Class 205 in Conjunction with Kernow Model Shop

[Downendian]

Well the resistance has finally cracked and I've bought a blue 2H. I'll be looking at the centre car options so if anyone that has done this, their methods will be duly copied! Whatever agreement Bachmann have with Kernow maybe reaching the end of an unknown timescale, and perhaps a RTR centre car is looking more of a reality now.

Neil

[Geep7]

Well the resistance has finally cracked and I've bought a blue 2H. I'll be looking at the centre car options so if anyone that has done this, their methods will be duly copied! Whatever agreement Bachmann have with Kernow maybe reaching the end of an unknown timescale, and perhaps a RTR centre car is looking more of a reality now.

Neil

Depending on what timescale you're modelling, the Blue 2h is numbered 1122, which was one of the units that stayed as 2-car units until the late 70's (about 78-79 I think) when they became the 3T sets, strengthened by an ex 2-Epb driving trailer from the disbanded Tadpole sets.

 

Btw, did you get it with or without sound?

[Downendian]

Without sound, will look to Howes I think. It's strictly mid 1970s and examples that went to Temple Meads in that era. I only once rode in one, operating the Stapleton road - Bristol parkway shuttle in 1975 when they were routine performers. The shuttle was in operation because the South Wales line was shut from Wootton-Bassett to Westerleigh junction for the HST upgrade.

Neil

[Geep7]

The newest batch from Kernow (which the Blue one is from) has the Legomanbiffo thumper sound chip in it, and mighty fine is the sound from it (just a satisfied customer I should add).

 

I only ever got to ride on a Thumper once in revenue service on the Reading - Guildford line, when the points to Reading depot got frozen shut, so one had to get borrowed in from Network SouthCentral. But saw them a few times in the late 80's / early 90's, as my parents house backed onto the same line. Such a distinctive noise, especially when they were battling up the bank from Crowthorne.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Geep7

[SRman]

I used to love the sounds of the Thumpers, both from inside and from outside the units. I encountered them regularly on the Three Bridges to East Grinstead line, when walking to school in Worth from Pound Hill, or travelling from Pound Hill (Three Bridges) to East Grinstead itself.

The Hastings units also produced similar sounds but in multiple, seeing as they had two power cars per unit and usually ran as two units (12 cars) back in the 1960s when i watched them from my grandparents' house in Petts Wood.

[RFS]

I was lucky enough as a 13-year old to travel on one them when they were brand-new and just coming into service. I remember it was winter time and quite cold, but the 2H was nice and warm with smell of fresh paint and varnish a distinct memory.  The trip was from Salisbury to Eastleigh for a bit of trainspotting with an older cousin.  The trip back was a T9 and Bulleid coaches, so a completely different experience of sitting in steam-heated coaches.  Those were the days!

[Gwiwer]

The thumpers, along with the Hastings units, certainly had a unique sound.  My first encounter with them was during the brief period we lived in Fareham.  There were still steam trains at the time (freights including some to the Gosport line and inter-regional workings including the Brighton - Plymouth train) but all the local workings were in the hands of these units.  

 

You could sit in the motor coach with your back to the bulkhead adjoining the guard's / engine-room areas while they waited time at Portsmouth & Southsea Low Level or Eastleigh and wait for the driver to start up.  A low whine signified the starter motor being fired up, then there was a distinct and slow rocking motion as the diesel engine was turned from stationary and finally that snort and a puff of exhaust when it fired up and settled into tickover.  Once you heard "ding-ding" you knew you were away and the snort rose to a crescendo as the unit moved off with the distant thumping beat transmitted through the carriage for all the passengers to enjoy!  Fast they were not.  Not by modern standards anyway.  But they cut the former steam journey times by around 25%.

