New Farish Mk1s

[nackerty]

But can you admit that they are very good and worth the wait I would expect this type of (sorry i'm going to have to say it) rivet counting in the larger scales. These are tiny and viewed from a distance it is the overall effect and character of the original that is important along with good running / close coupling qualities. Passenger coaches are my no1 model interest but memory is subjective and as long as a coach looks like I remember them then that's ok by me. Just look to train sims to see how wrong a mk1 can be made to look

[frobisher]

Not much to add beyond I got my two (SK and TSO, both maroon) today and they look superb The bogies seem to be a completely new tooling compared to the previous BR1 that Bachmann had for the MK1 subs and to my mind looks way better. Really looking forward to more of these

[nackerty]

Reach out and turn that handle. I'm just messin with your heads by putting a commonwealth on

[Kris]

Reach out and turn that handle. I'm just messin with your heads by putting a commonwealth on

 

Wrong bogie for the livery (unless you're running a preserved line). However very much the right bogie for many later liveries. What coach have you swapped the bogie out from?

[Edwin_m]

That Commonwealth has a huge bogie-body gap compared with the BR1 pictured further up the thread. Does this mean the bogie pivot is at a different height on the new ones compared with wherever the bogie came from?

[Pixie]

Reach out and turn that handle. I'm just messin with your heads by putting a commonwealth on

 

Whose are they? IIRC CJM do some which could be worth a punt.

 

Pix

[Etched Pixels]

Looks like the Farish one to me (off the later old style coaches) ?

[nackerty]

Got it in one Etched Pixels. I had a spare from a late GF blue grey so just cut the coupler box off. There is too big a gap but not so apparent when viewed from a normal layout perspective. I know it's wrong for a blood and custard but what if it's a preserved one. I know cut the top steps off etc etc

[Chris Higgs]

But can you admit that they are very good and worth the wait I would expect this type of (sorry i'm going to have to say it) rivet counting in the larger scales. These are tiny and viewed from a distance it is the overall effect and character of the original that is important along with good running / close coupling qualities. Passenger coaches are my no1 model interest but memory is subjective and as long as a coach looks like I remember them then that's ok by me. Just look to train sims to see how wrong a mk1 can be made to look

 

Oh, they are great (as I said already). Worth the wait? Yes, but Bachmann should have produced them ages ago (the 4mm ones have been around for years) and I know a retailer who is pretty much wondering how he is supposed to sell the old style ones that they mysteriously are still producing.

 

Sadly, I don't consider rivet counting as an insult. Being a kit manufacturer (albeit in my spare time) I consider it part of the job to have counted all the rivets, and to have applied them in their correct numbers and in the correct places. That way there is no need for other people to count them. Not that there are many rivets on a Mk1 at all, bogies apart.

 

I'm also a software designer (not in my spare time) and I sometimes wonder how these train simulator people get away with what they do :-)

[nackerty]

Right. My earlier picture was taken in terrible Scottish winter light. I did not notice the little web attached to the bogie pivot

 

I have cut a slot to make the bogie sit flat then swapped the new larger wheels from the new bogie and voila looks pretty good to me. problem. I dont think Bachmann supply these new commonwealth bogies. Do they?

 

Picture altered a bit for clarity.

[nackerty]

Oh, they are great (as I said already). Worth the wait? Yes, but Bachmann should have produced them ages ago (the 4mm ones have been around for years) and I know a retailer who is pretty much wondering how he is supposed to sell the old style ones that they mysteriously are still producing.

 

Sadly, I don't consider rivet counting as an insult. Being a kit manufacturer (albeit in my spare time) I consider it part of the job to have counted all the rivets, and to have applied them in their correct numbers and in the correct places. That way there is no need for other people to count them. Not that there are many rivets on a Mk1 at all, bogies apart.

 

I'm also a software designer (not in my spare time) and I sometimes wonder how these train simulator people get away with what they do :-)

 

I take it that you have seen the train sims that I am alluding to. Railworks was a big disappointment when I saw ALL their coaches were wrong. That is why I am so glad that despite the wait these LOOK ok. It must be one of the worst marks of

coaches to replicate as they have had many alterations and were built by so many different works. I am an engineer but not a kit builder. That is why I have kato track and have tried rail sims. I just want it all to be there when I switch on the transformer and zonk out after work. This model has brought me back to british N as here was no point in starting without this essential coach. Rivet counter wasn't meant to be an insult. Modelmakers usually have to compromise but by god I dont see much of that here. The stanier coaches impressed me so much that I hoped the mk1 would be the same and it is.

[scaro]

I dont think Bachmann supply these new commonwealth bogies. Do they?

 

 

as far as i know, they do not.

 

i've approached farish asking about it, but they have no plans to do so.

[Steadfast]

I dont think Bachmann supply these new commonwealth bogies. Do they?

 

Nope, but TPM do a set as a kit (which will be my planned route once I get some mk1s) which are available with or without wheels, so you can re-use the Farish 7mm ones and save some cash.

