Oxford Diecast - 2016 deliveries and announcements

[woodbury22uk]

Yesterday at TINGS I bought the DMToys special edition  SP114 Scania fire engine in German Feuerwehr livery. Seems well executed to me, but lacks the hose reel at the rear which is present on the real thing, as in this example:-

http://www.firetruck-photos.net/images/pf-fire-truck/37460.jpg

[mr bachmann]

I notice the full page add for Oxford in the latest Hornby mag shows no 1-148 realises .

[Bornin1980something]

Relax. The range is vast. It doesn't mean they have abandoned us.

[woodbury22uk]

Relax. The range is vast. It doesn't mean they have abandoned us.

Over 40 unreleased items still on the list to come, so no shortage of new items, plus more planned new castings being announced at the beginning of October.

Oxford's advertising in railway magazines seems to be tailored to the typical readership, so not all get diecast in the ads let alone N road vehicles.

[Ian Bowden]

I notice the full page add for Oxford in the latest Hornby mag shows no 1-148 realises .

The readers of the Hornby Magazine will be all Orribly Oversize enthusiast. The true path to enlightenment has not yet been shown to them

[Bornin1980something]

I notice the full page add for Oxford in the latest Hornby mag shows no 1-148 realises .

The readers of the Hornby Magazine will be all Orribly Oversize enthusiast. The true path to enlightenment has not yet been shown to them

That's what I assumed that first, from the title. However, from what I have actually seen of Hornby magazine (though a little while ago), it is far more comprehensive than just Hornby products. In fact, it appears to be quite unrelated to Hornby itself (the logo typeface is different). I don't know what trademark issues are at play here, but it seems to have chosen the title because, to the casual observer, the name Hornby is synonymous with model railways. It is true that it is predominantly covers 00, but that seems to be true of most magazines, with Railway Modellers more comprehensive coverage a bit of an exception.

As for Hornby itself, I don't think there was ever been a company which provided such a comprehensive route into railway modelling, with all products types covered, in our scale. I really hope Hornby re-enters the N Gauge market gain some day, at least with affordable products! That said, some of the Lyddle End products appeared to be reappearing at DM Toys in Germany, under the Arnold Brand.

[woodbury22uk]

One item being released to retailers now:-

NUT006      Guy Arab Utility bus - Ribble

[Newportnobby]

One item being released to retailers now:-

NUT006      Guy Arab Utility bus - Ribble

Or as Jonathan Woss or Blackadder would say - "Wibble"

[woodbury22uk]

I have edited message #64 to include 2 items appearing in the catalogue but not officially announced by Oxford Diecast. They will be in the next batch of new announcements.

NAEC014 AEC Matador Wrecker - Southdown Q4/2016
NPB008 Commer PB van - Royal Mail Q4/2016

[Bornin1980something]

Back to some earlier discussions, here are some miniskirts;

http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=PR79037&style=&strType=&Mcode=Preiser+79037

And some hotpants:

http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=PR79075&style=&strType=&Mcode=Preiser+79075

On a decade by decade basis pre 1970 the Oxford range looks OK if only it wasn't for some of the really obscure choices in the cars. We sometimes forget that road vehicles survive across 2 and sometimes more decades, but a streetful of big Jaguars, Jowett Javelins, and Morris Minors is more old vehicle rally than mainstream 1970s traffic. Add a worn out Anglia, VW Beetle, Mini, another Morris 1000, Humber estate, Morris Traveller, some Daimlers and a 2CV and that is the whole car range out on the road.

The DJM initiative and NGS possibilties will hopefully start to bridge the 1970s onwards gap.

Sadly, not many cars last two decades. In fact, I suspect that today the lifespan of a typical car is a lot shorter than it once was. The 2010 scrappage scheme, in particular, almost wiped out many vehicles from the 80s and early 90s. It certainly changed range of vehicles on the road quite rapidly. My family exchanged (and in my view, lost) a 1993 Toyota Previa, after 16 years and 170,000 miles. All cars exchanged through the scrappage scheme were destroyed. I sincerely hope we don't see another one!

More unusual and fancy cars, however, are more likely to be preserved. I think Oxford's choice in the prototypes, at least in their more recent releases, has been largely influenced by the longevity of the prototypes. For instance, the Volkswagen camper van is still very common in the summer months, with many examples over 40 years old. It is true that most surviving 'bay window' vans are actually of the later generation with high up front indicators, although the differences are not that noticeable in N.

I once spoke to the head of P&D Marsh, and asked directly why most model companies don't release up-to-date road vehicles, instead concentrating on 50s and 60s era classics. His reply was that such vehicles can technically be used on any layout built after the prototypes were launched, up to and including present-day layouts. In other words, for post-war vehicles, the older prototype is, the more potential customers! I suppose the watershed for popularity, at least in the eyes of traditionally thinking manufacturers, is if something is suitable for a steam age layout, hence the falloff in available models for the post-1970 period. Modern image only layouts are assumed to be in a minority, and if the modern image modellers can be forced to buy older vehicles, the layouts don't look very realistic, but the manufacturer makes more profit on one batch!

One item being released to retailers now:-

NUT006      Guy Arab Utility bus - Ribble

This may be a bit of a dilemma for me. Since my layout depicts preservation in the Lake District, I have collected Ribble liveried buses. Of the utility buses, however, I understand they were made of poor materials (the best materials being reserved for the war effort), and very few have survived. I did an Internet search, and all I could find was one preserved, a former London bus. Is it remotely realistic that someone could have preserved a utility bus from a small operator?

[javlinfaw7]

This one from a small Scottish operator and at least one ex Edinburgh example ,though rebodied are preserved in Dunfermline

[woodbury22uk]

Of the utility buses, however, I understand they were made of poor materials (the best materials being reserved for the war effort), and very few have survived. I did an Internet search, and all I could find was one preserved, a former London bus. Is it remotely realistic that someone could have preserved a utility bus from a small operator?

From memory there are several double deck Utility buses preserved and on display at Museum days at Brooklands (London G351- HGC130 ) and Lathalmond (Aberdeen 155 - BRS 37), and on running days where a Huddersfield lowbridge Daimler CCX777) and a highbridge Northampton Daimler (vv8934) offer rides. There are also Bedford OWB single deckers in running order and in regular use.

[gc4946]

Of the utility buses, however, I understand they were made of poor materials (the best materials being reserved for the war effort), and very few have survived. I did an Internet search, and all I could find was one preserved, a former London bus. Is it remotely realistic that someone could have preserved a utility bus from a small operator?

From memory there are several double deck Utility buses preserved and on display at Museum days at Brooklands (London G351- HGC130 ) and Lathalmond (Aberdeen 155 - BRS 37), and on running days where a Huddersfield lowbridge Daimler CCX777) and a highbridge Northampton Daimler (vv8934) offer rides. There are also Bedford OWB single deckers in running order and in regular use.

A Ribble utility Guy Arab survives, preserved at Freckleton:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ian_simpson/4626830523

[Bornin1980something]

^ Under restoration, I presume? Still, the simplicity of the utility bus should make it easy to recreate the body, with better materials! BTW, were any Bedford OWBs preserved. I know I'm odd, but I actually like utterly utilitarian vehicles.

[gc4946]

Several Bedford OWBs are preserved including Portsmouth Corporation's 170 (CTP 200) https://www.flickr.com/photos/26024754@N07/19354596543

having said that it has a replica body made from parts from a joint venture with Ulsterbus, who were also restoring an identical vehicle.

Poor quality materials for the bodywork was a factor in relatively few original utility bodies surviving to this day.