Background
We have had a difficult year so far, with Len suffering a period of ill-health, new technical issues on some products and with key suppliers (surprisingly, in view of the state of the economy) having difficulty in fitting in our development work.
Hopefully, things will improve from now on. Len is a lot better and we have new arrangements for holding stock. A new phone should help to reduce the frustrations in contacting Len and progress is at last being made on our new check chairs.
After an extremely difficult period with orders early in the year when a large backlog built up (and we apologise for the problems that will have caused many modellers), we are now generally meeting orders reasonably promptly. As pretty much a one man band, we can never hope to achieve the consistent next day response of large online traders but should aim to deliver within a week of receiving an order. One point worth mentioning is that rail is always sent separately and, for reasons that are not at all clear, almost invariably takes longer in transit.
Track
A surprising problem emerged with 1:7 common crossing assemblies in which the crossing nose sometimes became offset, resulting in unequal flangeways. We are still not clear how this happens and it is causing difficulties in maintaining the supply of kits needing 1:7 crossings. Please check any you have purchased and return unsatisfactory common crossings for replacement.
We have also suffered from a batch of unsatisfactorily packed turnout kits, with mixing of right- and left-hand components. Again, please check and return any wrong components for replacement with correct ones (please specify what the turnout purchased was meant to be!).
Driving Wheels
Our new range has been very well received and we have had excellent feedback.
An issue that has caused concern is that, as wheels are finally pressed together having set the quartering and with the wheels already finger tight on the tapers, the wheel press surprisingly puts sufficient torque into the wheelset to upset the quartering. We may make a small modification to the press adaptor piece to make this less likely, and it may be possible to achieve the required result with existing adaptor pieces by introducing something inside it (e.g. a small ball bearing ball, glued centrally) that prevents torque being transmitted into and through the adaptor piece.