New Bachmann Farish V2

[Dr Al]

Also interesting to note that Dr Al says the fall-plate is fixed, where the Bachmann blurb said it is movable:

I didn't say it's fixed - I said that it doesn't fold downwards like other Farish models to store when folk don't use it (i.e. pretty much everyone). Instead the V2s is sticking vertically upwards when in transit, and rotates down to use.

Feels to me the earlier solution was better, as quite simply, most folk don't use them.

Cheers,
Alan

[Dr Al]

Thanks for the helpful summary @Dr Al I am hoping to get mine from Kernow sometime this week. Out of curiosity, is the tender-drawbar the same as the latest run of Black Fives with "proper" wires run/embedded under the drawbar instead of the previous sprung phosphor bronze arrangement?

It's an advance on the recent run of black 5s, which tbh are a bit of a mess.

It's a fixed single drawbar, that attaches to the loco behind the driving wheels (not the rear bogie - it pivots independently of the drawbar) and then to the tender with a screwed connection. There are cables pinned to it to take power etc, so shorting it will be dependent on these, but I suspect it'll not be too hard.

There are not mechanical wire based conductive drawbar of earlier generation black 5s, Jubilee etc.

Cheers,
Alan

[Dr Al]

If you get a chance would you be able to pop the tender top to see if it would work?

Here is V2 unclothed.

Loco:



Tender:



Tender looks like it has a fair amount of space within for large decoders, but will depend on the exact height and sizes more generally. If the decoder is too long, I don't see why the PCB could not be unscrewed, filed down a bit at the back end and allowed then to sit further to the rear of the tender.

Loco is rather interesting -  the boiler comes off as can be seen (the footplate cannot come off until the boiler off) with 4 underside screws. What is rather interesting is that Bachmann have immediately missed a trick here with that tiny flywheel, which is far too small to have any tangible effect since: physics. But, there's the entire smokebox ahead of it, which only has a detachable weight within - so it would seem highly plausible that a supersize flywheel could be fitted to this, which would be....interesting.

Also, the PCB could likely be lost and instead replaced with lead - there seems space around to fit more weight generally. Whether it needs it is untested - almost certainly not if the traction tyres are retained; but one wonders for the non-tyred alternative.

The keeper plate is completely removable, without the pickups being hardwired, this being a good improvement for ease of maintenance.

In terms of the tender drawbar - this is little more than a metal bar with a couple of little bend over tags to retain the cabling, so should actually be very easy to modify or swap out for a shorter one - two screws and a couple of bend tags to release the wiring and it'd be off:



Would be pretty simple to replace with a shorter one made from suitable brass sheet, to exactly the same design.

Eccentric rod cranks - I had a fiddle by inverting the central driving wheelset - this gets them a bit better, but their attachment will need modified to get this right, and give the correct Gresley gait to the motion. Bachmann don't seem to learn on this one - they've been told by the esteemed Tony Wright that these are all wrong on many of their OO models, and they've taken the same attachment approach here.

Better on RHS, but needs more lead:



LHS is still leaning backwards:



Some interesting stuff to play with here...

....now where's Tramfabriek's flywheels page.... 

Cheers,
Alan

[Roy L S]

Thanks Alan, that is really helpful.

From the shot of the tender chassis it appears unlikely that the bigger Zimo MS581 decoder will fit without modifications (which I wouldn't want to do on a brand new loco!) but I will put a rule over mine when it (hopefully) arrives later today.

It does look like a well designed chassis and perhaps inevitably given the time that has passed since their last new tool steam loco there have been some changes. The flywheel loos too puny to do very much, just as was the case with the old V2, and I am not really sure it is needed with a smooth running coreless motor, but there we go..

Roy

[Roy L S]

Thanks to DPD my black V2 has now arrived. First impressions, I am simply blown away - what a lovely model.

Getting to the DCC socket involves undoing three screws beneath the tender and it lifts off (careful not to lose them!) a standard Next 18 decoder fitted and programmed followed by running in. It was a bit stiff at first but after the mandatory half hour each way light engine is now freeing up - a lovely smooth runner. Currently it is running around my layout with ten coaches on, and hardly breaking a sweat, it would I expect take quite a few more.

Niggles? Nothing major, tender gap a bit wide and as Alan said the fall-plate folding up not down (minor). On this particular loco the coupling sits a fraction high so is a bit "fussy" staying hooked up but I coupled a Thompson with a short shank to it and all good, I think the coupling on the loco just needs a tweak or replacing with a short shank.

Choice of sound decoder has been dictated by available space, Zimo MS 591 which I will order later on from YouChoos.

I await my sound fitted ones in BR green with great anticipation  .

Roy