On My Workbench (Archive)

Future Legends

Sunday morning 27/08/06

If I've mentioned science fiction books on here before, it's a digression I certainly don't recall. There's a first time for everything, though, and the work of Alastair Reynolds is just that. If I need a reason for covering sci-fi on a model railway website, what better excuse than the fact that the author is a model railway enthusiast whose well-crafted layout I've admired online?

Originally testing the water on the recommendation of a friend, I'm now on my fourth book and enjoying them hugely. Having been a fan of 'first contact' stories since I read Arthur C Clarke's 'Rendezvous With Rama' in my youth, I found 'Pushing Ice' hit the spot for me in particular. Easily available from the normal booksellers and online sources such as Amazon, Alastair Reynolds' books are well worth investigating if you've any interest in the genre.

With two new titles due in the coming months, I've not been able to resist pre-ordering them...

Currently On My Stereo: David Bowie - Diamond Dogs

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And then there were three

Sunday afternoon 27/08/06

Almost as soon as I expressed my hope that Bachmann's forthcoming DCC-fitted Class 57 might break the run of Freightliner livery errors, Nigel Burkin dropped me a line pointing out he'd already photographed a sample for the MRM Website. Alas, this model isn't quite correct, either, at least not compared to the prototype whenever I've photographed it, as the real thing has the cabside Freightliner logos absent at one end.

As with the previous releases, this isn't such a show-stopper for me personally that I won't be buying one. In fact I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the first 'proper' DCC-fitted UK D&E release just to see what the future holds for us. But I can't pretend I'm not somewhat dismayed by Bachmann's ongoing run of detail errors. Even though they may not be life-or-death issues (I've no doubt I'll end up with my desired trio of green machines after the judicious application of a little elbow grease) they should be largely wiped out by basic research - and I do mean basic. We're talking 5 minutes spent Googling or Fotopicing in a coffee break here, nothing more. The notion that you should always gather together as many photos as possible before starting a project is so fundamental that I wouldn't expect to have to tell an individual, yet alone a multi-national.

If Bachmann spent as much time on simple research as it does on denial, it's products would be lifted into a different league. I'm sure many modellers out there would be only too pleased to help with photos and pointers.

On the other side of the coin, I was particularly pleased to see some chassis improvements this morning, when I lifted the lid of yesterday's purchase in order to fit a decoder. The revised chassis (front) has tidier wiring and self-contained lighting, whilst the previous version (rear) has the lighting in the body. The older arrangement is a complete and utter pig to work on, due to the limited length of the wiring runs, so full marks to Bachmann for this significant step forward. What do we have to do to get more of this kind of thing instead of arguments?

Currently On My Stereo: David Coverdale - Northwinds

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Freightliner lemon?

Saturday afternoon 26/08/06

Bachmann's Class 57s have been around for a good while now (see here for a previous mention) and, like many modellers, I've had ample opportunity to become accustomed to their strengths and weaknesses. Certain shortcomings (such as the unrealistic cab roof profile when viewed from the side) do irritate me, if truth be told, but these models are still my preferred route into 47/57 territory. There's plenty of room for someone to produce that definitive 'spot-on' model in the future, but for now the Bachmann niggles haven't been sufficient to prevent me assembling a modest collection.

My latest acquisition is the recent 57011 "Freightliner Challenger" release, which depicts one of my all-time favourite liveries. I was a little worried, when I first saw photos on retailer's websites, that Bachmann might have used the more orangey shade of warning panel yellow instead of Freightliner's trademark lemon hue. My fears were unfounded, however, and I was pleased to note a definite lemon shade this morning when I eventually lifted a sample from it's box. I've tried to reflect this in the photographs, but these things aren't always easy to depict accurately. Rest assured, if you put the loco next to something like a corporate blue Class 25, the yellows are quite clearly different shades.

Less satisfactory are the superfluous Freightliner cab-side logos (not a feature of the real 57011) and the incorrectly positioned nameplates, something that five minutes of simple research should have prevented. This really is spoiling the ship for a hap'orth of tar. Despite my liking for the mouldings and performance generally, this 'livery variation only' release can't really be recommended to anyone who expects a model to be fundamentally accurate as it comes out of the box. If you're willing to make a few mods, then fine, but it shouldn't be assumed that everyone has the time, skills, or inclination to fix such errors.

