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Bachmann 94xx


OnTheBranchline
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  • RMweb Gold

Some good points, adb.  I had not considered that the Western's air pipes may have been add-ons, and that would excuse one being missing on a window display model.  Etched plates are not necessary, but I had perfectly adequate plastic moulded ones on a Trix 00 one back in the 60s (looked ok when I'd picked them out in silver paint).  

 

I can't imagine that sprung buffers make much difference to the overall cost of a model, and I have no objection to them, but I can't see the point.  I can see the point of not printing headcodes that ought to be set back behind windows and ideally should be changeable on a 7mm scale loco, though, and the correct profile for the sliding cab windows; why not have them actually sliding and posable.  I don't see the point of lights that illuminate incorrectly according to the direction that the model is travelling, giving tail lights appropriate for a light engine when a train is being hauled, or are lit when the loco is stabled on shed, or dmus that have twin tail lights in liveries suitable for periods when oil tail lamps were carried.

 

The Concorde moment; hmm, I'm not sure.  I think we have reached 'peak detail', and you may be right that some models will now regress to former standards that were lower in order to keep a lid on costs, but I don't see it happening yet.  Not familiar with the Brighton Belle; what don't you like about it compared to the earlier version?  I suspect that the future will feature more in the way of disposable, replaceable models that have 'no user serviceable parts inside (this is already happening), which are a bit of a pita to people like me who paint, weather, and improve models and have to do it all over again when the brushes wear out and the loco has to be replaced.

 

There is nothing inherently superior about a new tooling, however the marketing people spin it.  It may or may not be an improvement on previous (it usually is), but the reason new toolings are used is that they offer efficiency of assembly or other production cost savings.  The purpose is to increase profitability, and any benefit to us is incidental.

 

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  • RMweb Gold
On 16/03/2019 at 22:31, Miss Prism said:

 

A subject probably worthy of a thread of its own. Today's gimmicks are all too often offered as a distraction from or substitute for substandard design and engineering in the unfashionable but basic areas of wheels, frames and rods.

 

 

Agreed. Fortunately, fewer and fewer people are taking notice of what the dumbed-down press says.

 

 

Why so savage ?  Please explain....or are you opening a can of worms here  because effectively this forum is owned by what you deem as the press ? Easy to make a sweeping statement perhaps but not so easy to justify or evidence it .I too look forward to a reasoned logical response to a distasteful assertion.

 

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2 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Some good points, adb.  I had not considered that the Western's air pipes may have been add-ons, and that would excuse one being missing on a window display model.  Etched plates are not necessary, but I had perfectly adequate plastic moulded ones on a Trix 00 one back in the 60s (looked ok when I'd picked them out in silver paint).  

 

Not familiar enough with the 7mm market to know whether the Heljan offering was complete or not, but I would point out applying the same thought process used in OO to 7mm really doesn't work.  Unless you want to limit yourself to a limited GWR branchline if you want RTR 7mm it is essentially Heljan or nothing as Dapol and the couple of smaller suppliers have produced a limited selection of models.

 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

I think that the RTR market in 7mm is at a very early stage of development, or perhaps I should say redevelopment as there was a time about 70 years ago when it was the leading RTR scale.  There is nothing like the variety of product as is available in 00, and there has never been such a variety of product in 00; just compare the current Hornby range with Hornby Dublo's or Triang's.  It is much.   larger than those two companies' combined product for 1960, and this is only one company.

 

It is difficult to predict what the future for 7mm RTR is.  I think it is firmly enough established to be a long term feature of the hobby, but I doubt if it will ever achieve mass appeal; the cost and space it requires are too much for most people.  But it can offer a very distinct advantage in fine detail of exactly the sort I was complaining about with the Heljan Western, and I believe must exploit this to the fullest extent if it is to prosper.  

 

A possibility for it is ranges of high fidelity RTR models of early railways,  the large scale being able to accommodate the fine detail and small motors necessary, but I have no idea if any company has considered this or what they reckon the market for it is if they have.  

