Is this site in decline?

[End2end]

Be that as it may and steering back to course...
I've suggested it before but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.... how about another forum competition?
I'm sure that would increase interaction.
I know I've got projects that would qualify as an entry.
(I really need to get onto those unmade kits after 7 weeks, so far, of studio / life streamlining )
Just a thought.
Thanks
End2end

[Bufferstop]

As admin I see a slightly different perspective. There was a time a couple of years back when I was responding to 20 or so registration requests every day, at least half of which went in the bin and then half of which we accepted posted pretty much straight away. Today it's one or two a day and most make it then go on to post. So I can say we are still gaining active members, probably the same number as we did when we were getting 20 or so requests.
My own personal (rather than official) view is that the board has too many sleeping members and too many sections. I had to do something a few days ago that I hadn't done in months. I locked a thread (topic). Not for any banned or undesirable activity, it had simply wandered too far off the original subject. In that state it was in danger of being the host to unwanted posts. I think we have to live with the dormant members (they have a small positive effect on the ad revenue that offsets the cost of the support we get from New Modeller's Shop. Some other sites have a link to an older version, they do it because it became easier to create a new well organised site rather than one that has grown in complexity. It might be something we have to do But before we contemplate such action we need at least one more Mod and one more Admin.
The guidance on posting images is a little outdated as images hosted on the site are "content" and the advertisers like a site with content. So if you struggle to use third party hosting use the "Attachment" method, It's limited to five images per post and prefers images that have been cut down. A width of 1000 pixels seems to be a good compromise between fitting both the screen and the storage space.

John W (Bufferstop)

[Bigmet]

Having gone to look at Bachmann's spring 2023 announcement; if anything is in decline it's Bachmann UK.

No new OO product introductions of interest, only reissues. Compared to twenty years ago when there would be a slew of newly tooled era 3,4,5 OO steam locos, coaches and wagons, it's a desert; not even moving tumbleweed to add a little interest to the scene. I can see my orientation swinging around to accepting the return of kit/scratch building as a necessity...

[b308]

There has to be enough sales for them to justify the work involved in manufacturing a loco, perhaps 00 is reaching the saturation point where there are plenty of locos that could be modelled but the sales risks wouldn't justify the expense... hence they are currently branching out into 009 which as justified their expectations rather than 00 SG.

[Admin4]

Having gone to look at Bachmann's spring 2023 announcement; if anything is in decline it's Bachmann UK.

There are a few things in their current catalog that I would purchase if I could, but they are simply not available.

As I see it most new items are sold out before they hit the shelves anyway.

I just cannot be bothered with pre order or even email me when this is back in stock, if its not on the shelf I will do without.

[Bigmet]

There has to be enough sales for them to justify the work involved in manufacturing a loco, perhaps 00 is reaching the saturation point where there are plenty of locos that could be modelled but the sales risks wouldn't justify the expense... hence they are currently branching out into 009 which has justified their expectations rather than 00 SG.

I don't buy the 'OO SG saturated' proposition as this is just one brand among many, and 'the others' are showing no signs of retreat from the fray. (If they all go bust in the next two years, that will change my opinion.)

I believe Bachmann UK's problem with Kader, the parent business, is an expectation of the same margin on OO as achieved by their equivalent development and manufacturing cost HO products, and the UK market will not support the necessary retail price; thus Bachmann is limited to reruns of OO product from amortised tooling. At least much of their past product can support this, I am 'in' for their Thompson coaches in BR maroon - when they arrive...

[whufcfan]

We appear to be going of the subject of my original post, therefore it should be closed with immediate effect, never mind it has generated a lot of interest

[Admin4]

therefore it should be closed with immediate effect …

Be careful what you ask for, even in jest

[b308]

I don't buy the 'OO SG saturated' proposition as this is just one brand among many, and 'the others' are showing no signs of retreat from the fray.

I was saying that the "large sales" locos are now done, hence the "saturation" comment, there are lots of SG locos that could be modelled but would not sell in large enough numbers for the big guys to make it worth their while. Smaller manufacturers may find it worth their while, though. Both Bachmann and Hornby are branching out, though in different directions, that should tell us something about the state of play.

[Bufferstop]

We appear to be going of the subject of my original post, therefore it should be closed with immediate effect, never mind it has generated a lot of interest

The fact that it's wandered of course is maybe an indication that there's enough people reading it and commenting to prove it's not, whether they are on-topic or not is a different thing.

[whufcfan]

The fact that it's wandered of course is maybe an indication that there's enough people reading it and commenting to prove it's not, whether they are on-topic or not is a different thing.

Yeah, right

[Ken Shabby]

I've been a member here since 2009, and although I don't post as much as I used to, I do visit around 3 pr 4 times a week.
I'm also a member of the other place, but I've only posted a couple of times there and that was so long ago I've forgotten my log in details.
The other place is a gold mine of information, but it was a real shame when all the old pictures were lost, and I can now only access it on my phone and not my computer.
A long while ago I remember a chap posting on there that wagons were becoming quite expensive and the owner pounced on him in a needlessly aggressive way , and demanded If he was aware of production costs. This put me off posing on there.
Very few of my friends have a interest in railways, and the couple that are interested do not own a model railway, so If I wasn't posting on here I'd have no one to talk to about model railways.

Ken

[captrees]

If I wasn't posting on here I'd have no one to talk to about model railways.

Which probably goes for a lot of us here.

[End2end]

4 pages and 58 posts in 7 days.
I think the question has been answered now.
Thanks
End2end

[luckymucklebackit]

4 pages and 58 posts in 7 days.
I think the question has been answered now.
Thanks
End2end

If you build it, they will come!