GWR-fan Posted August 15, 2019 Share Posted August 15, 2019 A well known store had this loco in its pre-owned section as a non-runner for GBP50.00. The loco had been listed for sometime and I was surprised that no one had purchased it. It was obvious from the images that the leading drive axle muff had split, but generally the loco looked to be in new condition. I already have a Hornby A4 "Golden Eagle" that I converted to a super detail DCC ready loco drive chassis, however it lacked the red lining evident on the Bachmann model. Hornby did release A4 "Osprey" as part of its Gresley collection and many outlets did split the collection with the LNER green A4 being snapped up soon after being on sale. Apparently, the gloss finish applied was very soft and so many models in the Gresley collection had handling marks. I decided not to go with the "Osprey" for that reason. I had always shied away from the Bachmann "Golden Eagle" because prices for a running model were always exorbitant with many around the GBP100.00 mark. Given that any Bachmann split-chassis is time limited I could not justify this amount for what one day may become a shed queen. Anyhow, the non-runner Bachmann A4 beckoned so I took the plunge and purchased it. After VAT discount the loco cost me GBP41.50 plus GBP6.50 postage downunder. It arrived this afternoon and as I suspected the muffs had split on the leading and trailing drive axles. I disassembled the lower cover and used a mix of superglue and baking soda to refit the wheels. A slight mistake with quartering the rear axle meant that I had to separate the wheels from the muff. It took a supreme effort but I was able to extract a wheel from one end of the muff and correct the quartering. I know that the baking soda does reinforce the superglue join but I was amazed just how strong the adhesion was. The loco itself was unused with no evidence of wheel tread marking and the accessory packs were both intact. After reassembly there seemed a slight tightness in the drive which soon corrected itself after a few minutes running. I did manually run the drive through its full range after a lube just to make sure that if any tight spots then I would not burn out the motor. After a satisfactory test run I fitted the brake rods, draw hook, crew and single chime whistle. The ex-Lilliput A4 body may not be the equal of a super detailed Hornby A4, but for me the Bachmann model will more than suffice. If the drive fails terminally then I have a Hornby super detail loco drive chassis to fit. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted August 15, 2019 Share Posted August 15, 2019 Sounds like a nice find, and has been quite a lot of work, which is all part of the fascination of the hobby. It might be nice to see a 'side-by-side' photo shoot of the locos. Al. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWR-fan Posted August 15, 2019 Author Share Posted August 15, 2019 (edited) As requested. The Hornby has the darker shade of green. Originally released as a Margate tender drive. Edited August 15, 2019 by GWR-fan Additional info Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWR-fan Posted August 15, 2019 Author Share Posted August 15, 2019 (edited) Refer the Hornby loco above. I seemed to have substituted the original tender that I did for the Hornby model. I had removed the moulded coal load and fitted a bunker but from memory I took the modified tender and fitted it to another LNER loco. The tender in the images I believe is from a Hornby "Flying Scotsman" A3 and not the one I had originally intended for the loco so the colours are slightly amiss between the loco and the tender. The memory does play tricks as I had forgotten about the swap. Edited August 15, 2019 by GWR-fan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
atom3624 Posted August 15, 2019 Share Posted August 15, 2019 Ongoing projects are like that!! They look good, thanks for the photos. TBH, I have often heard of the very slight profile differences in the fronts / smokebox door areas of the 2 marques - Hornby and Bachmann, hence the 'other' reason for the side-by-side photos. Al. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted August 15, 2019 Share Posted August 15, 2019 I've had one of these for over 15 years, bought second hand and it still runs well enough to haul the kit built expresses round Grantham. I think our other green A4 may have also started life as one of these. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Tomlinson Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 (edited) A good experience and very satisfying outcome. I'd always assumed that split axle parts were done for ever, so I'll try the superglue and baking soda trick next time I have a problem - thanks! John. Edited August 26, 2019 by John Tomlinson typo 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium GraemeWatson Posted September 8, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 8, 2019 What purpose does the baking powder fulfill with repairing the split plastic axles? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theakerr Posted September 9, 2019 Share Posted September 9, 2019 Dont know the chemistry but it sure does work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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