rob D2 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 My birthday then ! i was building a TMD, but changed back to making a platform so I could accommodate this and the 121 ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Markwj Posted January 21, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2020 3 hours ago, 3rd Rail Exile said: Last time I checked it said April 2020... I don't think a pinch of salt would be sufficient, but you never know! I tend to take the view that "it'll get here when it's ready" - I've got so much on pre-order that I'm always paying for something, and as long as everything gets here in the end I don't mind which order it turns up in! Having said that, only the GWR Steam Railmotor has been on my "pre-ordered" list longer than the 117... Thank you for that I had a January delivery in my head for some reason. To be fair the class 158's arrived early. I think Bachmann do their annual stock take around now to check what's in the warehouse unless the new computer system has rendered this obsolete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted February 14, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14, 2020 Forgive me if this has been covered already, but in overall terms, what is the verdict on the Dapol 121 verses the Bachmann one? I note the comments re the roof shape, but are there any features about the Dapol one that might lead folk to buy the Bachmann version instead? Thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tallpaul69 Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 4 hours ago, Captain Kernow said: Forgive me if this has been covered already, but in overall terms, what is the verdict on the Dapol 121 verses the Bachmann one? I note the comments re the roof shape, but are there any features about the Dapol one that might lead folk to buy the Bachmann version instead? Thanks. Why not have both? That way you cover one set of the real life differences between individual sets (117s) or cars (121s)? I am of course ignoring the issue of cost! Joking apart, I don't think we can judge properly until we (or others who keep us informed) have a production sample of Bachmann standing next door to a Dapol. So once I get my Bachmann 121 I will try to remember to report back. Regards Paul 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 4 hours ago, Captain Kernow said: Forgive me if this has been covered already, but in overall terms, what is the verdict on the Dapol 121 verses the Bachmann one? I note the comments re the roof shape, but are there any features about the Dapol one that might lead folk to buy the Bachmann version instead? Thanks. A learned friend said the Dapol running qualities were not as good as hoped . 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbles2 Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 5 hours ago, Captain Kernow said: Forgive me if this has been covered already, but in overall terms, what is the verdict on the Dapol 121 verses the Bachmann one? I note the comments re the roof shape, but are there any features about the Dapol one that might lead folk to buy the Bachmann version instead? Thanks. The seating floating in a sea of custard have certainly put me off so far. Have seen an example at an exhibition with the interior floor painted dark grey which looks better, but still very poor for a vehicle with such a visible interior. I have recently sold my Lima conversions/detailed units and await the Bachmann examples. I just hope they do a few livery and class variations without waiting too long or increasing the prices too much. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted February 14, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 14, 2020 I've seen some reports of the Dapol models running too slowly due to stiff mechanisms. Mine's fine but it is a tad noisier than I'd expect from a modern diesel. Overall, though, I'm happy enough with it and since my layout's at eye-level, the seat/custard interface isn't too obvious. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Half-full Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 11 hours ago, Barry Ten said: I've seen some reports of the Dapol models running too slowly due to stiff mechanisms. Mine's fine but it is a tad noisier than I'd expect from a modern diesel. Overall, though, I'm happy enough with it and since my layout's at eye-level, the seat/custard interface isn't too obvious. I've read that if you remove one of the cardan shafts, the unit moves much more freely Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Budgie Posted February 15, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2020 33 minutes ago, Half-full said: I've read that if you remove one of the cardan shafts, the unit moves much more freely If you do that aren't you reducing the amount of power available for pulling the skin off that rice pudding? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted February 15, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2020 11 hours ago, Budgie said: If you do that aren't you reducing the amount of power available for pulling the skin off that rice pudding? How much are you expecting a 1 car train to pull ? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Budgie Posted February 15, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2020 1 minute ago, adb968008 said: How much are you expecting a 1 car train to pull ? Has Dapol produced unpowered dummies? Didn't some of them pull tail traffic? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted February 15, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 15, 2020 (edited) 17 minutes ago, Budgie said: Has Dapol produced unpowered dummies? Didn't some of them pull tail traffic? 1. No. 2. A Trailer, sometimes a van. The model on one shaft will manage that fine, indeed mine pulls 3 on a gradient, not that the real thing ever did., however I’m thinking to use one as a chassis source for an EMU kit. if you want a DMU for haulage capabilities, buy the Heljan DPU... its one of the most powerful rtr models out there. i’m interested to see the mechanism on Bachmann 3 car units... the new 158 is twin motored, but the 2nd motorised car is dependent on a power feed via the coupling (it doesnt work standalone)..how that plays out on the 159 or 117 will be interesting... will it be a tri-motor unit, or a bi-motor unit with a through feed through the centre car, or twin motored but wired to be independent needing two DCC chips, or a single motor ?.. where I am going is.. will it work as a 2 car and what is the male/female arrangements of those couplings... it was already established that making a 3 car GWR Cardiff-Portsmouth 158 set would be a sizeable, potentially destructive undertaking, which would leave 1 car unusable / and realistically unsellable without a very big loss. Edited February 15, 2020 by adb968008 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Budgie Posted February 16, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 16, 2020 2 hours ago, adb968008 said: 1. No. Yes, they have, but it's in N gauge, which I admit we weren't discussing so it's irrelevant. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium brushman47544 Posted February 16, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 16, 2020 8 hours ago, Budgie said: Yes, they have, but it's in N gauge, which I admit we weren't discussing so it's irrelevant. Not 100% in that it has set a precedent. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliebanger Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 15 hours ago, adb968008 said: i’m interested to see the mechanism on Bachmann 3 car units... the new 158 is twin motored, but the 2nd motorised car is dependent on a power feed via the coupling (it doesnt work standalone)..how that plays out on the 159 or 117 will be interesting... will it be a tri-motor unit, or a bi-motor unit with a through feed through the centre car, or twin motored but wired to be independent needing two DCC chips, or a single motor ?.. where I am going is.. will it work as a 2 car and what is the male/female arrangements of those couplings... it was already established that making a 3 car GWR Cardiff-Portsmouth 158 set would be a sizeable, potentially destructive undertaking, which would leave 1 car unusable / and realistically unsellable without a very big loss. According to the review in the current issue of Hornby Magazine (issue 153) the Class 159 has two motorised driving cars and one decoder (in one of the driving cars). Best regards, Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatofludham Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 I must admit I'm interested to know if the arrangement of the couplings on the 117 will allow a power twin arrangement to work, as a number of NSE units worked in the Midlands without a trailer as cover for the Class 323s. Has anyone seen the couplings on the engineering prototypes in enough detail to see if it would be possible to couple the two outer cars sans trailer? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted February 17, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 17, 2020 116 and 117 power twins also worked in South Wales for a short while before the introduction of the Sprinters, and I recall a 117 power twin of 2 DBS, very Lima... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Brasher Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 I was wondering which would arrive first; Swanage Railway's class 117 for the Wareham service or Bachmann's model. It looks like the Swanage Railway has won. There are some differences as the Swanage 117 has got a white roof, yellow warning panels and no British Railways crest. With the Bachmann whiskers version costing about £300 I am reluctant to attack it with a paint brush but if Bachmann produce a model of the preserved one I may have to fork out another £300. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted February 17, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 17, 2020 Tangentially related ... Does anyone, or did anyone, make cast headcode boxes of the correct type for a DMU as in Robin's picture above? The Lima Class 117 boxes are a little undersized. I asked a few of the suppliers at Warley but no one seemed to know who did them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Higgs Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 On 14/02/2020 at 22:03, bubbles2 said: The seating floating in a sea of custard have certainly put me off so far. Have seen an example at an exhibition with the interior floor painted dark grey which looks better, but still very poor for a vehicle with such a visible interior. I have recently sold my Lima conversions/detailed units and await the Bachmann examples. I just hope they do a few livery and class variations without waiting too long or increasing the prices too much. Is the Bachmann one having an invisible drive unit then? My 108s have what appears to be a nuclear reactor intruding into part of the seating area. At least with the Dapol 121 I can actually see all the way across the unit all the way along... Chris 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempfix Rich Papper Posted March 21, 2020 Tempfix Share Posted March 21, 2020 Just noted a review of the 121 in the current BRM. Imminent perhaps? Could use cheering up. Rich Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel_H Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 (edited) On 16/11/2019 at 10:44, Mel_H said: I saw the latest production-ready samples of the 117 and 121 at Spalding this year and they do look lovely with some nice detailing. Sadly the cab roof corners are not correctly domed, but more 'ski slope' than the real bulbous shape. Not as bad as the Bachmann 108 is, but nevertheless a disappointment as this is one of the units' most distinctive features. Dapol managed to nail the shape. It's not a grumble as such, just an observation. I accept that it's a tricky shape to get right. Anyone for Chris Leigh replacement ends! Pictures show the Bachmann and Dapol examples for comparison. Good news. Incredibly, despite the advanced state of the samples (painted pre-production ones I presume) Bachmann DID alter the tooling to get the roof dome correct on the Bubble (and the 117 too) according to the picture on Rail's site now. (Also pix in this month's BRM, but obvs not allowed to post them here) Edited March 27, 2020 by Mel_H 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markn Posted March 26, 2020 Share Posted March 26, 2020 Oh wow that looks great. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Class 158 productions Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 Should be interesting to compare with dapols offering, I assume the benefits are the lower floor and a better paint job. Personally I have found the Bachmann 158 mechanism rather loud, hopefully this is not the case on the 117/121s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernMafia Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 On 26/03/2020 at 19:57, Mel_H said: Good news. Any news on the Dacia Sandero ? Great news indeed, still can't decide if I'm getting a Blue Grey or NSE...might have to be both ! 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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