New ex LNER wagons

[St. Simon]

Hi,

 

Now in Stock at Hattons, no pictures through.

 

http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?SID=32862

 

Simon

[Tim Lewis]

Got a parcel from Hattons this morning: 13T opens with chain pockets and with plain sides. First impressions are very good. Slightly disappointed that there is no chain pocket dimple on the inside, but on the plus side the door retaining chains are beautifully moulded, the chalk boards are very well done and the vac pipes are really nice. They've done a creditable job on the underframe as well, although there aren't any yokes between the brake shoes (probably a bit ambitious for RTR). For my period, a minor irritation is that they've numbered the chain pockets ones as BR built, but that's easy enough to change. I haven't measured them properly, but they certainly look the part.

 

My main reason for getting these is as a 'quick' means of forming an ECML early 50s freight, as diverted along the Tweed Valley. As such, I need to convert them to P4, but I'm hoping that they will run well enough without doing too much too them. I can upgrade the u/f and add detail later if I want to.

 

The body and u/f are separated easily enough. Removing the safety loops was a mixed bag: some came out easily, others were a struggle, but at least they're metal so you're not going to break them, just distort them. (They will need to be more widely spaced eventually, but for now can probably go back where they came from). Once you've done this the wheels can be taken out. I tried replacing with various makes of P4 wheels: Kean-Maygib and Gibson I couldn't get in, Exactoscale went in but won't turn. I need to get one of those gadgets for expanding the axle holes a bit.

 

Overall, pretty pleased with them. Now, bring on the vans!

[craigwelsh]

First impressions are very good. Slightly disappointed that there is no chain pocket dimple on the inside,

I think it may have been next to impossible to model those in there with a one piece body and still get the model out of the mould. I wonder if panel lines are left off too to avoid any weakness in the sides at that point?

 

I want to get one with the planked door and fit a Bradwell underframe so being able to remove the whole underframe will be useful for getting the replacement in. Think i'll stick with the Parkside ones in the cupboard for the all steel body though as i've already got them.

 

The detail on the planked vans yet to come does look a bit finer than the BR varieties.

[BernardTPM]

Technically they could have done the dimples in the same manner as the axle pinpoint bearings are done in a typical wagon chassis, but it does make the tool much more expensive and probably slower to run. Add in the fact that it's not required for all versions anyway and it's not too surprising they haven't done it.

[Jenny Emily]

I'm trying to find photos of the actual liveries of the 13ton opens listed by Bachmann as having a BR 'late' livery. Can anyone who has one of these confirm how late the BR livery actually is?

[Captain Kernow]

I can't find any retailers listing them in stock yet though.

I think Kernow (no relation! ) have them in stock. Nothing at Buckfastleigh as of yesterday afternoon, though!

[Pennine MC]

I'm trying to find photos of the actual liveries of the 13ton opens listed by Bachmann as having a BR 'late' livery. Can anyone who has one of these confirm how late the BR livery actually is?

 

Answer in t'other thread, I knew somebody would ask this.

[Jenny Emily]

Thanks. It seems that I need to wait for later releases and hope that TOPS versions eventually appear.

[Guest Max Stafford]

There's always the option of using transfers, Jenny. The 'late' ones at least have the darker bauxite. I expect I'll be applying the boxed style to a couple of mine.

 

Dave.

[Jenny Emily]

To be honest, waiting for TOPS versions to appear is a good excuse to not spend too much money for now!

[Guest Max Stafford]

I can't fault that logic!

 

Dave.

[Brinkly]

I think Kernow (no relation! ) have them in stock. Nothing at Buckfastleigh as of yesterday afternoon, though!

 

 

I've got two from Chris' Crafts and Model Railways in Plymouth, I will bring them in this evening if you like?

 

Regards,

 

Nick.

[Tim Lewis]

Once you've done this the wheels can be taken out. I tried replacing with various makes of P4 wheels: Kean-Maygib and Gibson I couldn't get in, Exactoscale went in but won't turn. I need to get one of those gadgets for expanding the axle holes a bit.

 

D'oh! A friend has pointed out to me that the reason I couldn't get the wheels in is because the moulded W-iron thickens up a bit near the solebar, such that the distance between the 'solebar' mouldings is reduced, thus preventing P4 wheels going in. The Exactoscale ones will just go in because the treads are narrower, but they won't turn because the wheels are scraping on the W-irons. Nothing to do with the axle holes at all!

 

So, this should just need a bit of work with a file to thin down the W-irons a little. I haven't done this yet.

[Unknown Warrior]

An LMS Brake Van would be useful!

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Are you thinking of something earlier than the 'Stanier' model in Hornby's range?

 

As I posted earlier, my hope is that these LNER designs positively fly off the shelves like the 16T minerals, and that encourages Bach to give us a round of equivalent LMS design vehicles.

 

Follow up thought having just looked at the 'model of the year' candidates list. Bach are presumably confident of getting the vans on sale before the March closing date, since they appear as candidates?

