Bachmann Midland Pullman

[Poor Old Bruce]

Hello Richard,

I think all best efforts to find the answer came to the opinion that they alternated red/blue between adjoining vehickles. So Bachmann probably got it right.

 

Appears that way to me if you look carefully at the film "Blue Pullman".

 

Regards,

Peter

 

You are right Peter. Right at the end of the film (the last few seconds before the credits) the camera pans from a power car with blue seats to a brief glimpse of a kitchen car with red seats. Question answered.

 

Going through the film, it's interesting to play 'spot the location' where the editing flits about up and down the line. There are even some shots of trial runs with the kitchen window areas in blue.

[ozzyo]

Perfect Ozzyo, just what I thought. So we can infer from this that the white and red plates were translucent whilst the blues were opaque.

 

I would say that was a fare assumption, as in it's day the loco hauled trains would have had oil lamps, missing out the diesels that had electric lamps. But not as bright as we see them now.

 

OzzyO.

[The Stationmaster]

IIRC. on the front of the train during daylight hours you would have the two outer lights covered with the white blanking plates with the lights on (for running in tunnels etc.), the middle one was covered by a blue blanking disc (no light on). If the lights had failed it should have had two oil lights fitted to the front lamp irons and the two side lights covered by blue blanking discs.

 

At the rear, the two side light were coved by blue blanking discs (no lights on) and the middle one fitted with a red blanking disc (with the light on), if the lights failed a red tail lamp was to be carried (I'm not sure on which of the lamp irons though, but I would think it would be the one nearest the next running line).

 

OzzyO.

 

Strangely the WR Instructions made no note of what should happen if the head end lights failed although they did provide for an oil tail lamp to be used if the tail light - the centre one as I'm sure most people know - failed. A fully prepared oil tail lamp was carried on the train at all times in case the tail light failed or for use 'as necessary' when the train was stabled.

 

The blanking discs were as follows two white (translucent), carried day & night and to indicate either Class 1 or Class 3 (ecs) headlamp code; three blue blanking discs (opaque); one red (translucent)- for working in the wrong direction, and of course for the tail lamp.

 

One point to note for those adding sound is that the horns were not like any other contemporaneous train - there was the normal two tone horn plus they could sound a 'dual or double tone ... in an emergency'. This was also referred to elsewhere in the Instructions as a 'three tone horn'>

[Michael Delamar]

One point to note for those adding sound is that the horns were not like any other contemporaneous train - there was the normal two tone horn plus they could sound a 'dual or double tone ... in an emergency'. This was also referred to elsewhere in the Instructions as a 'three tone horn'>

 

never mind the horn, I want mine to sound like it does in the Lets go to Birmingham film

[Ron Heggs]

Just had my BP delivered to the door by the local Correos (a quite unusual event - normally leave note for pickup from local Correos office)

 

Still a few months off before its maiden run from 'Manchester Central'

[Brian Kirby]

Hi again 84B,

Thanks for scanning the reverse of the ticket, it's an invaluable record, bearing-in-mind that so little of the BPs survived. Apart from one passenger seat, preserved somewhere on the Bluebell Railway i believe, i dare say the only other survivors are manuals and documents, like your's, and the odd "mis-appropriated" piece of crockery or cutlery? Keep your ticket safe, perhaps in a marked envelope, it might get lost in a book? You certainly had a good day in 1964, for a shilling.

 

BTW, i'm told that i travelled several times on the South Wales BP service in the 1960s, although i don't honestly remember much, apart from the little jars of Tiptree jam. As you will know, the South Wales service didn't go diesel till a bit later, by which time i was a toddler. I also have it on good authority, that as a baby, i was breast-fed on the equivalent earlier steam Pullman service, using the train staff's messroom, thanks to the Chief Steward. Is this "too much info" for RMweb? :-)

Cheers, Brian.

[Accurascale Fran]

not sure its dirt on

 

 

is it dirt? i wouldnt be surprised to find that its a protective oil film on the wheels or some misplaced gear grease rather than actual dirt. that said i cant say i have ever bought a new loco with anything other than clean dry wheelsets so you might have just been unlucky. I cant see how dirt would enter the production process though.

