Oxford Rail announce J27 at Toy Fair

[Ficksberglion]

Completed a conversion of 65817 to the preserved example 65894. Thanks to Porcy Main for advice on removing boiler fittings, replacements from Dave Bradwell.

[tractionman]

4 hours ago, Ficksberglion said:

Completed a conversion of 65817 to the preserved example 65894. Thanks to Porcy Main for advice on removing boiler fittings, replacements from Dave Bradwell.

 

Looks very much at home in that landscape setting.

 

Lovely scenic layout.

 

All the best,

 

Keith

 

[Porcy Mane]

4 hours ago, Ficksberglion said:

Completed a conversion of 65817

 

Can't beat  a decent bit of dry stone walling.

[Silver Sidelines]

32 minutes ago, Porcy Mane said:

 

Can't beat  a decent bit of dry stone walling.

 

Or would it be drystane dyking?

 

Ray

[Porcy Mane]

11 minutes ago, Silver Sidelines said:

Or would it be drystane dyking?

 

S'pose it's Herses fer curses?  (If it's mid Northumberland. Ermble way).

[Bernard Lamb]

I had pick up problems with my first one and found that the tender pick ups had what I thought to be an excessive amount of movement. Coupled with the tender being very light the loco was not a smooth runner. Putting a small weight, I tried a paint tinlet, in the coal space improved things so I added a couple of mall pieces of lead. This helped, but the wipers still could move  a fair way  both fore and aft and laterally. I cut a length of 40 x 40 plastic strip to a length that would force fit laterally between the pick ups on the middle tender wheels. Result? Perfect running, as good as any other RTR loco. I now have a second loco that was initially a better runner, but I gave it the same treatment and it has also improved.

Crude but effective. The secret is to reduce but not eliminate the lateral movement and controlling the lateral movement also reduces the chance of the pick ups moving too far backwards or forward. 

Bernard

[Kingfisher60024]

Had a very poor experience with the late crest J27s at the moment. Preordered one from Hattons a while back and the loco arrives with the chimney and a buffer detached along with broken brake rigging. Sent back. 

It's replacement then arrived with all the bits attached but the coupling rods on the firemans side bent.

Awaiting my 3rd loco currently! Not best pleased! 

[Bernard Lamb]

1 hour ago, Kingfisher60024 said:

Had a very poor experience with the late crest J27s at the moment. Preordered one from Hattons a while back and the loco arrives with the chimney and a buffer detached along with broken brake rigging. Sent back. 

It's replacement then arrived with all the bits attached but the coupling rods on the firemans side bent.

Awaiting my 3rd loco currently! Not best pleased! 

You would probably have been better off keeping the first one. 

Bent coupling rods, multipart brake gear, missing buffers and dodgy pick ups seem to be quite common.

The detached chimney is a new one to me.

I award you a bonus point, but will counter claim one for myself as my second one was lacking the accessory pack.

A shame really as the general shape is very good, if it has been put together correctly it runs well and the clever design (not design clever) allows easy changing of various parts.

I wish you luck in eventually getting a good one.

I found the detached buffer but never did find one coupling hook* nor the detached lower part of one brake hanger. * Why some of these hooks fall out if you so much as look at them and why others will not move when given a hard tug with pliers is beyond my comprehension.

Pleas add emojis for satire, me being cynical or just sheer frustration.

Bernard

[Flying Pig]

2 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said:

Pleas add emojis for satire

 

Bit big for an emoji, but to hand.

 

[john new]

3 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said:

You would probably have been better off keeping the first one. 

Bent coupling rods, multipart brake gear, missing buffers and dodgy pick ups seem to be quite common.

The detached chimney is a new one to me.

I award you a bonus point, but will counter claim one for myself as my second one was lacking the accessory pack.

A shame really as the general shape is very good, if it has been put together correctly it runs well and the clever design (not design clever) allows easy changing of various parts.

I wish you luck in eventually getting a good one.

