[Dapol/Airfix BR Prestwin Wagon Build. The Raunds Apprection Society....]

Lovely wagon builds!

As something of a KItmaster/Airfix enthusiast its' worth pointing out that Airfix did not take over the Kitmaster company, nor did the latter go bust. What happened is that Rosebud, having overextended itself with their railway plastic kits, sold the tooling to Airfix and withdrew from that market. They carried on with the Rosebud dolls and other sundry products before being taken over by Mattel. Indeed, if you are lucky enough to possess any original UK market Hot Wheels cars from the late 60s, you will see the maker's name as 'Rosebud Mattel', although the cars themselves were made in the US or Hong Kong (the latter normally provided the UK stock). It wasn't long before consolidation saw the final closure of the Raunds facility and whatever Rosebud DNA remained was subsumed into Mattel.

 

Here's a 1968 Pathe film of the Raunds factory making Rosebud Mattel dolls:

https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/55852/

[The Four Ages of Warships – Bachmann Types]

9 hours ago, Halvarras said:

 

Quite right, weathered blue 810 never appeared - I believe it was canned when the Class 43 was announced instead.

I wonder if weathered Class 43s will ever appear? (And if so will the awful gearing be amended?)

I don't know about the gearing but hopefully if they do a weathered one, they will model a specific loco with screen printed rust spots and marks particular to a time service rather than just mist with mud. Their more recent efforts have been a step change and a Warship would be an ideal candidate for the treatment.

Another thing that has struck me when looking at the Mainline and Bachmann class 42 production is that in the entire 32 year or so use of the tooling, blue livery was only ever correctly used for 827 Kelly, firstly (using the final variant of the blue livery application) on the original Mainline release and then much later on a 2010 Bachmann 21-pin release, using the slightly earlier pattern of blue livery with cab logos and serif numbers. Rather frustrating for us blue-era adherents with so many great subjects that could actually have been covered. 

[The Four Ages of Warships – Bachmann Types]

On 04/12/2020 at 00:43, stovepipe said:

 

An interesting read.

 

This is my list of Cl 42s produced so far, with what I've gleaned. Strictly the bodyshell is only suitable for D813-817, 819-829 and 831. The rest I've marked as inauthentic - but could of course be renumbered. Hopefully the other columns are self-explanatory.

 

32050

 

 

 

Doing some more ferreting around with this list it would appear that 32-062 Cockade (weathered blue) was not actually made. Here's a thread from the time:

 

[The Four Ages of Warships – Bachmann Types]

14 hours ago, Silver Sidelines said:

Cheers Patrick - certainly an inspiration.  I would not have used wheel pullers but would have prised the wheels apart probably using a big screw driver bit between the backs of the wheels.  The plastic gear being already cracked could be sacrificed.  Keeping on posting.  Regards Ray

I've replaced a few Mainline Warship final drive gears, my most recent technique for getting the wheels off is using a pair of fine nose pliers which I literally open up between the wheels either side of the gear. Best done inside a shoe box or similar as the wheels can fly off. When changing the gear one only needs one wheel off.
Of course once you can get the wheels off it is possible to swap out the traction tyre wheels, add pickups to the driven bogie or even go for twin motors, in that respect it is very handy that the dummy and motor bogies are identical tooling, with various fixing points common to both bogies even though they weren't all used on the production versions.
I ended up with enough leftovers to create a 'scrapline' Warship too which has been a bit of fun modelling.

[The Four Ages of Warships – Bachmann Types]

On 22/05/2023 at 14:23, D 844 said:

When should we be expecting the new Class 42 Warship, it seems a long wait. The Class 43 shell does have minor mould seems near the roof so they are prepared for different roof details. Perhaps running quality needs a re-think, certainly the gearing and pickups. Interesting on Ebay recently, some trusty older Class 42s have been going for higher prices than Class 43s. The new Class 42 will have to be spot-on to be a winner for Bachmann and us.

 

On 22/05/2023 at 14:45, Phil Bullock said:

I don’t think it’s anywhere in Bachmanns current programme. It was announced with the NBL IIRC but was then dropped. 

 

On 24/05/2023 at 17:44, D860 VICTORIOUS said:

A current-spec 42 would be great but would there be a demand for it?

Then again,the Kernow D600's seemed popular.

Although the Bachmann 42's may not be at the top table for detailed models,some of mine date back to 1999 and still run really well,in that respect not showing their age at all.

(Unlike their owner...)

I think it is safe to assume that the Class 42 is no longer in the forseeable pipeline as Bachmann's business model has moved on. However, if they do choose to do one now I would expect based on recent releases such as the Class 37/47 that the tooling suite would allow a vastly detailed range of body options:

- disc or headcode noses

- skirt differences 

- roof panel differences (in particular walkways/no walkways/centre circular vent versions)

- centre cantrail no vent version

- single central vent strap on bodyside and cantrail vents for D800-812/D866-870

- D870 horn fairing

- short nose handrails D800-802

- different cab roof profile D800-802

Etc, etc. In particular those early disc fitted locos are probably the last major RTR modernisation plan diesel gap to be covered. So it could yet happen!

[The Four Ages of Warships – Bachmann Types]

On 04/12/2020 at 00:43, stovepipe said:

 

An interesting read.

 

This is my list of Cl 42s produced so far, with what I've gleaned. Strictly the bodyshell is only suitable for D813-817, 819-829 and 831. The rest I've marked as inauthentic - but could of course be renumbered. Hopefully the other columns are self-explanatory.

 

32050

 

 

 

This is a useful list, and highlights one of Bachmann's weaknesses until fairly recently of being fairly cavalier about picking subjects that matched the tooling. There are 19 examples listed here of which only 7 match the body tools, even though there were 17 real life examples in the fleet that matched the tools!. I remember being quite excited when 870 Zulu was announced as this had unique rood mounted horns within a little but very distinctive fairing - but I was then disappointed that the model was just the standard one reliveried. For blue FYE examples, they only managed one Class 42 of the right type to suit their tools in the entire lifetime of the model, and that was a repeat of the one Mainline modelled! Mainline only ever did four locos and they were all correct for the tools.
Bachmann are much better now, in the past few years new tooling sets reflect a much wider set of variations and locos are modelled on actual subjects.

[Tarting up a 1981 Hornby Spamcan]

I very much enjoy improving old RTR models and this is a great example. Plus it has history with you!

[The Worst Diesel Locos in the World? - Part 3 Trials and Tribulations]

I'm sure despite the wait it would further improve things. I see it as a sort of continuum from minor tweaking of the older mechs to replacement of components and additional functions such as lighting circuits and DCC fitment. I've no doubt that a full works final China 5 pole Ringfield dealt with in this way would be pretty decent. 
In my case, I have a rather large stash of Class 24s/25s being built out of Hornby and Bachmann bits and the self-determined aim is to create as many models as possible graded so that some at least are decent performers whilst others will work but not necessarily with fine control or decent traction; and a couple of dummies will emerge for depot placement or double heading.

[The Worst Diesel Locos in the World? - Part 3 Trials and Tribulations]

One of the saving graces of the Margate Ringfield mechanism is that the traction tyred geared wheel is matched by a non-traction tyred geared wheel on the trailing bogie. For project locos using original chassis, I swap one traction tyred geared wheel on the motor bogie with a non-tyred wheel from my magic pile of spares and fit an extra pickup on that side. The trailing bogie gets all wheel pickups, and hey presto, 7 out of 8 wheels collect current. As long as the motor is cleaned, lubricated and nit hopelessly worn, they work remarkably well with a bit of extra weight - not obviously up to modern Bachmann/Heljan/Hornby full fat level but a very cheap supplement.