DJModels Ltd Press release - 18th October 2015

[koyli55002]

After several unsuccessful attempts to scratch build one, then I've learned to do so !

[MacRat]

Just found that Artwork for Mermaid has been posted on RMweb a few days ago: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/110632-djmodels-n-gauge-mermaid-ep1-sample/page-2#entry2376011

You're invited to comment.

[woodbury22uk]

Photos of pre-production livery samples for the Mermaid have been posted on RMWeb.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/110632-djmodels-n-gauge-mermaid-ep1-sample/page-3

[Newportnobby]

Thanks Mike. The detailing looks superb.
Now the long wait for a weathered version (sigh)

[Les1952]

Announcement from Dave Jones this morning.

The Class 17 Clayton is going into tooling next week, with the 23 following it, then the J94 in N.

Also confirmed for tooling is the crowdfunded Class 92 as enough people have committed themselves to it in both N and OO.

Target for the 17 on sale is by Perth Show next year - and no price hike planned for the first run of the model despite the fall in the value of the pound.

Les

[Portpatrick]

Announcement from Dave Jones this morning.

The Class 17 Clayton is going into tooling next week, with the 23 following it, then the J94 in N.

Also confirmed for tooling is the crowdfunded Class 92 as enough people have committed themselves to it in both N and OO.

Target for the 17 on sale is by Perth Show next year - and no price hike planned for the first run of the model despite the fall in the value of the pound.

Les


Wow.  That is brilliant news.

[woodbury22uk]

Maybe I read too much into what people write but from RMWeb's search engine I found the DJModels end of year report for 2015 published on 31 December 2015. Just a short quote reveals:- "I also approved for tooling to commence on the N gauge Class 17, 23 and J94 (in that order) an was expecting the Class 17 EP before 2015 end (first EP).However like all factories in the lead up to Christmas, you get bumped down the list for tool room time and production too, and this has duly happened to both the Wagons and Class 17."

Then from 26 November 2016 we have direct from DJM again:- "Despite several false starts, I can confirm that the class 17 at last gets tool time starting sometime this week."

So the impression given almost 12 months ago was that tooling had been due to commence on the Class 17 in N gauge, but got bumped down the list. Turns out it was a very big bump and presumably unrelated to Christmas 2015 peak workload alone at the factory. Hopefully it will actually go into tooling this week.

I have a great deal of admiration for people who put their money behind their ideas, and David Jones falls into that category. I also understand that projects can slip, as did one of mine back in 2008 when a serious case of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome immobilised both wrists for 6 months. At the time I announced that to all my subscribers, publicly and individually by e-mail, although no money had been taken from any of them. For me the key to credibility is not to oversell ideas and progress, and to be open and explicit when problems and delays occur. Delivering "bad news" is as much a part of project management as promoting success.

So for the folk who have earlier expressed concern (on the Class 92 thread) about the delay to the Class 17 I can sympathise with them, and empathise too having placed my own "expression of interest" back in 2013.

[Bornin1980something]

I have put in an expression for the Clayton, but my real interest is in the Hudswell Clarke. I model a preserved line, and all preserved lines have some industrial locomotives. I meant, why do the J94 first? I already have one!

[Karhedron]

Shame the GWR Mogul is not progressing at the moment. With the Peco Collett now out of production for quite a while, the GWR has nothing in the small tender engine category. The LMS has the Ivatt 2MT and 4F. The Southern have the N Class Mogul. The LNER have the J39. The GWR is missing a "maid of all work".

[zwilnik]

Shame the GWR Mogul is not progressing at the moment. With the Peco Collett now out of production for quite a while, the GWR has nothing in the small tender engine category. The LMS has the Ivatt 2MT and 4F. The Southern have the N Class Mogul. The LNER have the J39. The GWR is missing a "maid of all work".

The Union Mills Dean Goods and Dukedog are rather handy. They're even pretty once detailed up a bit.

Would always be good to have more GWR locos though (as long as they're not old Dapol flawed engineering design style)

[Bornin1980something]

^Exactly, why does everyone talk as if Union Mills didn't exist? It is only a phone call away.

[NeMo]

^Exactly, why does everyone talk as if Union Mills didn't exist? It is only a phone call away.

I think it's more to do with fidelity. By modern standards, UM models aren't -- out of the box -- as detailed as the Farish, Dapol and Peco. UM models are nicely made and work well, but if you're "used" to really detailed modern models, they can come across as a bit toy-like. That said of course, if you're willing to get your hands dirty, there's lots you can do to improve them in all sorts of ways.

Cheers, NeMo

[zwilnik]

^Exactly, why does everyone talk as if Union Mills didn't exist? It is only a phone call away.

I think it's more to do with fidelity. By modern standards, UM models aren't -- out of the box -- as detailed as the Farish, Dapol and Peco. UM models are nicely made and work well, but if you're "used" to really detailed modern models, they can come across as a bit toy-like. That said of course, if you're willing to get your hands dirty, there's lots you can do to improve them in all sorts of ways.

Cheers, NeMo

The problem is, by the same modern standards, Dapol and Graham Farish models aren't -- out of the box -- reliable (or even running) as UM ones are. While they're certainly pretty and collectible, they're not exactly triumphs of modern engineering.

[NeMo]

The problem is, by the same modern standards, Dapol and Graham Farish models aren't -- out of the box -- reliable (or even running) as UM ones are. While they're certainly pretty and collectible, they're not exactly triumphs of modern engineering.

Depends what you mean by "triumphs of modern engineering". The motors are tiny, strong and capable of good slow-speed running. The locos are keep getting finer and more accurate working parts such as crankshafts and connecting rods. Overall they're modestly priced for what they are (in particular when you consider the quantities they're produced in for any given livery).

Without going back to the whole reliability thing endlessly debated here and on RMWeb, I'm looking forward to owning a DJM model (likely the Class 17 first) and establishing whether Dave J. manages to get closer to the perfect balance between price, performance and reliability. I hope so, because like others, I do get frustrated by irritating failures such as lights blowing on (in particular) my otherwise gorgeous Dapol locos.

Cheers, NeMo

[zwilnik]

The problem is, by the same modern standards, Dapol and Graham Farish models aren't -- out of the box -- reliable (or even running) as UM ones are. While they're certainly pretty and collectible, they're not exactly triumphs of modern engineering.

Depends what you mean by "triumphs of modern engineering". The motors are tiny, strong and capable of good slow-speed running. The locos are keep getting finer and more accurate working parts such as crankshafts and connecting rods. Overall they're modestly priced for what they are (in particular when you consider the quantities they're produced in for any given livery).

Without going back to the whole reliability thing endlessly debated here and on RMWeb, I'm looking forward to owning a DJM model (likely the Class 17 first) and establishing whether Dave J. manages to get closer to the perfect balance between price, performance and reliability. I hope so, because like others, I do get frustrated by irritating failures such as lights blowing on (in particular) my otherwise gorgeous Dapol locos.

Cheers, NeMo

Yup. the design flaws in the mainstream Dapol and (to a lesser degree) Farish models are the subject of many other threads, so to steer back onto subject..

I see the DJM models as an ideal opportunity for a new line of locos that actually factors in engineering design and avoids the flaws that Dave will have seen in his old job. Hopefully it's a case of learning from other people's past mistakes