Hello there
I was wondering which one of these two is perceived to be (or is!) the better runner in general?

I have heard tell, off several independent people, that the 03 / 04 is the smoother runner and generally "better" overall.

Does anyone have both to give a good comparison?

Either fit to hat I want them for, and Ill probably get both.....But it is nice to be advised by those with experience and knowledge - Forewarned is Forearmed! as they say

I have both, though I haven't had much of a chance to use either (both modern BachFar China versions running on DC), so my experience is limited. Giving them a run on my work-in-progress loop, I'd say there's not much difference. However the 08 goes noticeably faster on the same power settings.

Personally I'm happy with both. The 08 does also serve as an excellent clearance tester 

I'm very happy with my 08, except when it does back flips along one of my station platform.

And I know a certain member of this forum who has an 04 with a flashing light on top 

I have a green 04 and a weathered green 08. If I had to have just one it would be the 08 because I like weathered stuff and it's slightly heavier so seems to run that bit better.

i have a green 04 also a green 08  the 08 runs perfectly every time but the 04  is very temperimental ,it appears to be too light, however clean the wheels and track,it needs a bang on the layout to go. .with a chunk of blue tack on the roof it is sometimes more reliable so personally i wish i had purchased 2  08s .my finances do not run to buy another unfortunately.i am trying to see if i can fit some lead inside but how i do not yet know.  i might just be unlucky.  hope this is usefull     carpy

Both are far better than any other small loco in N gauge for running quality and reliability.

The 03/04s have a reputation for the pick-up shims going out of shape. This usually seems to be a result of prolonged storage on it's side. while the 08s have a very similar design, they seem less prone - possibly due to the outside frames limiting side play in the wheelsets??
Some also say the 04's haulage capacity is poor. They are a little variable, but ours will all shift at least an 8 coach rake without slipping when used as station pilots, the best will move 12.

Quote from: carpy on January 23, 2017, 10:25:33 AM
i have a green 04 also a green 08  the 08 runs perfectly every time but the 04  is very temperimental ,it appears to be too light, however clean the wheels and track,it needs a bang on the layout to go.

Funny, after a bit more experimentation on my far from clean loop my blue 04 is slightly better than the 08.

Two 08s, one 03, and three 14s -- of these I found the 03 is by far the better and easier to maintain despite being much smaller.

Cheers, NeMo

Thanks for all the replies....
It seems they are much of a muchness then, as one should probably expect, with maybe the 03 edging it ever so slightly...

I suppose I could do as BR did on the real Wenfordbridge line, try an 03, and if it is under-powered and/or prone to failure get an 08 to do the job

I would say they are all much of a muchness.

Typical things to look out for are pickup problems - on both 03/04 and 08 chassis. Sometimes you will get a goodun, sometimes you will need to strip it down and fix it. But nothing to stop you getting both

HTH
Bob

Three 04s, two 03s and three 08s. Of these, all the 03/04s are good, including one bought yesterday and ran well straight out of the box on the layout at a show.

Of the 08s, I have one good one out of the three, despite expert attention to the other two. The good one performs less well than the 03/04s.

I think Bob is right, and pickups are always an issue on such a small chassis.

Quote from: Bealman on January 23, 2017, 03:55:39 AM
And I know a certain member of this forum who has an 04 with a flashing light on top 

Who would that be then? 

I'm very happy with my 04, it did suffer from the aforementioned pickup problem but I found putting a second outward bend in each strip halfway between the original bend and the wheel contact point has cured it - not had a problem since

On my semi-fictional layout it's privately owned by the Dairy company so it was also my first venture into painting and modifying a loco

If you're bored and want to watch the video of the repaint and flashing amber beacon install it's here


Paul

I have both and both are fine though the 08 is more powerful. The 04 is a bit light footed but performs well with a small load.  I'd say the 08 is quicker but that's not really an issue .
Of course, the 08 is notoriously wide (often used by modellers for gauging tests) so if you have any tight clearances (eg platform edges) that may be an issue.

Just bought the NCB yellow 04. First run on Sunday. It is very light and therefore struggles up steep inclines (wheel slip). It will only push 2 of my heavy Lima tank wagons up a 3% incline. My Hymek and class 22 can easily do 5 such wagons with no problem. Nice model though, well pleased. It will be assigned to lighter duties on the slope, yet to try it on the flat.

Quote from: keithbythe sea on January 24, 2017, 08:49:55 AM
Just bought the NCB yellow 04. First run on Sunday. It is very light and therefore struggles up steep inclines (wheel slip). It will only push 2 of my heavy Lima tank wagons up a 3% incline. My Hymek and class 22 can easily do 5 such wagons with no problem. Nice model though, well pleased. It will be assigned to lighter duties on the slope, yet to try it on the flat.

I bought mine Sunday too. I had it pulling 10 or so on the flat but my current layout can't handle a train longer than that. Looked like it had a bit to spare. There is little body room for adding weight to aid adhesion to deal with grades but an 04 wouldn't be pushing lots up hill in real life probably!