Your conversion looks ace, btw B)

cheers

 

jo

[Adam1701D]

Oh, they are great (as I said already). Worth the wait? Yes, but Bachmann should have produced them ages ago (the 4mm ones have been around for years) and I know a retailer who is pretty much wondering how he is supposed to sell the old style ones that they mysteriously are still producing.

Knock 'em out for a fiver apiece for those wanting to apply vinyl sides (for example).

[Chris Higgs]

Knock 'em out for a fiver apiece for those wanting to apply vinyl sides (for example).

 

Still wonÖt solve the underframe, which was the worst part of the old ones.

[Chris Higgs]

Thought I'd have a look at the close coupling of these and other coaches. All the pictures are with the Fleischmann Kurzkupplung units

 

First a pair of Dapol Gresleys

 

 

Next the Bachmann Mk1s

 

 

and finally a pair of Fleischmanns

 

[Chris Higgs]

I'm sorry Chris, but I've got to point out a flaw in your logic. Painting the outside of the glazing is not going to stop internal reflections! It'll look black (obviously) and it'll stop you being able to see through the edges, but the inside of the glazing will remain just as reflective.

 

David

 

As I said, not my logic. Someone else tried it, and it worked. It's practice, not theory.

[Chris Higgs]

As I said, not my logic. Someone else tried it, and it worked. It's practice, not theory.

 

Anyway, I prised out some of the glazing (carefully). Chopping it into pieces makes some improvement, but not much. Measuring up the glazing, you can see why the prismatic effect is there. Whereas the window in 8.1mm wide, the centre thin section of the glazing internally is only 7.15mm wide. So basically the edge 0.5mm glazing is much thicker than the centre section. Hence the less than desirable effect.

 

I took a look at a Minitrix coach where the effect is far less seen. They seem to have a smaller (0.3mm) bit around the edge where its thicker, and the overall glazing thickness is less.

 

You can get laser cut glazing these days. I wonder if someone will produce some for N Gauge coaches.

[Dr Al]

Thought I'd have a look at the close coupling of these and other coaches. All the pictures are with the Fleischmann Kurzkupplung units

 

No offence Chris but you can do infinitely better than that - those Fleischmann couplers don't look to close things up all that much.

 

The Mk1s just need one short shank Farish rapido for ultra close coupling, one standard one on the other coach:

 

 

There is a fractional gap, but this could be filled with one of the corridor connection covers. On track they look pretty much fully close coupled.

 

And the Gresleys use 2 of these short shank Rapidos:

 

 

The Gresleys need patient correction of the heights of the couplers by bending the end tips of the NEM coupler as the NEM mounts are very slack on the coaches. This method is ideal for fixed rakes as they won't couple on track easily with these, but once connected they run fine and look superb fully close coupled (the close coupler mechanism is actually used properly like this, and the buffers do a job!), as do the Mk1s.

 

I've run both for many hours now and no problems with derailments or uncoupling, so for the first time we have Gresleys, Mk1s as well as Staniers, and Mk3s that can all fully close couple.

 

Cheers,

Alan

[nackerty]

The Gresleys need patient correction of the heights of the couplers by bending the end tips of the NEM coupler as the NEM mounts are very slack on the coaches.

 

Come again? I have a gresley buffet that uncouples all the time. What is the fix? Sorry to go off topic but it is about coupling to mk1s

[Etched Pixels]

Still wonÖt solve the underframe, which was the worst part of the old ones.

 

That depends what you are making them into. If its Bulleids then the underframe is probably closer than it is to a Mark 1 while for a Thompson vinyl conversion you ideally want to replace the underframe anyway. For the EMUs it's a bit trickier - the vinyl ones aren't going to go on the new shells without some serious hacking ot the sides, but I suspect the overall look would be better going that route.

 

Agreed the underframe was the biggest problem - fixing that, adidng the gangway rubbing plates and adding TPM buffers really brought them up a whole level.

 

Alan

[Dr Al]

Come again? I have a gresley buffet that uncouples all the time. What is the fix? Sorry to go off topic but it is about coupling to mk1s

 

Are your Gresley's couplers level in the way they sit? I've found with the Farish NEMs in they droop down as the Dapol coupler box is much looser. I bend up the tapered tips of the NEM coupler at the end that engages into the socket - this raises the coupler head up - needs a little trial and error to get it right, but after doing that I've had no further trouble, even putting the couplers under the strain of using two short shanks to couple coaches (the absolute limit, which pulls the corridor connections hard together).

 

Hope that helps,

Alan

[BernardTPM]

(the close coupler mechanism is actually used properly like this, and the buffers do a job!)

 

Buffers wouldn't be in contact at all when using buckeye couplings (i.i. on LNER/SR/BR coaches) as they retract away.

[Dr Al]

Buffers wouldn't be in contact at all when using buckeye couplings (i.i. on LNER/SR/BR coaches) as they retract away.

 

Did Gresleys use buckeyes, and have retractable buffers?

 

Cheers,

Alan

[Edwin_m]

Gresleys certainly had buckeyes - there are numerous accident reports where LNER stock is praised for staying upright and in line. But are the buffers modelled in the extended or retracted position?