Garden Railway Forum

Does anybody know if he is still in operation as the plates were ordered in december. Emails have been sent but have not had replies from him. I would just like a simple answer and i dont want to start an argument.

DLRdan:50924 wrote:Does anybody know if he is still in operation as the plates were ordered in december. Emails have been sent but have not had replies from him. I would just like a simple answer and i dont want to start an argument.

Sounds like the same old story

Cheer up, it's only been 3 months!

Isn't Alan a forum member here...?

dougrail:50928 wrote:Isn't Alan a forum member here...?

He is a Forum member here, as are quite a few who have waited (and waited, and waited) for plates from him.
So many in fact, that I'm surprised that anyone else on the Forum bothers to order from him

in answer to the right honourable gentlemans question, yes he is happy to take your money, getting any nameplates seems to be negligable.

The issue has been raised more than once on the Forum - it could almost warrant a thread of it's own, or maybe a "Sticky" warning!

Mine too about 4-5months to arrive! So your doing ok
I'm gonna use Narrow Planet from now on, apperently the brass is thinner, but you get 'em quicker and there cheaper

I have only used narrow planet and am happy with the ones I have but even then you had to wait for them to do a batch. Just doing one or two isn't viable so there will be a wait until they have a batch to do.

   It is frustrating if you pay for something that takes ages to arrive but understanding why helps a bit.

Alan Briggs does not use that method but uses a cnc machine so has no excuse for long delays on such a simple task.

    Keeping a customer informed by email of when they are lightly to receive their order would be a great help and only cost the time taken to type it. If there is no response to your perfectly reasonable request for a timescale maybe a email a day would bump Alans customer relations department into responding. of course if there is a phone number then a call is much more direct.

    If I were running a business that served the 16mm community I'd hate the negative publicity that this generates and would bend over backwards to help keep my customers happy.

I suspect that it is 'batching' nameplates that is causing any delays.

Sorry I was assuming he acid etched them, as he does them on a cnc machine they can be produced quite quickly.

dougrail:50955 wrote:I suspect that it is 'batching' nameplates that is causing any delays.

... which is a fair comment, but I'm not sure how relevant it is to CNC production. Surely there has to be a point where a manufacturer has to realise that his customers have been waiting for x months, so the plates have to be made irrespective of any material wastage or setup time and cost.

This has certainly happened at MDC, where a 6in x 4in sheet of brass is used for nameplate etching. To keep delivery times to a minimum there have been occasions when a only half-full sheet has been etched.

Keith&Joanna:50960 wrote:I'm suprised we haven't seen a number on ebay recently as i believe human error saw a recent batch of MDC Plates finished with the wrong colours, not sure if the shop concerned kept them or returned them.

Wrong colours???? Where's the problem? Re-painting name / number / works plates is a doddle! Certainly not worth sending 'em back for!

As for the "half plate" problem Tony mentioned for MDC (and possibly others?) - a suggestion would be to run off some "generic" plates rather than waste the currently unused areas.
Building up a small stock of low digit (1 -9) numbers on a mix of oval and rectangular plates would surely be useful?

I've noticed that these stories all concern nameplates.

I personally am saying/venturing nothing however gents, until April 4th.

I waited 3 months or so for mine but they did eventually come.

While Allans nameplates and other products are top notch he does take a long time to make them, this is partly I believe down to his career.
Iv met Allan on many occasions and consider him a friend.

But because of the long wait I use a different source.

The reason I'm saying nothing definitive is because he's been onboard for my topdrawer project 'Nova - he's cast new bodywork both side and cabfront, has fitted Talyllyn-a-like spokes to my Dream Steam disc wheels and is fixing a steampipe-lubricator for me. The first two pieces he has shown me photos of - and I was quite stuned when he showed them me.

I paid him last week and he says today they have definitely been posted. I therefore await that post and I will report back in due course.

As pauly correctly says he does have an external career - and there are a few other factors that he has told me in private.

Keith&Joanna:50960 wrote:I'm suprised we haven't seen a number on ebay recently as i believe human error saw a recent batch of MDC Plates finished with the wrong colours, not sure if the shop concerned kept them or returned them.

Not heard about that ... but I did hear about somebody a while ago who ordered some "PHEONIX" plates for his loco and, despite being asked twice to confirm the spelling and that the correct spelling is "PHOENIX", insisted that he was right. Once received and fitted to his loco his error was pointed out to him by people around him, and another order was soon received for a pair of PHOENIX plates.

Changing the colour from red to black, or vice versa, is quickly accomplished should an error have been made.

Narrow Minded:50964 wrote:... a suggestion would be to run off some "generic" plates rather than waste the currently unused areas.
Building up a small stock of low digit (1 -9) numbers on a mix of oval and rectangular plates would surely be useful?

That is exactly what MDC do so that some items can be supplied from stock. I list spare and duplicate MDC plates on ebay from time to time.

dougrail:50988 wrote:The reason I'm saying nothing definitive is because he's been onboard for my topdrawer project 'Nova - he's cast new bodywork both side and cabfront, has fitted Talyllyn-a-like spokes to my Dream Steam disc wheels and is fixing a steampipe-lubricator for me. The first two pieces he has shown me photos of - and I was quite stuned when he showed them me.

I paid him last week and he says today they have definitely been posted. I therefore await that post and I will report back in due course.

As pauly correctly says he does have an external career - and there are a few other factors that he has told me in private.

So it's you and that *&^% "Gorum Nova" thing that are to blame then! Clogging Alan's workshop and schedule with your grandiose schemes! This has gone far enough. I demand you put that poor engine back together RIGHT NOW and stop wasting everyone's time!! (Everyone but me, that is, I haven't ordered my name plates yet, and shan't until I hear your engine is finished and on rails. )

Keith S:51003 wrote: So it's you and that *&^% "Gorum Nova" thing that are to blame then! Clogging Alan's workshop and schedule with your grandiose schemes! This has gone far enough. I demand you put that poor engine back together RIGHT NOW and stop wasting everyone's time!! (Everyone but me, that is, I haven't ordered my name plates yet, and shan't until I hear your engine is finished and on rails. )

Even through time, space and the Internet itself, he pursues me doggedly...

Touche' Mr. S, touche'.

My stuff has only been ongoing for the last four weeks - and aside from the wheels and the luber-/steampipe, is mechanically complete.

Once I get the overlays, paint them, get some sandboxes, a rerailing jack and some DJH smokebox darts, and a brass boiler band and Nova will be complete - at least, for 'Tank Engine' mode.

On a serious note chaps mind RE Alan -await events calmly. I have faith my parts will come through.

Gentleman, as promised I said I would report back. Frankly I'm stunned...!

Yesterday Alan PMed me elsewhere to say they would be posted.

Today I get rudely awoken by the postie to sign for an odd parcel...

...it's my Briggs pieces.

2x Dream Steam wheelsets, now spoked to resemble TR No.1 "Talyllyn".
3x pieces for loco body overlays.
2 x PPS spectacle rings
1x bag of holding bolts

and a complementary pair of his detailed steel-cut coupling rods - gratis!

Order was placed 1st week of February. Designs were sent off to him 3rd week of February, as were the wheelsets and lubricator-steampipe.

Everything but the steampipe-luber has arrived today.

The steampipe etc though has been discussed in PM and position to that is crystal clear, so that's no concern.

In short gentlemen, I've received a very positive service from Alan Briggs and look forward to working with him again from next month when we design the Blanche-esque tender.