Bachmann announce Class 117 and Class 121 at Collectors Club event

[SDJR7F88]

A running session feature the all new British Rail Class 121 'Bubble Car' DMU from Bachmann, in smart Network Southeast livery, edited with Real Sound.
Sounds are provided by a number of fellow class members from my sound collection, captured at various Gala and Preserved Railways over the past few years.

Hope you enjoy!

 

[MJI]

4 of my 5 Lima DMUs have modified cab roofs, the 5th not yet done.

 

1 fattened up to 117

1 domed to 118

2 removed and small box added to 116

 

Lima is a 117 118 undersized hybred

[bubbles2]

So when did the 121 bubble cars find there way to the West Country I have found several pictures in books of them in green with whiskers and small yellow panels in Devon and Cornwall.

Truro - 1965 by Geoffrey Tribe, on Flickr

Is this Falmouth train a 121?

 

and Fowey January 1965.

 

and a matching pair back at Lostwithiel again in January 1965.

Edited July 15, 2020 by bubbles2

[Coppercap]

1 hour ago, bubbles2 said:

So when did the 121 bubble cars find there way to the West Country I have found several pictures in books of them in green with whiskers and small yellow panels in Devon and Cornwall.

Truro - 1965 by Geoffrey Tribe, on Flickr

Is this Falmouth train a 121?

Is that a DTS on the left with the (only just visible) white-domed roof of a 121 behind it?

[cctransuk]

2 minutes ago, Coppercap said:

Is that a DTS on the left with the (only just visible) white-domed roof of a 121 behind it?

 

That car type code to the left of the lamp iron doesn't look like DTS to me - perhaps MBS?

 

John Isherwood.

[bubbles2]

 

Edited July 16, 2020 by bubbles2

[Class 158 productions]

Although the speedo cable looks good, surely it will deteriorate over time? 

[iwfb]

"Although the speedo cable looks good, surely it will deteriorate over time? "

 

And what is this based on?

 

For that matter so will the owner.

[Class 158 productions]

It’s rubber, surely it will degrade and become brittle. It’s very thin, so will dry out quicker. I could be wrong but it is a very fine part, hopefully Bachmann do spares 

[Class 158 productions]

Especially as this happens on many steam locos with the same feature, the ones on my 117 feel a lot more delicate than on a Hornby cable which is just as thin.

[NickL2008]

11 hours ago, Class 158 productions said:

It’s rubber, surely it will degrade and become brittle. It’s very thin, so will dry out quicker. I could be wrong but it is a very fine part, hopefully Bachmann do spares 

 

Thats only if you dont replace it, to be honest (for me at least) this is probably one of the weakest areas of the model, the "pin" that holds it into the bogie doesnt look good and the cab itself looks a little chunky, but that will probably be so its more resilient to handling and flexing around bogies when the bogie pivots

 

NL

[Mark]

On 14/07/2020 at 12:00, NIK said:

Hi,

 

The Lima version  looks curved like a Class 118 or the four Class 117s with domed headcode boxes.

 

Regards

 

Nick

The Lima model had a totally wrong body profile with a very sharp tumble home too far down the side. Also the passenger window behind the cab was too long. They corrected the window length when they retooled it to the single car. For its day it was pretty good but the basic errors were pretty well impossible to correct. The head code box was the easy bit and cut and shuts solved the DMS and window issue but it was always the basic profile that bugged me.

 

Mark

[Market65]

On that Lima 117 the bogies seemed underscale too, and were on stilts, with terrible pizza cutters for wheels.  So the lovely new Bachmann model is just so much better in just about every respect.

 

Rob.

[MJI]

Falmouth branch has had many things on it.

 

4 car DMUs pretty sure a 118 and a 121/122

2 car twin power

3 car 118 normally

Green DMU with lots of doors. Cannot remember all I can remember is that everything was green & dirty and I think main line carriage had BS gangways not Pullman. Also saw black locos with 6 wheels, cannot remember if Diesel shunters or steam. I was under 4.

