Yes a valid point that should have been pointed out in the advertising actually, but then they go a put up a reasonably recent photo of a Preserved R class and then don't deliver what is in the photo of the real one on their site. So seeing as we cannot see before we buy isn't that a bit like fraud. If they put the photo up they could have at least added a rider stating this locomotive may not be delivered exactly as in this photo or photo for illustration purposes only, models may differ or something similar. They just put up that photo and left everyone to assume that is how it would be on delivery. Not very good customer relations here. Better to explain exactly what they are doing on the models than remain silent and get some customers angry because they made a big mistake on their web site by not explaining something properly.

Be a bit like someone making a RTR 500 class steam loco in plastic but failing to tell you they were only making the original 500 class  4-8-2 steam locomotives as first delivered and they put up a photo of the later 4-8-4 locomotive without a caption to explain. Most would assume that the loco in the photo is what is going to be produced.

Great call David Peters! Completly agree.
I thought at very least the R707 would have the blue number plates and the City of Melbourne boards on the side.
I think that would satisfy most people that they have purchased an "as preserved" version of the loco.

Any one else got theirs yet ? I haven't. Dunno what's more frustrating, waiting 8 years or waiting knowing they're in the country.  Actually it's the 8 years.....

No sign of my R707 yet. Not sure how many orders they actually have, though, nor where I am in the queue, so I'm guessing it'll take several weeks for all to be sent out.

I thought at very least the R707 would have the blue number plates and the City of Melbourne boards on the side. I think that would satisfy most people that they have purchased an "as preserved" version of the loco.

I would be amongst those who were expecting it to include the nameboards. The lack thereof, though, doesn't distress me, although I would be pleased if Ron is able to supply nameboards that I can add later.

I think a number of the previous comments have good points (i.e. the site doesn't say anywhere that it would be as per 2004, so technically "preserved" could be any time after it left service, v.s. a relatively recent photo of R707 generating the impression that that is what would be produced).

I am still surprised that no one else has apparently received theirs yet...

I'm heading out very soon to the PO Box and checking to see if I have a note in there for a package.

A fellow MMRC member has his already (picked up Saturday I believe) - yes slightly jealous, was hoping to have it to run at the Croydon exhibition

Wolfpac

Yeah that's right. I thought we would of seen more people receiving them this week already. Is it a coincidence or not that the only 2 that have been received were the same 2 numbers that were used as the finished samples from the factory?

Yeah that's right. I thought we would of seen more people receiving them this week already. Is it a coincidence or not that the only 2 that have been received were the same 2 numbers that were used as the finished samples from the factory?

Any one else got theirs yet ? I haven't. Dunno what's more frustrating, waiting 8 years or waiting knowing they're in the country.  Actually it's the 8 years.....

Got my today R748 Oil Burner weathered with sound, It looks and runs great. Very Happy

A very valid point indeed!

However the City of Melbourne plate is part of the deal, is it not?
And so was the Locomotive operated with that plate with a standard tender fitted?
Cheers
Rod

In but a mere matter of months time the R classes will have been out of service and hence in preservation for 40 years, that's nearly twice as long as they were in service! 'As preserved' does not quote a date, so if they've as they models do at any stage in those 40 years then they are indeed 'as preserved'... They were not advertised 'as seen in 2004'!

I'd assume people have orderedn preserved ones that look like the current ieterations. Name plates and headboards aside, the problem is with the standard bunkers, 707 and 761 haven't had them since the 80's, and 707 hasn't had buffers on the tender for roughly the same period. And 707 has blue numbers as well, which the model doesn't.

I'd assume people have orderedn preserved ones that look like the current ieterations. Name plates and headboards aside, the problem is with the standard bunkers, 707 and 761 haven't had them since the 80's, and 707 hasn't had buffers on the tender for roughly the same period. And 707 has blue numbers as well, which the model doesn't.

Well there's a modelling project for you Demon.  Change it to what you want.

Well there's a modelling project for you Demon.  Change it to what you want.

What's modelling?

You mean some people actually make small modifications to get a model to looks like the real thing at a particular point in time?

Wow ........ you learn something every day!

Of course the configuration of the preserved R classes may have changed in the 8 years the model has been in production.

Iain

No luck just yet, checked last night and at lunch time, nothing there yet. Hopefully it'll be there tonight. Hopefully!