Given Bachmann's recent misinformation about coupler pocket height, I think it worthwhile to have a quick look at this area on the 57. Plug in a Kadee coupler (purely because the standard-issue height gauge makes assessment a breeze) and, as the photo shows, the height is close to what it should be. In fact, I'd hazard a guess that the coupler pocket is at pretty much the correct height but some slope inherent in the moulding lifts the knuckle a tad. I don't know this for a fact, but all four installations I've done exhibit the same characteristics. Nevertheless, slight misalignment notwithstanding, it shows that Bachmann can get this right in restricted-space scenarios when it actually tries.

Curiously, despite the generally favourable impression created by the model, Bachmann has managed to dig itself a very big hole over the livery error issues. Responding to criticism, the company adopted it's standard practice of outright denial, issuing the following statement:

• "When built by Brush they all had the Freightliner logo on the side. After a few years of use some of the 57 cabs have been repainted and 57011 now no longer carries this logo. All carry the under frame boiler tanks, as stated by the Freightliner Engineer in charge of the fleet."

Another two months into the loco's life and still no logos, although modellers will note the roof is now the usual shade of grime - muck sticks. Again running true to form, Bachmann eventually 'fessed up and released a revised statement:

• "Apologies if we got this wrong. We worked very closely with the operator and the company which carried out the conversion to ensure that the overall accuracy of the Freightliner Class 57 locomotive was correct and it would appear that some variations to the standards exist. The Freightliner corporate design guide clearly shows that cabside logos should be fitted underneath each cabside window. Quite how these were not fitted at the time remains something of a mystery."

Bachmann has an established track record when it comes to this kind of behaviour. From the Great Class 37 War, through the Bullidae fiasco to more recent escapades, criticism of mistakes tends to be met with hostility and denial initially. In the age of the internet, there's no choice but to back down eventually as evidence mounts in public forums, but by this time the damage is done. A company cannot expect to repeatedly issue inaccurate statements without having it's integrity called into question. Equally, dismissing the evidence offered up by those better-informed suggests that they're either clueless or telling porkies. It seems churlish to object to the ethics of someone calling you a liar when you're doing exactly the same thing in return. In the interests of minimising animosity, surely honesty and accuracy are the best policies?

Getting back to the Class 57s, Bachmann has messed up the livery on both Freightliner releases so far (57008 had the nameplate at the wrong end on one side of the loco) which is a great shame. I'm hoping the forthcoming DCC-fitted example will be third time lucky rather than a howler hat-trick.

Currently On My Stereo: Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream

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Pockets of resistance

Sunday afternoon 20/08/06

Updates to these pages have been sporadic of late, due to my being away from home a lot on matters of national importance, and this situation is unlikely to change for some months. But don't cry for me, Marge and Tina, as my service to Queen and country is more than adequately rewarded by the exotic locations and luxurious transport inherent in my jet-setting lifestyle.

The absence of 24/7 access to the internet for much of this time comes as something of a culture shock, I can tell you - playing catch-up when I return home is a logistical nightmare and the immediacy of a real-time conversation is lost. A case in point is a recent incident involving Bachmann. Having robustly challenged some very inaccurate statements made by the company about it's products on a public forum, I returned to find myself denied the right of reply to Bachmann's counter-claims. It seems that Bachmann's blatant falsehoods are OK, but anything we humble consumers say might be potentially "libellous". Well pardon me for thinking the misrepresentation of products is pretty serious.

Fortunately, the internet is a big place and folk will simply go elsewhere to avoid heavy-handed censorship. I promised Bachmann I'd upload "large and very clear photos" and if I can't do it over there then I'll do it here instead.

The original customer complaint (to which I confess I paid little attention as it's a well-known and 'done to death' Bachmann problem) involved a loco where the incorrectly located NEM coupler pocket prevented the product from coupling to other rolling stock once the customer's coupling of choice was plugged into the provided pocket. That Bachmann's eventual response dealt with the supplied tension-locks rather than the quoted complaint suggested that, at best, Bachmann didn't understand the subject being discussed.

