Jump to content
 

Gaugemaster Collection - Class 73 Locomotives in N Scale


 Share

Recommended Posts

Good morning all

 

I contacted Gaugemaster yesterday over a release date and also on the colour of the Network Rail one which to my old eyes looks far too orange on the sides, this is the reply I received with in an hour or two;

 

'We believe the release date will be mid Summer...we have the model samples now albeit these are the bodywork only. Re the Network Rail colour...on the sample it looks spot on to my eye..so I can only assume the colour is one of those photography anomalies you get from time to time.'

 

I know on the real locomotives the sides can look orange under certain light conditions, even though they are yellow, but unsure on the model if this is the reason until it's released and I can see the actual model properly.

 

Regards 

 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Would Gaugemaster be keen to release some limited editions in OO? 

You really cannot make enough from the GBRf fleet, I am sure 73201 Broadlands and 73109 Battle of Britain with Spitfire would prove popular. Winter is coming, and I need some modern 73/1s to run the RHTTs! 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...
On 03/09/2021 at 17:42, MartinTrucks said:

On Tuesday 31 August, Hattons advised me by email regarding the delivery date for the n-gauge Gaugemaster Class 73s:

'Our latest information from the supplier suggests this item will arrive with us between October 2021 & November 2021'.

 

Martin:senile:

I have received emails from Hattons this morning to inform me that the ones I have ordered are expected in stock on or after 8th October.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Hi,

3 hours ago, bmthtrains - David said:

I’ll be keen to hear your thoughts on them, whether the motors have been upgraded etc. I may be tempted by one if they don’t wobble like my old SWT one did!

 

David 

From memory, so we're already on dodgy ground with that, my SWT ran fine - in fact it was because I was never happy with the livery rendition it's been earmarked for some time as the donor chassis for a 73/9 3D printed shell I have from Shapeways.  If I can find the time I'll set up a test track sometime in the coming week.

3 hours ago, MartinTrucks said:

I have received emails from Hattons this morning to inform me that the ones I have ordered are expected in stock on or after 8th October.

 

Still, worth the wait I reckon given the likely price differential, I know only too well that under other circumstances I'd have gladly waited just that bit longer for mine...

 

Regards, Gerry.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Hi,

The courier service is pronounced "Oops".

 

So, as usual with courier services I'm hostage to when it turns up because for a top international service the 'tracker' doesn't help significantly, and when there's a knock on my door at about 3pm I'm both excited and wondering who let him into the building because that's not supposed to happen at that time of day.

Anyhow I answer the knock and the guy says "the guy opposite isn't answering so will you take this parcel for him?", of course I'm disappointed, and I also dislike the guy opposite so I'm about to sat "NO" when my fundamentally pleasant nature kicks in (the family motto is Ut Prosim according to a postcard I have)) and I say "YES".

As delivery guy is toying with his tech I look at the (correctly numbered) address label and it's me! - "It's ME!" I say in delight as my disappointment is totally forgotten.  Delivery guy then scans my parcel label and I say "thank you" as he leaves, no  attempt at face-saving.  I'm lucky he tried me I guess. 

Anyhow, after I attend to the unpacking - it takes me a while to enjoy my first look at them, I then check my emails and there's one saying my parcel couldn't be delivered and telling me where my local Access Point is.  Just out of curiosity I look it up and it's beyond my disability-limited range and there's no carer help available to do so for me.  A second email at around 7pm tells me it's now available for collection for the next seven days after which it'll be returned to the sender - I'd like to see that!

 

I've always used the well known three=letter name for them, but from now on I'll always pronounce it "Oops!"

 

Regards, Gerry.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Picked up my two banger blue Locos today, wrong yellow on the cabs, number font seems to big…..and one set of horns, which are white, were detached. Despite being advertised as having etched grills they do not appear to be any different to earlier issues. Headcode only illuminates in direction of travel which negates the issue of having red blinds.

Mine will get renumbered anyway.

I’ll post some pictures shortly 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest Cliff Powell

As my previous post posted July 29, 2020 on this matter. There no etched grills. No separately fitted details to add except name plates I guess (where supplied). No directional lighting. (Just forward destination blinds and no red for tail lighting). Just the same models as the previous runs. Something I queried with Gaugemaster at the time on these specifications.

Oh and the green version has incorrectly moulded large Oleo buffers. Not the prototypical small oval buffers that should be fitted when in this livery. They made the effort on the OO gauge version but for us Ngauge enthusiasts we have to make do it would seem. 

Was the three year wait worth it?  

