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Bachmann Class 47 Frustrations


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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 

That would be a surprise. Bachmann keeps up a fairly steady supply and there must be quite a few Heljan and ViTrains ones floating about. I think Hornby would look at a model less well supplied to the market place. 

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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.

I agree, if there was another RTR ‘47’ announced then I believe it’d have to be the ultimate, definitive model to gain a large volume of sales - there’s so many reasonably-priced ‘almost-there’ models out there from Bachmann, Vitrains, Heljan - and even Lima & Hornby if you want to go for bargain-spec, beyond just collectors & the initial fad, I think there’d need to be something truly special to tempt most modellers wallets open!

 

Cheers,

James

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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.

If the 24 is anything to go by SLW would be the manufacture i'd like to see produce a 47 but Hornby would do a decent job i feel. The Bachmann and Heljan offering are just not up to the standards we expect from the latest models and if there is one class of diesel loco that should be tip top it's the class 47.......we'll find out soon!

 

B

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There’s not much mainstream diesel left to produce in rtr, which then begs the question will Hornby not produce anything new, will they do something less mainstream, or will they duplicate? I can’t see a new Hornby 47 in all honesty, but with the 67 the only recent new diesel model other than the Sentinal, I do wonder what will be next for D&E modellers from them.

 

Back on topic, I’m a huge fan of the Bachmann 47. It’s a decent model to my eyes and is a good performer too.

 

I also like the Heljan, and the width doesn’t bother me, I think side by side on a layout one next to the other is perfectly passable, although the bulbs rather than LEDs are a bother to me, and they certainly do drink some juice with sound.

 

I have 10 Bachmann 47s, and 3 Heljan, I won’t buy any more of the latter now. I can’t speak for the VI offering as I’ve never had any, having previously been less than impressed with their 37.

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If the 24 is anything to go by SLW would be the manufacture i'd like to see produce a 47 but Hornby would do a decent job i feel. The Bachmann and Heljan offering are just not up to the standards we expect from the latest models and if there is one class of diesel loco that should be tip top it's the class 47.......we'll find out soon!

 

B

I’m with the majority on this one, I don’t think there will be any new 47 tooling announced.... there are basic ones (Hornby railroad), and detailed ones (Bachmann) already on the market.... there are the helijan ones available second hand, Though i don’t think any new ones will be produced, and the vitrains tooling which could re-appear on the market at any time....

Why would a manufacturer produce yet another tooling? surely the 47 part of the market is well covered.... wouldn’t take much from Bachmann to sort the issues on their model.....

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I would hazard a guess that to the majority of their owners, there are no issues with the Bachmann 47.

 

It’s finely detailed, and looks right.

 

It is a good model, but are you really happy with the high intensity headlight size? It is not just a little large it really is huge compared to the prototype. 

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It is a good model, but are you really happy with the high intensity headlight size? It is not just a little large it really is huge compared to the prototype.

It’s not something that overly bothers me, it’s a good representation of the original, and it’s a huge step up from the previous Lima and especially Hornby models in terms of being more of a model, less of a toy.

 

If a model captures the look and the feel of the original and it’s a good runner then it’s a winner for me, and the Bachmann offering does that quite well. It’s shortcomings aren’t lost on me, they just aren’t the be all and end all.

 

Different strokes for different folks I guess

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It is a good model, but are you really happy with the high intensity headlight size? It is not just a little large it really is huge compared to the prototype. 

 

 

I think there's compromises with all of the '47's out there, and for me personally, it makes sense to opt for the loco that has the least amount of challenging fixes required, it'd take me a long time to cut & narrow a Heljan '47' bodyshell and live with the constant wheel cleaning vs say reducing the headlight size on a Bachmann one which would just be a swapover to a Replica Railways one.

 

I must admit though I've got a nerdy eye for correcting detail but the headlight doesn't trouble me too much so I've left them as they are on my Bachmann '47' projects below - I think when a little weathering is added it can help blend it in as it were!

 

I do have a thing for an old 'Duff'...

 

EWS's 47736 'Cambridge TRSD' and EWS's 47702 'County of Suffolk' (on hire to Virgin)

37260768492_795b78f730_b.jpg47736 and 47702 on Loftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Ex-RfD 47348 'St Christopher's Railway Home'

37290142431_03bb19ebaa_b.jpg47348 on Loftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

36776058730_f45dfb7165_b.jpg47348 & 47736 by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Great Western Trains' 47846 'Thor'

36620573063_62199f3967_b.jpg47846 on Loftus Road by Worthing MRC by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Fragonset's 47712 'Artemis'

28915539985_2145930596_b.jpg47712 by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

EWS' 47785 'Fiona Castle'

28299896463_23cbfa4a6a_b.jpg47785 by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Faded Celebrity 47004 'Old Oak Common Traction Maintenance Depot'

28729715411_bcbce9af11_b.jpg47004 by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Faded BR Large Logo Blue 47467, modelled in 1999 condition immediately prior to withdrawal and scrap by EWS

26860578956_a7988aac2e_b.jpg47467 by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

26289253684_1dd89865e4_b.jpg47467 by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

26894333455_0697bf2ddf_b.jpg47467 by James Makin by jamesmakin2002, on Flickr

 

Hopefully 2018 will bring more chances to add to the fleet, a few of the ex-Railfreight Distribution and grey Freightliner examples will be leaving my workbench in the Spring!

 

Cheers, 

James

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It would be nice after all these years if Bachmann could retool their original version of the cabs (i.e. with the headcode panel) to remove the Class 57 style rivets around with front windows and correct the cab door windows which are too square. Surely they've sold enough by now that the tooling needs renewing? Later versions, such as those with high intensity headlights, are better.

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On ‎31‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 09:34, wirey33 said:

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.

