New OO gauge Class 73

[TRAILRAGE]

Amazingly realistic the moulded handrails on this one!

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/37271_37418/6772841873/in/photolist-bjuzVK-bjuzPT-RSF4oC-jS4sAQ-7RQtB6-jDDb2B-bsEM7v-azzFE7-9qSEgS-9SwmBs-eYu9jt-bByjEi-eXs53X-iFTFc8-xaJaWP-eYua8v-ayQJSP-ijotY1-qBEHdZ-9k2v2w-8xBwJJ-wSyc9Q-gyouYk-qxa31A-niyurs-b16MBX-bjVp1a-hjRAZ1-fovZmt-gMyq2X-eYuAkK-aCNMtD-29yNE2J-BoS2bf-avaHwm-kgXx3x-gBbVqw-bp1BDH-9edsJK-QVAfLN-wPWteN-aCjo7S-aCjhE5-aeudmT-boqgBk-fcmb2G-mfJdLC-avaFgf-av7ZyH-jz9wct

[Phil Mc]

Amazingly realistic the moulded handrails on this one!

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/37271_37418/6772841873/in/photolist-bjuzVK-bjuzPT-RSF4oC-jS4sAQ-7RQtB6-jDDb2B-bsEM7v-azzFE7-9qSEgS-9SwmBs-eYu9jt-bByjEi-eXs53X-iFTFc8-xaJaWP-eYua8v-ayQJSP-ijotY1-qBEHdZ-9k2v2w-8xBwJJ-wSyc9Q-gyouYk-qxa31A-niyurs-b16MBX-bjVp1a-hjRAZ1-fovZmt-gMyq2X-eYuAkK-aCNMtD-29yNE2J-BoS2bf-avaHwm-kgXx3x-gBbVqw-bp1BDH-9edsJK-QVAfLN-wPWteN-aCjo7S-aCjhE5-aeudmT-boqgBk-fcmb2G-mfJdLC-avaFgf-av7ZyH-jz9wct

That layouts rubbish though, they haven't even bothered weathering the 57's !!

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[Flood]

Now, about those buffers...

DCC Supplies have got Dapol spares which include sets of the oval or the round buffers (two per pack) for the 73.

 

https://www.dccsupplies.com/cat-771/class-73.htm

 

Just a happy customer etc.etc.

Edited January 20, 2019 by Flood

[mikesndbs]

Just got E6039 and it looks great.

Sad that I have to fit the buffing plates, this should have been done surely?

 

Anyway, advice please?

 

The pins on the buffing plates are not even, thus when pressed fully home the plate does not sit flat.

I don't recall this being prototypical, also, it sits level with the buffers, and should sit just behind them as if they are extended.

 

So to confirm, do I need to trim the pins?

[mikesndbs]

Hmm just tested it and it runs like  grinding noise and stalls as if wheels are dirty (don't seem to be) have I got yet another bad model?

[mikesndbs]

I am concerned about the running qualities.
Out of the box it made a terrible noise and kept stalling.
I added some drops of Peco Powerlube to the axel bearings which stopped the stalling. (one of the rare cases when Powerlube or Electrolube are good)
On removing the body and gaining access to the motor and drive columns I found all was rather dry.
I added Hob-e_Lube medium oil and then commenced testing.

Certainly ran much smoother.

However in one direction it has a persistent grinding noise.

 

I have checked everything I can find to see what it might be.

Here is a short video to let you hear the issue.
 

 

I emailed Dapol and to their credit they replied the same day and said sorry but referred me to DCC Supplies that do all their warranty and after sales work.

I never knew that.

 

I made some measures on the current drawn as the top speed seems rather low, maybe 50mph scale speed at best.
F mid setting 239mA max setting 280mA
R mid setting 200ma maz setting 280mA much faster.
Normal dc variable controller used.

 

 

Has anyone else got any observations or ideas please?

Edited March 19, 2019 by mikesndbs
missing facts

[adb968008]

The 73 is a slow runner.

 

i have previously removed a drive shaft from the class 121/122 and it doubled its speed / reduced its consumption considerably.

i havent tried this with the 73, but it may work here too.

 

the grinding sounds like a vibration, maybe something is rubbing or catching between the motor and the bogies.

Edited March 20, 2019 by adb968008

[Winter123]

Hoping that the running quality issue is the reason why it is taking an eternity for the latest batch to arrive.....and getting the liveries correct. Something similar to the performance of the 68 would be perfect.

