Richy59

On 06/05/2024 at 09:40, Kingstoke Junction said:

Another way of sorting this issue is to use Bachmann drive shafts. I have recently fitted all my Dapol 121s with Bachmann 65mm drive shafts (the ones fitted to 220 Voyagers) part number E3260-209-01. They are single piece plastic rather than the Dapol concoction of metal shaft with a plastic "butterfly" on each end. Works a treat and and once you get the hang of what you are doing, it's a fairly painless operation. Also when fitting the Bachmann shafts, the flexibility of the plastic also assists with the fitting operation. Cost is £2 per driveshaft but beware, post is £5 per order

Thanks for this, might be a good way to do it rather than messing about with glue etc.

On 03/05/2024 at 22:40, dj_crisp said:

If your Dapol 121 is having the spinning motor but no drive issue then it’s an easy fix which I've done a few times.

I know this is going off topic, but is this an easy enough fix before I send the item back?

I watched jenny Kirk’s video and she bought replacement drive shafts which I can’t find in stock now. Is it more a case of removing the plastic cog and glueing it back onto the metal shaft?

thanks

10 hours ago, dj_crisp said:

 

They are very similar. The early green one does have some minor differences underframe wise (engine, exhaust and buffers off memory). If you're using the kernow 121 then the headcodes won't be illuminated as the LEDs aren't there. I've added a SMD Led and SMD resistor to the existing circuit to do exactly this. The remaining differences are cosmetic... bufferbeam and interior colours.

 

If your Dapol 121 is having the spinning motor but no drive issue then its an easy fix which I've done a few times.

 

Hope this helps

Will

Ah so I see, I could always buy the replacement top pcb as well including the leds for the headcode box.

I have been looking into the Dapol

issues, and bought online ‘new’ bit seems to have come out the box with issues. I can have a look at the drive issues.

Hi, I may get panned for this but here goes.

Been on the lookout for a single car DMU for a little while, ideally the Bachmann, but none have been coming up in BR Green second hand. Was hoping for a rerun in the recent announements but alas. I picked up a Dapol Class 121 on the auction site and it seems to be a dud - I think it's a common issue from what I've raed so far.

Question is, if I buy the Kernow GWR Class 121 they have in stock (for £100) and buy the replacment part from Bachmann Spares for the BR Green bodyshell would this be fairly acceptable? They seem to be from a similar era, and whilst the underframes and buffer beams have colour differences would it be close enough to pass?

I'm assuming the body shells are interchangeable, but there may be slight differences.

Thanks

20 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

PALVANs were designed for a new traffic - manufactured goods loaded on pallets.

 

As such, they were constructed for, and allocated to specific traffic flows - hence their RETURN TO .... markings.

 

Later, they were used for other routes, and the original markings were painted-out, and perhaps relettered.

 

If your modelling period coincides with the introduction of PALVANS, the markings are appropriate; if later, an obvious painting-out would probably be correct.

 

CJI.

 

Thanks, I’m not really sure of the traffic tbh and where it all ended up tbh. Would they mostly have been used on specific workings and express goods between cities?

What does the ‘circuit’ mean, was that just worked a specific circuit route?

Was quite excited for these but now a little disappointed that most of them - especially the ‘early’ ones - have ‘Return To’ markings on the sides. Make it really quite limiting for locations. Probably have to pick up the ‘late’ variation with the yellow ‘circuit’ designation - although it’s still not quite right.

Hopefully some plain ones will be in a future run. 

Thanks 🙂

I’ve had a look through a few pages but can’t find any answers, does anybody have the West Coast Railways livery Mk2s and how does the livery compare to the current Bachmann West Coast Livery? Are they similar or any stand out colour differences? Thanks

On 22/04/2024 at 13:51, MistaMatthews said:

Just taken delivery of a set of these. Immediate observations are that they are a perfect match for the WCRC pullmans which was to be expected. The colour is indistinguishable to my eyes from the standard Bachmann maroon mk1’s. The previous mk2 from Bachmann just doesn’t sit right with me so that has now been ejected from the rake. Tooling hasn’t really changed apart from the removal of end steps, so the NEM pockets are still in the incorrect position. Coupled up with Hornby 20mm magnetic couplings gives a nice close coupling and ease of placing / removing stock.