Wolfpac

Having confirmed my street address with Ron the previous Sunday (noting that some folk could have changed addresses at least once during the 7 yr gestation period) I looked every day this past week for a card in the mail saying there was a package for me at the local p.o. Even went up one day to see if there was anything there, thinking the postman might have put the card in the wrong letterbox. When it hadnt arrived by Friday, asked if I could pick it up my R class  from Sans Souci on Sat morning so I could give it a run on the club layout that afternoon. This was duly done. Ron was happy to have one less to worry about posting.
I had some trouble initially getting the plug from the tender to go into the socket on the engine. The plate covering the gap between the engine and tender, while a welcome touch as far as the model goes, kept getting in the way. After a few false starts (which included finding out that the loco wont run unless the cable from the tender is connected fully) I finally got it running. Was impressed with the smoothness, quietness and response, no wobble.........very nice. I set it up with a train of 14 Lima four wheel GY wagons and SEM Z van. Not what you would call a particularly heavy load.  It had no problem till it got halfway up a moderate grade, where it slipped to a stand. Oh dear! Later I tied it with a train of 4 Auscision VR coaches and a BP van, plus a Powerline S coach, a pretty typical load for an R class, only to find it had the same problem in the same place.
Obviously needs more weight on the drivers. Anyone else made a discovery like this? Am I going to have to make a liberal application of Bullfrog Snot in the appropriate places? Is there enough room inside the boiler for more weight? I am not game, at this stage, to take the body off the chassis.

.... It had no problem till it got halfway up a moderate grade, where it slipped to a stand. Oh dear! Later I tied it with a train of 4 Auscision VR coaches and a BP van, plus a Powerline S coach, a pretty typical load for an R class, only to find it had the same problem in the same place. ...

Any idea of the gradient of the "moderate grade" Bill?  Preferably in the form one in X.  I do not relate well to the American percentage gradients, but can convert if necessary.

Best regards,
John

I'd assume people have orderedn preserved ones that look like the current ieterations. Name plates and headboards aside, the problem is with the standard bunkers, 707 and 761 haven't had them since the 80's, and 707 hasn't had buffers on the tender for roughly the same period. And 707 has blue numbers as well, which the model doesn't.

Well assumption is the mother of all ...

Here's a tip, if punters so desperately wanted their 'as preserved' model to depict some particular day in the last 40 years, perhaps they could have done something novel, like maybe placing a call, or email BEFORE ORDERING, I mean really guys... You're making the rest of look like fools!

So the loco is as preserved pre 80s, it's still nonetheless, as preserved. If buffers are your problem, just be rough with them for a couple of weeks - like many others will be, and they'll fall off, at least we can count on you not blaming the manufacturer for your hamfisted-ness...

I think it is 1:87,but I will double check next time I'm at the club. I have to say I was watching a youtube video of various recently produced Australian steam locos  hauling a set of Eureka a/c cars up a grade which was 1:40...and it looked like it too. One of the locos was a Eureka 38, and it made it at a good speed and I didnt see any wheel slip.

Having confirmed my street address with Ron the previous Sunday (noting that some folk could have changed addresses at least once during the 7 yr gestation period) I looked every day this past week for a card in the mail saying there was a package for me at the local p.o. Even went up one day to see if there was anything there, thinking the postman might have put the card in the wrong letterbox. When it hadnt arrived by Friday, asked if I could pick it up my R class  from Sans Souci on Sat morning so I could give it a run on the club layout that afternoon. This was duly done. Ron was happy to have one less to worry about posting.
I had some trouble initially getting the plug from the tender to go into the socket on the engine. The plate covering the gap between the engine and tender, while a welcome touch as far as the model goes, kept getting in the way. After a few false starts (which included finding out that the loco wont run unless the cable from the tender is connected fully) I finally got it running. Was impressed with the smoothness, quietness and response, no wobble.........very nice. I set it up with a train of 14 Lima four wheel GY wagons and SEM Z van. Not what you would call a particularly heavy load.  It had no problem till it got halfway up a moderate grade, where it slipped to a stand. Oh dear! Later I tied it with a train of 4 Auscision VR coaches and a BP van, plus a Powerline S coach, a pretty typical load for an R class, only to find it had the same problem in the same place.
Obviously needs more weight on the drivers. Anyone else made a discovery like this? Am I going to have to make a liberal application of Bullfrog Snot in the appropriate places? Is there enough room inside the boiler for more weight? I am not game, at this stage, to take the body off the chassis.

Bill

What grade is the moderate?  Also is the model full gear driven ie, gears to each wheel or the more usual single gears with side rods to provide the power for the other two drivers?  The thing is though is to consider the actual grade & balance that with what was the applicable load for an R on a similar grade on the 1:1 gauge system. The ideal is to get the amount of R/S items to match that up both for goods & passenger services.

I have noticed that the last NSW passenger carriages I purchased was the Austrains FS/BS cars, they were heavier than earlier version owing to the inclusion of interior detail & light boards, the same happened when I fitted internal detail to my RUB car kits, surprising how much heavier they were. This may affect how many carriages the model will pull, especially if the Auscision cars have internal detail which adds some extra weight.