[Jenny Emily]

The first two of the vans are now showing on the Hattons site - 38-375 and 38-376. No pictures as of yet though.

[64B]

The first two of the vans are now showing on the Hattons site - 38-375 and 38-376. No pictures as of yet though.

 

Now showing on Modelfair's web site http://www.modelfair.com/whats_new.htm

[micklner]

One renumbered back to LNER. Very nice model. I also have had some NE Vans arrive excellent too

 

[caradoc]

There's always the option of using transfers, Jenny. The 'late' ones at least have the darker bauxite. I expect I'll be applying the boxed style to a couple of mine.

 

Dave.

 

It is a pity that so few r-t-r wagons are made with the pre-TOPS boxed style numbers, which were introduced in 1964 and could still be seen many years after the introduction of TOPS. Still, Modelmasters transfers to the rescue !

[Pennine MC]

It is a pity that so few r-t-r wagons are made with the pre-TOPS boxed style numbers, which were introduced in 1964 and could still be seen many years after the introduction of TOPS.

 

I think Bachmann do a fair proportion, TBH. One of the Highs still to come is in that style.

[craigwelsh]

Bought one of the 38-376 Vans today for the body. Very nice it is too for £7.90.

 

One odd thing is that the vacuum cylinder is in the wrong place even though the rivets have been put in the correct place for it on the solebar! The pivot for the cylinder should be in the middle of the group of 4 rivets. Clearly different designers decided where to put the parts without the drawings at that stage.

 

The left hand asymmetrical vee should also be a mirror of the right hand one really, not sure how its longer.

 

Rather long screws holding the chassis to the body and watch you don't break the brake shoes getting at the screws, you need to snip the brake safety loops first really.

 

I'll post up a compare with the Dave Bradwell underframe when I get a chance.

 

edit, the compare with a subtle twist .

 

 

[Pennine MC]

The left hand asymmetrical vee should also be a mirror of the right hand one really, not sure how its longer.

 

 

Actually the RH one is verrry slightly longer, if you hold a straight edge across them - the LH one looks longer at a glance because of the way they've moulded the linkage that connects the two Vs. It should be set slightly behind the V (a la ABS); it could probably be refined with knife and file but I doubt I'll bother. Another little idiosyncracy is that the vans seem to have the vac pipe connected up to the dummy, whereas on the opens it hangs loose. The all-wood van I got today has a pleasing weight and solidity to it, I'm looking forward to seeing the corrugated end ones.

[31A]

I also picked up one of the wooden ended vans the other day; very nice, and some subtle detailing, e.g. the round headed bolts on the side sheeting to the left of the doors but not to the right (correctly, to allow the doors to slide).

 

Makes a nice addition to the fleet as I haven't already got a model of this variant - I don't think a kit has ever been made of it?

[Pennine MC]

 

Makes a nice addition to the fleet as I haven't already got a model of this variant - I don't think a kit has ever been made of it?

 

See other thread

[Pennine MC]

In true blokey fashion, I've just spent half an hour reducing a couple of my new toys to their component parts, exploring hybridisation possibilities

Rather long screws holding the chassis to the body and watch you don't break the brake shoes getting at the screws, you need to snip the brake safety loops first really.

 

I think Bachmann's LCLs must have similar problems, because a random selection of the brakeshoes on my five vehicles were well off the wheel and needed persuading back with tweezers.

If you're very careful, you can ease the wheelsets out a bit at a time and 'jam' them betwixt the axleguards but under the brake loops, offsetting them slightly; belatedly, I realised that it's easier to set them towards the middle, as the screws are not directly under the axle but slightly towards the headstock. Having said that, on the end that I eased them outwards, it was possible to get the screwdriver in at a slight angle.

One odd thing is that the vacuum cylinder is in the wrong place even though the rivets have been put in the correct place for it on the solebar! The pivot for the cylinder should be in the middle of the group of 4 rivets.

 

I think after some of the things that have happened in the past with some of the van and 16 tonner brakes, the phrase 'be thankful for small mercies' comes to mind

 

The High that I removed the 8-shoe chassis from is now sat on an earlier Bachy 4-shoe push braked chassis, which fits with only a sliver of slack between the headstocks. A tip if you're planning to re-use the door bangers (which is worth doing) - ease them both upwards together, because they're joined at the back by a stretcher. The aforementioned vac pipes are separate mouldings, glued into two small holes, and if you want to re-use these, slip a sharp knife blade in at these two points and cut it off flush.

The unfitted LNER model is obviously much easier to deal with. Like Steve, mine will probably acquire a vac fitted underframe from kit parts. Still thinking about what to do with the single-sided Morton chassis.

Working on them this close confirms that these are very good models though, with some nice touches, like the wire hand grab on the van door and the varying patterns and positions of label board on the Highs. The standard of fit of the underframe components also appears improved over previous generations of Bachmann wagon chassis.