Bachmann Class 20 DRS

[brittannia]

 Trailrage

I Phoned Bachmann last week, they confirmed  either a paper receipt copy or receipt attached to to an email to Bachmann services, also told the bodies are due at the end of the month

 

Regards John  brittannia

[TRAILRAGE]

Richard at Bachmann emailed me back with this

 

Replacement bodies for 35-125/35-125SF will be available during the second half of November. Please forward a copy of your proof of purchase for each model to our Service Department (service@Bachmann-europe.co.uk) who will be handling distribution of the replacement bodies directly to our consumers. They will also need you to confirm the delivery address to which you would like the bodies to be sent.

 

Again Bachmann showing why their Customer Service is the Best.

 

Cheers Trailrage

[brittannia]

Rang Bachmann today to see if they had received my class 20 purchase receipt and was informed that the bodies will be dispatched in a couple of days 2nd class signed for, excellent service from Bachmann

 

Brittannia

Edited November 19, 2021 by brittannia
spelling mistake

[Tony Walker]

Having recently removed the bodies from my 2 class 20's to fit better speakers I noted that the buffer beams are integrated into the body. I've fitted the pipe accessories to my 2 and I'm wondering if the bodies will come with an accessory pack, as removing the pipes will probably prove difficult, and may result in breaking them. we'll have to see what comes.

[The Black Hat]

I have also emailed Bachmann about the two replacement bodies for the models I bought. Given we can keep the spares my thoughts now turn to: what livery should I repaint them in? 

Something is making me think: Fragonset! (Also ran: Mainline Blue, WCRC, Fastline...)

[Tony Walker]

22 hours ago, Tony Walker said:

Having recently removed the bodies from my 2 class 20's to fit better speakers I noted that the buffer beams are integrated into the body. I've fitted the pipe accessories to my 2 and I'm wondering if the bodies will come with an accessory pack, as removing the pipes will probably prove difficult, and may result in breaking them. we'll have to see what comes.

 

Just to let folk know, email from Bachmann says no spares, so you need to remove the old ones and reuse them. The email also pointed out that you should have used PVA glue, so you should use warm water to release the pipes and then reuse. 

[rembrow]

I received my two replacement DRS bodies this morning. I can confirm there are no additional buffer detailing parts included.

[mevaman1]

I have received my replacement body.  Many thanks to Bachmann for doing this.

[TRAILRAGE]

Picked mine up from the Post office as I missed the Delivery yesterday. Amazing Customer Service Job yet again Bachmann.

 

Muchoos Gracias 

 

Trailrage 

[amarr40]

Received mine last Saturday morning, I thank Bachmann for their excellent customer support.

[The Fatadder]

If anyone who has received their replacement 20 body would like to get rid of their old incorrect one, I’d be interested in buying one for a project to go with my Shawplan conversion.

[SouthernMafia]

With thanks to whoever it was I saw this tip from, if you remove the internal light guides and circuit board from the new 20 body at the nose end, it does fit the old chassis, which is a nice cheap way of creating a pair. I've removed the motor from the old chassis so it's a free runner, and there is a nice gap for a decent speaker.

 

 

 

[The Fatadder]

I haven’t sourced a chassis yet, however I have been working on a Bachmann 20/3 shell kindly sent to me by another member, converting it to 20303 circa 1998 (to go with my earlier Shawplan / Bachmann conversion of 20302.

 

the cab end was modified to remove the centre light and multi working plug, NRN roof pod relocated, handrails shortened, nose centre headlight removed, fuel tank gauges added and multi socket relocated.  Finally the roof was repainted grey (before realising that it should actually be a blue grey). I’m now looking at a couple of Vallejo options to try and find a close match before respraying both to  the correct colour.   70973, 70907 or 72047.   Unless anyone can advise otherwise I think it will be a case of buying all three and testing…

[SouthernMafia]

We have marker lights...

 

Putting right what Bachmann should have done, luckily it wasn't too complicated a job, worst bit was working out the wiring! I have not done the nose end as I will always run them as a pair.

Wiring:

 

Common positive feeds off the bottom of the board, it is RK on the connector board (top left). Two SMD LEDs wired in with a 2k2 resistor back to FL1 on the connector board - you could probably wire it in to the circuit board somewhere but this worked for me. FL1 is the feed for the top marker light, so the markers are on for both day and night running.

