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EFE Rail launches Austerities and J94 in 00


Steamport Southport
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Very happy with my LMR one.

On opening the clam-shell the chimney was found to be loose to the point of immediate detaching but that was the easiest job in the world to glue back on.

Got it run-in on DC on the rolling road and very smooth it is too.

Hopefully the Bachmann Next 18 decoder arrives tomorrow and I have as easy a job as 'Meatloaf' with the installation!

Could be tempted by another one should a BR (L/Cr) one arrive without the weathering at some future point, which I think could be likely.

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Definitely a much improved mechanism compared to the previous incarnation. My two LMR versions very quickly went green on delivery to represent the two Bo'ness examples: NCB No.19 and WD 75254 (ended it's ticket as 68007 and is currently under overhaul)

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Tested my two new ones that afternoon. Both appear to run very well.

 

Just one observation, there seems to be a lot of side play on all three axles allowing the body to swing out at each end. I do not have access to a layout at the moment so cannot run them through points with a train to see how they perform and what configuration the loco takes up when it runs through the curves and reverse curves.

Any comments

 

All the best

Ray  

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3 hours ago, JhornG201 said:

Definitely a much improved mechanism compared to the previous incarnation. My two LMR versions very quickly went green on delivery to represent the two Bo'ness examples: NCB No.19 and WD 75254 (ended it's ticket as 68007 and is currently under overhaul)

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Hi,

 

That's a really fantastic paint job, especially on No. 19.  I ordered her in the blue livery as it was something a bit different form my other locos.  When Grahame, at my local model shop, called last week he told me that my "large logo blue loco" had been delivered.

 

I hope you don't mind me asking but, in respect of No. 19, what paint was used for the green, and did you produce the lettering yourself?  I ask as I wouldn't mind having a go at doing one of the other Scottish Austerities.

 

Thanks and regards,

 

Alex.

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51 minutes ago, Alex TM said:

Hi,

 

That's a really fantastic paint job, especially on No. 19.  I ordered her in the blue livery as it was something a bit different form my other locos.  When Grahame, at my local model shop, called last week he told me that my "large logo blue loco" had been delivered.

 

I hope you don't mind me asking but, in respect of No. 19, what paint was used for the green, and did you produce the lettering yourself?  I ask as I wouldn't mind having a go at doing one of the other Scottish Austerities.

 

Thanks and regards,

 

Alex.

 

Hi Alex, 

 

Thanks very much! I used Humbrol No.2 Emerald green with a Humbrol No.1 primer base (both acrylic), and the transfers were custom made for me (tank sides, builders plates and buffer beam numbering). I did a few thin layers of the green to try and get is as smooth as possible as I was brush painting.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Jack 

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Bachmann decoder duly fitted, very simple operation to perform, though the aid of a pair of tweezers was essential.

Runs beautifully, very pleased and impressed!

Many thanks EFE.

I know the price has been commented upon and it does seam a little on the high side. However the model appears to me a definite improvement over it's pervious DJM iteration.

Really love the LMR livery too! 

 

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On 27/08/2020 at 16:10, JhornG201 said:

Definitely a much improved mechanism compared to the previous incarnation. My two LMR versions very quickly went green on delivery to represent the two Bo'ness examples: NCB No.19 and WD 75254 (ended it's ticket as 68007 and is currently under overhaul)

IMG_1821.jpeg

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Very useful photos. They clearly show that the bars across the rear spectacles need attention as well as the injectors and, in my opinion, the wheels. I have to say that the paint job on the bars is incredibly neat. Superb job!

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On 27/08/2020 at 20:22, JhornG201 said:

 

Hi Alex, 

 

Thanks very much! I used Humbrol No.2 Emerald green with a Humbrol No.1 primer base (both acrylic), and the transfers were custom made for me (tank sides, builders plates and buffer beam numbering). I did a few thin layers of the green to try and get is as smooth as possible as I was brush painting.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Jack 

Hi Jack,

 

That's really helpful, thanks.

 

Your brushwork is really good, as I was expecting you to say what you had 'sprayed'.  I'll be brush painting the top coat too.

 

I've now got to pluck up the courage to buy another one, and repaint it.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

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3 hours ago, No Decorum said:

Very useful photos. They clearly show that the bars across the rear spectacles need attention as well as the injectors and, in my opinion, the wheels. I have to say that the paint job on the bars is incredibly neat. Superb job!

 

Available from RT Models if that's of use.

