Lima - Gone ?

I believe that Lima have finally called in the receivers.

Anyone know anymore ?

John ?

Reply to
David Skipsey
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"David Skipsey" wrote

Only what I've seen reported on demod Dave, and that just a crude translation of an Italian press release, but it doesn't sound too promising.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

I wonder if they'll regroup somehow, there are many who could do much with what Lima have let slip through their German-Bands over the years....??

Colin.

Reply to
Colin Meredith

"Colin Meredith" wrote

They've re-grouped more times than you've put successful candidates through the driving test Colin.

John.

Reply to
John Turner

Makes one wonder why they bother then...they won't go far anyway unless they are prepared to upgrade completely.

The class 60/67/73 are crying-out for a heavy-wheight chassis with powerful drive system....mind you, suppose this is all old ground again....;-)

Colin.

Reply to
Colin Meredith

BEST thing I have heard all this year...........Hated them for the last 30 years........the only thing they ever produced was cheap trash Peter

Reply to
Peter

Unfortunately if they have gone now, it reduces the UK outline market by one producer, leaving us with 2 and 1/8 (Heljan aren't up to speed yet, on any account - all they've produced so far is a slightly too wide class 47, not even any rolling stock, if I'm not mistaken).

So, for all the interest in UK models, and all the wish lists and requests, there are only two manufacturers really dedicated to producing UK outline models, and they are having a tough enough time as it is keeping up with what we ask them for. I don't think the demise of Lima is a good thing, but if they had wanted to remain active in the sector, they would definitely needed to retool just about every model they made. It would have been like starting up a new company.

Ian J.

Reply to
Ian J.

how anyone can -hate- a model railway producer is beyond me. it's not like anyone has ever been forced to buy their models. what strange little lives some of you modelers must lead.

anyway, Lima haven't been liquidated yet. the announced date for the liquidation is the 25th July. and if the rumours are true, the liquidation is partly a ruse to get various waring factions on the board to finally talk to each other.

all this and lots more Lima news is covered on the website in my sig.

mutley

Reply to
mutley

*****

Although I can't speak for "Peter", I would have thought that he, like myself and others, was referring to the fact that Lima, despite the numerous pleas, did nothing to improve their model range substantially. I'm sorry I, pesonally, spent so much on their rubbish over the years....two reasonably good models, the 60 and 73...the rest are crap and NONE of Lima's models have a decent motor and/or drive system.

Nobody forced anybody to buy their models.....I don't recall there being much of an alternative option.....??

If they've regrouped more times than can be remembered then perhaps they should either pack-up for good or establish the necessary financial status to enable them to be in a position to produce decent R-T-R scale models...via China...!!

Hornby are dragging their heels....Bachmann seem to have slipped down the slope and Heljan have a long way to go. Not one really decent modelling manufacturer to serve the U.K.

Colin.

Reply to
Colin Meredith

okay... well, that's not how his message reads to me.

i mean, you have to a fair bit of reading between the lines to come to that conclusion from his message :)

anyway's, i liked my Lima class 31s and 47s. never knew there was anything wrong with them because i hadn't read anyone say so. i was happy in my bliss. oh yeah, i also loved my Lima seacows, thought they were great, and at that time the only wagons Hornby produced all had their own very weird wheelbases that meant their buffers were waaaaaay higher than anything else. AND... they painted their wheel edges white and had strange compensation that meant their wagons wobbled. AND, my Hornby class 25 was a real turkey that needed pushing to get it moving... AND my bachmann class 45 fell off the points at regular intervals.

so back then, for me, i was very grateful to have Lima around. at least my Lima diesels would work, and work well. My Bachmann Warship couldn't pull the proverbial skin and sounded like an angry nest of hornets when on the move, despite looking absolutely fabulous. it stayed in its box until i sold it last year.

times change, and Lima will get the fate they deserve for not listening to their customers wants, but back then, there was noone that came close to enabling me to model what i wanted to model and i liked them. Lima were punk rock while hornby were old hippies.

mutley

Reply to
mutley

I have to agree with Mutley and the other poster who stated that no-one ever forced us to buy the models. I have several and whilst I'd love them to be better than they are, I don't regret buying them.

Of course, it is true that whilst Hornby and Bachmann have been busy improving their chassis, Lima have sat on their hands. Whilst Bachmann and Hornby have been busy improving the level of detail on their new models, Lima have continued to issue models to the same basic standard. That said, There have been many classes and liveries which we simply would have not seen if it weren't for Lima, particularly in the modern-image market, which in its self justifies their existance.

Slowly though, Hornby and Bachmann have eroded their market, with the recent anouncements of cl50, 55,40 etc on the back of the Heljan 47 and Bachmann's

37 being further nails in the coffin. I can't be the only one that has decided not to buy Lima models and wait for the superior product.

The thing that has put me off buying Lima in recent months and years has been the chassis. THose pancake motors just don't come close to the recent offerings from the other manufaturers.

