Disalusioned about my locos

Started by Geoff, September 13, 2015, 03:20:30 PM

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Bealman

Interesting! That honestly is the first case I've heard of.  :beers:

George
Vision over visibility. Bono, U2.

Newportnobby

Quote from: MalcolmAL on September 14, 2015, 11:35:29 PM
It would not be surprising, given the present state of the Chinese economy and the desire for future growth, to find that the cost (in £ or $ ) of the products out to us to fall. ?

Other than the above quote you make a very cogent argument, Malc, and I wouldn't disagree with anything else you said :no:
However, I believe anyone who thinks prices will be reduced to us (other than discounts from retailers) is living in one of those lands inhabited by cloud cuckoos (BTW exactly what is a 'cloud cuckoo'?)
My main point is that prices will continue to rise whilst QC issues will not improve.

MalcolmInN

Quote from: newportnobby on September 15, 2015, 08:21:25 AMOther than the above quote you make a very cogent argument
I thought so too  :laugh: :bounce:

Yes I wrote that bit badly, -" to us" - I meant "to us in the west", outside China, not to us in our caves. I had considered "ex-factory" but that didnt quite do what I meant either !
What I should have said is "ex-Chinese economic zone"

How does that do sir ? :)
Yes, I totally agree with you, zero chance, of (average - excluding special cases) prices to us end customers falling. Inbetween costs will soon hoover up any spare pennies ( that sounds more polite than "middle men" :) ) ?
I think the shadow cabinet can agree on that ? Show of hands  :laugh3: :angel: :thumbsup:

Newportnobby

Quote from: MalcolmAL on September 15, 2015, 09:58:42 AM
Quote from: newportnobby on September 15, 2015, 08:21:25 AMOther than the above quote you make a very cogent argument
I thought so too  :laugh: :bounce:

Yes I wrote that bit badly, -" to us" - I meant "to us in the west", outside China, not to us in our caves. I had considered "ex-factory" but that didnt quite do what I meant either !
What I should have said is "ex-Chinese economic zone"

How does that do sir ? :)
Yes, I totally agree with you, zero chance, of (average - excluding special cases) prices to us end customers falling. Inbetween costs will soon hoover up any spare pennies ( that sounds more polite than "middle men" :) ) ?
I think the shadow cabinet can agree on that ? Show of hands  :laugh3: :angel: :thumbsup:

:thumbsup: :)

javlinfaw7

I was watching a late night news programme in which a Chinese business man was being interviewed. He talked for a considerable length of time about out sourcing production too other far east countries due to unreliable,high cost labour.

Bealman

Let's not go daft here.... I am simply and basically suggesting that Kato stuff is good and well-engineered. British manufacturers are trying. No problems with me Farish BP.

However, whenever I have been met with Kato stuff, it reeks quality straight out of the boxed set foam inlays.

Put it on the track, and it goes. Often with all the carriages lit up.
Vision over visibility. Bono, U2.

Newportnobby

Yeah - if Farish can fit pick ups to their Royal Mail coaches to provide running lights why can't they do the same thing for carriage lighting/end of train lamps? Mind you, how much would such a carriage be? :hmmm:
Sorry - I've gorn orft topic :-[

Dr Al

Quote from: Bealman on September 15, 2015, 10:44:17 AM
However, whenever I have been met with Kato stuff, it reeks quality straight out of the boxed set foam inlays.

Kato approach things with a sort of somple back to basics in terms of mechanics. They use decent quality motors and simple drive mechanisms, that are well designed. However, the key difference is that their market is much larger - typical runs of 10,000 which is ten to twenty times more than a typical UK outline model. I guess this is mainly because they do US stuff (much bigger market) and their own Japanese outline (again much bigger market for N in Japan). Of course they do models outwith this (e.g. Eurostar) but these aren't produced that often - it's been over 15 years between production runs I think.

Moreover, our UK models are now definitely of a higher finesse in terms of detail, and are now using superior quality motors (well in the case of Farish coreless if nothing else).

So whilst Kato are in the same business, their market is rather different I think.

Cheers,
Alan
Quote from: Roy L S
If Dr Al is online he may be able to provide a more comprehensive answer.

"We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces."Dr. Carl Sagan

Geoff

Dapol Pannier I have been fiddling about with this Loco and it is back working and not shaking no more so it looks like it was the electrical contacts with the wheels that was causing the shake, given it a thorough clean and all seems fine.

Farish J39 I am going to have to strip this down something is major on this Loco, just does not want to move so going to take the decoder out and run it on an analogue track to see if that makes an improvement, but I do feel like it needs stripping down for further investigations.

Farish Class 42 still need to strip down I am feeling a little more confident now for stripping it down.
Geoff

Les1952

One thing that we all forget is that no matter how big our loco fleet is, that fleet will NOT give a good statistical representation of the actual number of dud models of any type.

Dr Al mentions Dapol A3s.  I have twelve of these in service.  All perform reliably and consistently, the workhorses of my exhibition fleet.  Occasionally on the second day of an exhibition one starts stuttering a bit- by this point it is over a quarter of a mile out from pre-show service.  Cleaning and getting the loco back into service is time consuming.  BTW one of my A3s was purchased second-hand from Dr Al, most of the others were new but a couple were secondhand.  There isn't a noticeable difference between them (other than visually).

On the other hand I have had problems with certain other types- but accept that if 1000 of a type are made I could just be unlucky with my two or three.  I DON'T however tinker with new locos- if it isn't good enough it goes back.

Les

Geoff

J39 is stripped down changed over the DCC chip over to the blanking chip, and the loco goes back and forth with mixed results, going forward on the test track the loco seems fine in DC but when I drive the Loco in reverse the front and rear wheels on the boiler section are coming off the track.

So I have come to the asumption that the boiler section is to light or there is not enough play on the wheel set further investigation needed.
Geoff

Geoff

Class 42 Update, I have stripped down the loco and all of the drive mechanics seem fine, then I ran the motor and it is struggling in one direction with a little pressure on both directions one way is fine the other way there does not seem to be the same umph.

There is a number on the motor which is 66A4E and was wondering where the best place to get hold of another?
Geoff

Newportnobby

#72
Quote from: Geoff on October 22, 2015, 08:58:44 AM

There is a number on the motor which is 66A4E and was wondering where the best place to get hold of another?

Try giving Bob at BR Lines a call, Geoff.
www.brlines.co.uk

Adrian

Don't Bachmann also supply motors - at least for their more "recent" models?

Adrian

Geoff

Thanks folks I am going to check all avenues, sent Bob an email at BR Lines, and I will follow up the Bachmann lead if the BR Lines lead fails.
Geoff

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