[Doug]

There are quite a few 9F topics, perhaps we'll amalgamate them one day, but anyway, here's another for your reading pleasure.



Click here for the review

 

[Doug]

QUOTE (neil_s_wood @ 31 Jul 2006, 19:05) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Doug, did you think there was enough room for a sound decoder to be installed in the tender? The reason I ask is that with the A3 the tender was full of detail under the coal which excluded this.

There is detailed coal chute under the dummy coal load, but that shouldn't be too much of a problem to remove with a Dremel if you're adding sound.

 

[Doug]

Bachmann 'Evening Star' launched at National Railway Museum

On the 28th July, Bachmann Europe Plc launched its 9F Class 2-10-0 locomotive 'Evening Star' alongside the real locomotive at the National Railway Museum at York.

Graham Hubbard, Managing Director of Bachmann Europe Plc handed over the first 9F off the production line to The National Railway Museum during a short ceremony.

Graham Hubbard said "the 9Fs were amazing locomotives, with 251 being built. 'Evening Star' was the last locomotive to be built for British Railways and as a result has become an important part of British Railways history. Named at Swindon Works in March 1960, it was the only member of the Class to be painted in lined green livery and as it was the last steam locomotive built, Swindon works completed it in true Great Western tradition. We were delighted to work with the National Railway Museum on this project and the locomotive forms part of our NRM Heritage Range. A donation will be made on every locomotive sold which will be used towards the restoration of 'Flying Scotsman' now in the care of the National Railway Museum".

Amongst the guests attending was Jim Carter who fired and drove 9F locomotives from depots around the North West. Jim is better known as the footplate cameraman, having taken many stunning images during the steam age from vantage points unavailable to many photographers.

Graham Hubbard (right) presents the first 'Evening Star' to Brian Greenwood a Trustee of the NRM

Jim Carter (left) receiving a 9F model from Graham Hubbard

 

[Doug]

Anyone want to see open heart surgery done on a Bachmann 9F?

I had a problem that I encountered whilst reviewing my model. Perhaps you noticed, but I didn't run the loco and report how it went. This was because when I put it on the track to test it, it didn't work. Intermittent movement followed by a block then free-spinning motor - the signs of a stripped gear.

I wasn't going to send this back as there were no more in the shop, so I thought that I'd take a look myself. I opened the model up like so:

This model has 6 gears transmitting the motor's power to the 2nd and 3rd driving axles:

And found the problem in the gear box. The 4th gear had a tooth missing:

I asked Bachmann to send me a replacement which they kindly did. Trouble was that it was not the right gear. They sent a couple of other ones instead of the broken one. I thought that the replacement part number (850-013) had all the gears in it, I was mistaken. Anyway I ground down the flanges and thinned it down a bit and it fitted fine. Not exactly the right diameter, slightly smaller, but it does work.

So the model now runs. The gentleman at the Bachmann service department was very nice, but did say:

"it's obvious from your email that you didn't look at the accompanying sheet that we put effort in to producing. The forthcoming DCC Onboard locos are going to have some very important warnings so let's hope the buyers take note of the advise that we're giving before they use their models!"

I did read the service sheet, and do appreciate the effort that was put into it, but I don't have a DC controller to run in models before using with DCC. Is it a prerequisite of using DCC that one must have a standby track powered by DC...? I've never done this before on my previous DCC layouts. Perhaps Bachmann would like to sent me a DC rolling road to test thier locos.

So now I have run the loco up and down my new track that is slowly being built. I spent about an hour gently running it up and down my 1:40 gradient. I added some load (1, 2, 3 & 4 wagons with drywall screws) and it went very well. There was a bit of juddering, but I suppose it was more to do with all the man-handled running gear being pushed around whilst I was taking the thing apart and working on it. I gave it an oil and it went much better. I noticed that the loco by itself is very smooth. Add the tender and it waggles a bit. Perhaps the tender has an axel that is not 100% straight. The loco managed to outpull a Hornby A4, but still failed to match the paired up Class 20's which is understandable as they do have 2 bigger motors, bigger fly-wheels and all-wheel-drive. The 9F uses a small less powerful motor that fits into the body of the loco.

Overall, it was an adventure doing this work. I found out a little more how these thing work and I wouldn't be put-off fixing a loco that is stuck rather than sending it off to be serviced.

 

[Doug]

The gear was broken when it arrived. It didn't run at all.

I sometimes test locos at address '0', but as it is not that good to send an alternating DCC signal down to a DC motor, I generally don't these days. This is the first loco I've had with a bust gear.

If you are not sure that that the decoder is working, it would help to test the loco first to eliminate that from causes any if a problem does arrise. If a decoder that you have used before has some CV's set in specific ways or if the decoder doesn't work at all, obviously that would prevent the loco from running.

Bachmann did say too:

"As for the forthcoming 'DCC Onboard' range, the decoders will be having correctly set CVs so one set of possible problems is removed!"

So are they going to run in their DCC Onboard locos for one hour on DC before they ship them?

Sorry, I don't have the Hornby 9F to compare to the Bachmann model.

 

[Doug]

Here we have some photos to compare the new Bachmann 9F to the older tender triven Hornby 9F. The Bachmann is the black loco and the Hornby is the green one. Thanks to dwb for taking the photos of the Hornby 9F.

 

[Doug]

I like the detail, but alas I store my locos back in their boxes when not in use and the little fiddly bits end up coming off quite often.

Until I have dust free storage fiddle yards set up, I just have to put up with this.

I imagine most people have the same problem. Detail is welcome, but when man-handling the locos and putting them away in tight foam packaging, it is a bit of a pain.

 

[Doug]

Here is a video on the Evening Star and the 9F's including an interview with David Shepherd.

You can buy the DVD here for £19.99.

 

[Doug]

The extra rollers for the rolling road arrived and the 9F went on straight away. A day on that machine will hopefully smooth out any roughness. This is what it looked and sounded like when first put on:

I have realised that half the sound from this loco (and probably others too) is resonating from the tender that is just a hollow plastic box.

I've opened the tender up, stuffed it with cotton wool; opend the coal load and filled that too; and now it sounds much better. Try it for yourself

 

[Doug]

QUOTE (spaceship @ 12 Dec 2006, 13:07) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>...what can you do about the "rocking and rolling"?
I'm not sure. I ran the loco in for a day on the rolling road. Oiling it every few hours. It ran much better after that, but the problem is due to the loose axles and tight tie-rods that pull the axles back and forth.