Matabiau

I did a couple of weeks ago following the release of the Southern H2. I rang a couple of times over a period of two weeks each time being told they should be arriving in the next few days. They didn’t needless to say so I cancelled my order. At no time was there any suggestion of a dispute between Hattons and Bachman’s but I didn’t push the matter as it was hardly the fault of the person on the telephone. This is hardly doing Hattons’ or Bachmann’s image any good by keeping the customer in the dark. I just hope it is resolved soon and everyone will forget about it and move on.

Hattons don't appear to have received anything from Bachmann since the beginning of the month. Does anyone have any concrete information as to the delay in order to avoid speculation?

Perhaps it's just the effect of lighting on paintwork on metal as opposed to paintwork on plastic. Thanks for the additional Photo. I look forward to receiving mine.

Is the green of the wheels and splashers really so different from the boiler and tender? In your photos the wheels look Malachite green while the boiler is sage green.

Online ordering is now up and running.

How did you manage that? When I look at the website it has been out of stock since the beginning of the week. Did you telephone?

LS Models has just released a pair of BB (nez-cassé) electric locomotives branded with Railfreight Distribution logos and painted with yellow ends for cross channel traffic. These are HO models so not to scale with UK models but they are of excellent quality and certainly have a novelty factor. I can't say I like the yellow ends too much, doesn't go too well with the orange and grey standard livery. Available here in France from most e-commerce enabled retailers. Photo taken from LS-Models Website

Thanks for the info, you learn something new every day.

Havong fitted the DCC chip I finally got around to testing it. Unfortunately with the directional lighting switched on I get both red and white lights on the leading end at the same time instead of single white leading and sinlge red tailing. Has anyone else encountered this?

Some advice to those wishing to install DCC decoders, the Hattons 6-pin decoder is a couple of milimetres too long. I have had to fit a Guagemaster DCC23 decoder. There is enough room in the tray for the larger decoder but there is a pair of lighting wires that crosses the decoder bay and these are too short to reconnect once the Hattons decoder is in place.

Mine has exactly the same marks. Also missing a part on one of the bogies. Could be a recurrent issue then.

That's what I had understood too having read this forum for the past few years. However, the guy from Hattons was dismissive of all Hornby controllers. It seems even more bizarre that Hattons don't mention this on their website as I suspect the Hornby Elite accounts for a large proportion of their DCC customers controllers, they even fit their own decoders by default as part of their DCC installation service. There is no mention that the resulting loco would be incompatible with many peoples layouts. Just to add, I have managed to program both P class locos with Hattons 6 pin decoders using my old Bachmann EZ Command controller (the infra-red one). Now both locos can be controlled by the Hornby Elite with the new addresses. Hardly satisfactory, but a resolution all the same.

The guy at Hattons was adamant that the Hornby Elite was at fault and only worked with Hornby decoders. I always understood that the elite was one of the better lower end controllers and was the nearest thing to NMRA compliant. I have never had any problems with other decoders in the past, even the Hattons branded ones. I shall have to dig out my old Bachmann controller!

I have just installed some Hattons 6-pin decoders to the new Hattons P class tank locos. They run fine on default settings, address 3, but when I try to reprogram them to another address they no longer respond. I am using a Hornby Elite controller. I am able to reset the chip by commanding 8 to CV8 and recover control using address 3. Having spoken to Hattons apparently none of their decoders are compatible with Hornby controllers (not mentioned on their website). This I find hard to believe as I have been using Hattons 8 pin and 21 pin decoders for some time without any problem. In addition, as others have said here, Hattons claim that Hornby controllers only work with Hornby decoders, again somehting I find hard to believe as I have had no problem with Bachmann decoders, Lenz decoders and a myriad of other decoders from various manufacturers. Why are Hattons suggesting the problem is with Hornby and not with one of their models of decoder? Does anyone have any workaround methods using the CVs to change the address using a Hornby Elite?

