EFE Rail - Winter 2023 Announcements inc. Southern 'Booster'

[simon b]

5 minutes ago, paftrain said:

My BR green 20002 arrived safely yesterday. Trying to run it in I found that it derails on one of my ‘standard’ Peco points every time. I know people say this, but it’s the only loco I have that does this. It’s not even on the curve, so it’s not a tight radius issue. It is as it runs straight over the point from the vee direction, I have a feeling it’s because my layout isn’t perfectly flat and the bogies don’t seem to have much ‘float’ to compensate. In comparison to my recently acquired, superb running, Accurascale Class 37, it is very disappointing. I have checked the back to backs and they are ok.

I wonder if anybody else has experience this problem and can offer a solution. If not it’s going back for a refund.

 If it goes through the other points without issue, the question is what is different about that one?

[paftrain]

8 minutes ago, simon b said:

 If it goes through the other points without issue, the question is what is different about that one?

It ‘hesitates’ over other points but doesn’t derail.

[Southernman46]

12 hours ago, paftrain said:

My BR green 20002 arrived safely yesterday. Trying to run it in I found that it derails on one of my ‘standard’ Peco points every time. I know people say this, but it’s the only loco I have that does this. It’s not even on the curve, so it’s not a tight radius issue. It is as it runs straight over the point from the vee direction, I have a feeling it’s because my layout isn’t perfectly flat and the bogies don’t seem to have much ‘float’ to compensate. In comparison to my recently acquired, superb running, Accurascale Class 37, it is very disappointing. I have checked the back to backs and they are ok.

I wonder if anybody else has experience this problem and can offer a solution. If not it’s going back for a refund.

Try shimming (with plasticard) the inside of the cover check rail opposite the crossing (vee) nose, this will encourage the back of the flange to straighten up and steer the wheelset through the common crossing area rather than letting the wheel flange drift the wrong side of the crossing nose or drop too far into the gap. Just like the real thing is designed to do.

Edited January 10 by Southernman46

[aureol40012]

Not exactly sure where this best sits, but I guess it’s part of this set of winter 2023 announcements despite being a commission; my EFE silver 1959 stock Heathrow London Transport Museum exclusive has been despatched if you’ve bought one, like me!

[phil-b259]

5 hours ago, Metropolitan said:

Thanks for the info. I presume from the panto, which was used in yards, that there must have been other SR (shunting?) locos with pantographs? I've never heard of such a thing?

 

These two electric locos were the first electric locos of ANY description built by the Southern Railway

 

As such yard shunting would thus have remained in the employ of steam and diesel shunters during their initial period in service - and yes, the overhead wiring you see in any photo (up until the Kent Coast schemes of the late 50s / early 60s) will have been provided only for these locos !

 

The Pantograph was NOT there so they could be used as shunters themselves - it was so they could move about and be uncoupled from arriving trains / be coupled up to trains already prepared to depart at yards where providing conductor rails was considered too dangerous to staff.

 

The intention of the Southern Railway was that if (what were regarded as experimental locos) and the trial installations of a simple tramway style overhead 750V system in a few yards worked well then it could be rolled out on a wider basis as electrification expanded further and ultimately was fitted to most lines east of the SWML to Bournemouth

 

However as we know WW2 and then nationalisation rather got in the way of developing the concept with big scale electrification proposals not returning till 1955 by which time diesel shunters were considered to be the future for yard work.

 

 

Edited January 9 by phil-b259

[SD85]

3 hours ago, paftrain said:

My BR green 20002 arrived safely yesterday. Trying to run it in I found that it derails on one of my ‘standard’ Peco points every time. I know people say this, but it’s the only loco I have that does this. It’s not even on the curve, so it’s not a tight radius issue. It is as it runs straight over the point from the vee direction, I have a feeling it’s because my layout isn’t perfectly flat and the bogies don’t seem to have much ‘float’ to compensate. In comparison to my recently acquired, superb running, Accurascale Class 37, it is very disappointing. I have checked the back to backs and they are ok.

I wonder if anybody else has experience this problem and can offer a solution. If not it’s going back for a refund.

