dandg

20 hours ago, dandg said:

Using DC my TPE DT shows the correct lights when running forwards but both red and white at low intensity when running in reverse. 

I decided to remove the body and check that the blanking plug was seated correctly.  It was installed at a slight angle so I re-seated it and noticed that one of the white LEDs which shouldn't be lit when running in reverse wasn't as bright as before.   After two more attempts all is working as it should be. 

12 minutes ago, vanbasher said:

I am a DC user at present & can confirm after testing last night the lights correctly show red in reverse & whites in forward. I believe HST Howard may well be running the DT on DCC track with no chip in hence the whites showing on the rear. Could be wrong on that score but my DT was showing all the lights correctly in both directions.

Thank you for this information.  My DT shows the correct lights when running forwards but both red and white at low intensity when running in reverse.  

With regard to HSTHoward's layout he was asked a question in his class 59 video about which decoder he was using and he said that it was a DC layout.  He may have changed to DCC in the last few weeks of course.

I have a question for DC users.    

Does your TPE driving trailer car show just red lights when it is running at the rear of the train? 

A video I watched on YouTube by a DC user (HSTHoward)  seemed to indicate only a white light illuminated and this  is clearly wrong.

Thanks in anticipation.

3 hours ago, Mel_H said:

I understand that the tender is fitted with spoked wheels, rather than the correct disc wheels. It’s not mentioned in reviews and I haven’t bought one to check. Can anyone confirm this?

I've just located my split chassis version of Green Arrow.   The tender is fitted with disc wheels...

This is the information available on Realtime Trains:

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:V70270/2021-10-03/detailed

There is a picture of 60700 leaving York on Flickr

https://www.flickr.com/photos/knoxrj/51483150822/in/photolist-2mroB6q-2bymAfH-dNbEhU-BQxs8W-F2gbKU-AuXjmn-Uarn94-pqJF6e-Bq4xXJ-ARxxw6-yRsvDW-gp3Kr3-yefQha-CNb5p8-et9Ary-btgC5J-xsPZLA-xFxLuH-btgCeW-eTGwDD-2k7FiaV-zeRuGt-2hZmE4i-AuqzGo-aBbqwH-nYf3yc-AtjF23-AtmsLs-AwBog2-yoENcB-hjTLM1-aEoXXM-aySCGi-nmxkGQ-CN5jUr-btgBxQ-mCRhnk-BuHFrA-btgBPJ-A6N7Fw-HcboP9-dN8hN8-bkoPDs-r72vt6-yyzLcq-y4qskE-zyLdRa-xRufP1-AwBtmn-qDEJMw

Anyone else found the tension lock coupler snags the rail when not coupled to anything?

I've not encountered that problem but I have found that the tension lock couplings are a little lower than those on the  stock I have coupled to the locos to and this sometimes results in the couplings separating on curves or gradient changes.

Rails has the TGS, buffet and one of the TSO tyes available on ebay.  They also have the FO on their own web site but do not state the quantity available. Locomotion models has everything bar the FO available with 5 or 6 of each shown in stock.

If I needed to buy 18 coaches, I would start off getting the FOs from Rails, then the large number of TSOs and finally the TGS and buffet as it is these last two which seem to be the most plentiful.

Four of the five produced are in stock at Rails of Sheffield (£29.50 to £34.50 depending on the coach).  The one which Rails does not have is TSO R4751. It appears to be available at Wonderland Models at £31.34 and at Locomotion Models for £32.99.   Three of the others are also in stock at Locomotion models.at the same price.  I've not found anybody who sells all of them but I've only done a few quick online searches.

I find the biggest difference is 'warmth' of the loco if that makes sense. They will run faster on warm days (if layout is outside of house/in loft) or after say running for about 10-15 mins every session the loco will be a bit faster once warmed up. I have never found that running in generally improves the speed of the loco itself.

The temperature  where my layout is located is only around 10C so  I ran the loco for about 15 minutes in each direction at moderate speed (40 -50 m.p.h.) to warm it up .   There was certainly an improvement in the maximum speed..  Hauling just the Speedwagon it achieved 106 m.p.h. and when the same three coaches as per  the previous test were added it managed 97 m.p.h. 

 With this being such a recent release, would it be fair to assume that the model has not yet been run that much? These types of mechanism design, with a goodly dollop of grease in both gear towers, are often fairly draggy and will often loosen up and thus run faster as most of the grease is moved off the contacting faces of the gears. Alternatively the process can be speeded by a little degreasing and the addition of a light oil if the owner chooses. No guarantee that it works in every case, but quite often a circa 25% speed increase over 'out of the box' may be obtained.

Yes, at the point I did the speed test (carried out in order to answer the question earlier in this thread) , the locomotive had probably been running for about 10 minutes and had traveled no more than around 400 feet. Incidentally, the owners guide states that no special running in or lubrication is needed until you wish to run it  for 'an extended period'.

I agree that speed may well improve with use. It has not happened with both my Voyagers and three HSTs but that is another story!

Can anybody comment on the top end speed of the model yet please?

