aac Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 After following this thread, I am seriously considering cancelling my three year-old order for the green sound version. Am I over-reacting? I'm also waiting for D211, so emailed Bachmann yesterday with a link to this thread, asking if they were able to offer comment or advice on the developing trend of comments on the poor pick-up qualities. Answer awaited, but will update as and when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopardml2341 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Just to counteract the general (and usual) negativity on here...... Straight from the box mine has run like a dream for approx 1 hour in each direction, on clean/dirty track over insul and electrofrog pointwork it will crawl at scale walking pace perfectly smoothly, perhaps I am lucky but don't think that it is all bad.... Maybe your P-way is better ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaneofFife Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Just to counteract the general (and usual) negativity on here...... Straight from the box mine has run like a dream for approx 1 hour in each direction, on clean/dirty track over insul and electrofrog pointwork it will crawl at scale walking pace perfectly smoothly, perhaps I am lucky but don't think that it is all bad.... True but unfortunately the forum will never be the oasis of positives you are looking for. You need to take the negatives too and on this occasion I dont think any of the criticisms are unfounded - its clearly helping some people get otherwise static displays and turn them into a model that actually moves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Just to counteract the general (and usual) negativity on here...... Straight from the box mine has run like a dream for approx 1 hour in each direction, on clean/dirty track over insul and electrofrog pointwork it will crawl at scale walking pace perfectly smoothly, perhaps I am lucky but don't think that it is all bad.... I wouldn't doubt that it has the potential to run as it should, and as previous product from the same house of generically similar drive layout has been demonstrating for over 20 years. But if aspects of the design have been altered in a way that impairs reliability it needs to be voiced. We have been here before. Hornby started out with a Fleischmann motor bogie that was in its day a decent performer. And then repeatedly altered the design - largely in the interests of cost saving - in what appeared to be a competiton with Lima to see who could foist the worst motor bogie on the UK market. It's been rather good having RTR that actually works well. And it needn't cost significantly more, the basic Bachmann twin bogie chassis design was already a good 'cost down' effort, probably the simplest of the type from what is currently available in OO. Pretty sure that sort of thing pays off in customer reputation and repeat purchases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueeighties Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Well, progress today. As you can see from the earlier pictures, I took a circuit board off to see what modifications Bachmann have made, and found the new brass wipers. Gave them a quick clean, and popped a better quality decoder in. Left it on the rolling road for half an hour in either direction, and took it for another spin on the layout. Complete transformation. Beautifully smooth, stutter and hesitation free. I'm running the second one in now, new decoder, will take that up into the loft to try later, later but I expect the same result. My money is on the decoder being completely pants. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium EEType4 Posted January 21, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 21, 2014 Just to counteract the general (and usual) negativity on here...... Straight from the box mine has run like a dream for approx 1 hour in each direction, on clean/dirty track over insul and electrofrog pointwork it will crawl at scale walking pace perfectly smoothly, perhaps I am lucky but don't think that it is all bad.... It's a struggle to be positive when I have just shelled out £90.00 for something that doesn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aac Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 I'm also waiting for D211, so emailed Bachmann yesterday with a link to this thread, asking if they were able to offer comment or advice on the developing trend of comments on the poor pick-up qualities. Answer awaited, but will update as and when. Bachmann have replied saying an official response in relation to the problems some people are having with 32-475DC has been sent to Andy Y for posting on RMWeb in due course. Can't say fairer than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueeighties Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Dont want to quote my orevious post, but on returning to the loft to check re chipped 40 number 2, re chipped 40 number 1 has strangely returned to poor running. I havent got time for this, Im sending them back as a bad job.very dissppointing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractor_37260 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Dont want to quote my orevious post, but on returning to the loft to check re chipped 40 number 2, re chipped 40 number 1 has strangely returned to poor running. I havent got time for this, Im sending