mikesndbs Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Hi guys Just had my 50th birthday and one of my special gifts was this lovely historical train pack. Really love it but would like to get the inside story about this train. As it specifically models train number 40 it should be possible? The pack says that the Midland converted existing clerestory coaches into these rounded roof ambulance coaches. What it does not make clear is were these Midland coaches or GWR coaches? As we have the lovely City class included I wonder if it was a all GW train converted by the Midland? If anyone could help me with this it would be great. Also unclear is where this train would have been used. The pack says trains were sent to Europe to evacuate from the front lines, but also says about 2.6 million being moved from UK docks to various hospitals around the UK. Where was Ambulance train number 40 used? Thanks very much Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 Anyone else noticed the coupling rods are on upside down? Runs like a three legged cow as well found the pins just pull out so I have corrected this stupid mistake Really disappointed, was so pleased with it but getting upset now. Did this review video before noticing you can see the error later in the close ups. Also no idea where to fit some of the detail parts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeOxon Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 you can read a little more about ambulance trains at http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Medical/AmbulanceTrains.html Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren01 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Here a photo that my Dad took in 1977 of the 47. If you are not happy with this send it back for a replacement. Darren Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 Thanks for the 47 pic, nice to see. OK back to the City class. 23:56 and just got it sorted out. The pins pull out of the cranks allowing me to put the coupling rods on the right way up! The poor running was due to a lump of rubbish in the gear chain. This thread was very helpful. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/880/entry-14983-Bachmann-city-of-truro-%E2%80%93-a-clever-design/ She now runs smooth, looks right so probably is right lol. Have also fitted as many of the detail parts as I could including the axle box tie bars! that was fun lol as the image Bachmann supply is the wrong way up, the loops point downwards. So much happier now I still dislike intently the four wires and plug under the tender, I think I will just remove two wires and see if there is a way to clip the tender pickups to the wires. Apart from that she is up and running, phew! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 Here she is with the tie bars in place Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 Morning, haveing look at some prototype photos I now think the tiebars are fitted wrong But try as I might I can not fit them the other way up, the small pin that seems to suggest it should mount in the hole on the frame, just can't as the clip on the end of the bar is too small to go over the frame.Has anyone managed to install these? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 The coaches look like the old Mainline LMS mouldings to me. How close these would be to the prototype, I'll leave to the LMS experts. AFAIK, all the GWR ambulance coaches were converted 'toplights'. The tie bars are upside down, but I don't know how they're supposed to fit on the Bachmann 'City'. The nearest I've got to owning one is the GBL copy and an EM gauge Airfix kit, motorised with a K's tender drive unit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Sidelines Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Hello MikeGlad you found my Blog Post about the Bachmann City useful.Bachmann must be going through a phase of upside down coupling rods. I have just returned a brand new 4MT where part of the rod was upside down. First time I have seen that fault.LH rod correct, RH rod upside down Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 It was very helpful! and I'd like to refer to it in my sum up video so others can get help also? would it be OK to include your photo of the gears? I find these errors very poor to be honest, they cant have much of a QC can they. Just spent the last three hours trying to fit the axle tie bars, what a hassle that was! I found it impossible to fit them the right way up using the small pin on the back of them, I had to cut this off and open up the jaws on the bars each end to stand even a chance of fitting. Another issues was that they say they supply a front bogie with no NEM pocket so you can have smooth front and add the hook etc, well they did not, just supplied two with NEM pockets !!!! Come on Bachmann! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 Here is a photo of the tie bars 'finally' in place. What a horrendous struggle! Now I see why most people leave them off! will have to check my City of London which seemed to be trouble free. Will follow up these issues with Bachmann as their apparent lack of attention to detail has caused a deal of strife at home with all the extra time I have had to give this model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Sidelines Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Hello Mike No problem. If you have have not found it - here is the image of the gears. It was very helpful! and I'd like to refer to it in my sum up video so others can get help also? would it be OK to include your photo of the gears? Regards Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 Here a photo that my Dad took in 1977 of the 47. If you are not happy with this send it back for a replacement. Darren Hey Darren, can I use that photo in my video please? I'd give you credit or what ever you want. