RTR 00 Type 40s

[Chimer]

I have tried searching, honest .......

 

I could do with an 00 Type 40 (well a D200 as I knew them).  I have been looking through the second-hand sections of the major retailers' sites and seem spoilt for choice at around £90.  I don't want to start a red/blue box war, but does anyone feel any manufacturer's rendering, or any particular version thereof, is significantly better or worse than the rest?  It needs to go round 3rd radius curves .....  Or if this has been done to death already, could someone post a link please?

 

Many thanks

 

Chris

[Dan Griffin]

For my money the Bachmann  one is the better. The Hornby one is a rehash of the lima model from the early 1980's. Not bad but needs work to bring it up to standard. The Bachmann one is not perfect but the better looking, and running out of the two. as for the Joef one, well the less said the better!

[The Johnster]

Lima were good at body moulding (for their day) but their chassis and drive trains were appalling.  I would try to avoid any model that has rubber traction tyres as pick up is affected.  I know little of RTR 40s, but would be willing to bet the Baccy is the better version in every respect.  But your choice may be influenced by nose ends, and which ones are available (out of headcode disc, split headcode box, or single central headcode box with no connecting doors).

 

There is also a Jouef version which was well reviewed in it's day.

[55020]

 

There is also a Jouef version which was well reviewed in it's day.

 

Who by, a blind man?

[forest2807]

Who by, a blind man?

A bit unfair, they were the only RTR version available until the Lima release in the late 80’s, and were as rare as hen’s teeth when D200 was resurrected and every other enthusiast became a Class 40 devotee. If they were that bad they wouldn’t have fetched the extraordinary 3-figure prices that some went for during the pre-Lima period. I remember an article in a magazine when 3 versions of a Class 40 were compared; a Q Kits version, and a Modern Outlines Kit, and I think the third was a Jouef model. They weren’t too bad despite the issues with the dimensions around the nose.

[w124bob]

Only thing really that slightly spoils the Bachmann 40 is the oversize MU cables which are fitted to the bogie sides. Several ways to reduce their look, trim a bit of the back before fixing, weather them. Or if doing a loco in it's final years, choose one which had all the MU gubbins removed. See here

[Dan Griffin]

Here e my four Bachmann ones, these date from before the re-tool.

 

40106, 40074, 40145 and 40125

 

106, (zimo sound fitted) 125,145 are all repaints. 145 has home made printed head codes made using word and are simply blue tacked onto the Bachmann head code and are easily changed. from dominos, to full on head codes to 0000. it seems to work really well.

 

I do like 40's and have never felt the need to change these. they are well out of my era but modellers license lets them run round occasionally.

 

106, 125, 145.

 

145 with changeable head codes.

 

145 and 125.

 

all four posed on my old layout.

Edited March 23, 2018 by Dan Griffin

[delticman]

I agree with forest2807, there was nothing else available RTR at that time so we thought the Jouef 40 was wonderful, I had two, a green one which I resprayed BR blue as 40 118 and later on I aquired a blue one which conversely I resprayed in BR green as D200. I remember one day one of them was hauling a train of 16 ton minerals on my railway when it ground to a halt although I could still hear the motor running. The worm gear had worked its way off the motor shaft and was lying in the 4 foot!

Anyway to answer the question I would say the new Bachmann model is the one to go for. The old Bachy tooling had a few issues so I sold the body of mine and fitted a flush glazed Lima body in its place which I am still running, it now has a Hornby TTS sound decoder fitted so I suppose it could be called a Limbymann.

 

Geoff

[Silver Sidelines]

Hi Chris

 

I guess it depends how much money you have to spend.

 

I would say Bachmann.  But which ones?  I wrote a Blog Post when the retooled Bachmann model appeared

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/880/entry-13690-class-of-forty-–-the-arrival-of-Bachmann-32-451-d369/

 

I have to say the detail differences between the old and new tooling doesn't bother me.

 

There is another of my Blog Posts here about running the Digital Sound model on analogue DC (with sound).

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/880/entry-17772-a-sound-decision-–-Bachmann-32-480ds-on-analogue-dc/

 

There is an electrical 'problem' with some of the new tooled models and subsequently (as I was told at the time) I have had to add extra pickups (naughty Bachmann).

 

Additional Pickups

 

As a parting thought the Bachmann 15th Anniversary Set could offer value for money.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/880/entry-20037-click-click-click-Bachmann%E2%80%99s-15th-anniversary-set-revisited/

 

A Type 4 plus and A1 for +£100!!

 

Regards

 

Ray

Edited March 23, 2018 by Silver Sidelines

[The Johnster]

A bit unfair, they were the only RTR version available until the Lima release in the late 80’s, and were as rare as hen’s teeth when D200 was resurrected and every other enthusiast became a Class 40 devotee. If they were that bad they wouldn’t have fetched the extraordinary 3-figure prices that some went for during the pre-Lima period. I remember an article in a magazine when 3 versions of a Class 40 were compared; a Q Kits version, and a Modern Outlines Kit, and I think the third was a Jouef model. They weren’t too bad despite the issues with the dimensions around the nose.

 

Quite.  No doubt the Jouef had it's issues, but the concurrent big diesels that the RTR companies were offering were not as good as modern modellers are used to.  The Lima Warship and Western were less than brilliant and ran badly, the Airfix 31 would not cut the mustard these days though it was cutting edge when it appeared, the Hornby 37 was awful, and the Mainline Warship never looked right to me; only ML's Peak was even close to modern standards!  Hornby were still churning out 31s that had been introduced in the early 60s by Triang.  The Jouef 40 was not bad for it's time!

