KR Models announce the Bulleid Leader

[Bluebell Model Railway]

So another newsletter, with some more updates, but more delays.. which is common,
 

Quote

 

"One of the things that can be deeply frustrating about ordering a new tooled model is the wait. We share your frustration that the Leader is still not quite here.

 

When we shared the last newsletter outlining where we were up to, we really hoped that final assembly was on the horizon and that the models would have shipped by now. However, as often seems to be the case with models from any manufacturer, there is something unexpected that comes up that delays progress just when you thought you were in the home run.

In the Leader's case, this has been an unforeseen wait for the new Plux22 ESU decoders. Due to supply issues with obtaining the right quality of processors, we have been informed by the factory that there will be a delay on their supply to the assembly line to be added to the DCC fitted versions of the Leader. It is something that we hadn't been expecting, and we can only apologise.

 

Whilst technically this only affects the fitted models, the logistics of shipping from China means that the full batch must be shipped together on the same container, or incur a massive increase in costs and possibly even a delay for another container to be sourced. We have reluctantly decided that our only option is to wait for the Plux22 decoders in order to be able to complete the full batch."

 

At least the body shell seems  to now fit on the chassis...  however I hope the water space and the bufferbeam come painted when they arrive.
 

Edited June 25 by Bluebell Model Railway

[Rudititanic]

2 hours ago, Bluebell Model Railway said:

At least the body shell seems  to now fit on the chassis...  however I hope the water space and the bufferbeam come painted when they arrive.

 

Fingers crossed, although 'photographic grey' and 'silver' are plainly thought to be the same thing.  Starting to wonder what the returns policy is, and is it me or are the numbers (on the silver versions at least) slightly overscale?

[Graham_Muz]

13 hours ago, Rudititanic said:

 

Fingers crossed, although 'photographic grey' and 'silver' are plainly thought to be the same thing.  Starting to wonder what the returns policy is, and is it me or are the numbers (on the silver versions at least) slightly overscale?

 

The numbers should be a scale 10" high and look possibly close to that, however the 'set width' (the width of each individual number) is too wide. The letting should be straw outlined in black not just a black outline on body colour as shown.

Edited June 26 by Graham_Muz

[JSpencer]

The delay is a shortage of Plux 22 chips. KR are not alone there. Others have been hit by such shortages before.

[jburgt]

Well, I ordered a Leader without decoder. What’s the problem to deliver it, when the reason of the delay is a shortness of decoders?

[woodenhead]

34 minutes ago, jburgt said:

Well, I ordered a Leader without decoder. What’s the problem to deliver it, when the reason of the delay is a shortness of decoders?

Splitting the shipment from China would double the cost 

[jburgt]

Delay on delay on delay is probably a reason to cancel the (pre-)order. That costs definitely more, when the group disappointed customers will grow and grow.

[woodenhead]

Have you paid anything?

 

This is a problem affecting other companies too.

[jburgt]

No, not yet..,

[woodenhead]

1 hour ago, jburgt said:

No, not yet..,

Then you might as well wait, nothing to lose really 

[No Decorum]

13 hours ago, jburgt said:

Delay on delay on delay is probably a reason to cancel the (pre-)order. That costs definitely more, when the group disappointed customers will grow and grow.

Probably a more important consideration is what it will be like when it does arrive. Delays and cost are eventually forgotten but a poor model isn’t.

[jburgt]

That’s true. But waiting is frustrating some times.

[Butler Henderson]

They referenced another model (the 4DD) being delayed for the same reason so, unless separate factories are being used, I would have thought they could send the DCC ready one of both together to resolve the shipping cost issue.

Edited July 21 by Butler Henderson

[Legend]

20 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

They referenced another model (the 4DD) being delayed for the same reason so, unless separate factories are being used, I would have thought they could send the DCC ready one of both together to resolve the shipping cost issue.

I fear you have an over optimistic view on modern logistics ! 

[The Stationmaster]

23 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

They referenced another model (the 4DD) being delayed for the same reason so, unless separate factories are being used, I would have thought they could send the DCC ready one of both together to resolve the shipping cost issue.

That would only work if that have already been manufactured.  Somehow I can't see the factory running an assembly process for some of an order then having to do it all again for the rest of the order when the necessary extra part arrives as it would increase costs and take production time.

Edited July 21 by The Stationmaster

[jburgt]

I fear we have to recognize that making products in China might be cheaper than produce them in Europe, but the dependence of this supply chain is too risky. It needs a huge cultural and economic change.

[The Stationmaster]

22 minutes ago, jburgt said:

I fear we have to recognize that making products in China might be cheaper than produce them in Europe, but the dependence of this supply chain is too risky. It needs a huge cultural and economic change.

