MikeParkin65

Though Heljan are sending out a strange message when Accurascale for example are offering 'lifetime'. Its certainly made me think twice about this £170 shunter (which would be replacing a 2013 Hornby version which has suffered the crank shifting on the wheel), - problems are not unknown in the hobby and 6 mths isnt long for things to go wrong in especially with a loco that won't get much continuous loop running

Agree it’s a cock up rather than a conspiracy. It would cost money to change the door tool which I’m sure would take years to recoup from the labour saved in fitting the handle and the lamp bracket. This suggests to their having been a cock up somewhere along the line, be that in specifying the model, something happening to the correct tool, something at the factory - who knows.

Ive got to say having looked at the actual model at my local shop the black doesn’t look nearly as strange to the naked eye as it does in digital photos.

Most things look better ( Heljan 25s, Dapol charcoal coloured Moguls etc) in the ‘cabinet of temptation’ at my local but this is one of the few that actually look worse! The molded handles seem huge!

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/locomotive/ls64/

A lot of potential buyers (including me!) will be put off by not knowing how simple a kit built loco will be to convert to DCC. Like it or not DCC is I think the default control system for those who came back to the hobby in the past 20 years or so. Regarding the V2 the latest Bachmann version can be had for a lot less than £200, in fact a very prominent BRM advertiser is currently offering them for less than £140. I see some beautiful looking kit built models for sale but I’m afraid the market for them is very limited and the original cost of the components isn’t a justification for the higher prices except to a very few ‘in the know’ as per this thread - and some here wouldn’t pay those prices as they are seeking to hunt underpriced bargains on the aforementioned eBay!

Its a good model at a very competitive price when it was new but its not well known and its quite niche unfortunately.

Love it - much clearer

This whole discussion is getting pretty niche now but I dont think the tender drive 8F tooling has appeared in the Railroad range

For a repaint definitely get on eBay or similar - £75 tops for one of the less popular identities (the LNER one for example). The cheapest I saw last week went for £20(!) albeit it lacked a tender but Stanier tenders easy to find too (or even a comet kit).

All listed on the wonderful Hattons database. I sincerely hope someone takes this on and keeps it up to date - its an invaluable resource! https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/versiondetails/2814/bachmann_branchline_oo_dp1_deltic_prototype?instock=true&onorder=true&soldout=true

Some irony that you have it parked on a piece of Accurascale packaging 🤣

And I think a lot of people used to the last generation of models need to seriously review their layout wiring (gauge of wire, integrity of power bus) , suitability of control system (can it access 20+ functions?) , voltage to tracks, AMPs available etc before buying current (excuse the pun) generation models and then blaming those models when they dont perform as expected. I write from experience. In DC days we learnt not to expect our trainset controller to run a layout that had grown ever larger and more complex - its the same with DCC, you need more than '2 wires to the track' and the cheapest controller on the market to get proper performance from the current crop of high end models like the AS 37.

Its in the Bachmann launch video on Youtube

Would make good sense now they having the chassis. Reassuring to see a Heljan model being apparently universally well received here as well.

The handrails of the SLW look like they are there to assist the driver into the cab whereas the Heljan ones look like bars to discourage the tubby 🤣

Just speculation on my part but it seems a weird and presumably relatively expensive move to tool a new smokebox door that is a retrograde step back from the original and as @ColinB says on a model that is being sold at a premium price.

I wonder if the smokebox door is from the old tender drive version and there has been a mix up either by Hornby or at the factory. Cock up rather than conspiracy?

A heavy diesel with 12 wheel pick up doesnt need Stay Alive in my experience

First release of the present Fowler 4P tank tooling was R2224 as LMS 2311 along with R2223 and R2287 in BR Black in 2003 according to the Ramseys guide

For those who use Facebook there is an interesting discussion on some the background to the genesis of this model vs the AS offering in the comments of the TMC post this morning announcing the Bachmann 30/31. Be warned there are a few facts - some of it is more than armchair speculation 😎

Happy to report my Hattons order for the AB has just been added to my AS account :)

Ironically the lack of SYP led me to pre order from Accurascale the previously sold out D5615 (green SYP) which suddenly became available again on their site yesterday afternoon.

Agree.

Its a combination of the two. There is an issue with the fit of the smokebox front, there is a heavy band where the cab meets the firebox, a 'cam' tender coupling that holds the tender too far from the cab even on the straight and causes the tender to crab behind the loco when a heavy load is being hauled. Its not a bad model by any means and light years away from what preceded it but it is a bit of a disappointment. I've got one but it will need work on that tender gap at least before it enters service.