D605Eagle Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I was in KS Models this very lunchtime, and a courier entered the shop with a Bachmann parcel, including some LMS liveried 3Fs, so they are definitely in the UK. Those were accounted for by pre-orders though, so the shop won't have shelf stock (until a subsequent delivery, and I have no idea if he has more pre-orders waiting fufillment). Oh, and it looked just like a 3F carrying LMS livery. Ooooh thats good news. I've been going slightly green with envy waiting for me LMS version Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 The link between loco and tender is like an ani-loose. Just loosen the tender screw sufficient to push the second hole under the screw then tighten it. It's very close coupled though. I have slackened it off and pushed them as close as they will go as supplied, and 6.5mm is the minimum separation I can achieve. Wil be drilling a second hole to get that 5mm spacing... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
neal Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 As my car passed it's MOT with no problems, this freed up a little cash to invest in the LMS one ! Again, this is a lovely model, and comes without the water scoop and tank vents. Indeed the coal casting for this version omits the holes for the vents, a detail that would have been ignored in years gone by! One word of caution, the tender top was glued down at the locomotive end where adhesive from the tender brake standard had crept between the mouldings. Removal of the tender from loco, along with brake linkage and front wheel set allowed better grip to gently ease the two apart, helped by pushing the locating tabs upwards from below. A little hair raising, but no damage done. With decoder fitted it is set up as with my L/C version. Wagon stock now rotated back to 1936, it runs a treat. I have used the Bachmann 21 pin decoders, cv2 at 1, cv3 and cv4 at 10, cv5 at 30, cv54 at 15 and cv55 at 55. Picks up nicely at shunt speed (F3). Its gonna be an LMS Christmas in my house! N Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 On the topic of tender top removal to allow the decoder to go in, the disassembly did not match the diagram. The entire front step of the tender with the railings and brake handle stanchion on it was glued firmly to the chassis, and it consequently took a lot of wiggling to move the tender top out and off from the chassis once the two screws were out. Getting the loco body off was all fingers and thumbs too, fiddling around the back end to get the loco to tender link out for modification. Like the interior construction of the chassis, and with the top of the slim motor just 38mm above rail that should enable fitting into a lot of small low centreline boilered prototypes. Very pleased with it as a model overall, and I second the opinion on the fine running in DCC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Phil Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Picked mine up today from Modeller's Mecca - excellent service by Lucy and her helpers, and a very competitive price, although her website lists the incorrect running number for the model. Bachmann 31-626 is definately 43762 not 43186, although both would be suitable for a slight renumber as Bescot's 43189 43760 or 43822. I'm guessing Bachmann subsequently changed their numbers from the initial blurb. Anyway, removing the model from the box I was immediately in awe of Bachmann's offering and thought how wonderful a companion the 4F would be !!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 First thing I noticed was care will have to be taken choosing a loco if renumbering the model, as it has a tender with a high front coal plate and coal rails that were circumsised at the leading end. Another regular tender with these locos had coal rails that sloped at both ends and a lower coal plate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 No skin off my nose mate... Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Can anyone offer guidance on the coal space? My guess is that most of the coal space was a flat deck, with an inclined slide to the shovelling plate. I have sawed out the forward end of the flat deck under the ballast weight, and look! How easily Bachmann could have made this the first UK model which didn't require body removal of any sort to access the decoder socket... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed-farms Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Can anyone offer guidance on the coal space? My guess is that most of the coal space was a flat deck, with an inclined slide to the shovelling plate. I have sawed out the forward end of the flat deck under the ballast weight, and look! How easily Bachmann could have made this the first UK model which didn't require body removal of any sort to access the decoder socket... Actually the Dapol/Kernow Beattie Well Tank already has that honour, you just remove the magnetic smokebox door and there is the socket. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I stand duly corrected. But back to the inclined slide in the tender coal space. Was it on the same pattern as in the LMS Fowler design for the 4F etc., as I have a drawing of one of these which will make it easy to construct... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian777999 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Why does this Bachmann model loco have a coal load whereas some of their other locos do not eg. Patriot and Crab ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim49 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 I believe it it to allow you to fit a speaker inside the tender "box". The Crab & Patriot were introduced before the fashion for sound fitted locos started. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold geoff Posted December 20, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 20, 2011 I have slackened it off and pushed them as close as they will go as supplied, and 6.5mm is the minimum separation I can achieve. Wil be drilling a second hole to get that 5mm spacing... Are you sure about that? I altered one for a friend recently and I am sure I managed to achieve nearer to 4mm with no trouble. I haven't had a chance to look at my own yet. Geoff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Yes very sure, The slide is on the stop at the end of its rearward travel and the distance between the cab and tender railings is 6.5mm. With the new hole in, centred 3.5 mm inboard from the original, it is easy to adjust to anywhere from 4 to 5mm which corresponds to the range on drawings and looks right compared to photos. Have had to 'nibble' the corners of the fall plate to allow this close an approach. Just ices the cake on appearance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold geoff Posted December 20, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 20, 2011 Yes very sure, The slide is on the stop at the end of its rearward travel and the distance between the cab and tender railings is 6.5mm. With the new hole in, centred 3.5 mm inboard from the original, it is easy to adjust to anywhere from 4 to 5mm which corresponds to the range on drawings and looks right compared to photos. Have had to 'nibble' the corners of the fall plate to allow this close an approach. Just ices the cake on appearance. Ah nothing like comparing apples with oranges. I was referring to the gap between the loco drag box and the tender buffing plate which I have just checked on my model at less than 4mm. I can see that your point of reference does have a greater dimension than mine. Geoff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Nevard Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 The little beauty arrived earlier this morning, and I must say it's rather lovely and right up there with the 7F which was released at a similar time last year. It's had a little spin around one of my layouts and first impression are that it runs as good as it looks. The obligatory snaps (click to enlarge to 1200 pixels across).... Cab detail is pretty good from this angle The eagle eyed will notice that the crossmember-thingamygig wasn't lined up with the front brake shoes - since addressed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian777999 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 I am surprised that Bachmann did not supply a weathered version of this loco. I must admit it looks great in pristine condition but I doubt that any of the prototypes would have looked like this for long. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim49 Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Just give it time Brian, there will be one along soon enough. I suppose Bachmann just wanted to get as many out to the shops as they could before £mas. If I'm right in my speculation, you might get your wish by Easter. Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Ah nothing like comparing apples with oranges. I was referring to the gap between the loco drag box and the tender buffing plate which I have just checked on my model at less than 4mm. I can see that your point of reference does have a greater dimension than mine. That dimension should be circa 2mm, the gap on the drawing is designated nominal 6"; there would obviously be some variation with the loco in service. Bach have the intermediate buffers 1.5mm long so these needed no adjustment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold geoff Posted December 21, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 21, 2011 That dimension should be circa 2mm, the gap on the drawing is designated nominal 6"; there would obviously be some variation with the loco in service. Bach have the intermediate buffers 1.5mm long so these needed no adjustment. No doubt but I will be surprised if a gap of 2mm would allow the loco to traverse the minimum radius curve of 3ft on my layout. Certainly when I have tried to reduce a loco to tender gap to less than 3mm I have had to return to a slightly larger gap. When I get round to running it on the layout I will see just how small a gap can be achieved. Geoff Geoff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 With the barest amount of daylight between the intermediate buffer heads and the representation of the drag box pads they bear on, mine is sailing round 30" curves. However thanks to your comment I have just realised that to do so it is using up sideplay in all the wheelsets, as neither the loco nor the tender are tangent to the curve. So I will be passing a file over those intermediate buffer heads to allow the loco and tender a little more swing relative to each other. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edward66 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I received my 3F early crest in the mail just before Christmas here in the USA thanks to Hattons usual efficient service. Unfortunately on opening the box I discovered that although the cabside number was 43762 the wrong smokebox door had been fitted sporting the number 43474. I contacted Hattons who could not supply a replacement door [are they just a push fit?] their reason being that my removing the original would invalidate the warranty so I have had to pack it up again and send it back across the pond. So, folks, if any of you keep your loco in its box and don't examine it just be aware that it might have dual identity! Edward Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edward66 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Following on from my last post re the 3F with wrong smokebox door, I forgot to mention that my first action was to go on the Bachmann website and see if they could supply me with another door rather than go through the send the loco back to England route. This was on Dec 22nd and when I hit the contact us button I discovered that the contact us service was closed until January 6th! With holidays like that I think I'd like to work there! Edward Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim49 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Edward, if you were thinking of weathering the loco, a carefully applied touch of dirty black paint over the smokebox number plate would hide the offending part of the number and save you a lot of hassle. Jim (Glad to be back in some form or other) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edward66 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I did think of doing that, Jim, but I thought I might keep it almost pristine as if it had just returned from the works so I decided to send it back. Fortunately I hadn't damaged Hattons packaging so it was easy enough to do, by now it should be well on its way to liverpool. It really is an excellent model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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