Maybe but such change will only happen if production moves elsewhere because it costs less or consumers in the western world (and elsewhere in many respects) are prepared to accept higher prices because manufacturing is moved to, for example, Europe.   The same applies to components going into models - assuming they can be resourced at all/in sufficient volume outside the current centres of production in the Far East 

 

The supply chain between the Far East and Europe/the USA, when you reduce its cost down to a figure per single item, is a long way from being the major element in total price although part of it is still at risk from weather and terrorism.  So it really depends on whether or not consumers are prepared to accept potential delays. 

 

Interestingly Bachmann's annual Report noted that there had been no delays in their supply chain during year ended 31 December 2023.  But Hornby noted that there had been delays in its supply chain in year ended 31 March 2024. (possibly more Houthi terrorism related than anything else??)

[Michael Hodgson]

57 minutes ago, jburgt said:

I fear we have to recognize that making products in China might be cheaper than produce them in Europe, but the dependence of this supply chain is too risky. It needs a huge cultural and economic change.

The change would be far more geopolitical in nature. 

 

Depending on who wins the US election, there could very soon be significant changes in what maufacturing is done in the USA rather than the far east, and that would affect where Europe buys things from.  The EU might collectively decide it too needs to be less dependent on imports from the countries which are seen as hostile or at least potentially hostile.  We have left the EU, but we are still just a small island off its coast, and we are affected by what they do, just as the Isle of Man is only notionally independent of what the UK does.  Europe is already suffering the impact of global issues with natural gas. 

 

The way in which low-cost countries in Africa and more likely the sub-continent react could conceivably result in considerable relocation of cheap manufacting resulting in more international trade in those directions.  Model railway manufacture just doesn't figure in such politics, but we could well see Made in Somewhere Else on the bottom of our trains in ten years time.

[adb968008]

4 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

Maybe but such change will only happen if production moves elsewhere because it costs less or consumers in the western world (and elsewhere in many respects) are prepared to accept higher prices because manufacturing is moved to, for example, Europe.   The same applies to components going into models - assuming they can be resourced at all/in sufficient volume outside the current centres of production in the Far East 

 

The supply chain between the Far East and Europe/the USA, when you reduce its cost down to a figure per single item, is a long way from being the major element in total price although part of it is still at risk from weather and terrorism.  So it really depends on whether or not consumers are prepared to accept potential delays. 

 

Interestingly Bachmann's annual Report noted that there had been no delays in their supply chain during year ended 31 December 2023.  But Hornby noted that there had been delays in its supply chain in year ended 31 March 2024. (possibly more Houthi terrorism related than anything else??)

It didnt really start getting serious with the Houthis until mid-december..

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Red_Sea_crisis

 

So the time lines of the reports for both Bachmann and Hornby align.

 

For sure in 2024 everythings affected.. take a look around us, very little new product has arrived from anyone this year, compared to the dozens of new toolings still outstanding.

Edited July 21 by adb968008

[jjb1970]

Going round the Cape isn't a particularly big deal in terms of transit time, though it does need extra capacity to maintain transport supply. Container ships could do it with minimal impact on transit time if they operated at engine MCR rather than slow steaming.

 

The container lines have had a bit of a windfall, freight rates have gone up because of disruption and the ships look more efficient because of the longer distance sailed and the sensitivity of efficiency indicators to distance. And the EU has a windfall because more fuel use/emissions is within the scope of EU ETS. 

[adb968008]

1 hour ago, jjb1970 said:

Going round the Cape isn't a particularly big deal in terms of transit time, though it does need extra capacity to maintain transport supply. Container ships could do it with minimal impact on transit time if they operated at engine MCR rather than slow steaming.

 

The container lines have had a bit of a windfall, freight rates have gone up because of disruption and the ships look more efficient because of the longer distance sailed and the sensitivity of efficiency indicators to distance. And the EU has a windfall because more fuel use/emissions is within the scope of EU ETS. 

 Aye, the shipping lines in cornish brogue are singing..

 

aye aye me houthis.

yo ho ho and the barrel of a gun.

Theres always someone getting a silver lining out of a crisis.

[rembrow]

Update of the Leader on Facebook today  showing a production sample in BR early totem, with sound. Apparently production is complete and shipping from factory will be in the coming days.

[JSpencer]

17 hours ago, rembrow said:

Update of the Leader on Facebook today  showing a production sample in BR early totem, with sound. Apparently production is complete and shipping from factory will be in the coming days.

 

Video on youtube here. Imagine her with smoke.

 

[jburgt]

18 hours ago, rembrow said:

Update of the Leader on Facebook today  showing a production sample in BR early totem, with sound. Apparently production is complete and shipping from factory will be in the coming days.

OK, but I didn’t receive any message from my supplier Rails of Sheffield. So, is it real?

[rembrow]

35 minutes ago, jburgt said:

OK, but I didn’t receive any message from my supplier Rails of Sheffield. So, is it real?

I don't expect Rails will post details until they are further along the shipping process. KR's last product update, a couple of months ago, said the non sound Leaders were completed but they were not shipping until the factory finished the sound versions. So this does tie in. 

Edited August 22 by rembrow