Hi there good folks, I hope everyone is trying to stay safe?
Out of curiosity does anyone have any update on Backwoods Minatures. Was the company sold?
Robin.
N-Drive Productions have much of the Backwoods range. But as the wheels, motors and gears used in the locos are no longer available any kits that are produced will not be the same as they were with Backwoods.
Brian Meldon
Thanks Brian.
Robin.
You can get replacement gears of the same number of teeth and module quite easily. There are various coreless motors that would fit without to much adaption. Alan Gibson made some of the wheels so I don't see why he could not do it again. For the inside frame locos any disc wheel will do of the correct diameter.
On a slightly different note. Why do people buy a kit range and then do nothing with it? This seems to happen a lot all through the different scales of model railways.
Alec
With Neville Kent I think it's more a case of life getting in the way. As far as I know not only is he running N-Drive productions with it's range of chassis and loco kits but he is also truing to hold down at least one (if not 2) full time jobs to make ends meet and has had some health issues that have taken priority.
Most of the people we rely on for the small-run kits that supply our hobby do so as merely as an extension to their own hobby, i.e. not as a full time job. If they did do it as a full time job then it's unlikely that a) they could sell enough kits in the limited market to make a living and b) to sell the limited number of kits at a price that would provide a living would make them more expensive than most 009 modellers would want to pay (look at the prices of Bemo's top end stuff - €650+ for a kit!).
Don't think any of them have quite reached that price, Julien, the German HOe kits are all around £400/500 mark, RTR ones are above £600 though!
Replying to Alec about buying a range and then not producing it (or only doing small parts), I think it's more the case that there are very few people around who would want to buy a range so I think it's better for someone to buy it and at least keep it together rather than lose the whole thing because of no buyers.
Just out of interest, did Neville buy the whole range as Brian said? I thought some of it (some of the 12mm range) was bought by someone else, could be wrong though!
Quote from: Hobby on October 22, 2020, 11:48
Just out of interest, did Neville buy the whole range as Brian said? I thought some of it (some of the 12mm range) was bought by someone else, could be wrong though!
Quote from: B.Meldon on October 21, 2020, 20:57
N-Drive Productions have much of the Backwoods range......
Yes, indeed Blair I think you are right. As I mentioned above Neville does have much of the Backwoods 009 range but not all.
Brian Meldon
Ah yes Bemo! Going back a few years I was helping a hobby shop in locomotive repairs. I was given a Bemo RhB Ge 6/6
Crocodile with a unknown problem. I admired the model and its fine engineering for a bit before opening it. For what ever reason and i dont know why, it had a pair of stripped gears which caused a quartering issue, and one wheel was slipping on its axel. The owner of the model was advised, and i was told to fix it. A list of parts was put together and sent to Bemo. Well, we waited and waited with no response from them. The Bemo rep came to the shop in between the wait but no action was taken. I reassembled the model and returned it to the shop who intern returned it to the owner.
Although this is not a kit, its just a little story to share.
Robin.
Times have moved on. Some of the manufactures do not provide any spare parts these days! Minitrains and Heljan for example. If the loco is faulty you just return it to where you purchased it. If too much time has passed to do that then tough, no parts are available!
This is one of the effects of having the models made in a factory in China, they only produce complete locos, not spare parts!
What a pity.
Our distributor of MiniTrains here in Switzerland sent a note at the latter part of 2019 stating that they would no longer be carrying the range. Some of the issues.... poor service, delivery dates and availability.Yes! Spare parts, what's that? We all need spare parts for our models from time to time. Its a dying hobby. The younger generation are only interested in computers. I asked my son what would he do with my trains once I'm dust. His answer was honest, " throw them out"
Robin.
Quote from: Robin Webster on October 22, 2020, 20:33Its a dying hobby.
No it's not! (Kept brief to prevent thread drift!!)
Quote from: Robin Webster on October 22, 2020, 20:33Spare parts, what's that? We all need spare parts for our models from time to time... I asked my son what would he do with my trains once I'm dust. His answer was honest, " throw them out" Robin.
Much better to tell your son about the 009 Society Sales service! (That way other members can benefit from your collection.)
And don't forget about the Society spares service either. Alan Hamer has a big box of all sorts of bits and pieces.
David.
I'd also find out their rough value and tell him that as well. I know my collection is worth in the thousands which my kids certainly won't throw away!!
Of course, what you think your collection is worth and what it's actually worth (or what Sales would value it at!) may be rather different... :) :) :)
David.
Quote from: Robin Webster on October 22, 2020, 20:33
What a pity.
Our distributor of MiniTrains here in Switzerland sent a note at the latter part of 2019 stating that they would no longer be carrying the range. Some of the issues.... poor service, delivery dates and availability.Yes! Spare parts, what's that? We all need spare parts for our models from time to time. Its a dying hobby. The younger generation are only interested in computers. I asked my son what would he do with my trains once I'm dust. His answer was honest, " throw them out"
Robin.
What you may not know is that in 2019 the factory in China where the Minitrains items were being made went out of business without any warning! It then took some time to reclaim the moulding dies etc. find another factory to make the items, transfer the moulding dies etc. and then book a slot in the production schedule of the new factory that obviously already had other orders.
This resulted in production delays and shortages of models but it was obviously unexpected and could not be anticipated by Minitrains.
It is a reality of model railways today that virtually everything is made in the same few factories in China and in limited production runs. These factories do not just make model railways they make many other items as well. To make items in Europe in an individual factory dedicated to just one manufacture would more than double the cost of the models.
In regards to spare parts, this has been a problem with all of the older N gauge and H0e chassis for many years now. I have quite a lot of locos, what I do is purchase cheap non running locos and chassis and then strip these for parts that I keep in stock.
Thanks Brian, I did not know about MiniTrains dilemma. I'm fortunate that my 009 selection is small and mostly scratch built. Most of my trains are Ho and On30.
My first kit from Backwoods Minatures was their wood - bodied vertical boiler 0-4-0 locmotive kit in On30. I was going to order the little Darjeeling Himalayan 0-4-0 in 009 but stuff happened.
Thank you for you comments gentlemen, and apologize to anyone who was offended.
Robin.
Quote from: clayliner on October 23, 2020, 12:19
Of course, what you think your collection is worth and what it's actually worth (or what Sales would value it at!) may be rather different... :) :) :)
David.
It's not too difficult to work out a figure these days. I'd suggest that's a better idea than doing nothing and letting the vultures make a killing.
I have a rough idea of what they are worth, they were insured. Some have decoders installed. 2021/22 is my goal to sell the lot. I will keep only the 009 and some models that were gifted to me which amounts to about 3 or 4 HO scale locomotives.The rest go.
Robin.