I found the detached buffer but never did find one coupling hook* nor the detached lower part of one brake hanger. * Why some of these hooks fall out if you so much as look at them and why others will not move when given a hard tug with pliers is beyond my comprehension.

Pleas add emojis for satire, me being cynical or just sheer frustration.

Bernard

Fully agree re the random chance couplings - modern one's are not fit for purpose. I even bought a pack the other day (Bachman) at the model shop without looking closely enough at the packet and they don't even have hooks in the bag!

 

[john new]

5 hours ago, Kingfisher60024 said:

Had a very poor experience with the late crest J27s at the moment. Preordered one from Hattons a while back and the loco arrives with the chimney and a buffer detached along with broken brake rigging. Sent back. 

It's replacement then arrived with all the bits attached but the coupling rods on the firemans side bent.

Awaiting my 3rd loco currently! Not best pleased! 

Also somewhat disappointed with Hatton's, mine has arrived (yet to be tested) after DCC fitting and the accessories pack was just loose in the bubble wrap. Luckily I spotted it.

[Lambton58]

Collected mine from AGR in Leighton Buzzard last week - thanks Anthony!  - and I'm pretty pleased with her.  All parts attached and not bent.  I needed to do a little fettling of the tender wheels and pick-ups as she didn't like reversing over the points on my layout, but she runs fine now.  I'll blacken the wheel rims and axles in due course and  may add some more weight to the tender.  Longer term some weathering will be called for;  from what I've seen Sunderland engines were anything but pristine in the late 1950s/ early 1960s.   

 

Actually looking at the photo, I realise I really must put a hold on building tanks and aircraft and get back to some serious railway modelling.  My layout was started for the first RM Web challenge and one day I'll finish it.   @AY Mod Andy - I suppose it's a bit too late to enter now?

 

Ralph

[MikeParkin65]

10 hours ago, Kingfisher60024 said:

Had a very poor experience with the late crest J27s at the moment. Preordered one from Hattons a while back and the loco arrives with the chimney and a buffer detached along with broken brake rigging. Sent back. 

It's replacement then arrived with all the bits attached but the coupling rods on the firemans side bent.

Awaiting my 3rd loco currently! Not best pleased! 

My dealer (to whom I have returned my late crest sound fitted version twice - I now await a replacement ) said this batch seems to have more problems than the first batch especially in terms of poor running. He also said he had returned a number of the second batch direct to Oxford Rail as they had obviously damaged rods on receipt - he never offered these for sale. 

 

 

[Silver Sidelines]

10 hours ago, Kingfisher60024 said:

..... broken brake rigging........t the coupling rods on the firemans side bent.

 

 

Thank you for posting your experiences.  My first  Early Emblem model had bent coupling rods and broken brake rigging and some of the bottoms torn off the brake hangers. 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/141587-oxford-rail-announce-j27-at-toy-fair/&do=findComment&comment=4527880

 

My Oxford box had been well wrapped for UK postage but the outer cardboard box had still been bruised by Royal Mail.  Your comments supported by others might suggest the damage occured much further back before the models reached the uK?  They must have taken a mighty big drop to push what is a rather lightweight model sideways with such force that the vacuum packaging bent the rods?

 

Strange times

 

Ray

 

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by Silver Sidelines

[Dominion]

Just reporting that the one I received was good. All parts attached, nothing bent. Initially stalled sometimes till I adjusted the tender pickups.

But runs well now.

The only criticism I would have is that I am not sure the speaker installation does justice to the ESU V5 and the sound project on it. 

 

Edited September 17, 2021 by Dominion
Clarity

[Kingfisher60024]

On 16/09/2021 at 12:09, Kingfisher60024 said:

Had a very poor experience with the late crest J27s at the moment. Preordered one from Hattons a while back and the loco arrives with the chimney and a buffer detached along with broken brake rigging. Sent back. 

It's replacement then arrived with all the bits attached but the coupling rods on the firemans side bent.

Awaiting my 3rd loco currently! Not best pleased! 

