Jump to content
 

London Transport Museum S Stock - review


Andy Y

Recommended Posts

Yesterday I was working on the Met, and took the opportunity to have close look at the doors on an S8. No tape measure available, so I measured up with a piece of paper, marked the distance with a pen, and measured it later; hope that is accurate enough.

Basically the (red door is edged with a 'C' or 'U' shaped rubber on the vertcal edge. The door is moved along a slot; apure sliding door rather than a plug type. If you look at the dimensions of the rubber from above, each side of the (black) rubber is 30mm. So that makes the door 30mm wider than the (visible) metalwork of the door, and also means it stands 30mm proud of the bodyside. I am ignoring the rubbers at the inner edge of the doors where they meet.

Translate that to 00/4mmscale and see what it should be folks.

 

Stewart

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thus intrigued I take out the digital calipers*.

 

Measurement across the base of the car at the bottom of the tumblehome on a plain section of a centre trailer car = 34.09mm

Measurement across the base of the car at the bottom of the tumblehome on a door section of a centre trailer car = 34.87mm

 

Difference = 0.78mm

/2 = 0.39mm

 

:)

 

*Increments of 2dp.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Whilst were on the topic of Sherlock Holmes, 'Sherlock Holmes' No. 8 and four other Heljan OO Metropolitan Bo-Bo Electric Locomotives are due for release. Some of the pre-ordered models have already arrived in the mail and a few retailers might start selling them in the next few coming weeks.
I know it's slightly off topic but I couldn't find any new posts or reviews for this model. Two other variations include No. 1 in wartime grey and John Hampden No. 5 in post war LT livery.
Does anybody know if the LTM will sell any at the Depot Museum Shop?

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Whilst were on the topic of Sherlock Holmes, 'Sherlock Holmes' No. 8 and four other Heljan OO Metropolitan Bo-Bo Electric Locomotives are due for release. Some of the pre-ordered models have already arrived in the mail and a few retailers might start selling them in the next few coming weeks.

 

Patrick, whole thread here ;)

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/83644-metropolitan-bo-bo-ep-sample/?fromsearch=1

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Whilst were on the topic of Sherlock Holmes, 'Sherlock Holmes' No. 8 and four other Heljan OO Metropolitan Bo-Bo Electric Locomotives are due for release. Some of the pre-ordered models have already arrived in the mail and a few retailers might start selling them in the next few coming weeks.

I know it's slightly off topic but I couldn't find any new posts or reviews for this model. Two other variations include No. 1 in wartime grey and John Hampden No. 5 in post war LT livery.

Does anybody know if the LTM will sell any at the Depot Museum Shop?

Yes, LTM did have them a week ago BUT they are top price, £135!  Try Hattons at £107 and they give an excellent service.  http://www.ehattons.com/stocklist/1000399/1000588/1000672/0/Heljan_OO_Gauge_1_76_Scale_Electric_locos/prodlist.aspx

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Now here's a thought.... now Bachmann are involved with EFE maybe we might see ready to run versions of the EFE 'Tube ' stock? 

As desirable as it is it is only a marketing/distribution agreement, both companies are still separate entities with no technical interface except that EFE may produce the occasional model to Bachmann's specification such as a bus in special livery.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Re. the 'S' stock set it seems the end cars sit slightly higher than intermediate cars! 

 

I noticed this too.

The coupling end of the DM car doesn't quite sit in profile with the adjacent trailer car. Although upon inspection, I discovered that the reason for this was because the DM Car body doesn't quite clip fully in place on the chassis. You can tell this by looking at the gap between the chassis and the door footplate.

 

I have spent many an hour fiddling with this and haven't found the root cause.

But my theory is that the interior seating mould is slightly raised by something caught underneath it, and the flush window molds stuck on the body get caught on the side.

 

I hope to resolve this issue when I eventually make mods to the interior seating molds.