To compound matters, Bachmann's reply included the incredible claim that:

• "Modern wagons with their long wheelbases allow us to fit the NEM pocket to the correct height. The problem occurs when we try to fit these to short wheelbase vehicles and coaching stock. There is insufficient space between buffer beam and wheel (or bogie) to fit the NEM pocket to the correct height."

• "Every single item of Bachmann short wheelbase stock that I own can have the NEM socket fitted at the correct NEM height, Bachmann simply hasn't bothered."

Let's have a look at the problem. The photo shows two Bachmann wagons bought only last week from my local model shop. The brake van is product reference 37-529 and the seven-planker is 37-181. I've fitted Hornby's recently-released close-couplers for purposes of illustration, purely because their essentially horizontal nature highlights the issue well. Bachmann doesn't have a similar product in it's range for me to use, or I'd have used it out of fairness.

If you click on the image to view the larger version, the problem is astoundingly obvious. The coupler heights dictated by the respective sockets are completely incompatible. For the record, the brake van is at pretty much the correct height and the mineral wagon is way too high.

Yet if you look underneath the wagons, Bachmann's 'can't be done' claim is clearly untrue. There's plenty of space to fit a NEM socket at the correct height without fouling the axle, indeed the method Bachmann has used on the brake van would work perfectly if used on the mineral. If the photo doesn't make it clear enough then get some samples and measure it yourself.

It's simply a cock-up. Bachmann has fitted the NEM pocket directly to the floor of many wagons...

...instead of spacing it down to the correct height as on the brake van. Astonishingly, rather than correct the error, Bachmann has gone to the trouble of tooling a special coupler with a kink in, just to get the supplied tension-locks down to the correct level! A good, solid, 'two wrongs make a right' kludge.

Bachmann's rather condescending comment:

• "If it was easy as one of your correspondents says to fit NEM pockets at the correct height, does he not think that we would have done it!"

Bachmann's next snide remark was:

• "Perhaps he will give an illustrated blow by blow account of how he has done it, so that we can all benefit from his experience."

Bachmann produces an extensive range of wagons, the majority of which are, in my opinion, excellent in most areas. I don't deny that I'd be unable to pursue my UK modelling without these products, indeed I've often praised Bachmann's efforts in this field. Yet a substantial percentage of these wagons are let down by increasingly annoying defects that make life difficult for even the most loyal customers. Unfortunately, while Bachmann is more than willing to accept the praise, it has a proven track record of responding to criticism with bitter hostility, and the journey from outright denial, through excuses, to acceptance and correction is a very frustrating one for manufacturer and consumer alike. Witness the Class 37 debacle, for example.

I'd like to offer the following unsolicited suggestions to Bachmann:

• Correct the height errors of your NEM pockets as a matter of urgency, the majority in my collection are demonstrably unfit for purpose. Few of us have infinite budgets, so every packet of Smiths couplers I have to buy (because I can't easily fit plug'n'play couplers to one of your products) represents a Bachmann wagon I haven't been able to purchase. It really is that simple.
• Make sure your NEM pockets are a tight enough fit for the coupler prongs. At the moment they're too sloppy, leading to coupler droop and unreliable coupling even with your own tension-locks as supplied. Have a look at some of your competition to get an idea of what consumers expect in this area.
• Listen to what your customers are saying instead of responding with hostility and put-downs. Sorry, but experience shows that, all too often, they're right and you're wrong. It doesn't go away if you stick your head in the sand, you just look shiftier as more people upload photos proving their point.
• Don't get uptight if annoyed customers use language that you deem to be too colourful for your tastes. They're shouting at you because they're p*ss*d off after handing over their hard-earned cash for a product that presumably fails to meet their expectations in some way. Try to find out why they're p*ss*d off and perhaps work out what you can do to avoid this in the future. Disgruntled customers are part of the job, and how you deal with them is what sorts the men from the boys. They're allowed to shout at you, it's part of the deal. Sending them all a threatening letter from a solicitor is not generally considered good customer relations.
• Think carefully about what you say before "gobbing off" as the forum concerned so quaintly puts it. You are wholly responsible for your products, nobody else is. If you issue false statements about these products in a public forum, whether by intent or ignorance, your customers will naturally hold you accountable. Even if you genuinely thought your statements to be correct at the time of writing, a percentage of your readers will never believe it. This is just a weight of numbers thing - it's the internet and all human life is out there. Some will believe it was a simple error whilst others will be convinced you were deliberately telling lies. Better to check your facts first and make sure you have the moral high ground, I'd suggest.
• See above. Never make comments such as "The attack reproduced above is uncalled for and without foundation." unless you're 100% sure of your position. You're pretty much calling me a liar, yet I'm both able and willing to prove my point. Once you've got past the bluster and solicitor's letters phase you've got nowhere to go that isn't going to be costly. Better again, I'd suggest, to check your facts before flinging accusations around.
• Why not work with your customers rather than against them? I don't mean the sycophants who chant "Well done Bachmann" six times before they sit down to breakfast, but those of us who care enough to want to buy more of your products if only you'd iron out the silly wrinkles. Those little design errors that are disproportionately annoying if you're trying to use the damned things in quantity for the purpose for which they were sold. Most of us would bend over backwards to help, just for the warm and fuzzy feeling that you get from being involved or valued. Simple people skills.