 

A member of my club brought along the same model to our last running session and had the same problem. The loco did not like going over a standard Peco double slip. It did run well otherwise but seemed to be much more sensitive to pointwork than other models.

 

For the record we run a system between sheds to a timetable with bell codes etc. and some of the trackwork was laid down a while ago, but the double slip in question seems reasonably well laid and caused no problem for the other stock that was running.

Edited January 9 by SD85

[Graham_Muz]

3 hours ago, paftrain said:

My BR green 20002 arrived safely yesterday. Trying to run it in I found that it derails on one of my ‘standard’ Peco points every time. I know people say this, but it’s the only loco I have that does this. It’s not even on the curve, so it’s not a tight radius issue. It is as it runs straight over the point from the vee direction, I have a feeling it’s because my layout isn’t perfectly flat and the bogies don’t seem to have much ‘float’ to compensate. In comparison to my recently acquired, superb running, Accurascale Class 37, it is very disappointing. I have checked the back to backs and they are ok.

I wonder if anybody else has experience this problem and can offer a solution. If not it’s going back for a refund.

 

43 minutes ago, SD85 said:

 

A member of my club brought along the same model to our last running session and had the same problem. The loco did not like going over a standard Peco double slip. It did run well otherwise but seemed to be much more sensitive to pointwork than other models.

 

For the record we run a system between sheds to a timetable with bell codes etc. and some of the trackwork was laid down a while ago, but the double slip in question seems reasonably well laid and caused no problem for the other stock that was running.

I would suggest checking the wheel back to backs in case one might be slightly out? 

[simon b]

4 hours ago, paftrain said:

It ‘hesitates’ over other points but doesn’t derail.

I've not had a chance to run mine yet, probably won't for a while but I did notice when looking at the model the wheel sets have alot more side to side play than I was expecting. I wonder if this allows the bogie to crab in certain track formations, possibly "picking" the frog. I think shimming the outer axles of each bogie would help keep things in line, don't shim the centre axles though.

 

The acura 37 has the opposite problem, not enough play in the centre axles to cope with uneven joints.

Edited January 10 by simon b

[Right Away]

15 hours ago, Metropolitan said:

 …. More of the oddities please!

 

Easy; it has to be 20003. 

Edited January 10 by Right Away

[Wickham Green too]

11 hours ago, phil-b259 said:

These two electric locos were the first electric locos of ANY description built by the Southern Railway ...

... though it had inherited two small electric 'shunting' locos from the LSWR - one of which survives.

 

( It could, of course, be argued that the 'Coulsdon & Sutton' "Milk Vans" were locomotives - and built in Southern Railway days.) 

 

Edited January 10 by Wickham Green too
CW stock

[The Evil Bus Driver]

19 hours ago, The Bigbee Line said:

Good afternoon,

 

Not posted on here for a while.  I've succumbed to a 4mm model, the first for a long time.  As a Brighton Boy it was a classic.  Vague memories of them in the 'middle road' at Brighton and a very few sights of them passing on the line between Brighton and Lewes.

So 20002 in green has arrived today.  It looks quite smart.  The buffers are slightly odd as the plunger behind the buffer face is a bit skinny, not the classic 'Heavy Duty' look.  I was thinking of swapping for a set of Hornby spares from stock, or simpler, wrap that part in a strip of black electrical tape, until the desired diameter is obtained. 

I looked underneath and noted that all the wheelsets have a vast amount of side play.  Not sure why this is...  I understand the need to get around the toytown curves, but is this much side play necessary.  I think some 'guides' from black styrene could be knocked up to give some restraint, keeping the outer wheelsets in each bogie with minimal side play, and a touch more on the middle wheelset.  I would be interested in what other users think?  By the way I will use a Kadee as the coupler.

Just need to look through my OO remnants to scratch together a couple of trains for it to pull.....

 

All in all though, a fine looking loco.

 

 

 

A Brighton boy eh? We get everywhere hehe

 

Brighton MRC still meets at London Road Station. I was a member for a few years. 

[phil-b259]

31 minutes ago, Wickham Green too said:

... though it had inherited two small electric 'shunting' locos from the LSWR - one of which survives.

