Bachmann 94xx

[br2975]

WEB Modified Hall 2.jpg

 

Very nice job there....................

 

"Llanrumney Hall"...................Once upon a time, probably the most notorious pub on the east side of Cardiff.

.

Pronounced locally as "lanrumee" 

 

Brian R

Edited December 12, 2017 by br2975

[Welchester]

Very nice job there....................

 

"Llanrumney Hall"...................Once upon a time, probably the most notorious pub on the east side of Cardiff.

.

Pronounced locally as "lanrumee" 

 

Brian R

 

Grade II* listed, though.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

..."Llanrumney Hall". Once upon a time, probably the most notorious pub on the east side of Cardiff...

Grade II* listed, though.

 

With the qualities that led to listing clearly now in the careful custodianship of the entirely respectable if a little spaced out Mel.

[The Stationmaster]

It must be quite difficult for manufacturers to know exactly what will sell.  The 94XX is quite a brute in both size and weight, and is most definitely not yer branch line engine. Only 9400-9409 were  post-war GWR engines, then there was then a gap of three years before construction recommenced.  So the question is, who is going to buy it?  Or is it one of those locos that has so much appeal that everyone will want one?

 

I can bring to mind a lot of other locos that in theory stand a better chance of being a commercial success, but the 94XX might be a relatively inexpensive model to produce if it makes use of an existing chassis. It does happen at times. Personally, I think its dodgy.

 

The oft advanced argument is that 'all pannier tanks look the same'. - which is no doubt why Bachmann decided to do a 64XX in a moment of madness but I suspect that decision paid off for them.  The $64,000 question is which period sells best when it comes to GWR/WR and I suspect (by gut feeling as much as anything else) that in run-of-the-mill terms it is probably the mid-late 1950s/early '60s period that sells the best.  That means that for those bright enough to know (and no doubt many don't know) a basically post 1948 Western engine will sell as well as one covering the 1920s - early '60s.

 

Certainly one on my list for several reasons - firstly one was a regular on our local branch passenger trains more or less from the earliest days of the class to dieselisation,  plus - more pertinently in my modelling interests - they were regularly used on Newport District stopping passenger trains as well as freight work.

 

Plus in this case, as already noted, there is the 'preservation factor' with a preserved example getting a lot of exposure in more recent years enabling modellers of a more modern scene to also go for it.    So it probably has some reasonable chance of commercial success although for some people it will still be 'just another pannier tank' and that might well put off some (less discerning? ) souls.  and will Hornby do one?  I reckon that as Bachmann have announced it there's no way Hornby will touch it now even if they might well have had a research file sitting in their presumed library of such things.

[br2975]

You wait ages for a 94xx, then two come along together.

.

3409 & 9472 climb 'the Big Hill' at Penrhos, 54yrs ago on 13th December, 1963.........photo by Bob Masterman.

.

Yours truly eagerly awaits the Bachmann example, as one of Radyr's 34xx examples passed our 'front room' window ( council flats didn't have lounges ! ) each day as it traversed 'the rusties' ( more correctly the  Llantrisant No.1 Railway ) on the way to and from Creigiau Quarry.

.

Brian R

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

3409 & 9472 climb 'the Big Hill' at Penrhos, 54yrs ago on 13th December, 1963...

 Two to haul a brakevan. They really weren't up to much then?

[coachmann]

......   So it probably has some reasonable chance of commercial success although for some people it will still be 'just another pannier tank' and that might well put off some (less discerning?

'Just another Pannier' was one of the reasons, apart from there being -all else about at the time, that folk used them on their GWR branch line termini half a Century ago. I seem to recall it took a letter in one of the model railway magazines of the period to inform users the 94XX's  were red-route restriction locos and were the most unlikely thing you would see on a country branchline.  But I forget (all too often) that most members on here have always bought ready-to-run and that such constraints are the last thing on their mind when they see something they fancy.  

