Bachmann Class 47 Frustrations

[cs233]

Having run a large fleet of Heljan Class 47's for many years I did recently obtain my first Bachmann Class 47 had was frustrated with the out of the box experience. One end had a coupling and the other has no typical tension lock coupling but an incredibly difficult to remove dummy coupling that did take me around 20 minutes to carefully remove without damaging it.

 

What are people’s thoughts on this, are people generally happy with this arrangement with what essentially quite a significantly expensive item having only one coupling fitted? This seems non-standard as Class 37 locos still seem to be fitted with two tension lock couplings from the box. Interested on other peoples opinions with this?

[Roy Langridge]

Having run a large fleet of Heljan Class 47's for many years I did recently obtain my first Bachmann Class 47 had was frustrated with the out of the box experience. One end had a coupling and the other has no typical tension lock coupling but an incredibly difficult to remove dummy coupling that did take me around 20 minutes to carefully remove without damaging it.

 

What are people’s thoughts on this, are people generally happy with this arrangement with what essentially quite a significantly expensive item having only one coupling fitted? This seems non-standard as Class 37 locos still seem to be fitted with two tension lock couplings from the box. Interested on other peoples opinions with this?

I’m quite happy. A pair of bent-nose tweezers is normally all you need to get couplings/ fittings out of the NEM mounts. I lay the loco on its roof in the packaging that it comes in.

 

Roy

[Butler Henderson]

Its only a NEM socketed fitment - hardly the end of the world. Find such things easily pull out, maybe you had one that had the tolerances at their extremities and made the NEM plug/socket tighter than normal.

[tamperman36]

 I don't find the coupling an issue the bigger issue is the oversize high intensity head light.

[vitalspark]

First thing I do is remove the coupling from one end and detail ..then remove the coupling from the other and fit a brass loop.

 

Who wants to run a decent model with a toy tension lock sticking out the nose?!

 

Dave.

[cs233]

 I don't find the coupling an issue the bigger issue is the oversize high intensity head light.

 

Interesting you should mention this as next to the Heljan units this really stands out on the Bachmann model. It is a good model but comparing with the Heljan's there are aspects that I prefer on each respective model. The Heljan feels more solid with its diecast chassis the width does not apper to be too prominet either when comparing models. I suspect the Heljan might have more pulling power but both seem excellent in this respect.

[rob D2]

Interesting you should mention this as next to the Heljan units this really stands out on the Bachmann model. It is a good model but comparing with the Heljan's there are aspects that I prefer on each respective model. The Heljan feels more solid with its diecast chassis the width does not apper to be too prominet either when comparing models. I suspect the Heljan might have more pulling power but both seem excellent in this respect.

 

Won’t feel quite so solid when the mazak starts to crumble...

[cs233]

Won’t feel quite so solid when the mazak starts to crumble...

 

Very true, not been impacted by this thankfully, I understand it was certain batches only that had this major problem.

[Tim Hall]

The Heljan one just looks far too wide to me, regardless of any other shortcomings of the respective versions.

 

The nickname "Tubbyduff" seems quite appropriate.

[James Makin]

Having run a large fleet of Heljan Class 47's for many years I did recently obtain my first Bachmann Class 47 had was frustrated with the out of the box experience. One end had a coupling and the other has no typical tension lock coupling but an incredibly difficult to remove dummy coupling that did take me around 20 minutes to carefully remove without damaging it.

 

What are people’s thoughts on this, are people generally happy with this arrangement with what essentially quite a significantly expensive item having only one coupling fitted? This seems non-standard as Class 37 locos still seem to be fitted with two tension lock couplings from the box. Interested on other peoples opinions with this?

 

 

For a significantly expensive item, it's frustrating that it has a tension lock coupling, be great if they came ready fitted with functioning screw couplers at both ends, and flexible magnetic jumper cables that could be either dangling or connected up to your train...but we can dream!

