will be in March.

Chinese New Year happens every year doesn't it??? Come on Oxford, you can do better than that...

Quote from: pape_timmo on February 12, 2013, 11:56:05 AM

Chinese New Year happens every year doesn't it??? Come on Oxford, you can do better than that...

. .  . yep, . . . and it might excuse a delay this year, but that stuff was due last year (presumably after the Chinese New Year break).

H.

This is gonna sound a bit of a rant, but its meant with the best intentions...

If you are going to send production across the world then surely you should do your homework, and plan for production scales, times and schedules and work accordingly as a business. The models coming out of China are far above the detail and quality levels that were available 20 years ago, but blaming the Chinese New Year, or the factory's other product runs for delays is not really on. As a business, this must have been planned around and advised in planning sessions, so come on, lets have accurate information without excuses.

On the quality issue, I've been really lucky so far in that I've bought thousands of pounds worth of locos coaches and wagons from both Farish and Dapol, and I've had no problems with any of them. Oh, sorry, 1 split gear on a FGW 57. But reading the comments on here and other groups, the Quality Control needs to improve. You'll turn people away if they get dogs all the time.

Cheers. Timmo

Quote from: pape_timmo on February 12, 2013, 12:12:32 PM
If you are going to send production across the world then surely you should do your homework, and plan for production scales, times and schedules and work accordingly as a business.

The trouble is you've got a choice for a lot of this stuff. Your choices are "make it in China" and "Oh sorry nobody in the UK has the skills or tools"

Plus you have the peculiarly British problem when trying to get anything done over here. The "not interested, don't care" response of most UK businesses to anything the slightest different to the usual.

That one drives me *nuts*. Most of the US businesses I deal with the attitude is 'We could do that, it might be expensive, lets see if we can figure something that works for us both". Over here for most companies its "We don't do that" , "I don't have authority to make that decision", "I'll call you back" (never doing so).

There are exceptions but too few (Kudos to Dapol who when I phoned up wanting a batch of Gresley bogies simply said yes and figured out how to get it done)

Alan

I agree we have a limited choose and a UKwide 'no can do' attitude. It's a sad reality here that production had to move to China. Full credit to Farish, Dapol, Bachmann, Hornby and all other manufacturers that have taken the bold step. All I'm asking is please, for everyone, improve quality control, and set realistic dates. That's not too much to ask, surely?

Like I said in my previous post, I've been really lucky on the quality front, and I don't plan to have specific models at certain dates, I buy them as they come.

Cheers, Timmo

Quote from: pape_timmo on February 12, 2013, 04:00:17 PM
All I'm asking is please, for everyone, improve quality control, and set realistic dates. That's not too much to ask, surely

At current pricing it won't happen. If you want to hit dates reliably then you need a fast turn around when there is a problem. You don't get that via China (Bachmann perhaps is a bit different as they are the reverse - it's an outsourced marketing/design arm of a Chinese company)

If you want quality and priority in production slots you have to pay more (on top of the already exploding Chinese prices). For plastic models the cost is massively dominated by once off costs not per unit costs.

You've got a small market, selling to what are by European scales, a bunch of price sensitive low spenders, and products that have almost no non UK market.

The US market is also "price sensitive" but with much much bigger volume. The mainland Europeans expect higher quality but will pay for it.

On the bright side the market analysis for many businesses is saying that the next few years the cost of dealing with China (shipping, customs, banging heads on walls, etc) will exceed the savings on making stuff there. It's already begun to happen in a few markets.

Who knows maybe in five years time Dapol will be shifting more production back to their UK factory.... ?

Going to go a bit OT here, but over on the DEMU forum there was also a discussion about Oxfords OO releases and the usual suspects bemoaning the lack of N gauge versions (i.e. Me  ) well anyway Adam Warr mentioned that someone on Shapeways had done a 3d print of a Maestro, anyway here's the link http://www.shapeways.com/model/378270/nam01-1-148-austin-maestro.html

Maybe one of the 3d experts on here could look at doing other vehicles using the 3D printing technique. 

Regards

Neal.

Photos of the forthcoming VW van, camper,pick up and minibuses.

https://picasaweb.google.com/101142231372810920180/ModelautoKrantNeurenberg2013A#5842006469652279954

https://picasaweb.google.com/101142231372810920180/ModelautoKrantNeurenberg2013A#5842006332570107186

https://picasaweb.google.com/101142231372810920180/ModelautoKrantNeurenberg2013A#5842006207774965154

https://picasaweb.google.com/101142231372810920180/ModelautoKrantNeurenberg2013A#5842005362946964818


Mike

Just two N gauge releases for April 2013 - Leyland PD3 "British Shoe Corporation" suitable for the Leicester area in the late 1960s - early 1970s, and an RF single decker in late pre-NBC Green Line livery for about the same period.

http://www.oxforddiecast.co.uk/shop/showcat.asp?cat=58&jump=3

http://www.oxforddiecast.co.uk/shop/showitem.asp?id=3253

http://www.oxforddiecast.co.uk/shop/showitem.asp?id=3252

Mike

"It's a man's life in the British Shoe Corporation!"

Quote from: captainelectra on April 02, 2013, 07:38:46 PM
"It's a man's life in the British Shoe Corporation!"

What a load of cobblers

Considering the popularity of GWR/WR layouts, there does seem to be a preponderance of London buses