Class 205 in Conjunction with Kernow Model Shop

[SRman]

Hi everyone,

 

Just had an email from Kernow advising despatch of my sound-fitted version - 31-235ZDS K2007DS Bachmann Class 205 2H Thumper Unit number 1115 - so these should be reaching those with pre-orders over the next few days. 

 

Best wishes,

 

David

 

I also had an email advising that they were in and ready to ship but an extra nice touch was that Sam (from Kernow) asked if it was alright to debit my credit card. That's very considerate of them because we don't always know when the costs of pre-orders are going to 'hit'.

 

Much appreciated, Kernow Models and staff!    Well done.

[Brian Hawkins]

Hello,

Today i recieved 31-253ZDS 2H Thumper two car DEMU BR Greev (V) I am very pleased with the model but very disappointed with the sound, especially when the unit is stationary and the engine is ticking over.

What are the thoughts of those of you who have this model ?

As i have said the actual model is superb but the sound in my opinion is very poor.

[tetsudofan]

Both my sound-fitted versions arrived today and I've just given them a whirl round the test track. Quite like the start-up and shutdown sounds but the running sounds seem a bit odd.....but not having heard a real one lineside I'm not sure whether or not the running sounds on the decoder are representative or not. Maybe an expert on these things can comment in due course.

 

One thing I did note is that both decoders come equipped with horns whereas #1108 does not have roof horns but what is (I presume) a whistle over over the drivers window. I know that with the Howes decoders for the CEPs they do the choice of a whistle or horn depending which version of the CEP you've got.

 

What was interesting was that when I ran one of the units on analogue the sounds seemed better than when running digital. When running on analogue the diesel engine kicked in from time to time followed by the unit going back into coast mode which was a little more fiddly to achieve running digital.

 

Maybe I'll have another play test tomorrow switching the units round....and maybe speak to Kernow about the whistle/horn business.

 

Keith

[Stevelewis]

Both my sound-fitted versions arrived today and I've just given them a whirl round the test track. Quite like the start-up and shutdown sounds but the running sounds seem a bit odd.....but not having heard a real one lineside I'm not sure whether or not the running sounds on the decoder are representative or not. Maybe an expert on these things can comment in due course.

 

One thing I did note is that both decoders come equipped with horns whereas #1108 does not have roof horns but what is (I presume) a whistle over over the drivers window. I know that with the Howes decoders for the CEPs they do the choice of a whistle or horn depending which version of the CEP you've got.

 

What was interesting was that when I ran one of the units on analogue the sounds seemed better than when running digital. When running on analogue the diesel engine kicked in from time to time followed by the unit going back into coast mode which was a little more fiddly to achieve running digital.

 

Maybe I'll have another play test tomorrow switching the units round....and maybe speak to Kernow about the whistle/horn business.

 

Keith

Hi Keith

 

Thanks for the  info  you have  posted, this  has proved very  beneficial,   decision wise!

 

Regards  Steve

[BR(S)]

Someone may want to add this unofficial name to their NSE Thumper: http://railphotoarchive.org/rpc_zoom.php?img=0835000034000

[roundhouse]

Had a phone message from Kernow today. Looks like my Thumper will soon be here!

[Brian Kirby]

I ordered one each of the two green non-chip Thumpers from Kernow, they billed me for one of each, and they sent me two the same! They were running low on the 235Z version at the time, anybody else had this? 

 

 

Anyway, i'll forgive them, i can't be arsed to send one back, these are terrific models. Actually, it may be a blessing in disguise, since for the life of me, i can't find a pic of 1115 running as a 2-car with a V-front. Looking in the Robertson DEMU book, it states that 1115 became a 3-car in August 1959, a photo shows 1115 leaving Rotherfield in February 1960, still with a plain green front on the motor coach and no V-front. Elsewhere in the book is a pic of 1115 stabled at Three Bridges in October 1966, now with the V-front, but still running as a 3-car. So is this particular model and livery depicting a temporary re-marshalling back into a 2-car formation, a la the Alton line? Re-marshalling did occur on odd occasions and for the steep Alton "over the Alps" line, but units 1119/20/21/22 remained 2-car throughout the 1960s, so would have been a safer bet. One other niggle, the model's V-front is painted yellow, shouldn't it be orange like the handrails? 

 

At least with two plain ones, i can virtually start again on a blank canvas and do whichever version i fancy. You can have a lot of fun swapping things around with SR stock, although wrong in green, here's an easy way of creating a 3T unit, a Kernow 2H with a Bachmann EPB DTS inserted. There were a handful of these in the late blue and blue-grey period.

 

                                             Cheers, Brian.

 

 

[robertcwp]

This is the only colour photo of a V-front I have, albeit one of the later 'Berkshire' units.