 

http://www.rtmodels.co.uk/rt_models_023.htm

 

 

 

Jason

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With regards to the price im happy with the 129.00 i paid for mine.  Its roughly the same as i paid for the new 24/1 and only slightly more than the new Bachmann pannier releases.

 

The laisdcc decoder works well, giving super low speed running on 128 speed steps.

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Just bought Waggoner  from TTC Diecast through ebay as Topcashback is applicable and drops the effective price to a smidge over £126. Bought it on the basis whilst at Southampton it might have been loaned to a nearby preserved line... 

Looking for a Next 18 decoder found Time Tunnel have the Bachmann branded Zimo decoder for £18.39 including postage provided you use the discount code mentioned in the description.  Alternatively they are post free on orders over £30.

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On 21/08/2020 at 11:21, Steamport Southport said:

 

The Dapol, now Hornby one dates from about 1985. Fantastic for it's day but very tired and crude in parts. RRP of that is probably a bit too high at nearly £90 as it's pretty much Railroad standard now. Especially since it's in the same price range as the new Terrier.

 

Another case of a manufacturer sleeping on the job when it comes to retooling a model I feel. Then seeing that prototype snatched away by a model that isn't quite the definitive version.

 

 

 

 

Jason

After the release of the DJM one Hormby decided  that theirs was worth £5-10 less than the DJM one, I wonder if they will have the same policy with the EFE?  Or will they bounce it into Railroad with simpler liveries and really undercut?

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On 27/08/2020 at 21:10, Waveydavey said:

Any idea when no.19 went from green to blue and yellow?

I’m sure I’ve seen a photo of it in green in 1974 and blue/yellow in 1978ish but I model 1975 and would like to get the colour right.

 

Looking at my picture books it was in a fairly mucky black in about 1968. It got transferred to Comrie in 1971 and that was probably when it was painted green. The next photies I have are 1979, but I've nothing in between.

 

What I would mention though is that I've photies of some Barclays at Polkemmet in 1979 in the same livery, but so absolutely filthy that its hard to see the join between the blue and the yellow. No.19 is very definitely much cleaner, but nothing like the EFE model. The blue is darker and the yellow seems to have faded very quickly to a lemony shade. 

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On 30/08/2020 at 11:17, Butler Henderson said:

Just bought Waggoner  from TTC Diecast through ebay as Topcashback is applicable and drops the effective price to a smidge over £126. Bought it on the basis whilst at Southampton it might have been loaned to a nearby preserved line... 

Looking for a Next 18 decoder found Time Tunnel have the Bachmann branded Zimo decoder for £18.39 including postage provided you use the discount code mentioned in the description.  Alternatively they are post free on orders over £30.

cheers picked up the decoder from time tunnel. Whilst the lais chip i inially fitted works well i wanted the manual brake feature of the Bachmann / zimo chip

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Now that 68043 has been collected from my local model shop (full price but supporting my local business) and a next18 chip has arrived from somewhere on eBay I've got it out of its box and placed in onto NO PLACE and done some comparisons with my BR liveried DJModels one, its 51A stablemate 68023.

 

Pics

 

302463668_EFE68043.jpg.2827c65a1b38c715f18259e15c9052be.jpg

 

68043 on its own, straight out of the box.  Nice finish but a shame they didn't do the overscale pipeworks black.  Perhaps the next run could have stronger handrails  to save having to replace broken ones - they are vulnerable in exhibition use.

 

398299347_EFEandDJ1.jpg.dd91465db1022e6c9fa5a3a401dd1c97.jpg

 

68043 and DJM 68023 side by side, the latter slightly out of focus so moving on.  there seems to be little or no difference in weight between the two- the EFE being lighter, probably by a sound chip, high bunker and speaker.  That probably means it will be just as track sensitive, but I won't be able to test that before Tuesday at the clubroom.  NO PLACE is on the bench and its power feed is inaccessible at the moment.  There is the same gear train visible underneath both engines, so unless it is a substantially stronger motor the EFE will have most of the perceived problems of its older brother.  I'm not sure but the numbers on the side of the tank may be slightly coarser on the new one.

 

 

 

EFE_and_DJ_2.jpg.0994c33aaef9152150161b0d3f349607.jpg

 

Looking inside the smokebox.  I'm not convinced by the change for the following reasons- 

ADVANTAGES- it is neater and the smaller smokebox door means the top handrail is less vulnerable. 

DISADVANTAGES - the smaller door and greater front-to-back depth of the door moulding means the magnets grip it slightly more tightly. This means the smokebox dart is very vulnerable if you use it to pull the door or that the hinge is vulnerable if used as a lever.  ALSO the smaller aperture means you can't do what 68023 to the right has had done- a speaker and stay alive won't pass through the aperture with the sound chip so the exhaust comes from the wrong end of the loco.  Similarly my silent ones have a substantial plug of lead in the smokebox to keep them on the track and there is no room for that.

