New Bachmann B1

[Charlie]

Problem is it wouldn't fit the old bodies you have.

[robmcg]

Just out of interest, how many hours of running should one expect from a Bachmann split-chassis ? I have had one from about 15 purchases in many years which was poor from new, but other than that they were all excellent and some put up a few dozen hours with no signs of problems, valve gear tightness sometimes needed to be checked. The split-chassis models on DC might be fractionally less good at slow running, but otherwise fine, like BBC weather....

 

Also, now that Hornby are so slow in producing weathered versions of such as B1 and 28/38XX, the Bachmann re-tooled weathered B1 will be my choice. Actually Bachmann weathering is a bit better too, mostly because the separate parts start off being black. A matter of taste, certainly.

 

Also, has anyone heard if weathered B17s are still planned by Hornby?

 

Rob

[benachie]

"Problem is it wouldn't fit the old bodies you have"

Not so - it fits easily

Alan

[Metr0Land]

 

Also, has anyone heard if weathered B17s are still planned by Hornby?

 

Rob

 

There's a post #249 on the Hornby B17 thread (put up yesterday). Pic of weathered B17 due 'imminently' for a tie in with one of the mags.

[robmcg]

thanks for that, duly noted.... might be quite a few nice models arriving in the next wee while.

 

Rob

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Just out of interest, how many hours of running should one expect from a Bachmann split-chassis ?

I wear the heavier ones out over about five years, but the layout gets run daily for a couple of hours - and sometimes as yesterday with a couple of friends, all day long - so the locos do work for their living. What finally fails is the plating: once the wheel tyres have worn through to the mazak the chassis is all used up. There will have been a lot of maintenance along the way, cleaning the black muck out of bearings and relubing, aralditing the splite axle components and other fixes. But that is all in the past now, saving one J72 chassis, which being light and a yard shunter doesn't wear at the rate of a 'line' engine.

 

By comparison on wiper chassis pick up locos, the wiper tips may need renewal after a dozen years. I do laugh at all the fuss over longevity of models, and especially the nonsense about can motor life relative to 'maintainable' open frame motors. With experience of twenty plus year old can motors still running on this sort of use, most are going to long outlast their owners.

[robmcg]

The B1 in this picture is split chassis and runs superbly, looks lovely with these Hornby Gresleys too...   on a special from Darlington to Scarborough thence to Whitby and return...  at least that's my pretended scene.

 

Apologies to those who have seen this before.

 

 

Rob

 

 

[robmcg]

The previous photo showed a Bachmann B1 and Hornby Gresley carriages.

 

Here the tables are turned and I show a Hornby B1 and Bachmann carriages.... TMC weathered originally 61243 'Sir Harold Mitchell', renumbered 61334 which was a 41A engine c1959, ex-GC grime and hard work.

 

 

Shows how models have improved in fine detail, though the Bachmann version is still good.

 

Rob

[it's-er]

Oh Rob!

These 'photographs' of yours are sublime - they are like oil paintings, You have posted enough on RM web to produce a calendar every year - I seem to recall some superb ones you did of Bachmann's Director D11 when it first came out. Plus of course others of LMS stock, and recently Hornby's new GWT 42xx/52xx 2-8-0T and 72xx 2-8-2T locos.

 

And yes, that one at post 107 looks the line south from Whitby along the coast to me - somewhere about Ravenscar.

 

John

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...Shows how models have improved in fine detail...

 But there's the trap. That B1 has the Scottish modification of fillets in the footplating angles to prevent the cracking, as revealed by the curved lining. So unless that loco was formerly allocated to ScR, then later came South...

[paulbb]

Both models are super and we are indeed spoilt rotten. I bought the Bachmann one (61180) because the shape of the chimney looks better, it has a slight curve/taper-the Hornby one looks too 'straight down'. I accept there is subjectivity here, though doubtless the B1 police will have a go at me for this!

[31A]

 But there's the trap. That B1 has the Scottish modification of fillets in the footplating angles to prevent the cracking, as revealed by the curved lining. So unless that loco was formerly allocated to ScR, then later came South...

Interesting you should say that.  I contemplated buying one of these 'Scottish' B1s to add a bit of variety and did some armchair research into the possibility that they worked outside Scotland.  According to the RCTS Green Book, of the B1s that received the Scottish running plate modifications, 61323 and 61348 were transferred to the Eastern Region, both in February 1957.  My 1959 Ian Allan Locoshed book shows these as both allocated to Spital Bridge (Peterborough).  Whether these two differed in other details from the Hornby model I didn't investigate, because I decided not to buy one in the end, preferring to wait for 61270 to be released later this year, although if I saw one going cheap I might still be tempted!

[robmcg]

Oh Rob!

These 'photographs' of yours are sublime - they are like oil paintings, You have posted enough on RM web to produce a calendar every year - I seem to recall some superb ones you did of Bachmann's Director D11 when it first came out. Plus of course others of LMS stock, and recently Hornby's new GWT 42xx/52xx 2-8-0T and 72xx 2-8-2T locos.