 

Oil, dirt, it's still going to affect performance. Either way the wheels are dirty, I always clean the wheels of any new purchase before it goes on a layout.

[robmcg]

It isn't necessarily cleanliness per se, but certain manufacturing processes seem to leave a coating on wheel surfaces that inhibit conductivity. This is why people often report poor pickups when brand new, but a few laps of the layout later, things are a heap better - the offending gunge now being everywhere, but thinner!

 

Further investigation of my brother's new Blue Pullman...with inetermittent not running at all on DCC or DC the wheels and pickups all look clean, also we are both experienced with DC and DCC so the higher starting resistance is no stranger to us. Have had time to look, and quote;

 

>>I seem to have fixed the Blue Pullman - fault was possibly due to bad connection between decoder and motor, although not certain.

 

When I first tried it tonight on DC track it went frist time, but then after bringing it to a halt it wouldn't start again, although, as before, the lights kept working. Checked the wheels and pick-ups and they looked good and clean.

 

So opened it up, which wasn't just the 4 screws to remove as per instructions - there were also two clips near the inside of the guards doors in the middle which needed to be separated with thin bits of cardboard. Tricky.

 

With body removed I swapped the decoder for a blanking plug but still no joy, although it did go once briefly until I tried reversing direction. I tested the decoder with my ESU decoder tester and it was ok, which was pleasing.

 

This pointed to a problem between decoder and motor maybe, so I removed the cover over the motor and fiddled with the wires connecting decoder to motor, even though they actually looked like they were making a good connection. Then when tested on DC track, it worked perfectly! Also good on DCC programming track and now on DCC main.

 

Have run out of time to complete reassembly - will do some more tests/checks tomorrow hopefully before putting body back on.

 

But anyway, seems like it is probably ok now. What a drama!<<

 

All kinds of strange things with formatting this reply, mostly confusion or failure.

 

Rob

[guard_jamie]

never mind the horn, I want mine to sound like it does in the Lets go to Birmingham film

 

You want your sound decoder to play Perpetuum Mobile? Classy!

[Peter Kazmierczak]

 

 

You are right Peter. Right at the end of the film (the last few seconds before the credits) the camera pans from a power car with blue seats to a brief glimpse of a kitchen car with red seats. Question answered.

 

Going through the film, it's interesting to play 'spot the location' where the editing flits about up and down the line. There are even some shots of trial runs with the kitchen window areas in blue.

 

It even can be seen heading up through Duffield in the cab.....

[BernardTPM]

The blanking discs were as follows two white (translucent), carried day & night and to indicate either Class 1 or Class 3 (ecs) headlamp code; three blue blanking discs (opaque); one red (translucent)- for working in the wrong direction, and of course for the tail lamp.

According to the British Railways (Western Region) Multiple Unit Diesel Pullman Trains booklet, the white plates were opaque, with only the red transluscent. It also says "each train will display the appropriate headcode only by means of white discs by day, or electric headlamps during darkness or fog or falling snow."

[Michael Delamar]

You want your sound decoder to play Perpetuum Mobile? Classy!

that would be nice, but it be even better if it had that jet engine noise or whatever it is in the film

 

 

i ran mine on our club layout tonight, ran great straight out the box and our test track is a good test as the trackwork is a bit ropey, was running on DCC, really impressed, left it running most of the night each way to run it in.

it got a lot of interest, I had the know it all's telling me you can get this for £100 odd, I say oh yeah, yeah but they meant the class 47 pullman set

 

regards locations in the blue pullman film, we did that somewhere in this thread.

[Gdaysydney]

I think the DC users are finding - predictably - that while the DCC chip doesn't stop DC running, it makes the starting voltage much higher than comparable DC trains need, so seems sluggish by comparison. Whipping the chip out leaves the motor free to act on DC, which seems "better" to them, being in the more familiar area of the controller opening.

 

Yes having reread the original comment I can see what you are saying and it makes perfect sense.

[reevesthecat]

Decided that as (when it is built) I will have a 80's+ era layout i decided to buy the yellow ends version-for railtours etc. Have got to say after reading some comments on here regarding it and seeing some pictures on retailers sites I was begining to wonder if I had done the right thing as the yellow looked really bright and unrealistic but I have to say in the flesh the yellow is more of a mustard yellow and not nearly so bright as it looks on the pictures and overall I am really pleased with it.

