Is Cooper-Craft dead?

[George Stein]

I have enjoyed the Cooper-Craft kits but they seem to have vanished from all the usual sources. While website is active, I see no evidence that the "company" itself is active. Their kits provide much of my GWR rolling stock. Any hope for C-C's return? So, what gives???

George
North Carolina

[Richard Lee]

On another forum (RMWeb) there has been a couple of threads about Coopercraft. I understand that it is discouraged to link to other forums, so I won't. Unless there are a lot of seriously mistaken people there, I wouldn't order from the Coopercraft website. There are allegations that people order (and pay for) plastic kits that they never receive. If you were in the UK then I would have suggested that you attend one of the shows that Coopercraft attends, but I suspect that wouldn't be practical for you. I don't feel comfortable repeating what is beyond my personal experience, but suggest that you consider doing a bit of digging around on the Internet.

EDIT: There is a company called "Powsides" that does other firms' plastic wagon kits with most of the painting done. I think that some of the painted kits they do include some of the Coopercraft ones. I have made some of their coal wagons up. The impression that I get, which includes my own experience, is that they are reliable, but that you might have to wait a few weeks for your order. They probably don't keep all the painted kits in stock, and so paint the kits whenever they receive an order.

[Mountain]

I had the impression that Coopercraft had been brought under the Peco umbrella for some years now or am I mistaken?

[b308]

Think you might be mixing them up with Parkside Dundas, Wills and Ratio and their plastic kits, Mountain, who were all Incorporated in the Peco fold.

If another forum has info on the situation, Richard, there's no reason why you shouldn't give a link, after all it's all about getting information and one forum on its own can't provide all of it! 45 pages to wade through, though from the last few pages it seems that it isn't worth bothering trying to buy anything from him!

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... ive/page-1

[Admin4]

EDIT: There is a company called "Powsides" that does other firms' plastic wagon kits with most of the painting done.

Thanks for the link, they look really interesting - off to have a nose

[Ex-Pat]

I was at the High Wycombe Exhibition last Saturday and saw the H & A Models (Higham Ferrers) stand.

They stock many wagon and coach kits including Ian Kirk coach kits. What surprised me was that I saw only "0" gauge and no "00" gauge coach kits.

I don't specifically recall seeing Cooper-Craft kits but perhaps they might hold what you need, or know what's going on?

[Bigmet]

I think it is fair to say it has been a deteriorating situation over some years, with a steadily reducing range of product actually available from the pretty large listing. The reliable way to buy has been at shows, because that way it is clear what is physically present. The proprieter's site still mentioned that his 'machine' was not working last time I looked, effectively preventing him making new stock, and that had been the status for quite a while. My reading of this: if's he got stock of a kit you can buy it, if he hasn't then most likely that kit has gone forever, because there is no production capability.

[Lysander]

They were excellent kits although one or two of the choices were a little difficult to understand [eg the GWR provender wagon - not modelled, I suspect, in any great volume by modellers].

Unfortunately, only eBay seems to be a regular source for these kits now, and prices have risen considerably. I no longer bother bidding.

Tony

[Mountain]

Think you might be mixing them up with Parkside Dundas, Wills and Ratio and their plastic kits, Mountain, who were all Incorporated in the Peco fold.

If another forum has info on the situation, Richard, there's no reason why you shouldn't give a link, after all it's all about getting information and one forum on its own can't provide all of it! 45 pages to wade through, though from the last few pages it seems that it isn't worth bothering trying to buy anything from him!

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... ive/page-1

It is Ratio I'm most likely confusing them with.

[rosenblad]

Unless there are a lot of seriously mistaken people there, I wouldn't order from the Coopercraft website. There are allegations that people order (and pay for) plastic kits that they never receive.

I ordered a couple of kits in February 2013, but the kits I paid for never arrived. Trying to get in touch with him was useless, so he just stole my money! Don't order from him!

[George Stein]

Thanks for the info. Confirms my fears. BTW, the Powsides site is well worth checking. Have ordered a number of items from them. The really helpful part is they identify which wagons from which manufacturer are appropriate for each set of the hundreds of PO decals. Looks like they plan to add decals/transfers for the Cambrian kits in future.

George
North Carolina

Again, thanks. It's hard to keep up on the gossip from this side of the pond.

[Mountain]

Unless there are a lot of seriously mistaken people there, I wouldn't order from the Coopercraft website. There are allegations that people order (and pay for) plastic kits that they never receive.

I ordered a couple of kits in February 2013, but the kits I paid for never arrived. Trying to get in touch with him was useless, so he just stole my money! Don't order from him!

It is really sad when things like this take place. You are correct if you say it is theft, but this is a problem where if one sent a cheque it would need to be physically cashed but electronic means of transfer is instant, so if a person is not present at the other end to override the payment for the order, then it is not repaid.
I'm thinking it could be a mental issue where the owner can't cope with life and has chosen to ignore the business when things have gone wrong. The first thing that should have been done is a way found to block all new incoming orders until the business is up and running again.

One form of protection is to never ever order anything over the internet unless the site has a postal address (Not a P.O. box number!) where one can physically go when things go wrong. I understand it may not be worth travelling to sort things out, but it is a back up when things go astray.
Phone orders through via credit or debit card or better still, send a cheque. Credit and debit cards are normally backed up by a guarantee if things go wrong. Physical payments like a cheque or postal order can be photocopied as proof and need to be physically cashed so have this backing before payment is issued. Cheques can be cancelled if the products dont turn up as long as it is done within a certain time period (Was a month with my bank).

[mumbles]

I was at the High Wycombe Exhibition last Saturday and saw the H & A Models (Higham Ferrers) stand.

They stock many wagon and coach kits including Ian Kirk coach kits. What surprised me was that I saw only "0" gauge and no "00" gauge coach kits.

I don't specifically recall seeing Cooper-Craft kits but perhaps they might hold what you need, or know what's going on?

Good vendor H and A, have a good selection of kits and the wheels, if needed, for the kit.

Shame about Cooper Craft, DC kits is much the same now

[Pennine MC]

[
Shame about Cooper Craft, DC kits is much the same now

Erm ... given the context of much of this thread, I'd be very careful about drawing comparisons. Charlie (Petty) is still very much out and about at shows, just concentrating on different aspects of his business.

[dubdee1000]

C & L seems to be going the same way. I've now been waiting a month for something that was meant to be the next day. Emails not replied to. Three phone calls, one answered but still nothing. Similar reports elsewhere