Bachmann Jubilee with Sound

[robmcg]

Nice to see this model available at Hattons and possibly other retailers;

 

http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?sid=23468

 

Does anyone have any reviews or opinions about this model? I understand it has been reviewed in at least one May 2010 issue in the model railway press, but it's hard to find anything here in the antipodes. Any description of the sounds would be greatly appreciated by myself and others, assuming we could get thing air-freighted in a timely manner!

 

Rob (NZ)

[rorz101uk]

i went to my local model shop in anstey, leic, The jubilee is a very good model, on the sound model, the cab steps are not fitted but are in the package. the sound is not bad on bad on the model, it has

 

sound- On/off

Whistle 1

whistle 2

whistle 3

injectors

handbrake

guard whistle

AWS bell

en-jectors many more

 

i have been told doing a sound chip for a 3 Cyl is hard, but you can tell its a 3 cyl sound

[Riddles]

My Kolhapur arrived this morning from Hattons and before I took it out of the box I saw that the connecting rod had come off the crank pin and the piston rod was out of the slide bars.

 

Obviously it is going straight back for replacement.

[robmcg]

i went to my local model shop in anstey, leic, The jubilee is a very good model, on the sound model, the cab steps are not fitted but are in the package. the sound is not bad on bad on the model, it has

 

sound- On/off

Whistle 1

whistle 2

whistle 3

injectors

handbrake

guard whistle

AWS bell

en-jectors many more

 

i have been told doing a sound chip for a 3 Cyl is hard, but you can tell its a 3 cyl sound

 

Thanks for the reply. Nice to know it has the 3-cylinder beat in particular.

[robmcg]

My Kolhapur arrived this morning from Hattons and before I took it out of the box I saw that the connecting rod had come off the crank pin and the piston rod was out of the slide bars.

 

Obviously it is going straight back for replacement.

 

Wow, that's a bit of a worry. The Hattons and factory catalogue pics shom the eccentric driving the valve gear offset the wrong way round on both sides of the centre driver, which is silly because it wouldn't cost anything more to have them both right-way-round, in other words, a forward-bias offset, .. and I've had a few recent Bachmann models with a loose centre driving wheel-motion screw, (yours must have fallen clean out) which may be an ongoing production quality control issue where buyers and retailers essentially pick the cost of errors. (Without mentioning 'wobblers!)

 

 

... looks as great as current similar non-sound Bachmann Jubilees to me and my two run perfectly on analogue.

 

Rob

[Flying Pig]

i have been told doing a sound chip for a 3 Cyl is hard, but you can tell its a 3 cyl sound

Like this then - nice

[johnd]

The sound is provided by South West Digital who intoduced there release last November, with a few variations at the request of Bachmann.

 

I fitted the SWD version to Jubilee when it was released late last year and have been pleased with it, it also impressed those that have heared it. Yes you can tell it is 3cylr especially when runing slowly. The whistle gives gives the right sound as well. Nice choice of long,medium and short blows.

 

So as long as the settings have not been altered I would consider buying another one, but then couldn't wait for it to be released hence the purchase of the SWD version.

 

The review of the model is in the current Hornby magazine.

 

Sorry cant put any video on here as don't have the facility, also have no connection with SWD other than that as a customer.

[robmcg]

The sound is provided by South West Digital who intoduced there release last November, with a few variations at the request of Bachmann.

 

I fitted the SWD version to Jubilee when it was released late last year and have been pleased with it, it also impressed those that have heared it. Yes you can tell it is 3cylr especially when runing slowly. The whistle gives gives the right sound as well. Nice choice of long,medium and short blows.

 

So as long as the settings have not been altered I would consider buying another one, but then couldn't wait for it to be released hence the purchase of the SWD version.

 

The review of the model is in the current Hornby magazine.

 

Sorry cant put any video on here as don't have the facility, also have no connection with SWD other than that as a customer.

 

Thanks for that. It sounds like a good model. If anyone has read the May Hornby magazine review perhaps they might offer a synopsis of the main points , since even airmail copies are delayed here in NZ so far as I know.

 

Cheers,

 

Rob

[Lowlander]

Thanks for that. It sounds like a good model. If anyone has read the May Hornby magazine review perhaps they might offer a synopsis of the main points , since even airmail copies are delayed here in NZ so far as I know.

