I have been waiting for a green cl 40 with indicator discs to be released which my dealer now has but he complained that they were very noisy. I was in too much of a hurry to actually hear one run but is this general of all cl 40's or just those recently released or maybe a dodgey betch.
Kevin
My blue class 40 is certainly the noisiest Bachmann loco I have.
ROB
It seems odd that a new design should be noisey.
Kevin
My blue 40 (first batch) is neither the quitest nor the noisiest Bachmann loco I have. my 37/0 is much noiseier.
It seems that Bachmann mechanisms are just a bit variable. Some are good. Some not so good - but all are better than Lima and the pre-class 50 Hornby.
Adrian
I don't think that it is going to put me off getting it but it seemed an odd comment for the dealer to make.
Kevin
I'd agree, but in some ways refreshing. Some retailers are not so concerned about the quality of their wares.
I wouldn't worry about it anyway. It is likely that the mech will get quieter as it runs in.
Adrian
My 37/0 (collector's club LTD weathered) very quiet.
OTOH Class 25 (factory fitted DCC) very noisy even after allowing for shortcomings in the factory fitting.
I believe it has something to do with the amount of lubrication applied/not applied to the gear towers at the factory.
(kim)
"Kev" wrote
I reported such a fault to Bachmann with the first batch of blue & green 37s which were nowhere near as quiet as the original lot of 37/5s. All I can say is that the ones I've subsequently put into traffic have turned out to be fine after a modest amount of running.
John.
"Kev" wrote
Just got, and tested ours. One out of a dozen is what I would regard as noisy. The rest seem on a par with most typical Bachmann diesels.
John.
Has the body on the new releases of the Bachmann class 40 been lowered?
Ta,
Daniel.
"Daniel Pearson" wrote
Without being 100% certain I'm fairly sure it has. The gap between the bottom of the cab front and the top of the bogie mounted buffer beam appears to be about as small as practicality would allow.
John.
I recall, many years ago, the late John Arlott commenting on a Class 40 idling - and causing him some irritation - besides the Old Trafford cricket ground, during a televised Lancashire match. The eventual TV closeup of the loco was accompanied by him saying...."....presumably a member of the Grampus Class of engine.."
So Bachmann may have got it just right.....
Cheers Robt P.
I was able to compare the old and new batches in glass cabinet (them, not me!) at the Ian Allan Bookshop, Manchester. The new models (D210 and 40169) are definitely a millimetre or two closer to the bogies and look much better for it! It's just a shame (for me) that 40169 is modelled without underframe tanks. Can anyone tell me how many 40s were like this and for how long, please?
Cheers, John.
Quite a few in their later days. No doubt the DEMU record keepers will have full details!
Cheers, Mick p.s. Now I need a tankless 40 for one of my "nostalgia" projects............
Thanks, Mick. I've since been pointed towards a good article in the 1st issue of Modern Railway Modelling which lists 40s with the boiler tanks removed. Centre headcode examples were 145/152/169/177/180/183/192-196, with a browse of online pics adding 40170 to that list. Additionally, numerous withdrawn examples have been photographed minus tanks. It seems to have been a 1980s modification, once train heating boilers became redundant or unserviceable and so leaving the tanks surplus to requirements. 40145 was, of course, refitted with a tank in preservation as it now has a serviceable boiler.
Cheers, John (now reconsidering his requirement for 40169!!!).
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