The Great Bear

Also, if the decoder doens't work in another loco, an option is to utilise TCS's "goof proof" warranty - they will repair/replace faulty decoders no questions asked, see their website. Yes it does require postage to US, £4 or so IIRC and take 2-3 weeks but is a geat facility for a manufacturer to provide. I've used it several times with excellent service, including where I've done something inept - so for difficult installations I tend to use TCS decoders now. Good luck with it Jon

I really like the signals - I found them fiddly enough to do in 4mm! Layout looks great and nice to see something a bit different but still GWR, the overview shot showing it to good effect. All the best Jon

The last point, the length of the axles being a tad short, a small bit of pinching of the white metal frame will fix I think - hopefully...

So, steps forward and back: with motor and gear removed, fitted the cranks and rods and it ran reasonably easy when pushed. As expected the grub screw on the gear is shot so will need to get replacement indeed possibly new gear & worm. Further complications are that the push fit cranks (as one would expect) work loose as you mess around with the quartering and that having placed this lot back in the body, the axle lengths are a bit too short for the cranks to easily clear the frame - well they need to be slightly proud of the end of the axle.

Happens to all of us. A bit of a break normally re-ignites the interest. Your layout is really coming together well. All the best Jon

Some progress: disassembled stuff done to date then chassis straightened as best I can, not perfect but I cannot undo all the screws without knackering their heads. Axles were a bit too tight in the holes so did not turn very freely so a bit of filing solved that. Chassis without motor/gears ran nice and freely when pushed on the layout. So have put back on motor/gears onto the rear axle leaving grub screw on the cog loose. Again runs pretty smoothly when pushed. So far so good. Whether I can do up the grub screw up again tightly is another matter as the head on it is pretty shot. So, thought I'd quit for the day whilst ahead. Thanks again for the help, all Jon

I especially like the last one of the 72xx, looking under the footbridge, Robin. All the best Jon

Thanks all for the suggestions. Yes the chassis is bent a bit - my doing I think whilst trying to get the previous wheels and axles off. So best dis-assemble and start again. The point about checking it all runs smoothly before applying the power is now obvious - too much haste before! And note the points about the crank pin nuts - plenty of those are lying on the floor of my shed - frustrating little things! Thanks again Jon

The other issue you may encounter is that removing the smokebox number collateral damage to the door hinge straps may be unavoidable - some remedial work with styrene strips can rectify this.

Blimey was it this long ago I started trying to do this conversion! Anyway, I removed the existing wheels and axles and replaced them with the Alan Gibson parts as mentioned above. Did rather take around 2-3x the right number of parts, the top hat washers on the cranks and retaining nuts being incredibly easy to lose. Unfortunately it doesn't work and is driving me mad Applying power it will run for a second or maybe several then stop. The little nuts retaining the coupling rods also work their way free - I am not sure whether I am supposed to fix them somehow? Not sure if the above is just due to quartering - though it looks alright to me. (And fiddling with this then loosens the cranks on the axles.) Any suggestions would be most welcome - I've had several goes at this in the last year and walked away and now my patience is exhausted Thanks Jon

Agree with the above a sad loss, was pretty convenient for me - a nice little drive away - especially for getting the odd modelliing bits n bobs l, wire, brass tubing, styrex etc. Now a longer drive to Gaugemaster will be required or I'll just have to plan things better and internet order.

Based on my reading (GWR station colours book or Great Western Way, can't recall now) I went with a steelish grey on my layout

Looks pretty much the same/same prototype as the scalescenes one:

Very nice indeed, well done Stu and Richard.

I have it in my mind that at Wallingford the trailer had to be detached when shunting the yard due to clearance issues. Or maybe I've got confused with the fiction of my layout!

Good luck with it, John - hope your experience on layout with DCC much better than mine. Jon

Forgive me but is this list stated anywhere? Presumably the Bachmann decoder Hattons fit runs well? Appreciate it's not in your control but maybe Hattons should give some kind of warning or point users to buying the DCC fitted one? As stated in previous post, they refunded without quibble - so no gripe there - but this could help others?

That's interesting: the 14xx I had and returned due to poor running had that decoder, running was very stop/start. Not sure though whether function of decoder or my trackwork.

As well, then, I have only changed 1 hall to date to post-war lined!

Fair play to Hattons. I returned it and asked for a refund, as a replacement I was convinced would fare no better - this model unfortunately was never going to get along with my layout/track. Money refunded no questions asked. Thank you, Hattons.

I am sorry to say the one I've got doesn't run well on my layout, very picky over smoothness of track and poor pick up. In fairness, that is a lot due to my track laying but other models cope much much better. A shame.

Really nice, Drew. What do you use to remove the decals? My efforts so far, admittedly ham-fisted, tend to leave a mark. All the best Jon

Wonder why they didn't build more, especially in war time you'd have thought the Granges would have been slightly more useful than the Halls which they continued to build. Guess the GWR was looking longer term?

One word, three syllables - fab-u-lous!

Not sure if you've seen it, but I've used a combination of the ModelU rollers and Brassmasters bits on my layout http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/26456-marlingford-begbrooke-point-rodding-finished-at-last/?p=2202883 and posts thereafter Alan at ModelU is helpful and may be able to supply a few rollers as a trial to see how you like. Good luck with it. Jon