[DavidLong]

'Just another Pannier' was one of the reasons, apart from there being ######-all else about at the time, that folk used them on their GWR branch line termini half a Century ago. I seem to recall it took a letter in one of the model railway magazines of the period to inform users the 94XX's  were red-route restriction locos and were the most unlikely thing you would see on a country branchline.  But I forget (all too often) that most members on here have always bought ready-to-run and that such constraints are the last thing on their mind when they see something they fancy.  

 

There was always the Gaiety Pannier Tank to fall back on. In 1962 Hattons would sell you one on a HD 2 rail chassis for 50/-, Triang 45/- and HD 3 rail for 57/6. Postage 2/-!

Go nicely from the same supplier with a Farish 94xx for 45/6 or a Big Prairie for 55/6

 

David

[The Johnster]

Very nice job there....................

 

"Llanrumney Hall"...................Once upon a time, probably the most notorious pub on the east side of Cardiff.

.

Pronounced locally as "lanrumee" 

 

Brian R

 

 

And birthplace of Henry Morgan, Privateer and Governer of Jamaica, and part time pirate and cutthroat, typical lanrumee boy.

[br2975]

 Two to haul a brakevan. They really weren't up to much then?

One at least was the Taffs Well duty banker.

.

Possibly working together to increase line occupancy ?

[The Johnster]

One at least was the Taffs Well duty banker.

.

Possibly working together to increase line occupancy ?

 

Photo certainly brought back a few memories for me, Brian; Penrhos was a favourite outing on the bikes, with a cup of tea waiting for you in the brakeman's cabin and a good chance of footplating the banker.  I believe that a 94xx on this duty was Radyr's last booked steam turn in 1965.

 

The panniers are on the 'big hill', the original Rhymney Railway line from Walnut Tree Junction (Taff's Well).  They had running powers over the TVR from here to Cardiff but congestion led to them building their own route via Caerphilly Tunnel.  The line in the foreground at a slightly higher level is the Pontypridd, Caerphilly, and Newport Railway from Ponty, and the one in the background is the spur to the Barry Railway's Llanbradach Branch which crossed the Walnut Tree Viaduct.  This was retained for some years to service the Steetley Dolima works, 'the Dolomite', just over the viaduct on the hillside at Morganstown.  I crossed it a few years later footplating on a D68xx which was shunting the works; this was a Radyr turn.

Edited December 12, 2017 by The Johnster

[br2975]

Another Bob Masterman shot.

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Radyr's 9682, believed to be the last steam Taffs Well banker waiting in its' usual lair, the coal yard behind Walnut Tree Junction 'box.

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The former Barry Railway 'Walnut Tree Viaduct' looms out of the panniers exhaust, and the Steetley dolomite works at Taffs Well west, accessed from the former Barry is visible on the hillside behind the loco.

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As mentioned above, another shot by Bob Masterman.

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Brian R

[OnTheBranchline]

Well we have, but it is only available to people used to doing a spot of after-modelling using a Brassmaster kit. I agree though that the 4mm/00 hobby needs a pucker Modified Hall. Hornby could do it because the front body retaining screw is further back in the chassis. Below is a modified Modified Bachmann.....

 

WEB Modified Hall 1.jpg

WEB Modified Hall 2.jpg

 

If only we were as brave as you.

[adb968008]

I’ve been making a mess tonight.

 

I’ve got an old Lima 9400 and a 9401, and a duplicate 7754 Pannier in my collection.

 

 

Figuring the post ebay fees/ PayPal fees / postage fees of this pair (7754/9401) was about £30 I figured that’s cheap enough for a bit of drilling.

 

30 minutes of mess later...

 

 

Hotel keys come in useful for something, part of it is now the cab floor of my 9401.

 

 

 

I’m going to keep this one to a budget, given the Bachmann one is coming.

List of jobs:

1. will darken the wheels, but not the rods

2. order a red set of “9466” plates from Fox.

3. need to choose some buffers, I have some Mainline replacement ones from Peters spares, but I could order new, plus vac pipes,

4. Add Dapol screw fit NEM couplings (longer shank)

5. rob the missing tank filler cap from 9400 before that and the other chassis are condemned and sent to ebay’s Scrapyard.

