Charles125

Given that top of the range niche collectable locos from Locomotion or NRM cost 200 pounds or 250 pounds for the very very best, and the two mainstream manufacturers are charging more or much more for less collectable locos, whyever would anyone ever buy from the mainstream companies? Something not right somehow. The world has gone topsy-turvy. The mainstream companies now do not serve or want ordinary consumers. That much is very clear.

Very sad to say extremely exorbitantly high prices for new model railway products are here to stay. A small part of the problem is Chinese workers wanting big pay rises, but it is way possible to outsource to India with cheaper labour, material and production costs. The plain truth is Hornby's CE several years ago said in the model railway press in an interview that he wanted Hornby products to mostly be a very high priced niche collectors' market with low volume sales. This is now completely proven with the astonishing high priced 321 pounds HD locos, 230 to 267 pounds for large or larger locos, up to 194 for medium locos and 140 pounds for smaller locos. The same with Bachmann, low volume sales to the extremely wealthy!

I've taken the (relatively!) easy option, lowering the Bachmann Junior's saddle tank by 3mm and the footplate by 2mm, still allowing room for the Bachmann DCC chip. Achieved by unclipping the cab and saddle tank, using a razor saw directly under the saddle tank, then using the razor saw to cut each base piece directly above the toolboxes, and re gluing the base pieces with wheel splashers back in in position under the saddle tank. The smokebox saddle was lowered to accept the smokebox door and the front aperture was opened upwards to allow the smokebox door to sit 3mm above the footplate using a round grinding bit in a mini drill, and for it to be be glued in place. The chassis end pieces that rest under the footplate were both lowered by 2mm using a diamond cutting disk in the mini drill, with the corresponding chassis securing lugs reduced accordingly, The front saddle tank securing plastic lugs were trimmed underneath to fit the new chassis position. If necessary 1mm can be taken off the top of the chassis weight and the top edges chamfered slightly. I haven't altered the front cab windows, but they could be drilled out to a suitably larger size. It makes for a much better looking loco, with the saddle tank 5mm lower than Bachmann's monstrosity! . Shame Bachmann didn't think to do likewise in the first place!

A few small points. Handle with great care and be careful who you let handle the loco. The whistle on the cab front protrudes above the cab roof and so is very easy to dislodge / lose. The sandpipes are quite delicate and if broken off are difficult to replace. Probably better to leave slightly out of line than risk breaking them. However the front high disc irons are sturdy.The moulded coal is poor. Finally fixed, not sprung buffers. 9/10 While it is nice to have well-detailed locos, many are now not suitable for handling even slightly roughly. My favourite is undoutedly the Southern Green version!