Either way, it seems that you may have to add some extra weight to the area around the drivers.  This was a problem with the first run garratts, especially with the front tank, no idea about the 2nd run though.

I fixed the front tank by removing the tank body & placing some thin & small pieces of lead flashing to some cut away areas inside the tank.  Although the main area of getting the extra weight to that tank as well as to the bunker was by cutting some lead flashing to the same size as the keeper plate between the drivers.  I shaped it to fit around the gear box covers, & drilled holes to align with the screws for the plate also.

I secured all the weights using clear roof & gutter sealant, as it can be removed if needed but holds all the items in place very securely.

Huzzah! My R Class (R707) arrived today!

Only catch, it arrived after I went back to work after lunch...



Oh well, ready to go for a run tomorrow night at the club. (There goes working on my modules...)

Wolfpac

... Was impressed with the smoothness, quietness and response, no wobble.........very nice. I set it up with a train of 14 Lima four wheel GY wagons and SEM Z van. Not what you would call a particularly heavy load.  It had no problem till it got halfway up a moderate grade, where it slipped to a stand. Oh dear! Later I tied it with a train of 4 Auscision VR coaches and a BP van, plus a Powerline S coach, a pretty typical load for an R class, only to find it had the same problem in the same place.
Obviously needs more weight on the drivers. Anyone else made a discovery like this? Am I going to have to make a liberal application of Bullfrog Snot in the appropriate places? Is there enough room inside the boiler for more weight? I am not game, at this stage, to take the body off the chassis.

Same problem with my R class, Bill.  Wheelslip on grades while hauling a short train of three cars (BW, AW, CW), each lightly weighted.

My diesels (Auscision B, Trainorama S, and Austrains T and Y) have no problems at all on the same grades with the same cars.  

After running the R class for a while as a light engine then trying it again with the same train, I think there might have been a very slight improvement in performance but that could have been wishful thinking!

I, too, am thinking about possible remedies.  Does Bullfrog Snot work?  Can more weight be added to the loco?  (If so, where and how?)  Will more running-in solve the problem?

Apart from apparent lack of pulling-power, it's a very nice loco.  Looks great.  Sounds great.  Runs smoothly.

Anyone have a clue as to the order in which they are being delivered ?

Hi,

I have no idea how the R class is built but is there a spring applying pressure on the front pony truck? If so, and the spring tension is excessive, it may be worth shortening the spring to relieve the downward pressure and place more of the models weight on the drivers. Might be worth checking the trailing locomotive pony truck also.

May be of some help. I know this has fixed the tractive efforts of many models, even works for real ones too!

Regards,

Linton

Same problem with my R class, Bill.  Wheelslip on grades while hauling a short train of three cars (BW, AW, CW), each lightly weighted.

My diesels (Auscision B, Trainorama S, and Austrains T and Y) have no problems at all on the same grades with the same cars.  

After running the R class for a while as a light engine then trying it again with the same train, I think there might have been a very slight improvement in performance but that could have been wishful thinking!

I, too, am thinking about possible remedies.  Does Bullfrog Snot work?  Can more weight be added to the loco?  (If so, where and how?)  Will more running-in solve the problem?

Apart from apparent lack of pulling-power, it's a very nice loco.  Looks great.  Sounds great.  Runs smoothly.

One of the causes of wheelslip in the full sized R was excessive weight transfer on to the trailing truck when taking off, and/or on grades. Might be worth a look.

Hi,

I have no idea how the R class is built but is there a spring applying pressure on the front pony truck? If so, and the spring tension is excessive, it may be worth shortening the spring to relieve the downward pressure and place more of the models weight on the drivers. Might be worth checking the trailing locomotive pony truck also.

May be of some help. I know this has fixed the tractive efforts of many models, even works for real ones too!

Regards,

Linton

To add to what Linton has said, & its something I do with all my models is simply take the spring out all together, I have had no problems with my loco's as a result of their removal.

It might also be worth cleaning the wheels with Isopropyl alcohol too. These new models were possibly given some sort of protective coating over the exposed metal parts to prevent tarnishing/oxidation. If such a coating has been applied, it is probably of a type of oil-based product. Just a thought....I could be totally wrong.

Earlier in this thread, comment was made about the Eureka 60 class and how its tractive effort can be improved. With my 3 Garratts, I went one (giant) step further and totally altered the method of boiler support; such that the total weight of the boiler now rests on the 2 motorised bodies instead of the inner bogies (which now just go along for the ride).

Unfortunately, nobody I know has come up with a method of utilising the weight of the front of the tender to add to the weight carried by the rear of the loco proper. I still think this could be feasible, but I'm stuffed if I can work out exactly how to achieve it (yet)......I've only been pondering this problem for about 40 years, so maybe in the next 40 years I might work it out. If I do, you blokes and sheilas will be the first to know!!! hahaha

Roachie