Bachmann City of Truro

[Chris Chewter]

I was curious how many people bought their Truros to run, and how many ended up in display cases. I noticed in this thread one person having difficulties with the cranks but it seemed to be a one off. Then it stuck me that if the majority of the models ended up in display cases, perhaps the problem was more widespread. Now that people have been running them for around a year now, are they still reliable, or are they starting to show issues? Those plastic cranks against the metal con rods do give me the heebie jeebies!

[brianthesnail96]

3717 arrived the other day, sadly it's a Christmas present for my Dad so it'll be sat in a box on display (or more than likely in the loft). It's a beautiful model though and I shall ensure it gets tested occasionally!

 

Personally I think the 3717 guise is the more attractive of the two, I find the red frames a tad garish.

[gwrrob]

I was curious how many people bought their Truros to run, and how many ended up in display cases. I noticed in this thread one person having difficulties with the cranks but it seemed to be a one off. Then it stuck me that if the majority of the models ended up in display cases, perhaps the problem was more widespread. Now that people have been running them for around a year now, are they still reliable, or are they starting to show issues? Those plastic cranks against the metal con rods do give me the heebie jeebies!

 

I definitely bought mine to run although I haven't used it much as I don't possess any suitable stock to run behind it as yet.

[LH&JC]

I was curious how many people bought their Truros to run, and how many ended up in display cases. I noticed in this thread one person having difficulties with the cranks but it seemed to be a one off. Then it stuck me that if the majority of the models ended up in display cases, perhaps the problem was more widespread. Now that people have been running them for around a year now, are they still reliable, or are they starting to show issues? Those plastic cranks against the metal con rods do give me the heebie jeebies!

 

 

Mine has been very good from January to September, don't be put off by the plastic cranks against metal con rods. I was the one who had problems with the cranks, so I replaced the first model and I do run it, or I did before I went to university. After the Christmas holidays I plan to bring some of my models and my rolling road to my flat.

[Chris Chewter]

Ah yes, University does have a habit of putting railway modelling into hibernation. But if you've been bitten by the bug, it easily returns once the pressures of Uni life have given way to the big bad world of work!

 

As for being put off, no fear! My Truro is sat in its box ready for a decoder and a crew. However I was concerned that if there was a risk of shearing cranks, it would end up being a rarely run model, which would be a shame as its absolutely fantastic and the best in my collection yet! Hopefully this appears to affect only a minority of models, as there aren't loads of people posting similar problems on RMWeb!

 

 

 

[Dan Hamblin]

My one got a fair bit of running on Horton at Brighton Modelworld this year and on my home layout. No problems yet! Perhaps having drive to both driving wheel axles helps?

 

Regards,

 

Dan

[Ed-farms]

Mine is a runner. If all goes well it will get a sound chip soon.

[brian777999]

The illustrations only seem to address the posts for the wet-weather tarpaulin.

 

Would someone who has opened the detailing pack please jot down what exactly is in there and where they belong?

 

Thank you.

I am having problems too and I don't think anybody answered this question.

 

I have just received my COT and I am a bit lost, especially when trying to fit the tie bars bewteen the main driving wheels. Is there a trick to this ? I cannot fit both pins in the middle and the two slots on the end all at the same time. Why was this not done at the factory ?

 

I might try cutting the pins and slots off and just glueing it in place but I will wait and see what others say here.

[gwrrob]

 

I might try cutting the pins and slots off and just glueing it in place but I will wait and see what others say here.

 

I had the same problem Brian and I ended up trimming off one ends pin to fit.See this thread.It is do-able with patience.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/12011-Bachmann-city-of-truro/page__p__106253__fromsearch__1#entry106253

[The Black Hat]

Has anyone fitted Sound to Truro and how easy was it?

[Ed-farms]

Very easy, ample room in the tender for decoder and speaker. No need to cut or file anything.

[Captain Kernow]

I was very sorry to see that the red-framed version of City of Truro is now shown as 'sold out' on the NRM web site. Does anyone know if there is any likelihood of a further production run at any time in the future?

[spamcan61]

I was very sorry to see that the red-framed version of City of Truro is now shown as 'sold out' on the NRM web site. Does anyone know if there is any likelihood of a further production run at any time in the future?

 

I'VE JUST READ IN ANOTHER THREAD SOMEWHERE THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME RED FRAMED ONES AVAILABLE FROM SHILDON.

 

soz about the caps

 

edit: in the 'Midland compound' thread to be specific:-

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/45592-nrm-midland-compound/page__pid__527537__st__200#entry527537

Edited November 10, 2011 by spamcan61

[Sir Hadyn]

I was very sorry to see that the red-framed version of City of Truro is now shown as 'sold out' on the NRM web site. Does anyone know if there is any likelihood of a further production run at any time in the future?

 

Call 01388 771430 or 771439 after 10am tomorrow morning. I left work at 3.15 to fetch the children, so didn't pass the shop, but there are a couple as I said.

[Butler Henderson]

The "Platinum" red-framed version is still available and they seem to have reduced the price of it compared to what they were originally charging

http://www.nrmshop.c...o-platinum.html

Edited December 3, 2011 by Butler Henderson

[Coach bogie]

The "Platinum" red-framed version is still available and they seem to have the price of it compared to what they were originally charging

http://www.nrmshop.c...o-platinum.html

 

Just tried your link and noticed three sets of Coal wagons I have not seen before. Now six different sets, there were only three a few weeks back.

