Too much detail...?

[NeMo]

I wouldn't mind paying a bit more for ... an end to dry-soldered joints.

Amen to that, brother!

Really annoying having Dapol steam locomotives that depend upon flimsy bits of wire soldered onto the moving bits of metal that connect locomotive with its tender. Either use robust wire properly clamped into place (like the Union Mills locos) or else something that disconnects if the locomotive takes a tumble or otherwise gets jolted. Indeed, even casual use seems calculated to wear these wretched joints out!

Cheers, NeMo

[kirky]

I think Adam makes a valid point.
What surprises me though is that the big manufacturers often play fair, at least with the customer (ot; who can say what it is like to be a worker in one of the Chinese factories?). What surprises me is that the 'bag of bits' is a freebie. I would have thought a more enterprising (or exploitative, depending on your POV) concern would charge us for the 'bag of bits'. And in fact if they are making several versions of the same vehicle I don't know why they didn't just try and design it so that the purchaser bought from a selection of different bags of bits. That way the purchaser only has to have the bag they need, and those that aren't bothered don't buy anything.
I guess it's all down to economies of scale in the end.
Just my 2p.

Kirky

[Bob Tidbury]

When the Farish thunder birds came out Terry Henson and myself spent quite a lot of time cutting of a small amount of the overlong sand pipes as they actualy touched the rails causing a short or de railing the Locos now these were a piece of black wire that really couldn't be seen so not really worth while,And yet they still had moulded cooling fans that everyone could see , why not forget the sand pipes but put  see through grills with visible fans?...I took this point up with Graham Hubbard  his answer was cost but at the same time it must have cost to put the pipes on. Which would you have preferred.

[Papyrus]

Bachmann have posted some images of the new Southern Railway 12T Ventilated Van, which looks most impressive.

http://www.bachmann.co.uk/details.php?id=194

Typical, just as I've finished a complete rake of them from NGS kits!! 

Pictures also in the latest "Bachmann Times", a copy of which I received yesterday along with a copy of the 2014 catalogue...

But surely you gained more satisfaction and enjoyment out of building the kits, and being able to say "I made those", than just buying them from a shop ready made?

Chris

[PLD]

I am probably going to be shot down in flames here but is this level of perfection needed for a small N Gauge wagon? The chassis is gorgeous, of course, with lots of separate components, which will need expensive manual assembly but is it necessary?

If we want N-gauge to be taken seriously be other modellers, many of whom still regard N-gauge as crude toys, this level of detail is absolutely necessary... As far as is pratical, the gap in level of detail between N and 00 RTR models should be closed (by improving the N gauge models and not by a 'design clever' downgrade of the 00 models...)

In fact the SR vans that prompted the OP are clever models. - From two bodies and 2 chassis, they  can produce 4 distinct variations.

Considering the time and effort that goes into the design of a wagon or coach they are fantastically cheap! Many modellers have become used to 'cheap and cheerful' and have unrealistic expectations of the value of a decent model. If you allowed a fair amount for your time, you couldn't scratch built anything remotely close for the cost...

[talisman56]

Bachmann have posted some images of the new Southern Railway 12T Ventilated Van, which looks most impressive.

http://www.bachmann.co.uk/details.php?id=194

Typical, just as I've finished a complete rake of them from NGS kits!! 

Pictures also in the latest "Bachmann Times", a copy of which I received yesterday along with a copy of the 2014 catalogue...

But surely you gained more satisfaction and enjoyment out of building the kits, and being able to say "I made those", than just buying them from a shop ready made?

Chris

Of course... I was just going with the perennial theme of a manufacturer bringing out a RTR version of something that has taken time and effort to kit-/scratch-build...

[talisman56]

In fact the SR vans that prompted the OP are clever models. - From two bodies and 2 chassis, they  can produce 4 distinct variations.

All Farish need to do is produce the later plywood side version as well...

[BernardTPM]

The chassis they have chosen to do (10' w.b. 4-shoe Morton type) is a fairly 'bog standard' kind of chassis that wouldn't look out of place under a whole range of wagons, including non-SR ones. I doubt they've moulded 'SR' on the axleboxes, so they may be planning using some of the parts on other future types.

The recent LNER wagons were more interesting in depicting the LNER 8-shoe brakes which hitherto have not been available other than as 2mm Assoc. etches.

[BobB]

I suppose the level of detail verses price and verses reliability and verses cost will always vary between different modelers and different layout styles. (A long continuous run needs less detail than a minimum space shunting layout.

If the consumer base was big enough to support extremes and those of us (the majority ?) in between then we have to accept that we will never all be satisfied or nearly so. For UK outline modelers, lets face it - there are not enough of us to support a variety of manufacturers to know, let alone satisfy, our compromised demands.

By all means let the debate continue but do not be surprised if a resolution is not accepted.

[Newportnobby]

A long continuous run needs less detail than a minimum space shunting layout.

Sorry, Bob, but I think that is a bit of a sweeping statement and it's very much dependent on what sort of continuous run is modelled

By all means let the debate continue but do not be surprised if a resolution is not accepted.

I entirely agree with you and, to be honest, I believe a resolution will be impossible as we all have our own take on detail v price v longevity

[Sprintex]

A long continuous run needs less detail than a minimum space shunting layout.

Sorry, Bob, but I think that is a bit of a sweeping statement and it's very much dependent on what sort of continuous run is modelled

I agree completely, especially being one of many on here who are in the process of building exactly that - a highly detailed continuous run layout


Paul

[Caz]

A long continuous run needs less detail than a minimum space shunting layout.

Sorry, Bob, but I think that is a bit of a sweeping statement and it's very much dependent on what sort of continuous run is modelled

I agree completely, especially being one of many on here who are in the process of building exactly that - a highly detailed continuous run layout


Paul

Likewise here, although mine has an out and back as well, I am trying to detail it as much as I can so it doesn't look like a train set.   

[red_death]

There is always a balance between detail and price. Hattons have the estimated price for these vans at £10 - is that excessive? I honestly don't know, though I think in general it is probably around the price we will have to get used to for 4 wheel wagons.

I suppose the real question is - how much of a saving would a reduction of the detail make?

I'm sure there are cases where some parts can be moulded as one piece rather than separate parts, but I'd be loathe to see too much "dumbing down".  Its taken a long time for modellers to take N as seriously as OO and it would be a crying shame to see that lost.

Cheers, Mike

[Bealman]

Responding to PLD's post, is it that important that other modellers take N gauge seriously? I'm an N gauge modeller and this is a forum dedicated to such.

I don't care what modellers in other scales think, and I have stated many times here that I find 00 gauge models look like plastic toys.

Grunt. 

[Agrippa]

Yeah, I think that's the right approach. I don't see the point in worrying about other modellers
taking or not taking N gauge seriously , after all they're unlikely to switch gauges one way or
the other. I'm not sure about the toy like appearance of 00 gauge though , especially when you see
some European models by Bemo, HAG etc. I think it's what you become accustomed to looking at.
Possibly some  Z gauge modellers make disparaging remarks about N !