PJT

As far as I knew at the time Ultrascale didn't do the twin gear that meshes with the motor worm; maybe they do now. You'd have to ask them. I have to say my railbus works very nicely with brass final drive gears, brass intermediates and nylon twin gears. As I said further up the page, the intermediate gear has a clearance fit on its shaft (it's supplied with the shaft), so it is free to rotate on it - which is just fine. The brass final drive gear needs securing to the axle; while it's a tight-ish hand-push fit onto the axle, its grip on the axle is not enough on its own. You will need to secure it in place - my method is to file/grind a flat onto the axle, creating a small gap where a tiny fillet of Araldite can bind both to the flat and the bore of the gear. That's enough to lock it in place, for me anyway. When you remove the damaged nylon final drive gear from the axle, you will find there are three (from memory) thrust washers either side of the gear, governing the sideways float of the axle/gear assembly. Refit the washers selectively on the axle either side of the new brass gear, test fitting the axle/gear assembly in its housing in the railbus chassis to ensure you neither have too much float, nor so little float that the gear and axle pinch in the housing and don't run freely. As it happens, I ended up using the same quantity of washers with the new brass gear as were used with the old nylon one, but you shouldn't take it for granted you'll use the same number. Pete T.

Ultrascale intermediate gear and shaft installed: ...and the new Ultrascale final drive gear installed on the original axle: The replacement of gears on the other railbus axle is simply a mirror image of this one. I'm not exactly a great close-up photographer, but I hope that helps anyway. Pete T.

Morning Rory, I'll photograph it for you this evening at some point. Pete T.

You know, it's a funny thing, I don't remember 31110 on Bristol-Portsmouth runs at all. Doesn't mean in the slightest that I don't believe you, far from it, just that I'm mystified that I don't remember seeing it doing them. And as you say, as a 'skinhead' it would have stood out at the time. I think I saw it on the Bristol-Weymouth once, before it left Bath Road for Tinsley, but I only got to see that service very occasionally, whereas I was at Portsmouth every day. I do remember, during the 31/4 period on the Portsmouth trains, 31418 turned up as a massive surprise at Portsmouth Harbour on a Bristol service one day, when it was still an Eastern loco shedded at either Gateshead or Immingham - that's the 'skinhead' 31 that stands out in my memory on the Bristol-Portsmouths. Whatever, it's all grist to the mill for a South Coast modeller to legitimately justify one or two (or more!) Accurascale 31s without having to invoke Rule 1, isn't it? Pete T.

I was travelling by train to and from Portsmouth every weekday from 1974-79, and well remember early-ish 1976 when the reviled 2 x 3H DEMU formation on the Portsmouth-Bristols was replaced by a Class 31 plus 5 or 6 far more comfortable MkIs. Initially the 31s used were exclusively 31/1s (several different ones from around the Western Region, plus a few March ones that were probably in the process of being transferred to the WR), most commonly 31256/296/309. After a few months the 31/1s gave way almost completely to 31/4s. For a while, the Portsmouth-Bristols seemed almost exclusively the preserve of two locos, 31414 (in memorably appalling external condition) and 31416. Eventually it widened out to several more and 'the usuals' came to consist of 31401 (fresh from FP and clean and smart when it first arrived), 31412-6, 31419-24, with others also being used but only occasionally. They weren't all Bath Road 31/4s on the Bristols, though - actually it worked out about a 50/50 split between Bath Road and Old Oak Common machines. 31/4s were still a very common sight at Portsmouth when I stopped making my daily journeys there in 1979. The Portsmouth-Cardiffs were usually Class 33 hauled before the arrival of the 31s and, from memory, while many of the Cardiffs later went over to 31 haulage, the majority stayed with 33s. With Class 31s hanging around Fratton (Portsmouth) for servicing and stabling, once in a blue moon one would be pinched to replace a 33 or a 73 on a goods or departmental train along the West Coastway Line - a couple of times I saw a 31 in the yard at Chichester, for example - pretty deep inside SR third rail territory and looking very out of place indeed. Pete T.

Yes, sorry, I fully take your point and I should have made myself clearer. I have been reading the posts on previous pages about the lack of movement of the rear pony and I can understand the issue and the fixes people have talked about for it - though since I don't have a Dapol Prairie myself and I haven't closely looked at one, I can't really offer an opinion on that matter. However I was really referring to @sjrixon's comment about electrical issues which, if the Prairie front or rear pony axle construction is similar to the Mogul's front pony, might well have a similar cure. It's also my mistake for referring to the Prairie front pony when I should have said front or rear. Pete T.

