JaymzHatstand Posted December 11, 2014 Share Posted December 11, 2014 My R3285TTS A4 'Gadwall' arrived today, and after giving it a quick test, I must say, I'm pretty pleased with it. The sound quality is good, and it has a different selection of whistles to those on the P2 so it won't seen like the two are merged into one when running together! Appearance wise it is what you would expect from a railroad level A4, with unashamed lettering on the ex-tender dive non-corridor tender body and cabside numbers. The numbers on the nose end are also unshaded, but this isn't as noticeable as they are much smaller, the shed allocation and class designation is missing from beneath the number, in this case it should be Gateshead. Sprung buffers are fitted to the front end, along with a single vac pipe and coupling hook, the tender buffers are solid however. Due to the sound decoder and speaker being fitted in the tender, there is the standard for wire loom beneath the cab footplate, not only for the decoder connection, but also the tender pickups. Sound function wise, there are the different whistles, but no 'high-speed pass'/doppler effect as on the P2, this is replaced with slamming doors. Otherwise the functions remain the same. The instruction leaflet and box end both erroneously name the loco as ' Gawell' however, the nameplates on the loco itself are spelled correctly, and that's where it counts! I've not had chance to take any photos, but I hope this sort summary is of use to anyone contemplating one of these, I can thoroughly recommend it! Cheers J Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
w4rrn Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Great review, it sounds like a very good value model Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaymzHatstand Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 I have taken a few photos of Gadwall, as yet un-altered. I will in time change the numbers and lettering for the appropiate shaded type, and add a few painted tweaks, but for now it can sit patiently in the queue of small jobs to do! The lighting in my room isn't the best at the moment, but the photos should give enough of an idea of what to expect. The red and blue wires are my test track connection wires, they are obviously not part of the A4! The final photo shows the wire loom and connector, and the newer type of two-stage drawbar, which seems to be becomming the norm. Cheers J Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted December 15, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 15, 2014 No glazing? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaymzHatstand Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 No glazing? Sadly not, it's the railroad version, but with sound. That's another of the little jobs on the list, along with the other railroad streaks I have. Cheers J Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hilux5972 Posted December 15, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 15, 2014 Oh well should be easy enough to source some glazing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaymzHatstand Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 Indeed, as far as I know, none of the railroad range A4s are glazed, but like you say it's easy enough to sort out. I forgot to mention earlier that there's an accessory pack with the loco brake rigging, tender vac pipe and front tension lock coupling should they be required. Cheers J Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliebanger Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Hi J Nice review, thanks. Do the box notes mention the number of cylinders? If so, how many does it say, please? Kind regards, Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaymzHatstand Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 Hi J Nice review, thanks. Do the box notes mention the number of cylinders? If so, how many does it say, please? Kind regards, Paul All the A4s had/have 3 cylinders, but I've not had chance to check the notes in the box. The sound is more of a generic one without a specific beat (to be expected fire the budget price really) but one the loco is going, and in 'cruise' it's not really an issue. The whistle is unmistakably an A4 chime though! Cheers J Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium GraemeWatson Posted December 27, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 27, 2014 I agree with the sentiments of Mr Hatstand. The A4 Gadwall, and with sound, for the princely sum of the £85 mark is more than reasonable, when pitched against even last year's RR BR Green Mallard (DCC fitted). It is a veritable gift horse not to be looked in the (cod's) mouth. The base sound of the A4, P2 and A1 products is from Tornado, with whistles added to suit. The lack of exhaust beat is noticeable at slow speeds, but when moving (as well it should) less so. Here's a video comparing the A4, P2 and Tornado, including a much needed "whistle battle comparison"! http://www.youtube.com/embed/S-zTOaC0h8s http://www.youtube.com/embed/poAy9TYCBK4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robf Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 I've not had chance to test mine yet but I was impressed with Tornado for the price. I managed to get the Flight of the Mallard set from the Amazon sale before Christmas so will be doing a bit of a body swap to make a sound Mallard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robf Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 I've just done the body swap. The mail loco was just a single screw and a straight swap. The tender on the other hand! Hornby seem to have 2 different railroad A4's. The Mallard from the Flight set had the old motor powered tender but with no actual motor in it which looked odd. It also had sprung buffers but the older large tension coupling. More troubling was the different fixings. A little work later and some Blu-tac I now have a sound fitted Mallard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium GraemeWatson Posted December 29, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 29, 2014 I've just done the body swap. The mail loco was just a single screw and a straight swap. The tender on the other hand! Hornby seem to have 2 different railroad A4's. The Mallard from the Flight set had the old motor powered tender but with no actual motor in it which looked odd. It also had sprung buffers but the older large tension coupling. More troubling was the different fixings. A little work later and some Blu-tac I now have a sound fitted Mallard. I documented all these changes in a post all about Golden Shuttle. These new breed RR A4s have super detail tender underframes bodged into the ex-tender drive tender tops (unlike LNER Falcon, BR Green Mallard V1, RR Silver Fox and ex-flight set LNER Mallard,which retained tender drive underframe and tender top). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robf Posted December 30, 2014 Share Posted December 30, 2014 I documented all these changes in a post all about Golden Shuttle. These new breed RR A4s have super detail tender underframes bodged into the ex-tender drive tender tops (unlike LNER Falcon, BR Green Mallard V1, RR Silver Fox and ex-flight set LNER Mallard,which retained tender drive underframe and tender top). hi I've just read your post. Hornby don't make things east do they! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisr40 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Afternoon all Finally got round to opening my Gadwall which was a Christmas present - purchased during the black Friday sale with all the associated wailing and gnashing of teeth much documented elsewhere. Opinions ...? placed it on the track and fired up the sound - personally and more importantly to my six year old son it sounds pretty damn good we think. However all was not well - see picture below - obviously someone either ran out of glue at the factory or was a little tyred - excuse the pun. Suffice to say I did write an "its not good enough" mail to Hornby but subsequently decided to man up and try and fix it myself which with a little super glue and a sturdy pair of pliers has been achieved. Would I recommend it - yes definitely. Sound for under 100 notes is a bargain. Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
reevesthecat Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 My Gadwall also has the same problem, haven't attempted a fix yet though. Hattons have none left to swap! Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisr40 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Really sorry to hear that Mark - rest assured other than the problem we both have it is a good buy. I managed to get 3 wheels back on with just finger pressure and a bit of superglue to keep them there - the fourth and final one was a and needed a bit of shaving of the wheel rim with a craft knife to allow me to push the tyre fully home. Be brave young one - use the force Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatloaf Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Got mallard today and I'm pretty pleased with it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed a/c Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 Was wondering whether to go with the RR Mallard with sound or to get a detailed version. My layout is 80s so needed as more of token than anything else. Thoughts? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisr40 Posted March 6, 2016 Share Posted March 6, 2016 If it's for fun then go for the sound fitted tts loco, if it's for finesse get the super detailed one instead. Who knows Hornby may even realise what a sales success tts is and start selling the chips separately then you could add one later if a zimo or loksound is a bit of an indulgence for an occasional loco. I'm more than happy with gadwall but I am lucky enough to have a super detailed mallard too. Best wishes Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatloaf Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Ive got a TTS mallard but being in LNER blue its the wrong livery for me as all my locos are in BR livery, With this in mind i was looking at the new Golden Eagle in BR Blue. Can the TTS sound chip be transferred from the mallard to Golden Eagle? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blue Streak Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Ive got a TTS mallard but being in LNER blue its the wrong livery for me as all my locos are in BR livery, With this in mind i was looking at the new Golden Eagle in BR Blue. Can the TTS sound chip be transferred from the mallard to Golden Eagle? Yes you can. You don't even have to take off the Loco bodies off either of them, it's all in the tender. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatloaf Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 Cheers all done. Have to say tho theres not as much room as you think in the tender to fit the speaker and decoder Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAF96 Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 Here's a picture of my R2339 Mallard converted to TTS. The white thing under the speaker is a cut down Humbrol plastic paint pot - exactly the riight size to make a TTS speaker enclosure, with a bit of white-tak to seal the wire holes. The decoder is mounted in the standard socket in the loco and the speaker wires extended as shown. I intend to replace the awful tender/loco post and clamp arrangement with 'fixed' drawbar - which seems to be dead simple as the drawbar wiring clamp thingie attaches to the pony truck using the same screw as the iron drawbar link. To allow the sound to escape I drilled several/many 1mm holes in the coal load, which are fed by the bigger 3mm holes in the coal chute as shown. You can not see the topside holes at normal viewing range. I always have problems posting pictures to this forum so the only way I can do it is to post a link per below... Picture Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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