MG 7305

I was led astray to buy a second GWR crane to create a breakdown "Pair". The newspapers will tell you that inflation is now around 5%, but they never checked model railway inflation. I paid GBP 212 for each of mine and they are beginning to look like a snip compared to incoming prices. I thought long and hard before buying the Western Pullman from Kernow which was split from the ridiculous train pack part designed to get rid of the obsolete DCC controllers. Looking at the prices for DCC fitted D and E MUs today but without sound chips it looks like it was a "sound" call. I would also suggest that it will be a long time before Bachmann produce a new run of these fabulous crane models and if they do it will be at a really eye watering price. They are something of a niche product and I suspect that this niche has been filled. They are long, expensive and need other vehicles to make a convincing train. This demands a long siding in your loco shed; happily I have such a siding and they go out on a run far more often than derailments demand. I recognise that we are incredibly lucky to be offered these models and even if it is a stretch to obtain one I take the opportunity to do so, as the old adage goes "Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten". Go for it.

My apologies if I am teaching granny to suck eggs. However DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) is an Incoterm. There are are a number of Incoterms which are legally agreed terms for international trade. They were first formally introduced in 1923 but have a significant history before that time, from memory they go back to the 17th century and the formation of Lloyds. They were created to make the carrying and transfer of risk and transport costs in international trade simple and definable. Details can be seen here, Wikipedia being your friend (other websites are available): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incoterms The whole thing defines risk and payments and who in an international transaction involving the transport and insurance of goods from one party to another. Interestingly when I was introduced to the subject in my MSc degree the concept of the "Ships Rail" was important. If the consignment was dropped from the crane and it fell into the sea then one party (depending on the agreed Incoterm) carried the risk and if it fell onto the ship's deck then the other party carried the risk. This definition was only removed in the last 5 years. In this case, when the retailer states the terms are DDP then there is no freight or duty to be paid by the consignee, the terms being "Delivered, Duty Paid" and all freight and duty costs have therefore been paid by the consignor. IOSS is, to my knowledge, not an Incoterm but a local concept. Best regards

One question will the names plates be printed or etched on the production model. A variation on the old if all else fails... in this case read the press release link on page 20 or repeated here: https://accurascale.co.uk/blogs/news/gosh-where-are-our-manors-decorated-samples-and-update If time is extremely pressing, then yes, the plates are etched.

I think you will find that it is meant to be "as preserved" and therefore correct. There is another 7801 in this livery and original "fat chimney" condition. It is this one I have on order and will renumber to 7808.

Mine is fitted with a Zimo. It now runs beautifully (see above) but I agree the lights are something of an enigma. F0 - Class 1 train lamps and directional, fine. F1 and 2 switched tail lamp and directional, fine. I don't really have a use for the cab and engine room lights. BUT the head and tail lamps do not work until I change the locomotive's direction on my ECoS. Weird eh? Still it is a prototype and allowed to foibles.

OK. You should have: 1. 2 Draw hooks in black with associated 3 link coupling, one for each end. These will need filing down to fit in the hole in the draw bar. 2. 2 steam heat pipes. See available photo's as to where they fit. See below for options. 3. 2 vacuum brake pipes. See photo's and so on. 4. You need to decide if your model is for display or use. You have 2 hook and bar couplings and these cannot be fitted to the bogie vacuum cylinders as well as the drawhook, steam heat and vacuum pipes. You pay your money and take your choice. I have chosen to fit a kadee to to one end and the full hook and pipe set up at the other. 5. You have 4 (small) foot steps in silver, 2 silver 'U bend' bars', and 2 U bend bars with bolted joints between the vertical and the horizontal, yes it does make sense. Look carefully at the drawing on the front of the box. 6. I have had the opportunity to look both at the picture on the front of the box. best books and the locomotive itself. If you look at the underneath of the model there are, in the dummy silver bogie, 2 holes at the front (outer) end and 2 at the back (inner) end, left and right. Further there are 2 holes in the body frame on each corner where the leading axle is. So: A. The long simple silver U bend goes in the holes in the inner end of the bogie. These remain on the locomotive to this day but needless to say are now black! B. The U bend with a bolted joint go at the other or outer end of each bogie. The holes can be seen. On the locomotive today these have been replaced with conventional guard irons. It is clear that these guard irons are an after market 'weld on'. C. The 4 small square, silver, U shapes are the foot steps for the cab and fit into the holes in the model in line with each which match each outer axle of each bogie. The straight face goes to the outer side. More interestingly you may wish to dismantle the model to ensure that the power pickups contact the inside of the wheels at all times. I would not wish to give instructions to do this, it depends on your skills, but I strongly recommend it. The centre battery? section of the body seems to be a pain in that the screws which hold it on are too short or lacking in diameter/thread. My solution was to glue a bit of cocktail stick in the hole, drill the cocktail stick to give a start to the screw and go for it. Worked a treat. This is in no way a criticism of the model, it is a cracker. Just a steer to get to the finishing line.

It is not perfect. However I have always found that every model needs a little improvement. Welcome to modelling. In the case of the "the battery box is hanging off because the screws won’t tighten and as has already been mentioned". Yes, mine did too. However plugging the original holes with a bit of cocktail stick, drilling and refitting did the job. I agree that we should not need to do this but I have found that every model i buy needs a little help to meet my expectations; starting with the humble 5 plank open which needs the brake handle painting white. If we want perfection you must expect to pay a lot more for it. Compare continental prices to a bit of cocktail stick, it's a no brainer. Whining won't change anything and cancelling a future order is something of an empty gesture. I look forward to the challenge of making 18100 meet my standards.