I don't have a Dapol Prairie but I do have two Dapol GWR Moguls, both of which have suffered from the same electrical issue on the pony truck, despite it not having pick ups. I would think that construction of the Prairie front pony is probably the same as that on the Mogul, so your issue might just be the same as the one I had. Both my Moguls had an intermittent electrical shorting problem that, after several close inspections of the chassis, was driving me nuts since the locos were very poor, stuttering runners, especially on curves and points. Then I discovered the front pony axle is a two piece item - two half axles, each carrying a non-insulated wheel, that almost but not quite touched each other in the middle of the pony truck. Except, unfortunately, mine were so close to each other that on curves and points (and on occasion on straights as well) they did come into contact with each other, causing a momentary short circuit, hence the stuttering running. A tiny disc of very thin plastkard on the end of one half axle cured the issue and instantly both locos ran as beautifully as I'd hoped for. I suppose a tiny dot of paint or similar would work too. Incidentally, both locos were prone to the odd derailment, and it was after measuring the back to back of the front pony wheels and finding they were too close together that I stumbled across the non-insulated axles touching each other. Hope that helps sort out your frustrating problems. Pete T.

And made by Newton, Chambers & Co., the same company that mined coal and ironstone, made and sold coal tar and disinfectants (hence medicated Izal paper), made the East Coast Main Line's car transporters used on the Anglo Scottish Car Carrier service, plus NCK (and latterly Ransomes & Rapier) excavators, plus Ronseal wood stains and varnishes, plus iron castings including many used in the construction of Tower Bridge, all at various times over the 200 year life of the company. Now that's what I call a diverse product range! Pete T.

Hooray! Glad to hear it. They're one of my favourites, too. Pete T.

'A very great train', no less. And you could spot a Nelson coming from a good distance away by that characteristic sway of the corridor connection on the cab front. Gosh, they seem a world away now, don't they? Pete T.

I completely agree with the comments above that you should return the loco for a refund; however if for one reason or another you find yourself stuck with your Bachmann B1 Mayflower, the expanded wheel centres - a common issue on the earlier 'split chassis' B1 models - can be repaired without too much trouble. I've written about repairing the Bachmann B1 wheels once or twice on RMweb (and the same for the earlier 'split chassis' Bachmann 4MT 4-6-0s that suffer the same issue), but in my opinion the best guide is Silver Sidelines' blog, if you follow this link: Hope that helps. Pete T.

Good evening Triangman, Well, the confusion seems to continue. I've now bought four new 'Stembok' models and every one has come with the nameplates in the accessory/detail pack. Granted they weren't ready fitted to the loco but they were there in the packaging (as discussed above, a very unusual way for Hornby to sell a named loco). See my photo below, taken just now, of the detail pack that came with the fourth Stembok loco I bought, clearly showing the included nameplates. If yours came without nameplates, then part of your detailing pack is missing. With respect, I'd suggest that someone in Hornby's customer care department may have forgotten how they sold the loco! All the best, Pete T.

I completely agree, that's a really useful sprue of detail parts for cab ends on Southern electrics, and the horns on it would have been a pretty good match for the 4CEP ones. Unfortunately it's shown as 'currently unavailable' on Replica's website when I looked this morning. Shame. Pete T.

You're very welcome. Great to see you're sorted out with a complete body with all fittings intact - always useful to have stashed away to 'Christmas tree' for parts in future. Pete T.

Ok Bob, Having looked through my spare bodyshells, I don't have a 4CEP/2EPB/MLV horn, but I do have a Bachmann Class 55 Deltic long one. In size and shape it's exactly the same as the long one on a 4CEP (I've just had them side by side to make absolutely sure). The only detail difference is the Deltic horn only has one locating pin to secure it in place, at the rear, whereas the 4CEP horn has two locating pins, one at the front and one in the same place at the rear. The colour's blue, so you'd have to put a bit of roof grey paint on it. I'd be happy with fitting that to my 4CEP - if you're happy with it, please PM me your address and I'll stick it in the post to you. Pete T.

That's a shame. They're brilliant at going the extra mile to help, if they can. I'm sure you'll have noticed that the horns are of two different lengths - can I ask whether it's the long or short horn you're missing? I'm working at the moment, but this evening I can nip upstairs and see what I might have on my (extensive!) collection of spare bodies. Can't promise anything, of course. Pete T.

