N Gauge Class 390 Pendolino (post Kickstarter) with Rapido

[cornish trains jez]

Hello all,

Just to add a further note of clarity (I hope!)

1) Orders for the Pendolino are still being taken via our website.

Link is in my signature (unless I have made a hash of it, in which case try Mike's signature.) One we have thoroughly tested the working sample and can say with certainty that the motors work, the couplers work and the lights all work we will be ready to authorise production. At that time we will close the order book and produce the models ordered then. At the moment we anticipate that date being March 31st 2016.

2) The glazing is being reworked.

3) Because the Kickstarter failed Rapido will own the tooling of this model, not Revolution Trains.

This was one of the points of plan B which we came up with to rescue the project. It was made clear at the time, but in essence Rapido are taking more of a risk, or at least they were at the time. This enabled us to go ahead, but it means that Rapido actually own the tooling for this model. We are happy because we are still getting our Pendolinos for bargain prices, and Rapido have agreed that they will not even consider re-running the tooling for at least two years from initial supply. So not before summer 2018. But my judgement is that a second run would be unlikely in that time frame for these reasons: First, with all the publicity and excitement we still haven't actually taken 1000 model orders. Experience tells us there is likely to be a late surge, but even so the demand is *not* that high. Second, everything I know about Rapido is that are more interested in "the next project" than in revisiting old models, and it may well be that if the 321 and our next wagon fly then we can keep supplying them with new projects to focus on.

One other point, if any production run takes place in the future Rapido have already stated openly that the prices would have to be significantly higher - around £100 more for the basic non-sound 9-car train.

Any other queries please feel free to ask.

cheers

Ben A.

 

Thank you Ben. I'm going to order one I think as, even though it's not my period modelled, it will be an exceptional model worth owning. And it will not look out of place on my Euston layout.....well maybe amongst the intercity liveried 86's!!

 

Will you give notice before the order book closes??

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

[alibuchan]

I expect we will get the same that we have had on the TEA tank page. Lots of notices to keep pushing those final sales and will probably get pictures of a final painted sample a few weeks before to really get those who haven't orderedone, really, really tempted!

 

Alistair

Edited January 20, 2016 by alibuchan

[ash39]

I've got a question I don't think has been asked before.

 

 

Will it be possible to swap bodyshells on driving cars without any major surgery/resoldering of wires? 

 

I'm thinking of a second set, but rather than pay for sound twice, great value as it is, I'm thinking of one sound, one non sound, so I can have sound in one end of both models, with a standard dcc chip in the other end. If that makes sense?

[PaulCheffus]

That won't work as although there will be speakers at both ends my understanding is that there will only be one DCC decoder (whether you use sound or normal DCC) with the DCC signals passed along the train.

 

Cheers, Mike

Hi Mike

 

This is from your website

 

"DCC socket with space for speaker (DCC sound factory fitted in both power cars for an additional £95 per set with sounds from

Legomanbiffo)"

 

Which I took to mean a sound decoder at each end.

 

Which is also mentioned on Rapidos website

"- DCC Sound models have high-quality decoders and speakers at both ends."

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Edited January 21, 2016 by PaulCheffus

[Revolution Mike]

Hi Paul

 

I will clarify our website (and ask Rapido to amend their's). If anyone feels mislead by our description then please let us know and we can issue a refund for the DCC sound. If we were putting in a pair of decoders then the DCC sound option would be nearly double unfortunately.

 

Cheers, Mike

[Stu from EGDL]

Hi Gang;

 

ref the sound/decoder/speakers at both ends debate.....

 

Surely, the sensible option is one decoder feeding both speakers, ensuring clarity and equality of sound. If two decoders are in the mix, then quality would perhaps suffer due to very slight differences in decoder performance.

whilst the advertising blurb would seem to indicate two decoders, it seems eminently sensible for one decoder to feed the entire electrical bus.

 

Maybe I'm being too simplistic!!

 

Later;

STU from EGDL

[Only-Me]

Mike,

 

Query for you here....

 

If that's the case, on DCC how are the lights and motor controlled from front and rear as well as speaker in rear power car, that would require 7 wires running along the whole train, 2 for speaker, a common positive for lights as well as lights separate negatives, and two motor wires. 

