Penmaenpool (Llyn Penmaen)

[daifly]

it’s still annoying to fnd missing parts.

Paul

I think it’s pleasing to find missing parts. It is, however, annoying to find parts missing!

Dave

[Hal Nail]

I think it’s pleasing to find missing parts. It is, however, annoying to find parts missing!

Dave

Not when they inevitably turn up just after you’ve replaced them...

[daifly]

I mislaid my alternative GW Models rivet press anvil sets a couple of years ago and George was happy enough to sell me a complete replacement set. I was determined that I would not lose them again so decided on a very safe and obvious place to store them. Within the safe place, of course, I promptly located the missing originals!

Dave

[Focalplane]

We went to London today to see a play. On the journey to London our Thames Turbo failed at Reading so we transfered to one of the new Electrostar electrics. It was standing room only but we were lucky to get seats. On the return journey we had the usual Hereford bound HST and I have to say the ride was much, much smoother and quieter than the new Japanese trains. So where’s the progress?

 

Paul

[gismorail]

We went to London today to see a play. On the journey to London our Thames Turbo failed at Reading so we transfered to one of the new Electrostar electrics. It was standing room only but we were lucky to get seats. On the return journey we had the usual Hereford bound HST and I have to say the ride was much, much smoother and quieter than the new Japanese trains. So where’s the progress?

 

Paul

Like many things in this country I'm afraid 'There isn't any' 

[Hal Nail]

On the journey to London our Thames Turbo failed at Reading so we transfered to one of the new Electrostar electrics. On the return journey we had the usual Hereford bound HST and I have to say the ride was much, much smoother and quieter than the new Japanese trains.

 

Paul

Pedant mode: was it non stop? If so that’s a Japanese Hitachi. The British electrostars are the commuter trains: a vast improvement over the turbos on my daily commute into Paddington - cleaner, quieter, faster, more seats! Edited September 5, 2018 by Hal Nail

[Focalplane]

Pedant mode: was it non stop? If so that’s a Japanese Hitachi. The British electrostars are the commuter trains: a vast improvement over the turbos on my daily commute into Paddington - cleaner, quieter, faster, more seats!

It was the Hirachi streamlined nose type, I assumed from the station hoardings that they were the electrostars. Humble apologies for slighting the commuter trains..

 

Though it would not take much to improve on the old turbos! What really impressed me, though, was how good the old HSTs are, surely one of the best examples of train design ever.

 

Paul

[Simond]

I travelled to Swansea and back for a business meeting a couple of months back - went by new green Hitachi - thought they were very quiet and comfortable, however the seats do seem very hard at first.

 

It would be nice if they could organise sufficient capacity on the Javelins (another Hitachi, and very successful, normally very reliable) that MrsD can have a seat both ways on her b....y expensive 50 minute London commute - rather than standing on several trips every week, or having to come home an hour later just to get a seat.  If they'd stop using 140mph trains on the Faversham line, perhaps they'd have enough to use HS1 to capacity...

 

combined with the "joys" of the M25, we're feeling a bit isolated in Kent!

 

Best

Simon

[Focalplane]

I drew up a list of things to do when back in France.  I posted the list elsewhere on RMWeb so I should post it here as well:

 

Penmaenpool To Do, Autumn 2018

 

Wiring

 

• Fit 5 amp Smart Booster and Test with Jubilee etc.
• Wire up Programming Track
• Collect material for WiThrottle
• Test run WiThrottle

Locomotives

• Order decoders from YouChoos for Mogul and Dukedog
• Fit extras and real coal to Large Prairie
• Run in Large Prairie on DC
• Start on Tender for Bulldog
• Start on Tender for Mogul
• Start on Bulldog Chassis
• Start on Mogul Chassis
• Send Jubilee tender to Cliff Williams

Stock

• Weather BP/Shell oil tanker

 

Track

• Finalize adjustments to inclines on hidden tracks and test
• Design Signal Box Control Panel
• Design scenic modules
• Place track supports for scenic modules

A bit of a tall order!