 

( It could, of course, be argued that the 'Coulsdon & Sutton' "Milk Vans" were locomotives - and built in Southern Railway days.) 

 

 

Correct - but neither of the inherited shunting locos inherited from the LSWR had pantographs as they we origionaly built for the W&C tube line.

 

Although the ex LBSCR ‘Milk Vans’ were indeed locomotives - like HST power cars the entire fleet was busy being used to create multiple unit formations and in any case used AC overhead electrification

[GWR-fan]

My black and malachite versions arrived this afternoon barely two days after receiving the tracking email from Rails.  Even Australia Post does not seem to realise that the locomotives are in the country.  All I can say is that the ten years that Muz spent on research was time well spent.  He is to be congratulated.

 

Quite likely these two latest purchases will be my last new locomotive purchases and they will be an excellent finale to my model collecting.  The last new loco purchase that I made prior these was the disappointing Rails gas turbine.  It was the most expensive "OO" loco that I had ever purchased and it left me feeling a little jaded.   After spending a lifetime working around aviation gas turbines, this loco was a novelty must have for me,  but in my opinion was a bitter disappointment.  The "boosters" have saved the day.

 

I have grown tired of all the new and latest releases that we are bombarded with on an almost weekly basis and actually had decided on no more new model purchases,  that is until the "boosters" were announced.  They will be a fitting swansong to my other models.

 

In a way I feel that we have become blase about all these new releases.  Prior the internet it took a trip to a model railway store to see the new release.  Now it is in our faces on an almost daily basis.  Surprisingly,  the call is for more and more and more.  It seems never ending.  We are never satisfied.

 

Thus I feel that these "boosters" will more than satisfy my apparent "need" to dig deeper and deeper in my pockets.  

[Wickham Green too]

2 hours ago, phil-b259 said:

Correct - but neither of the inherited shunting locos inherited from the LSWR had pantographs as they we originally built for the W&C tube line.

 

Although the ex LBSCR ‘Milk Vans’ were indeed locomotives - like HST power cars the entire fleet was busy being used to create multiple unit formations and in any case used AC overhead electrification

Just mentioned those as I thought they probably came under the category of "electric locos of ANY description" ...... though not actually "built by the Southern Railway". ( Apologies for assuming that ANY description included third rail or AC machines.)

[paftrain]

12 hours ago, Graham_Muz said:

 

I would suggest checking the wheel back to backs in case one might be slightly out? 

Thanks Graham, but as I said, I’ve checked the back to backs and they are ok. Noted however that someone else on here has had similar problems.

[rembrow]

41 minutes ago, paftrain said:

Thanks Graham, but as I said, I’ve checked the back to backs and they are ok. Noted however that someone else on here has had similar problems.

I was just about to post an issue I've found with mine, that maybe affecting your model. I have found two issues with the bogies and wheelsets.

1. Several power pick up wipers didn't travel to the full extent of the side to side movement. These can be adjusted by dropping the cosmetic sideframes and lifting out the wheelsets.

2. More problematic was that I found that on both bogies, two wheels on each were not in contact with the rail when on flat rail. This was one wheel on each of the inner and middle wheelsets, on the same side. The inner was quite significantly above the rail and could easily cause derailment. This affected the same side of each bogie, so that when on the model with the bogies at 180 degrees the affected wheels are on different sides. This indicates to me that the problem lies with the bogie inner subframe that holds the wheelsets in their bearings, with the issue appearing on the same side of my models bogies, when they are facing the same direction. 

I looked at whether the inner subframes could be twisted to adjust, but was concerned this could distort the gears. In the end I have raised the seating of the bearings on the affected wheelsets. I used very thin plastic sheet, no more than printer paper thickness. This was cut to sit in the base of the bearing location slots in the subframe. This was done on the inner affected wheel. For the middle affected wheel, I thinned the card down further, as the amount of gap to rail was less. The plastic was sufficient length for just the top of the bearing. The width to go fully into the recess. This has resolved the wheels being lifted and now all sit down on the rail. The keeper plate fitted back over the wheelsets with no adjustment needed. 