 

Cheers,

 

Rob

Hello Rob

 

Having read both the articles in Model Rail and the Hornby magazine I decided to purchase this model. I tested the model on a short piece of dcc track at D+F Models in Glasgow. The first thing I noticed was that the loco and tender kept un-coupling as the nipple on the tender is rather short for keeping the coupling bar on. As for the all important sound, it was generally agreed by all in the vicinity that although the sound quality emitting from the speaker could be better, it was actually a good 3 cylinder sounding model. I bit the bullet and purchased the loco and duly added the shorter coupling provided in the detailing pack, on adding this an issue arose, mainly now the four wires from the connection plug were to long and were now to close to the track for comfort, this was remedied by shortening said wires and re-soldering them back on, next issue to sort, was the coupling of loco and tender. This I sorted by removing the nipple on the tender and replacing it with a small screw, thus creating a permanentely coupled loco and tender. On a personnal note I don't know why Bachmann and Hornby don't just don't issue permanently coupled models in an appropriate box, as there is nothing more nerve wracking as trying to connect/disconnect the four way plugs and then trying to get them into the box once they are connected.

 

Trying the loco on my small piece of dcc track, the model although a bit sticky at slow speeds, sounded fine and after a short while the stickiness disappeared. I duly took the model to try on our large club dc layout, although dc only the layout runs dcc sound fitted locos with limitations ie no bells and whistles but you still get the basic sounds. The model ran and sounded fine for a short distance and then the listening members started to mention that the sound seemed to be cutting out for periods, I left the controller set at seven and listened to the loco myself and sure enough the sound seemed to go missing for 5-6 seconds, now I don't know whether this was actually meant to happen, but I did notice that this issue is mentioned in the Modelrail review. This issue alone spoils for me what I thought had been a very good recording. What to do next? I'm not sure as I have nulled the warranty by altering the model. I might send the chip directly to South west digital for re-programming in the hope that their master copy doesn't replicate the Bachmann recording.

 

Overall the Bachmann sound Jubilee is a smashing model, but!

 

These opinions are my own. I apologise if I seem to have gone on at great length, but I felt an honest appraisal was better than none at all.

 

Regards

 

Stephen

[Ed-farms]

The first thing I noticed was that the loco and tender kept un-coupling as the nipple on the tender is rather short for keeping the coupling bar on.

 

This I sorted by removing the nipple on the tender and replacing it with a small screw, thus creating a permanentely coupled loco and tender.

 

I has the same problem, but I cut down a track pin and fixed it in place with a blob of blue-tack, will replace the blue-tack with glue at some point.

[SRman]

Running on DC, was the sound cutting out completely or was it merely dropping into coasting mode (with faint clanks from the valve gear and con-rods, etc.)? I found that happened with a sound-fitted West Country on a DC layout that didn't have quite enough amperage to keep the loco under power, so the loco would chuff along for a bit then coast, then resume chuffs, then coast, and so on, ad infinitum (or until it was stopped!).

 

Check yours running properly on a DCC system again.

[kevpeo]

Running on DC, was the sound cutting out completely or was it merely dropping into coasting mode (with faint clanks from the valve gear and con-rods, etc.)? I found that happened with a sound-fitted West Country on a DC layout that didn't have quite enough amperage to keep the loco under power, so the loco would chuff along for a bit then coast, then resume chuffs, then coast, and so on, ad infinitum (or until it was stopped!).

 

Check yours running properly on a DCC system again.

 

My SWD A4 chip does the same thing on dc, works perfectly on Dcc though. My mates Howes 8f works fine on both! Perhaps its a programming difference. kev.

[Lowlander]

Thanks SrMan And Kev for the reply.

 

I have tried the loco on my dcc test track again and the loco stops chuffing and goes to a very faint clickety click when the loco is running at nearly full speed and then when coasting again it stops chuffing and you hear the faint clickety click sound barely audible above the motor, none of the usual clanking noises etc.

 

I see your point Sr Man regarding coasting as I have this feature on a Hornby black five and a Howes Duchess, super d and they all work without a problem on Dc. This model doesn't make any of the clanking noises etc (or Banjo playing as our members call it) that the Howes or Hornby model do when coasting. I think Kev may have hit the nail on the head when he says "that it maybe be a programming difference though" I would be interested to hear if anybody elses has experienced this with the sound Jubilee.

 

Stephen

[robmcg]

Hello Rob

 

Having read both the articles in Model Rail and the Hornby magazine I decided to purchase this model. I tested the model on a short piece of dcc track at D+F Models in Glasgow. The first thing I noticed was that the loco and tender kept un-coupling as the nipple on the tender is rather short for keeping the coupling bar on. As for the all important sound, it was generally agreed by all in the vicinity that although the sound quality emitting from the speaker could be better, it was actually a good 3 cylinder sounding model. I bit the bullet and purchased the loco and duly added the shorter coupling provided in the detailing pack, on adding this an issue arose, mainly now the four wires from the connection plug were to long and were now to close to the track for comfort, this was remedied by shortening said wires and re-soldering them back on, next issue to sort, was the coupling of loco and tender. This I sorted by removing the nipple on the tender and replacing it with a small screw, thus creating a permanentely coupled loco and tender. On a personnal note I don't know why Bachmann and Hornby don't just don't issue permanently coupled models in an appropriate box, as there is nothing more nerve wracking as trying to connect/disconnect the four way plugs and then trying to get them into the box once they are connected.

