Accurascale announce EE type 4, TOPS class 50

[Bigmet]

Not a great surprise, following the Brush type 2 (30/31), as both the existing models of these two have always attracted comment on significant errors in appearance: and none of Bach, Cavalex, Dapol, Hattons, Heljan, Kernow, Rails of Sheffield, Rapido, SLW, OUTCAA; have so far made a move.

(There cannot be much more in the BR diesel traction fleet mainstream for a competitor to take a punt on an all new 'betterer than ever than anything before' model surely?)

[centenary]

Not a great surprise, following the Brush type 2 (30/31), as both the existing models of these two have always attracted comment on significant errors in appearance: and none of Bach, Cavalex, Dapol, Hattons, Heljan, Kernow, Rails of Sheffield, Rapido, SLW, OUTCAA; have so far made a move.

(There cannot be much more in the BR diesel traction fleet mainstream for a competitor to take a punt on an all new 'betterer than ever than anything before' model surely?)

Yet still no one takes on Hornby with the Class 43 HST power cars.

[Bigmet]

Yet still no one takes on Hornby with the Class 43 HST power cars.

If the HST power cars were offered 'stand alone', would they prove commercially successful'? That seems the crucial question to me.

Personally, I believe that several mk3 toolings would be required as a minimum, so that a representative formation in a matching livery is available: and this means a large investment, which then requires the prospect of successfully 'churning' the tooling in a great many livery variations to be sure of getting into profit

Which brings us to the lurking threat of Hornby's banked research. (Let's assume that Hornby have done this.) Their past employees were able to photograph, measure and characterise any number of now 'vanished' HST vehicle forms, both configurations and liveries. Any competitor is playing catch up there, with not a lot of truly original prototype to examine; because these have been improved, refurbished and rebranded, who knows how many times?

[centenary]

Yet still no one takes on Hornby with the Class 43 HST power cars.

If the HST power cars were offered 'stand alone', would they prove commercially successful'? That seems the crucial question to me.

Personally, I believe that several mk3 toolings would be required as a minimum, so that a representative formation in a matching livery is available: and this means a large investment, which then requires the prospect of successfully 'churning' the tooling in a great many livery variations to be sure of getting into profit

Which brings us to the lurking threat of Hornby's banked research. (Let's assume that Hornby have done this.) Their past employees were able to photograph, measure and characterise any number of now 'vanished' HST vehicle forms, both configurations and liveries. Any competitor is playing catch up there, with not a lot of truly original prototype to examine; because these have been improved, refurbished and rebranded, who knows how many times?

How would producing several mark 3 toolings be any different from the multiple versions of new 37s or even class 50s produced by Bachmann and Accurascale for their latest releases?

Im not convinced Hornby banked research should be an issue either. There are still a number of HSTs available to take scans of, even plans and photos to take infor abailable from.

A competitor manufacturer may be playing catch up but, build it and they will buy also springs to mind especially if they can improve detail and price etc.

[Bigmet]

...How would producing several mark 3 toolings be any different from the multiple versions of new 37s or even class 50s produced by Bachmann and Accurascale for their latest releases?...

Look at the price that locos sell for, compared to rolling stock; that's why the various competitors to Bachmann and Hornby major on traction, it's the way to most quickly get the necessary return on the tooling investment, to keep the new business viable. Especially juicy, the fad for sound, which enables a 30% premium on price for no additional assembly work: inserting a blanking plug or one of two decoder options, same job. (Notice that manufacturers are now installing speakers routinely on new traction introductions. whether or not they are to be sold as DCC ready, fitted or sound; that's the mark that this element is vanishingly cheap to do.)

It was made clear years ago that the cost of the mechanism was about 10% of the cost of the visible modelled parts with which the mechanism is 'clothed' to produce the complete traction model. (That's why current traction doesn't use a 'near enough' mechanism as in the past, but each model gets an accurate mechanism.) This 'bites' very hard on coaches which have elaborate liveries; these require multiple tampo print applications, costly in all of research, design, tooling; and then in reject rate at the decoration stage. Why produce such things when much the same cost for a modelled exterior, but with a mechanism inside, offers much better profit margin? Let's make a? ... another loco...

...I'm not convinced Hornby banked research should be an issue either. There are still a number of HSTs available to take scans of, even plans and photos to take info ... from...

I do hope you are right. I would very much like a 'current standard' model of a complete 225 (first choice) or 125 set, as operating on the ECML in the first GNER livery. But the prospects of seeing either of these produced look vanishingly slim to me.

[Boksonay]

Fitting a Stay Alive, twin speakers and advanced PCB's adds -a lot- relatively to the cost of a model, the difference is between 10-20% depending on the model between a 'sound ready' and 'nothing on board' model, and the wholesale OEM cost of an ESU lok5 is freely available. Margins on a sound model are pretty much identical to that of a ready one, and you have the additional R&D, sound file recording and editing and programming cost to factor.