Hi, looking to add one or other of the above to Geominster. City of Bradford appeals because it is in black but also A1 372-802 North Eastern is a contender.
I have blue Tornado which is a lovely running and looker, is North Eastern the same chassis etc?
Anyone got experience of these please let me know your experiences.
Rule one applies here so purely looks and reliabilty count most.
Thanks.
Quote from: georgehgv on June 16, 2015, 08:11:37 PM
Hi, looking to add one or other of the above to Geominster. City of Bradford appeals because it is in black but also A1 372-802 North Eastern is a contender.
I have blue Tornado which is a lovely running and looker, is North Eastern the same chassis etc?
Anyone got experience of these please let me know your experiences.
Rule one applies here so purely looks and reliabilty count most.
Thanks.
North Eastern is essentially the same chassis as Tornado. The only difference is that the tender has disc wheels whereas Tornados are spoked, Mechanically they are identical. I have both BR A1s and both have been run a good few hours. One is chipped and runs great on DCC. My only recommendation (DR Al's tip originally) is to use both traction tyred wheelsets on the rearmost tender axles. They are in my experience great running and fantastic looking models. They are of course tender drive (not that this should be a deciding factor in my humble opinion). You may be able to pick one up considerably cheaper than a Duchess if you shop around.
The Duchess (Coronation) is also a lovely model. For me in terms of looks it does not quite have the finesse of the A1, but that is a personal thing. It is of course loco drive using the latest coreless motor type chassis. Mine runs beautifully and is a very strong puller.
Overall nothing in it, I would say either would be a great addition to your layout.
Regards
Roy
Quote from: georgehgv on June 16, 2015, 08:11:37 PM
Hi, looking to add one or other of the above to Geominster. City of Bradford appeals because it is in black but also A1 372-802 North Eastern is a contender.
I have blue Tornado which is a lovely running and looker, is North Eastern the same chassis etc?
Anyone got experience of these please let me know your experiences.
Rule one applies here so purely looks and reliabilty count most.
Thanks.
Easy dump the LNER rubbish and go LMS all the way DUCHESS DUCHESS DUCHESS
I have the Duchess - she is perfectly formed, a smooth operator and a joy to behold. Just like SWMBO.
:D
Quote from: austinbob on June 16, 2015, 09:18:17 PM
I have the Duchess - she is perfectly formed, a smooth operator and a joy to behold. Just like SWMBO.
:D
[/quotlol Bob.
Still waiting for my Duchess with the melted tender wheels to reappear from Bachmann.
Quote from: georgehgv on June 16, 2015, 08:11:37 PM
Anyone got experience of these please let me know your experiences.
Rule one applies here so purely looks and reliabilty count most.
Thanks.
I can't speak for the A1 but my Duchess (from the train pack) is drop dead gorgeous, very smooth and hauls 12 Mk1's with no issues (all I had available at the time without mucho unpacking).
There have been some issues with both so I'd suggest having a look in the Review section, George, but overall they come out very well.
The Duchess train pack (Cumbrian Mountain express) is well worth consideration if you can accept a maroon Duchess purely because you get a deal on the loco, 3 Mk1s and a signal box for not a lot more than the loco on its own.
Both are equally good models - the Duchess has a superior drive with a smoother running coreless loco drive motor. However it's front bogie (as discussed on the Duchess thread) isn't correctly scaled and the wheelbase of the bogie is way too short, as Bachmann have reused existing tooling on the bogie.
If you've had experience of the A1 in Tornado then all Farish A1s you should see being the same in terms of performance. The Duchess is better yet again, so you can't go far wrong with either.
Cheers,
Alan
Hi NN my Duchess from Cumbrian Set is at Bachmann after melting and burnt my fingers on it removing from track!
Did like it so hope to get it sorted.
Quote from: georgehgv on June 16, 2015, 09:41:52 PM
Hi NN my Duchess from Cumbrian Set is at Bachmann after melting and burnt my fingers on it removing from track!
Did like it so hope to get it sorted.
I saw your comments/pic about the problem and hope you get a good 'un as replacement, George.
Personally I'm not so keen on the black Duchess but do have a sneaking liking for a green one having seen Duchess of Sutherland a few times on rails local to me.
Quote from: Roy L S on June 16, 2015, 08:29:02 PM
Quote from: georgehgv on June 16, 2015, 08:11:37 PM
Hi, looking to add one or other of the above to Geominster. City of Bradford appeals because it is in black but also A1 372-802 North Eastern is a contender.
I have blue Tornado which is a lovely running and looker, is North Eastern the same chassis etc?
Anyone got experience of these please let me know your experiences.
Rule one applies here so purely looks and reliabilty count most.
Thanks.