 

Paul

[St Enodoc]

I drew up a list of things to do when back in France.  I posted the list elsewhere on RMWeb so I should post it here as well:

 

Penmaenpool To Do, Autumn 2018

 

Wiring

 

• Fit 5 amp Smart Booster and Test with Jubilee etc.
• Wire up Programming Track
• Collect material for WiThrottle
• Test run WiThrottle

Locomotives

• Order decoders from YouChoos for Mogul and Dukedog
• Fit extras and real coal to Large Prairie
• Run in Large Prairie on DC
• Start on Tender for Bulldog
• Start on Tender for Mogul
• Start on Bulldog Chassis
• Start on Mogul Chassis
• Send Jubilee tender to Cliff Williams

Stock

• Weather BP/Shell oil tanker

 

Track

• Finalize adjustments to inclines on hidden tracks and test
• Design Signal Box Control Panel
• Design scenic modules
• Place track supports for scenic modules

A bit of a tall order!

 

Paul

What are you going to do the following week?

[Focalplane]

“Start on” could mean simply opening the box! The following week could be when the box is closed again!

 

Paul

[Andrew P]

“Start on” could mean simply opening the box! The following week could be when the box is closed again!

 

Paul

What about your coffee breaks mate?

[Ray H]

Silly question Andy?

 

Being that Paul will be in France then, surely it will be a wine break?

 

[Focalplane]

Silly question Andy?

 

Being that Paul will be in France then, surely it will be a wine break?

 

 

Oh, I don't know, I do drink a lot of café!  One things for sure, though, I do less whining when in France!  Mainly because my neighbours understand very little English and I don't know enough French to whine properly.

 

Paul

[Focalplane]

Re the Large Prairie spare parts.  Howes replied this afternoon that, as yet, they have no spare parts and suggest I try again later.  In the box there are instructions that say there is a web page.  It also has yet to have anything on it.

 

So I currently own an 0-6-2T, or it could be a 2-6-0T.

 

And I have a 43XX Mogul on order.  Should I think again?

[Andrew P]

Oh, I don't know, I do drink a lot of café!  One things for sure, though, I do less whining when in France!  Mainly because my neighbours understand very little English and I don't know enough French to whine properly.

 

Paul

Maird is all you need to know Paul.    

[Happy Hippo]

Back to the coupling issue:

 

Have you thought about the Lincs coupler?

 

Not dissimilar to an AJ but lacking the delayed action, and a little less fiddly.

 

Uncoupling in the fiddle yard could be achieved with electro magnets, whilst uncoupling on scene is easily achieved with a push rod.

 

They were being used on Stanfording (Irish 32mm gauge) at Guildex.

[Focalplane]

The Heljan Large Prairie problem has reached the attention of Heljan UK.  A solution may be arriving soon.  Fingers crossed!

 

Paul

[Hal Nail]

Frustrating but given you picked one up before the main shipment arrived, probably not easy for them to offer an immediate solution.

 

I wouldn’t cancel the mogul - but I’d ask the retailer to check it first which they will usually do.

[Simond]

It’s dead easy to offer an immediate solution.

 

Take a screw out of another model and send it first class post to Paul, and when the spares arrive, sort out the other model.

 

Of course, if Paul were not a distance away, he could simply state that the model was not of merchantable quality due to missing parts, and reject it for a full refund, with the full force of UK. & EU consumer law behind him.

 

Best

Simon

[61661]

Re the Large Prairie spare parts.  Howes replied this afternoon that, as yet, they have no spare parts and suggest I try again later.  In the box there are instructions that say there is a web page.  It also has yet to have anything on it.

 

So I currently own an 0-6-2T, or it could be a 2-6-0T.

 

And I have a 43XX Mogul on order.  Should I think again?

 

Dear All,

Just to add a little more information on this - Paul and I have already spoken about the missing screw and we will sort a replacement as soon as we can, even if that means borrowing one from a returned/faulty model when one turns up. However, the best course of action is always to go via Howes for Heljan spares. In this case, the 61XXs are so new that the spares haven't made it over from Denmark to Oxford yet. I'm told it usually takes a couple of weeks for the boxes of spares to be sent as the priority is to get the models out to all those who've ordered them. 

