Stevelewis

Just a thought as the 2 BIL motor unit will easily haul several additional coaches, why not simply remove 1 motor bogie and substitute an unpowered bogie? It should not be too complicated to do it would be nescesary to add a 'floor' where the motor unit was and fit appropriate side frames to the new unpowered bogie.

Having been in this game for over 50 years, I feel that it is much simpler to fix minor problems myself, of course if it is a really bad issue and then the item would go back to the retailer rather rapidly!!

I shall seriously look at my earlier proposal to use an MLV chassis in one of the 2 BILs I am afraid that comparison of the Hornby Motor bogie to Bachmann's Multiple Unit power units is rather depressing. We spend a lot of time trying to get Hornbys unit to perorm satisfactorily, whereas Bachmann's drive system seems to work well out of the box ( we have Bachmann 11 EMUs a a few DMUs between us). I am not saying that all this type of Hornby power unit are poor it probably just a minority, but really for the prices now being asked it shouldnt be that way, Should it?? PS TENDER re the decoders, we have tried ZIMO without any difference being noted.

Has any one had experience of slow to medium speed poor running qualities with the 2-BIL? Reason for my query is I have 2 2 BILs and a friend has 3. of the 5 2 have almost identical issues with running at low speeds, they are OK when they run fast ( approx scale 60MPH) They seem to surge and judder... as a test we coupled up a coach to them using standard hook& loop couplings it was noticable that at the low speed running there was a definate issue as coupling between the BILs and the extra coach slackened and tightened. I have tested the units both on analogue and digital with the same results ( and three different decoder brands were used to ensure it was not a decoder or CV setting problem). We have the same problem with a 5 BEL as well which we have not yet overcome fully. I suspect the problem is probably down to a quality control issue, with the motor bogie. I am also considering to look at the possibility of using the chassis from a Bachmann MLV as a replacement in the 2 BIL. .

RE robin brasher. The 2BIL easily hauls an additional 4 Bachmann Mk1 coaches/ Re living away from the 3rd rail. I am in North Wales, but only 11 miles from the 3rd Rail! CHESTER ( Mersey Rail!!)

We have approx 30 currently, and no squeeks noted!!!! ( bought Bachmann Mk1s when they were first released on the market I have been into the Hobby for many years!)

Running the 2 BIL this evening it suddenly developed a rather loud squeek!!!!!! Quick investigation showed it wasnt the power car, but the trailer! Quite an unusual occurance, not had a new unpowered vehicle in any of the scales I dabble in SQUEEK for some years!, Anyway a tiny drop of lubricant on the axle and the squeek was eliminated.

Looking good.................... Try Kadees No 19 or No 20 NEM plug in type for coupling units if they need to be uncoupled frequently

Ah I see... I must look at mine I must say I have had some EPBs since they were launched and never noticed!!

Have you tried any remedial action? If not try removing body and ensuring that the vertical contact strips have a good contact with the horizontal ones, if nescessary bend the horisontal ones . Also press the lighting strip against the inside of the roof, it can tend to bend and this sometimes causes the very tiny LEDs to lose contact

I have now fitted the Lenz decoder mentioned above, it was a simple enough task, the body removes fairly easily the 4 clear plastic retaining clips can be a bit tight initially but they soon slip out of the retaining position. Decoder space is a bit tight at the rear of the car where the 8 pin socket is located, so I mounted it in the 'roof space' by cuttng a small slot in 3 of the compartment partitions for the cables to slot into and then removing about 2 mm across the whole width of partition 4 so the decoder could sit on top, none of this is visible when the body is replaced. The poor slow speed running I reported earlier on analogue did not go away after about 45 mins running in, but as soon as the' decoder was fitted it did!! The Unit will now crawl very slowly in either direction, at normal running speeds it does sound very nice with a low hum, and a good 'EMUEY' Clickety click!! The only minus point for me is its lack of any lighting! Now I know lighting costs and no doubt it would have been a lot more expensive with lights, but when it is seen next to the Bachmann EMUs this lack is apparent. It has to be said though that Bachmann have had a lighting 'Set-up' in place for their DMUs & EMUs for some years now so including lighting in their new models isnt a s much a cost factor. As far as I am aware Hornby have never produced any coaches with lighting, by this I mean ceiling lights not table lights (which are a fibre optic application in the Pullman Cars , which is probably why they are fitted in the 5 BEL) So all in all its a nice model thoroughly recommended, bound to bring Hornby some added profit. Be intersting to see what the opposition comes up with ...err March 10th isnt it!!

I am using LENZ 10231-1 Standard in the Bels they give superb slow running qualities, so I stick one in the 2 BIL & see what happens should be OK. I find that the best way to improve things with this type of mechanism is to clip off the capicitor. luckily there is only one. I recently digitised a Bachmann Large scale Heisler logging loco that had 10 capcitors in 3 different locations , but it certainly runs well now!!