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 Well, just as an update I have just sent a big complaint to Bachmann as I have had endless troubles and I just don't think it fair. Dear sir Would you please make sure this letter gets to those in charge at Bachmann. Firstly I’d like you to understand the great embarrassment and distress these issues have caused. My wife purchased the above items from Hattons for my 50th birthday on the 29th May. Hattons have been great but of course only could offer to exchange items, which is not at all ideal. I am an experienced modeller of 40 years. Let me start with 30-325 Wonderful pack with historic note. When I came to fit the add on parts I was horrified to note that the coupling rods were on upside down, or the wheel sets had been inserted upside down. See my initial review video at 5:57 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwuSIHG7qag However I discovered the pins pulled out so I corrected this. When I ran the loco it was terribly lumpy, not at all smooth like the City of London I already had, no amount of ‘running in’ in my experience was going to cure it. So I had to open the bottom plate to see the gears. What I found was firstly one of the black wires to the tender connector had been trapped against the rear wheel drive gears, and 2nd I discovered a lump of metal swarf wedged into the gear teeth of the front wheels! Both these items were corrected and lubrication added. Plate back on and it ran as sweetly as my City of London. I feel these are very poor example of any quality assurance at your end to be honest and while Hattons would have exchanged this set for me without an issue, I am terribly disappointed that your customers need to start stripping down brand new locos to perform major repair work like this, sending back is a real pain and can you imagine how my wife felt? Now, when it comes to fitting the detail parts more disappointment and frustration was waiting for me. The axel tie bars just did not fit! The chassis where they should fit was too thick, I had to significantly cut away the jaws of the tie bars and remove the pin to get them on, given that I performed this same action on my City of London and it took around 10 mins to do then I feel I know what I am doing. This again is just shoddy and a great shame for such a lovely set. Now moving to 25-2014. Wonderful set, and so far the Jubilee loco has had no issues at other than being bone dry, an easy fix which was done. The class 47 164 loco, stunning as she is ran with a horrible grumble that I know to be motor bearing noise. I thought I would pop the body off to see if I could access the bearings, oh boy was that a mistake. I followed your supplied instructions and removed the six screws marked and using thin card as is normal released the clips by the cab doors. Despite all this as I withdrew the body, the cab inserts ripped one of the windows out and pulled off the rather cheap and nasty black tape around the back of the head code box. Why? Because some dim wit had glued the cab inserts to the chassis with some very thick black glue! Thus, despite removing the screws at the front ends, the inserts ripped away at the inside of the loco as I opened it. They don’t slide in and out due to handrail wires ends and other obstacles inside the body, and your screw fixing plainly shows they are meant to stay inside the roof space. Then of course I discovered that to add the oil to the motor bearings I would need to strip the loco down even more, why you don’t have a small oiling hole in the chassis block I’ll never understand? So, after repairing the window insert that was pulled out, removing the black glue and fitting the inserts into the roof space I decided to put the body back on, try as I might it would not go fully back because the plastic pin on the cab inserts would not go home over the screw holes! Eventually after a great deal of persuasion and jiggling I got it back on, with one Perspex clip snapped off, finger marks all over the body and quite a bit of sweat and tears. Given that you expect customers to fit DCC chips and service their locos why on earth do you make them so hard to open, and why glue the inserts to the chassis when they need to stay in the roof of the body, or cause damage when dragged out like this? What has happened to you Bachmann? You have always been so good and solid. My wife is desperately upset that so much trouble has been caused by her very well intentioned gifts and I have lost faith in you badly. I’d very much like to hear your side of all this please? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
