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Oxford Rail announce J27 at Toy Fair


Andy Y
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So the usually impeccable Royal Mail / USPS left this package on my porch this afternoon.  Uh-Oh I told my wife, this package has the J27 that's been showing up broken...

 

But all is well, one tender wheel contact wasn't touching, and a loco wheel contact was dangerously close to the wheel spokes.  I easily sorted the loco contact, I'll fix the tender contact later.  Smooth and steady in both directions on the rolling road.  Also no "bucking" on the rolling road, which is something I can't say for Bachy kettles.  Fit for purpose, IMO.

 

Those are my dusty fingerprints on the boiler, the finish was perfect...

 

20210920_174750-01.jpeg

20210920_182101-01.jpeg

Edited by TheEngineShed
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Got my replacement sound fitted late crest back from Monk Bar today. Thoroughly tested by Mike and Martin before dispatch and with extra packing added to ensure it reached me intact.

 

This one is a superb runner, with the sound off it is literally just the sound of wheels on rail that you can hear, the motor and the mechanism are silent.

 

Ignoring the quality of the speaker for a minute the actual sound project is very good - well synched with the wheels and responsive to the controller in terms of cut off and braking effect. Not sure if the recording is from the sole surviving J27 but it certainly sounds believable.

 

The sound quality is reasonable to my ears though could have more depth - rather than change the speaker I might investigate sealing around the back of it with blue tack to see if that enhances it at all.

 

And a round of applause for Monk Bar - the measure of a shop is how they deal with problems and I have to say they have been superb to deal with , I recommend them without hesitation :)

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On 16/09/2021 at 22:45, MikeParkin65 said:

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. 

 

 

Is there a problem with delivery of the J27 late with sound. I see all of these deliveries on the thread but no sign from my own dealer - still saying 'on order with supplier'.

 

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6 hours ago, zr2498 said:

Is there a problem with delivery of the J27 late with sound. I see all of these deliveries on the thread but no sign from my own dealer - still saying 'on order with supplier'.

 

I have no specific knowledge but it was a popular model and I wonder if the first batch has sold out quickly and not all have been delivered? My dealer seemed to have two deliveries - my duff example being from their first stock and the good replacement being reserved from a second delivery. For info I remain very happy with mine but it will definitely benefit from a speaker upgrade at some point. 

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I got a DC example as a birthday present the other day; it is the first new loco I've had since the mid nineties and I was gobsmacked at how far things have moved on. It is so detailed I'm nervous to touch it and it runs far quieter than anything else I have.

 

I can see that a couple of the tender pickups would benefit from adjustment but it runs fine anyway so I'm not worried about that right now. The only other issue I had was from the little pipes (I assume) by the wheels that point down towards the track; they were catching on the track when going over points, so I've trimmed a mm or so off their length and they're fine now. I'm not really sure how - whether they were bent, or whether my older points are too coarse somehow (I'm not sure how, nothing sticks up above rail height) - but they're fine now so I'm happy.

Edited by Phil Himsworth
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17 minutes ago, Phil Himsworth said:

I got a DC example as a birthday present the other day; it is the first new loco I've had since the mid nineties and I was gobsmacked at how far things have moved on. It is so detailed I'm nervous to touch it and it runs far quieter than anything else I have.

 

I can see that a couple of the tender pickups would benefit from adjustment but it runs fine anyway so I'm not worried about that right now. The only other issue I had was from the little pipes (I assume) by the wheels that point down towards the track; they were catching on the track when going over points, so I've trimmed a mm or so off their length and they're fine now. I'm not really sure how - whether they were bent, or whether my older points are too coarse somehow (I'm not sure how, nothing sticks up above rail height) - but they're fine now so I'm happy.

Most likely sand pipes which could be trimmed or have extra bend in them to clear the track. It is another one of those checks always to be made before running.

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2 hours ago, Phil Himsworth said:

I got a DC example as a birthday present the other day; it is the first new loco I've had since the mid nineties and I was gobsmacked at how far things have moved on. It is so detailed I'm nervous to touch it and it runs far quieter than anything else I have.

 

I can see that a couple of the tender pickups would benefit from adjustment but it runs fine anyway so I'm not worried about that right now. The only other issue I had was from the little pipes (I assume) by the wheels that point down towards the track; they were catching on the track when going over points, so I've trimmed a mm or so off their length and they're fine now. I'm not really sure how - whether they were bent, or whether my older points are too coarse somehow (I'm not sure how, nothing sticks up above rail height) - but they're fine now so I'm happy.

I should have mentioned that - yes my second one does this, the rear sandpipes snag at some points on my 'not quite Brunel standard permanent way'! Need a quick bend or as you have done a snip :) 

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4 hours ago, MikeParkin65 said:

.... the rear sandpipes snag at some points ......