6. I may not fully repaint it, but a good clean dust, touch up the buffer beams, remove/replace the BR logos.

 

Job done, hopefully the amortised overall cost will be around £45 (cabsides/smokebox and buffers, chassis and body) minus8 the 7754 body / old Lima chassis (plus ebay fees etc say £15 left over when done) could bring this whole project in at around £30.

 

 

 

Watch this space.

Edited May 9, 2021 by adb968008

[The Johnster]

Looks pretty good to me, and given the easy availability of Lima 94xx on eBay I may well go down the same route as I am too old to wait for Bachmann's loco.  I have done this sort of thing before, so it is within my comfort zone; a visit to a show would probably provide me with all the necessary for not too many beer tokens.

[adb968008]

On 15/01/2018 at 13:55, The Johnster said:

Looks pretty good to me, and given the easy availability of Lima 94xx on eBay I may well go down the same route as I am too old to wait for Bachmann's loco. I have done this sort of thing before, so it is within my comfort zone; a visit to a show would probably provide me with all the necessary for not too many beer tokens.

This is what it was looking like at 11.30pm last night.

 

Washed the body,

 

For buffers I cheaped out and went 70’s.. , I noticed one shank was splitting, so I used standard Hornby round buffers (1970’s style railroad buffers) push fitted them. The result was it splits them a little but they don’t break but overall makes a full shape to the shank. Once painted the cracks disappear.

 

touched up the handrails using a black lining pen. I’ve also touched up the buffer beam. Painted the wheel rims using LNWR Blackberry black (Matt). 

 

To fit the body / chassis, I’ve cut a bit more off the room key to make a foot plate floor and a 3 level block space under the smokebox to glue on a ba nut to.

 

 

Threaded in a long screw from the chassis, holding the coupling and chassis upto the footplate floor

 

 

 

Put it altogether added a new BR set of lions and this is what treated me this am..

 

 

Headlamp is temporary, i’ll Make some LUL shaped discs for it soon. For the smokebox door hinges I borrowed a pencil from my daughters school bag.

 

I wish I could say its come a long way, but its only a few hours work since this.

 

 

 

Here's my target..

 

 

 

Just need to finish vac pipes (drying) , numbers, route availability disc, shed code (on order from Fox c£9 but i managed to order a whole bunch of other stuff too for other projects) and  an RSH builders plates to make 9466 as preserved. At some point I've a hole on the rear buffer beam to fill from the lug off the old chassis, I'll probably use a bit more room key.

 

 

 

Anyone know where I can buy an RSH builders plate ?, I'm thinking how I can do the drivers windows ? (I'm thinking using some clear plastic packaging and cutting something to size).

 

So far it's cost me time, a bit of paint, 2 transfers, 2 couplings a screw and a hotel key and £9 for the above etchings/transfers, c£30 for the base 7754 / 9420 models, and I have a 7754 Body and Lima Chassis to sell (reckon £15 ?) so i'm looking at a £25 project so far all in.

Have to sit patient now for the mail man and next weekends "play time" to finish this.

Edited May 9, 2021 by adb968008

[bike2steam]

Just came across these couple of pics taken at OOC many,many moons ago.

 

 

 

 

[The Johnster]

This is what it was looking like at 11.30pm last night.

 

Washed the body,

 

For buffers I cheaped out and went 70’s.. , I noticed one shank was splitting, so I used standard Hornby round buffers (1970’s style railroad buffers) push fitted them. The result was it splits them a little but they don’t break but overall makes a full shape to the shank. Once painted the cracks disappear.

 

touched up the handrails using a black lining pen. I’ve also touched up the buffer beam. Painted the wheel rims using LNWR Blackberry black (Matt). 

 

To fit the body / chassis, I’ve cut a bit more off the room key to make a foot plate floor and a 3 level block space under the smokebox to glue on a ba nut to.

 

62F3C6C8-9136-46FA-BB8E-CE6306884E27.jpeg

Threaded in a long screw from the chassis, holding the coupling and chassis upto the footplate floor

 

9166C9F1-A493-4E76-99CC-66B2DDA8702A.jpeg

 

Put it altogether added a new BR set of lions and this is what treated me this am..