Vid in action:

 

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by SouthernMafia

[The Fatadder]

How did you go about modifying the body, from memory when I had mine open the cab front is solid behind the marker lights?  A tempting addition to carry out on mine I think

[SouthernMafia]

17 minutes ago, The Fatadder said:

How did you go about modifying the body, from memory when I had mine open the cab front is solid behind the marker lights?  A tempting addition to carry out on mine I think

 

Hi Rich,

 

Just drill two small holes roughly where the markers are and open out with a scalpel to something a bit more rectangular. It's not very thick and Bachmann put the light lenses in as if to say this is what we were going to do! 

[The Fatadder]

1 minute ago, SouthernMafia said:

 

Hi Rich,

 

Just drill two small holes roughly where the markers are and open out with a scalpel to something a bit more rectangular. It's not very thick and Bachmann put the light lenses in as if to say this is what we were going to do! 

thanks, when I take it apart to redo the roof colour I will be sure to drill it out.  Suppose I ought add lights to the 20 (Shawplan) it will run with at the same time...

[rembrow]

Interesting article in the May 22 Hornby magazine, about renumbering one of the original early DRS bodies with the printing error, as apparently it is correct for 20308. They used a Harry Needle version as chassis donor, and tgat is now on special price with Kernow. Seriously tempted as I kept the original bodies  but do I need 3.

[The Fatadder]

Bachmann 20/3 body fitted to an original 20/0 chassis worked rather well.  Just need to wire in the lights (but that can wait until I get a decoder fitted and add the missing marker light)

[mevaman1]

I have been looking into using my spare 20/3 body.  I plan to put this on a spare Lima unpowered chassis.

 

I don’t think that the article in Hornby Mag is correct in stating that 20308 had its DRS logo in the middle position on both sides.

 

Also the 20/3s have 2 different lighting configurations.  20301-5 differ from 20306-20315.

 

I am probably faced with removing the DRS logo on the one side and ‘moving it’ to the correct position (using transfers that I bought on the Shawplan stand many years ago!).

[rembrow]

Hard to find photos of 20308 in early DRS livery with the cab at the left of the photo, but have found one on Flicker with 20308 leading a 37, going through Preston station. The bodyside DRS logo is definately one panel back, compared to 20306.

Edited April 12, 2022 by rembrow
Addition

[SouthernMafia]

Presumably you're talking about this shot? 

 

I cannot find any pics of it with the logo in the "wrong" position, except that one, but quality poor so it might not even be 20308 and it doesn't tell us what year. Here in 1998 logo is in the correct position:

 

 

2000:

 

 

2005:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by SouthernMafia

[adb968008]

30 minutes ago, SouthernMafia said:

Presumably you're talking about this shot? 

 

I cannot find any pics of it with the logo in the "wrong" position, except that one, but quality poor so it might not even be 20308 and it doesn't tell us what year. Here in 1998 logo is in the correct position:

 

 

Could it be 20302…

 

seen here at Carnforth 2008, give aways are the lower headlights as per the early converts, black front window frames.. halfway down this page..,

http://ukrailways1970tilltoday.me.uk/Carnforthopenday2008_DRS.html

 

20304 could be a candidate too, based on the blue frames, but all the early ones (301-305) look like they had the logo 1 panel set back, the Bachmann model though is the RFS conversions.

Edited April 12, 2022 by adb968008

[rembrow]

54 minutes ago, SouthernMafia said:

Presumably you're talking about this shot? 

 

I cannot find any pics of it with the logo in the "wrong" position, except that one, but quality poor so it might not even be 20308 and it doesn't tell us what year. Here in 1998 logo is in the correct position:

 

 

2000:

 

 

2005:

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the photos of 20308, they show for the period I'm interested in, that the logo wasn't central on one side. I was aware that the first 5 could not easily be modelled from the Bachmann model. Seems Mike Wild was in error with this renumbering. Will keep my spare bodies in the cupboard.

[The Fatadder]

2 hours ago, mevaman1 said:

Also the 20/3s have 2 different lighting configurations.  20301-5 differ from 20306-20315.

 

The multiple working socket is lower as well (which have corrected on mine), and to start with at least no centre light  or multiple working socket on the cab end).  I did think about doing the lower light clusters on mine, but in the end decided I could live with the small error in order to keep Bachmann's lights working.  (The Bachmann / Shawplan 20302 that runs with it has them in the right position though given it was all my own work).