SGP

Well, mine has arrived. Has it been worth the wait? For me ... no. 

As I only want a representation of E5000 in a showcase, I'm not too bothered about the running qualities and as a limited edition I'm loathe to modify and renumber it. 

My main reason for waiting for the DJM model was the promise of a 74 to match it but that doesn't really look likely now. I've had time to hack a 74 from a Hornby 71.

Hornby's 71 model has the booster showing through the side window whereas the DJM 71 has a blacked out window. Surely with a smaller motor there was room to add that in such a large window? 

I'm not saying that the DJM model is crap, it is better than Hornby's in a lot of areas but I think I'll be buying a Hornby and considering my options. When two manufacturers bring out the same model there'll be good and bad in both. Why then are there four versions of the Class 52? There's Dapol wasting their time fixing something that isn't broken.

 

 

Nothing wrong with the handrails. Watch from 1.42 as the model rotates, and at 1.59, facing the camera, it all looks perfectly symmetrical to me. I think camera angles, perspective and parallax all have a role in deceiving us. This looks fine to me. 

My example (without a magnifying glass) has one handrail higher than the other at one end ... the same end as the previous photo and the same inclination. Going around the sides, at both ends the handrail is attached noticeably higher under the drivers side window than the other side. These handrails are flimsy and only attached at two points whereas Hornby's are attached at three points and a lot thicker. I've noticed that some Hornby versions have the same cock-eyed positioning of these handrails at the front ends.

 

 

I ordered the 77 long before it came out and I am pretty sure I did not pay up front. 

I ordered all three. I was refunded on Tommy as it did not reach the pre-order target. I could either have had a full refund or a voucher for the full amount plus a percentage on top. Tommy was definitely on a pre-pay basis which is probably why it wasn't taken up ... pre "crowdfunding" but essentially the same thing.

Olivia's also had Heljan on the case of the Blue Pullman but Bachmann then announced that they would be making one and were far advanced in the tooling. Pre-orders were then swapped over to the Bachmann product.

The Class 77 that was crowd funded did okay and there was only seven of those ... (though okay, there were four or five liveries to choose from). 

Although it is said that this DJM class 71 is the first crowd funded OO model, Olivia's Trains / Heljan classes 76, 77 and Tommy were all funded before release and if enough pre-paid orders were not forthcoming, we would all get a refund. This actually happened in the case of Tommy where there was not enough interest in any of the three variations offered. 

 

Amazing what you can see when its bigger, is the off set/centre handrails prototypical? never saw that before.

 

I noticed that on a photo (or was it the video) earlier in the thread. Not all are like it ... it looks like an error on that particular example. The holes that the rails fit into also seem to have "erupted" as well. Another (blue one) has those eruptions on the side. Mine should arrive today after six days in the post so I'll be checking it carefully.

 

 

In my experience anything with the word 'Paxman' on the side was best avoided

Class 56 and HST were the best pieces of kit I ever worked with. Never failed with either of them.

I had the email Friday to say that mine was on its way but it's Tuesday now so I assume it's been posted with Hermes. 

No worries though, after all this wait, I need to renumber it, scrape off the rain strips and repaint it before it goes into a case. But then the certificate is invalid and the model devalued. 

However, I'll most likely sell it on the Bay of E and then wait even longer for a non limited version (hopefully with the correct number) if there is even another run at all. I'll most likely get a Hornby one though to repaint and renumber. 

I stayed with the DJM model so that the 71 and 74 would be of the same general outline, but if the DJM 74 isn't forthcoming, I'll hack a Hornby 71 into a 74 instead.

Maybe just the extreme close up on the videos but the wraparound front handrails look a bit skew at the front on the green model and globs of glue on the blue at the sides.

Cab lights ... a totally unneccesary and annoying feature on analogue if you can't switch them off. Drivers don't drive with the cab light on as they can't see where they are going. This 71 at least does have a switch.

