Some of Oxford's choices seem downright odd to me; Jowett Javelin (nice but never a big seller); Humber Super Snipe and Vauxhall Cresta estates (why not the more popular saloon?).

Yes exactly my point JohnLambert.

I also think there was a few more Ford Populars around than Jowett Javelin's !

Seeing as they already have a Bedford TK cab in 1/76 redoing it in 1/148 on a two axle  chassis would be a real winner. Newportnobby would even get his beloved cattle wagon. The beauty of a simple and separate 2 axle chassis would be the ease of filling the bodystyle gaps in 3D printing which would make even obscure but useful bodystyles accessible. That snow covered Highland layout could easily have its gritter and snowplough. The lineside gymkhana could be awash with horseboxes (from the 1960s to today). The mobile shop would be an easy fix. An inexpensive, well modelled donor cab and chassis would be a wonderful place to start.

I do not have too much problem with 3D CAD for bodies, but the curves and swoops of cabs are another matter. Currently engaged on a Bedford S type crew cab for a turntable fire appliance (à la Dinky 956) which is not quite right yet.

Woodbury said...Seeing as they already have a Bedford TK cab in 1/76 redoing it in 1/148 on a two axle  chassis would be a real winner.

Thank you, it's reassuring that you share my view.  You and I can see the potential of a Bedford T.K. so I have to wonder what the criteria are for a new model and who actually makes the decision.?  In my early 60s I remember well the vehicles of my early years, just as a child of the 70s/80s/90a and so on would probably theirs.

On a slightly different note I have always felt that the Albion horsebox finished in Chipperfield's livery a bit strange on it's own. I understand there were some early problems with using the Chipperfield name but these are apparently now sorted. I reckon that many would like to include a circus on their layouts, and a fairground is another possibility. Some were quite small that visited small towns/large villages. The current fairground stuff I can find is either cardboard or quite expensive white-metal. The animals for a circus are German and also quite expensive. To my way of thinking there is an opportunity here to produce both circus and fairground themed vehicles, and the associated bigtop, animals and rides. And of course, if it was 60s/70s themed then the Bedford TKs could easily be included. Just my opinions of course...

Cattle wagons/livestock transporters.  The lack of these has come up a few times. I bought 5x P.D. Marsh cattle wagon kits for a song. The only part I have used is the wooden body, the cab being a solid piece of white-metal that to my way of thinking is so last century as they say.

I made up the bodies around a 12.5mm wide plasticard base, affixed metal roof, sprayed them and attached them to some B.T. short wheelbase flatbed wagons...result.
A model opportunity missed by a manufacturer perhaps?

On new product choice the person that needs to be convinced of the business case is Oxford Diecast's Product Development Manager (Adrienne Fuller) and the MD (Lyndon Davies). It is a really tiny team and remarkable that they can generate almost 300 new items each year. Because of their (self-imposed) workload I have found that a detailed case with drawings, photos, and livery details has the best chance of working.

Brand licensing seems to have become a time consuming issue. The recent 2000s Ford Transit and Ford Transit Connect took an age to move from announcement to delivery. The current Ford Transit/Connect vans produced by Greenlight in 1/43 scale were a Ford Dealer item and sailed through to be delivered with the first real vans!

Following the copyright case the Chipperfields name cannot be used anymore. The Chipperfields family lost its claim for damages but retains rights to the name. Oxford have some Billy Smarts vehicles in 1/76, and Hornby Skaledale had a large range for a fictitious circus vehicles and bigtops/ arcades etc., mostly made by Oxford before Hornby bought Corgi.

Interesting Woodbury.

I did have a couple of positive emails to and from Oxford Diecasts Product Development Manager Adrienne Fuller a couple of years back.

I will assume by what you have said that the Chipperfields albion horsebox will remain a one-off then?

I well remember Billy Smart's circus from my childhood. Each year they used to have a large circus on Clifton Downs in Bristol. Their Elephants would arrive at Temple Meads station and be walk through the streets to the Downs, to the delight of onlookers/children.
I suppose the potential is there for a fictitious circus or fairground operator, if they decided to pursue it as range of models with the added scope for accessories.

Weird, circus vehicles, These animals  were treated atrociously
by the circus owners , big cats and elephants living lives of misery.

Yes there was rough treatment of some animals in the circus environment, and prosecutions have taken place. When I was enjoying Billy Smart's circus I was around 8-10 years of age...over 50 years ago. At the time my Father used to smoke 20 Woodbines a day, and the cane was used without a second thought in schools. There are countless examples of areas where people would not question things, either because at the time they were considered quite O.K. or the true facts were hidden from the public domain. This still happens...

In my former home City of Bristol certain civic representatives keep going on about the slave trade, for which Bristol has a tarnished/sordid past. It happened a long time ago and there is little that can be done about it, other than to learn lessons and move on.

Circuses were a part of everyday life and in this respect I see them as something that could be represented on a layout depicting a certain era. Many shunters working with their long poles met with accidents/fatalities, yet a shunters truck on a layout is indicative of a certain time on the railways.
So Agrippa, thank you for raising our awareness of how some circus animals were treated. Now then, Oxford diecast...

I can't wait for farm trailers. How good are Oxford at delivering to promised time? My new layout has exhibitions booked for September and November and a couple of farm trailers are needed.

Quote from: Chris m on January 27, 2016, 07:49:12 AM
I can't wait for farm trailers. How good are Oxford at delivering to promised time? My new layout has exhibitions booked for September and November and a couple of farm trailers are needed.

I can recommend the Fleetline Farm Trailer from Lytchett Manor Models. Item Code N510. Just needs painting. I painted mine grey to match the Oxford Fergie.

http://www.mremag.com/index.php/news/640-tfod2016

Shows some early production samples of formally unannounced heavy goods vehicles, including the low loader and walking floor trailers (mentioned in post a few days back) and a low roof Scania cab.

The February - May 2016 catalogue can now be viewed online, and downloaded as a .pdf. This is a big file.

N is on pages 30 - 36, and 42.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1017/3257/files/FEB-MAY_16_Catalogue.pdf?7255838666905505110

DMToys have issued a special edition of the Scania fire Appliance in Bergisch Gladbeck livery.

https://www.dm-toys.de/produktdetails/items/SP114.html

SP114 Scania HLF 20/16 Fire Pump 112

Quote from: trkilliman on January 27, 2016, 07:31:27 AM
Yes there was rough treatment of some animals in the circus environment, and prosecutions have taken place. When I was enjoying Billy Smart's circus I was around 8-10 years of age...over 50 years ago. At the time my Father used to smoke 20 Woodbines a day, and the cane was used without a second thought in schools. There are countless examples of areas where people would not question things, either because at the time they were considered quite O.K. or the true facts were hidden from the public domain. This still happens...

In my former home City of Bristol certain civic representatives keep going on about the slave trade, for which Bristol has a tarnished/sordid past. It happened a long time ago and there is little that can be done about it, other than to learn lessons and move on.

Circuses were a part of everyday life and in this respect I see them as something that could be represented on a layout depicting a certain era. Many shunters working with their long poles met with accidents/fatalities, yet a shunters truck on a layout is indicative of a certain time on the railways.
So Agrippa, thank you for raising our awareness of how some circus animals were treated. Now then, Oxford diecast...

I'm surprised that the game of darts hasn't been banned 

Best regards,


Joe

Next week's planned new item deliveries are:-

NAEC002    AEC Matador with crane - Pickfords
NBL006      Bristol Lodekka LD bus - Eastern National
NDEF008    Land Rover Defender LWB Hard Top - Network Rail