1:76 LNER A4 models

Makes a change from the axles exploding, which is what usually happens to the ones we use.

If you haven't binned it, and the body hasn't melted, Mainly Trains do a very nice chassis and detailing kit for the J72. Ref. number is MT248. They also do a kit to convert the J72 into a J71 if you fancy a challenge. Ref. for that one is MT249. Etched nickel silver. How's your soldering? ;-)

Obviously, it's going to cost quite a bit more than just buying a replacement or ordering the spares from Bachmann but my Dad and I have bought several Bachmann J72s and only the most recent one works perfectly and only one other can be termed a runner (and is a little rough).

I replaced it with a new Hornby Railroad LMS Jinty for £21.99. It didn't have to be an LNER shunter.

IMHO Assuming condition ok then youve got one of the best models of one of the best loco's at a fair price. So who cares about anything else - esp if you could have got it cheaper .....

Let us know how it goes.

cheers, Simon

It could be a while. It was posted yesterday, so unless it got out of the UK by last night, it may end up in a black hole for weeks.

OK, I got my loco on Monday, only 5 days - it beat the strike.

It was, as expected, unboxed, and wrapped in copious amounts of bubble wrap. It may have been wrapped a little too tightly, as the tender connector was bent, which I was able to fix, but it ran unevenly due to some binding in the valve gear. I have tried to straighten things out but still haven't got it quite perfect. These components are very delicate! Otherwise, the model is in excellent condition.

One question that someone may be able to answer: there is some moulded pipework below the cab on the right side, but none on the left side, although it looks as though something might have been broken off. Should there be pipework on the left side of 6201 below the cab? I've tried to find clear pictures on the net, but I'm still not sure. Some of Horby's more recent BR models with the fixed trailing wheels appear to have pipework, but this one has the swinging bogie.

The Railroad range A1, A4 and 3F I ordered new have been held back until the strike is settled, so I haven't received them yet.

Yep there is, tis to do with injector. looks different to that on RHS - simpler. Vaguely shaped as below. With 2 pipes on left joining the 3rd on right. Dimension of 1cm by 1 cm.

| | | | L---O L-------|-

HTH Simon

Hmmm... Guess I'll have to make do without that.

Must admit I hadnt noticed it before so wouldnt worry about it. however you could make something up with bit of wire if you really wanted to.

Cheers, Simon

I dodn't think I want to badly enough. After all, the loco has no steps, and there's that annoying speedo cable that prevents you totally removing the body from the chassis. It's not that easy to get rid of, either, as it has a special fitting on the rear axle crankpin.

Dont say that, I want to remove speedo cable - or at least make it less obvious !

Cheers, Simon

Well, I managed to break it (flexible plastic) so I cut it off. The upper fitting is glued into the running board, I believe, and can be removed. It's harder to get rid of the axle fitting, but it's not too noticeable.

I have now received the above 3 models. The A1 Flying Scotsman and A4 Falcon are excellent value for under £50, having the new chassis with fixed trailing pony truck and wide flangeless wheels. These are not noticeable, and also make it easier to rerail the loco.

However, the 8-wheel tenders appear to be on basically the same chassis as the old tender-drive version. They even have a dummy ringfield motor to add weight! In fact, I was able to swap over the (non-prototypical) trailing pony trucks for the old ones that already had Kadees attached to them - they still carry the same part number.

Both locos run very nicely, as does Princess Elizabeth now I have sorted out the valve gear problem. However, after only a couple of days the A1 lost a front axle crankpin at speed, causing it to jump the track. Luckily there was no apparent damage, and I found the pin beside the track. I had some difficulty getting it back in; it has ridges rather than threads, and pushes into a metal boss. If it comes loose again, I'll e-mail the vendor about an replacement.

The 3F Jinty is a bit of a disappointment, even though it cost only £22 (Hamley's wants £35!). It's an old body lacking a lot of detail, but the "upgraded" 0-6-0 chassis allows too little vertical and horizontal play in the axles to negotiate track irregularities. Some of my older Hornby turnouts have the insulated frog slightly higher than the running rails; as the centre driver passes over the frog, it lifts the other 2 wheels on that side, breaking electrical contact and often causing a derailment. Hornby's older 6-coupled tank loco design was much more accommodating, with the weight on the front two axles, traction tyres on the centre axle (which also had reduced flanges), and a floating rear axle held in contact with the track by springs. My 1990s 2-6-4T with this arrangement (and a 3-pole motor) runs well without hesitation or derailment on turnouts; I have removed the traction tyres and it hauls 3 suburban coaches with no slippage.

This is a case where a "new and improved" design creates problems that the previous design managed to avoid. My 3 Pacifics and Black 5, with full flanges on all loco and tender wheels, negotiate turnouts and sharp curves better than the 3F. My Bachmann J74, with its now burned out motor, was problem-free when new. I can't quite say the same for my Bachmann 9F with its 10-coupled wheelbase, but it does negotiate both tracks of my main oval.

So the rear wheel is no longer sprung on railroad Jinty ?

cheers, Simon

No. The axles are all in brass bearings with very little free play. That's progress for you!

Pity about that, railroad stuff supposed to be good runners - 9F certainly is. Sotto voce - of course youve checked B2B.....

Cheers, Simon

FM Guage ? Could it do with some weight ?

Cheers, Simon

FM? I don't think that would help. What might help would be perfectly flat turnouts, but some side-to-side axle play would also help.

Cheers, Simon