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Postage and Packing Charges on orders

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Update December 2022 in view of continued postal strikes

Due to the continued disruption caused by the ongoing postal strikes we have had no choice but to switch to using UPS as our carrier.

This means that we have to charge a flat fee of £9 for delivery on all orders


What factors influence the cost of postage?


Unfortunately you cannot simply work out the cost of shipping based on the weight or size of your package, you have to take into account all of the following:
  • How valuable are the items being sent
  • How heavy are the items being sent
  • The dimensions of the package
  • How quickly does the customer require the goods
  • Royal mail restrictions

Package Insurance


At the time of writing (November 2022) standard untracked post has a compensation value limit of £20, Signed for post has a limit of £50, then the next level is special delivery with cover up to £500. Above a value of £500 insurance costs increase dramatically.

So why can't we simply use a budget courier?

Because as a small business we cannot afford to replace goods that go missing in the delivery process, or reimburse our customers for goods that don't show up

Parcel weights


Just about every courier has a pricing structure that takes account of the package weight.

Some model railway items such as static grass is very light but won't fit in a standard large letter, while the average locomotive when packaged is just over the 1kg threshold.

Our table for calculating the price based on weight over 4 weight ranges or bands.

The Parcel Dimensions


Unfortunately the delivery firms don't work off the actual volume of an object, but set maximum values for Height, Width, and Depth.

This means that items  such as model railway track sections although thin and narrow get pushed into a higher category based on their length

Delivery Speed


The fastest guaranteed delivery used to be Royal mail Special Delivery, and for items ordered after 12pm it is still the only option as the couriers need to know before 12pm to collect the same day.

The cheapest RM Special delivery for small items is £7, with the average package costing us £12. Live steam locomotives can cost £24 to send special delivery.

The cost of a 24 hour courier service that offers insured carriage costs between £14 and £18 in the UK.

48 hour deliveries save a few pounds.

Royal Mail Restrictions 


  • We cannot send items over 1m or greater in length
  • Liquids are not allowed
  • Paints are not allowed
  • Batteries are not allowed
  • Combustible items such as fuel tablets or gas cylinders are not allowed
All these items must be sent by courier

Where can I see the shipping costs on your website?


To try and be as fair as possible we try to calculate your shipping charges when you click 'Buy it now' or complete the checkout process

Each product page tells you the cost of shipping that individual item as shown below

Individual product shipping costs

When viewing your basket this is where you can see the combined delivery costs

basket.jpg


Can I get free shipping?


On some items such as pre-order items where we take a deposit you will not be charged shipping where no physical goods are being dispatched yet

free postage displayed

Due to rising shipping costs we have to charge for delivery on all items sent by post or courier, however, you can select 'Click and Collect' to purchase the items and pick them up from our shop