 

Yes me too - My L/C came to quite an abrupt stop and even jumped off the track.  My first inclination was to shorten the bits of wire (sand pipes).  They are actually very clever because they are bent in two different planes and just need to be moved a tincy bit sideways and the problem is sorted.

 

Cheers Ray

 

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By late December I was still waiting for a J27 late with sound from my usual retailer. No sign of it. So opted for ANO retailer as they had them in stock. The first had to be returned as the drawbar pin on the tender side was snapped off. Great service and quick replacement.

The replacement was fully intact :) and I did all of the prechecks as per this thread. So far, so good.

Unfortunately the running is not good enough :(. It does not stall or cut out and the crawl is mostly excellent, but there is possibly a tight spot once per revolution. This seems to be worse in the reverse direction. On forward direction the tight spot is still there but less so and is worse on curves - I have no less than 34.5" radius. At speed in forward direction the tight spot turns into a squeal again seemingly at once per rev of the drivers.

These versions are not available elsewhere and the supplier I got it from has none on their web site, although it's noticeable that some as being sold cheaper as poor or none runners.

So I could do with a little help with this as I would prefer to do a fix myself if possible. As anyone else has this trouble or if a common problem then some advice would be very much appreciated.

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6 minutes ago, zr2498 said:

By late December I was still waiting for a J27 late with sound from my usual retailer. No sign of it. So opted for ANO retailer as they had them in stock. The first had to be returned as the drawbar pin on the tender side was snapped off. Great service and quick replacement.

The replacement was fully intact :) and I did all of the prechecks as per this thread. So far, so good.

Unfortunately the running is not good enough :(. It does not stall or cut out and the crawl is mostly excellent, but there is possibly a tight spot once per revolution. This seems to be worse in the reverse direction. On forward direction the tight spot is still there but less so and is worse on curves - I have no less than 34.5" radius. At speed in forward direction the tight spot turns into a squeal again seemingly at once per rev of the drivers.

These versions are not available elsewhere and the supplier I got it from has none on their web site, although it's noticeable that some as being sold cheaper as poor or none runners.

So I could do with a little help with this as I would prefer to do a fix myself if possible. As anyone else has this trouble or if a common problem then some advice would be very much appreciated.

Pickups do seem to be an area of trouble, causing a range of symptoms, might worth looking there as it might be pulling them into the wheel spokes. 

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25 minutes ago, Paul_sterling said:

Pickups do seem to be an area of trouble, causing a range of symptoms, might worth looking there as it might be pulling them into the wheel spokes. 

Thanks for the suggestion. The pickups appear to be OK. I wonder if the quartering is out. Might take off the coupling rods and see if the problem persists. But then again after the problems I had with the W1 Hush Hush perhaps it's time to jack the whole thing in. Too much anxiety when every time a purchase is made it's a gamble as to whether it will be OK or not.

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3 hours ago, zr2498 said:

By late December I was still waiting for a J27 late with sound from my usual retailer. No sign of it. So opted for ANO retailer as they had them in stock. The first had to be returned as the drawbar pin on the tender side was snapped off. Great service and quick replacement.

The replacement was fully intact :) and I did all of the prechecks as per this thread. So far, so good.

Unfortunately the running is not good enough :(. It does not stall or cut out and the crawl is mostly excellent, but there is possibly a tight spot once per revolution. This seems to be worse in the reverse direction. On forward direction the tight spot is still there but less so and is worse on curves - I have no less than 34.5" radius. At speed in forward direction the tight spot turns into a squeal again seemingly at once per rev of the drivers.

These versions are not available elsewhere and the supplier I got it from has none on their web site, although it's noticeable that some as being sold cheaper as poor or none runners.

So I could do with a little help with this as I would prefer to do a fix myself if possible. As anyone else has this trouble or if a common problem then some advice would be very much appreciated.

Both of mine (an early crest and a late crest) have the very slightest of tight spots. No associated noise and no obvious cause. The tight spot is not enough to annoy but it is there, only really shows when the early crest is rolling to a halt with a false  ‘stop’ then another quarter revolution - I’ll investigate if it gets worse. The late crest (sound fitted) is maybe a little snatchy at speed but again, it’s not significant.
 

Otherwise excellent models for the price and I’m looking forward to the J26. I wonder if subsequent batches will have a better smoke box door ? - thats the only real criticism I’d make of the model. 

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On 01/01/2022 at 12:06, zr2498 said:

Thanks for the suggestion. The pickups appear to be OK. I wonder if the quartering is out. Might take off the coupling rods and see if the problem persists. But then again after the problems I had with the W1 Hush Hush perhaps it's time to jack the whole thing in. Too much anxiety when every time a purchase is made it's a gamble as to whether it will be OK or not.