I for one hope that Lima do re-group and start a programme of upgrading their models, starting with an new chassis design across the board.

Adrian

Reply to
Adrian

Nobody forced me to buy a new car but it's still got faults that need to be corrected........ I bet you believe the reason that Hornby transferred production to China was to help the Chinese people?? The only reason that Lima produced such variants was to try and capture the market...they could have too if they hadn't sat back and rested on their proverbials. There is far too much sentimental clap-trap in this hobby.....if Lima only produced their range of models to please the British modeller/collector then they would also have done something to upgrade them, their chassis and drive system too....I would hasten to add that if Lima were that concerned then they would also have produced a decent class 67..... deal with facts and not dreams of what could have been....!!

With regards to Bachmann, heljan and Hornby erroding the market...... what? ...and there was nothing Lima could do but sit back and lose everything.....there are people once connected with a previous importer who could tell you about the ignorance of Lima....apart from my own experiences with them, that is. Lima don't deserve the support they've enjoyed all these years from the U.K. market.

Colin.

Reply to
Colin Meredith

Lima long ago fitted decent mechanisims to their European ranges - blame the UK importers or the UK modellers for being cheap! They tried with the Class 20 and someone concluded that cheap was preferable.

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Gregory Procter

The class 20 was a half-decent effort with its motor/drive system but was never improved upon....it was also reputed to be costly to produce.

If we were to blame the U.K. modellers, that would be like blaming the child for the parent not teaching it correctly. Riko International Ltd were the importers for many years and complaints to L ima would be forwarded to Riko so I was told. Lima have proved to be ignorant towards the U.K. modeller and, in certain respects, towards the U.K. importer.

If Lima wanted any credibility from the U.K. market then the accuracy and quality of their products was their responsibility. If people want a cheap quality service from me then I politely suggest they go elsewhere.

Colin.

Reply to
Colin Meredith

Colin, please could you turn on line wrap and turn off HTML when posting? Even OE lets you do that. I and others will thank you.

Reply to
MartinS

I'm not so sure about that concept - seems to me you're the demanding parent chiding the child for not producing what you want!

Being ignorant of a foreign market is not so surprising, but Riko was Lima's market.

The accuracy was Riko's business, they ordered and they paid Lima. Lima most definitely upped their accuracy and quality in response to other markets - the French and German models were approaching Roco standards. They started as toy manufacturers, but their "G-motor" was excellent quality for it's price. One can pull a Lima toy out of a box after 10-20 years idleness and confidently expect it to operate. Only better quality models will match that. I've converted a number of Lima bogie locomotives to twin motors and added large amounts of weight. They then run extremely well. (with the exception of noise)

I think you need to distinguish between cheap quality and production to a low price.

Regards, Greg.P.

Reply to
Gregory Procter

"Gregory Procter" wrote

Utter balderdash, the Lima importers have consistently claimed that Lima had promised improvements, but consistently failed to deliver for the UK market.

The class 20 was a travesty; it cost me more to make mine half decent by fitting a Mashima motor & flywheel than the bloody this cost to buy in the first place. I can't wait for Bachmann's new class 20 so that the Lima abortion can be dumped!

John.

Reply to
John Turner

Can anyone send me a copy of the press release. I have staff here who speak Italian and we can get it translated.

Andrew

Reply to
Andrew Robson

Colin,

You seem to have read someone else's post and then replied to mine. I'm no great Lima lover. Most of my post points out how far behind the other RTR manufacturers they have become. I even said that I have stopped buying Lima because there are better options becoming available. Can you explain where the sentimental claptrap is there?

be corrected........ That's not a accurate analogy. Everyone who has bought Lima can SEE that the level of detail is not the best. It's hardly a secret that they aren't the best runners in the world. Sure, if there is an actual FAULT, you send it back for replacement or repair, exactly as you would with your hypothetical car, but if you buy a Reliant Robin, you don't whinge about it not performing like a Ferrari.

was to help the Chinese people?? And your point is? You'd have to be brain dead to fail to realise that production has been moved to China because the labour is cheap. It does nothing for your argument to make groundless insinuations.

I just don't see the point of your acidic reply. Basically you agree with what I wrote - that Lima products are way behind the pack now and that they have got into that situation by complacency and inaction. Where we disagree is that you seem to think that because Lima were producing a lower standard product than other companies, we shouldn't have bought them. The fact is that there were many classes and liveries which only Lima were producing. Lima just exploited a gap in the market so they could carry on selling units without putting in the investment. It's sad that they didn't make the decision that Hornby have and move with the times. I wish they had. Like most, I'd rather pay the extra for a decent model, but faced with the option of Lima or NOTHING, in some cases I have and still would , buy a Lima product.

Mutley's comments still stand - No one forced us to buy Lima.

Adrian

Reply to
Adrian

Where do you get your Roco universals from?

Cheers, Francis K.

Reply to
Francis Knight

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