GWR-fan Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Purchased as a non runner pre-owned for the princely sum of GBP12.50 (ex VAT) my Mainline 43XX loco arrived this afternoon from the UK. I purchased the loco purely for the mint body and the metal tender wheels. The state of the drive was unimportant to me as I had no intention of spending any time to get it to run. However, upon removing the chassis, out popped a very nice split chassis Bachmann drive. I did a quick service and it ran as soon as power was applied, running without any trace of a waddle. Two of my Bachmann 43XX locomotives run with a terrible waddle only tamed by hauling a sizeable load. The only minor issue was the absence of the brakerods but beggars cannot be choosers. Another pre-owned win. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted February 19, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 19, 2020 I love a story with a happy ending! One hears the same story all the time about old Mainline chassis; mazak rot, split spur gears, wheels impossible to quarter because of stub axle wear. I had one years ago and it succumbed to the stub axle problem. There will likely be doom-mongers who will tell you you are on borrowed time with it, but at 12 and a half beer vouchers she owes you no favours and you might get many years out of her. Win win! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Quite often locos are described as non runners on sites like eBay, simply as folk either have no knowledge about the item or just want to get shot of it, some of the time its a case of cleaning the wheels and pickups, a light oil of the moving parts, or occasionally soldering a wire to a tag. As you say its a pleasant surprise in getting something that you were not expecting. The doom mongers say there are no bargains on eBay anymore 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsmb Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 just a quick question, with these, are there any companies that will fit the peter spares new gears etc and sort the quartering out?, as i might buy a mainline manor, but get it sorted out professionally. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, vikingsmb said: just a quick question, with these, are there any companies that will fit the peter spares new gears etc and sort the quartering out?, as i might buy a mainline manor, but get it sorted out professionally. Cardiff? Don't Lendons do repairs? I have a vague notion that they do. I know they sell spares. Possibly worth asking, but it might have to be after lockdown. http://www.lendonsmodelshop.co.uk/ Jason Edited March 6, 2021 by Steamport Southport 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsmb Posted March 6, 2021 Share Posted March 6, 2021 I know rob at lendons, I will ask him about it, as he might be able to do it, yes they do spares, and repairs, as he is my very local shop. not far from me 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted March 7, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 7, 2021 11 hours ago, vikingsmb said: as i might buy a mainline manor Just curious, why would you do that when there are 2 21st century versions being manufactured as we speak? Months away yet so plenty of time to save up for them. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsmb Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 (edited) On 07/03/2021 at 04:02, Hilux5972 said: Just curious, why would you do that when there are 2 21st century versions being manufactured as we speak? Months away yet so plenty of time to save up for them. as long as they have decent pulling power, and are not split chassis then fine, however i like to service them, Edited March 9, 2021 by vikingsmb Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted March 7, 2021 Share Posted March 7, 2021 15 hours ago, Hilux5972 said: Just curious, why would you do that when there are 2 21st century versions being manufactured as we speak? Months away yet so plenty of time to save up for them. Maybe not everyone can afford to pay £170 each for brand new models.... Why does everyone have to buy the latest brand new things just for the sake of it? Especially at the current cost of brand new RTR. I've got nine Manors. Are you seriously suggesting I sling them in the bin just to buy models that are only slightly better just because they are newer? That's £1500 or so. Nothing wrong with the Mainline Manor. Most of mine have been detailed or even had replacement Comet chassis fitted when they have failed. But that was over a period of about forty years and most of them were bargain buys. I probably will buy an Accurascale version or two. But to add to, rather than totally replace my others. There always seems to be a an element of "The Emperors New Clothes" on this forum. Everybody needs the new things rather than keeping their perfectly good older versions.... 1 10 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 97406 Posted March 8, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2021 9 hours ago, Steamport Southport said: .... There always seems to be a an element of "The Emperors New Clothes" on this forum. Everybody needs the new things rather than keeping their perfectly good older versions.... I must say that I thoroughly enjoy working with older models, as I am currently doing with. a couple of the original Bachmann class 40s at the moment. It’s very satisfying to get something that sits alongside one of the latest ones, and somewhat more so than just plonking a brand new model straight out of the box on the layout. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tim Hall Posted March 8, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2021 On 06/03/2021 at 16:57, vikingsmb said: just a quick question, with these, are there any companies that will fit the peter spares new gears etc and sort the quartering out?, as i might buy a mainline manor, but get it sorted out professionally. Try these, run by Steve Dodd who used to work in Lord and Butler. They're at the Cardiff end of Barry, in the industrial estate behind MacDonald's: GLR Bespoke Services, Model and Miniature Supplies (glrailways.co.uk) They quickly did a couple of wiring jobs for me last summer at reasonable cost. Martin, who also used to be involved with Lord and Butler did the actual work. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted March 8, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 8, 2021 11 hours ago, Steamport Southport said: Maybe not everyone can afford to pay £170 each for brand new models.... Why does everyone have to buy the latest brand new things just for the sake of it? Especially at the current cost of brand new RTR. I've got nine Manors. Are you seriously suggesting I sling them in the bin just to buy models that are only slightly better just because they are newer? That's £1500 or so. Nothing wrong with the Mainline Manor. Most of mine have been detailed or even had replacement Comet chassis fitted when they have failed. But that was over a period of about forty years and most of them were bargain buys. I probably will buy an Accurascale version or two. But to add to, rather than totally replace my others. There always seems to be a an element of "The Emperors New Clothes" on this forum. Everybody needs the new things rather than keeping their perfectly good older versions.... No need to attack me, I simply asked a question. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWR-fan Posted March 8, 2021 Author Share Posted March 8, 2021 I purchased two new Bachmann Manor class in a trainset packaging, "Dunley Manor" or "Dunkley Manor" from memory and both were hopeless runners. To get the models to run required several minutes of spluttering around the track plus the hand of God and finally they would run, although not that well. My third Manor was another Bachmann split chassis, but this time, a stated non-runner and yet with no work needed the loco runs perfectly. Personally, I have never had any luck with the Mainline branded locomotives with their tiny ringfield motor and as before have only purchased for the body and the metal tender wheels which fit nicely under the Dean single tender body. Two Mainline 43XX models after several hours of frustration I simply reassembled minus the motor and will use them as yard queens or maybe double heading a more powerful loco. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tim Hall Posted March 8, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 8, 2021 1 hour ago, GWR-fan said: I purchased two new Bachmann Manor class in a trainset packaging, "Dunley Manor" or "Dunkley Manor" from memory and both were hopeless runners. To get the models to run required several minutes of spluttering around the track plus the hand of God and finally they would run, although not that well. My third Manor was another Bachmann split chassis, but this time, a stated non-runner and yet with no work needed the loco runs perfectly. Personally, I have never had any luck with the Mainline branded locomotives with their tiny ringfield motor and as before have only purchased for the body and the metal tender wheels which fit nicely under the Dean single tender body. Two Mainline 43XX models after several hours of frustration I simply reassembled minus the motor and will use them as yard queens or maybe double heading a more powerful loco. The J72, 75xxx and 03s were notoriously bad for the most part. I had a Manor and a Mogul for nearly 40 years each, until I sold them in the last 18 months or so following the announcements of replacements, but I reckon I've used my Dapol Mogul as much in 3 months as I did the Mainline one in all those years. Noisy, not very powerful and generally annoying, Shame , because all of them looked good for the time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsmb Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 (edited) On 07/03/2021 at 19:50, Steamport Southport said: Maybe not everyone can afford to pay £170 each for brand new models.... Why does everyone have to buy the latest brand new things just for the sake of it? Especially at the current cost of brand new RTR. I've got nine Manors. Are you seriously suggesting I sling them in the bin just to buy models that are only slightly better just because they are newer? That's £1500 or so. Nothing wrong with the Mainline Manor. Most of mine have been detailed or even had replacement Comet chassis fitted when they have failed. But that was over a period of about forty years and most of them were bargain buys. I probably will buy an Accurascale version or two. But to add to, rather than totally replace my others. There always seems to be a an element of "The Emperors New Clothes" on this forum. Everybody needs the new things rather than keeping their perfectly good older versions.... I can afford the new ones as cost not a problem, but rather have the older ones due to easier servicing, Tim, I have used steve before as he did a class 47 respray for me 2 years ago, from green to pre tops blue, I'm banned from lord and butler anyway due to a comment i put on here which as a customer i'm perfectly entitled to do. Edited March 9, 2021 by vikingsmb 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tim Hall Posted March 9, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 9, 2021 4 hours ago, vikingsmb said: I can afford the new ones as cost not a problem, but rather have the older ones due to easier servicing, Tim, I have used steve before as he did a class 47 respray for me 2 years ago, from green to pre tops blue, I'm banned from lord and butler anyway due to a comment i put on here which as a customer i'm perfectly entitled to do. Steve is nothing to do with L and B now, nor is Martin, and they seem happier for it. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingsmb Posted March 9, 2021 Share Posted March 9, 2021 3 minutes ago, Tim Hall said: Steve is nothing to do with L and B now, nor is Martin, and they seem happier for it. i have emailed steve to see if he can do it. do mainline have traction tyres? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tim Hall Posted March 9, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 9, 2021 12 minutes ago, vikingsmb said: i have emailed steve to see if he can do it. do mainline have traction tyres? Don't think so, but I sold all my Mainline locos a while back. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted March 10, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 10, 2021 On 07/03/2021 at 19:50, Steamport Southport said: rather than totally replace my others. There always seems to be a an element of "The Emperors New Clothes" on this forum. Everybody needs the new things rather than keeping their perfectly good older versions.... Bright shiny new thing make it all better. There is nothing inherently better about new toolings. They are an opportunity to improve models or bring them up to current RTR standards (which are very good indeed), but at the same time can be introduced simply to reduce production costs and increase the %age markup. That said there are older toolings around which do not cut the current mustard and would benefit from a rethink, but the Mainline Manor is not one of ‘em, at least so far as the body moulding goes. A 40 year old Mainline Manor body sitting on top of a current Dapol 43xx or Hornby 5101 chassis would tick all the boxes. The Hornby A30 auto trailer, OTOH... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKGL Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 The Mainline 43XX, had traction tyres, on both rear wheels, at least mine has. There was really only proper pick up on 4 wheels, 2 each side. I had a spare Hornby County Tender, so swapped the original one for this, which added extra pick ups. I regularly strip down the older Locos for cleaning & oiling. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 19 hours ago, vikingsmb said: I can afford the new ones as cost not a problem, but rather have the older ones due to easier servicing, Tim, I have used steve before as he did a class 47 respray for me 2 years ago, from green to pre tops blue, I'm banned from lord and butler anyway due to a comment i put on here which as a customer i'm perfectly entitled to do. I have been reading/following the comments on this. I assume the issues with the Mainline model is to do with the chassis rather than the body. I am astounded that someone would replace older models with expensive new ones. Given the likely reduction in value of a Mainline model and the expensive cost of a new model, why not solve the issue with the chassis, it may be cheaper but certainly far more robust than a RTR chassis In the EM Facebook group, one member has designed a loco & tender chassis and intends to power it from a motor in the tender allowing a massive weight in the loco body. I myself will be using a Comet chassis coupled with a K's whitemetal body for the same effect (these K's locos are very common and cheap as chips). Or even using a K's chassis (with decent wheels and motor) will be far more effective than re-wheeling a Mainline chassis. Comet chassis are quite easy to build and available 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Johnster Posted March 10, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 10, 2021 I believe a fundamental drawback of the Mainline 43xx is that the firebox is misshapen to accommodate the pancake motor, and as a result the Dapol tooling is considerably superior. This would be particularly apparent if there were other, more accurate, locos with no.4 boilers working alongside a Mainline mogul, such as Bachmann 'City' or Hornby 42/52/72xx. That said, I had a Mainline 43xx back in the day and was happy enough with it until the chassis gave out. I removed the traction tyres, which improved pickup and slow running considerably. The ML pancakes were hopeless, and the nylon gear train inefficient and unreliable. I was much influenced in the 70s and 80s by Ian Pemberton's locos, split chassis and Portescap/RG4 drive, and applauded ML's approach when it was introduced. I still think that wiper pickup works despite itself, and that split chassis current collection is the right way to go for steam outline models, but now accept that Mainline's chassis were deeply faulted; not by design, but by materials chosen to keep costs down. They could and should have been a lot better, and the body toolings were by and large very good, up to current standards in many aspects and they can be easily worked up with lamp brackets, cab glazing, and other details to equal current standards completely. But the 43xx is flawed as a scale model. I am considering kitbashing a Collett 1938 31xx large prairie, which had a no.4 boiler and 5'3" driving wheels, and have been looking at ways of achieving this (not done anything yet!). An ML 43xx might have been a useful starting point for the body, but I now think a Hornby 42xx is the way to go, or perhaps Kitmaster CoT for the basic shape of the boiler/firebox. It is easy to be seduced by Churchward's use of standard parts into thinking any Churchwardian loco can be cobbled up from bits of any other Churchwardian loco, but different driving wheel diameters mean that the boilers sit at different heights, and this affects the set of the cylinders, the height of the running plates, and the shape of the cabs as well. Smaller wheeled GW tank locos have high arched roofs All GW locos are the same except when they are different... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
russell price Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 One I bought was a non runner Hornby class 37 in a mint mail train set. I wanted the set as it was the same as my very first set. Upon getting the set home I thought I would see why she was sold as a non runner. Took the screw out and removed the body when the reason soon became apparent as to why she wouldn’t run on 12 v dc!!! Unsoldered the DCC chip popped the bogie pick up wires all back to original and one super running loco! Good bargain! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
russell price Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 Not sure if the chip will be ok though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
No Decorum Posted March 22, 2021 Share Posted March 22, 2021 Some decoders (not TTS) can be set to run or not run on DC. If set not to run on DC, it will appear dead but changing a CV will enable it to run. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now