 

I normally remove the tension lock and then grind off most of the NEM socket as well if I can be bothered, before fitting on a wire loop and then pipe detail at both ends. The Bachmann '47' is a great 'layout loco' - probably doesn't win all the prizes for the ultimate loco but just one that can easily be transformed with a few evenings of light work, some painting, detailing and a reasonable bit of weathering...much less plastic surgery required than say, lowering the bogies on a Bachmann '37' for example, probably why I've tackled about 15 of them to date, and hardly any 37s!

 

I too used to have a large fleet of Heljan '47's but moved away from these as soon as the life-extended Bachmann versions were released - just less issues in terms of running, lighting, DCC decoders overheating, and that's before getting to the issue of the width or the mazak rotting (I lost a 47145!) - they were great game-changing locos for what then seemed an eye-watering £89 back in the heady days of the early 2000s when about the only other decent diesel was a Bachmann 25/3, but things have moved on and the Danish 'Duffs' just seemed more of a liability as time went on!

[tractor_37260]

Interesting you should mention this as next to the Heljan units this really stands out on the Bachmann model. It is a good model but comparing with the Heljan's there are aspects that I prefer on each respective model. The Heljan feels more solid with its diecast chassis the width does not apper to be too prominet either when comparing models. I suspect the Heljan might have more pulling power but both seem excellent in this respect.

 

Put a Bachy 47 head to head with a Heljan one, the Heljan will easily push a dead Bach 47, not so the other way around even with it's 12 wheel drive........................

Edited December 23, 2017 by tractor_37260

[vitalspark]

For a significantly expensive item, it's frustrating that it has a tension lock coupling, be great if they came ready fitted with functioning screw couplers at both ends, and flexible magnetic jumper cables that could be either dangling or connected up to your train...but we can dream!

 

 

Spot on!

[rob D2]

I agree James, I remember getting a tubby duff in 2003 I think when they came out. Both aerials had been knocked off in the packaging and it ran really badly.

 

In fact I subsequently had about 6 and they never ran well....the big draw was all theliveries they used to pump out, much more than bachy

[Butler Henderson]

The Heljan 47 can benefit from mould lines on the sides of the chassis block being rubbed down and the cab inserts filed narrower, which will result in TubbyDuff being a bit less Eric Pickels.

[cs233]

I agree James, I remember getting a tubby duff in 2003 I think when they came out. Both aerials had been knocked off in the packaging and it ran really badly.

 

In fact I subsequently had about 6 and they never ran well....the big draw was all theliveries they used to pump out, much more than bachy

I have 16 of them, never had any running problems except some seem more prone to dirty wheels than others interestingly. Needs quite a bit of current to get them moving though! Have had them hauling a mixed rake of MK1, MK2 and MK3 coaches which did total 38 vehicles and it pulled them with ease. Did run out of coaches and space so could not add any more.

[tamperman36]

The main area that shows up the extra width of the Heljan 47 is over the bogies as the body overhangs, the bogies being narrower then stand out. The Bachmann 47s have much better lighting fitted however the red LEDs are a little to bright.

[Phil Bullock]

As far as I am aware there were no problems with battery boxes/tanks on the Heljan models - whereas some Bachmanns are wrong

 

Phil

[JSpencer]

Back to the question on whether manufacturers should fit couplings or not and both ends or not is a highly subjective debate.

 

For diesels, it is complicated by the pipe work on the end.

 

Now my preference is for fully fitted details one end and tension lock on the other (unless it's a shunter).

 

I have a mix of Heljan models and straight from the box, their trend with pipe work vs couplings varies from one model to the next. I have had:

Couplings but no pipe work fitted at either end

Pipe work but no couplings fitted either end

Neither couplings nor pipe work fitted

 

Bachmann are either:

Couplings and minimal pipe work at both ends

Full fitted pipe work one end and coupling at the other

 

Steam shows a similar trend at Bachmann. The big express engines often with coupling just on the tender and smaller locos often with couplings on both ends.