 

1132_Fawley by robertcwp, on Flickr

[Brian Kirby]

Thanks Robert,

     1132 looks pretty dirty, but the V-front and surrounding handrails look the same colour to me? I'm sure the V-front was orange in the St.Trinian's film !       BK

[Gwiwer]

1102 was the unit used in the Great St. Trinians Train Robbery IIRC.  One small detail emerging from Robert's photo above is that the unit has the later small headcode displays while Kernow fit the early larger ones on the V unit.  As this livery covers the the change over timespan both can be considered correct.

[Brian Kirby]

1132 do be a Berkshire set, pictured above in Hampshire. Robertson's DEMU book states that the larger V-front appeared in 1959, the same year that most units became 3-car, but obviously only at the motor/luggage end and some still didn't have it by 1960. Thanks for the info regarding 1102 in the film, it should have been 3-car by then.   BK

[Bulleidboy]

I ordered one each of the two green non-chip Thumpers from Kernow, they billed me for one of each, and they sent me two the same! They were running low on the 235Z version at the time, anybody else had this? 

My 235Z (ordered in December) arrived two weeks ago but I'm still waiting for my 236Z (ordered Jan 2009). 

 

Still, having got an email from my local shop on Tuesday to say that a 2BIL has arrived in stock (R3126) my credit card may be spared for a few more days!

 

Mike

[Gwiwer]

Plunge taken and Thumper broken into.

 

I'm slowly beginning to install drivers (not of the computer kind) in the multiple-unit fleet as most of my locos now have them.  The Thumper was todays victim as it is on the workbench after passing its running-in tests.

 

The instructions show the four clip points on each side of both cars accurately.  These can be slipped open very carefully with a scalpel blade eased between body and frames.  Take great care - there's a lot of detail which can potentially be damaged during this operation.

 

The body is entirely separate from the frames on both vehicles; there is no connecting wiring as the unit is "hard-wired" using copper contacts from floor to ceiling. Inside the roof panels are PCB units which I haven't gone into but which I assume to be the internal lighting modules.  They are quite substantial fittings.

 

My objective was to fit drivers and see if the headcode could be set to one of my choice.  The DMBS cab space is shortened due to the presence of the large motor unit but a suitable person was found to fit in the tiny space.  It was necessary to amputate the legs (something I have had to do with many diesel crew fittings) and to shave the buttocks ( ) but the unit is no longer driverless.  I have also fitted a driver to the DTCL as the unit will be run in both directions.  We may assume that the person in the "trailing" cab is there with authority and perhaps travelling on duty to another location

 

The headcode unit pops out with a little determined pressure from a cotton wool bud from the outside; it is fitted with a tiny spot of glue so don't force it as it may break.  The white blanks are applied using what appears to be a painted film onto the back of the clear plastic window piece and which cannot be peeled off.  The film could have been scraped clean though I chose not to venture this far not being certain that I could have achieved that without causing visible damage to the window.  It would then have required a white blanking film or something similar to have been sourced and the head code (I had intended to use Heljan class 17 panel numerals which are the closest I have in stock to the exact size and font for the later BR - SR ones) then fixed.  The remaining white areas could then have been blackened but again I was less keen to test the method late in the evening and unsure of the result with no fall-back position if things went wrong.

 

So the unit has a driver at each end, I have had a good look around inside and am satisfied the build quality is good.  There is evidence of glue bleed around a few window frames in common with too many other Bachmann items but this isn't apparent from a normal viewing distance and angle and may vanish altogether once weathering is applied as that will encrust the edges of the window frames with brake-dust grime.

 

The unit clips back together firmly and cleanly but again great care is needed to avoid damage to the fine detail including that on the underframe.  And I can simply switch off the headcode illumination if I choose to using the microswitches beneath the floor.  Each car has one for the headcode panel and another for the internal lighting.  Very thoughtful and much appreciated.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Gwiwer

[PaulRhB]

Both my sound-fitted versions arrived today and I've just given them a whirl round the test track. Quite like the start-up and shutdown sounds but the running sounds seem a bit odd.....

One thing I did note is that both decoders come equipped with horns whereas #1108 does not have roof horns but what is (I presume) a whistle over over the drivers window. I know that with the Howes decoders for the CEPs they do the choice of a whistle or horn depending which version of the CEP you've got.

 

What was interesting was that when I ran one of the units on analogue the sounds seemed better than when running digital. When running on analogue the diesel engine kicked in from time to time followed by the unit going back into coast mode which was a little more fiddly to achieve running digital..

 

Keith

Well my 1108 turned up today and went straight on the rollers for a test. There was a fair crackle from the speaker so I turned that down as it was maxed and there is still a bit of crackle but quite acceptable until I figure out if its the mounting or sound file. Slighlty odd that they don't provide a list of the sounds and I found a guards whistle on F10 despite nothing apparently being on some of the others inbetween. So is F7,8,9 &11 shunt speed etc? When I have more time I'll have to look at what is allocated to those using the lokprogrammer screen.

