SPAM (Society for the Preservation of Ancient Models) thread

[ntpntpntp]

@Cols   My first N gauge set was a Bachmann diesel freight set bought in Fiji in 1974, to which I added a Grafar Pannier tank and Spam Can which both fell apart quite rapidly whereas the cheap old Bachmann kept on going.  The Minitrix models were far better than contemporary Grafar and Lima.  My Rivarossi Jubilee was also excellent - the "Rolls Royce" of British N steam locos.

I converted to European N in the early 80s and have never looked back.  I'm still running 70s Minitrix, Fleischmann, and Arnold alongside current models.  I suppose I generally consider 60s and 70s models as Ancient

[Newportnobby]

@Cols
I have a similar story although I'm just a young whippersnapper of 72.
Started N gauge in the 70s with a Farish 94xx pannier, a 2 car class 101 alng with a Minitrix Britannia, 9F and 2MT tank. Apart from the DMU I still have them all and they run very well. Like you I also purchased the Dapol 14xx and a straight sided 45xx which run well but take off like scalded cats. I now have some 130 pieces of motive power with more on pre order
Like you, I am entrenched in the analogue camp and won't budge

[Cols]

@Newportnobby: My original Dapol locos (the Auto-tank, and the two Small Prairies) would also  disappear over the horizon like scalded cats! However, they have calmed down, but it has taken nearly 25 years and a good Gaugemaster controller to achieve this state. I gave the Auto-tank to my son who is building a Western Region branchline terminus, but I still run the two Small Prairies on our Area Group layout and they perform well. Admittedly there's some wheel-slip when starting with any load greater than a B-Set or nine or ten goods wagons - but I have no need for them to be pulling any greater loads - my two Sonic Large Prairies will do that! I can also get the Dapol Prairies to run at not very much more than a scale walking-pace, but I rather think that it's result of over twenty years of "running-in"! One thing - these two Dapol locos are hardly ever oiled, and when they are, the oil is applied very sparingly via a 000 brush.

I did once own an ex-Poole/via China/Bachmann Prairie tank, but the only improvement that I could see was the new finer profile wheels, and it ran well - though, to me, it was still the ancient Poole horror with that abortion of a safety valve casing atop the boiler, with the wrong driving wheel spacing and wrong diameter wheels, and lacking in many details: I suppose that the 21st Century generation of N-Gauge locos has rather spoilt my view of what's gone before!

[ntpntpntp]

... ex-Poole/via China/Bachmann Prairie tank, but the only improvement that I could see was the new finer profile wheels

Whilst production of the Poole tooling in China did tighten up tolerances and finishes I always felt the finer flanges just made all the wheels look too small, especially front bogies    

I'd already abandoned British N by then, though I did buy a Dapol 14xx and autocoach as it was cute and my example is quite controllable.  I wasn't impressed by their 45xx but did like the 73.  I've not been impressed with other Dapol steamers that have come my way - nice finish but indifferent running.  To be honest it wasn't until I got hold of a Bachmann Tornado that I started to come round to the idea that British N was finally starting to catch up with European brands. Not enough to lure me away from Fleischmann and Minitrix etc.  though.

[EtchedPixels]

The Bachmann chassis for the diesels were the big initial improvement I think, although still with terrible gears and while the BO-BO chassis was great they messed up the pickups on the others quite badly.

Seemed to take the Dapol 14xx and 73 to kick them up into actually fixing the look a bit.

My Minitrix 47 is still a better runner than anything I've had out of Bachmann or Dapol and it's running on dirty track is far better because of the weight and design.