Planet Industrials, new RTR OO 0--6-0T industrial loco

[Bigmet]

https://planetindustrials.co.uk/

That answers my question whether the tidal wave of new RTR OO manufacturer has ceased!

[Bufferstop]

Interesting to see that smaller commissioners (PI may actually be manufacturers) are matching the pricing of the big boys. I'll leave you to decide whether or not the bigboys are hanging on to the extra profit from larger runs.

[Mike Parkes]

Monies made from larger / longer production runs fund R&D. There will also be an element of pricing to match the market.

[Bigmet]

Interesting to see that smaller commissioners (PI may actually be manufacturers) are matching the pricing of the big boys. I'll leave you to decide whether or not the big boys are hanging on to the extra profit from larger runs.

Need to see their new product delivered first before making that comparison. Not long ago seen an individual grossly underestimate the cost of sustaining a model railway products business, ran out of money.

[Bufferstop]

Had some rather unconventional designs too, if it's the guy I'm thinking of not to mention some peculiar idea of producing one model to which he wasn't fully committed to finance one in a different scale that he wanted to do but couldn't generate enough customer demand. There's usually a very good reason why business people go about doing things in a particular way, it's called profit.

[Bigmet]

Monies made from larger / longer production runs fund R&D. There will also be an element of pricing to match the market.

This is true, but there's more yet. While it is generally advantageous to be a larger business, there's a lot more activity that has to be very carefully managed if it is not to start eating into return on investment, when compared to 'Newstart Models', with its current huge two product range. Hornby in particular will have a rather large number of product lines. The tooling for all these has to be stored somewhere and managed by someone, and then there's the post sales support to cover for all of it as well. Just how committed are Newstart to the messy business of supporting a customer not only immediately, but five years hence? Will they still even be in business, and if not will another business have picked up the products? (This is not hypothetical, in the past ten years Ixion (N) Vitrains, DJM (OO) LLC (O) and Hattons (OO and O) have all arrived with RTR offerings and departed the scene.)

And when it comes to manufacturing from existing tooling, is all of it truly as profitable as it needs to be? Or are there some items that end up being manufactured or procured, because they are 'essential' for the loyal customers who are committed to the brand, despite marginal profitability. Just breaking even on such activity, when the business needs profit contribution from all employee activity can quickly add up to a dwindling return, and dilution of the expected ROI and thus profitability...

[Bigmet]

And having seen that the price for Planet industrials' Kerr Stuart 'Victory' 0-6-0T is now very reasonable, I ventured a purchase last week and have been putting it thorugh its paces.
Looks good, runs very sweetly, has adequate weight for traction, mechanism design and construction is sound. Assessment in summary, altogether good, and were this outfit to produce anything further in RTR OO that fitted my modelling interest I would purchase without hesitation. (Its only real use in my operation is in a freight drag: on its way to being cut up in the late 1950s, rods removed, dented and rusty and looking very sad.)

[Bigmet]

Two months in and my approbation of this item is unchanged, it's a lovely model in all respects. Anyone wanting a medium sized 'industrial' 0-6-0T from a private builder, this is as good as it gets amongst the present selection; just cries out for some detailing, a little filth, and a happy crew, I think a rather portly guy looking contented as driver, and his skinny mate sometimes firing, filling the side tanks, coaling up; much of the time running around attending to couplings and setting points.

It has a new Zimo Next18 decoder installed which as usual from this brand delivers excellent control. Gets warmer than the previous Next18 decoder from this brand, apparently I can cool it by shutting off Railcom, something I have never needed to do previously, and will doubtless first require an exploration of the copious Zimo decoder documentation to accomplish...

And a neat feature among the packaging, a deal for custom plates: the temptation to name the model for my wife - following custom here, the owner's female family members often found their names on locos - but which name to choose? The one she likes, or the rather old fashioned one she wishes her late parents hadn't bothered with? See, the latter rather suits the date of construction of the prototype.

[Dad-1]

Naming ?
Dangerous waters there Bigmet !!

Geoff T

[Phred]

Bigmet wrote:
which name to choose? The one she likes, or the rather old fashioned one she wishes her late parents hadn't bothered with?

I dare not venture an opinion.

[glencairn]

And a neat feature among the packaging, a deal for custom plates: the temptation to name the model for my wife - following custom here, the owner's female family members often found their names on locos - but which name to choose? The one she likes, or the rather old fashioned one she wishes her late parents hadn't bothered with? See, the latter rather suits the date of construction of the prototype.

Her maiden name. Works for me.

Glencairn

[SRman]

I succumbed and bought one of these locomotives from Rails. I chose a black one with the intention of painting some blue on it, and numbering and naming it in line with my fictitious industrial fleet.

This is now No. 73 "Bethany". I may add some lining later, and the finish is too glossy at present, and will be toed down a bit in weeks to come.

Running is very smooth and controllable, but it does grind a bit in reverse (no effect on the running qualities though).

[Lysander]

I very recently purchased a Victory and have a set of etched brass riveted tank overlays on order, together with absorbed '666' GWR plates, to recreate one of the locos taken into GWR stock from the Alexandra [Newport and South Wales] Docks and Railway.

Tony