North Eastern is essentially the same chassis as Tornado. The only difference is that the tender has disc wheels whereas Tornados are spoked, Mechanically they are identical. I have both BR A1s and both have been run a good few hours. One is chipped and runs great on DCC. My only recommendation (DR Al's tip originally) is to use both traction tyred wheelsets on the rearmost tender axles. They are in my experience great running and fantastic looking models. They are of course tender drive (not that this should be a deciding factor in my humble opinion). You may be able to pick one up considerably cheaper than a Duchess if you shop around.
The Duchess (Coronation) is also a lovely model. For me in terms of looks it does not quite have the finesse of the A1, but that is a personal thing. It is of course loco drive using the latest coreless motor type chassis. Mine runs beautifully and is a very strong puller.
Overall nothing in it, I would say either would be a great addition to your layout.
Regards
Roy
Fascinating thanks Roy, I do not understand traction tyres but I think if I get this right the Tornado tender has them but not on the rear axles, would I be able to see them by looking at the tender and how would I change the position of them?
Still undecided which one to go for but definitely cannot afford both.
Quote from: Dr Al on June 16, 2015, 09:39:42 PM
Both are equally good models - the Duchess has a superior drive with a smoother running coreless loco drive motor. However it's front bogie (as discussed on the Duchess thread) isn't correctly scaled and the wheelbase of the bogie is way too short, as Bachmann have reused existing tooling on the bogie.
If you've had experience of the A1 in Tornado then all Farish A1s you should see being the same in terms of performance. The Duchess is better yet again, so you can't go far wrong with either.
Cheers,
Alan
Thanks DrAl, great advice, may come down to a black Duchess simply cos I have another BR Green and the Tornado in blue, a sick Duchess in BR Maroon so the black would be different to all, hope to find one cheap then.
Quote from: georgehgv on June 16, 2015, 11:02:54 PM
a sick Duchess in BR Maroon
It's going off topic, but presumably this is an old tool one? If so what's wrong with it (might be some advice available to help resurrect it).
Cheers,
Alan
Hi Al, nope the Duchess that is sick is out of the Cumbrian Mountain Set, Bachmann have had it 2 weeks but not heard what is/was wrong with it to cause the tender axle bearing to melt. Going for the Duchess of Bradford instead of the Jubilee as the topic suggested. Thanks, Geo
Quote from: georgehgv on June 19, 2015, 07:17:32 PM
Hi Al, nope the Duchess that is sick is out of the Cumbrian Mountain Set, Bachmann have had it 2 weeks but not heard what is/was wrong with it to cause the tender axle bearing to melt. Going for the Duchess of Bradford instead of the Jubilee as the topic suggested. Thanks, Geo
Ah, of course - the melted tender - I didn't make the connection that was you!
Cheers,
Alan
I was hoping to get Duchess of Hamilton but price was high on Ebay new item so this morning Gaugemaster got the order as when postage is factored in along with two transits by Oxford worked out a good deal. Incidentally Gaugemaster sale till the weekend helps also.
Hoping to run the new Duchess on the Preservation Line with Repaired Hamilton when it gets back here repaired
Decided on a Princess, City of Bradford good price at Gaugemaster with their weekend discount and carriage at £2.50 I also picked up a couple of Oxford Transits.
Still waiting for the return of the Duchess.
A2 Peppercorn in Apple Green looks good, and may just climb top of my Birthday List.
Having had a good play with the pair of Duchesses Howard Staniforth has on Armathwaite I can't fault their looks on a moving train or their performance. I get to view a lot of locos under much higher mileage conditions than most. Each Duchess ran over a mile during the Farnham show last year and was still running sweetly at the end of it. My only reason for not buying one is that they are totally inappropriate for the layout.
On the other hand I'm jinxed as far as Farish tender drives are concerned. My two A1s seem incapable of reaching the end of an exhibition. One is now away ar BR Lines for a new motor, the previous one having gone up in smoke in spectacular form. The earlier failures on this loco were down to the decoder losing the plot- cured by improving the circuit breaker on the layout. By the time it failed it had run about three-quarters of a mile of three miles it has been rostered for. This loco should be pictured in next month's Railway Modeller, by the way.
The other has mysteriously stopped on two occasions during a show- it now transpires that on each occasion it was the Bachmann decoder picking up a short from somewhere on the circuit board of the loco itself. Both times the decoder was only fit for scrap. The loco is back in service with copious quantities of Kapton tape on the circuit board after careful inspecton to find any dodgy part- I think it is the soldering where the decoder actually connects to the board that is the issue. It also has a Lenz decoder inside as these are more forgiving of momentary short circuits. This loco has run well under half a mile over three exhibitions.
Oddly enough so far the J39 is the only Farish tender drive that has beaten the jinx. My older one has run three miles and the younger one about one mile, with no problems so far.
All the very best
Les