[SouthernMafia]

Hopefully they've seen sense and changed the pick up situation to Temeraire's mod!

[letterspider]

Can anyone confirm that the Network Rail livery 73 is due 2019 Q2?

[Nconsistent]

On 20/01/2019 at 13:42, Flood said:

DCC Supplies have got Dapol spares which include sets of the oval or the round buffers (two per pack) for the 73.

 

https://www.dccsupplies.com/cat-771/class-73.htm

 

Just a happy customer etc.etc.

Belated thanks for this tip, I've only just got round to finding it.

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

I spoke with Joel from Dapol on Friday at the Kernow Guildford Store about the next batch of Class 73s and he said that the production was coming to an end and they should be here in June (along with a lot of other models he thought).

 

Simon

[classy52]

On 08/05/2019 at 17:48, St. Simon said:

Hi,

 

I spoke with Joel from Dapol on Friday at the Kernow Guildford Store about the next batch of Class 73s and he said that the production was coming to an end and they should be here in June (along with a lot of other models he thought).

 

Simon

 

Will Dapol be releasing a revised Network Rail 73/9?

[MGR Hooper!]

5 hours ago, classy52 said:

 

Will Dapol be releasing a revised Network Rail 73/9?

Nope, but the Class 73/9 from Brush Traction is a possibility. The RVEL one is not viable.

[mikesndbs]

Slight concern with my 73.

 

I noticed yesterday while servicing it that the bearings spin inside the plastic housings at each end.

This is where the worm gear sits, surely these bearings should stay still and the shaft should spin within them?

The shaft is free to spin in the bearings, but I wonder if the housings will eventually wear out.

Maybe someone from Dapol could comment?

[tetsudofan]

24 minutes ago, mikesndbs said:

Slight concern with my 73.

 

I noticed yesterday while servicing it that the bearings spin inside the plastic housings at each end.

This is where the worm gear sits, surely these bearings should stay still and the shaft should spin within them?

The shaft is free to spin in the bearings, but I wonder if the housings will eventually wear out.

Maybe someone from Dapol could comment?

 

Dapol don't comment on this site so you won't get any comments from them here.

[classy52]

5 hours ago, MGR Hooper! said:

Nope, but the Class 73/9 from Brush Traction is a possibility. The RVEL one is not viable.

 

Yes I could imagine a re-tool of the 73 for this particular version which Dapol simply wouldn't do, unless it's a special edition requiring firm deposits until tooling costs are reached...nope that's just stupid 

But seriously I think Dapol could re-tool the 73 to include all variations of the 73/9 as they are used for Caledonian Sleeper services and future Network Rail operations which would generate a lot of sales especially on the back of Accurascales Mk5's and the fact Ntework Rail stuff always gets sold.

Edited June 11, 2019 by classy52

[MGR Hooper!]

On 11/06/2019 at 13:39, classy52 said:

 

Yes I could imagine a re-tool of the 73 for this particular version which Dapol simply wouldn't do, unless it's a special edition requiring firm deposits until tooling costs are reached...nope that's just stupid 

But seriously I think Dapol could re-tool the 73 to include all variations of the 73/9 as they are used for Caledonian Sleeper services and future Network Rail operations which would generate a lot of sales especially on the back of Accurascales Mk5's and the fact Ntework Rail stuff always gets sold.

 

Dapol have been quite firm about their decision to not get into crowdfunding. So unless a 3rd party does it all and then commissions Dapol to do it, I doubt we'll ever see that happen from Dapol.

 

The Class 73/9 cannot be re-tooled. Re-tooled would mean doing something that already existed to a high standard with stand new tools made from newer CAD files. Therefore a Class 73/9 cannot be re-tooled. It has be designed from the ground up. 

 

The Class 73/9 is fairly different in many aspects from the original Class 73s i.e. the JA and JB versions. There's differences in the roof, cabs, bodysides and underframe. Therefore the tooling that already exists for the Class 73 JA and JB cannot be utilized.

 

CADs have to be drawn up from scratch and tooling will have to be done from scratch as well. So the possibility of a Class 73/9 being re-tooled is nil as it cannot be done and it's not advisable to modify any current tooling.

 

The Class 73/9 from RVEL as used by Network Rail and the Class 73/9 from Brush Traction as used by GBRf and Caledonian Sleeper are vastly different from each other. The Network Rail ones are bear impossible to do. But there's a chance we might see a CS and GBRf one

Edited June 14, 2019 by MGR Hooper!
Auto-correct makes me look stupid!