Patrick

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Its interesting that the difference in height between the end car and the adjacent has been mentioned here as a friend of mine was round a couple of nights ago and the first thing he pointed out was this height difference.

 

To be honest I had not noticed the height difference whilst the unit was on the track but it does become obvious when the unit is stored on the wall at eye-level in one of the Train-Safe tubes:

 

post-586-0-26325700-1443105749.jpg

 

Also taken pic on my mobile phone so can show it to the appropriate parties on Saturday.

 

Keith

Link to post
Share on other sites

The body retaining lugs are on the seating unit and clip into slots in extensions in the window glazing. So the problem may have several possible causes:

  1. The glazing was fitted too high in the low (trailer) car thus pulling the body hard down on to the chassis. or too low in the high (DM) car, keeping the body raised slightly off the chassis.
  2. The seating unit is sitting too high in the DM (end) cars thereby raising the body shell off the chassis.
  3. The DM (end) cars also have securing screws that go into posts projecting down from the roof. So the problem may instead be that the posts are too long and stop the body fully seating on the chassis.
  4. The coupling heights are slightly different and the DM coupling us mounted lower than the coupling on the trailer car, thereby forcing the trailer to sit lower on the bogie, or the coupling on the Trailer car is lifting the body up slightly on the DM car.
  5. The PCB in the DM car has sprung contacts that sit on top of the contacts from the wheelsets, possibly lifting it up slightly off the bogies. There is no PCB and hence no contacts on the trailer car, so it may sit slightly lower on the bogies. If this is the cause, it could be diagnosed by seeing if the body feels sprung and pushing down on it makes it sit on the bogies as opposed to floating above them on the sprung contacts and come into line with the trailer car.
Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh dear... received my 4 cars 'S' stock train pack and 'Lighting and Sound' accessory yesterday from LTM... what a disappointment!  One of the dummy pick-up shoes popped off when removing from packaging, defective electrical connection on one of the power cars, one of the rear red tail lights was dimmer than the other and generally very disappointing attention to details for £280. Needless to say the whole lot has been returned for a refund, Very disappointing, Bachmann need to tighten up their quality control.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Tase... I didn't think it 'funny'!....but rather concerning.  It would appear to me that Bachmann and LTM have taken some short cuts to keep production costs down and profits up. For £280 I would expect a well detailed and smooth running model and sadly this S stock train pack doesn't in my opinion meet that criteria. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I think you need to allow for certain faults slipping through, sounds like a late afternoon model. My second Metropolitan burnt out while running in but it's replacement runs sweetly after exchanging it. Quality control on mass production only pulls a sample for detailed test not every single one. My S set exhibited non of the faults you mention so if you really want one why not try exchange rather than refund? Not sure what you mean by poor attention to detail though?

Link to post
Share on other sites

I noticed a little light "bleed" through the tail lights when the headlights are on on mine. When I take it apart at some time, I'll investigate separating the light conducting plastics or the LEDs, depending on how Bachmann have rigged it up in the first place. By separating them, I mean I'll use some paint or foil or plastic to stop light from one source entering the other.

It is not a serious problem for me as the headlights are so bright, one hardly notices the little bit of red showing as well except at very close quarters - something that doesn't apply when tghe trains are actually running.

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

  • Tase... I didn't think it 'funny'!....but rather concerning.  It would appear to me that Bachmann and LTM have taken some short cuts to keep production costs down and profits up. For £280 I would expect a well detailed and smooth running model and sadly this S stock train pack doesn't in my opinion meet that criteria. 

 

The model will have been commissioned to raise funds for the LTM. It is well detailed, and Bachmann do say that it needs to be run in. I'm afraid that your gripes sounded slightly trivial to me, or perhaps I have lower expectations about what you get for £280 these days, or maybe my standards are lower.

 

I have no problems if companies seek to keep costs down and profits up. Without the profits they would go broke, and we would have no RTR models at all.

 

I applaud Michael Walton and the LTM for their bold decision to commission the S Stock

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...