GWR Railcar 20 DCC compatible but no socket

[REGP]

I'm wondering why this latest offering from Graham Farish doesn't have a DCC socket, could it be because it's an old tooling or maybe there's another reason?

Anyone have any views on ideas on this ? 

Ray

[koyli55002]

Looking at the RRP, it certainly looks like it will be just a re-issue of the "split chassis" version, so frankly I think even "DCC Compatible" may be stretching the point a little......Having done a conversion on one, it was not the easiest I've ever done !

[ChrisWV10]

Sure I've seen somewhere that the chassis was being updated with a 6 pin socket tho not according to the webpage or my 1617 catalogue. 

[RailGooner]

..
my 1617 catalogue. 

You want to try a more recent catalogue Chris!

[Ian Morton]

..
my 1617 catalogue. 

You want to try a more recent catalogue Chris!

Talk about a long time between announcement and release! 

[carderrail]

The Farish update in the Summer Model Rail stated a chassis upgrade for the GW Railcar... no mention of a better body though!

Tony

Sure I've seen somewhere that the chassis was being updated with a 6 pin socket tho not according to the webpage or my 1617 catalogue. 

[Chris Morris]

I always thought the body was pretty good on this model. The original chassis was carp but the later chassis with flywheel provides quiet and very smooth running. My later chassis version needed a bit of fettling of the bogie to main chassis electrical connection to make it pick up power consistently.

Shame they aren't doing a new crimson and cream one. The crimson on my early one leaves a lot to be desired. Later ones were much better. Removing the couplings, adding a representation of a real coupling and a few pipes plus a little very light weathering makes a nice model which for me fits in well with today's highly detailed models.

[Geriatrix]

I like the GF railcar but I reckon it looks a tad overscale.It seems to dwarf other carriages. Mine is one of the old chassis and makes a hell of a racket!

[ntpntpntp]

Helluva lot neater and more to scale than the old Langley white metal twin railcar kit I made up as a lad in the 70s  !!   I remember I abandoned the cheap Life-Like chassis recommended, and instead stretched an old Minitrix Warship chassis. It ran quite well actually!

[Bob Tidbury]

ntpntpntp If you want a better G W R Twin set or a Parcels car B H Enterprises do 3D  printed bodies bodies which fit directly onto the Farish chassis they also do the Streamlined Railcar which fits on a Tomytech TM 12 or TM 13 .
Bob Tidbury

[Paul-H]

I fitted DCC to one of these a few years ago, don't have it any more so can only rely on memory for what was involved but I seem to remember it was as follows

Remove metal from each side of the Chassis frame were it makes contact with the motor thus isolating the motor

Remove enough metal from the top of the Chassis frame to allow the decoder to sit under the roof.

Attach red and black decoder wires one to each side of the chassis frame for DCC pickup using the existing chassis screws

Attach Orange and Grey wires from decoder one to each side of the motor now exposed by the metal removal.

Took less than 30 minutes and it worked well.

Paul

[REGP]

Found at least one retailer saying it would be fitted with a DCC socket, so contacted Bachmann and have just got this reply:

"The forthcoming Graham Farish GWR Railcar will not be fitted with a DCC decoder socket. The chassis block has a space allocated for a decoder to be located however this would need to be hard wired to the model."

Pity but there we are.

Ray