Edited January 10 by rembrow

[wainwright1]

On 07/01/2024 at 12:41, wainwright1 said:

Found time to have a look at my two this morning.

 

The Southern green one is missing its buffers at one end.

Took my Southern green one with missing buffers back to my retailer and exchanged it.

 

Took three of the locos down to the club last night for running in on our test track. 

My BR green No. 2 ran fine and my club colleagues BR black one also ran well. Unfortunately the replacement Southern green No.1 did not run well.

It would travel about four feet then stop. After a few seconds it would restart. It did this is both directions and I turned it around and it continued to do it. Watching the controller I saw that it was indicating a short each time. It would do this anywhere on the track either on the curved or straight sections, so it did not seem to indicate a problem with the wheels moving across or similar. I had a look at the underside, but could not see any obvious problem with pickups or wheels.

 

So its back to the retailer again tomorrow.

[ted633]

My BR Green version has arrived and is running around nicely. Had one minor issue out of the box, it sounded like a Vietnamese fishing boat! Evidently something catching on the gearing.  Took it apart and ran it without the body and was fine, as it was with the body being held with the buffers only. Turns out that one of the screws is rubbing on something. Taken the offending screw out and now is running fine. Not an issue for me having the screw missing (pretty sure a few of my locos have lost screws over the years!), just a heads up in case anyone else has an issue.

 

An absolutely lovely model, pictures to follow 

[ted633]

On 04/11/2023 at 10:54, number6 said:

Got a big collection of images of these locos saved for reference. A couple I really like are these two: one describing the Newhaven Boat and the other showing obvious pride in the job. 
 

 

Some photos of my Booster with it's rake, strongly inspired by the article previously posted above

 

 

 

[RFS]

Received my 20002 from Kernow today. Unfortunately after removing the body to fit a DCC decoder, I found the PCB very loose because 3 of the 4 screws attaching it to the chassis are sheared off. I've emailed Kernow about this with the attached picture. I don't know whether a set of replacement screws can be fitted, or it needs to go back. Disappointing to say the least!

 

 

 

[mikesndbs]

Here's my review of CC1, so excited by this iconic class, well done EFE and those who brought it to us.

It was not plain sailing however and the usual Chinese construction let down an otherwise wonderful creation.

 

EFE Southern Railway CC1/Booster:

BRAND NEW | Unboxing,

Fix & Running Review

(Part 1)

Sorry my voice trembles a little, I have quite an unpleasant medical condition just now :(

 

 

 

[RFS]

26 minutes ago, mikesndbs said:

Here's my review of CC1, so excited by this iconic class, well done EFE and those who brought it to us.

It was not plain sailing however and the usual Chinese construction let down an otherwise wonderful creation.

 

EFE Southern Railway CC1/Booster:

BRAND NEW | Unboxing,

Fix & Running Review

(Part 1)

Sorry my voice trembles a little, I have quite an unpleasant medical condition just now :(

 

 

Looking at your video where you have the body off, it seems you also have at least one PCB screw sheared off like with mine - bottom right. Can't see if the top left is there or not. 

 

 

 

[metropolitan cammell]

16 minutes ago, RFS said:

 

Looking at your video where you have the body off, it seems you also have at least one PCB screw sheared off like with mine - bottom right. Can't see if the top left is there or not. 

 

 

 

I think it is only held on with two screws the other two are locating pins.

[Jon Horrocks]

Got my SR and BR green ones last Thursday. Sadly one had a bogie that was in pieces with bits of snapped plastic floating around in the box, while the other had a warped bogie with the innermost wheels not touching the rails. That second model had no response to power at all. Both returned the same day but as they’re sold out they’ve had to go back to Bachmann for repairs instead of simply being replaced. Very frustrating. 

[NIK]

Hi,

 

Bought a BR Blue Booster from Alton Model Centre. Ran nicely on the shop DC test track.

 

I've run it in on my rolling road. The maximum continuous current I've measured is 440mA (on the rolling road).

 

An idea which supplier produced this for EFE/Kernow?.

 

Regards

 

Nik