 

I have enjoyed (not always the right word!) their meanderings between Portsmouth (latterly up to the Harbour), Southampton and Salisbury and to Eastleigh (via both of the then two lines to Knowle) on direct workings and the later Fareham shuttle.  I managed one trip from Eastleigh to Romsey via Chandlersford on an Andover working before those were withdrawn.  I have travelled in them between Southampton Central (I was too late for Terminus) and Alton and a couple of times between Fareham and Reading General.  I used them on the short-lived Fareham - Havant shuttle which was introduced after the Brighton - Exeter train was withdrawn in order to avoid closure of the Farlington Junction - Cosham Junction side of the triangle.  One trip to Swanage was aboard a Thumper though most were in steam days.  I once braved Salisbury - Basingstoke in one and a couple of times Salisbury - Andover, once found one substituting for my intended Tadpole on a Tonbridge - Reading trip and have used them across Romney Marsh between Hastings and Ashford many times.  Most of my wanderings on the "Oxted lines" were aboard 3D units or locomotive-hauled but I have also ridden 3H units between London and East Grinstead / Uckfield though missed out on the Three Bridges - East Grinstead line.  Other Thumper routes I have missed out on include Romsey - Andover Junction and the Lydd Town and Bexhill West branches.  I studiously avoided and planned alternatives to making use of Thumper duties to Bristol due to the severe overcrowding which arose on those trains and the lack of access to a toilet for most passengers.  I have also travelled to odd placed aboard them on rail tours including to Maiden Newton and in "preservation" locally at Isfield and between Okehampton and Meldon.

[Butler Henderson]

Snow, rain, day off work, what to do.... I know lets start making that 205 into a 3 car unit. The sticking point is always referred to the need to get the power through the unit. Well a bit of work with a screwdriver and a pair of small pliers(!) resulted in the trailing car looking like this

 

The four black wires are from a Heljan 19850211 coupling which will transfer the power down the unit, just need to work out how to thread them into the trailing car, disconnecting the Bachmanns brown and orange wires and threading them in the way they go seems to be best option. The small pliers were needed to assist in removing a black light box that fits onto the front pcb that forms the headcode light, its fitted after the interior seats (etc) are fitted and consequently prevents getting the interior out unless its removed.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Butler Henderson

[Butler Henderson]

Decided it would be simpler to solder two of the Heljan coupling wires to the existing contacts on the NEM mount support, this was where the first disaster in this project arose when I found how weakly fastened the wires are to the Heljan coupling and so had to use a second one, hoping that the first one is repairable.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Butler Henderson

[ColinK]

Would it be easier to use miniature plugs and sockets between the coaches?

[Butler Henderson]

Would it be easier to use miniature plugs and sockets between the coaches?

Suppose it could be but I liked the option of a relatively simple uncoupling / coupling of the set - they are basically multipoles held together by a tension lock type hook. As it turned out soldering the wires was a bad idea as I had overlooked a metal plate that fits on top of the coupling mechanism. So I ended up stripping out all of Bachmanns wiring and metal strips and, with a third coupling, running two wires from it like the Bachmann originals. Edited March 5, 2016 by Butler Henderson

[90rob]

 

You could sit in the motor coach with your back to the bulkhead adjoining the guard's / engine-room areas while they waited time at Portsmouth & Southsea Low Level or Eastleigh and wait for the driver to start up.  A low whine signified the starter motor being fired up, then there was a distinct and slow rocking motion as the diesel engine was turned from stationary and finally that snort and a puff of exhaust when it fired up and settled into tickover.  Once you heard "ding-ding" you knew you were away and the snort rose to a crescendo as the unit moved off with the distant thumping beat transmitted through the carriage for all the passengers to enjoy!  Fast they were not.  Not by modern standards anyway.  But they cut the former steam journey times by around 25%.......

 

I have enjoyed (not always the right word!) their meanderings between Portsmouth (latterly up to the Harbour), Southampton and Salisbury and to Eastleigh .......  I studiously avoided and planned alternatives to making use of Thumper duties to Bristol due to the severe overcrowding which arose on those trains and the lack of access to a toilet for most passengers.  

 

Lovely description Gwiwer.

 

Well I used them between Fareham and Reading for three years from around 1970. Then when I worked in Cardiff I well remember the feeling of '...oh no, not again' when one would turn up for my early Monday morning commute from 1974 onwards....

Pleased to see 1125 running at the Watercress last weekend - though didn't get on it...!

 

Marvelous model though - might even think about adding sound to mine...

[Butler Henderson]

Decided to tackle the motor coach today, and having learnt the lessons from the trailer only dismantled it sufficently so that I could lift one end of the pcb

Fitted the Heljan power coupling, wired up, coupled up to the trailer and typically found that I had crossed the wires so that a white or red light showed at both ends. Quickly swopped the wires round, Bachmann hold the wires onto the pcb with a plastic plug.

Heres the two vehicles coupled together.

