Dogmatix

Ours is not to reason why, Ours is but to go and buy.

Dave, I see what you mean here. However, there are good, valid reasons why a modeller might not really want to send a model back to his supplier: - postage from outside the UK (as some of us are) can be expensive and take a long time - the modeller might have made time-consuming alterations/additions which would be lost if the model is merely replaced - the supplier might refuse any warranty/guarantee on a model that has been altered/augmented/repainted/weathered - the problem might be more cheaply and more quickly remedied by a small spare part sent to the modeller - the modeller might have received the model as a present, and not have the receipt or even know who the supplier was - the supplier might have gone bust/belly-up/pear-shaped/out of business In my opinion, if a consumer has to send something back due to a warranty/guarantee issue, he ought to be refunded registered 1st class airmail postage both ways from anywhere on the planet, and compensated for the time shipment, repair and return shipment take, and any reasonable alterations he has made (which, for models, can be quite far-ranging) not used as an excuse to refuse warranty/guarantee. But I cannot see every brand/supplier agreeing with that.

Yep... the Hornby one is, of course, a repaint - one of my first, some 30 years ago, if I recall correctly.

Western Parade.... who's who? (Finally got around to taking some pictures of Western models old and new) We definitely need a Dapol Western in Golden Ochre...

Is a BR green version planned?

Anyone know how the NEM pockets are mounted - fixed on bogies, pivoted, close-coupling mechanics incorrectly positioned like their Mk.1s or close-coupling mechanics correctly positioned?

Just seen some pictures on the internet of D444 wearing two-tone green and small yellow warning panels. The livers suits it well, except for that ghastly orange cantrail stripe which seems to be very popular amongst preserved diesels in 'heritage' liveries. Is there any reason for this orange extra? Is it required of preserved diesels for main line running? Or is it just someone's idea of modern design? I know that no Class 50 actually ever ran in green, but it's a nice idea - I don't suppose Hornby could be persuaded to release a green D444?

Not really, no. Close-coupling mechanics require that the coupling heads couple to form a rigid connection, which is what Roco, Fleischmann and other close-coupling heads do. These coupling heads can therefore only be used in NEM pockets which are (ideally) mounted on close-coupling mechanics (which have a centre-sprung cam arrangement to extend in curves to avoid buffer lock) or at least mounted on a pivot (although the close-coupling action is lost here). They cannot be used in NEM pockets which are rigidly mounted, or formed as part of a bogie, which is what appears to be the case here. Only couplers which do not form a rigid connection, such as the various hook-and-bar, knuckle, and buckeye (Kadee) types, can be used in such cases. If such couplers are chosen so as to give close or near-close coupling on the straight, buffer lock will occur on curves (unless your layout only has prototypical radii). That is why, over thirty years ago, close coupling mechanics with rigid couplers were invented - so that modellers could have close-coupling on the straight without buffer lock on tighter-than-prototype curves. Here in the UK, there is a distinct "who needs it" attitude about (or maybe it's an automatic distrust of anything continental). Many recent models have NEM pockets, but only as a means of facilitating coupler replacement. Few models have close-coupling mechanics. Recent EMU models have them inner-unit (often with coupling bars which are too long and thus miss the whole point), but not for multiple unit operation. Bachmann MK1s have them but with pockets out of standard position. Some Horny coaches have them, but again, the pockets are not quite right, so that standard couplers (Roco/Fleischmann) almost, but not quite, meet up. Recent locomotives, upon which so much effort has laudably been spent in design detail, even have rigid pockets, precluding the use of Roco/Fleischmann couplers entirely. And as for as I can tell, hardly any wagons have close-coupling mechanics. And because the brands can't get it quite right, modellers have problems with close-couplers, and blame them for derailments, and have given up. British modellers, for the most part, seem to be quite happy to have large gaps between vehicles. And until the brands start fitting working, reliable close-coupling mechanics to British models as standard and educating modellers in their use, it's likely to stay that way. Anyway, since this is not really a model-specific or brand-specific issue, perhaps a different forum section would be appropriate - though I'm not sure which one.

Looks like the NEM pockets are fixed to the chassis (front) / pony truck (back), so useless for close-coupling. Both couplers shown stick out ridiculously far. I just don't understand that with such attention to detail, British modellers are still happy to use Tri-Ang age coupling. Working, reliable close-coupling can be done. It has been the norm across the Channel for thirty years, for goodness' sake. Just look to Roco and Fleischmann and others. If they can do it, why can't British brands?

Now that I've got my green Thumper with sound home and tested it, I find two problems: firstly, as described by others, the body sits raised at the motor end of the power car (and thus slightly lowered at the other end); and secondly, whenever I put the power car on the track or it is on the track when the layout is powered up, the whistle sounds. Or the doors slam. Or both. OK, the sound is not so much a problem, but the raised body is annoying. I have no desire to pay postage to send it back across the North Sea to Cornwall, so I'll have to dig out the instructions I remember seeing for lowering the MLV to its correct height. How Bachmann and Kernow could let this happen I don't know. By the way, I remember talk of Kernow commissioning a 3H unit, or at least a centre car for 2H-to-3H conversion. Is this still on the cards? Using a 2EPB driving trailer, as suggested above, would seem a rather expensive solution...

