Hi Harry and Tag,
In defence of the recent comments regarding the Maxwell Hemmens
Company, UK shipments etc. I have some personal input, perspectives, and
experiences with this company, and the original owner Maxwell Hemmens. To
help clarify some of the so called "problems" . i.e. story from different
perspective with facts.
About 7 years ago, based on a Model Boat Magazine review, I tried
to contact a Maxwell Hemmens agent in New York?, with a view to ordering a
complete "V" 4 Marine Steam engine and boiler unit. At the time the cost
was $1400. Also to order a Windermere Launch kit which Maxwell Hemmens also
supplied.
After several unsuccessful phone calls to the local "agent", I
eventually contacted Maxwell Hemmens himself directly in Thorganby,
Yorkshire. I was told the USA agent no longer represented Maxwell Hemmens.
So I placed a 25% deposit based on a 6 months delivery direct to Maxwell
Hemmens.
At that time Maxwell Hemmens told me that he had met a "person" at
a USA model show in New York, to set up a US agency. He had subsequently
sent 30,000 pounds ($45,000) worth of engines to the USA agent for
distribution, sales and orders, but had not received any payments back,
and the engines were missing. This order included 1/8 scale traction
engines, marine and railway engines. He also told me that several people in
the USA had ordered engines and paid deposits to the USA agent, but
eventually they also had contacted Maxwell Hemmens directly because their
engines had not been received, also their deposits had not been paid to
Maxwell Hemmens either. Apparently import agencies and police on both
sides of the "pond" were actively trying to track this '"agent".
Maxwell Hemmens was warily looking for another USA agent, but
wanted any new agent to pay all monies up front before he would send more
engines to the USA via any agent.
Later ,after some 6 months, Maxwell Hemmens informed me my own
engine was ready for delivery. I sent a bank check for the 75% balance, and
received the engine 4 weeks later.
When the engine arrived, it was a really great piece of
workmanship, real museum show quality, really well balanced and as smooth
as a Swiss Watch.
However the butane to burner connector pipe had two male ends instead of
male/female, the whistle was missing, and the 8 oz bottle of steam oil had
burst, so the shipping containers had about 1/8" of oil swilling round inside!.
I ran the engine on air for a few minutes to check it
out,contacted Hemmens about the incorrect parts and oil leak. I then waited
for the Fibreglass hull kit of the Windermere launch, which I had also
ordered.
Co-incidentally 6 weeks after receiving the engine, I had to
visit the UK on a business/pleasure trip. While in Nottingham, I decided
to pay a visit to the Maxwell Hemmens "Steam Gallery" and factory near
York, per the invitation in their brochure.
At the Steam Gallery Shop I introduced myself to Maxwell Hemmens,
showed him the incorrect butane fitting, discussed the missing whistle and
leaking oil container.
I was there about 4-5 hours, and took up a lot of his time. He gave
me tour of the facility and machine shop, which was very well laid out and
cleaner than most machine shops I have seen and used. He explained that he
had just converted over from "lost wax" moldings, requiring additional
machining, to 5 axis machining centres capable of machining the total body,
chassis and cylinders of the V4 out of solid brass in less than 5 minutes.
My obvious question was then "why did it take 6 months delivery?".
At that time he had 5 machinists, and a secretary in reception. He
explained he had just installed the CNC machines, and still had "over"
50,000 pounds invested in loss wax molds and castings and machining
fixtures "in hand". But CNCs are much more effiecient with everything
machined from solid material.. He was in a transistion state between using
up the outstanding castings using fixtures, and changing to machining from
solid state. i.e. use up all the original castings first.
He also manufactured and tested his own boilers and marine engine
crankshafts. Another interesting item was that Maxwell Hemmens machined all
their own 1 and 2mm Hexagon headed engine assembly bolts and nuts.
During the visit, I noticed that he had several storage racks
some 30' long x 10' wide x 8' high absolutely full of various 'model
size" size boilers, connectors, pipe fittings, castings, machined sub
assemblies etc. Must have been over 500 boilers alone. But all the orders
appeared to be completed on a very individual peace meal basis. (Not mini
product lines).
My comment at that time was to have his secretary complete an inventory of
all the parts and kits, to identify "complete bills of materials",
available. To have his machinists complete the kits and engines assemblies
instead of machining more " loose"parts. Thereby efficently completing and
shipping more engines, to get better turn round and return on sales.
He also showed me some "incompleted" boat kits, which he would not
release because of "quality issues". I went through several kits with him,
to try to get my own "Windemere Launch" kit together. All the hulls and
fittings looked superb, but apparently were not to "Maxwell Hemmens
standards", so he told me he could not provide a kit to me at that time!.
i.e. The 2" x 1.5" cabin windows had a "Fluer de Le' " pattern frame
surround etched into the glass. Some panels had a .010" overspray (fuzzy
edge) which was invisible at 6", but were considered "scrap".
Maxwell was very disparaging regarding the missing US agent,lost
payments and products. (Who can blame him for this?). Also he was very
concerned about the resulting poor relationship between USA end users and
the Maxwell Hemmens company caused by the missing USA agent and loss of
interface at that time. Stating he would now only work one on one with US
customers,
My impression was that he took a lot of pride in his products,
(despite the incorrect and missing parts in my order), was a perfectionist
who had started as a "one off" model builder, understood precision
designing, toolmaking and machining,but could not handle "real production"
logistics support, orders, scheduling, stocking, kitting, shipping etc.
i.e business had outgrown the modeller and he had put to much faith in "so
called knowledgeable agents".
I did leave Maxwell Hemmens with my new steam engine parts and a
new bottle of oil.
(This 2nd bottle also subsequently burst in the hot trunk of my hire car,
there was a 90 degr. heat wave at the time!).
I understood that subsequent health problems caused Maxwell
Hemmens to transfer control of the company to his son approx. 4 years ago.
Since then, I have not seen any advertisements for his products.
Interesting that the "high quality modeller turned failed
business" story seems to be a repeated saga. But actual personal facts make
it more understandable.
I did eventually scratch built my own Windemere launch from
upscaled plans. At 55" long x 13" beam, planked in mahogany, it still needs
the decking and cabin top. My interest now with Steam railway loco,s. The
Maxwell Hemmens V 4 engine and boiler is a model engineering masterpiece
and still in its pristine unused condition.
I have also personally visited Roundhouse Engineering, John
Barrett Engineering,
Mike Gregory and Graham Dixon, in the UK. All of whom are very successful
in producing very high quality precision reliable models, to promised
schedules, and still have the business acumen, customer response, awareness
and agent support needed to be very successful.
Tony D.
At 08:54 PM 2/9/02 +0100, T A Gorton wrote:
>On 9/2/02 at 9:32 pm, Gary said:
>
> >http://www.yesteryeartoys.com/cgi-local/toycatalog.pl?view=Porter
>
>
>Yes. this looks like a Maxwell Hemmings locomotive that incorporates a
>large well in the tender to put a small commercial butane cylinder in.
>You should know that Maxwell Hemmings (USA) cesed to trade with the
>parent Company in the UK and almost certainly with good reason. I am not
>even sure they are still made but certainly they do not sell in the UK..
> The locomotives themselves were actualy quite good but I understand
>business ethics were not. I have no hard information though.
>
>--
>
>Yours Aye
>
>Tag Gorton
>
>Longlands & Western Railway
>Trematon Office
>Cornwall
>