Accordingly my personal view is that there are more minuses than pluses for this change 

 

1478733259_EFEandDJ3.jpg.f93442b4c0c08de92ab6b7668dfc536d.jpg

 

The black coupling rods I'm not sure about. I can live with either red or black.  The black reversing rod is a definite improvement. NCB Backworth painted theirs red but all other reversing rods I remember seemed to be rusty on the bits that weren't smothered in thick black grease.. This pic IMHO shows the advantage of painting the overbright copper pipework black, even though on 68023 it has rubbed off again in places.

 

Is it worth just shy of £150- to me, yes.  Is it £50 better than the DJModels one- probably not, but that to me indicates the DJM version may have been £20 to £25 underpriced when it came out.

 

Lastly, for those who say the Hornby is better value- my oldest WD saddletank for comparison

 

2071711329_Hornbyforcomparison.JPG.c8dbc1a19d6fea3b769bbc4e86fab526.JPG

 

This is one of the very earliest Dapol J94s, starting life as a 68034 Cromford version. The DJM and EFE are a generation ahead, but I hope they will last as long as this one has in service.  At least they are a sight easier to DCC fit...

 

Hopefully this lot has been fairly objective.  68043 will have its BR emblem changed to a late lion to mirror the real one as I remember it when I cabbed it in 1964 and be slightly grimed up to reflect its Darlington status of mechanically in good order but not cleaned unless being used as works pilot on a quiet day - that is unless its trackholding isn't good enough in which case it will stay clean and be used on the preservation side of the layout.  Find out at Loughborough show next year....

 

Les

 

Edited by Les1952
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Hi Les.

 

For weathering the brass work, try using Humbrol enamel matt varnish with some matt black added to it with a perhaps a little of their weathering Oily Stains. These are all compatible. You can do it once and see how it looks and if still too shiny go over it again but apply it patchily. This will allow some of the brass to still show through with a bit of sheen whilst making it look mucky.

 

All the best

Ray

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I tried out 68043 on  layouts (not mine) this afternoon, light engine and with a train.  I also took along DJM 68023.

 

General running- no problems on the main line- it seems the new motor might run a little slower than the old one, but that could be the difference between the two decoders.

 

Haulage capacity- pulling, BOTH managed 14  bogie wagons on level track.  Propelling both managed 15 chimney first,  the DJM 14 bunker first and the EFE 13 bunker first.  The DJM has extra weight in its smokebox with the speaker and stay-alive as well as the chip being inside it, so I suspect the EFE is just as front-end-light as its predecessor.  In all cases haulage was limited by slipping- propelling bunker-first would cause the bunker end to dig in and the smokebox end to lift.

 

Rough track- both locos derailed in exactly the same places, and both were better on dodgy track bunker first than chimney first.

 

Conclusion from trying all this- for most purposes with good track no issues and strong enough for most purposes, but there isn't a significant improvement in either haulage or trackholding.

 

If I need another J94/WD and a suitable one comes up I'll have another, ditto if they do another Darlington pet in the next run....

 

Next job with 68043, light weathering after I change the crest to post-1957, and blacken that gold monstrosity under the footplate. 

 

Les

 

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10 hours ago, Les1952 said:

 

 

Next job with 68043, light weathering after I change the crest to post-1957, and blacken that gold monstrosity under the footplate. 

 

Les

 

 

Anent the gold monstrosity, I acquired a Hornby rendering of Backworth No.49 the other day. This features the same horror dimension wise, but the paint job actually disguises it. There appears to have been an initial dark layer [a sort of dark brown gold] with bright gold highlights on top - for you and I dry brushing. The effect is quite striking and I needed to look very closely to confirm that it didn't after all have scale pipework. 

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42 minutes ago, Butler Henderson said:

Waggoner finally arrived this afternoon, Hermes not 2 day delivery, what is the big black plastic part in the accessory bag?

 

Flattish rectangular thing with detail on it?

 

If it's the same as the DJM version it's to go between the frames and is a representation of the valve gear.

 

 

 

Jason

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Looking at photos of Wagonner aside from Bachmann in their publicity photos seemingly having got the location of the nameplates wrong they do show that the extent of "gold" (copper)  is excessive with part of the assembly a duller metal

i.e.  https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/hunslet-works-no-3792-wd192-waggoner-0-6-0st/

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