 

I have a SpeedWAGON made by Black Cat Technology (evaluation tests shortly after purchase suggested that it is reasonably accurate) and the fastest speed it recorded for my class 68 on level track was 84 m.p.h. and that was light engine.  The addition of three Bachmann coaches brought it down to around 80 m.p.h. 

Rails of Sheffield has increased the price of the two locos in DRS livery to £145.55, making them a little more expensive than the equivalent DCC fitted versions (£143.17)!

The Deltic in J1215 is actually D9014 which was the last to remain in green until late 69.   D9004 emerged from Doncaster works in blue on 18th January 1968. 

J1116 nicely illustrates the horns mounted in the nose cone - Pinza was the only one so fitted and the horns were relocated to the top of the bonnets when it emerged in blue in October 67..

Thank you for more excellent pictures from the 1960s.

edited to add information about D9007.

Hmm, have used Hatton's dozens of times over the last few years and always had excellent, prompt service. This time, it was over 3 days before my order was "picked", meaning it arrived whilst I was away for a few days. Fortunately, it was Royal Mail, so I was able to collect it easily. Anyone else had extended time before "picking"?

I rarely get my order picked the same day, it is usually the following day, occasionally the day after that.  The longest was four or five days when they order consisted of around 10 different items.

SYP  - small yellow panel

FYE - full yellow ends

The email I received from Rails specifically excludes forthcoming releases and on-order items from the free postage offer.

Hi just a heads up for others who may be interested, I have just ordered one of these form Rails of Sheffield, and up to midnight tonight they are doing free postage on orders over £50.00, so I have just ordered a Blue Grey version for £50.96 with the postage for free, but the website says they are on order at the moment .... but it saves £4.00 postage, many a mickle make a muckle and all that nonsense as the saying goes.

 

Happy modelling

Craig.

According to my notes on 11/8/77 it was 55002 which worked 1S12, the down Silver Jubilee.

Having bought a few items from them at the BRM exhibition at Doncaster I gave their mail order a try on Thursday evening as they were the cheapest supplier I could find for one of the new releases.   The package arrived safely on Saturday morning.

Their web site shows the quantity in stock and this is always an advantage over those shops which simply state that an item is in stock.   

Pictures now on Hattons web site.

Hi guys,

 

I put my brand new revolving tender Garratt on someones layout with code 100 electrofrog turnouts, Even going through on the straight road the pony wheels just did not want to stay on the track. It also was not picking up power at several locations on the layout where anything else would go through without difficulty. Wait over a year for a beautiful model and this is so disappointing. It spent about as long on the track as it took to get it out of the packaging. Youtube videos show the original, non-rotating bunker version, running fine. Another BRMA member has already sent his back.

 

Anyone else seeing this misbehaviour? Anyone got some fixes? Perhaps weight over the pony trucks?

 

Hattons have offered to send a return satchel to me here in Oz but what I really want is a Garratt that works.

 

Regards,

Greg

Yes, I reported problems with the leading and trailing pony trucks failing to negotiate several types of code 100 points ranging from small radius through to double slips.  I increased the wheel back to backs by about 0.25mm and the loco would then negotiate the same trackwork without incident.  

I've also found problems with the trailing pony truck derailing when the loco was hauling 20 or so wagons on or just after exiting radius 2 curves. I have, so far, not attempted to add weights but this may be answer to problem.

Rails of Sheffield will not get any more pre-orders from me. I also received an email from Hattons and could have pre-ordered for £24, but why should I?  I thought that I had supported my local model shop and pre-ordered at £22.50 two years earlier!

 

My quibble is not about the price rises imposed by Bachmann, it is over the way that Rails conceal the fact that pre-order prices are only good for 12 months.

I have now received part of my order from Rails having accepted the offer of a reduced price per coach following a lengthy email exchange.

As indicated to me two days ago they have now made changes to their price promise for pre-orders.  I would advise anyone who has items pre-ordered to acquaint themselves with the latest information which, as far as I can tell, only appears if you display the item you have ordered and place the mouse pointer over "Price Promise?"

Rails of Sheffield will not get any more pre-orders from me. I also received an email from Hattons and could have pre-ordered for £24, but why should I?  I thought that I had supported my local model shop and pre-ordered at £22.50 two years earlier!

My quibble is not about the price rises imposed by Bachmann, it is over the way that Rails conceal the fact that pre-order prices are only good for 12 months.

Yes it is next to the pre order price.

Thank you for pointing this out.  The reason I did not see it is simply because you have to move the cursor over the words "Price promise?" before it appears.

If you simply place the pre-order you are blissfully unaware of the 12 month limit.  

I pre-ordered five coaches from the well known Sheffield based retailer in March 2012 for £22.50.   I received an email about them earlier today:

"These are due into stock within the next week but the reason for my email is to inform you about the price. As you may be aware Bachmann have recently increased their cost prices quite significantly, as your order is now outside our 12 month price guarantee the price will be £31.95 each."

Is anybody else aware of this 12 month price guarantee period for pre-orders?  I can't find anything about it on my pre-order confirmation or anywhere on their web site.  Interestingly no mention was made in the email of the fact that my credit card details had expired.