I can sympathise with that view. A good few years ago, I used to feel that way about Bachmann steamers but Bachmann at least has started to put decent motors in. That is, apart from the coreless. So far, I have solved the problem of the coreless by installing decoders (whether for use on DC or DCC) but it’s a nuisance. Hornby is now the major cause of my concern, although indications are that the Bachmann V2 has its problems. As for the J27, it’s luck of the draw. Mine is just superb – better than I would expect for the price.

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Finally had a chance to set up my test oval today and run mine in and no problems with running.

 

Unfortunately looking at it circulating for half an hour I noticed the cab-side numbers on the l/h side were not applied correctly. Not off kilter far enough to send it back but definitely not level and a bit annoying now I have seen it. Anyone know if the lining, numbering and BR Crest etc, is hand or machine applied?  If hand done the rest is very good, and hats off to whoever did it, if machine applied then both the QC and the machine setters we’re having an off day as once  a machine is set up it should stay right for the duration of the batch.

 

Edited by john new
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On 01/01/2022 at 13:06, zr2498 said:

 I wonder if the quartering is out. Might take off the coupling rods and see if the problem persists.

May the coupling rod touches the running plate from below? My Oxford N7 had this (two different models).

 

Another reason may be not properly centered wheelsets. Something occurring in particular with plastic wheels made by Hornby. The ones by Oxford are also made of plastic, but my few models are okay in that respect.

 

Best,

Mark.

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If a tight spot is more obvious in one direction of running than in the other, it is also worth studying the behaviour of of the gears. If the usual worm and pinion system is used, and there's any sideplay in the gears, the direction of rotation of the worm will tend to drag the gear beneath it to one side or the other. If that gear is not perfectly formed, the mesh may tighten up when its position is offset to one side, but not when offset the other way. If there are additional gears, they may also react to the offsetting of the first gear, and a gear on an axle will obviously be affected by sideplay on that axle too, especially when the loco is on a curve. Occasionally I've had to add washers to keep gears in the free-running position, or remove minute moulding imperfections or lingering pieces of still-attached swarf from gears.

Edited by gr.king
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On 01/01/2022 at 12:06, zr2498 said:

Thanks for the suggestion. The pickups appear to be OK. I wonder if the quartering is out. Might take off the coupling rods and see if the problem persists. But then again after the problems I had with the W1 Hush Hush perhaps it's time to jack the whole thing in. Too much anxiety when every time a purchase is made it's a gamble as to whether it will be OK or not.

Update:

I decided to return the J27 for the second time as not prepared to risk trying a repair then not getting a refund.

Went to an alternative retailer and success with nothing broken and smooth runner :)

Also went for a better sound system than the factory fitted sound including stay alive and larger speaker. Superb sound file and sounds.

All's well that ends well, and now seems good value for money even if a struggle to get there.

 

 

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Just sharing for info. My previously reliable early crest 65837 developed an annoying hesitation followed by a propensity to stall. Investigation showed that 3 of the driving wheel pick ups had lost their previous positive contact with the wheel faces. An easy fix with the baseplate removed although I am intrigued as to why this has happened - I’ve not had a similar fault develop with other locos. Silky performance now restored. 
 

in fact I am going to say that the previously noted tight spot has also disappeared:)

Edited by MikeParkin65
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Further to the purchase of my early crest version last summer (reported earlier in this thread) I took the plunge and ordered the late crest version from The Model Centre last weekend and it arrived very promptly yesterday - well done TMC.  The good news is that it appears in one piece and ran flawlessly.......for 10 seconds.  The pick ups were duly tweaked as described by MikeParkin65 and others on here which improved matters before the sand pipes were seen catching the track on my layout.  Further tweaks to said sand pipes have now resulted in totally flawless running.  This is a relatively cheap engine I keep telling myself but Oxford Rail (now Hornby?) really need to up their quality control game.  Anyway, here she is on my layout.

 

IMG_20220125_173318.jpg.dfb67874c6bc5fc93a4c578eb534e651.jpg

 

I have started to make a tender coal load as I did for its sister.  These pics describe what's going on in that respect.

 

IMG_20220125_171328.jpg.1d6aca95182fe63e1169614c778ea2d4.jpg

 

IMG_20220125_172531.jpg.7181a2414c987a4318ed54fd926477d8.jpg

 

Basically, it's an oblong of plasticard onto which steel washers are superglued to create a heap and a bit of weight.  The whole thing is painted black and will be sprinkled with real coal and PVA glue in the morning.  The unpainted new coal load is shown below with the one on the sister loco.

 

IMG_20220125_171436.jpg.9f99c89e35d52a799d0f9b192264c3ea.jpg

 

So that's two out of two J27s with which I have had running problems from new.  It's a shame considering that my Oxford Rail N7 ran perfectly straight from the box.

 

Regards,

Brian.

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