Take them on board or ignore them as you see fit.

Currently On My Stereo: Porcupine Tree - Deadwing

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More bottom discharge

Monday afternoon 31/07/06

I had a little spare time yesterday evening, so I managed to make a start on a batch of the new Parkside 21t hoppers at last. I departed from the recommended assembly sequence for the leftmost example as the sides had a pronounced curve to them. I felt a different approach would give me a better chance of neat joints at the end. The others are glued together as per the instructions.

My first impressions are that these new kits are a tad fiddlier than regular Parkside offerings, especially where the lower sloped parts of the hopper are concerned. There's nothing that would get the better of the seasoned kit builder, but for a first-timer there are easier models in the range.

Also rolling down the production line at the moment are another couple of Parkside 4mm examples, the pallet van (product reference PC65) and a BR tube wagon, product reference PC55.

Currently On My Stereo: Arena - Pepper's Ghost

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Bottom discharge

Wednesday morning 26/07/06

While the rest of the world seems to be pre-occupied with the release of some strange new kettley thing with lots of wheels, I've been eagerly anticipating something vastly more important. The various 21t hoppers were a common sight on British Railways and I've been waiting a long time for some options over and above the old Airfix moulding - see here for a previous mention or here for some prototype photos.

Parkside's new plastic kit (product reference PC77) represents the diagram 1/146 variation, and I ordered a batch from Mainly Trains as soon as they appeared online.

Of necessity slightly more complicated than the typical Parkside box, the parts nevertheless look to be moulded to the usual standard and I'm looking forward to building a few of these. Alas, domestic arrangements mean spare time is at a premium this week, but perhaps at the weekend...

Currently On My Stereo: Rush - Signals

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Tunnel motors

Friday morning 21/07/06

It's the time of year when the gardening workbench is to the fore, rather than the modelling one. With lots of digging to do, it pays to have some help. I don't know what we're going to have here when they've finished. A swimming pool, perhaps, or an underground car-park.

The new excavations are on the site of a sandpit built by the previous owners for their children. A good idea, I thought - firm discipline for a better Britain. We've not found any bones, yet, but given time...

Currently On My Stereo: Primus - The Brown Album

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Not so close-coupling

Tuesday afternoon 18/07/06

I wasn't in a rush to get any of the new Hornby R8220 close-couplers, as I was under the impression that they were merely re-badged versions of the excellent Roco close-couplers. However, this isn't so, which just goes to show you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet.

The Hornby item is 'Roco-like' rather than purely being an exercise in cloning or re-badging. As the photo shows, the Hornby item is considerably longer than the Roco original, which means vehicles are held further apart if the Hornby product is used. Not-so-close-coupling, if truth be told.

Contrary to some ill-informed comment, the Hornby couplings will couple to the Roco ones. The action is a bit stiff, needing a heavier shunt to accomplish, and Hornby definitely lose points for this to my mind, but they do couple.