[Class 158 productions]

2 hours ago, Market65 said:

On that Lima 117 the bogies seemed underscale too, and were on stilts, with terrible pizza cutters for wheels.  So the lovely new Bachmann model is just so much better in just about every respect.

 

Rob.

For the price and age difference, think almost 38 years, that should be the case. 

[NickL2008]

On 17/07/2020 at 09:29, Market65 said:

On that Lima 117 the bogies seemed underscale too, and were on stilts, with terrible pizza cutters for wheels.  So the lovely new Bachmann model is just so much better in just about every respect.

 

Rob.

 

You do suspect sometimes that Lima intentionally scaled parts of their models to HO guage, pretty much everything on the 117 underframe is wrong, undersized or in the wrong position, even the headcode box 

 

N:

[NickL2008]

On 17/07/2020 at 05:26, Mark said:

The Lima model had a totally wrong body profile with a very sharp tumble home too far down the side. Also the passenger window behind the cab was too long. They corrected the window length when they retooled it to the single car. For its day it was pretty good but the basic errors were pretty well impossible to correct. The head code box was the easy bit and cut and shuts solved the DMS and window issue but it was always the basic profile that bugged me.

 

Mark

 

I used a couple of spare Bachmann 108 bodyshells on my model, including the cabs, alot of profiling but it improves the model alot, a pity Lima didnt get the cabs right in the first place

 

NL

[Paul.Uni]

The NSE 117 has arrived at Rails. https://railsofsheffield.com/groups/3131/new-arrivals

[47137]

I now have a NSE 121 from Kernow and it is beautiful. For me it is a reasonably compact memento of Network Southeast.

 

I have put in a Lenz Silver+ decoder, and it runs very well too.

 

Please excuse me if I have missed this earlier in the thread, but do the destination blinds light up on some of these models? I have

f0 directional lights

f1 switch off lights at non-exhaust end

f2 switch off lights at exhaust end

f3 slow running

f4 no function found yet

f5 interior lights

f6 cab lights (both ends)

and this is rather different to explanations written in the instruction leaflet with the model.

 

I emphasise, I am completely happy with the model. I just wonder about the destination blinds. If they don't light up then changing them to Marks Tey / Sudbury might be a bit less challenging for me.

 

- Richard.

[pauliebanger]

Yes, they do light up. They are individually switched on Aux 5 and Aux 6, as it says in the instructions.

 

Your decoder needs to be correctly mapped and all of the DIP switches must be in the 'ON' position.

 

Best regards,

 

Paul

[Geep7]

F7 for the forward destination blind and F8 for the reverse destination blind.

 

At least that's how it works on my 117 with Lenz decoder.

[47137]

I have tried the F7 and F8 buttons on my handset and the destination blinds light up perfectly. This is also with a Lenz decoder.

 

You know, it is so long since I had a model with lights I had forgotten mapping existed. Most of my models use only four wires to their decoders :-)

 

Many thanks to all.

 

- Richard.

[The Stationmaster]

One thing worth noting if you have full control of the lights on these units is that under the original Instructions - which cover the 'green livery period' - the headcode (and destination) indicator was to be illuminated but marker lights were not to be illuminated.   (And of course a standard oil tail lamp was carried.)

[aureol40012]

My Legomanbiffo plux22 arrived today from Charlie and I was wondering about leaving the ESU sugar cube attached durdctly to the chip as well as utilising the Bachmann fitted speakers (which are of course hard wired from the decoder socket).  Anyone tried this?  Any reason not to do it this way? Will it reduce the volume overall (I’ve got a feeling it may).

[dibber25]

Just looking at that picture of the interior, I seem to recall that the button directly in front of the driver was the GWR ATC cancelling button. Was the same button used for the BR AWS? I recall watching the driver cancel the ATC as we romped through Sonning cutting with semaphore signals and the old ATC ramps. I remember the 'cone' of the brake being red - or was it the actual brake handle that was red. The picture - and the piece of movie - shows how desperately these models need a driver. I know manufacturers have resisted this for years on cost grounds but I'd happily pay good money not to have to open the model up - and try to find a driver figure that will actually fit without having to start by cutting the seat out etc. (CJL)

Edited July 25, 2020 by dibber25