Been absolutely poring over any Union Mills info I can find. I'm pretty well convinced that IF/when I go British, Union Mills is a must (wish he did diesels).

This got me thinking...what other hidden gems are there in the world of British N Gauge that the on-line retailers (like Ehattons) don't stock? Thanks!

well if  Dapol and Farish are the Fords and Fiats of the British N Gauge world then
Union Mills would have to be the Morgan Motors  and CJM would probably be the TVR

http://www.cjmmodels.co.uk/

There are lots of 'cottage industry' manufacturers who make all sorts of bits & pieces, but they're mainly in the field of kits or scenic items rather than ready-to-run locos or rolling stock.
Union Mills is the only organisation I know of who currently make RTR N Gauge locos at reasonable prices, although Dave Jones (formerly of Dapol) has set up his own company DJ Models to make locos in various scales including N Gauge. They aren't available as yet, but apparently some exciting announcements are imminent ...
In terms of RTR rolling stock, there are a few mail-order outfits who commission limited-edition stuff from the major manufacturers, so you can get an existing type of wagon (or coach, or even loco) in a different livery which isn't available elsewhere. I would give you an example but I'd only get told off again for advertising.
PW

Quote from: AndyGif on February 12, 2014, 03:19:33 PM
well if  Dapol and Farish are the Fords and Fiats of the British N Gauge world then
Union Mills would have to be the Morgan Motors  and CJM would probably be the TVR

http://www.cjmmodels.co.uk/

I wouldn't say CJM are TVR. Because CJM locos are reliable and hold their value, very much unlike TVR!

Alistair

Quote from: alibuchan on February 13, 2014, 11:15:54 AM

Quote from: AndyGif on February 12, 2014, 03:19:33 PM
well if  Dapol and Farish are the Fords and Fiats of the British N Gauge world then
Union Mills would have to be the Morgan Motors  and CJM would probably be the TVR

http://www.cjmmodels.co.uk/

I wouldn't say CJM are TVR. Because CJM locos are reliable and hold their value, very much unlike TVR!

Alistair

yes thats true, but i was stuck for ideas  re handbuilt super vehicles....
lotus,  Lots  Of Trouble Usually Soon....
Perhaps Rolls Royce may have been better, but they are owned by BMW,  so thats akin to farish & bachmann....

Received my first ever Union Mills loco today, the LSWR T9 in Green Livery.
Really, really pleased with it. Ran well in both directions straight from it's well packaged box. It runs well at slow speeds and manages Insulfrog Points with no problems. The weight of the loco provides good adhesion and it is quiet.
It may lack the detail of the newer Dapol/Farish offerings but it is well finished and it looks like a T9 so I'm happy.
Really impressed with the service from Union Mills too.
Ordered the loco at 2-30 yesterday by phone (no fuss at all) and it arrived (extremely well packaged) at 11-30 this morning  via Royal Mail (1st class at £3-00).
Overall I am really pleased with this loco and it won't be the last purchase I make from Union Mills and I'd give them 10/10 for service.
Well done and highly recommended.
And................ if you are in to stamp collecting (and I'm not) what great postage stamps they have in the Isle of Man !!

Quote from: AndyGif on February 13, 2014, 11:43:03 AM

Quote from: alibuchan on February 13, 2014, 11:15:54 AM
I wouldn't say CJM are TVR. Because CJM locos are reliable and hold their value, very much unlike TVR!

yes thats true, but i was stuck for ideas  re handbuilt super vehicles....

Umm, not sure about "super" but there was Marcos, specifically MiniMarcos, handbuilt in a maner of speaking

So far, apart from BF and Dapol, there is only UM quietly getting on 'doing the business' [and I'm not too sure about BF and Dapol ! whenever I go looking on model shop sites mostly what I see is "pre-order" or "sold-out" ]

Quote from: MalcolmAL on August 15, 2014, 09:32:42 PM

Quote from: AndyGif on February 13, 2014, 11:43:03 AM

Quote from: alibuchan on February 13, 2014, 11:15:54 AM
I wouldn't say CJM are TVR. Because CJM locos are reliable and hold their value, very much unlike TVR!

yes thats true, but i was stuck for ideas  re handbuilt super vehicles....

Umm, not sure about "super" but there was Marcos, specifically MiniMarcos, handbuilt in a maner of speaking

So far, apart from BF and Dapol, there is only UM quietly getting on 'doing the business' [and I'm not too sure about BF and Dapol ! whenever I go looking on model shop sites mostly what I see is "pre-order" or "sold-out" ]

If we're looking for motoring analogies perhaps Union Mills is more like Bristol; small, deliberately low-volume, hand-built, apparently old-fashioned, relatively unheard of and low-profile but with fans who are very loyal.

Well, it makes sense to me.

Quote from: johnlambert on August 15, 2014, 10:03:14 PM
like Bristol; small,
,,
relatively unheard of

Yes, icwum,
but it did have a big brother, BAC aka British Aerospace,
later BAe (they went meaningless downhill) !
(OT)
But while there I did get to make a small contribution to Giotto, a fly-by of Comet Halley, a sort of pre-curser to risotto, sorry, Rosetta of current comet fame.

edit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giotto_%28spacecraft%29
http://sci.esa.int/giotto/

(/OT)

bristols lodekka and vr were also mass production

Quote from: javlinfaw7 on August 15, 2014, 11:52:41 PM
bristols lodekka and vr were also mass production

Bristol Omnibus Company was a different entity to Bristol Aeroplane Company/Bristol Cars.

Quote from: talisman56 on August 16, 2014, 12:26:07 AM

Quote from: javlinfaw7 on August 15, 2014, 11:52:41 PM
bristols lodekka and vr were also mass production

Bristol Omnibus Company was a different entity to Bristol Aeroplane Company/Bristol Cars.

Ummm, doesnt that depend on how far we look back ? I'm thinking greatgrandfathers and Bristol Trams, like who do we think they were
before my time btw !

Quote from: MalcolmAL on August 15, 2014, 11:29:33 PM

Quote from: johnlambert on August 15, 2014, 10:03:14 PM
like Bristol; small,
,,
relatively unheard of

Yes, icwum,
but it did have a big brother, BAC aka British Aerospace,
later BAe (they went meaningless downhill) !
(OT)
But while there I did get to make a small contribution to Giotto, a fly-by of Comet Halley, a sort of pre-curser to risotto, sorry, Rosetta of current comet fame.

edit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giotto_%28spacecraft%29
http://sci.esa.int/giotto/

(/OT)

Eh ?

 

Union Mills have been around for a long time and have always been known for the quality of their products. They also produce stuff that is not available elsewhere - many of the locomotive classes being much loved by modellers of the pre-nationalisation and even pre-grouping scene.

Yeah, not sure what buses, comets and sportscars have to do with this topic,
not to mention risotto. Perhaps some of the people posting have been
on the cooking sherry.