 

That said I do feel that couplings (and pipe work) have come a long way. The NEM sockets give you great choice with minimal fuss. If we go back to the 90s, locos came with huge tension locks. Some were just screwed or clipped on but most others had to be sawed off. You could not easily fit you preferred choice either.

[newbryford]

Just lobbing in another one.

 

If you can find a good priced Vitrains one, they lend themselves better to repaints as the original paint is a bit thin and usually doesn't need stripping off, unlike a Bachmann one.They both IMO have a good shape and look remarkably like a 47 does.

Having experienced running a mates Heljan 47, I would probably never buy one as it is a power hungry monster and is the best collector of dirt on the wheels I've ever seen. Heck - I would even go down the route of buying a Lima one first and tweaking the pickups and motor

 

As for couplings:

Most of my recent non-37/47 purchases from Bachmann (and others) have  a T/L at one end and nothing at the other

 

If you were a manufacturer producing a few thousand "mainstream" models, would you either:

Produce them for the majority that will simply use tension locks at one or both ends and have the others swap/remove couplings.

 

Or do it the other way round?

 

I know which one I'd choose as a manufacturer, although as a modeller, my thoughts are different.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[w124bob]

As far as I am aware there were no problems with battery boxes/tanks on the Heljan models - whereas some Bachmanns are wrong

 

Phil

Thats it Phil, the stock photos of 001 can don't correspond with whats actually sold, I know you've pointed to the Bachmann spares dept site as a source for the correct tanks. But I want a blue with 2 piece rad shutters and a normal headcode and no boiler outlet. I'm porbably going to either use 408 as a starting point or 256 and do a full repaint. I have 256 renumbered as Holbeck 47052 and it's a cracking loco. Edited December 26, 2017 by w124bob

[Phil Bullock]

Hi Bob

 

Had you realised the rad shutters can be swapped?

 

There was a Bachmann IKB - blue with sercks but Clayton boiler - on ebay last time I looked but silly money.

 

Shawplan do a good boiler port blanking plate - have used in on 1830 as Bacchy haven't done an unrefurbed loco with blanked off boiler....

 

Doesn't solve the tanks issue though - anyone got a 3d printer?

 

Phil

 

 

Phil

[cs233]

Have compared very closely today the new Bachmann 47 along side the Heljan offering and I really think the Heljan is still a very good model. I do feel the width issue of the Heljan offering is very much overstated and when they both sit on the track together it is tough to pick an overall winner. I am totally mixed and cannot say one model is better than the other in terms of visual representation.

 

Bogies better on the Bachmann for sure but that high intensity headlight is way off on the Bachmann and much more accurate on the Heljan, I would say some of the grilles are captured to a neater degree on the Heljan although the fans better on the Bachmann. Pros and cons with each.

[rob D2]

Have compared very closely today the new Bachmann 47 along side the Heljan offering and I really think the Heljan is still a very good model. I do feel the width issue of the Heljan offering is very much overstated and when they both sit on the track together it is tough to pick an overall winner. I am totally mixed and cannot say one model is better than the other in terms of visual representation.

 

Bogies better on the Bachmann for sure but that high intensity headlight is way off on the Bachmann and much more accurate on the Heljan, I would say some of the grilles are captured to a neater degree on the Heljan although the fans better on the Bachmann. Pros and cons with each.

 

Not forgetting though that the Heljan item is apprantly out of production so there may no longer be support from the manufacturer

[brenn]

Not forgetting though that the Heljan item is apprantly out of production so there may no longer be support from the manufacturer

I think we might have a brand new class 47 be announced in the next week from one of the big manufactures hopefully Hornby to the standards of their class 50 

[wirey33]

I think we might have a brand new class 47 be announced in the next week from one of the big manufactures hopefully Hornby to the standards of their class 50

 

Based on guesswork or some insider information??

 

The market for a VERY good 47 is huge but due to the complexity of a 50+ year old class of over 500 locos, I believe we will have to wait for SLW to grasp that one before we get the model we’d like.