Bach/Farish Class 04

[Komata]

A friend given me a new Bach/Farish 04 to 'run-in' and weather.

Not  having seen one of these before, and hoping that the new owner hasn't been sold a 'lemon', (given Farish's reputation in the past) what can the membership tell me about the model?

Most importantly, is it 'good' and reliable?

Are there any specific 'faults' that should be looked-out for?

Any recommended 'best way' to run it in?

Thanks.

[PLD]

The only issue regularly reported with these (and the 03 that shares the chassis) is with the pickups. The metal used is not particularly springy and has been known to lose it shape through the loco being stored laid on it's side for a prolonged time.

Once they are sorted which can be awkward as it means removing the body which is held on by 4 very small screws, they are very good reliable runners except for the obvious issues with dead frog points with a dead section longer than their short wheelbase...

[ParkeNd]

British Model Trains 2014 rates it very highly. Drive is just to the rear axle and they just point out the need to keep wheels and track clean in view of its size. They say fitting DCC chips is difficult but someone is bound to say its dead simple. Should be a goodun.

[Sprintex]

Very informative thread HERE about adjusting the troublesome pickups, with a handy step-by-step tutorial from Grahame

British Model Trains 2014 rates it very highly. Drive is just to the rear axle and they just point out the need to keep wheels and track clean in view of its size. They say fitting DCC chips is difficult but someone is bound to say its dead simple. Should be a goodun.

Drive is to all six wheels not just the rear axle, and yes fitting a chip is dead simple IF you get a small enough chip! Something like the CT DCX76z or the TCS Z2 will fit easily With clean wheels as Parkend said, and properly adjusted pickups it's a great little runner.


Paul

[ParkeNd]

Very informative thread HERE about adjusting the troublesome pickups, with a handy step-by-step tutorial from Grahame

British Model Trains 2014 rates it very highly. Drive is just to the rear axle and they just point out the need to keep wheels and track clean in view of its size. They say fitting DCC chips is difficult but someone is bound to say its dead simple. Should be a goodun.

Drive is to all six wheels not just the rear axle, and yes fitting a chip is dead simple IF you get a small enough chip! Something like the CT DCX76z or the TCS Z2 will fit easily With clean wheels as Parkend said, and properly adjusted pickups it's a great little runner.


Paul

Just checked again. The book is adamant that DRIVE is just to the rear axle. H. thread seems to say PICKUP is on all six wheels.

[Caz]

Could it be that although the motor may only drive one axle directly the others are driven by a gear train as are most modern locos these days?

[Sprintex]

Very informative thread HERE about adjusting the troublesome pickups, with a handy step-by-step tutorial from Grahame

British Model Trains 2014 rates it very highly. Drive is just to the rear axle and they just point out the need to keep wheels and track clean in view of its size. They say fitting DCC chips is difficult but someone is bound to say its dead simple. Should be a goodun.

Drive is to all six wheels not just the rear axle, and yes fitting a chip is dead simple IF you get a small enough chip! Something like the CT DCX76z or the TCS Z2 will fit easily With clean wheels as Parkend said, and properly adjusted pickups it's a great little runner.


Paul

Just checked again. The book is adamant that DRIVE is just to the rear axle. H. thread seems to say PICKUP is on all six wheels.

And I'm adamant (not Adam Ant - he's something different entirely ) that drive is to all six wheels - it has to be as they're all linked together by con-rods. What the book may be referring to is that the motor drives an idler shaft at the rear which is linked to the six wheels by the con-rods, but it still has drive/traction through all six wheels


Paul

[ParkeNd]

That's not really the same as a diesel bogie gear drive to each axle is it. I think this was their point. The conn rods are just dragging the other wheels round cosmetically.

[Dr Al]

The conn rods are just dragging the other wheels round cosmetically.

No, they functionally work and mean that the loco drives on track with all 6 wheels.

Try removing the conn rods and you'll find haulage capacity drops massively.....

Cheers,
Alan

[Newportnobby]

The conn rods are just dragging the other wheels round cosmetically.

No, they functionally work and mean that the loco drives on track with all 6 wheels.

Try removing the conn rods and you'll find haulage capacity drops massively.....

Cheers,
Alan

Any recommended 'best way' to run it in?

Thanks.

People run their locos in in different ways. Some just put them on a rolling road for ½ hour in each direction but wherever possible I like to run them through points just to check them out, so my way is to run them for a 1/4 hour in each direction, turn the loco round and then another 1/4 hour in each direction. That way you get the full recommended hour and you have tried it in all directions.