Dia. AA20 'Toad' Brake Van

[Dunsignalling]

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

Hi John, good run down of your commissioning process.

 

I used a #18 straight into the NEM socket - was there a reason for discarding that in favour of a #146 and presumably gearbox?

 

Thanks, Neal

Photos attached. From underneath, the Kadees take on a "factory fitted" look!

 

I notice now the van has been out of its packaging for a few hours that the roof has developed a slight bow (about 0.5mm at the centre), opening up the previously almost imperceptible gap beneath it. 

 

It'll therefore probably get glued on before the van enters traffic.

 

John

Edited July 15, 2023 by Dunsignalling

[wiggoforgold]

Very pleased with my Rapido toad. Not sure if I needed the full interior but it doesn’t detract from the model. I’ve changed the couplings to Sprat and Winkle with a new depot allocation from Railtech. Weathered with powders.

 

[Hal Nail]

Seems to be a real mix of spoked and hole type wheels in the photos around, albeit many in preservation which isn't always reliable.

I know swaps went on with all wagons but was one type more common that the other on AA20s?

Edited July 22, 2023 by Hal Nail

[BVMR21]

Random suggestion, but why not do a fictional NCB livery on one of these for example by taking 918005 and replacing the GW lettering with NCB lettering?

[Miss Prism]

1 hour ago, Hal Nail said:

Seems to be a real mix of spoked and hole type wheels in the photos around, albeit many in preservation which isn't always reliable.

I know swaps went on with all wagons but was one type more common that the other on AA20s?

 

3-hole discs made an appearance in AA19, and were the norm for AA20s. No doubt there were a few spoked retrofits/repairs.

[The Johnster]

3 hours ago, BVMR21 said:

Random suggestion, but why not do a fictional NCB livery on one of these for example by taking 918005 and replacing the GW lettering with NCB lettering?

 

I think if I were Rapido, trying (so far successfully) to build a reputation for accuracy and detail, I would not be considering this idea at all!  It would be the same as doing the upcoming small prairies in ATSF warbonnet livery.  You can always replace the lettering yourself of course, Rule 1 and all that!

 

A 45xx could legitimately be produced in Rhondda & Swansea Bay red, though; three were loaned brand new to that company for it's Swansea-Treherbert passenger service and painted in the livery, which was very smart and attractive.  They were given their GW numbers  and livery at the Grouping, and they'd need portholes. no top feed, and the earlier type of bunker.  And there's the LT liveried 4575, with a cut-down cab.

 

Toads commonly feature in preservation passenger coach conversions, in all sorts of liveries (pretty sure I've seen a photo of one in sky blue and cream), with enclosed balcony ends, and of course there are any number of departmental mess/tool van conversions where the balcony end has been boarded in.

 

As we have toads running over live or dead frogs, and IIRC Cambrian do a kit for a Tadpole can we complete the herpetic amphibian trio with newts?  The public DEMAND to know... ok nurse, I'll take the nice pills now!

[The Stationmaster]

The bad news - and the excellent news.

 

A friend recently collected his Toad from a retailer we both use.  On getting it home and taking out of the box he found it had a very unusual problem.  In fact it seems to be a unique problem, nothing to with the roof - it  hadn't got any wheels, not even lying loose in the box.

Now the really great news.  He duly contacted Rapido where Dan told him this had never happened before and said he would send the necessary wheelsets to my friend (you could hardly call them 'replacements' I suppose?).  Top notch service as the wheelsets arrived in the post the following day.

 

So one very unusual problem but brilliantly and very rapidly resolved by Rapido - well done them, and Dan of course.. And my friend was impressed by the fact that it was easy to contact Rapido by 'phone and talk directly to a human - more great stuff.

 

[tomparryharry]

On 22/07/2023 at 13:39, The Johnster said:

 

 

 

A 45xx could legitimately be produced in Rhondda & Swansea Bay red.

I think you need to check it in RCTS, John. It might well be red, but I think it's actually black, with white, blue & yellow lining. I could be wrong, however....

On 22/07/2023 at 13:39, The Johnster said:

 

 

[Andy Keane]

I may have missed it but has anyone gotten working lamps set up on their toad and if so how did the arrange the pick-ups? I would like to pop a small accessory decoder in my toad and get it to work the lamps.

[Neal Ball]

On 17/06/2024 at 14:44, Andy Keane said:

I may have missed it but has anyone gotten working lamps set up on their toad and if so how did the arrange the pick-ups? I would like to pop a small accessory decoder in my toad and get it to work the lamps.

 

Its not the Rapido version, but does this help?

 

 

[Harlequin]

25 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

 

Its not the Rapido version, but does this help?

 

 

 

Make sure you watch the following video too, where he always tells you what he did wrong the first time! 😉

 

Edited June 20 by Harlequin

[Andy Keane]

Its very interesting - the key to what he does is the bi-directional DCC Concepts lamps I think. I already have some of their wheel pickups and of course bit would need a small DCC chip to control the lamps. But the real issue is when you uncouple the van at the terminus and take it out the other way. You can have the single reds both ends and make those go on and off but how do you reverse the colours of the side lamps? I guess on his van you could have two sets of side lights, but not on a Toad

Andy

Edited June 20 by Andy Keane

[Harlequin]

1 minute ago, Andy Keane said:

Its very interesting - the key to what he does is the bi-directional DCC Concepts lamps I think. I already have some of their wheel pickups and of course bit would need a small DCC chip to control the lamps. But the real issue is when you uncouple the van at the terminus and take it out the other way. You can have the single reds both ends and make those go on and off but how do you reverse the colours of the side lamps?

Andy

 

Duplicate brake vans + Hand of God?