 

Now to build the centre car, a DC kit but discovered my bottle of plastic weld has gone missing!

Edited March 6, 2016 by Butler Henderson

[dale159]

Current state of my 3H

 

As mentioned previously in this thread I have gone down the 4CEP trailer chassis and Replica suburban body approach.

 

So far I have sliced off the roof ribs and cut the doors steps off the chassis.

 

Electrically the 2 couplings are wired straight through and don't connect to anything.

 

Interior lights use the roof PCB out of the CEP powered off the pick ups in this coach via a bridge rectifier under all that tape.

 

Still to do are - modifying the Replica seating to fit inside by cutting a notch in the top to clear the lights, fit door step boards to the correct pattern for the body, sourcing some class 105 drawbars which are marginally shorted and give a better close coupling. Finally a lick of paint but I might have this done professionally (won't be Connex!)

 

Dale

Edited March 6, 2016 by dale159

[kintbury jon]

Dale.  Clever idea with the wiring.  I think that is the best route to go down.

Edited March 6, 2016 by kintbury jon

[dale159]

Dale.  Clever idea with the wiring.  I think that is the best route to go down.

 

Looking at that picture I might have to tidy it up a bit, but it works!

 

Dale

Edited March 6, 2016 by dale159

[21C123]

Hi all

 

I've been working on a centre car for my 2H and decided to use a 2EPB which I'd bought to use the motor on another project.

 

I took the close coupling unit off the DMBS and cut a hole in the floor of the  DTS to fit. the wiring goes straight through to the existing wiring. To get the lights to work you just need to use the existing connections.

 

The roof was removed and trimmed back, the driving end was cut off the DTS and the sides back to the inside of the door handle of the last compartment, I left the top of the roof in place for strength.

 

The inner end of the DMBS was cut off to fit the DTS and a great deal of filing and checking carried out.

 

Progress so far is below, the joint is on the handle side of the second door from the left. I'll remove the glazing and roof for painting, there are a few other bits to fit like the buffer plate and class 101 connectors, also alter the interior. I'm not sure what to fit on the ends yet but I'm really pleased with the effect so far.

 

 

Roger

[shunny]

Looks like Kernow no longer have these exclusively Bachmann offered these to my Local shop at the recent 2016 product launch. All 3 versions offered at rrp of £240 and advised that time period had elapsed for exclusive sale through Kernow but could only be ordered at the launch events. I note both Hattons and Gaugemaster now listing as available to pre order.

[Gwiwer]

Looks like Kernow no longer have these exclusively Bachmann offered these to my Local shop at the recent 2016 product launch. All 3 versions offered at rrp of £240 and advised that time period had elapsed for exclusive sale through Kernow but could only be ordered at the launch events. I note both Hattons and Gaugemaster now listing as available to pre order.

 

 

Albeit still identified as "Kernow Exclussive" by Hattons in their listings.

[aussiebrfan]

Looks like Kernow no longer have these exclusively Bachmann offered these to my Local shop at the recent 2016 product launch. All 3 versions offered at rrp of £240 and advised that time period had elapsed for exclusive sale through Kernow but could only be ordered at the launch events. I note both Hattons and Gaugemaster now listing as available to pre order.

 

Hattons price for pre-order 204 GBP. That's $324.53 minus VAT for us Aussies (postage to be added).

 

Got a Green one with sound from the first batch, may be tempted by a second one in blue with FYP.

Edited March 15, 2016 by aussiebrfan

[Gwiwer]

Got a green-with-orange-V from the first release.  Will not be tempted by more until they have a centre trailer.

[Trains4U]

Yep, I ordered some yesterday.

Yet to decide on price - likely to be £199.95

[45568]

Breathe deep Gareth!

[Phatbob]

Meatloaf may have sucessfully argued that "two outa three ain't bad" ,
but until a three coach thumper appears, it's no use to me.

Oh, and by the way Mr Bachmann, a centre coach tooling could also be used to produce a 4EPB, hint hint.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Phatbob

[griffgriff]

Looks like Kernow no longer have these exclusively Bachmann offered these to my Local shop at the recent 2016 product launch. All 3 versions offered at rrp of £240 and advised that time period had elapsed for exclusive sale through Kernow but could only be ordered at the launch events. I note both Hattons and Gaugemaster now listing as available to pre order.

Shhhhh