My first 2 Bil arrived this morning, this was not a pre-order it was ordered on line on Sunday and delvered today (Tuesday) by FREE next day delivery. I ordered this as a contingency in case my pre ordered 2 dont make it in the first batch.! I have given it an initial analogue test and I am not all that impressed at the running qualities so far, medium and higher speeds are OK , but it is not too good at lower speeds and in reverse direction it runs hesitatingly with a start / stop effect.. I have not experienced this with any of the 5 Bels which performed reasonably well out of the box and did improve when digitised and run in. My intention now is to give this 1 a running in turn for a while then fit a decoder and see what happens I will post my results later .

Well then I am glad to be of assistance, I think you will agree now you have seen them that the soldered joints are very fragile! When I say the bogie is the same as the 5Bel I refer to the actual construction and design of it , the fact that the Bel doesnt have a NEM socket is really just a cosmetic thing. There are not many who have the facility to run a 10 BEL although one of my friends does...., the coupling was easily achieved with the use of Kadees which are easily fitted to the BEL . HINT if any one does thing of running a 10BEL best performance is achieved with the 2 power cars coupled nose to nose in the centre of the 10 car trains... but we digress here!!!

Refer to my previous post #726 about poor soldered joints that could be the reason for your problem, but if the power bogie mounting is the same as the 5 BEL then be careful when you unclip it as it can drop down suddenly and more joints may break. FYI on the Bel the power bogie is attached by a plastic swallow tail spigot the ends are accessable thro a small hole in the top of the chassis, use long nosed pliers to compress the 'tail' of the spigot. lookin at pics of the BIL in the RM the interior arrangement looks the same as the 5BEL But of course theproblem could bethat the pickups are not contacting the wheel backs correctly!

There have been problems that I am aware of with soldered cable joints THE POWER BOGIE on the Brighton Belle, I have 'fixed' 3 up to now 1 of my own when they were first released and 2 belonging to friends, the problem was caused by wires becoming unsoldered on the powered bogie, the soldered joints are tiny and the wires are very thin, so there may be a possibility that the joints fail due to the movement of the bogie within the chassis . Obviously I cannot say if this is the same set up with the 2 BIL as I havne seen one yet!

I think that from readng the reprts in mags the motor bogie in the 2BIL is the same as in the 5 BEL,.....received a further 5 BEL yesterday and I am sorry to say its running qualities are quite poor Slow speed running is very 'notchy' and really slow running is hard to achieve, At Higher speeds it is extremely noisy, this is by comparison with the other 2 BELs we have. The other 2 5 BELs run reasonably well, but not as good as any of our Bachmann EMUs which seem to benefit from the Flyheel + Chassis mounted motor driving powered bogie thro' cardan shaft. The new BEL will probably be returned to the retailer. The point of this post being that not all similar drive units perform equally!

Well its the same power bogie (apparently) as the 5 BEL which easily moves a 5 car set so it should be OK Just as a matter of interest the Bachmann MLV will easily move 6 Bachmann mark 1 coaches up a 1 in 25 gradient on a 36" radius curve!

When I spoke with Kernow earlier this week I was advised that mine should be with me next month, I am looking forward to getting my hands on it, bit dubious about the sound will give my verdict when i get it!

I havent noticed any Problems with hattons website today, I have had several emails back and to with them, I was requesting info about a large scale item which they replied to almost instantly despite saying it could be 72Hrs before they replied! After that they also sent 3 or 4 supplementary emails with further info on the item. This morning I checked Royal Mail website to see if a signed for item had been delivered to them ( A Faulty N Gauge item which I returned to them) they received it at 10-20 and by 11-10 I received an email from them confirming a credit card refund had been processed. If that is not service I dont know what is!!

I dont think you would actually get double reds at the front! The indicator panel illumination is going to be directional according to the write up ( the same set up as the MLV) so red will show only at the trailing end

October MODEL RAIL has a 2 page article which shows the latest Engineering Prototype in close up, Noted in the write up is the fact that like the MLVs the headcode blinds will be directional white/red illuminated. Article states due date JAN/FEB 2013

One of the issues with smoke units a few years ago was the Health Risk, it was publshed in a magazine in a letter from a model railway enthusiast,member of the medical profession that the smoke which was emitted from smoke units was many times more hazardous than cigarette smoke and should be avoided and not used in domestic locations particularly when children were present., some exhibition managers banned the use of smoke units for a time. Many of my large scale locos were smoke unit fitted but I rarely used them as droplets of smoke oil would sometimes fall on the loco and following train which caused staining of the paint work.

Rails are offering the BLUE DCC READY version for £99.95 now!

The Belle has its problems though, I have already had to 'attend' to 2 of them due to failures in use, I have reported these earlier but to re-cap the fault occurs in the wiring to the power bogie, there are 4 very thin wires each of which is soldered to connectors on the power bogie, the joints are tiny , the problems occured due to failure of these joints! It is also worth remembering that if the nescessity arises to 'drop' the power bogie from the chassis for example to remove the capacitor, be careful as the bogie can drop and strain the above mentioned soldered joints. When working on the Belle it is interesting to compare the difference between the techniques used in manufacture of the 2 main EMU manufacturers ( I know to whom I would put my money on!!)