Icons of N gauge

[belstone]

Umm, sell the current one to finance the purchase of just another second-hand Peco Jubilee? I'm also of the persuasion that if it's not running (or serving as a spare parts donor) it's pretty useless. You only go through life once, if gazing at something static doesn't float your boat why bother keeping it around?

You're right.  Poor little thing has spent the last quarter of a century in a glass cabinet being stared at.  It needs to feel the rails under its wheels. I gave it a few drops of oil and tried it - bit stiff and arthritic at first (like me) but quickly improved.  It really needs a good running-in session, but I wonder if a new BachFar loco would work if you stuck it in a cabinet for 25 years first.

[Paddy]

Run and enjoy her - that is what she was made for.

Kind regards

Paddy

[sp1]

Umm, sell the current one to finance the purchase of just another second-hand Peco Jubilee? I'm also of the persuasion that if it's not running (or serving as a spare parts donor) it's pretty useless. You only go through life once, if gazing at something static doesn't float your boat why bother keeping it around?

You're right.  Poor little thing has spent the last quarter of a century in a glass cabinet being stared at.  It needs to feel the rails under its wheels. I gave it a few drops of oil and tried it - bit stiff and arthritic at first (like me) but quickly improved.  It really needs a good running-in session, but I wonder if a new BachFar loco would work if you stuck it in a cabinet for 25 years first.

That's the thing! How many Peco Jubilees, Minitrix, early Farish (even where split gears have to be replaced) still run - I think there are rather a lot?
A bit like Hornby Dublo in that respect - and probably similar in detail - but they still run and pull like, well... A train!! How often do we read of recent Dapol/ Farish expiring very quickly - and how do you fix them?
Union Mills (never tried, but all of the accounts I have read seem very good) - again, possibly akin to Hornby Dublo?
How much detail is actually needed in N? - I would much rather have something that works (and is easy to fix when it does wear out) than detail which breaks off sometimes before you even get it out of the box).

[belstone]

So I went onto Ebay looking for a rolling road (running in locos on a 7 foot end to end track gets very boring, very quickly) and ended up with this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221846992221

That's another N gauge icon ticked off the list. Hoping it's a really early one, not the plastic chassis version.

[belstone]

This is starting to look interesting.  I just dug up the first review of the Pannier, Model Railway Constructor July 1971.  They liked it.  RRP was £5.99 which is the price printed on the end label of the box on this one.  By September 1971 the RRP had dropped to £5.79, so it looks like this one might be from the first couple of months' production.

[Roy L S]

This is starting to look interesting.  I just dug up the first review of the Pannier, Model Railway Constructor July 1971.  They liked it.  RRP was £5.99 which is the price printed on the end label of the box on this one.  By September 1971 the RRP had dropped to £5.79, so it looks like this one might be from the first couple of months' production.

Easy to tell if it a first production model. It will have a metal keeper plate, sprung couplings, gear coupling between rearmost two sets of drivers (no layshaft) and proper coupling rods (no open ends) connected to the centre wheelset (On the next very poor plug together chassis incarnation the centre wheelset floated). They also came in the small hard plastic box with card outer sleeve rather than the later flimsy plastic tray in longer card box. The first is an altogether better model.

Roy

[Roy L S]

Sorry, just seen the ebay link. It certainly looks like an original Pannier to me. Nice find!

Roy

[Dr Al]

This is an original, and better still, one with the thicker gears and original style with crank pins on all wheels.

Pretty rare in that condition - while plastic chassied, not the same as the ones that lose their rods willy nilly due to split gears within their plastic chassis.

Good find (I've never seen one in that condition in 17 years of N gauge modelling) - keep her safe, and be super careful if dismantling for maintenance - the plastic chassis can be fragile!

Cheers,
Alan

[Roy L S]

I've got a couple of them, one has original box and sleeve but not in as good condition as the one here. As you say Alan these originals are a rare enough find, probably only made for a couple of years if that before the plug together chassis variant replaced it, but even more so with packaging in that kind of condition. I wonder how many were made and how many survive..

Roy

P.S. the chassis on the next variant is very different employing a lasyshaft with a worm on each end as part of the drivetrain. With this one the drive is from a spur gear off the motor dropping down to a single worm which then drives the front gear in the geartrain.

Roy

[belstone]

The same seller has a nice looking early Holden tank, GER livery, same style packaging.  I'm trying to ignore it.

[Dr Al]

The same seller has a nice looking early Holden tank, GER livery, same style packaging.  I'm trying to ignore it.

That will be full of split gears almost for certain!

Cheers,
Alan

[belstone]

That will be full of split gears almost for certain!

Cheers,
Alan

The one I had for (I think) my seventh birthday managed three full circuits of my layout before the transmission let go. It was second hand though.

[Roy L S]

The same seller has a nice looking early Holden tank, GER livery, same style packaging.  I'm trying to ignore it.

That will be full of split gears almost for certain!

Cheers,
Alan

The very first Holden Tanks had drive gears integral with the axle!

I have a mint runner in BR black with the later gear pushed on the axle. I rarely use it - I daren't but I have another slightly less loved one which came to me with the mechanism in a real gunky state. I cleaned it all out expecting instant failure but in spite of the usual reputation for gears splitting it just keeps on going!

Roy

[paulprice]

Umm, sell the current one to finance the purchase of just another second-hand Peco Jubilee? I'm also of the persuasion that if it's not running (or serving as a spare parts donor) it's pretty useless. You only go through life once, if gazing at something static doesn't float your boat why bother keeping it around?

You're right.  Poor little thing has spent the last quarter of a century in a glass cabinet being stared at.  It needs to feel the rails under its wheels. I gave it a few drops of oil and tried it - bit stiff and arthritic at first (like me) but quickly improved.  It really needs a good running-in session, but I wonder if a new BachFar loco would work if you stuck it in a cabinet for 25 years first.

That's the thing! How many Peco Jubilees, Minitrix, early Farish (even where split gears have to be replaced) still run - I think there are rather a lot?
A bit like Hornby Dublo in that respect - and probably similar in detail - but they still run and pull like, well... A train!! How often do we read of recent Dapol/ Farish expiring very quickly - and how do you fix them?
Union Mills (never tried, but all of the accounts I have read seem very good) - again, possibly akin to Hornby Dublo?
How much detail is actually needed in N? - I would much rather have something that works (and is easy to fix when it does wear out) than detail which breaks off sometimes before you even get it out of the box).

I have a habit of collecting old Hornby Dublo, and it never ceases to amaze me how even the most battered examples with even minutes of work, actually work.

[PGN]

I've got a watch on that Holden tank too, Belstone.

I currently have three, all running beautifully (one renumbered, and one sitting as part of a boxed train set); and I'm thinking of taking this rather dusty looking one and repainting it in wartime grey livery.

I noticed the 94xx too, and I'm glad it went to a good home.

p.s. I've not forgotten that I had something I was going to send to you ... just been a little bit busy lately