[adb968008]

Could they not use the existing chassis, bogies and drive chain though...

which is a pretty substantial part of the development cost of a new class 73/9.

[MGR Hooper!]

5 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Could they not use the existing chassis, bogies and drive chain though...

which is a pretty substantial part of the development cost of a new class 73/9.

 

Yes they can and yes it is...but the entire underframe and body needs to be drawn up in a CAD program and the tooled up. That's another substantial part in terms of money.

[adb968008]

3 hours ago, MGR Hooper! said:

 

Yes they can and yes it is...but the entire underframe and body needs to be drawn up in a CAD program and the tooled up. That's another substantial part in terms of money.

Yes, but if the cost of the body / number of people who will buy one equal a realistic price why wouldn’t they.

 

I think what your trying to say is not enough people want it, which currently I would agree, a 73/9 is like a 74 in terms of demand.

 

However Rails / Dapol have recently entered the rtr 3D print market with a box van, it’s not too big a stretch (literally) to get to a 73/9. Indeed “if” they got the DJ 71 tooling the possibility exists for a 74 via that route too.

Edited June 14, 2019 by adb968008

[MGR Hooper!]

28 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Yes, but if the cost of the body / number of people who will buy one equal a realistic price why wouldn’t they.

 

I think what your trying to say is not enough people want it, which currently I would agree, a 73/9 is like a 74 in terms of demand.

 

However Rails / Dapol have recently entered the rtr 3D print market with a box van, it’s not too big a stretch (literally) to get to a 73/9. Indeed “if” they got the DJ 71 tooling the possibility exists for a 74 via that route too.

 

No, if you look further up the thread I said the Brush Class 73/9 is actually a possibility. I didn't say it was not. I was only clarifying Classy52's post regarding re-tooling and explainging to him that the differences between the Classs 73 JA, Class 73 JB and the Class 73/9 are quite a bit and that the tooling will have to done from scratch for the body and underframe. You'll also need a new PCB for the different lighting.

 

The RVEL Class 73/9 is again quite different from the Brush Class 73/9 and there's not as many NR Class 73/9s as there are CS and GBRf Class 73/9s. The CS and GBRf ones make more sense.

[JSpencer]

On ‎11‎/‎06‎/‎2019 at 09:21, mikesndbs said:

Slight concern with my 73.

 

I noticed yesterday while servicing it that the bearings spin inside the plastic housings at each end.

This is where the worm gear sits, surely these bearings should stay still and the shaft should spin within them?

The shaft is free to spin in the bearings, but I wonder if the housings will eventually wear out.

Maybe someone from Dapol could comment?

That would explain why the thing is noisy. The shaft should definately turn in the bearing and not the bearing in the housing. IF the shaft is stuck stiff on the bearing, I'd get a replacement (either just the housing or replace the entire model). If the shaft can turn freely in the bearing, then we need the bearing to be stuck to the housing. The crux will be removing oil and grease first before applying a small drop of glue. Again, I still think I would be tempted to replace it first.

 

Left as is, the heat from the bearing turning in the housing will quickly cause it to wear out. The housing being polystyrene and is not a bearing type of material.

Edited June 14, 2019 by JSpencer

[mikesndbs]

51 minutes ago, JSpencer said:

That would explain why the thing is noisy. The shaft should definately turn in the bearing and not the bearing in the housing. IF the shaft is stuck stiff on the bearing, I'd get a replacement (either just the housing or replace the entire model). If the shaft can turn freely in the bearing, then we need the bearing to be stuck to the housing. The crux will be removing oil and grease first before applying a small drop of glue. Again, I still think I would be tempted to replace it first.

 

Left as is, the heat from the bearing turning in the housing will quickly cause it to wear out. The housing being polystyrene and is not a bearing type of material.

 

 

Thanks, I agree, sadly things got worse and it's been sent back to Rails.

They even sent out return postage.

Hope the next one is in good order.

[Roy Langridge]

2 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Yes, but if the cost of the body / number of people who will buy one equal a realistic price why wouldn’t they.

 

I think what your trying to say is not enough people want it, which currently I would agree, a 73/9 is like a 74 in terms of demand.

 

However Rails / Dapol have recently entered the rtr 3D print market with a box van, it’s not too big a stretch (literally) to get to a 73/9. Indeed “if” they got the DJ 71 tooling the possibility exists for a 74 via that route too.

 

I would imagine that being modern scene, the demand for a 73/9 would be much greater than for the class 74.

Roy