I am amused though to read on some sites it is still described as half yellow ends!

I think Bachmann have done an excellent job and must be delighted with how well it seems to have sold. Must be model of the year!

cheers

mark

[ThaneofFife]

It should certainly top the multiple unit of the year nominee table.

[brushman47544]

Must be model of the year!

cheers

mark

 

Why do they always seem to be locomotives? My vote would be for the Hornby Manusell Pull-Push 2-car set... But let's not start that discussion here!

[Poor Old Bruce]

It even can be seen heading up through Duffield in the cab.....

 

Yes but just as it gets interesting the camera pans across to the driver

[The Stationmaster]

According to the British Railways (Western Region) Multiple Unit Diesel Pullman Trains booklet, the white plates were opaque, with only the red transluscent. It also says "each train will display the appropriate headcode only by means of white discs by day, or electric headlamps during darkness or fog or falling snow."

Although that isn't what the amendments to the Regional Appendix say as they state specificially in respect of the coloured discs (among other things)

'Two White - for head code by day or night.'

Reference R&MD16218N-XR.1/192/30

 

And of course when you think about it they must have been translucent otherwise the train would not have exhibited any (headcode) lights when passing through tunnels during daylight hours.

[Michael Delamar]

Robert's just uploaded this shot and im just being impatient and posting it now, all credit to him.

 

BluePullman_Midland_1964 by robertcwp, on Flickr

[mkwolf1877]

Just adding my two-pence worth. What a fantastic model. Well done Bachmann. The coach lighting looks superb in the dark!

Mark

[Dogmatix]

It does look great, but at the moment there are other calls on the family purse...

 

The first thing I'd do is take those end couplings off.

 

Then I'd take some side-by-side pictures with an old Tri-ang Hornby BP (earlier type with flush windows, of course).

[Michael Delamar]

anyone took any pics with the discs fitted yet?

[Silver Sidelines]

...........there were also two clips near the inside of the guards doors in the middle which needed to be separated with thin bits of cardboard. Tricky.

 

Rob

 

You are a star.

 

I have spent hours today with a similar sounding problem - intermittent runing of one power car.

 

I had to go inside to add blanking plates - your advice regards the tab by the guards door - very good. thee is a picture here which might help other modellers.

 

 

To cut a very long story short - after swapping motors between power cars I narrowed the problem down to the connections on the motor. I have resoldered the black lead where it joins onto the capacitors. It was very loose and I wondered whether it was a dry joint. Any way I feel much more positive about it now.

 

 

Good luck.

 

Regards

 

Ray

[BernardTPM]

Although that isn't what the amendments to the Regional Appendix say as they state specificially in respect of the coloured discs (among other things)

'Two White - for head code by day or night.'

Reference R&MD16218N-XR.1/192/30

Well, the booklet, prefaced by C.W. Powell, Operating Officer, Paddington, is dated September 1960. It does refer to Circular No.544 "Working of Diesel Pullman Trains", which presumably goes into more detail. It could be that 'opaque' refers to white opaque glass, as used on toilet windows, of course. The blue discs are referred to as 'steel', so there are clearly degrees of definition going on here.

And of course when you think about it they must have been translucent otherwise the train would not have exhibited any (headcode) lights when passing through tunnels during daylight hours.

It was not normal for trains to have lights on when passing through tunnels in the early 1960s - turning lights on for tunnels is impractical with oil lamps as used on steam locos. The headcodes were there to inform the signalmen and other operating staff and signalboxes are not usually in tunnels (except on the Underground, of course, but that's a different railway with its own different practices).

[AMJ]

Think I might change the chips in mine. As the Bachmann ones have no instruction on changing the Aux FN mapping I'll get a pair of Lenz Silvers when the bank ballance recovers from this, a D11/2 and two week trip to Germany.

 

Thought in changing the chips andAux mapping is as follows

Each half set can have a different FN mapped for the drivers cab even with the same 'address' so could turn on rear cab light independant of the front.