 Good news! 

 

Third loco came today and I'm pleased to report all bits are attached and unbent! 

 

Third times the charm 

 

[RichardClayton]

I have been to pick up a late crest version from Rails today. It appears to be structurally intact, although I have not yet tried it under power. I thought it might be interesting to compare with a Bradwell.

 

 

There are some obvious differences — 65871 has a diag 57 boiler, kept its extended smoke box, has a 3 rail tender, and has space between the frames (there’s an RCTS photo to support this configuration for the early 60’s). But the Oxford Rail version doesn’t look too bad at all in comparison. From this angle. Comparing the front view is a slightly different story.

 

 

The smokebox door is not only too flat, as mentioned by Porcy, but as well as being undernourished it seems too small. Not sure what to do about that. But some of the other detail, sandbox fillers, cab, and the little etch of fire irons, are really exquisite. And you can buy it ready made …

[Michael Hodgson]

Maybe it's just the camera position, but one looks like one's OO and the other HO in that view!

[JaymzHatstand]

4 hours ago, RichardClayton said:

The smokebox door is not only too flat, as mentioned by Porcy, but as well as being undernourished it seems too small.

Yes, every time I see one of the Oxford ones, the lack of 'door-dish' is obvious. Seeing it next to your Bradwell one really emphasises this.

 

I dare say I'll end up getting one, as you say, this is ready made, and I've got more than enough in my 'to build/finish' pile as it is! 

 

I could be tempted to enquire if Mr Bradwell would sell his smokebox door casting separately in order to get the face right, as I imagine it wouldn't be a massive surgery job, if thought about logically. But we shall see. 

 

Cheers

 

J

[RichardClayton]

3 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Maybe it's just the camera position, but one looks like one's OO and the other HO in that view!

The Bradwell one does seem to ride a mm or so higher, and that might be because the springs are not yet optimised. And the extended smokebox does give it a slightly more aggressive stance. But it’s mainly the angle.

[tractionman]

Chimney detached and broken / bent / cracked front buffer on my L&NER model :-(

 

[Paul_sterling]

7 minutes ago, tractionman said:

Chimney detached and broken / bent / cracked front buffer on my L&NER model :-(

 

Chimney was detached on my BR one as well, and as per usual, bent/non contacting pickups all round. Dismal build quality thus far. 

 

Paul 

[Suffolk Dave]

Similar to many others around here I had problems with my J27 the moment the electrons attempted to flow. Thankfully there were no missing or broken bits but running was definitely an issue. It would start but then stop within a moment or two. Slight finger pressure on the very light tender would start it again but that wasn't a working solution to the problem.

 

I did contact the seller and arrange to return it but their technical dept also offered some insight into the problem. I'd read on here about misaligned pickups and sure enough that was my problem too, though mine also made strange clicking noise when moving. Examining the underside of the loco the problem soon became clear as I hope the accompanying photos show. The bent pickup on the driving wheel was brushed by the spokes and caused the clicking noise. It reminded me of that thing we did as kids with our bikes: clip on a playing card  so it caught with the spokes and made a wonderful rattling noise! As for the tender, a pair of pickups didn't even make contact with their wheels. 

 

With the loco held in a homemade foam cradle I used a pair of fine tweezers to gently bend and relocate the pickups to where they should be. As a result my beautifully lined "L&NER" J27 runs just as it should. 

 

This morning I've had to contact the seller to say I don't need to return it and thanked them for their advice and great customer service! 

 

 

 

 

[Butler Henderson]

Out of habit I always look at loco upside down before first running it due to misaligned pick ups being something of a near universal issue IME.

[RichardClayton]

I have had some bad experiences with pickups, usually during conversion to EM where some adjustment is usually required. Phosphor bronze is brittle, so it can be easy to break the pickup while bending it — especially with repeated bends if you are trying to get it just so. A broken pickup can be a right royal pain to fix, so I’d recommend taking care with adjustment. Aim for gentle bends, and try to get it right first time.