DJ Dangerous

Without the bundle discount, pack per pack, the triple pack has gone from €90 to €130 over the last year. That’s 45%. To be open and honest, I understand that you guys have been hit hard with increased costs, currency fluctuation and inflation on top of that. You said so yourself in another thread. Those hits have had an impact on the price to the consumer. I doubt that a 45% increase in price will lead to a 45% drop in sales, things don’t work like that, but it will have some impact.

I was speaking very generally, in which case, yes, they have: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1272447/uk-wage-growth-vs-inflation/ Of course there will be lots of variation and lots of exceptions. In my case, I think it’s something like eight or nine years since my last significant pay increase. For clarity, Bulleid wagon triple packs were €90 a year ago. They are now €130. That’s 45%.

One thing you’ll definitely not see on the list is a certain Mr. @BosKonay!

Firstly, these coaches just look amaaaaaaaaazing. I’m leaking from several areas simultaneously after seeing those photos. IRM / A/S, along with other manufacturers, will have been hit hard with the Covid-19 bubble. Lockdown-induced boredom led to many people returning to the hobby, or entering for the first time. Suddenly, demand far outstripped supply. By the time manufacturers could get products onto the shelves, the bubble had already burst, so aside from reduced demand, there was increased supply as people sold off their Covid-19 era models. Market saturation is definitely a problem. The 45% price increase this year will also have curtailed sales and put buyers off. IRM / A/S have to deal with inflation like the rest of us, but I imagine that in most cases, the price increases are small and slow, so we don’t notice so much, and keep slogging away. Anybody remember when six-packs of Cadbury Creme Eggs became five packs??? Being very general, wages have kept up with inflation, so people are no better nor worse off. But, when your favourite luxury purchase has a sudden and hefty price increase, you’re likely to react. Me, personally? I haven’t yet paid for my PalVan order as to me, the value for money is not what it was, and I’m afraid that I may end up cancelling, and I have ordered very little since the prices went up. The future? Either prices need to come back down, even if this means less-detailed models, or the runs need to be smaller and / or less frequent so that scarcity and fear of missing out keep people paying the inflated prices. I hope that this doesn’t signal the end for IRM. The last five or ten years have been smashing thanks to IRM. Look at thosr B+I liners! Oh man, just wow. I guess it’s time for reflection. IRM / A/S has grown into a juggernaut with huge overheads, changing markets, competition and duplication of lines, and I can’t see the IRM model of a few years ago being compatible with the A/S model of today. Maybe the future for IRM is de-merging and simplifying, a smaller team, less launches, smaller runs, but with the benefit of A/S factory slots? I’m sure that the boys themselves are thinking long and hard about what to do going forward. Whatever happens, I’m thankful for what IRM, Paddy Murphy, and all of the smaller suppliers, have done for us over the years.

Have a look at Sunrise Models in case there’s anything of interest: http://sunrisetransfers.com/

Wonderful news, well done on getting the tweaks made!

At least 39 dead so far after a head-on collision in central Spain yesterday:

I must get onto @Arran and pick up a few blue Maersk and brown MSC boxes.

Sadly no container at all last night nor tonight, but I did see a little cutie pootie this morning in Las Galletas:

Same one again tonight. They’re slacking!

MSC brown box tonight: m

Side-lifting trailers are incredibly common here. The Cul de Sac where they’re unloading would be a little tricky for access, so they probably have to reverse down from the main road. I must try get down there during the day some time.

They say “Never assume without a url and a screenshot”… On the topic of Dutch Vans: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/175122-orange-is-the-new-black-iconic-mark-2b-and-2c-coaches-announced/#findComment-4972313

MSC tonight:

I’ll take three, so only 1754 to go…

Much as I’d love a few packs like this, I’d say that the price would be about double that mentioned. if IRM / A/S were going to produce a very niche piece of rolling stock with tooling that can’t be used for much else, I’d prefer a Dutch Van or Mk1 GSV over anything else. Of those two, a Mk1 GSV would probably suit IRM / A/S better due to the utility of the tooling.

Same one here tonight:

This spot happens to be on my nightly colony route, and I do take a night or two off each month, so I may not get the full 183 pics required… If somebody wants to fly down here and tag in for the day shift, I’ll happily drop you off there with a bottle of water the night before!

Hopefully the re-run will put an end to these prices: https://railsofsheffield.com/products/pre-owned-br-mk-2b-derby-rtc-test-service-vehicles-ex-fk-twin-pack-977528-977529 ACCURASCALE ACC2671-QXLEXL PRE-OWNED BR MK.2B DERBY RTC TEST SERVICE VEHICLES (EX-FK) TWIN PACK 977528 & 977529 - LIMITED EDITION

Same place tonight:

Some bargains in there, @irishmail! Great prices for anybody looking at dipping their toe into O Gauge.

A container would probably be just about the right size! I’ll lose my work space here tomorrow, so this will probably all get packed up again for a few months. Probably don’t quite have enough track for two complete loops, but for two shorter loops, yep.

I guess this will be about the right size:

So it looks like there will be space, just about, for a second track outside the 1028mm Setrack, using 80mm track-centre spacing. I may need to widen the gap between the two curves by 25mm at the apex, but I DO have plenty of space for that.

Same place tonight: