Rails announce NER electric autocar in OO

[Michael Hodgson]

4 hours ago, KymN said:

 

February 2019.  Rails must have spotted my post here.  They told me that my card was declined.  It would have been, because it was 18 months out of date.  I don't recall them telling me that until they emailed me last week.  The old card had been used to take the deposit. 

In view of the lead times I'm surprised that doesn't seem to have happened a lot more often.

[PhilJ W]

5 hours ago, KymN said:

 

February 2019.  Rails must have spotted my post here.  They told me that my card was declined.  It would have been, because it was 18 months out of date.  I don't recall them telling me that until they emailed me last week.  The old card had been used to take the deposit. 

I only just missed that happening to me. A replacement card for the one I used arrived on the same day as the model. The old card expired only a few days after the payment was taken out.

[RichardT]

3 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said:

In view of the lead times I'm surprised that doesn't seem to have happened a lot more often.

It’s happened to me a couple of times.  Rails emailed me to check my card details before dispatch of the autocars (I ordered & paid the deposit in 2018) - in this case luckily it hadn’t expired.

 

Richard

[Ronny]

My card was declined and after a brief but very pleasant email exchange with their Simon & Heather, it was all resolved via PayPal within a couple of hours. Seeing that I sit many thousands of miles, and a few time zones, away, I was tres pleased.

[Colin_McLeod]

Same here.  I had a very pleasant telephone call with Heather who processed my payment over the phone yesterday. The transaction included deduction of UK VAT for export to Ireland, the addition of a DCC chip and a charge for fitting the chip.  Interestingly, but logically, the fitting charge correctly included UK VAT as it was a service performed in the UK.

[KymN]

19 hours ago, KymN said:

 

February 2019.  Rails must have spotted my post here.  They told me that my card was declined.  

 

All sorted now - as others have noted via a pleasant email exchange with Simon and Heather.  I had been concerned because I had had some problems when Rails' new system went live year.  As part of that exchange I told Rails last October that "All orders should be ... using card ending in xxxx.  The card ending in yyyy is closed." Evidently that was not recorded in their system.  All's well that ends well, and I have been notified that my Autocar has been sent.  I have duly sent Simon I nice email to thank him and Heather, noting that I plan on continuing as a Rails customer for some time yet. 😀

[That Model Railway Guy]

Very happy with my one that arrived last week. I've made a video featuring a close up look at the model and its first run on my layout too.

 

(Skip ahead to 9mins 34secs if you just want to see it running 😉)

 

 

[PhilJ W]

I've just realised after watching the video that mine is missing the accessory pack. Not too concerned about the exhaust pipe but as I intend to run it solo I would like the dummy couplings. 

[Colin_McLeod]

That look really good but it needs some people inside to avoid that "Docklands Light Railway off peak" look.

 

Perhaps some enterprising organisation may produce a set of suitable passengers and driver.

 

Not sure how to get the driver to change ends though!

[PhilJ W]

3 minutes ago, Colin_McLeod said:

That look really good but it needs some people inside to avoid that "Docklands Light Railway off peak" look.

 

Perhaps some enterprising organisation may produce a set of suitable passengers and driver.

 

Not sure how to get the driver to change ends though!

I do believe the driver was not provided with a seat so a standing figure could be made to 'lie down' combined with the out of use cab lighting to be made to switch off as has been suggested.

[N.E. Thing]

Hi All,

I am having running problems with mine (NER 3171 version). It ran in reasonably fine on a rolling road, but is a poor runner particularly in FWD on the layout. Clean, good quality track that is.. Seems a few new owners are having similar problems, plenty of disappointed chat around it. Is there any known fault, or advice to improve running? Or am I going to have to return, as others havecdone?

Thanks in advance 

Colin

[AY Mod]

17 minutes ago, N.E. Thing said:

advice to improve running

 

I haven't had one in my hands beyond the initial EP; what is the weight of the model? If it's less than 250g for instance it may benefit from additional weight.

[N.E. Thing]

2 hours ago, AY Mod said:

 

I haven't had one in my hands beyond the initial EP; what is the weight of the model? If it's less than 250g for instance it may benefit from additional weight.

Thanks - It weighs 220g. I tried it with 50g of tire weights and lo and behold it is performing a lot better - not quite perfect, but better. The lighting flickers a lot. Got to figure out how to fit the extra weight as I put in too much to close the body.

 

Any other tips gratefully received!

 

[Worsdell forever]

1 hour ago, N.E. Thing said:

Thanks - It weighs 220g. I tried it with 50g of tire weights and lo and behold it is performing a lot better - not quite perfect, but better. The lighting flickers a lot. Got to figure out how to fit the extra weight as I put in too much to close the body.

 

Any other tips gratefully received!

 

 

I filled mine with these, adds quite a bit.

 

https://www.acstadden.co.uk/product-page/oo4-edwardian-people

[Michael Hodgson]

6 hours ago, Colin_McLeod said:

Not sure how to get the driver to change ends though!

 

When the Guard has nowt else to do, might he sit in the rear cab admiring the scenery writing his journal ?

[PhilJ W]

4 hours ago, N.E. Thing said:

Thanks - It weighs 220g. I tried it with 50g of tire weights and lo and behold it is performing a lot better - not quite perfect, but better. The lighting flickers a lot. Got to figure out how to fit the extra weight as I put in too much to close the body.

 

Any other tips gratefully received!

 

The flickering lights might be indicating the problem. Mine and others I've seen working the lights do not flicker. It could be a problem with the pickups or a dry joint.

[N.E. Thing]

6 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

The flickering lights might be indicating the problem. Mine and others I've seen working the lights do not flicker. It could be a problem with the pickups or a dry joint.

Any suggestions? Am a bit of a beginner when it comes to maintenance. Not even sure what a dry joint is tbh.

[PhilJ W]

6 minutes ago, N.E. Thing said:

Any suggestions? Am a bit of a beginner when it comes to maintenance. Not even sure what a dry joint is tbh.

A dry joint is a soldered joint where insufficient solder has been used making a poor electrical connection. Problem is it could be many things giving a poor connection. If you know someone or a model railway shop who does repairs local to you you could ask them to have a look or failing that contact Rails and they will either be able to help you or ask you to send it back for them to find the problem.

[Andy Hayter]

5 hours ago, N.E. Thing said:

Thanks - It weighs 220g. I tried it with 50g of tire weights and lo and behold it is performing a lot better - not quite perfect, but better. The lighting flickers a lot. Got to figure out how to fit the extra weight as I put in too much to close the body.

 

Any other tips gratefully received!

 

Do you use a Relco track cleaning system?  [ Rather old these days I think.]

or

Does your controller use back EMF?

 

 

[Ben Alder]

2 hours ago, N.E. Thing said:

Any suggestions? Am a bit of a beginner when it comes to maintenance. Not even sure what a dry joint is tbh.

Try cleaning the wheel treads and backs with Deoxit - there is often a lot of invisible gunge on new models wheels.As said, the flickering lights suggest intermittent pick up. Cleaning the rails is also a good idea. HTH.

[Warren Rails]

20 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I've just realised after watching the video that mine is missing the accessory pack. Not too concerned about the exhaust pipe but as I intend to run it solo I would like the dummy couplings. 

Hi Phil, we can send you a accessory pack if you like? 

 

Can you contact us directly with your order number so we can check your details?

 

https://railsofsheffield.com/pages/contact-us

 

Thanks

Warren

[PhilJ W]

54 minutes ago, Warren Rails said:

Hi Phil, we can send you a accessory pack if you like? 

 

Can you contact us directly with your order number so we can check your details?

 

https://railsofsheffield.com/pages/contact-us

 

Thanks

Warren

Thanks but I contacted you directly yesterday and your colleague Lewis has put one in the post for me. Well done, excellent service.

[PhilJ W]

When testing mine and another members one on the club test track remarks were made about both cabs being lit and the lack of operating front and rear lights. One of the members reckoned it would be a simple matter to 'switch off' the trailing cab light and fit a red tail light. Obviously when they were in service they would have used oil lamps but where would the red tail lamp go?

[Colin_McLeod]

At the back.  😄

[The White Rabbit]

5 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

When testing mine and another members one on the club test track remarks were made about both cabs being lit and the lack of operating front and rear lights. One of the members reckoned it would be a simple matter to 'switch off' the trailing cab light and fit a red tail light. Obviously when they were in service they would have used oil lamps but where would the red tail lamp go?

 

I will defer to more knowledgeable people re NER practices, but in preservation we use the lamp brackets for both front and tail lamps:

(Photos courtesy Alan Chandler, both taken at Embsay Station, the top during a 1940s weekend and the bottom during a test run).