 

Or does it simply mean there is a sound dcc decoder in one end and a standard dcc decoder in the other and then two wires from the sound fitted end running through all the coaches to the non sound end ?

 

I must admit I had presumed there were two sound chips and had also planned to remove one and use it elsewhere..

 

 

Now I've confused myself !

 

Cheers Paul.

 

 

PS I Dont want a refund just a Pendolino to run where they ought not to run

Edited January 21, 2016 by Only-Me

[PaulCheffus]

Hi Paul

 

I will clarify our website (and ask Rapido to amend their's). If anyone feels mislead by our description then please let us know and we can issue a refund for the DCC sound. If we were putting in a pair of decoders then the DCC sound option would be nearly double unfortunately.

 

Cheers, Mike

Hi

 

No need for a refund in my case and thanks for clarifying.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Revolution Mike]

If that's the case, on DCC how are the lights and motor controlled from front and rear as well as speaker in rear power car, that would require 7 wires running along the whole train, 2 for speaker, a common positive for lights as well as lights separate negatives, and two motor wires. 

 

Or does it simply mean there is a sound dcc decoder in one end and a standard dcc decoder in the other and then two wires from the sound fitted end running through all the coaches to the non sound end ?

 

Errr pass! Until I see the motorised sample I don't know! My understanding is that Rapido's APT-E uses a similar technique to get the sound to each end.

 

Cheers, Mike

[Revolution Mike]

OK, apologies for the back and forth on this.  I've just heard that there will be decoders in both ends as the factory decided that it was too difficult to run sufficient wires down the train...

 

I will now shut up and re-amend our website! In answer to Ash's original question - it will probably work!

 

Apologies for misleading everyone.

 

Mike

[bigP]

--

Edited January 31, 2021 by bigP
Deleted

[Revolution Ben]

 

Hello all,

 

In answer to the question about the deadline, yes we will give plenty of notice. It is not really in our interest to have genuine enthusiasts miss out on this opportunity.

 

On our website right now there is a countdown clock to the deadline for the TEAs and for expressing interest in the 321 and 21/9. Once the clock has run down we will close the TEA order book and confirm whether or not either of the new projects is going ahead. If they are we will open proper order pages for these items, with specific livery and set numbers to choose from. There is more information about our plans for this in the 320/321 thread.

 

Once we have the Pendolino working sample to test (whcih should be very soon) then we will also decide on the order deadline for the Pendo. At the moment our best guess is March 31st. And there will be a countdown clock on the website for that too. If you are worried about missing out then you could also subscrbe via our website to our newsletter as all subscribers will be emailed reminders directly.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[Revolution Ben]

Hello all, 

 

Rapido have sent us a couple of shots of the work going on to check the Pendolino mouldings and prepare a running sample for debugging tests.

 

 

There are a couple more shots, and further information, on our website at http://www.revolutiontrains.com/news/

 

We are still anticipating the deadline for ordering a Pendolino to be the end of March.

 

As an aside, the deadline for ordering TEAs is a week today; this is also the deadline for showing interest in the Class 320/321 EMU and Class 21/9 diesels we are proposing.  If these projects do not reach the minimum required number (neither has yet) then we won't be going forward with them.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[roundhouse]

Must be cold in that factory!

[mikeharvey22]

He is actually wearing a cooling suit. It is quite hot in the factory!

 

Incidentally China has some strict rules about the use of heating. I was in Beijing in early November 2015 and heating was not allowed until a few days later on 11 November. It was snowing outside and the public rooms in the hotel were freezing. It is the first time that I have seen a bartender clutching a hot water bottle to keep warm. Apparently in Mandarin the translation for hot water bottle is "hot baby". Not the sort of hot babe we think of here!

[davepallant]

Not sure where Rapido's factory is butlast week the daytime temperatures in Shenzhen dropped as low as 3C. The company I work for has our factory in Shenzhen and the expats working there were very cold and the locals, who are more used to 30C for a lot of the year, were freezing!

 

Dave

[Revolution Ben]

Hello all,

 

Rapido have sent through images of the latest test shots showing improvements to the prismatic glazing of the first samples.