401D6B69-8F29-4406-9A28-492503558EC0.jpeg

E8C3F6FC-4CBF-4591-9D65-47AA69CED0AE.jpeg

Headlamp is temporary, i’ll Make some LUL shaped discs for it soon. For the smokebox door hinges I borrowed a pencil from my daughters school bag.

 

I wish I could say its come a long way, but its only a few hours work since this.

 

Start.jpg

 

Here's my target..

 

IMG_8766.JPG

 

Just need to finish vac pipes (drying) , numbers, route availability disc, shed code (on order from Fox c£9 but i managed to order a whole bunch of other stuff too for other projects) and  an RSH builders plates to make 9466 as preserved. At some point I've a hole on the rear buffer beam to fill from the lug off the old chassis, I'll probably use a bit more room key.

 

 

 

Anyone know where I can buy an RSH builders plate ?, I'm thinking how I can do the drivers windows ? (I'm thinking using some clear plastic packaging and cutting something to size).

 

So far it's cost me time, a bit of paint, 2 transfers, 2 couplings a screw and a hotel key and £9 for the above etchings/transfers, c£30 for the base 7754 / 9420 models, and I have a 7754 Body and Lima Chassis to sell (reckon £15 ?) so i'm looking at a £25 project so far all in.

Have to sit patient now for the mail man and next weekends "play time" to finish this.

 

 

The cab windows (don't forget there are back ones as well) are something I use clear plasticard for as it is usually quite clear and rigid enough to stand my handling of it, but packaging, if it is flat, will do just as well.  I have never bothered to cut them to size, which is a fiddly job but the best way to do it of course, as I am far too hamfisted for this.  I have, on one loco (Airfix large prairie), gone as far as modelling the fireman's side window open so that he can access the fire irons, but usually just glue a piece of plastiglaze behind the reveal.  Of course, this shows up the thickness of the body moulding, but is overall worth the effort.  It has always been one of the first things I do to improve a loco which does not have glazing, though most current RTR ones do!

[adb968008]

Fox has delivered, 48 hours later.

 

I’m going to declare here, I think this looks good enough to last for circa 2 years.

I was going to paint the cab sides numbers red, but they look nice enough in black.

 

I found a standard Hornby vac pipe to fit (I know it should be angled).

I forgot the smoke box plate, will source etched ones.

 

The plan being when Bachmanns comes around i’ll whip off the etchings and do a renumber in their release to 9466, to that end they are only attached using double sided tape, it makes it flexible and leaves no marks.

 

94xx on the cheap.

Edited January 16, 2018 by adb968008

[Paul.Uni]

Just noticed that Kernow have a RRP of £124.95 for the 94XX.

[TheSignalEngineer]

Just noticed that Kernow have a RRP of £124.95 for the 94XX.

Better get my Lima-bash finished. Next in the queue after the 74xx that they still haven't announced.

[The Johnster]

Just noticed that Kernow have a RRP of £124.95 for the 94XX.

 

Now, this could be a significant development, if that is a figure they have been given by Bachmann; it would at least indicate that the model has not been forgotten about and has more than the status of a catalogue ghost to prevent other manufacturers taking up the baton.  Around the £125 mark is about what I was expecting; it will be the most I have ever paid for a model railway item!

 

Well spotted, Paul!

[tomparryharry]

In fairness to note, Kernow have listed models before, such as the steam railmotor. Nothing to stop Bachmann, mind. But, I won't hold my breath. I've got 3 Limby models here, so even if Bachmann bought them out presently, it will be too late.

 

Ian.

[The Johnster]

Well, I'm still holding fire, but an offer of a Lima body and a recent Baccy chassis in good condition and at a reasonable price might change that momentarily; this is the situation presently...

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

... an offer of a Lima body and a recent Baccy chassis in good condition and at a reasonable price might change that ...

 Let me throw temptation in your path. The current 57xx mechanism has a sprung centre axle which is a major aid to good pick up. Sadly Bach have dropped this feature from their later designs, so a Lim-Bach hybrid is likely to be mechanically superior to the awaited RTR model.