RMweb Premium OnTheBranchline Posted May 30, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 30, 2012 Besides the DCC - non DCC issue with the Prairie tank, is this a good loco to buy? It should be for how much it costs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br-nse-fan Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I have two of them.. both are very smooth runners...powerful for their size. Easy to convert to DCC (as the ones I have were not DCC ready). For their price, I think they are a good value. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Well, what are the alternatives? Find one secondhand, scratch-build, kit-build or get the old Lima one. My weathered straight tank 45xx is a beauty and goes as well as it looks. I stiii think that nearly all of the modern rtr 00 loco's are excellent value. They surpass the best hand-built models of not many years ago and run well. I have yet to pass the £100 psychological barrier though. The Bachmann 4575 can be got new for around £50 and I think is a real bargain. If you are on a budget and are modelling a GW branch this could be the only loco you need. Looking back at the options, you may find one s/h, but you may face a long search and take a chance on faults with no comeback. Kit, or scratch-building can be more satisfying, but will almost certainly be more expensive. As for the Lima one.....? What I am doing now to restrain my spending is to only buy manufacturer's weathered versions of loco's because I can't bring myself to ruin pristine loco's, but don't feel so bad about putting more grunge on a pre-weathered one.(Ibroke this rule on the Beattie well tank!) Don't know what to do about the class 22 yet. In short-yes it's a good'un Ed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David C Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 I've got four 45xx (three 45xx and one 4575), but I've had another three though my hands which I had to return to Hattons because they were poor runners. Hattons accepted them and sent me replacements without any quibbling - but the replacements still "limped" and needed a lot of finger propulsion to get them from one end of the layout to the other! Of the four I have, two are excellent runners, one is reasonably good and the fourth has just started "limping" - I haven't looked at it yet properly. The problem with Bachmann locos is that whilst the bodies are real masterpieces, their quality control as far as the chassis are concerned is pretty minimal. Locos of exactly the same type can vary hugely in their performance. If you get a "good 'un", they're the equal of Fleischmann and other European manufacturers - but Bachmann also produce a lot of duds as well. I no longer buy their locos from the box shifters, only from a shop where I can see it running beforehand. It may be more expensive initially, but mailing a dud (or several) back to Liverpool or wherever eats up what you save. The cheapest option is not always the most cost effective. David C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Brinkly Posted June 4, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2012 I must agree with what David has said. I've got more 45xx than you can shake a stick at, and the quality as David has said ranges hugely. My modelling involves converting the locos over to P4 and some will be converted over using Ultrascale's drop-in wheel set, although quiet a few will be treated to a Comet chassis. Regards, Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium OnTheBranchline Posted June 4, 2012 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 4, 2012 So for branch-line material, the Bachmann 4575 is a much runner than the Hornby 14xx. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br-nse-fan Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 So for branch-line material, the Bachmann 4575 is a much runner than the Hornby 14xx. They are both suitable for branchline use, and provided the 14xx is on of the newer Hornby releases, running quality on both should be fine. It all depends on what traffic you plan on hauling. The 14xx (aka Autotank) generally was found hauling the typical autocoach... whereas the 2-6-2t prairie is a prototypically more powerful engine, lending itself to a wider scope of traffic haulage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David C Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 I don't know about the running qualities of the Hornby 14xx 'cos I haven't got one, although I am contemplating acquiring one ... You need not use a 14xx only with an auto coach. The 58xx class was exactly the same as the 14xx but without push pull gear. They were used on conventional trains at various times (B sets, I think) on the Llanfyllin, Malmesbury and (surprisingly in view of its length) Fairford branches and there were probably others as well. They were also used on mixed trains on "one engine in steam" lines such as Tetbury and Wallingford and also on goods trains (eg Abingdon) - for which duties they were regarded as being pretty useless by the train crews! David C Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted June 5, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 5, 2012 Curiously I've bought a 4575 , 2 Panniers and a Jinty recently. I've found them all to run perfectly and smooothly from the box (not a DCC user). If anything I'd say recent experience of Bachmann is that they have dramatically improved quality control compared to Hornby which is very hit or miss. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium OnTheBranchline Posted June 5, 2012 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 5, 2012 I don't know about the running qualities of the Hornby 14xx 'cos I haven't got one, although I am contemplating acquiring one ... You need not use a 14xx only with an auto coach. The 58xx class was exactly the same as the 14xx but without push pull gear. They were used on conventional trains at various times (B sets, I think) on the Llanfyllin, Malmesbury and (surprisingly in view of its length) Fairford branches and there were probably others as well. They were also used on mixed trains on "one engine in steam" lines such as Tetbury and Wallingford and also on goods trains (eg Abingdon) - for which duties they were regarded as being pretty useless by the train crews! David C Actually I was told that some 4575s did have the gearing for push pull trains. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigwelsh Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Actually I was told that some 4575s did have the gearing for push pull trains. David didn't mention the 4575's, he was only talking about the 0-4-2's :? . The fitted 4575s were pretty specific though compared to the 1400s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisf Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Actually I was told that some 4575s did have the gearing for push pull trains. This is true - 15 of them. Karhedron posted the list the other day. Two examples, 5526 and 5542, have acquired the necessary fittings in preservation. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium OnTheBranchline Posted June 22, 2013 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 22, 2013 Just out of curiosity, what's the model haulage capacity? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 7013 Posted June 22, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 22, 2013 I have a couple and they are little beauties, I hard wired mine to DCC and they do all that is asked of them, nice slow runners as well. My trains are usually 10-20 wagons, not big trains, and they present no problems. If the Hornby 42/52/72xx tanks are as good as these I will be very pleased. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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