Ethical Model Trains

[bulleidboy]

I'm staying out of this!

[Malcolm 0-6-0]

I'm staying out of this!

Very wise.

Especially as the Chinese are now off-shoring to places in Africa.

[Skarloey]

When it comes to paying more for ethically sourced trains. Yes, I would love the choice and I would be willing to pay the extra.

In 1984, I remember buying an Airfix 0-6-0 Fowler 4F for £20.00. It ran superbly and I'm pretty sure it was not made in China, not in those days. I'd be happy to buy from a great many places but China is a particular problem in today's world.

This is not intended to be political, just humanitarian.

[bulleidboy]

I'm staying out of this!

Very wise.

Especially as the Chinese are now off-shoring to places in Africa.

They have just landed on the moon!

[Brian]

I would just remind all of the forum rules viewforum.php?f=39 and especially rules 2 and 7. While neither of these have been breached, I just wish to remind all of their existence and of course I don't want to see this topic head towards posts being deleted or the whole topic locked which hopefully it wont.
Off now to monitor other areas

[Steve M]

I'm staying out of this!

Very wise.

Especially as the Chinese are now off-shoring to places in Africa.

They have just landed on the moon!

Just a hunch but I reckon the transport costs of of finished goods from the ‘Dark Side’ may tend to put the prices up on Earth.

PS I’d love to comment on ethics but would probably be banned.

[footplate1947]

Now I understand Hornby railways were made in China for number of years and there were complaints about them being very brittle and bits falling off even in the box in transit before they even got to you the buyer. One thing I don't understand is why the manufactures in China got the blame.
Was the specification and design all done I Margate England and only the moulding and assembly done in China.
If that is correct then the problems were design and material quality problems which seams that the fault lays with Hornby in the design stage here in England. Or were the products being made in China, and designed there as well ?
The part I don't understand is where the blame lay for problems which happened with some China made items. The prices did rise over time as well but I don't think that was main problem. Prices have risen more or less in all areas over the last few years.
As far as I am concerned I don't care where they make the stuff but would prefer it to be made in GB and know that people here were earning a living making things at home.
One of the few things that has not risen much is my pension

[Walkingthedog]

I think the problem with bits falling off is because people demanded fine detail and fine detail doesn’t always go with clumsy fingers.

My pension is index linked.

[teedoubleudee]

I have bought many items, mostly electronic such as smart phones, tablets and test equipment directly from China, and they still give great service. When UK manufacturing gets it act together, which I genuinely hope it does, I will gladly review my purchasing decisions. In the mean time ethics doesn't come into the equation.

[footplate1947]

Your quite right that is what I think. At the moment there is no alternative but to buy things you want from whoever makes it and from where they are made. The alternative is to go without. I go with out an I phone. I still use good old BT land lines. But one day that may well vanish. But I will be 6 feet under by then .