Tillig catastrophe

[Rallymatt]

I decided rather than commit to a blue era 08 I thought I would treat myself to a Tillig BR 236, as it does the same job it looks very similar and fits with the theme at High Fell where various overseas diesels are undergoing evaluation as steam moves to diesel.

Ordered from a well know German retailer, 5 days later it’s arrived. After duty it cost more than my Easterner set! It sat in the box while I waited for the DCC adapter to arrive, and waited. Then a friend reasonably local said they had the Scotsman set and running on DC so I popped round to test the little beast. It short circuited instantly. I had already looked to see how the DCC decoder would fit and there was nothing obvious adrift. Very disappointedly I contacted the retailer who immediately accepted a return and listed how to do it. Thanks to Brexit it’s a right faff to ensure he doesn’t get taxed on receipt or me with the replacement. UK customs are not very helpful.

At least a fix was in sight until while ensuring everything was in the box for return. Then Mr Butter Fingers came to visit and I dropped it… onto the open draws of a steel tool cabinet… bits of plastic went everywhere. I advised the retailer I would not be returning as a result. So I thought let’s see what we can salvage from this. One of the pick up terminals was shorting across across the metal chassis, the pcb was damaged as a result. I traced back to the motor, that ran erratically in one direction and not at all in the other. It’s now in the parts bin. No point continuing.

Dropping it is entirely my fault and the cause of the lovely detail taking so much damage but the electrical issues do highlight even the established players in TT120 get it wrong.

Can’t fault the retailer, they even offered me a discount on another loco. I have chosen something from Roco… with sound 😁

[Hobby11]

Modelbahnlippe? I've always had good service from them.

Tillig do have their issues, their Harz H0m 2-10-2Ts have also have problems, in fact forum threads on them read very similar to these, some people sorting them out and telling us how and others saying they should be perfect and suggesting returning them!

[See See Rider]

Hi there Rallymatt.

very sorry to hear about that. I have a growing collection of Tillig TT stock too - all comes from Modellbahne-Lippe.

I’ve had two issues. On a Silberling n-wagen the contacts for the lights on one of the bogies was the wrong way round causing immediate short circuiting. Took me quite a while to figure it out by closely comparing the other coach that worked ok. I was then able to fix myself. Do watch out for that if you ever get coaches from them - I check all my new ones now before running then

m.

the other issue is on my new BR144 one of the pantographs arrived loose and the necessary screw to fix missing. The retailer immediately asked me to return but gave convoluted instructions to do that involving cost avoidance and inevitable tax bills. I’m currently trying to encourage them and Tillig to just send me that missing screw - would save us both significant costs and effort. I don’t see why they are being so uptight.

ive already decided to not send it back regardless of what they decide.

i have a Piko BR 150 arriving this week, very exciting.

hang in there and don’t give up.

[ntpntpntp]

Ah...... BR 236, 144, 150 - now you're talking my language, well in N gauge anyway :)

For TT I want to try and stick to British for the time being just to keep the two layouts sufficiently different, but yes I did pick up an Arnold TT Köf II from the Outlet. I must admit I don't see my TT collection really taking off until we get an older green 08 or a small steamer to play with. The A4 is great but kind of limited.

[DB-Fahrer]

Hello Rallymatt,

that went really badly with your new loco, although that is not the standard, I have well over 150 locos from Tillig, Piko, Roco and other manufacturers, apart from twisted axles I have never had any problems (except with Kühn, there have the locomotives hobbled once ). But as you can see, there are such Monday models everywhere, and a lot breaks during shipping, as I was able to notice (but the dealer had already arranged for an exchange).

By the way, Roco Loco with Sound? BR110 or Ludmila? :D

Kind regards

Patrick

[DB-Fahrer]

the other issue is on my new BR144 one of the pantographs arrived loose and the necessary screw to fix missing. The retailer immediately asked me to return but gave convoluted instructions to do that involving cost avoidance and inevitable tax bills. I’m currently trying to encourage them and Tillig to just send me that missing screw - would save us both significant costs and effort. I don’t see why they are being so uptight.

ive already decided to not send it back regardless of what they decide.

i have a Piko BR 150 arriving this week, very exciting.

hang in there and don’t give up.

 

 

Hello See See Rider,

 

 

should your inquiry remain unsuccessful, I have many of the screws here from conversions, I am happy to send one to England (free of charge).

[von Klinkerhoffe]

Rallymat

I am so sorry to hear of your Tillig BR 236 catastrophe.

I agree that since leaving the EU has made buying from outside the UK a lot more complicated.

[Rallymatt]

I am annoyed with myself but these things happen, I know it would have been sorted and bang on with the retailer Hobby. They have been excellent although as SSR says, due to Brexit the returns paperwork is a minefield! Of course a simple replacement screw would fall under the value cap and mean no customs paperwork at all and would be so easy for Tillig to do.

Patrick I know Tillig generally have an excellent reputation, it was just bad luck. I already have a Piko BR130 Ludmilla… still waiting for the sound decoder and the new addition is a BR108 from Roco sound fitted. The bright orange livery is the kind of thing evaluation locos would receive and it’s a shunting and local work classification fits my needs perfectly.