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Round buffers are OK they got swopped out early, picture here of a 73/0 in green with round buffers

https://www.hattons.co.uk/newsdetail.aspx?id=400

Was it worth the wait…..yes….no other choice and most issues are minor for a cheap N gauge loco……but……must try harder Dapol.

Edited by acg5324
  • Agree 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

why did they advertise it as having etched grills and detailing parts if it doesn't have them? 

 

i know its a fair price for a new old model but seems a bit misleading. 

 

anyway im getting two of them - it just seems like they described it as an upgrade on previous releases which is not correct. 

 

 

tim

Link to post
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, bluedepot said:

why did they advertise it as having etched grills and detailing parts if it doesn't have them? 

A copy and paste of the 4mm description perhaps? Like the same livery errors have carried across from the bigger brother (NR livery colours etc)

 

They do appear to have altered the cantrail shape over the windscreens since the initial batch though, it was straight on the early ones. Don't know how recently they fixed this.

 

Jo

Edited by Steadfast
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium
On 08/10/2021 at 20:25, bmthtrains - David said:

Having seen the colour of the NR version, I think I’ll be passing, it is a very strange almost orangey yellow. With the errors on these and the Mk3 sleepers it’s not exactly inspiring me with any confidence in Dapol at the moment…

 

David 

Hi again David,

I'd been worried by the images on the website, but part of the enjoyment on unpacking my parcel was the relief that the NR 73 was in no way orangey, in fact it's a slight shade more lemoney than the Graham Farish NR BCK I had recently.

Running in has also gone flawlessly, not a wobble to be seen, although I've not tested the haulage limits for these featherweight loco's...

 

Regards, Gerry.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

My first one landed  and it looks the part, bogies might need a degrease as white grease abounds, but easy to do. Second one on its way for a renumber and i am going to add ploughs  and run as a pair.

 

They are light the cast metal chassis has been replaced with a dense plastic - like the dummy had many years ago, at least no masak risk !  I will have to check but the headlight moulding looks less brutal.  

The blue 73 yellow panel is a odds to the blue 33/1 which was spot on to me  but easily repainted- hopefully !    With 5 differing yellows given as suitable for warning panels and the myriad  of colour pics and the GM approval of the sample gives much room for getting it "wrong" where "right" can be down to a personal thing... who would be a manufacturer!      

 

Robert 

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 12/10/2021 at 11:27, Robert Shrives said:

My first one landed  and it looks the part, bogies might need a degrease as white grease abounds, but easy to do. Second one on its way for a renumber and i am going to add ploughs  and run as a pair.

<snip>

  

 

Robert 

I was a bit perturbed, having oiled my 73124 before use as instructed, to find the white grease oozing out! For a moment, I thought the oil had emulsified!

Martin

:senile:

Link to post
Share on other sites

New to this site (and N gauge in general).

 

I just received the GBRf version. I'm not a huge stickler for detail so I have no issues with the model's appearance. It's certainly a cut above the kind of models I could afford in OO, so no issues there. 

 

Straight out of the box though, I'm definitely going to have to get some loco oil. It struggles over streamline points at anything lower that full speed, and needs a good push to get started from most places on my layout. There's a few locations where it falters even at breakneck pace, which interestingly are the same places that my other Dapol loco (a 66) struggles... though I suspect this might have to do with my track needing a good clean. I've been ballasting so there may be glue residue on the rails in places. I don't think it's a bad connection as these spots have improved by running my finger over the affected sections.

 

That said, my only other train at present, a Kato 800, manages the entire layout flawlessly at all speeds without a hitch :/ 

 

I've not seen a red tail light on the 73 either, and instead the trailing lamp seems to flicker the same white as the forward direction. I'm running DC so I'm pretty certain this isn't by design?

 

So yeah, oil and a track rubber are definitely on my list of things to get next. Stupid of me to haven't purchased these already considering I'm halfway through constructing a layout. Hopefully that will clear up the issues, because I'm very much looking forward to running it with a rake of JNAs when those launch. 

Edited by Automaton120
Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest Cliff Powell
On 09/10/2021 at 06:50, acg5324 said:

Round buffers are OK they got swopped out early, picture here of a 73/0 in green with round buffers

https://www.hattons.co.uk/newsdetail.aspx?id=400

Was it worth the wait…..yes….no other choice and most issues are minor for a cheap N gauge loco……but……must try harder Dapol.

Thanks for that. 

I've been struggling to find a picture of an all green version with round buffers. Means I won't have to clip mine now.

I assume the electric blue version had issues and needed a rework before release.

Wonder when that model will make an appearance. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...