them back as a bad job.very dissppointing. Lee - keep in mind there may not be replacements available. That's running problems now with 2 different decoders then? At least try fitting extra wheel wiper pick ups to one of them first - it's only a couple of hours work, - or at the speed you seem to work at an 1hr+ ? and it's easily undo able if it has to go back. I've not done the second bogie yet, but the results so far are encouraging, it's presently running at a slowish speed on a DC powered shuttle track, and has been for 9+ hours non stop - and it's looking promising so far - it's NOT stopped or faltered yet. I just hope I'm not tempting fate posting this !! HTH Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durranhill Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 (edited) Along with the poor pickup design does the dcc fitted 40 come with the crap 557 decoder which some people have stated is very difficult to program to get a loco running smoothly ?? . I have 2 gsyp's on order together with a sound version & it's not looking very good at the moment going by other peoples tales of woe . Stewart . Edited January 21, 2014 by Durranhill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractor_37260 Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 Bachmann have replied saying an official response in relation to the problems some people are having with 32-475DC has been sent to Andy Y for posting on RMWeb in due course. Can't say fairer than that. Let's hope Bachmann also comment on the apparent supply shortage problems and the so called "discontinued" myth ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRUNFOS Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 (edited) It's a struggle to be positive when I have just shelled out £90.00 for something that doesn't work. £180 for mine and i'm sorely dissapointed, spent 2hours running in the first of my pair and it seems to run worse. Normaly renumber/weather models straight out of the box but after reading about others problems thought I'd best try them first, will run in the other tomorrow before deciding what to do with them. Will we have to wait another 5 years for these problems to be solved? Edited January 21, 2014 by GRUNFOS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durranhill Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 This is begining to sound like a Hornby bashing thread , after waiting all this time for a good 40 you can sense peoples disappointment at what has turned up . Stewart . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Y Posted January 21, 2014 Share Posted January 21, 2014 An update from Bachmann: Class 40 locomotive 32-475DC No. 40141 in blue livery with split head code boxes. We have undertaken an internal investigation on a selection of blue Class 40 locomotives today. The locomotive affected carries catalogue number 32-475DC. Although not evident on every model checked – two factors were found to be affecting performance on some examples – and it could be one or the other (or in the odd case both) that can be the cause. 1 - The Gear Tower The bogie pivot screw may be too tight and may require slacking off. To do this it will be necessary to remove the body. 2 – Grease The grease used for some reason is getting into the wheel bearings and this is affecting the pick-ups. This applies to the leading and trailing wheels only on each bogie. Cleaning out the grease from the bearings with a cotton bud will remove the offending grease. To make sure, cleaning fluid (e.g. Isopropyl Alcohol or cassette head / DVD cleaner), can be used to ensure that the bearings are totally clean. Lubrication can then be carried out using electrically conductive oil or grease to replace the removed grease. General 32-480DS and 32-481 have not yet been released and are being checked and rectified before leaving the warehouse. Should this action not improve performance please contact our Service Department on 01455 841756 (0830 – 1630 Mondays to Fridays). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRUNFOS Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 An update from Bachmann: Are we all going to be supplied with screwdrivers, cottonbuds, isopropyl and electrically conductive oil to follow Bachmanns instructions? Can we recharge our time back? A skilled model engineer must be worth £25 an hour or more and what about people that don't have the confidence to open up a £90+ purchase. If it was a motorcar then there would be a recall and rectification would be done for free. Totally annoyed with a 'simple step' 1 and 2 solution without even a hint of an apology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
