Model Railway - What's your latest acquisition?

[atom3624]

Lucky lad and classic find as well.

It does sound like the Western was never used.

I think I had one when they originally came out.

Al.

[atom3624]

I'm feeling like I'm a scriptwriter for Victor Meldrew!

R30134 was posted last week from Cheltenham Models. I received a RM email advising delivery was due over the weekend. This same email permitted a change of delivery date. I get things delivered to my Works address, as do many on site, as there's nobody able to receive at home, or neighbours either during weekdays.

I changed to Monday. I received a confirmatory email of the change - great, no problem.

Next thing, anxiously awaiting delivery on Monday, I receive a RM email saying 'your parcel has been returned to your supplier, please contact them for details'.

I did, they said they had redirected, and I should receive it on Wednesday - today.

Guess what? !!!!!!!

Cheltenham Models have confirmed they've received the returned locomotive, but will send out again ASAP!!

Here's hoping it arrives on Friday or the fiasco will continue.

This should be a relatively robust model, so fragility shouldn't be an issue - he says!!

It's arrived and no damage or 'loose bits' observed so far.

I also observe the smokebox door handrail aligns perfectly with the numberplate - which it doesn't appear to on some photos I've seen of others.

Looks as expected - great. Tender much too light ....

Al.

[rman]

Well whole heap of stuff.

I’ve getting more straight platforms and ramp platforms, 2 R628 large radius curves and now a booking hall and waiting room.

[atom3624]

After such a fiasco over a 'simple delivery' Turbomotive 6202 finally arrived.

Tender's featherlight, but I'll see how much I can 'adjust' that to my liking.

No damage observed despite the multiple journeys, which is a big bonus - can't wait to get her run in and hauling the 9 LMS carriages waiting for her!!

Al.

[flyingfox4475]

I went to the Great Model railway show at MK. While I was there I bought the new Turbomotive 6202 LMS loco. Very impressed with her. runs smoothly. So far no faults or defects noticed. A couple of weeks ago I had the New Castle Class loco from Hornby. It is smooth and good runner.

[atom3624]

Agreed on both - not got the very latest Castle, but have a couple of the late tooling editions - great runners.

6202's a very nice runner. She does need a little more 'juice', is a little noisy, which is decreasing with use, but runs very smoothly with a quite-reasonable top end as well.

Al.

[atom3624]

I'd 'much maligned' the featherweight tender wrt the locomotive of 6202, but have bulked mine up from Sam's Trains' referenced 579g to 694g - so I've somehow managed to get 115g of lead into the tender - some is under the coal load as well! Feels much better and I'm not going to 'fiddle' any more.

Al.

[ellocoloco]

Just back from Spain after my first trip in six years. I managed to find some 'old' new stock. When I saw the shop had a 594 TRD in Regionales livery for only €160 I could hardly hide my excitement.

This DMU was released in 2010 in two livery versions and as a slightly modified version a couple of years later. I don't think it has been produced in any version for around 10 years.

The model has a 21pin socket, head and tail lights, cabin lighting and the drivers cab in the powered unit is also lit. The two units are connected by a six pole kinematic coupling. The motor is pretty much hidden below the window line and is very smooth and drives on the outer axle of each bogie in the powered car. With the drive on only one axle there is a lot of power into one pinion and these models do have a reputation for chewing their gears. My first TRD split its gears after a couple of hours and I expect this one to do the same so have already ordered brass replacements. These are one of my favourite Electrotren models. I will need a chip for it and will need to renumber it at some point.

The shop also had a Mehano G1700 for the Aceralia steelworks in the north of Spain and it would have been rude not to add it to my collection. I really must stop buying locos and lay some track!

[atom3624]

They look interesting models - not familiar with either or the manufacturers' anticipated quality.

Al.

[Tony57]

Hi

Just brought a secondhand Railroad Blue Rapier, it was advertised as a none runner, simple fix I thought having a spare motor. On arrival had a look found that both the wires from the pickups to motor had been cut, (the motor works), had a look at the light PCB found the wires from front bogie to PCB had also been cut and the bulb on the PCB had been removed, the same damage to the light PCB had been done to the dummy end.

The spare / replacement parts required have been ordered.

On the plus side I will be able to add extra wires connecting the front bogie pickups to the motor as well as the lights, may even attempt to make it operate from overhead catenary via a metal HO size pantograph (Will have to look out for a Lime Class 87 pantograph switch) whilst doing the repairs

[ColinB]

Bought Clan Line Merchant Navy in its pre rebuilt form. Ran it on a length of track using DC, ran perfectly. Opened up the tender to fit a DCC decoder to be met will a load of horrors. Guy had removed the DCC socket and shorted out the 4 pin connector so it would only run on DC, then opened up the loco to find a load of lead weights and again shorted the pickup to motor connections. Fortunately it was something I can fix but why do it? Finally in their quest to get realism they had replaced the non flanged pony truck wheels with a flanged one out of a diesel (not spoked). I did try it on my layout with the flanged pony truck wheels but it clomped on every bend although it didn't derail. I could blame the Seller but he was probably just like me, ran it on a metre length of track on DC. The thing I still struggle with is why, these locos are really good in standard form. Anyway left the weights in as it didn't have any adverse effects and rewired it, plus I got a replacement bogie with wheels off Peters Spares so a happy ending. Really nice loco now.