 

I am rather hoping that Dapol will produce the ex Lionheart diagram N auto trailer in a 4mm version...

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18 hours ago, Ian Hargrave said:

 

Why so savage ?  Please explain....or are you opening a can of worms here  because effectively this forum is owned by what you deem as the press ? Easy to make a sweeping statement perhaps but not so easy to justify or evidence it .I too look forward to a reasoned logical response to a distasteful assertion.

 

 

I might tend to 'slightly agree' with Miss P here. If you're going to review a certain item (any item, actually) by way of trade, then your review needs to be pretty spot-on; good & bad.

 

Which brings us to a possible 'dumbed down' bit. You can't really say "that bit looks good" , if you don't actually know what 'that bit' is. I have some sympathy with people of a slightly younger age group. You won't necessarily know all the bits. Those old bu**ers (like me) are in a fast -diminishing  minority, soon to become extinct in the next 2-3 decades. All you'll have then are people who've missed out on a lot of railway-based knowledge. Sad, but true.

 

Enjoy it whilst you can......

 

Happy modelling,

 

Ian.

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  • RMweb Gold

Now that does look rather nice,  but they were not allocated to Newton Abbot until the arrival of 9440 and 9462 in 1949 so I really ought to resist.....

 

the only problem is that right from getting a Lima 9400 as a child, they have always been my favourite of the GWR panniers.   Does anyone know what they were using for in Newton Abbot?

 

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3 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

Bachmann Europe attended the London Festival of Railway Modelling at Alexandra Palace over the weekend and several new models were on display for the first time inside the Members Lounge (for the exclusive use of Bachmann Collectors Club Members). Official photographs of the Branchline Class 94xx (Engineering Prototype) have now been released.

 

 

 

94XX_BR_EP_01.jpg

94XX.BR.EP.02.jpg

 

Thanks Phil, hopefully that'll shut up the doom mongers on here.;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Excuse me while I hyperventilate!  This looks like a seriously good rendition, every bit as good as I'd hoped and I'm going to take a lot of persuading to weather that copper cap!  It is the first physical evidence of the model and I am re-assured that I will have one in my sweaty little paws before the end of next year...

 

Gimmeegimmeegimmeeeee!!!

 

Separate pipework and reverser linkage, and, apparently, etched brass cab doors and whistle shield, and a superb chassis probably make this the best RTR pannier ever.  I think this is RTR's first attempt at a whistle cord.  Well done Bachmann; I am looking forward to this model as everyone knows.  It'll knock my Limbach into the proverbial cocked hat instantaneously.

 

The 94xx is my favourite pannier as well, Fatadder, a lumpy, ugly, brutal, thuggish thing, but definitely had 'presence'.  I don't know much about Newton Abbot but I imagine it's 94xx were used for the same things they were used for everywhere else; yard pilots, trip work, carriage shunting.  They were heavy beasts, which probably kept them off most of Newton's branch line work, and they probably did their share of banking work as well. 

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  • RMweb Gold

Bloomin' heck, what a job.  Pity they got the texture  of the steam bag (on the front buffer beam) wrong and the smokebox numberplate base looks a tad big to me; no padlocks on the toolboxes (they weren't always padlocked anyway), and there's a pipe missing on the right hand injector although you can see where the union is for it into the injector body.

 

So if that's all there is to say about it then it's up there with the really top class models, quite job.  I await the announcement of the running numbers with considerable interest (and will explain why once they have been announced and I wonder if our local branch engine will be among them?

 

2 hours ago, The Fatadder said:

Now that does look rather nice,  but they were not allocated to Newton Abbot until the arrival of 9440 and 9462 in 1949 so I really ought to resist.....

 

the only problem is that right from getting a Lima 9400 as a child, they have always been my favourite of the GWR panniers.   Does anyone know what they were using for in Newton Abbot?