The idea behind ‘evaluation locos from overseas’ was inspired by the real story of Kestrel, a Brush type 4 (gorgeous looking loco) that sent on evaluation to Russia. Hmmm is that why the Ludmilla looks a bit like Kestrel?

[DB-Fahrer]

Yes, that's really gotten a little confusing, since yesterday I can also sing a song about it after I was supposed to pay customs duties for my two Mk1 cars :O although Hornby does it during the ordering process.... It's also become more difficult or More expensive to order something in England :( for me here in Germany anyway.

Ah, the Orange BR108, I only have the one from Tillig and also only as a variant with the power take-off on the front and the normal paint finish (but one of them has aged myself). The Piko 130/131 is a really great model, which is also relatively cheap :) Although there are still countless small shunting locomotives in TT: ASF, Köf 3 (there used to be a powered fan wheel), V23/V15 from Piko, BR102 from Piko or a T334 :D

okay, the Kestrel loco looks like a child of a Ludmila and BR103 of the DB :O very special but also very interesting

[Hobby11]

The layout I've started will be based on heritage railways in the UK which have both British and Continental locos and stock. That's my excuse for having both!

[D9020 Nimbus]

I have a Tillig V36 (the same type of loco) in DR Era III livery—mine is a fine runner, and I haven't yet had any problems with Tillig locos in either TT or narrow gauge. I've bought several items from Modellbahnshop Lippe before, but I haven't had to return a faulty one yet.

I've had issues with other brands though—especially split gears on Farish models, both Poole and China made, though from about five or six years ago they changed to using white nylon gears instead of black plastic and these appear to be better.

FYI, the V36 was a WW2 design for the Wehrmacht, and post war they appeared in both Germanys, in France (030DB) and Italy—and no doubt others. 236 is the DB era IV designation. Models have been made in HO by Lenz and by Fleischmann/Roco, and in N by Minitrix and Hobbytrain. They were sometimes used on passenger trains, not just for shunting.

[SMR248]

Bad luck RM - at least it wasn't a good one... (sorry)

Probably it's too badly damaged but some of the "continental" manufacturers (including Arnold) do keep spares.

Have you tried buying in the UK? I know that the importers charge silly list prices but there is a retailer I've used (based in Suffolk) who is a bit cheaper and who might order things from said importers for you if you ask him.

Incidentally, Kestrel wasn't really a Brush type 4 (50% more power).

[Rallymatt]

Thanks for the sympathy, I think there would be so much to replace it’s not really worth attempting at moment. It will sit in the stores until I have a brainwave. TBH the only reason I went to MSL was that they have actual stock, it wasn’t the potential to save money. The new BR108 should be here this week. It will probably be more practical and more credible as an evaluation machine. It can fill the role of the type 2’s that we haven’t got yet and hopefully a black or green 08 will be not too far away… I did contemplate repainting one of the soon to arrive 08’s but dangerously I started looking at other continental goodies and some fitted Roco was just too tempting!

[Rallymatt]

SMR248 you are of course right, it has some visuals of the Class 47 but that lovely shaped cab ends and buffer beam. I suppose if it had gone into full UK service it would have been a type 5 alongside Deltics… and they have to be a sure fire winner for TT120!

[See See Rider]

Hello See See Rider,

should your inquiry remain unsuccessful, I have many of the screws here from conversions, I am happy to send one to England (free of charge).

 

 

Hello DB-Fahrer,

 

 

well that is very kind of you, thank you. I shall let you know how it goes.

 

 

 

 

[DB-Fahrer]

No problem, I didn't use the screws very often because I don't need many cases from the basic models for conversions ;)

@Rallymat When I'm in Sebnitz, I can have a look at Tillig's factory outlet for a housing if it's broken (they really have it for a few euros with small defects ;) ) and because of your chassis, you can take a picture of it ? then I can see if it is still fixable (and I think that would be solved very quickly if so ;)

Kind regards

Patrick

[Rallymatt]

Patrick, that’s so kind of you to offer. I will go back to it and make a list of what is required, it could be quite long! I never throw anything like that away but sometimes it’s good to put it away and let the emotion go away!

[DB-Fahrer]

I'll put it this way, I'm a member of the Tillig club, where you also have "advantages" and I also have a good connection to them, it's a bit easier there :) I think your locomotive should be ready for use again at some point. Yes, you're right, it's better to take the object out of sight for something like that :D I know it all too well

[DB-Fahrer]

By the Way, Rallymatt you already know that there was the V36/BR236 under the British flag? Although it ran in Germany, it was part of the British RCT :) I just remembered that this loco once existed as a BTTB model, if I'm not mistaken.

no, its from Tillig (but its the old Construction from BTTB under Tillig) Number 02638 - https://as.rumia.edu.pl/tt/kat/katalog.asp?p=1037

[Rallymatt]

Thanks for that Patrick, I think it looks better in the original black, it’s a work horse not a show pony 😁

[DB-Fahrer]

hehe, I like all variants :D I have the black one here, one in gray and one in DSB paintwork (yes, one even made it to Denmark :o)

[britishcolum]

There was one V36 that ended up in Israel, too. It got as far as getting an official painting diagram from Israel Railways but they were never able to fix it well enough to put into regular service... still could be an interesting what-if to put beside a Kuehn V60.