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

The first incarnation of the Bachmann 40 'does it' well enough for me, the well known inaccuracy in placement of detail on the body side doesn't register. Very much a take a look and see if it matters to you issue.

 

Particular benefit of the first version is that it has Bachmann's well proven reliable wheelback pick up wipers, rather than the foolish deviation into unreliable pick up from stub axle bearings used on the 'corrected' current version.

[Chimer]

Thanks to all who have taken the time and trouble to comment.  Supplementary if I may - which Bachmann versions (loco numbers or model codes) are which incarnation?  I'm only interested in green ones myself, but others might like the same info for blue and later.

 

Cheers

 

Chris

[Silver Sidelines]

Hello Chris

 

I think the following are the older (less accurate) Class 40s!

 

 

Regards

 

Ray

[tractionman]

A handy way to look up versions of stock is to use this

 

https://www.modelraildatabase.com/locomotives/

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

[Chimer]

A handy way to look up versions of stock is to use this

 

https://www.modelraildatabase.com/locomotives/

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

 

That's a great link, thank you.

 

Chris

[Northmoor]

Quite.  No doubt the Jouef had it's issues, but the concurrent big diesels that the RTR companies were offering were not as good as modern modellers are used to.  The Lima Warship and Western were less than brilliant and ran badly, the Airfix 31 would not cut the mustard these days though it was cutting edge when it appeared, the Hornby 37 was awful, and the Mainline Warship never looked right to me; only ML's Peak was even close to modern standards!  Hornby were still churning out 31s that had been introduced in the early 60s by Triang.  The Jouef 40 was not bad for it's time!

I think you could start off quite a debate here - what 30 year old models still "cut it" for you?

 

In fact, I think I'll start it right now...........

[Clive Mortimore]

I have tried searching, honest .......

 

I could do with an 00 Type 40 (well a D200 as I knew them).  I have been looking through the second-hand sections of the major retailers' sites and seem spoilt for choice at around £90.  I don't want to start a red/blue box war, but does anyone feel any manufacturer's rendering, or any particular version thereof, is significantly better or worse than the rest?  It needs to go round 3rd radius curves .....  Or if this has been done to death already, could someone post a link please?

 

Many thanks

 

Chris

HI Chris

 

Modern Outline Kits is the best class 40.

 

Here are some of my models of 2000s. 

 

My favorites are the lengthened Tri-ang class 37, and my own D375, but they are built models not out the box.

 

The best off the self at the moment is the Bachmann.

[Chimer]

HI Chris

 

Modern Outline Kits is the best class 40.

 

Here are some of my models of 2000s. 

 

My favorites are the lengthened Tri-ang class 37, and my own D375, but they are built models not out the box.

 

The best off the self at the moment is the Bachmann.

 

Thanks Clive

 

I'm strictly off the shelf, your comparison photos are very helpful.

 

Chris

Edited March 26, 2018 by Chimer

[Horsetan]

HI Chris

 

Modern Outline Kits is the best class 40.....

If you can find one. Dave Sharp at MOK told me he couldn't resurrect the kit.

[GRUNFOS]

The new Bachmann scrubs up quite nicely.

 

[40034_Nick]

A handy way to look up versions of stock is to use this

 

https://www.modelraildatabase.com/locomotives/

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

 Amazing link.. How did i miss this !! ??

[40034_Nick]

My class 40s.. "all Bachmann" are..

40032 Blue

40034 Blue

D227 Green

40075 Blue

All have sound :-) 

Edited March 28, 2018 by 40034_Nick

[Staffordshire]

 Just found this old thread, thought this may be of interest ...

 

    A Modern Outline Kits built Class 40 ...

 

Edited April 14, 2023 by Staffordshire
Reattached photo

[37114]

The original Bachmann one can be made good by chopping the centre section of the shell out and substituting with a Lima centre section, I did it years ago and made a nice model of 40135.

[andyman7]

On 23/03/2018 at 19:07, Dan Griffin said:

For my money the Bachmann  one is the better. The Hornby one is a rehash of the lima model from the early 1980's. Not bad but needs work to bring it up to standard. The Bachmann one is not perfect but the better looking, and running out of the two. as for the Joef one, well the less said the better!

 

On 23/03/2018 at 19:48, The Johnster said:

Lima were good at body moulding (for their day) but their chassis and drive trains were appalling.  I would try to avoid any model that has rubber traction tyres as pick up is affected.  I know little of RTR 40s, but would be willing to bet the Baccy is the better version in every respect.  But your choice may be influenced by nose ends, and which ones are available (out of headcode disc, split headcode box, or single central headcode box with no connecting doors).

 

There is also a Jouef version which was well reviewed in it's day.

OK, the Bachmann one is the one to go for off-the-shelf assuming budget is no issue. But both the Lima and the Jouef ones can be worked with. The Lima mechanism does not have much finesse but is very rugged and if you want a 40 trundling round on a layout does the job - it's no Bachmann but it's not 'rubbish'. Peter's spares now do replacement geared wheelsets without traction tyres for Lima mechanisms if you want to avoid them. The Joeuf mechanism was pretty good for it's day too.

 

A 'rubbish' model is something like the Hornby Dublo Deltic or Trix Warship which bears no real resemblance to the prototype. Lima and Jouef models are a far cry from this. So if you haven't got £150 to spare, you can still have a Class 40 for under £50.

 

Attached are pictures of a Lima 40 (the green one) and a Jouef one, both with some cosmetic work but both on original mechanisms

 

Edited December 26, 2021 by andyman7