Thank you for giving me the courage to dismantle a GBP 200 model and fix the pick ups to the motor. It was something of a marathon but I got there in the end and the running is infinitely improved. I can now fit the details without worrying I may have to damage them to get the running up to standard.

Concerning the ability of the model to negotiate curves. I recommend that a railing ramp is used when putting the model on the track. By hand you can only affect the alignment of the dummy or silver bogie not the inner or real bogie. I have found that the Bachmann one is best for my needs (GWR and WR diesels), see here: https://www.Bachmann.co.uk/product/e-z-railer/44492. No pecuniary interest, just a lot poorer as a long term customer of their products! I do not think I could get the model of 18000 on all 12 wheels on the rails without it. It could well be your model is derailed to start with.

Thank you for this pointer.

Having said all that, it is a cracking model and will gee up my all GWR layout!

Hmm. I am glad that I am not the only one to struggle here. I too have fitted a Zimo decoder and no sign of the cab or engine room lights. I do not feel that this is a real issue for me as I would never use them. The head and tail lights are, I think, a little eccentric with the Zimo. Order of batting is to select locomotive and then the lights (FO, F1 and F2). But to make them actually come on I need to change the direction of travel of the locomotive! Once this is done they work perfectly well and the rear light is directional (only coming on when it is the trailing end) and can be switched off if required if coupled to a train. Once the lights are on I can change direction of travel and the lights behave as I would expect, but still no cab or engine room lights. Best regards Julian

If you look at the silver bogie frame on the locomotive from underneath you will see 4 holes in each rounded corner. The long elongated silver U shaped details fit into 2 of these each, going from left to right. If you look at the side on picture on the front of the box you can see that the ones with the slightly longer verticals (with a bolted 90 degrees change from vertical to horizontal) go towards the buffers and the others (with a simple bend of 90 degrees) go towards the centre of the locomotive. The small silver U shaped details are steps which fit below the cab doors in the body from underneath. Once again there are 2 small holes for them to be glued into if you look from underneath. They do not go straight down but have a bias outwards. Please see photograph in Kevin Robertson's book on the GWR gas turbines page 110 which is the best I can find. Yes, I know, it would have helped if..... Julian

Just to be clear, 18000 was an A1A-A1A as built (latterly an A11-A1A when a traction motor burnt out and was never repaired). The centre axle on each bogie had wheels of reduced diameter compared to the driving axles so Heljan have got it right. 18100 was a Co-Co.

What size of ballast, shoulder widths, vegetation and weeds are very dependent on what time period you are modelling. The modern era, big ballast, big shoulders and the "green tunnel effect" are very different from pre-nationalisation tidiness, smaller ballast and grass to the boundary fence. Photographs of the railway of your desired period are the best answer.

Que sera. sera.

I don't know if you are using DCC or not. However I do and spent quite a few hours adjusting the 2 keeper plates on each model to make them run freely. Then I added very large stay alives in the cabs. The results are excellent albeit very expensive for small 0-60 tanks. They are unstoppable and very smooth, but don't look too carefully into the cab!

lokpilot V5 21 pin decoder 59629. See my email above re Digitrains. 5 in stock as I type.

Digitrains have one or more Loksound 21 pin V5 decoders, # 59629 21 PIN LOKPILOT V5. They were wrongly identified as V4.

I too am struggling to get everything to work, this time using a Zimo MX638. In the mean time I note the lack of a fitted carden/prop shaft which should run from the gearbox final drive to the bogie drive. I further note 2 off of what appear to be suitable shafts in the detail pack with the couplings. However the bogie model differential has no hole to accept it but would appear to have had something broken off where the carden shaft should be connected. Is it reasonable that this is correct and I should drill the bogie or is there some other explanation?

Try this one, exhaust and steam from the safety valve going to the rear of the train:

And all was I was trying to do was explain the lamp bracket types and locations on the steam railmotor and matching trailer car. No one other than my entries has tried to support or deny the lamp brackets as fitted to the GWS rail motor and trailer. Photographic evidence support autotrains with class G lamps, an example here: I am happy to be corrected but would be best if positive evidence was available to support any contrary theories. The more I learn about GWR and BR(W) practice the better, the latter being a direct continuation of the former. I will find more photographs to support my contention if necessary. I do not believe that practice changed post nationalisation and more photographs were taken. GWR practice was so ingrained that it continued into the 1960's and beyond to my certain experience.

Please see table above. In fact, the there are many photographs of auto trains hauled by 48xx (14xx) locomotives with a Class G headcode. So, if the railmotor is running on its own or hauling the trailer car then a Class G headcode is also correct being loco and brake, see 48xx example. Therefore, the loco lamp bracket is bottom centre on the railmotor. However, if the trailer is leading it is not loco and brake but brake and loco. Therefore, the train becomes Class B and the lamp bracket mounted to suit. It should be noted that it is a loco bracket as it is leading and the driver will fit a loco department lamp. It is right at the top as there is a gangway fitted. My brain is beginning to hurt.

Alright. So what is the (better) alternative? How would you arrange the layout of lamp brackets taking into consideration train working on branch lines, the requirements of operational safety and Department of Transport (DOT) rules? I am no expert but I am trying to interpret reality in the light of requirements. The GWR was not stupid.