I can't understand the silly prices people pay for them at all - especially the playworn versions.

Old 00 models by the likes of Hornby and Triang were also put together to be tough as nails, but many of these are now consigned to the bargain bins at swapmeets. Their slow speed control is vastly inferior to modern alternatives.

It's worth pointing out also that these have been around for literally decades, with the duds and "poor" runners being thrown away or stripped for spares - hence the surviving population is not a true representation of how they first appeared on the market.

Their varying quality and low detail was also contributory to the niche which N gauge was pushed into for many years, which in my view set the UK market for N in a bad place 1985 - 2000.

Paul A.

I've yet to see the dapol A4's but the minitrix mallard I thought was pretty well detailed. The 9F looked like a terrible model from memory though.

Excellent subject! Although a novice, My impressions are, after servicing my 3 Docktanks,  that  The Minitrix Dock Tank loco's are Well made and of a good, simple, design and quality.      Typical German approach to a manufactured item.    Well worth the £30, or so for a good 'un.  i have just stripped a G/F 57XX and a "pool" version for servicing and unfortunately the Minitrix is far superior, IMO.  There are times when i wonder , exactly,  whom lost the last war?  We certainly seem to have lost the peace and can't keep up, let alone get in front, as we once were manufacturing.   And, as has been said, earlier, regarding model accuracy V reliability, And, as the bishop said to the actress, "A good performer is far better than an attractive model with no traction!"  regards  Rodders 

Quote from: 1whitemoor on April 24, 2013, 07:09:14 PM
I can't understand the silly prices people pay for them at all - especially the playworn versions.

Their varying quality and low detail was also contributory to the niche which N gauge was pushed into for many years, which in my view set the UK market for N in a bad place 1985 - 2000.

Paul A.

Wow! Are you refering to minitrix with these comments? To be honest they dont all go for silly prices........ As someone has already pointed out, they can have a big standing on the collectors market hence potential silly prices. This does depend on the model though. Like nowadays, some models fetch more attention than others....... Deserved or not!

With reference to the Minitrix quality, i think that you are the first person i have heard calling this into question! We are talking of models that for many years during the 80's-90's shone the light for British N, (despite being made in West Germany!!) having features like lighting for diesels and buffer beam detailing and real scale forward pony trucks for steamers.

The home grown answer (Graham Farish Poole) was behind both technologically and aesthetically in more ways than the minitrix at the time, and undoubtedly lead to people modelling in different gauges because the models looked crap and ran poorly.

If anything, Minitrix gave British N Gauge a hope of survival and certainly slapped down the gauntlet for new N gauge standards for many years to come......

Quote from: OwL on April 25, 2013, 12:50:03 AM

Quote from: 1whitemoor on April 24, 2013, 07:09:14 PM
I can't understand the silly prices people pay for them at all - especially the playworn versions.

Their varying quality and low detail was also contributory to the niche which N gauge was pushed into for many years, which in my view set the UK market for N in a bad place 1985 - 2000.

Paul A.

Wow! Are you refering to minitrix with these comments? To be honest they dont all go for silly prices........ As someone has already pointed out, they can have a big standing on the collectors market hence potential silly prices. This does depend on the model though. Like nowadays, some models fetch more attention than others....... Deserved or not!

With reference to the Minitrix quality, i think that you are the first person i have heard calling this into question! We are talking of models that for many years during the 80's-90's shone the light for British N, (despite being made in West Germany!!) having features like lighting for diesels and buffer beam detailing and real scale forward pony trucks for steamers.

The home grown answer (Graham Farish Poole) was behind both technologically and aesthetically in more ways than the minitrix at the time, and undoubtedly lead to people modelling in different gauges because the models looked crap and ran poorly.

If anything, Minitrix gave British N Gauge a hope of survival and certainly slapped down the gauntlet for new N gauge standards for many years to come......

Let's face it though, the level of stagnation which poor looking and running models brought to N gauge during those years did put the gauge back in terms of potential sales, regardless of manufacturer. You always get the old addage when minitrix is brought up on this forum of "if you get a good one etc etc" but the simple truth is that there are bad ones out there (or now in landfill), which were not up to scratch.

With regards to Grafar vs. minitrix, it's pretty hard to imagine a british n gauge scene if Farish hadn't ploughed on, but the loss of minitrix would not appear to have damaged the hobby too significantly.

Paul A.

Quote from: simonprelude on April 24, 2013, 08:49:52 PM
I've yet to see the dapol A4's but the minitrix mallard I thought was pretty well detailed. The 9F looked like a terrible model from memory though.

I have the Minitrix attempt at a 9F - looks like their Britannia body on top of a German steam loco chassis? At least they got the right number/arrangement of wheels...

But it still runs well, right down to barely noticably crawl.   

Quote from: simonprelude on April 24, 2013, 08:49:52 PM
I've yet to see the dapol A4's but the minitrix mallard I thought was pretty well detailed. The 9F looked like a terrible model from memory though.

Superficially the A4 is ok from a distance and they run fine but in the detail they are a compromise, as are all Minitrix.