Do you know if the newley released Mk2 from Bachmann (39-354) is a better match than the older model?

16 minutes ago, Willl said:

Fortunately the glazing is just painted over - I've taken the bold step of guinea-pigging removing the paint and it comes off just fine leaving the glazing underneath (using, of all things, toothpaste and a cotton buds - my ruston will also be the most minty fresh of all)

 

The side 'windows' (if they still count as windows when painted over) have actually got some nice lining on so I may leave them as is. My conscience is happy with the rear windows clear as I think the little 1/76th high drivers would find that sufficient.

Will

Is the glazing easy enough to remove? Looks like a good option for adding the windows - even though they should have been clear in the first place.

i was going to question the difference in paint colours between the top/bonnet and the lower section of the sides, as in my model there is definitely a green tinge to the yellow. However looking at NHY 581’s picture, this looks to be pretty accurate.

20 hours ago, russ p said:

I'd get really sick of that bloke shouting ease up everytime that uncoupling device is used. I hate to hear voices on dcc sound. Or other stupid sounds that aren't there in real life. My accurascale 37 is ruined by an AWS horn everytime it changes direction 

I asked in the live stream if the shunter voice could be muted and they replied saying it can be. Not sure if it's set to a specific CV and you can just set the volume to zero, or if it will be an alt function.

Fingers crossed for the long rumoured to be dead Class 170 🤪

On 23/01/2024 at 21:05, JSpencer said:

 The DCC address can only be determined via a classic DCC controler. You can enter 9017 as your number on the app, but this is purely facultive and is not enregistered as a DCC address. Indeed, they are all 0003 until you change it under DCC control (not blue tooth).

 

I just finished converting three 15 year old Bachmann models (9F, 5MT and 4MT). All the 8 pins plug straight in with the smallest sugar cube sound box supplied fitted. There is no space (except maybe the 5MT) for power pack but all run fine. This was not so straight forwards 10 years ago. Indeed I fitted a TTS to another Bachmann 9F which required surgery to run wires from the loco (where the chip was) to the tender (where the speaker was placed). TXS fitting is far simpler.

I can't comment on your experience, but that isn't what I have found to be the case. I change the address on the app and it is the correct address on my dcc controller - an ACE-2.

I can just type the address into my dcc controller and - as long as I have the TXS decoder in DCC mode - it just starts working. I can put it on the programming track and it reads the correct address.

I eventually managed to get them to work on my DCC controller like the other TXS decoders I have, but it took for me putting them on the programming track and manually entering an address. For whatever reason - and the other decoders don't do this - the address was different when being read by the DCC controller compared to what I entered on the app. 

Anybody know how to make the sound work in both ends of an HST via Bluetooth. So far I can only work out setting them up as individual locos and then the sounds work independently. Unless I am missing something obvious, both of them have same MTU profile installed as well.

I have set them to same address for DCC but neither of them is working via my DCC controller (others are fine) and I can't figure out how to make them a consist via the App.

9 hours ago, ruggedpeak said:

They've just put double points on the NY sale items, is that a sign of desperation or that Points work? Given that you can now buy a Rail Adventure HST set for £217 and get £43 worth of points back it is an attractive proposition. It certainly seems Points are popular with some on RMWeb. And it is an integral part of Hornby's CRM operation to develop direct sales, refered to in their latest trading update, which overall is working based on the update.

 

Right now I am tempted by the RA HST's. Buy those, hope the sale rumbles on until the points 'go live' and then get a TfW 67 for about £70. If the sale ends before that then the points will be used for a FLIRT. We don't have any data but no signs that the Points scheme is failing yet.