Better would be 'où sont les blues', with a grave accent on the u (ou = or; où = where). Very tasty indeed...very, very tempting... too tempting...

[Centurion] What's this, then? "Ou est les bleus"? "Or is the blues"?

With whom did you order these items?

Have called Hornby about my 31270; they said to send it to their Repair Department who would fit a new chassis and body, which they do have in stock. Quite frankly, I would have thought it cheaper for Hornby to replace models rather than spend time disassembling and reassembling models to change the chassis and body. Still, I suppose that's their problem.

Just found that my R2413 '31 270' is suffering from chassis rot as well. There are splits in three corners of the body, and a small piece of the body had broken away completely. Unscrewing the body to un-chip the model prior to possible shipment to Margate was difficult; perhaps due to expansion of the shassis, the screws were very stiff. I didn't bother to fit a blanking chip as the model is clearly a write-off (though some parts could no doubt be stripped for spares). Time to call Hornby (citing this thread....).

Ray, thanks for the pictures and explanations. I have a couple of Hornby Hawkworths, and have also been experimenting, as the NEM pocktes are not quite right. Using the long-shanked Roco couplers supplied by Hornby there is still a gap, but standard Roco couplers don't couple properly. My latest attempt was to replace the corridor connections with some off some old Airfix centenary coaches, but I didn't get around to finishing the job. By the way, rather than filing bits off the Hornby-supplied long-shanked Roco couplers, why not try standard Roco couplers? They are shorter (i.e. correct NEM length), and clip properly into the pockets.

Got my 2BIL (BR, no yellow ends, with DCC chip) a few days ago, and it's a corker. I'm thinking to get a second one, non-chipped, to de-motorise as a trailer unit, and fit close-coupling mechanisms to the non-motor ends. The collector shoe beams are lower and further out that those on the Bachmann EMUs, and are hitting surface-mounted point motors (Roco) in a hidden section of my layout. But I intend to rebuild that part soon anyway....

A search has turned up two of these bars (what are they called?), so I am now only one short. They are rather loosely fitted, so be careful when unboxing new Westerns, as these bars like to jump off and hide.

Received my green Western today. Looks very nice; really looks the part. Easily opened and chipped, but I haven't had time to do the headlights yet. I will probably leave the lifting rings for now (actually, I think that they are perhaps a detail too far). Two problems: some of the bars across the outer wheels (I'm sure there's a technical term for them) were loose, and some missing. I found one lurking in the packing, but I'm still three short. I removed the rest pending replacements (would DCCSupplies have spares?). Also the locomotive would appear to have a slight wobble when running. I haven't had time to find out which axle(s) or wheel(s) is/are responsible. Again, could I get a replacement part? I really don't want to have to send the whole model back across Europe to Cornwall. Apart from the slight wobble, it runs really smoothly. I'm still a bit disappointed about the very basic coupling pocket, especially given the thought and detailing that has gone into this model. Because the NEM pocket is fixed and non-movable as part of the bogie frame, only tension locks or Kadees can be used, with unsightly gaps required to prevent buffer locking on sharp (hidden!) curves. I managed to squeeze a Symoba close-coupling unit into my Bachmann 47, but I can't see that working on the Western. Maybe I'm just spoiled by the close-coupling mechanisms on my continental H0 stock, all of which work perfectly well, even when pushing long trains through opposing curves.

Thing with blanking plugs is that they are not all the same. Having chipped a few OO and HO locomotives, multiple units, and driving trailers (for head/tail lights), I have seen simple blanking plates with pins shorted for motor only, some shorted for motor and lights, some with diodes for directional lights, some with resistances, and even one with transistors aboard. It all depends on the lights fitted (directional head/tail lights, cab lights, coach lights, headcode lights, destination blind/display lights) and the types used (bulb, LED, LED with internal resistors, SMD LEDs on small circuit boards with other components). So you can't just take a blanking plug from one model, or from spare, and expect the lights to work in another. This makes it important to keep your collection of removed blanking plugs in order so you know which belongs where.

Nice picture, Keith... is that Roco track? And a Reichsbahn high-speed diesel unit in the background?

Am I right in thinking that "K2103 Dapol 0-4-4T O2 Steam Locomotive number 30182" will be the only BR black version fitted for push-pull? Any news on delivery dates for this model?

Richard, did you not get any feedback yet as to what is causing the problem? If I remember rightly, you're using DC controllers, and running the locos out of the box, i.e. without fitting decoders. The locos have a so-called blanking plate fitted to the DCC connector, which basically connects the track power pins to the motor pins and, depending on make/model/design, also to the lights via diodes/resistances/transistors. The Class 22 may be fitted with a different design blanking plate (do the 22 and the 52 even have the same type of DCC connector?), but all blanking plates should be designed to cope with all types of DC controllers, from old rheostat jobs to modern pulse modulating controllers. The overheating you noted could be due to inadequate or badly-fitted current limiting resistances, or even something shorting these resistances out, thus feeding the full current to the LEDs. It could also be due to this design of blanking plate being too sensitive to whatever your controller is putting out. Probably a silly question, but you don't have anything else connected, do you, like a high-frequency track cleaner?

With sound? Dapol do a sound version?

No - some continental RTR models have them already.