For example driving wheels are way too small, the trailing truck the wrong type, the body/cab shape is somewhat questionable.

However for their day they were pretty good, and better arguably than the equivalent contemporary Farish.

And yes, I have an A3 and A4 both of which I bought way back then, now reside in their boxes 99% of the time.

Regards

Roy

Quote from: EddieA on April 25, 2013, 06:11:34 PM

Quote from: simonprelude on April 24, 2013, 08:49:52 PM
I've yet to see the dapol A4's but the minitrix mallard I thought was pretty well detailed. The 9F looked like a terrible model from memory though.

I have the Minitrix attempt at a 9F - looks like their Britannia body on top of a German steam loco chassis? At least they got the right number/arrangement of wheels...

But it still runs well, right down to barely noticably crawl.   

I sold my two Minitrix 9Fs a couple of years back when Dapol released theirs.  I had both the black and "Evening Star" versions and even I have to admit their resemblance to a real 9F was limited.  Still the finish and build quality was superb and boy did they pull.  The Dapol 9Fs look really good and "Evening Star" has the corect double chimney but in terms of robust design and running they cannot match their Minitrix counterparts.

May be one day Dapol will revisit their 9F and apply all they have learnt since to deliver a top notch model.

Paddy

Quote from: Roy L S on April 25, 2013, 06:44:18 PM

Quote from: simonprelude on April 24, 2013, 08:49:52 PM
I've yet to see the dapol A4's but the minitrix mallard I thought was pretty well detailed. The 9F looked like a terrible model from memory though.

Superficially the A4 is ok from a distance and they run fine but in the detail they are a compromise, as are all Minitrix.

For example driving wheels are way too small, the trailing truck the wrong type, the body/cab shape is somewhat questionable.

However for their day they were pretty good, and better arguably than the equivalent contemporary Farish.

And yes, I have an A3 and A4 both of which I bought way back then, now reside in their boxes 99% of the time.

Regards

Roy

Hi Roy,

I have Minitrix Mallard and Sir Nigel Gresley locos and agree with what you say.  However, when running and from normal viewing distances the look good.  Mind you, I also have a couple of Farish A4s (Bachmann versions) and I like those as well.  They lack handrails, glazing etc. but for some reason they work for me.  It could be their resemblance to Hornby Dublo!

The Dapol A4s look good and from what I have read run well too.  For some reason I have not upgraded though so I must be happy with the older models for now.

I also have a Minitrix BR Flying Scotsman and love that model too.  It is streets ahead of Farish's A3 IMHO which is just a lump.  Even Bachmann's new chassis and improved paint job cannot help that one.  Pig with lipstick.

Again I have not bought any Dapol A3s although the Flying Scotsman in the new train set is appealing...

Paddy

No experience with Dapol as yet, though I am tempted by the look of their new A4s.  I can wait though.

The minitrix models are generally superb little engines.  The plastic sliders on the valve gear and the plastic crank pins are getting old now, and are becoming quite fragile.  The valve gear sticks out a bit too far, and can catch on platforms - you need to leave a bit of extra clearance - particularly for the 9F.  As far as looks go, I know they are not accurate, but for an impressionist modeller like me, they are perfect.  Take one apart, and take a farish apart and you instantly notice the difference.  The Minitrix Britannia, Scotsman, Gresley, and Mallard  for example, all have metal axles running inside brass bushes.  The bushes are clamped firm and the designed movement of the axles inside the bush is there to enable the loco to negotiate the very tight Minitrix first radius curve.   And I know the 9F doesn't look anything like, but it is still a superb little engine.
Some of the models are a pain, but with patience you can take all of these apart and clean them up and make them run like new again.  Its a pity that the vast array of spares that Minitrix also used to manufacture, are no longer available.

Compare this with the farish locos.  The plastic mouldings are held together with plastic tabs - designed to make it easy to assemble, but almost impossible to get apart without the correct tools or breaking something.  They run so smoothly though, much better than the old Minitrix locos, and are now designed to take DCC chips. But I do get the feeling that when my Farish locos pack in, they will have to be replaced.  I still mend my Minitrix locos.

Two things I'd like to get my hands on.
a) A modern Minitrix loco.  I'll have to save up for a long time though, they are 2-3 times more expensive than anything else on offer, but if MArklin have retained the same build quality of their predecessor, they are probably worth it.  Pity there are no British locos in their range though.
b) A Dapol A4 - Just to test one out.

Quote from: silly moo on April 23, 2013, 02:19:38 PM
I would guess that the plastic boxes were introduced in the 80s but I'm terrible with dates. For anyone with Minitrix locos to repair here is a useful website

http://www.jfheath.co.uk/ngauge/index.shtml

Regards

Veronica

Thanks for the referral - I do keep adding bits every now and then. 
I reckon the plastic boxes came in around in the early 1980s.  Certainly the Mallard that I bought first appeared in the Trix catalogue in 1980.  My version was in a Hornby Minitrix case.  A couple of years later, Hornby stopped marketing, and my then new Scotsman, also in a plastic case, was badged by Trix, the manufacturer.  Not Hornby.