I'm actually a little annoyed about this, I bought the RailAdventure set on sale when it first started and it's only been out the box for a brief test run. I'd have happily waited for douple points to buy it, and I'm well past my 2 week returns window.

I don’t usually ‘bash’ his reviews as I do find them informative and can be interesting especially when he takes them apart and goes into good mechanical details of locomotives, but I agree with the comments on his torque measurement.
 

At the end he seems to measure the 2MT as being able to pull 20 coaches before its constantly wheel slipping, but sticking a finger in front of it and applying power means he knows it has low torque. 

It did seem to be geared for lower speeds at 50% power, and he shows it has decent speed at 100%.

In the end it gets 4/5 stars across his ‘scores’ except one 3 star rating, and he gives it an overall score of ‘D’ which seems really low for a locomotive he was overall quite positive about. 

On 09/01/2024 at 16:02, Sweetling Park said:

I also noticed that there doesn't appear to be a Collector Club locomotive this year.  I am wondering if it may be announced later in the year, or if the focus is in the 70th anniversary locos?

I just read this in the latest issue of Railway Modeller, they seem to be doing a preserved version of Locomotion as the Collectors Club loco for 2024.

Recently got my new blue tanks out for a run alongside batch 1, and discovered they don’t seem to just be a re-run as expected but a lot of the detailing and separately fitted parts are a lot more refined and with better detail. Things like the hazard signs and such are much more vibrant and a bit clearer. 
 

I’ve noticed the new gratings on the top are a bit warped compared to the first batch, but it’s almost as if they are a little too long compared to the space available.

Also, but it’s hard to see in the picture, the blue is a different shade. Quite vibrant compared to the first run. A little disappointed as I sold one of my batch 1 blue tanks to get two of the batch 2 blue wagons so I had different running numbers and it’s quite stand out different now.
 

Batch 1 had extra decals for changing numbers and other extras, batch 2 doesn’t seem to have that. Not a big deal, just of note.

My favourite wagons I have by far, mostly because I live near the line for Grangemouth refinery and see these behind the Colas 70 very often. I have more blue tanks now than needed but I like having equal numbers.

54 minutes ago, surfsup said:

Now, the First Great Western Local Lines 153 is an interesting choice (and for me, potentially welcome choice) - It's been requested for some time, but we're often knocked back with "it's too complicated" despite RealTrack giving it a go on their 143. However, given the poor quality control we saw with the ScotRail 153, it is one I'll sadly have to hold back on until I see one in the flesh. 

 

Now, if Hornby can finally give it a crack, over to you Bachmann - It's your turn with the 158 & 153 now! 

Exactly what I was thinking, given the mess of the ScotRail 153. However, they got it right with the livery application for the older Northern Rail Star livery on the 153s so…you never know!

Looking back at all the other photos and even the Hornby pictures there is evident seams along the boilers on all the models from what I can tell, which doesn't exist on the plastic body.

I thought it was maybe a real life quirk that has been missed all these years, but it seems that isn't the case and the diecast mould is joined at two different areas across the top of the body.

Little bit dissapointed they are stopping the range so quickly, maybe time to just pick up some of the sets. My little one is only 2 and he's just a bit young for OO sizes and fidelity of getting them onto the tracks, although he's handy with the Thomas TrackMaster stuff. Seemed ripe for expansion, although did think something may have been up with the lack of updates recently. Looks like the unreleased items like 'Scottie' etc have been cancelled as well.

New management clearing house...

Was half expecting them to announce the 0-4-0 chassis with a decoder socket in it, would have been a good opportunity to tie it in with the 70th Anniversary tank engines.

7 minutes ago, Michanglais said:

Quite surprised at no LNER 'Swallow' class 91 + Mk4s, I'd have thought they would have gone down quite well.

Me too, also suprised a Colas Class 43 pack hasn't been produced, seems like an easy seller for modern image modellers.

Anybody able to buy anything direct? I'm just trying to stick my usual Christmas wagon pre-order in and the website just won't have it at the payment section.