 

 

Thanks for the tip about thin fences

You can buy loop top decorative wire on a roll to add to the top of the fence. It looks okay and cats can't walk on it or get through it. Just tuck the long ends into the top arris rail .... the looser and wobblier, the better. The wire won't go rusty as it is coated in green plastic.

I can see why the guttering was fitted as an afterthought to the real Class 71's. The driver would get a waterfall down the back of his neck without them, BUT .... when they were converted to 74, the gutters were removed. Very strange.

 

 

Quite the difference in cab corner shapes ! 

But which one is right? Neither but I'd say the Hornby one is closest there (or it could be the angle of the photo ... which is slightly off centre). 

I'm doing E5000 (I only do prototypes and first of class for display) so I'm going to have to do a bit of filing on the rain guttering which looks a bit too proud on the DJM version anyway. 

Good and bad points on both but if I'm going to have to hack one about, repaint and renumber, I might get the Hornby one and sell the crowdfunded one. 

The overall look of the DJM version is better so hopefully it will become available as E5000 without guttering at a later date.

I'd welcome everything being brought back to UK ... Hornby, Dapol, EFE, Corgi, etc. I've had a lot of expensive models reduced to scrap after they were well out of guarantee and only ever in a display case .... EFE lorries turned to dust, Klein Modellbahn 1180, Hornby 31, all because of crap quality materials.

Nice ride in a bendy bus here .... 28 seconds in .... Music is "Avalon" by Juliet if you're wondering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbMO94od8qA

When we lived in Australia (60's), they were still using this type of bus ... unheard of in UK.

 

 

If the drive is to the third axle, which is the 'trailer' axle, isn't there a risk that the vehicle could jack-knife with the 'trailer' pushing the front part of the combination?

There used to be a law against articulated buses and riding in a trailer. Does this mean you can now travel legally in a towed caravan? 

Cart pushing the horse in the case of a bendy bus. Dangerous IMO. 

I never travel on trains being pushed from behind via TDM. That's an accident waiting to happen ... wait .... it already did. Polmont if I recall. 

Dead loco's hung onto the rear of a train was always a no-no until privatisation, then the rule book only applied if it suited management.

On the subject of ugly buses, I wonder if anyone will ever do a Thames Trader Cyclebus? 

The short answer is probably "No". 

Updated editions of Tintin on Black Island ..... 

 

 

Stoppit - you'll only get some of the members over-excited and we know what happens then!!!

Okay, I'll dampen things off a bit ..... 

Docked bang on schedule ... 

 

 

Showing as due to dock 2100 tonight. 

As of 20:45 tonight ... being tugged into position 

The ship has been running on two yellows for a couple of days now

I still stand by what I said. Dapol took on too much and then sat on the problem. They had to be nudged rather than own up to a problem.

Besides, being made in China with an alleged thousands of cheap hand labour ... where is the delay? Not as if Dapol are running a tight ship in UK and half the staff goes off with flu, is it?

 

 

I'd be careful with comments about Dapol.

Why? If you ring a plumber, he'll either come straight round or give you a date when he can come round. If he doesn't turn up and keeps making excuses, you get a different plumber.

 

 

I certainly miss C & B Models in Derby. The loss of that shop and Trainlines has much reduced the options in the city. 

C&B never really had much in although I may have found it late in the day just before it became a totally R/C outlet. 

Trainlines used to be at 79 Ashbourne Road (between Friargate and Markeaton) which is now Georgies Vintage Cafe. He only opened two days a week and couldn't have done much business. 

After relocating to the old Nottingham Road, he opened a lot more frequently but the business was sold not long after to TTC Diecast who are still there. 

I think the gripe lies with Dapol. If they don't want the work they shouldn't take it on. 

At least tell someone it won't be produced anytime soon rather than keeping quiet whilst rolling out O gauge to a smaller select market.

A friend had been looking forward to this D6xx model but unfortunately died earlier this year.