 

This is the PTSRMB shop car (coach C) showing a close-up of the glazing.

 

 

Please note also that the pantograph collector head is missing. This will be photo-etched on the production models. The pantograph is in moulded plastic for detail reasons, and follows Japanese practice of being poseable but unsprung so it can be placed in a suitably realistic position regardless of whether the layout has catenary wire or not.

 

This image is a cruelly enlarged close up of the pantograph but shows the stabiliser vanes that are just beneath the pantograph head. The prototype is manufactured by Brecknell Willis and is unique as it is designed to allow for tilt. One of the insulator pots is slightly off-centre and we will make sure this was just an assembly error and not a distorted component.

 

 

The Class 321 we are offering does have a standard high-speed pantograph design so we may offer this as a spare.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[alibuchan]

The glazing looks quite a bit better.

 

All that detailing around the panto too.

 

I really cant wait for these now.

 

Alistair

[gelboy45]

"The Class 321 we are offering does have a standard high-speed pantograph design so we may offer this as a spare"

 

So, is this emu now definite Ben?.

 

Gerry

[Revolution Ben]

"The Class 321 we are offering does have a standard high-speed pantograph design so we may offer this as a spare"

 

So, is this emu now definite Ben?.

 

Gerry

 

Hello Gerry,

 

Yes, we have received enough expressions of interest to make this one worth doing.  We will shortly be opening up an order page.  To encourage take up, and convert pledges to hard orders, there will be a significant "early bird" discount for those who put down their deposits within the first month or two of the pages going live.

 

The difficulty will be narrowing down the liveries.  Some simply won't generate the levels of interest required to justify production, so while London Midland, NSE and First are certainties, based on expressions so far, for other liveries we may ask customers to make a second choice.  

 

One of the second choices will be a plain white model.  On this the hard bits - yellow ends, silver glazing bars, underframes, roofs, will be painted, so it offers an idea base for vinyls or decals and therefore offers a manageable route to those liveries that don't make the cut in pure number terms.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[gelboy45]

Thank you Ben. I didn't expect an immediate response. I'm down for LM! 

 

Regards

 

Gerry

 

Now for the Electrostars........

[bigP]

--

Edited January 31, 2021 by bigP
Deleted

[Revolution Ben]

Hi Paul,

 

We obviously want to help our supporters, but at the same time we want to get on with it too while Rapido have capacity. And we do need cash up front to get things going.

 

So as with the Pendolino we will be geared up to take either the full amount (some people prefer that) or just 50% deposit which secures the early-bird raten but gives people more time to save up.

 

We are also going to be offering different unit numbers right from the start to encourage multiple orders, as remember the 321 is *only just* at the threshold and TBH we need to keep sales coming during development.

 

To get back onto the topic of this thread, here is a line up of all the Pendolino interiors - FIVE in total. From top: Shop, Standard, First, First with disabled toilet and standard with disabled toilet.

 

 

Note the table lamps separately fitted in First. These looks superb to me, and they are samples; some moulding tweaks still to be made.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[MrSimon]

Those look amazing, can't wait!

[cornish trains jez]

Hello all,

Rapido have sent through images of the latest test shots showing improvements to the prismatic glazing of the first samples.

This is the PTSRMB shop car (coach C) showing a close-up of the glazing.

image.jpeg

Please note also that the pantograph collector head is missing. This will be photo-etched on the production models. The pantograph is in moulded plastic for detail reasons, and follows Japanese practice of being poseable but unsprung so it can be placed in a suitably realistic position regardless of whether the layout has catenary wire or not.

This image is a cruelly enlarged close up of the pantograph but shows the stabiliser vanes that are just beneath the pantograph head. The prototype is manufactured by Brecknell Willis and is unique as it is designed to allow for tilt. One of the insulator pots is slightly off-centre and we will make sure this was just an assembly error and not a distorted component.

image.jpeg

The Class 321 we are offering does have a standard high-speed pantograph design so we may offer this as a spare.

cheers

Ben A.

 

That would be great to offer the high speed pan as a spare as people can then replace their hideously oversized ones on the Dapol 86. Also good replacement for the 87 and 90.