Or potentially Accurascale ? To follow on from their 55/92.

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3 minutes ago, WisTramwayMan said:

Or potentially Accurascale ? To follow on from their 55/92.

 

I'd be extremely interested in a few variations of 47 done to Accurascale standards. So many livery to cover too. I'd need at least 12 I think.

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Last two 47s I had from Bachmann were Dogs. 47001 had a bogie/  year issue and went back twice to barwell ( during which they managed to substitute a non weathered bogie - attention to detail ? )

 

47346 stuttered in accordance to note of DCC sound , went back to barwell, but as I brought it ( new ) off eBay , they can’t fix it under warranty, and when I said quote for a new sound chip , they said they couldn’t do anything  unless under warranty....so I now have a £180 soundless loco. Tried it on the new bullhead points , and it shorted out every time on the frogs - only loco of 20 to do this. Suppose back to backs are out ? Anyway extremely expensive item to store pending solution.

 

and all this for a price rise of 60% over 5 years ( yes I worked it out ), with new 47s now retailing at full RRp of £152.

 

I’d love accura, or revolution or someone to come along and blow the Bachmann 47 out of the water , because I need 47s - good ones. Imagine that when that occurs overnight the Bachmann 47 RRp will drop closer to £120.

Edited by rob D2
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I’ve got 2 WCR 47’s and haven’t had any issues at all. Other than they seem about half as fast as Hornbys class 50’s. I’ve messed around with CV’s and all sorts but they just don’t get any faster. 

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23 hours ago, Hilux5972 said:

I’ve got 2 WCR 47’s and haven’t had any issues at all. Other than they seem about half as fast as Hornbys class 50’s. I’ve messed around with CV’s and all sorts but they just don’t get any faster. 

That's what I would expect from my limited experience of the way these two models are geared. Hornby's 50 is good for a scale 200mph+ on 12V; that's based on the one example I have had to look at, but I wasn't that surprised as the near contemporary Brush 2 introduction was also similarly unprototypically rocket-like.

 

Bachmann pretty consistently gear their twin bogie mechanisms for a 15 to 20 % excess over service maximum at 12V, and this has applied on all their twin bogie models that I have had to look at. Specifically the class 47 models top out between 100 - 110mph on the examples I have seen.

 

In short I concur with your 2:1 relative speed assessment. But if I may make a suggestion: what you should be doing is setting CV5 on the class 50 at about the halfway point of the range on offer to make it run rather more slowly.

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On ‎25‎/‎06‎/‎2019 at 13:58, rob D2 said:

Last two 47s I had from Bachmann were Dogs. 47001 had a bogie/  year issue and went back twice to barwell ( during which they managed to substitute a non weathered bogie - attention to detail ? )

 

47346 stuttered in accordance to note of DCC sound , went back to barwell, but as I brought it ( new ) off eBay , they can’t fix it under warranty, and when I said quote for a new sound chip , they said they couldn’t do anything  unless under warranty....so I now have a £180 soundless loco. Tried it on the new bullhead points , and it shorted out every time on the frogs - only loco of 20 to do this. Suppose back to backs are out ? Anyway extremely expensive item to store pending solution.

 

and all this for a price rise of 60% over 5 years ( yes I worked it out ), with new 47s now retailing at full RRp of £152.

 

I’d love accura, or revolution or someone to come along and blow the Bachmann 47 out of the water , because I need 47s - good ones. Imagine that when that occurs overnight the Bachmann 47 RRp will drop closer to £120.

Why did you not notify E Bay and ask for full refund, instead of using Bachmann ?

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3 hours ago, brittannia said:

Why did you not notify E Bay and ask for full refund, instead of using Bachmann ?

It wasn’t immediately apparent that there was an issue, so it was a few months down the line 

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Hi Phil , 

possibly ! As I’m building a new plank it’s gone to bottom if the pile , but I’ll get a back to back gauge and see if that’s it as suggested . Im assuming it’s easy to move the wheels if that’s it ?

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On ‎25‎/‎06‎/‎2019 at 12:56, WisTramwayMan said:

Or potentially Accurascale ? To follow on from their 55/92.

This is something of a 'proof of concept' period I feel.  The SLW 24 has had a good reception from those wanting a higher standard than the first generation of centre motor twin bogie models, and there are more classes coming. If everything of this sort succeeds in finding a viable market, then every class with a current standard model is in the frame for such a higher standard model.

 

And the action will focus on some combination of weakest model /  greatest potential for volume sales, according to the manufacturer's estimation. On which basis, I should think an all bells and whistles 47 will be with us before 2025.

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On 25/06/2019 at 13:58, rob D2 said:

and all this for a price rise of 60% over 5 years ( yes I worked it out ), with new 47s now retailing at full RRp of £152.

 

Completely agree with you. I sometimes take a step back, look at the models and think "is it really worth that much?"

Edited by faa77
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14 hours ago, faa77 said:

 

Completely agree with you. I sometimes take a step back, look at the models and think "is it really worth that much?"

I don’t think you’re alone in doing that. It’s like a temporary rash and it often disappears next payday.

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It’s worth what you are willing (which does not equate to ‘happy’) to pay for it, in other words it’s value expressed in cash terms to you, personally.  If the manufacturer is asking for more yhan the market will bear in vilume he requires, the model will eventually be discounted to clear the storage it is blocking, not that that is much help if you want one now!

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On 28/06/2019 at 08:35, rob D2 said:

Hi Phil , 

possibly ! As I’m building a new plank it’s gone to bottom if the pile , but I’ll get a back to back gauge and see if that’s it as suggested . Im assuming it’s easy to move the wheels if that’s it ?

 Hi Rob

 

absolutely.   Fingers usually the only tool needed ....well and a back to back gauge! 

 

Phil

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