 

There is a published photo of 9440 near Tigley working the Ivybridge trip and one of 9462 on pilot duties at Newton Abbot. Use for a rule 1 time machine perhaps? 

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2 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

There is a published photo of 9440 near Tigley working the Ivybridge trip and one of 9462 on pilot duties at Newton Abbot. Use for a rule 1 time machine perhaps? 

I think that will have to be the case, though it does lead to a bigger problem as to whether to model one of the GWR builds with super heater that were mostly allocated to OOC or to mode 9440 or 9462 which would mean rebranding a BR loco  & removing the ghastly smokebox number!  I suspect the answer will be heavily dependent on which ends up in the bargain bin...

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The earliest I can find at Newton Abbot is 8403 in August 1949. There was also 8404 at Laira from the same date. Both later went to Bromsgrove as bankers.

 

That was the second batch from Bagnall 8400 to 8449. 9410 onwards wasn't built until 1950.

 

Details in Pannier Papers No1. There is a photo of 8403 at NA shed in 1950.

 

 

Jason

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2 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Excuse me while I hyperventilate!  This looks like a seriously good rendition, every bit as good as I'd hoped and I'm going to take a lot of persuading to weather that copper cap!  It is the first physical evidence of the model and I am re-assured that I will have one in my sweaty little paws before the end of next year...

 

Gimmeegimmeegimmeeeee!!!

 

Separate pipework and reverser linkage, and, apparently, etched brass cab doors and whistle shield, and a superb chassis probably make this the best RTR pannier ever.  I think this is RTR's first attempt at a whistle cord.  Well done Bachmann; I am looking forward to this model as everyone knows.  It'll knock my Limbach into the proverbial cocked hat instantaneously.

 

The 94xx is my favourite pannier as well, Fatadder, a lumpy, ugly, brutal, thuggish thing, but definitely had 'presence'.  I don't know much about Newton Abbot but I imagine it's 94xx were used for the same things they were used for everywhere else; yard pilots, trip work, carriage shunting.  They were heavy beasts, which probably kept them off most of Newton's branch line work, and they probably did their share of banking work as well. 

 

But above all,they worked the Vale of Neath line.....

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36 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

Details in Pannier Papers No1. There is a photo of 8403 at NA shed in 1950.

 

Is that book worth getting as I see Irwell Press have reprinted it recently.

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35 minutes ago, gwrrob said:

 

Is that book worth getting as I see Irwell Press have reprinted it recently.



If you like or model 94XXs then I would definitely say yes. That's why I bought my copy as I have a SEF version to build. It even has three clear photographs of the one I intend modelling 9411.

 

Possibly more like a better version of Locomotives Illustrated on good quality paper rather than a concise history though. If you want pages of text about design and performance then it's not really the place. If you want loads of good photos of individual locomotives then it's very good. Captions are informative. It has data such as building dates and allocations.

 

Possibly a bit biased towards the GWR engines (about a third of the book) and those allocated to London Division. But I think that might be due to available photographs. Preservation era is totally ignored. But it does have three photographs of the one on loan to the ER.

 


Jason
 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Seems they were rare birds in the West Country. In contrast, South Wales had a healthy flock.Remember seeing the very last new build...34XX  only a couple of years before the first main line Warships appeared.They were everywhere there in the mid 1950’s ,Radyr Yard and Roath being a popular spots to see a few.In the last days of steam on the Central Wales line they worked local passenger turns.Hope you also noticed the images of them at both Nelson and Hengoed HL.They were an anachronism,built years too late.This Bachmann representation looks the business...awesomely good to one who saw many of the prototype.

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  • RMweb Gold

It’s worth remembering that despite the red restrictions, 94xx did turn up in some odd places.  For example there are reported visits on both the Calne and Cheddar branches (both in BR days), ref the Wild Swan book on the Calne branch and I think Steaming through the Cheddar Valley)

 

So it isn’t completely implausible for one to turn up on a blue coded branch line.

 

 

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