The hardest part is keeping the "copper" pipes from sliding back into the gap between the footplate and the boiler. They then block the chassis from dropping out freely and snap off in the process. It would be advisabel to hold them out of the way for removing and then replacing the chassis with some tooth-picks. The pipes under the chassis could be held by sticky tape as there is no paintwork to damage.

I have just received my three, as mentioned elsewhere very smart little locos. Unfortunately my pleasure quickly turned to frustration and disappointment. The first model didn't budge, a loose conenction somewhere no doubt. The second, NCB black, was impossible to open as the little pipes you are instructed to disconnect are hidden behind ladders on either side. Once you do manage to dislocate them removing the chassis cuts the heads off if you are not very careful. The third, the Caledonian wobbles when running on the track, the reversing rod fouls the connecting rods between the wheels. Given everyone else is raving about them I guess I must be unlucky. I have to admit the P class locos I have are excellent, easy to open up too for DCC fitting. Good luck!

I have just fitted mine with a DCC decoder, the 8 PIN harness version from Hattons. The tightest squeeze appears to be at the 8 PIN plug, the wire bundle rises off the plug. Thinking about it I could unbundle the wires to spread them out flat which would probably relieve the problem. The chip itself sits in the speaker bay, but only just, the harness is not quite long enough. Again, undoing the wiring bundle should ease this. Without an modification of the harness the removable undercarriage bulges slightly where the fit is too tight. On the problem of derailing, mine runs generally well over a figure of eight circuit with minimum third order curves. It even climbs the cirved inclines without slowing despite the trailing carriages being anything but free wheeling. One of the centre cars derailed once so far It appears that forsome reason the bogies twisted on a curveand pushed ou the sides of the body which sank onto the undercarriage. Consequently the bogie was blocked by the body sides. I haven't managed to reproduce the fault again though.

I'm still waiting for my spotty Scotrail one. I suspect it is taking a long time to fit all of the decoders! Just have to be patient.

Where do these screws come from? I believe I have found one rattling around inside the 121 but couldn't see the whole it came out of. Thanks.

I ended up sending back to Hattons the ATW and GWR150 versions that were impossible to remedy. I received the replacements today but they were even worse! On the ATW unit the steps on one bogie were butted up agains the underrcarriage detail even in the straight position. Back to Hattons again for both of them, I only hope this time they will honor their promise to test the units prior to dispatch. Has Dapol had anything to say on this, after all the source of the problem lies there, not with Hattons, their customer? I have tried contacting DCC supplies asking for advice but have received no reply.

Thanks for your suggestion. I had a look at the tops of the bogies and they are fine. However, I did find that on some of the bogies the wires coming from the wheel pick-ups were not sat properly in the little grooves provided and were fouling with the bogie support bar on the chassis. Teasing those back into their grooves has remedied the problem on two of my 121s. (You have to loosen the bogie pivot screw to do this). The other two have in addition steps fouling the undercarriage detailing. I have removed on of those (not glued in place) but there is nothing to be done as it was correctly seated in the first place. Hattons have asked me to return them which I may well have to do unless anyone has a suggestion on how to improve the clearance on the underside of the train.

I have just taken delivery of my four Hatton's/Dapol class 121s. They all look the aprt but I am having running problems with three of them. They derail leaving bends (third radius), the inside axel hovers above the rails so the bogie doesn't return to the correct alignment following the curve. The bogies appear to have very little vertical movement, the weight of the train itself is insufficient to force the bogie to see-saw. In addition on one of the models the steps foul the undercarriage details preventing rotation. Am I the only one to suffer this?

Is anyone else still waiting for their spotty Scotrail 156? Are there more to come?

I have just received my 450, chipped it and set it running on my layout. I was pleasantly surprised to see it manages my inclines (steeper than 1:30 and including 2nd radius curves) with little difficulty. I say surprised as I have also a 350 from the initial batch a few years ago. This struggles on the inclines to the extent that I won't run it in fear of damaging the motor. Has anyone else experienced this problem with the early 350s? Is there known to be a different motor?

Thanks for the update. I didn't want to pester you directly as I am sure you are very busy dispatching the DCC ready ones!