BACHMANN REVEAL MODERN-DAY LADIES AT FFESTINIOG RAILWAY EVENT

[EMA747]

Oh dear I might have to spend money I don't really have! 

 

I got the blue limited edition Linda as a 40th birthday present and already have the previous green Linda so can't justify the new one I don't think. A green Blanche with cab is looking like an imminent purchase though. 

 

On a side note - I have a spare never opened sound fitted Blanche that I would be willing to sell at a good price to fund the above if anyone is interested? pm me for details but genuine reason for sale. 

[Adrian Stevenson]

Just looking at the new locos this morning at Porthmadog. Very nice. 

[LNERandBR]

Purchased Blanche from the shop whilst at the FR and gave her a run last night up the club.

 

Thing I noticed is the additional wheelset reduces her adhesive weight compared to 0-4-0STT Linda. Blanche struggled to get 4 Peco L&B coaches around the curves on the clubs test track whilst Linda manages fine.

 

Not really an issue as I plan that to be my longest train which will have a Fairlie on it anyway. 😅

However, she was completely fine with 3 coaches and looked superb. Smothe running out of the box too unlike Linda who had a small limp until she'd run in.

[JSpencer]

39 minutes ago, LNERandBR said:

Purchased Blanche from the shop whilst at the FR and gave her a run last night up the club.

 

Thing I noticed is the additional wheelset reduces her adhesive weight compared to 0-4-0STT Linda. Blanche struggled to get 4 Peco L&B coaches around the curves on the clubs test track whilst Linda manages fine.

 

Not really an issue as I plan that to be my longest train which will have a Fairlie on it anyway. 😅

However, she was completely fine with 3 coaches and looked superb. Smothe running out of the box too unlike Linda who had a small limp until she'd run in.

On my blue Linda, I found she looses adhesive weight if there are slight undulations in the track. When it is perfectly flat, haulage is no different to Charles.

[Adrian Stevenson]

I was in the shop at the station again yesterday for a trip on the WHR. The lady behind the counter was busy doing mail orders and said the locomotives were selling really well.

[EMA747]

On 13/10/2023 at 12:08, LNERandBR said:

Thing I noticed is the additional wheelset reduces her adhesive weight compared to 0-4-0STT Linda. Blanche struggled to get 4 Peco L&B coaches around the curves on the clubs test track whilst Linda manages fine.

Just received my modern version Blanche and it's a lovely model indeed. However I really noticed the issue you described. I have the collectors club blue Linda with the pony truck and neither that or the modern Blanche will pull just 3 bug boxes and 2 L%B coaches round my test track which uses peco setrack no 1 radius curves. All my other OO9 locos without pony trucks will pull that lot of coaches around it just fine. 

 

I have to say I am quite disappointed with this as they are really nice models and being newer than the original releases I would have thought that they have refined the design and thought about the pony truck. I may contact Bachmann about this. I am fortunate in that I can afford the prices of these models and am happy with my purchases but if they don't work as intended then they are not satisfactory. 

[Jub45565]

The FR has very sharp curves as the prototype goes, 2 chains which scales at 1'8" or 20" (while the WHR 1923 used a minimum 3 chains or scale 2'7") - so expecting things to go round 9" without issues is not surprisingly asking for trouble.  If you want a model that looks something like the prototype then it won't be able to handle those curves. If you want it to go round sharp corners (sic) then you could try removing the pony trucks.

[Roy Langridge]

My Linda has been shipped 🙂

 

Been looking forward to this as my first experience of the FR was as a 13 year old on holiday and I remember my Mum being impressed with a loco carrying her name. It rained the whole time we were on holiday, so I think it was the only thing that impressed her.

Roy

 

 

[EMA747]

1 hour ago, Jub45565 said:

The FR has very sharp curves as the prototype goes, 2 chains which scales at 1'8" or 20" (while the WHR 1923 used a minimum 3 chains or scale 2'7") - so expecting things to go round 9" without issues is not surprisingly asking for trouble.  If you want a model that looks something like the prototype then it won't be able to handle those curves. If you want it to go round sharp corners (sic) then you could try removing the pony trucks.

I get what you are saying but the tighter curves are for non-scenic parts of the layout. More to the point the info from Bachmann states that it will run on these 1st radius curves. 

[Jub45565]

1 hour ago, EMA747 said:

More to the point the info from Bachmann states that it will run on these 1st radius curves. 

 

Yes, true - can't disagree that they should be able to do what the info says!