John Isherwood

Do you trust the word of a man who runs his trains on the carpet? I get the impression that this is a 'rubbish' job, designed to promote an alternative; let's hope that I'm wrong! One has to wonder why this review has miraculously appeared now - ages after the model was introduced and exactly when the producers of both versions are trying to offload stock! What, me? Cynical? Regards, John Isherwood.

Nowt wrong with mine - and they're on offer at a great price at the moment. So much so, that Kernow are offering their version at the same price, even though they'll loose money on the deal. I went for the first on the market - the one without the imaginary splashers; (the Heljan one). Regards, John Isherwood.

Surely not beyond the wit of man to produce a replacement - perhaps even from wire? Regards, John Isherwood,

As this debate continues to exercise us, I thought that I would investigate the (contemporary?) reference above to Beech Brown and Brunswick Green. BS381 C 490 BEECH BROWN BS381 C 226 MIDDLE BRUNSWICK GREEN These two colours sit very well together, and I am prepared to accept that GT3, so painted, would appear under different lighting conditions as it does in photos. I am conscious that some photos suggest a more orangey brown; but I think that these are in a minority and can perhaps be attributed to film characteristics. If I were to repaint my model, I think that I would go with BS381 C 490 BEECH BROWN and BS381 C 226 MIDDLE BRUNSWICK GREEN, if only because they were contemporary colours mentioned in what I take to be information from the time. That said, its current livery does not depart much from the BS colours. Regards, John Isherwood.

Completely baffled by your response ! "Just that the above email is one sent out where there hasn't even been a problem to what I expect to be a handful of customers". On what possible evidence do you make these two amazing statements? Please explain - OK, so I'm thick! Regards, John Isherwood.

Hattons DID send out an e-mail to all customers whose orders they could not fulfil - it was just so uncaring that it might have been written by a robot. A strong, sincere apology with assurances that it won't happen again - with perhaps an ex-gratia voucher - would have gone a long way towards mitigating the damage that they have done to their own reputation. As it was, the apology only came after strong criticism here. John Isherwood.

Dapol have just announced a new 'Manor', I understand. The above shows GT3's frames superimposed on a 'Manor' drawing. Just sayin'. Regards, John Isherwood.

Something else occurs to me - what would have been the result if several coats of 1960s red oxide primer were to have been varnished? Just a thought ....... Regards, John Isherwood.

Further thoughts .... Since the two photos of the large scale model were taken under pretty much the same lighting conditions, an average of the two RGB samples may be nearer the truth; this gives RGB 142 70 48 :- Remarkably - and genuinely independently - a sample taken from a midtone on comes out at RGB 142 74 48. I think, therefore, that there is a consensus between the builder of the large scale model and myself as to what looks correct. Regards, John Isherwood.

That end lettering certainly looks hand-painted. Regards, John Isherwood.

Which brown? Sampling the photos of the large scale model, the brown of the loco in front of the cab window is RGB 105 48 37; but the cab side in the tender photo is RGB 179 93 60. Let's face it - the colour of GT3 has been debated since the time that it first rolled out of the paint shed. Unless you can find a paint spec. you'll have to choose a colour and be prepared for 90% of commentators to tell you that you got it wrong. All I can say is that, independently, another modeller and I came to pretty much the same conclusions and, with the exception of the lightness of the green, so did the builders of the large scale model. Perhaps you need to do a straw pole on the colours that I have suggested, and those of the models that I and Tim C. have produced? Regards, John Isherwood.

I mixed my own from Humbrol colours but, to my eyes, RAL 040 30 40 doesn't look far off. You could also ask the builders of this what they used. I think that the green used here is a tad light - I'd go for RAL 6035. Regards, John Isherwood.

Really ????? Who's confused here ? John Isherwood.

.... "believed" on what basis - they'd placed an order, but it hadn't been confirmed. As I have said before - if you've exhausted your guaranteed stock, ALWAYS inform prospective customers that their order is not guaranteed for delivery. Any other way is pure greed and deception. John Isherwood.