The model itself is superb and I'm not complaining about the sounds as the decoder itself would cost as much and still need to be fitted

 

I'd be interested to know what response you got Keith about the whistle.

[roundhouse]

I am hoping to have mine tonight or tomorrow night so will put it on JMRI and read all the CV values.

 

With the opening up details above I will also have a look as to how the speaker is mounted. Sometimes a bit of insulation tape around a speaker can help reduce vibration if thats whats causing the crackling.

 

I used to ride on these every day on the Oxted lines prior to the third rail going in. Used to hear them from my bedroom whenI was  still at parents place.

 

Ian

Edited March 7, 2013 by roundhouse

[PaulRhB]

Function allocation appears to be

F0 lights

F1 sound on start up - off shutdown

F2 horn toggle on then again off

F3 short horn

F4 doors slamming

F5 (1st press)Guard bell and (2nd press)driver buzz

F6 coupling

F7 ?

F8 ?

F9 ?

F10 guard whistle

F11 ?

F12 sound mute - possibly volume level if you activate it?

[tender]

Sound fitted Thumper (1108) turned up today. Level of detail and construction is very similar to the 2EPB and MLV so nothing to disappoint there.

On the sound side initially there was a small amount of distortion but reducing the volume a touch cured that. Still more than enough for a home environment but maybe a touch quiet for an exhibition hall.

Increasing the speed gives the usual range of sound types for the engine however to get the higher speed engine sounds it was travelling at unrealistic speeds. Hopefully some CV tweaking will cure that.

As has been said before, I'm surprised that someone didn't pick up on the different horn/whistle variants, both could have been offered with the spare function keys (F7 , 8 )

 

Slighlty odd that they don't provide a list of the sounds and I found a guards whistle on F10 despite nothing apparently being on some of the others inbetween. So is F7,8,9 &11 shunt speed etc?

All the sound functions are documented on the supplied instruction sheet.

 

On the whole the sound is pretty good and well implemented.

Edited March 7, 2013 by tender

[PaulRhB]

Thanks 'Tender' I missed the sound list in the quick scan before I went out. I turned the sound down to 70 and there's still a light crackle but its not spoiling the effect.

As you said finding the right cvs to alter to encourage the full range if sounds at lower top speed is all it really needs to ice the cake.

[Gwiwer]

These units don't stay clean very long once they start running in traffic  

 

May I present what must be surely be one of the first weathered Thumpers.

 

 

 

 

[roundhouse]

Very nicely weathered.

I pciked mine up from Royal Mail this morning and its very impressive.

However quite a lot of crackling from the speaker.

I have now opened it up and added soem insulation tape between the speaker, floor and baffle box. This has made a big improvement but itds not completely got rid of the crackling.

 

I have now sealed it all in canopy glue so will see what improvement that makes once it has set.

 

Ideally I htink it needs a bass reflex speaker.

 

Update

 

Now the canopy glue has set the Sound is so much better. It really does sound like a thumper.

 

Ian

Edited March 8, 2013 by roundhouse

[Jim104]

Gwiwer, really first class weathering, do please enlighten me how it was done, I have a Thumper on its way to me (hopefully), have tried some basic weathering using powders but have not had the courage to varnish over it yet! Would really like to do the model like yours ? Any hints would be welcome, perhaps on another thread?

Jim

[tetsudofan]

 

I'd be interested to know what response you got Keith about the whistle.

 

 

Paul,

 

Phoned Kernow this morning and they advised that they are aware of the lack of the whistle sound - in fact they are quite "vexed" about it (to put it politely). They are working on the matter and will post any developments in this regard in their weekly newsletter.

 

Keith

[90rob]

Absolutely excellent weathering Gwiwer - just how I remember them and really shows off the model at its best. My wife just looked over my shoulder and thought it was a real one!

[Gwiwer]

Gwiwer, really first class weathering, do please enlighten me how it was done, I have a Thumper on its way to me (hopefully), have tried some basic weathering using powders but have not had the courage to varnish over it yet! Would really like to do the model like yours ? Any hints would be welcome, perhaps on another thread?

Jim

 

Thank you kindly Jim (and to Rob whose post above went up while I was attending to Jim's enquiry)

 

I have a weathering topic already under way and have added a new post to that in response to your comment.   See here :  http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/63347-getting-down-and-dirty/?p=972571

Edited March 8, 2013 by Gwiwer

[Brian Kirby]

Yes, lovely weathering job Gwiwer, it certainly enhances the detail. One question, have you altered the colour of the V-front, since your's looks more orange, than Kernow's own pics? I can only refer to other people's photos, cos i've got two totally plain ones, thanks to Kernow cocking up my order! Never mind.

 

                                                              Cheers, Brian.