Britannia

[brakevan]

New guy on the pester again. I've put a test track down (and soldered the wires, first time in decades, hmmm practice needed there) Anyway, tried out some loco's, some ok some not so, Amazingly my Britannia, my first 'N' loco, bought in 1974, ran really well except traction not great (very realistic wheelslip!!) could I be missing a traction tyre? Did they ever have them, none on it now.

[martyn]

Yes, there should be two traction tyres, on driver's side; one on leading coupled and one on trailing wheelsets.

They are still available (AFAIK) as genuine Minitrix spare parts, eg;

https://www.petersspares.com/trix-minitrix-e12087800-s-traction-tyres-for-britanniaa3a4-formerly-72087800-pk20-n-gauge.ir

Other retailers may stock them as well.

Martyn

[ntpntpntp]

@brakevan   yes the grooves where the tyres go should be pretty obvious    

As @martyn says replacements are usually available as they're a common size used on many Minitrix locos of that general period.   

Peters Spares and Gaugemaster both showing as out of stock at the moment though. You could try searching for the part number E12087800 in case another shop has some? 

https://www.gaugemasterretail.com/magento/trix-and-minitrix-m12087800.html

There are 3rd party tyres available, eg.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295236224043

[GAD]

They get solid and shiny as they age, after 3 disastrous Dapol Brit's, all three between them not managing a lap of my 1/2 scale mile loop, I bought a 30+ year old Minitrix Brit' which couldn't pull more than itself around the track. Two new tyres and it runs like new hauling as much stock as I care to put behind it.

[Chris Morris]

I reckon the Dapol Brits are ok. Go to 0.47 on the vid.

[GAD]

I reckon the Dapol Brits are ok. Go to 0.47 on the vid.

Well the first two shed a tyre, #1 after 6", #2 after 1". #3 managed a whole yard before a pin dropped out of the centre driver and needing the motion sorting out.

I do have some good Dapol Steamers, but of my three 9Fs one was replaced almost immediately after running in stops and starts every few feet. My second purchase was replaced as it just wouldn't go, doing a good impression of the Monty Python Norwegian Blue,  and the third, from the latest batch, ran straight out of the box. Two B17s ran perfectly from the start, as did a fully streamlined A4. However two Granges went back after failing to run in to give even a semblance of smooth running after 2 hours running in for the first, and 3 hrs for the second. The first was running very hot too.

[Newportnobby]

My second purchase was replaced as it just wouldn't go, doing a good impression of the Monty Python Norwegian Blue

Beautiful plumage, though
My Dapol Brit ran OK but had the ghastly grey wheels. One visit to Dr Al of this parish later and it looked and ran even better.
No issues to speak of with my Minitrix version (see my avatar)

[martyn]

I run four Minitrix and five Dapol Brits (well, Norwich and Stratford had 22 between them), plus another Minitrix one converted to Duke of Gloucester.

The Minitrix ones are now 25-30+ years old, and still run well, on about the third set of tyres each. The Dapol ones are now good runners, but I had problems with four out of five to start with, with three returned for repair by dcc supplies. All returned as good runners, and they continue to be, including some heavy exhibition work.

My Dapol B17s have run faultlessly from new, both bought when the loco was first released some years ago.

Martyn

[PLD]

I reckon the Dapol Brits are ok. Go to 0.47 on the vid.

Well the first two shed a tyre, #1 after 6", #2 after 1". #3 managed a whole yard before a pin dropped out of the centre driver and needing the motion sorting out.

I do have some good Dapol Steamers, but of my three 9Fs one was replaced almost immediately after running in stops and starts every few feet. My second purchase was replaced as it just wouldn't go, doing a good impression of the Monty Python Norwegian Blue,  and the third, from the latest batch, ran straight out of the box. Two B17s ran perfectly from the start, as did a fully streamlined A4. However two Granges went back after failing to run in to give even a semblance of smooth running after 2 hours running in for the first, and 3 hrs for the second. The first was running very hot too.

yet again, by modellers own evidence, we have a pattern of failures concentrated in the hands of a few and not evenly/randomly distributed... Once again we have to ask, if we accept it is not anything those individuals are doing, what is the underlying common factor that causes this pattern of failures??

[Papyrus]

For everything you need to know about repairing Minitrix locos, go here:

http://minitrix.org.uk/The4-6-2Locos/Britannia/

The author is a member of this forum and is an encyclopaedia of knowledge.

Cheers,

Chris

[brakevan]

Thanks for all the answers guys, good info.

[GAD]

I reckon the Dapol Brits are ok. Go to 0.47 on the vid.

Well the first two shed a tyre, #1 after 6", #2 after 1". #3 managed a whole yard before a pin dropped out of the centre driver and needing the motion sorting out.

I do have some good Dapol Steamers, but of my three 9Fs one was replaced almost immediately after running in stops and starts every few feet. My second purchase was replaced as it just wouldn't go, doing a good impression of the Monty Python Norwegian Blue,  and the third, from the latest batch, ran straight out of the box. Two B17s ran perfectly from the start, as did a fully streamlined A4. However two Granges went back after failing to run in to give even a semblance of smooth running after 2 hours running in for the first, and 3 hrs for the second. The first was running very hot too.

yet again, by modellers own evidence, we have a pattern of failures concentrated in the hands of a few and not evenly/randomly distributed... Once again we have to ask, if we accept it is not anything those individuals are doing, what is the underlying common factor that causes this pattern of failures??

Not at all. Having been an N gauge modeller since 1974 and owning and servicing a fleet of over 300 locos, I know what I'm doing, and treat all my locos with due care. It's surely not my fault that the Britannia's shed their traction tyres? Nor that some Dapol steamers run very badly, no other manufacturer has sold me locos with such faults, my Farish steamers of similar vintage came out of the box and ran in smoothly and continue to give good service, as do the Dapol B17s. Buy an Arnold, Fleischmann or Minitrix continental loco and you simply unbox it and pop it onto the track. They run well, and last my oldest to newest steamers from these manufacturers are running beautifully.

[stevewalker]

Certainly my Dapol Brittania is an excellent runner and has great haulage capacity, but it took a number of returns and replacements to get one that would run properly, taking over 3 months before they got it right.

[GAD]

Certainly my Dapol Brittania is an excellent runner and has great haulage capacity, but it took a number of returns and replacements to get one that would run properly, taking over 3 months before they got it right.

Having had that issue with a 9F I took two replacement Granges before asking for a refund. Currently looking out for an ancient Grafar Hall.