[kristopher1805]

Usual write up in Hornby magazine regarding the Bachman V2 and especially how powerful this loco proves to be, meanwhile there is clearly a lot of detail such as the wood window surrounds the cab looks very good there is a new type tender coupling and the 21 pin decoder socket is in the loco firebox the motor sitting over the front two pairs of driving wheels the tender itself has a large weight inside and not much else, there are also pick ups on the tender wheels but that is as much as there is in there.

So overall a leap forward from the recent efforts that have been around about 10 years, I bought a pair back along and sold the older ones I had but I find i do not much bother with either these days, so I will likely do the same aghain however the list price for the 2 BR models available is £229.95 which is steep but may actually be worth it.

 

[kristopher1805]

Looking forward to getting my hands on 'two' probably as I have two of the revised 2010 version these are not bad locos but they'll be gone to be replaced as I doubt I need more than two of them

 

[kristopher1805]

21 was nothing father who was on the GCR/LNER section once found himself on a footplate ride and was tricked into firing the B1, as they approached Woodhead from Sheffield he was asked to look back to find 21 coaches on, however Penistone with its gradient would see V2's slipping badly on pulling away but GCR B7's for instance would simply pull away as if on the flat, the V2's were also deeply flawed by the Gresley valve gear until SO Ell got them sorted out on the Swindon plant.
As to freight loads a J11 would tow 'a load' 39 wagons plus a van about 800 tons over Woodhead or about 21 coaches so an O4 would tow 79 plus a van a double load gives some idea of what was expected in traction terms.

 

[kristopher1805]

I watched the video about this loco on Sams trains, very nicely turned out and seems a competent effort, not sure about the tender loco coupling seems a bit of fiddling to disguise 4 wires and that the dcc socket in the loco is 21 pins but I think the Caley 812 has a next 18, whilst the Precedent has a 21 pin also so a bit of a mixed message with these three new Bachman locos. The loco firebox glow has opening firebox doors however the LNER used a flap door that could be fire through as the fire would draw cold air in from the cab and this cooled everything down as to why usually crew liked to keep the fire closed up and why the LNER developed the flap system in the first place, that bit looked a bit Heath Robinson. Other issue is plastic coal which is contra to recent locos but overall said to pull nicely, Sam makes the point that as it has a 5 pole motor the speeds are more realistic that the coreless motors on Precedent and 812 but none of these locos have flywheels, it seems the coreless motors run away at double expected speeds. On DC cab glow is weak as well

So overall a good effort and I expect to take 2 and sell off my older (2010) versions.

 

[kristopher1805]

Useful additional data so remove coal, add lead and top off with spare coal supply, OK job done more positives than negatives overall, still intend to buy two and sell the two older ones.