Good morning to you too, Bob. While they're not shown as spares on their spares website pages, nor on the exploded diagram on the service sheet that comes with the model, have you actually asked the Bachmann service department if they can supply them? I'd be really surprised if they can't - in my experience, when they can, they raid old returned models for body details that aren't shown on their service sheets as spares, in their efforts to keep customers happy. As an example, they sent a pair of Deltic Prototype 'DP1' roof mounted air horns to me that (as I was assured in a phone conversation) they'd very carefully and successfully prised away from a returned damaged model on my behalf. If you haven't actually enquired on them, I'd urge you to send them a quick email. Usually you'll be dealing with Jenni or Georgina, general email address service@Bachmann-europe.co.uk. It might also help if you suggest that 2EPB, MLV or 2H air horns would do if they haven't got an old 4CEP body lying around. Pete T.

Yes, though they're a bit limited by not having had enough time to really fiddle with it yet. In my opinion it's a very nice sound project, though as always with steam sounds it could do with more low-down grunt - but I think we all know that the ideal for steam is a speaker and chamber far larger than you could fit in the loco. Having the sound coming from the loco rather than the tender is a real positive, as you'd expect, and I know I'll be playing around with the speaker in the loco to improve the sound, rather than adding another in the tender. Early days at the moment, though - I haven't yet removed the body to see how the sugar cube in the loco is set up or how well it's sealed in its chamber, or if there's sufficient space for a better speaker, or a bigger chamber, or a second sugar cube alongside the first. I also haven't, in the five days I've had the V2 so far, got around to altering the volumes of individual sounds - but I will because I usually find some too quiet relative to others while some others are too loud or shrill and that's certainly the case with this V2. What I will say is that the loco ran absolutely perfectly on DCC straight out of the box - I haven't had to fine tune any of the CVs for the loco's running and the synchronisation of sound to driving wheel rotation seems on the factory setting to be as good as it could be. Pete T.

Here you go: Hope that helps. It's pretty conclusive, isn't it? Presumably the Rails staff who replied to you were looking at photos of earlier samples. Pete T.

That's really odd as the latest ROS link showing all three releases, 60964 is clearly fitted with disc wheels wheels. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0225/2858/9896/products/IMG_2758_720x.jpg?v=1639736585 Both new V2s I've bought - 60964 and 60800 - have disc wheels on the tender, if that's reassurance for you. Pete T.

Oh, brilliant! I'm delighted for you, Les. Just looking back at your post from the end of December, it gives you a lovely warm feeling to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, doesn't it? Pete T.

July 1959 is the latest probable date I've found for green 58 footers - in Michael Welch's 'Southern Coaches in Colour', first plate after the introduction page. It's a colour photo of green S2626S and S4654S (brake third Dia. 98 and composite lavatory dia. 285) at Evercreech Junction on 22nd July 1958, the caption stating that both were withdrawn a year later (one assumes still in green?). Both coaches look like they're in BR numbered and lettered re-varnished SR malachite. I feel sure I've read elsewhere that was actually the case, rather than them being in BR (SR) green, but try as I might I can't find the reference in any of my other books. Whatever, it does at least confirm that these two 58 footers were in green at least 10 years, most likely 11 years, into BR ownership. Unfortunately one of them is a diagram of 58 footer that Hornby haven't made. Pete T.

I've said nothing of the sort. No, you got crossed wires, Rob. It was Tony Wright, on P2546 in 'Wright Writes', commenting on a conversation he had with Hornby's Simon Kohler: 'Occasionally, my comments are acted upon - my mentioning to Simon Kohler about the out-of-gauge W1 steps will result in future runs having them as separate items, to be added by the purchaser, or not.' Pete T.

You're welcome, Les. At least you know that you have a loco that can still be repaired, rather than an expensive fishing weight! For my sins I have three Oxford Rail N7s and, while they're all good runners (I love the weight and haulage ability of the Oxford N7s - for RTR tank locos they're brilliant), the best performer is the remotored one, by some margin, especially at slow speeds. Pete T.

If your approach to Oxford Rail doesn't work, an alternative is a Tramfabriek 1020D (double shafted coreless 10 x 20mm) - I've used one on an Oxford N7 and it worked perfectly when I fitted it around 18 months ago and continues to do so today. It's 3mm shorter than the original Oxford Rail motor, but is gripped by the foam in the motor clamp very securely so this isn't a problem. You will need a 1mm dia. pin on a worm puller to swap the worm over from your old motor. See: https://tramfabriek.nl/motors.html The motor costs the Euros equivalent of about £16.50 incl. VAT and is posted from the UK, despite the 'nl' website address. Not the cheapest priced motor but very nice quality and since I couldn't get one from Oxford Rail last year I was more than happy to pay the price having come across this one. I have no link other than being a happy customer. The other motors they supply are worth a look, too. Pete T.