On the 'up' side, all the 61XXs I've looked at so far have been complete, so I hope this is an isolated incident. 

 

Hope this helps

 

Ben

[Simond]

Paul,

 

I think I recall you talking about coal?

 

Speak to Steve!

 

Ranelagh Bridge west London Stabling point 1959/1964

 

Best

Simon

[Focalplane]

Everyone seems to like their 61XX Large Prairies which is a good sign for the future and the 43XX Mogul which should arrive within months.

 

I am being quite philosophical about the missing pony screw (I think I called it a bogie screw earlier which is probably incorrect).  I can't run the loco for another two weeks and even then only on a DC test track with rolling road, so patience is required anyway.  I also seem to have a run of bad luck when it comes to buying things these days.  I have received a total of seven RTR items out of about fifteen that were either incorrectly assembled, had missing parts or were broken in transit.  In all cases the rectification of the problem took weeks/months and in three cases I eventually did the remedial work myself, having received the parts.  With the Large Prairie the ponies have to be added by the buyer anyway, so this is not going to be the worst example of the seven.

 

I don't blame the retailer for most of these problems, it is usually either poor quality control in China or damage in transit.  I do know that some people, myself included, will not buy a model that has been displayed on a shop shelf as this is a very good way to lose loose parts, etc.

 

So why do I buy RTR?  Well, it does save me time building all the locos and stock and time isn't something I may not have plenty of!  And the finish on these models really is very good once the plastic look has been weathered a bit (or a lot in the case of some wagons).

 

Incidentally, how do I know the missing pony screw was not in the sealed packet?  Simple.  I always undo these packets carefully in the middle of a white bed sheet.  Could the screw (it's very small) have got lodged in one of the ponies?  I checked.  It was not in the packet.  Only then did I try to contact Howes.  As mentioned on another thread devoted to the Heljan Large Prairie, I was not impressed with Howes' reaction.

 

Onward and Upward, Paul

[Simond]

I had pre-ordered a Prairie when they were first announced, but cancelled for two reasons;

 

The first view I had of them, at Telford or Reading two years back, iirc, was not optimistic, the wheels at that time were ghastly, though it’s clear that they’re very much nicer now.

 

The second reason was the saga of the gears in the diesel locos, which had been ongoing on the G0G forum for some time. It was clear that there was a design or manufacturing issue, however unfortunate owners were either told the price of replacement gears, or that there were no replacements available, which I consider to be entirely unacceptable. One member of the G0G, Jim Snowdon, took it upon himself to source brass replacements, which he has made available to others.

 

I hope the gear issue is now resolved, as the newer diesels did not seem to suffer from it, and hopefully the steam era models will not either, I’ve sealed my fate by buying a second hand Warren Sheherd kit...

 

Best

Simon

Edited September 9, 2018 by Simond

[Focalplane]

Yes, Simon, the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.  Although I have photos of Large Prairies pulling commuter trains in Warwickshire with up to 11 coaches (and going up Hatton Bank!) I doubt if mine will ever pull more than four coaches, so I am hoping the gear issue will not appear.  The weight of the beast is such that pulling coaches should not be a problem, however I have inclines and the nylon gears (if they are) may not last for ever!

 

As I have a Warren Shephard 43XX kit which can be built as any of the variants I am now thinking about cancelling my Heljan order which is strictly incorrect for the late 1950s.  The latest prototype of the 43XX does look very nice but an ABC Gears motor/gearbox combination should mean the brass kit will outlive the RTR model.  And me!

 

Ironically, the RTR models have one advantage over the brass kits - I am more likely to want to weather them as the plastic needs weathering and for some reason mucking up a pristine paint job on a hand built brass loco seems almost criminal.  So my Rule 6 could read - "RTR locos to be weathered, Kit built locos to be ex-works".

 

Paul