 

Mike Wiltshire

[blueaeshna]

I am waiting on a sound chip from Howes for my C of T and whilst looking at the blurb for it I noticed that Aux 1 is mapped to the random fireman sounds. Hmm I thought, while I'm waiting I'd set about trying to install an illuminated firebox. As it turned out, this is not a job for the faint hearted. I did not want to drill holes as some folks do, and when I examined the firebox doors they looked cut-outable. Thinking OMG what am I doing to my lovely model, I removed the loco body shell and gritting my teeth set about it with a sharp scalpel..why can't I just leave things as they are. Anyway, with care I managed to cut out the doors leaving the opening handle intact, there is a gap between the moulding and the firebox facia. I then re-inserted the chassis to see how much clearance I had behind the doors...none! B.....ks! There was just the small groove the motor wires sit in. I decided that whatever I put in there needs to be small so I purchased 5 off 0805 size surface mount orange LEDs from www.phenoptix.com and made a little stripboard to mount them using strips of sticky back copper tape on stiff paper with a double sided tape backing, there was a row of 3 and a row of 2 all wired in parallel onto 3 tracks with the centre track as the + and the outer 2 wired together as the -. Onced I'd done this and had its dimensions I had to mill out a slot for it to fit in the motor housing and attached weight, also deepening the groove for the 2 motor wires, all this without putting the milling cutter through into the gearbox. The milling was very rough and ready because the chassis was difficult to hold on the machine without completely stripping it, which I didn't want to do.

Well I managed it and stuck my LED array in place with rapid epoxy as you can see in the pictures and threaded the wires through to the tender coupling, replacing the body shell, on first test one of the LEDs didn't work, I couldn't get the chassis back out without breaking the array so I had to carefully resolder it in situ trying not to melt anything. Now all I need to do is glue the doors back on and put the loco back together...lights next

I hope this helps anyone else mad enough to try the same, good luck!

Mike.

[brian777999]

That was very brave of you ! Any chance of a photo taken in the dark with the loco ''fired up'' ? Do the LED's flicker ?

 

I am surprised that more RTR locos do not have a glowing firebox factory-fitted. I know it would cost more but people are prepared to pay large sums of money for sound. Of course there has to be room in the loco. I doubt that you would get an LED inside a Dapol/Hornby Pug !

Edited December 3, 2011 by brian777999

[blueaeshna]

I'll get a photo of it when its all back together, still waiting on the decoder yet- a loksound 4 so lots of lighting control. Just ordered a set of dcc concepts bicolour loco lamps from digitrains so they will need to be fitted (what colour to paint them and lighting combinations to program need to be sorted out) I also need to experiment with resistors for the firebox leds, the picture above was taken with a 22k but it could go as low as 220 ohms according to the LED spec, (if 5 in parallel), so they can go a lot brighter than the photo, need to work in the risk that if one goes out as it did in test then the others will get zapped with more current, a 1k should be fairly safe. I was looking at the possibility of chuff sync with the sound chip using magnets & a hall sensor but it seems its safer to do it just by altering the cv settings while counting the wheel revs, I'll leave all that til I've got the little beauty running on dcc first. It would be nice if, perhaps for future models, manufacturers would leave a small gap behind the firebox doors knowing that fitting LEDs here is becoming increasingly popular, it'd save the risk of breaking the thing by cutting out metal to make room.

 

Mike.

[Billystanier]

 

Just tried your link and noticed three sets of Coal wagons I have not seen before. Now six different sets, there were only three a few weeks back.

 

Mike Wiltshire

 

Re: 3 new sets of coal wagons. It may come as a surprise to the residents of Chester, Stockport and Winsford to see that they now live in North Staffordshire and not Cheshire.

[blueaeshna]

Following up my post on the firebox LED's, my sound chip has now arrived. I also discover there are no pads on the pcb in the tender for aux1 & 2 or front and rear light and blue + wire which means some very delicate soldering to the actual 21 pin socket will be required, this again is something that should be addressed in future models as it is very inconvenient, I don't want to solder to the actual chip, 8 pin would have been so much easier. Also the rear speaker baffle supplied by Howes which is a standard baffle for this size speaker is slightly too wide and deep to fit the tender so will have to be modified if I'm going to use it (which I intend to do), I know a lot of folk just chuck them away but they add considerably to the volume. I have removed the metal coal lump as described earlier in this forum and it did not come away without wanting to drag one of the toolboxes with it. It is a disguised weight so will have to be compensated for somehow. I will probably make a hole in the flat area under the coal for the speaker and make a speaker grille from black net material and then disguise that cunningly with a real coal load, I'll try to photograph as I go so at least you can have a laugh while I cut up my model, hopefully it'll still run when I finish otherwise its a very expensive experiment.

 

Mike.

[D605Eagle]

 

Re: 3 new sets of coal wagons. It may come as a surprise to the residents of Chester, Stockport and Winsford to see that they now live in North Staffordshire and not Cheshire.

I think somebodies dropped a booooo booooo! I wish they would do 3 north staffordshire wagons, one of my era/areas

[blueaeshna]

Here are a couple of pics that I took of my City of Truro conversion running on Shirehampton MRC's layout at their open day last weekend. The firebox is glowing nicely, I think the fireman is ready to cook breakfast! Its the first time I've managed to run it on a decent layout with functioning sound and lights and it was fabulous. I still need to do the buffer detailing and the lamps were a bit of a compromise due to available control functions. When the lighting is switched on with F0 the two lamps on the buffers are white in forward direction and the lower tender lamp is red, when in reverse the upper tender lamp is white and the lamp on the boiler is red. The two tender lamps can be switched off independently (F16 & 17) when the loco is hauling a load. It would have been nicer if bi-colour red/white LEDs had been available in the lamps.

[MG 7305]

That's nice, but one small point, Western locomotives are right hand drive, your footplate crew need to swap sides.

[blueaeshna]

doh! Cheers, I have driven a loco but couldn't remember, so I just put them where they seemed to look right, ah well, easy job to stick 'em on the other way once they've finished breakfast.