english electric Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 (edited) Ny replacement was not as bad as my first but was still failing at certain areas of the board and grease acts as a isolater, i tried some of the peco power lube on it then ran each direction for hour and ive had no issue since with mine apart from one point but thats due to a issue with the point Edited January 22, 2014 by english electric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractor_37260 Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 An update from Bachmann: Thanks to Bachmann for their quick response on this frustrating issue. As I originally suspected poor current pick-up with the new revised pick-up system, the most likely cause, resulting in poor running. However, the only way of properly cleaning inside the brass bearing bushes and the stub axle, will require removing all four driving axles, then removing each stub axle/wheel from the drive gear/or removing the wheels from the axles to allow the brass bearing to come off, thereby allowing the inside to be cleaned along with the stub axle shaft. After all that the loco may run perfectly, but for how long before grease/dirt gets back in there, and the whole process will require doing again ! And it will still only have 8 wheel pick-up, on a long wheel based 40 - not the best option Sod that for a lark - I'll stick with my 12 newly added "self cleaning" wheel wiper pick-ups, a breeze compared to all that faffing about !! I rest my case Cheers Ken 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted January 22, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 22, 2014 Well at least there is an acknowledgement of issues and they are testing models where they have found issues. So while I agree it shouldn't have happened, at least Bachmann are communicating to resolve the issue. The red box team would be burying their head in the sand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'CHARD Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Oh dear. I never expected to be saying this, but just at this moment I'm glad I baulked at bulk listing my dozen+ Hornby/ Lima/ Shawplan/ 'Chard hybrid Type 4s on eBay. As I don't have so much as a testing/ programming track at present, I shall hold off my fleet replacement for the time being. Admittedly there's nothing in the initial releases that suits my purposes, but at least if a few months elapse and these niggles get sorted to the readership's satisfaction then I will have a great deal more confidence planning a cascade. Fingers very much crossed, because these do look the nuts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted January 22, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 22, 2014 Like 'Chard I too have held back with ordering a new 40, again there is not one that fits my requirements. It is a concern that so many people are finding they have a problem and that the manufacturer has suggested a DIY solution. I think we have had enough threads regarding items not fit for purpose and what to do as not to repeat it here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaneofFife Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Like 'Chard I too have held back with ordering a new 40 You and probably a few hundred others, after all this insight into its poor performance. I struggle too with the concept of Bachmann putting in gobs of grease only to then tell people to remove it with a cotton bud. Why put grease in there in the first place (or is it to aid a smooth bedding in of the gears?). Why dont they just give a light oiling at the factory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinsley-toton Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Tractor-37260 Removal of the bogie is easy enough, just remove the 1 tower screw. But how easy is it to remove the bogie side frames to expose the PB strip ? (I didn't like to force things too much !!) Any advice welcomed. Thanks T-T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 If the bogie's outside frames are made in the usual Bachmann style, they will be a one piece clip on moulding with lugs on the gear tower ends engaging in voids in the ends of the frame mouldings. With the bogie out of the chassis, the clip on points are easily seen, a flat quarter inch screwdriver at one end parts them easily. But not having the model to look at or a diagram, can't be sure of this. How to feed back to Bachmann as in Ken's post above (no 443): simple wiper pick ups onto the backs of all the powered wheelsets works very well indeed, just go back to this well proven design that has been on your OO diesel models for twenty years. (Split axle collection - ideally on the pinpoints for no incremental friction - is ideal for unpowered wheels: again well demonstrated on Bach's Pullman cars and MU's.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractor_37260 Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Tractor-37260 Removal of the bogie is easy enough, just remove the 1 tower screw. But how easy is it to remove the bogie side frames to expose the PB strip ? (I didn't like to force things too much !!) Any advice welcomed. Thanks T-T Morning TT If your careful there's no need to remove the whole bogie assembly, just the sideframes. These are the normal click fit, although they are rather tighter on this model, at the tank end of the bogie using a small flat screwdriver etc pry between the frame securing clip and the main bogie moulding until the frame comes loose. As this model does not have wires tying the bogie to the chassis - it may well be easier for most to just remove the complete bogie giving easier access etc, remembering that the drive shafts then have to be connected up again on reassembly. HTH Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinsley-toton Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Thanks 34C and 37260 I have removed the pick ups off a older Cl40 and will attempt to fit them to the newer one so that it has 6 wheel pick ups. I also want to bypass the swiping contact at the top of the tower, should be fun !! Thanks again T-T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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