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Bachmann PCA Metalair tanks


richierich

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Couldn't find a discussion for the new PCA Metalair tank, which arrived this week in the shops.

 

Picked one up today from my local model shop. Looks pretty good, although the farish version has etched ladders, rather than the plastic on this 4mm model.

 

Below is a quick pic buffered up to a Hornby PCA vee tank. I wonder if Bachmann has modelled a loaded tank, in comparison to the Hornby? Buffer height and the compression on the suspension make this suggestion.

post-7822-0-31977900-1400257376_thumb.jpg

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I believe that the Hornby PCA depressed centre tank model uses the ex Dapol tooling. It was part of the tooling sale from Dapol to Hornby in the mid 1990s and was released in Hornby branding long before Hornby acquired the Lima tools. They were very similar models, however with the Lima model, much of the detail had to be added from plastic sprues. The Dapol model had the push in ex Airfix coupling system, which is the type on the current Hornby model. I don't believe Hornby have used the ex Lima single tank tooling which they presumably now own, however they did produce 3 versions of the ex Lima twin depressed centre tank bogie model.

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ISTR that the Lima single tank tooling was modified to create the twin tank version, but I can't remember where I read it, so can't vouch for how accurate that is.  The Dapol tank definitely had an 'up on stilts' look to it.

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ISTR that the Lima single tank tooling was modified to create the twin tank version, but I can't remember where I read it, so can't vouch for how accurate that is.  The Dapol tank definitely had an 'up on stilts' look to it.

 

They have definitely re-run the bogie, but not the 4 wheel version..

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ISTR that the Lima single tank tooling was modified to create the twin tank version, but I can't remember where I read it, so can't vouch for how accurate that is.  The Dapol tank definitely had an 'up on stilts' look to it.

 

Could've sworn that the twin tank came before the single verison, but I stand to be corrected.

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I don't understand why Dapol duplicated Lima's offering. There's a kind of Irony that Hornby ended up with two models of the same prototype.

 

There was a bit of that going on at the time, IIRC there were two competing HEA models as well...

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I don't understand why Dapol duplicated Lima's offering. There's a kind of Irony that Hornby ended up with two models of the same prototype.

 

I think that all the duplication was the mess of the end of Palitoy/Mainline with the Replica Range of ex Mainline wagons having a brief life!

 

Hence at one time 3 brands of HEA

 

Mark Saunders

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The Bachmann Metalair is a cracker, but is shows the work required tothe Hornby PCA if you want to run together

 

I found this same issue the minute I took the Metalair out of the box, but I was expecting it having read previous comments on DEMU about the height of the Dapol/Hornby wagons.

The Lima one is not quite as bad.

 

To me the solution is Bill Bedford's W Irons and new (Cambrian?) suspension mouldings to bring the sole bars into line.

I was going to do this to my Lima PCAs as the wheels are crap and the inside of the suspension mouldings needs work to run smoothly

I think the barrel is too high as well but that might be a hack too far. nearly as bad as cutting the Hornby suspension moulds down to height

 

If anybody has any better ideas, feel free to jump in.

 

Rgds

Mark

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ISTR that the Lima single tank tooling was modified to create the twin tank version, but I can't remember where I read it, so can't vouch for how accurate that is.  The Dapol tank definitely had an 'up on stilts' look to it.

 

The Lima PDA tank is a different mould from the PCA as I tried to switch tanks on mine and the mount is different!

 

Mark Saunders

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The Bachmann Metalair is a cracker, but is shows the work required tothe Hornby PCA if you want to run together

 

I found this same issue the minute I took the Metalair out of the box, but I was expecting it having read previous comments on DEMU about the height of the Dapol/Hornby wagons.

The Lima one is not quite as bad.

 

To me the solution is Bill Bedford's W Irons and new (Cambrian?) suspension mouldings to bring the sole bars into line.

I was going to do this to my Lima PCAs as the wheels are crap and the inside of the suspension mouldings needs work to run smoothly

I think the barrel is too high as well but that might be a hack too far. nearly as bad as cutting the Hornby suspension moulds down to height

 

If anybody has any better ideas, feel free to jump in.

 

Rgds

Mark

 

The barrel difference may not be an issue as the Metalair ones appear to be lower than the Chevrons as the way the barrel is angled raises it above the flat mounted Metalair ones!

 

Which one is the Bachmann one based on as there are more weld lines on one but I can't remember if it is the Procor or Powell Duffryn built ones?

 

Mark Saunders

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All,

 

I took this video a while ago for modelling the train myself, it's the first clip in the film.

You can get a good view of the height difference between them in a mixed rake.

The V tanks do have wee bit of extra height.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZLaxhHtdZw

 

Regards

 

Roy

 

I notice the first cement wagon in the train is one of the French built PCAs that is available as a kit from 51L and proposed for rtr by Realtrack.

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Martyn,

 

Thats the very pic I looked at on your site when I unboxed mine.

 

The rear siding in this shot shows it clearer

 

Now just trying to track down if someone has previously used BB W-Irons to lower one of these, no joy yet.

 

Rgds

Mark

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Just a quick questiona about the livery on these wagons.

 

Were they all delivered in the 'Blue Circle Cement' livery like 38-650? losing this branding over time. Or were some delivered without this from new?

 

Thanks

David

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