Hattons P and Barclay, two small locos

[D605Eagle]

Hornby have a great tool for indicating what will sell. Its called ebay. When Bachmann produced the C class in SECR livery the prices went nuts, so Bachmann did another run. They didn't sell them cheaply at all and the prices are still nuts. Hornby have completely lost the plot when it comes to what sells and what won't. When Bachmann stated that it wouldn't invest in a new chassis or body for the Lord Nelson class because it was always a very poor seller, Hornby producing a whole new model is a clear indication that they don't listen to anybody.
Hattons have proved that you can get models quickly if you want them, Hornby just don't have an excuse. If their contract is crap with the manufacturers, then they need to sort that out asap.

[Bufferstop]

Perhaps their Chairman should start talking to himself if he needs a company with access to a plant in China

[D605Eagle]

Perhaps their Chairman should start talking to himself if he needs a company with access to a plant in China

I hope they do because it would be a crying shame if they disappeared. Hopefully they can also address their rather appalling quality control issues and even more so customer care issues.

[Bigmet]

Ah, I see that Hattons expect to be sending out the P from next Monday. I am going to guess that this will quickly lead to a torrent of demand for a Terrier to the same standard, when owners of the Dapol/Hornby item make the comparison to this newly tooled closely related specimen.

...When Bachmann stated that it wouldn't invest in a new chassis or body for the Lord Nelson class because it was always a very poor seller, Hornby producing a whole new model is a clear indication that they don't listen to anybody...

Yeah, but! There is a core of Hornby purchasers who really don't want product by any other manufacturer, and will buy a very wide selection of what Hornby make. I don't believe Bachmann have a following quite like that. And the Lord Nelson is 'in territory' for those living South of the Thames, and there does seem to be some Southern regionality in the Hornby followers club too...

[D605Eagle]

Times have changed too. Southern region is very much "in vogue" at the moment, whereas 20 odd years ago it very much wasn't.

[Pennine MC]

With Hornby and Oxford sharing a Chairman, which combination of name and company is most likely to survive? I can't see much purpose to maintaining the organisation in Kent.

No reason for either to disappear, many firms share a chairman.
.

I rather think it would be suicidal to abandon the Hornby name, with all its positive associations (outside of the more specialised knowledge that we hold).

[GWR_fan]

Would be like the Chrysler Corporation with brandnames like Plymouth, Jeep and Dodge, all under the same board. Daimler at one time was under the same umbrella.

[Bigmet]

... Hattons expect to be sending out the P from next Monday. I am going to guess that this will quickly lead to a torrent of demand for a Terrier to the same standard, when owners of the Dapol/Hornby item make the comparison to this newly tooled closely related specimen.

And out they went to customers from last Monday, and the reaction I have seen has been positive.
And comparisons to Dapol/Hornby Terriers have resulted in the expected 'clunky' and 'overheight' comments.
And Dapol have volunteered to be the manufacturer of a new OO Terrier, slightly toxic chalice though it may be.
And that's despite needing to release another OO model, the SR class B4, B4 Hattons' Barclay steals lots of 0-4-0T sales.

[Bigmet]

A friend's plain black BR liveried example was demonstrated on his layout yesterday evening. All very positive indeed. I won't pretend to have a drawing, but it certainly looks the part, well proportioned compared to photos. Ran sweetly and quietly on his DC layout with Morley controllers, will certainly move the maximum load these rather feeble machines were and are limited to in reality. The detail and construction all well up to current standard, so overall right up there as one of the best 0-6-0T shunters available in RTR OO. If it was an appropriate loco for my chosen modelling location it would be an automatic purchase.

Even without a pretty livery it looked very appealing, so it should be a straight win for Hattons in subject choice and execution in model form. If it wins the sales it should (and Hattons have the data to know very well if it is fully competitive with similar products that they retail) then this could see Hattons permanently entering the manufacturer slot alongside their retail activity.

[Bufferstop]

A box in the post today, here it is Hatton' Andrew Barclay "Katie", I'm off to play, no more sense from me today, old, small and quirky fits my preference profile totally.

[Bigmet]

I am sure we will enjoy the report once it has been properly played with thoroughly evaluated.

That's two really good 0-4-0T industrials available (well almost, the second run of Hornby's Pecketts are due in the summer) I wonder how many more small steam industrial types there may be a market for?

[Bufferstop]

Well it's been well played with, just four items not already fitted, two coupling hooks and two brake hoses. Looks like the hooks minus chains will fit even with couplers fitted. Running is silky smooth, no trouble dragging the Peckett dead when I pushed a coach a bit too far into the shed. That'll do me for haulage. If you fit the BK mod to your tensionlocks you'll want to change the steel hooks for alloy ones, or leave them off like I do. How many small 0-4-0s will the market stand? I reckon there will always be a market for a couple. Little shunting layout, no problem with stalling on the points, when they are this well made, or just a private siding, there were quite a few that retained their steam shunter beyond the end of mainline steam.

[Bigmet]

That's all very positive. I feel this was a good choice of subject as it is visually that bit different from anything else in RTR OO. With locos this small even the miniature tension lock couplers start to look enormous. Are you tempted to go for the 'wire goalpost' as an alternative to just the tension lock loop? That can be very discreet indeed.

Endless mineral extraction, industrial, civil and RN dockyard (cameo) layout potential with these small 0-4-0Ts. I feel that a really small industrial 0-6-0T would fly, of much the same size as the J70 announced by MR, but as a conventional loco; such as the Manning Wardle announced by DJM.

On the subject of Hattons, this now looks like a solid 2/2 for successful OO loco models produced wholly under their own brand, rather than by commission from other manufacturers. Wonder where they will look next? I don't imagine much will happen in OO under their own brand until the O gauge Gresley pacifics and coaches are close to, or on sale, because that must be absorbing a lot of effort as a much more ambitious programme.

[Bufferstop]

The commissioning of models by retailer/distributor (the distinction is disappearing) puts the role of the major manufacturers in a different light. Hornby found itself becoming a distributor of scale models despite it's roots in the toy trade, and has at times suffered from a lack of clarity of vision because of that. I formed the opinion that some of their management simply didn't understand the model trade. Bachmann on the other hand is a maker of models rather than toys, probably the influence of the US market. I can see that both will move more towards short batches of specific models rather than a continuously available range. Was this just an illusion supported by the retailers' willingness to hold stocks?

[luckymucklebackit]

One aspect of the model retail market that confounds me is the ability of the Warhammer/Games Workshop chain to maintain outlets in high rent areas of town and city Centres, locally they have shops in Union Street in Glasgow and in East Kilbride town centre. I had a look on-line to see how it is possible for them to succeed where model railway shops fail, after all they don't ever seem to be busy at any time. It appears that it is all about vertical control of their concept, they have the market sewn up and rigorously defend their intellectual property from manufacture through to retail. T doubt if the model railway industry will ever waken up to this concept.

Jim