The above handful of Bachmann 16 tonners shows the difference in coupling distance, the Hornby close-couplers in actual fact giving a gap that's wider than tension locks by a mm or so! In a perfect world, the Hornby newcomer would be completely outclassed in every area by the Roco originals, however...

It ain't a perfect world. As is reasonably well-known, many UK-outline products have incorrectly positioned NEM sockets, making theoretically simple coupler swaps much more difficult, so a less-than perfectly-specified coupler can actually be pretty useful. Two wrongs making an alright-ish, if the conditions are favourable.

The Hornby close-coupler is a worthwhile companion for the Bachmann Mark 1s, for example. It won't fix the socket height issue (being too high, the couplers will still rub, unfortunately, although they aren't obstructed enough to prevent manual uncoupling) but it overcomes the problem of the socket being too far back from the corridor connection to allow the use of Rocos. The Hornby equivalent works well enough, within rakes at least, as can be seen in the photo. They corridor connections do seem to hinder coupling slightly, but with a little fiddling everything fits nicely.

Other contenders might include the Bachmann JGA, where the bogie-mounted NEM sockets are a little too far back to work reliably with Rocos. Ironically, I can't think of any Hornby products that would benefit from Hornby's own couplings off the top of my head. The HAA and Coalfish might be candidates (I haven't got any intact examples to check) but if you want close-coupling of the Gresleys (as seen here) then you need the Rocos.

I'm still trialling the Hornby ones, as yet they don't have the proven track record of the Rocos as far as I'm concerned. But I'm initially encouraged and expect to replace all of my Bachmann 'hose' links with these things at some point unless something goes catastrophically wrong.

Finally, I think it's important to stress that these things (whether Roco or Hornby) are not in any way supposed to be shunter's couplings. I'm not replacing any of my 3-links or Kadees with them - no way. They're designed to provide a rigid close-coupling in rakes that are fairly fixed, and are especially effective where the NEM socket is on some sort of cam arrangement as seen on the Hornby Gresleys and the Bachmann Mark 1s.

Currently On My Stereo: Les Claypool - Live Frogs Set 2

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Treading grapes with Wayne Rooney

Monday afternoon 10/07/06

Well, I've had a thoroughly enjoyable time watching the World Cup. There were lows as well as highs, of course, but generally I've been hugely entertained. On top of this I've learned something new about myself - after a glass of wine my bladder is no longer good for the full 45 minutes.

After the event, predictably, everyone and their canine mascot becomes an expert pundit. You'd be hard pushed to find someone who isn't a better captain than David Beckham. Few would loose their temper like Zidane. The average kebab shop is three-deep in potential Frank Lampard replacements and you can't chuck an unwanted England flag from a moving car without hitting someone better versed in tactics than Sven-Goran Eriksson. Everyone has opinion and the more bollocks (with apologies to Ricardo Carvalho) it is the better

Compare these typical football fans with model railway enthusiasts. Anyone suggesting a manufacturer might have got something wrong becomes an instant social leper. Everyone has a right to their opinion, as long as it's "WeveNeverHadItSoGood" but hard facts are extremely unwelcome.

Still, it was nice to have a relatively adult interest for a month or so.

Currently On My Stereo: Les Claypool - Of Whales and Woe

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Classic Countdown

Thursday morning 06/07/06

The latest addition to my embarassingly swollen video library is Globe Video's new DVD, 'Classic Countdown' - 90 minutes of solid diesel traction.

The programme is presented as a 'top 12' based on enthusiasts' votes, but if, like me, you don't get off on the 'who's your favourite Power Ranger?' angle, don't let it put you off. The format is just a convenient framework for delivering 12 chapters on classic diesels. There's no lobotomised lotto audience braying along to a camp host. Nothing intrudes on the action in the slightest.

Footage is a good mixture from all eras, with the variation in quality that wedging different technologies back-to-back always highlights. That's not a criticism, it's the older, grainier, cine footage that I always find the most captivating and there's some good pre-TOPS clips to keep me salivating. There's even a shot of Walsall, although it's incorrectly captioned as Shrewsbury. Without giving anything away, the overall winner is no suprise if you know your enthusiasts.

Recommended if you like this kind of thing. I'm off to watch it again...

Currently On My Stereo: Les Claypool - Highball with the Devil

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