Mamod release another.....erm......train?

Narrow Minded · Post by **Narrow Minded** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 8:16 pm

You've got to admire the marketing strategy - the extra cost of those "Diamond Jubilee" transfers is nothing compared to the mark-up!

Wonder if I could get some stickers made up at the printers and push the prices up on some of the stuff I'm selling??
"Queens Diamond Jubilee synthesizer anyone?"

dougrail · Post by **dougrail** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 8:29 pm

Maybe I should get such a sticker set for Phantom, see if that helps bring in £££....

Narrow Minded · Post by **Narrow Minded** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 8:32 pm

dougrail:66270 wrote:Maybe I should get such a sticker set for Phantom, see if that helps bring in £££....

Don't forget the "Limited Edition" bit - that seems to work wonders as well

Sir haydn · Post by **Sir haydn** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 8:49 pm

and make sure its on slightly wonkey!

Endless, Nameless · Post by **Endless, Nameless** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 8:56 pm

To be fair, it's not aimed at the likes of us is it- it's purely a collector's item, as are all Mamods really these days.

If they can sell enough to make money at it then good luck to 'em.

For the record, I think it's horrible but it's a bit like comparing something to something that's only vaguely related to that first something, and in no way relevant to it.

It's been a long week, OK

METHSSNIFFER · Post by **METHSSNIFFER** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 9:15 pm

They have bought a metal roller!! Nothing of theirs is collectable not since malins went Im afraid

Narrow Minded · Post by **Narrow Minded** » Thu Feb 09, 2012 9:43 pm

METHSSNIFFER:66276 wrote:They have bought a metal roller!!

Ha-ha! The smart money is on them contracting that work out!

Keith S · Post by **Keith S** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 7:13 pm

I'll bet if any one of you built an engine just like that in his home shop, but with bad soldering and fingerprints in the brushed-on paint, most of the rest of you would be on here telling him what a great job he did.

Not that I'm thinking of ordering one either, but if it moves under its own power and pulls a couple of wagons for a decent amount of time then it's no worse than some of the models I've seen around here.

And Narrow Minded, Doug's comparison to a Bertie was obvious at least to me, the engines are nothing alike, but his point is that the PRICES are! You could conceivably spend the same money and get a Bertie, a valid point I think!

Narrow Minded · Post by **Narrow Minded** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:06 pm

Keith S:67106 wrote:I'll bet if any one of you built an engine just like that in his home shop, but with bad soldering and fingerprints in the brushed-on paint, most of the rest of you would be on here telling him what a great job he did. :roll:

Not that I'm thinking of ordering one either, but if it moves under its own power and pulls a couple of wagons for a decent amount of time then it's no worse than some of the models I've seen around here.

And Narrow Minded, Doug's comparison to a Bertie was obvious at least to me, the engines are nothing alike, but his point is that the PRICES are! You could conceivably spend the same money and get a Bertie, a valid point I think!

Erm, I think if you read the comment again that it was ME that was comparing the prices -

dougrail:66238 wrote:I would be interested to find a Roundhouse 'Bertie' going for 330 or at a push, for say 375.

Absolutely no sensible comparison between the two loco's whatsoever, so why compare the prices?

The whole point of Doug posting a photo of the loco was to show that as a red 0-4-0 saddle tank, it "looked like" a Bertie.

As for "praising someones efforts" - a) how can you be so sure and b) maybe people would be impressed if this was built on the kitchen table from scratch with no engineering skills, materials or tools but how could that be related or compared to appreciating a commercial product??

Keith S · Post by **Keith S** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:01 pm

You know, I must have misunderstood the reason for the poor reception that engine received here. It's the PRICE you find ridiculous, because of it's "collector" status... I agree.

If it was less expensive, and there wasn't a "collector" component to its value, I think it would be decorate-able to the same degree as any other oscillator tank engine. I guess I just don't think it looks all that terrible. I find ALL oscillator engines look toy-like, so I guess I'm not qualified to judge. There is a wide variation between what one person seems to consider a good "model" (as opposed to a "toy) and another, so I was initially confused about the rather vehement dislike this engine in particular was garnering.

But I do think it's very silly for that engine to be priced higher simply because it might be considered "collectible". I would rather spend the extra money on features with intrinsic worth, like a pressure gauge or a working smokebox.

Please disregard my previous post.

METHSSNIFFER · Post by **METHSSNIFFER** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:26 pm

If you were to display a model in a posh cabinet in the lounge Im afraid it wouldnt be this one. Mamod died years ago with Malins and this is why the ones of yesteryear prove so popular. I would pay that price for a limited edition of the Prince or Princess of Wales of which there are 250 of each which I guess that is now reduced somewhat now. Why the new owners have changed the design they lack the character they once had its a shame.

MuzTrem · Post by **MuzTrem** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 11:27 am

Well, if nobody buys then then I'm sure they will eventually be forced to lower the price. That's market forces for you!

taliesin · Post by **taliesin** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:05 pm

There is always the possibility that they sell so few of them that the rest get stripped down, repainted or recycled etc that years from now the few around fetch mega money, but it's a brave soul who would take that chance. cheers, Rob

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 7:23 pm

Just to clear up any confusion, the original Mamod Steam Railway Company system ceased production in 1989 under the Jedmond (Engineers) Limited ownership of Mamod Ltd.

There were two more owners, Adam Leisure Group PLC. and then Porter Chadburn PLC, before the current owners of Mamod Limited took over in July 1992. The railway system did not feature in the plans for Mamod from Adam's or Chadburn's, and contrary to the words written in the 'Mamod:the Story of Malins Models' book that states the railway did not figure in the plans of the current owners, David Terry, Managing Director of Mamod Limited stated the following this year: -

David Terry wrote:Mamod are happy to put the record straight.
There is no link up with mss.
When Mamod was purchased in 1992, the new owners were informed that all tooling had been lost. Therefore, loco assets were not included in the price.
It was with great surprise, that the Mamod locomotive appeared in the market place several years later.
We have not seen any documentary proof that the loco assets were purchased by others.
Mamod decided to produce vastly superior locos, which are proving to be very successful.

This explains part of the friction between MSS & Mamod as David Evans was the Sales & Marketing Manager for Mamod until at least 1996, but had started to produce some locomotives under MSS (Mamod Sales & Services) from 1994.

Looks like Mamod have been considering a new website, with zoom able photos - http://mamod.rapweb.co.uk/shop/diamond- ... e-tank-o-g

Looking at this Diamond Jubilee Saddle tank there does not seem to be much airspace between the combustion chamber and the Saddle Tank. Given the experiences by many of the Mamod Golden Jubilee, William & William II locos which have heat damaged side tanks from a lack of proper airspace for the gas burner, I'm sure those Diamond Jubilee decals would not last very long.

Will be interesting to see if these eventually sell, as the 2 I've seen on ebay from Mamod Ltd have not sold.

Chris Cairns.

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Mamod release another.....erm......train?

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