It comes down to this ..... if a product is faulty on receipt - which yours clearly was - and it is returned untouched, the retailer has no option but to provide a full refund. If the faulty product is partially repaired by the recipient - no matter how competent or otherwise - and then the owner has cause to return it to the retailer, the owner runs the risk that the retailer may contend that the owner has invalidated the warranty by attempting to repair it. It will be difficult for the owner to prove that his / her interference did not cause the problem. Remember, the purchaser's rights exist between him / her and the retailer - NOT with Hornby; (unless the item was purchased directly from Hornby). I AM sympathetic - and, in the past, I have almost certainly compromised my consumer rights in exactly the same way; but I would not then come to RMweb to castigate Hornby when my position was entirely due to my own impatience. I repeat - if a brand new item is faulty, return it to the retailer; even if this may entail not being able to obtain a replacement rather then a refund. John Isherwood.

I'm not sure that I follow that - my simple point is that, if specifically warned against doing something by the manufacturer, there is not much point in coming to the forum after the event and complaining of the consequences of having done so. It's not a question of support at this stage - there is nothing that your fellow members can do to undo your actions. Sorry - and I do sympathise with your circumstances - but it is a hard lesson learned, hopefully. John Isherwood.

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why anyone who had read "IMPORTANT ... Hornby strongly recommend that in the event of failure that may involve access to the internal mechanism that the model is returned to the Hornby Service department for repair" would go anywhere near such a tiny model with a soldering iron. If a brand new model doesn't work when taken out of the box - send it back. I could quite understand if Hornby were to say "Warranty invalidated". Regards, John Isherwood.

My final comment. You too seem to be confused about what is wrong with the CAD image. The central pull-rod has no place on the model whatsoever - regardless of the brakeshoe and lever configuration; it's only applicable to an eight-shoe brake arrangement. Someone has included a totally inappropriate image or drawing in the research pack handed to the CAD designer - who, as you point out, is highly unlikely to understand the workings of this particular brake. Please could you explain how an inappropriate brakegear element could have been incorporated by the CAD designer UNLESS an inappropriate image had been provided by the researchers? John Isherwood.

What is perfectly obvious is that adding the brake pull-rods that shouldn't be there MUST have come from a photo or drawing that did not relate to the prototype in question. Whoever provided that image to the CAD designer cocked-up, and thus the published error was avoidable. If the error was known, the CAD design should have been corrected BEFORE publication. This is the danger of pandering to the 'frothers'' demand for almost daily updates of design progress - much better to publish less updates and make sure that, as far as the design team knows, they are correct in all respects. I am all for the participation of RMweb members in the design process, but it is far from good practice to publish material which contains blatant 'howlers'. To do so is to cast doubt on the competence of the design team; especially when Oxford have 'form' in this respect. Regards, John Isherwood.

So it's too much bother to accompany the image, either when originally posted or when subsequently pointed out, that the image is known to be incorrect? My 'rant' still stands - if the image was not known to be defective when published, it d*mned well should have been if proper research had been undertaken. If the image was known to be defective when published, why publish? .... or at least why not accompany it with a note to that effect. Either way, it smacks of sloppy thinking and leaves the company wide open to adverse publicity. Regards, John Isherwood.

Dave, A simple question - and one that might avoid adverse publicity in the future - why do you not simply inform the customers who wish to order after you have exhausted your guaranteed delivery quota that delivery of the product is not guaranteed? That way, there can be no complaint if you have to 'bounce' orders. Regards, John Isherwood.

Then the logical thing to do is not to post CAD images with known errors - or at least to accompany them with a note to the effect that the error is known. Otherwise, one is inclined to suspect that the 'known error' was only 'known' after a viewer pointed it out ! Just a little common sense can avoid the accusation of 'ranting' - it is frustrating when such basic errors are published without any acknowledgement. John Isherwood.

Let's be clear - I had no order for a Rocket, and so am not - on this occasion - personally affected. Nonetheless - I understand dealers accepting more orders than they have guaranteed forthcoming stock as being good business; (from their perspective). However - such over-acceptance of orders should only be made AFTER it has been made crystal clear to the customer that delivery is not guaranteed. The customer then has the option to seek guaranteed delivery elsewhere, or to let the provisional order stand - in which case he / she has no right to complain if the order is not ultimately fulfilled. NO-ONE will convince me that any other arrangement is acceptable or good business practice. John Isherwood.

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