Knapdale

Has anyone who runs these new 47s on DC experienced the marker headlights not being lit or dim at low speeds? My old Bachmann 47’s marker lights light up at crawling speed, but the new one’s lights only light up at high speed. The tail lights are fine. Just wondering if this is a feature of the new Plux 22 chassis being run on DC only, or if there is a problem with the loco.

So after various trials with adjusting back to back gradually without success, I’ve discovered that it is the worm gear covers on the newer model’s gear towers that prevent the bogies from turning as much as the older model’s bogies. The older bogie design doesn’t have a cover for the worm gear, so the bogie can turn a tighter radius. Will try and file down the plastic covers a wee bit where they hit part of the chassis block and see if this solves the issue.

A Scottie Dog isn’t prototypical on any Eastfield locomotive anyway. The dog’s a Westie!

You can get capacitors to work on analogue. Hobby Trax, for example, sell ones that fit into DCC Ready 8 pin locomotives. I’ve used them on a Hornby 66 and a Bachmann Plasser crane to boost their pick up of electrical current. I suspect that Accurascale’s is fancier, but still works the same way.

One of the axles is 14.5mm and the rest are 14.4mm. The wider one is the one that causes derailment when leading, while the others just cause the loco to slow down in either direction. I just want to narrow the B2B gradually and test after each adjustment. Unfortunately, my layout is laid so don’t really want to change it at this stage. All my other Co-Co locos (47, 55s and 60) manage no problem, it’s just the recently purchased second-hand 37s that have a problem!

Could anyone tell me the best way to reduce the spacing between the wheels on a Bachmann 37? I have the same problem as the OP, and while I’ve adjusted wheels on rolling stock, I don’t want to do anything that damages a locomotive.

That’s my experience too, albeit on a smaller scale. My two AS Deltics had to go back for repair (they weren’t replaced), one of which has had to go back twice more. I’ve never experienced such problems with the Bachmann, Heljan or Hornby locos I’ve purchased. As excellent as their models look and their customer service is, my concern regarding their long-term reliability is making me edge towards Bachmann for an 80s Scottish 37/4 when both companies release them.

And the dog on the side is not a “Scottie”, but a Westie!

And that model was one of the first releases by Bachmann. I find it bizarre that they issued later models with no lights at all!

This is a great whodunnit?! I can only find 4 Hornby Quicksilver models: R1136, R2246, R2445 and R3307. And none of these releases matches the packaging or bar code pictured.

R1136 according to Model Rail Database. https://www.modelraildatabase.com/locomotives/details/3166/

Out of interest, what was wrong with the one you got?

They do sell new Bachmann stuff, just a limited range. New tool 20s, 37s and 47s are available, just not as cheap as elsewhere: https://www.hattons.co.uk/stocklist/siteresults?search/sources/New/scales/OO/product-types/Diesel locos/brands/Bachmann Branchline

It’s DCC Ready running on analogue.

Well, that’s my 15 going to be returned for a third time. It now runs backwards when it should be moving forwards, with tail lights leading and vice versa. Very disappointing.

I would still use a CDU to protect the two motors. The amount of motors on a layout is irrelevant, as in theory only one or two motors are only going to be fired at any one time. But you want the motors you have to be protected from being burnt out. If you look around, you can get a new CDU for under £10.

You’ve maybe got a first release body on a later 21 pin chassis then. The first Bachmann Class 37 was released in 2003 (so couldn’t be earlier than that) with an 8 pin chassis. 21 pin chassis weren’t released until 2006 with 32-779. However, Bachmann also released 37s in 2006 still with an 8 pin chassis (32-381 and 32-382, from what I can glean from the internet). What isn’t clear to me was when Bachmann introduced working tail lights for the 8 pin chassis. It was either with the 2003 tooling upgrade in 2004, or the two aforementioned 2006 8 pin models. There were also changes in bogie towers in 2004 and 2006. 2003 tooling with 8 pin https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/versiondetails/4963/bachmann_branchline_oo_class_37 2006 tooling with 21 pin https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/versiondetails/4965/bachmann_branchline_oo_class_37

Yes, a couple of times during the period concerned. However, the e-mail ears must have been burning, because I’ve now received notification that it’s ready to be sent out.

Does anyone know from which model Bachmann changed its 8 pin chassis to include working tail lights and cab lighting? The original 2002/03 releases (32-375 to 32-380) had only forward working marker lights and headlight, but am wondering if the change came with the 2004 release (32-775 to 32-778) or the 2006 release (32-381 and 32-382). I want to find a donor locomotive to do a project on, but it must have working tail lights. Getting a donor with a 21 pin chassis is too expensive!

Has any one else had problems with the motor that has caused you to return it for repair? If so, how long has it taken for you to receive it back? I have two Deltics, both of which had to be returned for motor repair soon after receiving them. It didn’t take too long (within a month if I recall correctly) to get them back working as they should. However, one of them suffered from motor issues again and went back for repair in February via Rails. Still waiting for its return.

I’ve used the OO gauge Proses ballast spreader with height adjustment and shut off. It’s excellent. Much quicker and neater than using the teaspoon method. However, I’ve not used the equivalent glue spreader, so can’t comment on how well that works.

Many thanks for the link. Unfortunately, although the exact part I’m looking for, I think these are for the O gauge model. 🙁 I realise now that I never made clear in my post that I was looking for the OO gauge version, forgetting that Heljan do the 26 in both scales!

Thanks. PM sent.

Yes, still looking!

This (39-725) was released in the first batch of DBSOs along with the BR ScotRail one (39-726) in 2019. According to Bachmann’s 2022 release announcement, the latest DBSOs are new tooling. I would think they still have the original tooling available to do the 1980s examples again as demand for them is so great (saw a BR ScotRail one go for £300 on eBay last month).