 

And yes, that one at post 107 looks the line south from Whitby along the coast to me - somewhere about Ravenscar.

 

John

 

Thankyou, it is nice to receive feedback. I enjoy making the pictures, and put some here on RMweb in quite low resolution because I hope others enjoy them.  Some might appear in the next 'Ramsay's British Model Trains' catalogue by Pat Hammond, but as Pat says, as well as Simon Kohler at Hornby (who has rights to some not shown here), 'plenty to go around'..

 

I especially enjoy the reference to Ravenscar, as I'm sure the line both north and south of Whitby was spectacular in NE days.

 

Now if I had known about the curved fillets at the ends of the SC region running plate I might have painted straight ones during the re-numbering!  For what it's worth I use Paintshop Pro 6 whch is a very old programme 2001? and hand-paint and copy-paste the images in a sort of montage style. I'm sure there are other ways and newer programmes but to me it is very relaxing and satisying.

 

Cheers,

 

Rob

[peteskitchen]

Lovely pictures Rob, they look sublime. I've no idea how you do them, but keep on doing it anyway!

[davidw]

Interesting you should say that.  I contemplated buying one of these 'Scottish' B1s to add a bit of variety and did some armchair research into the possibility that they worked outside Scotland.  According to the RCTS Green Book, of the B1s that received the Scottish running plate modifications, 61323 and 61348 were transferred to the Eastern Region, both in February 1957.  My 1959 Ian Allan Locoshed book shows these as both allocated to Spital Bridge (Peterborough).  Whether these two differed in other details from the Hornby model I didn't investigate, because I decided not to buy one in the end, preferring to wait for 61270 to be released later this year, although if I saw one going cheap I might still be tempted!

 

I bought  a Scottish one even though I model the southern section of the ECML. It's comparitivlly easy to remove the fillets  and disguise with weathering. I also bought 3 early crest models when they were going cheap and moved the coal partition and the altered the crest. The component parts on Hornby model made it very easy to work on.

 

Going back to the Bachmann b1 I chose not to buy on e when I compared it with the  Hornby. The reduction last year of the Hornby model clinched it. But the Bachmann model isn't at all bad.

[robmcg]

well, it only took a few minutes... non of this ScR nonense allowed here!

 

 

Rob

 

 

[micklner]

Just picked a secondhand new chassis version of the B1 .

 

This is fitted with a DCC chip and has a set up I have never seen before. I am DC and therefore intend to remove the chip.

Before I start cutting can I confirm that cut all attachment wires red/black which lead to the pickups , and the brown/orange wires to the motor then wire the red/black direct to the motor no idea which way round on those at the moment. 

 

Thanks for any suggestions, if my guess is correct or not.

 

 

[davidw]

Just picked a secondhand new chassis version of the B1 .

 

This is fitted with a DCC chip and has a set up I have never seen before. I am DC and therefore intend to remove the chip.

Before I start cutting can I confirm that cut all attachment wires red/black which lead to the pickups , and the brown/orange wires to the motor then wire the red/black direct to the motor no idea which way round on those at the moment. 

 

Thanks for any suggestions, if my guess is correct or not.

 

1b1 IMG_8701.jpg

 

1b2 IMG_8702.jpg

I can sent you a blanking plug if you like Mick?

[micklner]

I can sent you a blanking plug if you like Mick?

Yes please David  , no obvious way of fitting compared to the simple pull out Hornby plug or is on the same/similar design on these e.g the small green pc board top part can be levered off ? It appears to be tightly fitted and no idea if it pulls off or not ? . I don't want to damage the chip which will be sold on in due course.

[Grovenor]

Yes please David  , no obvious way of fitting compared to the simple pull out Hornby plug or is on the same/similar design on these e.g the small green pc board top part can be levered off ? It appears to be tightly fitted and no idea if it pulls off or not ? . I don't want to damage the chip which will be sold on in due course.

Yes, the small green 8 pin plug just levers off and removed complete with the decoder. No need to cut anything, just replace with a blanking plate. If you don't have one just make up 2 small U shaped links from 1mm dia brass or copper wire and fit one each end of the socket, ie pin 1 to pin 8 and pin 4 to pin 5.

 

But if you are really keen to remove the PC board with the socket on then black and red from the pickups join to grey and orange to the motor, black to grey and red to orange should make it run the correct way if the factory wiring is to standard.

PS Looks like the grey motor wire is actually brown on your model.

Regards

[micklner]

       I have now had a better look at what I thought would be a different wiring and plug system and realised there is little difference to the Hornby DCC wiring . Decoder removed and a spare Hornby blanking plug fitted and she now runs very well  !!

 

      Loco was dead with the DCC Plug fitted on DC power on this one.

 

      Thanks for all the replies.

[Theakerr]

How is the angle of the crosshead slides and the pistons.  I have purchased a number of A.H. Biby locos to replace the old split chassis on locos i have weathered and detailed.   Everyone has had the above components at a horribly wrong angle.  Its a bit of a process to correct.