emt_911 Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Mike. I hope that this letter is addressed to the CEO Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 Mike. I hope that this letter is addressed to the CEO The only email address I could find was a service one, but I asked that it be sent to someone in charge and cc'ed in Hattons as well. I was ready to make a nice review video but that can't happen now. (Just as an update, a very helpful chap at Hattons called Tom has sent this via their complaints department who will get hold of someone at Bachmann) They need to be told, this is just not acceptable and I don't hold that I have just been unlucky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 Had a reply from Bachmann, in it I am told not to share their reply publically. Not sure why as it says nothing more than, we don't think this is a common problem, you can always send it back and we offer a 12 month guarantee. No mention of the issues I found and what they might do to prevent them! I have replied saying I feel this reply is unacceptable but that maybe they will have more time for Hattons (who are getting in touch with them) than they did me. More disappointment. Who is their CEO? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Sidelines Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 I think this thread is going the way of many other threads - Hornby Castles, Dapol Westerns - you name it.The little ladies in China have to work very hard and I am guessing have targets to meet. Where else could you get a 'kit' engine manufactured, painted and assembled for around £100? That equates to 2.5 hours of my time as a consultant (retired). I couldn't make these models for that price. I am guessing that 50 % of these models will end up in cabinets and never ever see the open road. So who would know if they operated properly? For more particular modellers 'Rails' and Hattons have arrangements in place with Royal Mail for the return of faulty goods - a service that I seem to be making good use of. This would suggest that it is a cheaper option for the manufacturer to offer replacements rather than to increase production costs with more quality control Regards Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 I think this thread is going the way of many other threads - Hornby Castles, Dapol Westerns - you name it. The little ladies in China have to work very hard and I am guessing have targets to meet. Where else could you get a 'kit' engine manufactured, painted and assembled for around £100? That equates to 2.5 hours of my time as a consultant (retired). I couldn't make these models for that price. I am guessing that 50 % of these models will end up in cabinets and never ever see the open road. So who would know if they operated properly? For more particular modellers 'Rails' and Hattons have arrangements in place with Royal Mail for the return of faulty goods - a service that I seem to be making good use of. This would suggest that it is a cheaper option for the manufacturer to offer replacements rather than to increase production costs with more quality control Ray. Regards Ray Sadly Ray I think you hit the nail on the head. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 Well here is my WW1 ambulance train follow up and running session. Love it now it all works https://youtu.be/KzVzZnnSd04 Part 2 on its way within the hour Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Sidelines Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Hi Mike ..Love it now it all works https://youtu.be/KzVzZnnSd04.. Thank you for the mention on your movie. Enjoyed seeing that I am not the only one to find issues with new purchases. I admire your efforts documenting the opening of the box - I find that the little bits usually come out first. On a more serious point regards the engine to tender adjustment I have just checked City of Truro - you might like to check your City of London - but in all my other Bachmann engines the wires pass underneath the tender axle. On your 'suspect' engine the wires appear to go over the axle (looking from underneath that is). Regards Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 Hi Ray, Many thanks for the support. You are spot on the wires do go over the axle just now. I am planning on changing them to just two wires, i.e. pick up from tender to loco, think that will be better and I am just seeking some very small croc clips or similar and then I can do away with that plug and socket Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 Hi guys, well that's it two days of filming, production and uploading are over here is part 2 showing the 25 year pack. Same format as before with a nice running session at the end.Hope this helps someone later on. Cheers for all the support. Night Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Sidelines Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Hi Mike ... I am planning on changing them to just two wires, i.e. pick up from tender to loco, think that will be better and I am just seeking some very small croc clips or similar and then I can do away with that plug and socket I did away with equally rubbish connectors on an old Airfix Castle (actually a conversion to a County). Old computer parts are very useful and I salvaged a plug and socket connector off the Mother Board. A nice little project, Good Luck Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesndbs Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 Regarding the coaches, is there an easy safe way to open them? I'd like to populate them a bit. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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