 

Trying the loco on my small piece of dcc track, the model although a bit sticky at slow speeds, sounded fine and after a short while the stickiness disappeared. I duly took the model to try on our large club dc layout, although dc only the layout runs dcc sound fitted locos with limitations ie no bells and whistles but you still get the basic sounds. The model ran and sounded fine for a short distance and then the listening members started to mention that the sound seemed to be cutting out for periods, I left the controller set at seven and listened to the loco myself and sure enough the sound seemed to go missing for 5-6 seconds, now I don't know whether this was actually meant to happen, but I did notice that this issue is mentioned in the Modelrail review. This issue alone spoils for me what I thought had been a very good recording. What to do next? I'm not sure as I have nulled the warranty by altering the model. I might send the chip directly to South west digital for re-programming in the hope that their master copy doesn't replicate the Bachmann recording.

 

Overall the Bachmann sound Jubilee is a smashing model, but!

 

These opinions are my own. I apologise if I seem to have gone on at great length, but I felt an honest appraisal was better than none at all.

 

Regards

 

Stephen

 

Very much appreciated Stephen,

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[robmcg]

i went to my local model shop in anstey, leic, The jubilee is a very good model, on the sound model, the cab steps are not fitted but are in the package. the sound is not bad on bad on the model, it has

 

sound- On/off

Whistle 1

whistle 2

whistle 3

injectors

handbrake

guard whistle

AWS bell

en-jectors many more

 

i have been told doing a sound chip for a 3 Cyl is hard, but you can tell its a 3 cyl sound

 

Hi Rory,

 

Nice to see a GCR fireman interested in 00 sound models.

 

In the light of other respondents' experiences I'm still trying to work out if it's a reasonably bug-free DCC sound job in the Jubilee, or one which has a few issues. It's not so much the editing of CVs., but more the general robustness of the model and fitness-for-purpose which interests me.

 

Bachmann seem often to get things really really good, but fall sometimes on the last hurdle with rods/motion or wobbly wheels, and have never had engine-tender quite right... mind you, Hornby hasn't got 4-pin plugs right yet, either. (plug should be on lead from tender into vertical-plane socket under fall-plate, as on US Bachmann Spectrum models).

 

So I'm concerned that the Bachmann Jubilee will have no faults which require disassembly or re-programming.

 

Rob

[rorz101uk]

The jubliee is a sound model, i have heard in the pass that they don't pull the same as the older jubliee but that might be a running thing. My jubliee which i'm getting replace with the sound one has been fine. if you need anymore help just post on here, I have fitted

 

9F

M7

3MT

class 33

Fairburn Tank

[Riddles]

I think that the screw was still in place but the hole in the crank was too large so that it pulled through!

 

I've now received a replacement but I am disappointed that the whistle blows every time the throttle is opened. I can do that myself with Function 2. Presumably this "feature" was aadded for people running on DC. This doesn't seem to have been mentioned by anyone else so I'm wondering if it is a unique fault.

 

I like the Stanier hooter and guard's whistle.

[Lowlander]

I think that the screw was still in place but the hole in the crank was too large so that it pulled through!

 

I've now received a replacement but I am disappointed that the whistle blows every time the throttle is opened. I can do that myself with Function 2. Presumably this "feature" was aadded for people running on DC. This doesn't seem to have been mentioned by anyone else so I'm wondering if it is a unique fault.

 

I like the Stanier hooter and guard's whistle.

Hello Riddles

 

Your jubilee is not unique as my model does the same whistle when you apply the throttle, so I presume that it is a standard sound function. I've got to admit I actually quite like it, along with all the other sound functions I think they have done an excellent job. It's just the frequent sound of silence when running that disappoints me with this model.

 

Stephen

[gc4946]

Does the original SWD version, as opposed to the one installed by Bachmann, also go silent when coasting?

If the SWD version doesn't go silent when coasting, I see a possibility of sending it to SWD to reblow.

Also, if Howes does the Jubilee sound, does that also go silent when the loco coasts?

 

I'd like to know as I may consider buying this loco and then reblowing it.

[rorz101uk]

i wouldn't bother reblowing the loco, the sound is right, most loco always whistle before moving.

[Riddles]

i wouldn't bother reblowing the loco, the sound is right, most loco always whistle before moving.

 

Yes but the driver makes it happen.

 

It shouldn't be automatic. I like to do it myself and I can choose which version to blow, long or short etc.