[atom3624]

I love these locomotives, and particularly with the extra-fiddly detail pack parts fitted!!

That outside brake rigging is a pain - and makes handling a 'must do with care', as does fitting the front buffer beam steps - but both really add to the realism.

Al.

[ColinB]

Fortunately that was one of the good things the previous owner had done. They had even painted the brake rigging.

[Brew Man]

My R1 3D Print body arrived today and what a beauty. There are one or two (very) minor faults but nothing worth bothering about. The thing now is getting a decoder in there. Space is very tight but I think a 6 pin should fit in the smoke box. Not so sure about sound though. Anyway I've ordered a 6 pin Train-O-Matic micro and harness, so hoping I can fit them in.

[atom3624]

Just an update on the 'cosmetic front' of 6202 Turbomotive.

Some have observed how different the Crimson Lake on the cab looks to that of the boiler.

The latter has more of a sheen, and is metal. The former is plastic, and more dull.

I've brushed a very thin covering of RailTec gloss lacquer on the cab roof CL. It's a little too shiny, but is now a match for the boiler - colour is perfect. It was the finish and material.

I've also given a 'strong dusting' of soot over the boiler - colour is still obvious but it looks absolutely superb - in my eyes.

I also cut back a little of the material blanking the lights, to permit a more-permanent mounting of the steps - all good. Excellent locomotive.

Al.

[DarkRedCape]

I've wanted this one for a long time, very happy to finally get my hands on one.

[atom3624]

Looking very nice in blue.

Al.

[Bulleidboy]

About to be fitted with a Hornby 21-pin HM7000 sound decoder and power bank, and may be a lights upgrade.

[atom3624]

Just recently received an as-new R3580 Robert Burns 87 035.

Beautifully detailed and super smooth and powerful running locomotive

He's already done at least one hour in each direction, and I've added a touch of oil to the motor and wheel bushes - where they normally run dry over time / use.

Very pleased I must say.

Looking at forthcoming models ... other manufacturers are mentioning two SUPER interesting ones ... anticipated mid-2025.

Al.

[flyingfox4475]

My Hornby 4478 Hermit A1 LNER 4-6-2 arrived a couple of weeks ago.

Very smooth running model and very happy with her.

[Tony57]

I have stopped buying trains for now, I am currently buying road transport stuff to help populate my planned layout. Its surprising just how cheap you can buy new and secondhand stuff online.

 

[atom3624]

Just pre-ordered 1 each of the 2 most exciting steam locomotives to be mentioned to the public - since Turbomotive ...

One big, the other 'the biggest' (in UK).

Other manufacturers, so not saying any more, but obvious to many!

Al.

[81F]

My latest purchase is a Bachmann LNWR Bachmann ROD 2-8-0. All I need now is an LNWR brake van!

[Rana Temporia]

I have been after one of these for quite some time now! I’ve paid more than I wanted to but it’s the only one I have seen for sale in the UK for years, watch a sudden avalanche of them appear now.

Basically it’s the old Jouef/Playcraft BB67001 body, originally painted with extremely well moulded see through grilles and separately fitted metal stripes at one end, 4 axle drive from a huge can motor and brass wheels and cogs, later self coloured blue body withplastic moulded stripes, 2 axle drive and a smaller motor. Finally the body was modified to take their standard long wheelbase clockwork chassis and the blue version was sold as clockwork. That wasn’t the end of it though, the modified body was sold in starter sets, possibly in blue but definately in Red (Lima and at least one other manufacturer has released this loco in red, a colour that the real loco never carried). And…. In one set for a very limited time and not sure if it was sold in the UK in green. This has the final version of the chassis with single axle drive, motor in the bogie etc. The place where the hole would be for the clockwork version is clearly visible and the slot in the roof is present for the clockwork brake. It actually runs quite well if a little noisy.

I have a number of the different versions of the blue one with the various motors, one red one with the better Playcraft chassis swapped for the rubbishy single axle drive and now the green version. It is in very good condition and now joins my collection of ‘toy’ locos. Great!!!

[ellocoloco]

I think I've waited 35yrs for this loco - since discovering that OO and HO were actually different scales.

Trix Scottie with sound, smoke and lights, inc tender corridor light. Diecast loco and tender. What a machine, but I think I will be having a pot noodle for Christmas dinner. Still absolutely worth it and up there with Roco 310.23

Along side my repainted HO ESU 66. Two diecast beasts.

At work on some freight. Until I can get some worthy HO British coaches.

(My photography does not really show it in all it's glory. Sorry)