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

[Hailstone]

I ordered a black V2 60845 weathered by Rails and it arrived yesterday. my first impression was that it is light years ahead of its rather dissapointing predecessor



after an hours running in, I gave it a 20 wagon fish train to see what it was like on a load and it walked away with it (I will have to try a heavier van train that usually finds out the poorer haulers)



Finally, I put it on a passenger train, the leading coach having been aquired from @Pedanticmongrel which arrived the same day (a beautiful job Dan) with Green arrow on the fish vans heading in the opposite direction.



I look forward to the arrival of 60964 "The Durham Light Infantry" after which, the 2 existing V2's may be sent abroad for further use. 60845 has since been fitted with the cab doors, a crew and real coal in the tender

Regards,

Alex

[Newportnobby]

@Hailstone
Any chance of a close up so I can see the weathering better please, Alex?

[Woodenhead]

On the one hand it was said the intial V2 was so poor, but it was poor for it's time not a poor loco.

Had it been released when prior to Bachmann owning the company it would have been a popular loco, but expectations were rising and what we got was lazy.

Perhaps we needed that loco to kickstart Bachmann treating the N range seriously alongside what Dapol at the time were offering because what we've had since has been very good and continues to get better.

[Roy L S]

My new tool V2 has been running with a 10 coach train for a number of hours, and unlike it's predecessor, pulling that kind of load is effortless, it would take a fair few more I reckon.

Mine now has a Zimo MS591 sound chip fitted with a YouChoos sound file, which captures the syncopated exhaust beat very well, I just need to get round to turning the volume up slightly as it is a bit quiet as delivered.

I hadn't pulled out any of my old V2s to make a comparison, but fair to say that in pretty much every respect this new version trounces the earlier model, but then arguably it should given advances in technology over the last 20 years we have seen.

The weathering does look good and really brings out the detail, I may well elect to get one of my two BR Green ones done when they arrive.

I think we are quick to criticise, but aside from a couple of tiny niggles for me this loco is bang on the money, and all credit to Bachmann, not a cheap loco, but when you see the model you understand why and it is (in my opinion) well worth the money.

Roy

[Hailstone]

@Hailstone
Any chance of a close up so I can see the weathering better please, Alex?

I will take a close up asap Mick

Regards,

Alex

[Ensign Elliott]

I ordered a black V2 60845 weathered by Rails and it arrived yesterday. my first impression was that it is light years ahead of its rather dissapointing predecessor

Thanks for the pics. Interesting to compare it to its predecessor. I'm looking forward to getting a lined green one.

Out of interest, is that the Rail of Sheffield £29.95 "Advanced Weathering" option you've had on your V2 Alex?