[34030 Watersmeet]

Received my Hornby T9 recently. Impressed by the very good detail, especially in the cab, and the lining on the boiler bands is very fine indeed. The driving wheels are well done as well, with the spokes curving up to the hub and the short throw of the coupling rods. Looks like a T9 should. (I've got a non-DCC BR livery with 8 wheel tender).

On the downside I agree with other posts that the tender fouls the loco when on the shortest coupling setting and, yes, the injector pipe-work is pointing the wrong way. This can be sorted out.

My question is that on my loco there is a gap between the top of the chassis and the bottom of the footplate underneath the smokebox saddle and backwards. I can't decide if this is as designed or if the round post that the securing screw fits into is fouling the wires coming back from the bogie pickups. Do others with this loco have the same gap - not sure if this is a fault or not. Grateful for advice.

Bill

 

[34030 Watersmeet]

Hi, Off work today with flu virusy thing. It is a well known fact that the best way to deal with illness is to go up into loft and sit in front of fan heater running trains.

So - first run of T9.

1. the front of the chassis has a slot into which a tongue molded under the footplate fits. This fits right in in my loco so the chassis/body must be aligned ok.

2. The loco does run around the layout with the tender coupling on the short setting. I radiused the edges of the fall plate as suggested elsewhere because part of the problem is that it catches against the front of the tender. I've now taken the fall plate right off (glue is very weak) to carry out a suggestion of a hinged, moving plate. (Done this ok with kit built locos some years ago).

3. Firstly, only the rear tender wheels rotated. After playing with the other wheels (I just pushed them to and fro across the chassis, seemed to do the trick with the pick ups) all undriven wheels rotated ok.

4. Have to say, it really looks the part running, especially with the inside bearing tender wheels. I got out my "Railway Roundabout" 1960 video which has some film of T9s around Tavistock.

5. The video shows T9s hauling 2 coach sets, 2x 2coach sets, 3 coach sets and up to 4 vehicles including, say, a full brake. The model will haul 4 free-running coaches but more than this and it starts slipping in places. However, 4 coaches will do for my layout (as shown in various books on West Country lines.).

Wouldn't have imagined some years ago that such a well detailed model of an obscure type would be readily available.

All I have left to do is keep going up into loft and running loco, fitting fall plate and deciding on whether to apply a tender crest or not.
Cheers,

Bill