This little baby arrived with Postie today. 









The Oxford Rail N7 locomotive in late BR livery.  Also in the box was a project loaded Zimo MX648 sound decoder, a speaker and a stay'alive - all waiting for me to fit ………………………… :shock:

John G at Digitrains was kind enough to send me a photo of one they'd fitted - it all goes in the bunker - just ……………………………. :roll:

It turned out to be amazing service from all concerned - Digitrains, Royal Mail and La Poste.  Ordered last Friday, delivered today - only 6 days including a weekend !!  That must be some kind of a record.

I've saved the best bit about the deal 'till last - sold to me by Digitrains VAT free (thank you Brexit !) and no customs delays, VAT or other charges this end.  VAT would have added around £40 to the overall cost.

Peter

I was impressed with the look and running of the J27's.  Does the N7 look and run well?  The photos certainly suggest that she looks the part.  Not sure about the white chimney cap in service!!  A spot of weathering required methinks.

Barry

She looks well Barry - except for those strange white areas you mentioned. They make her look slightly "Thomas the Tank" I think …………….

I could have bought either the early BR livery or this one.  The early one doesn't have the "pretty" bits but I thought this one fitted my era better (having forgotten it had the white frillies)  As you so rightly say, they'll have to go !!!

I had read comments about the couplings and my word, they do stick out a bit !!  The front one gives her a sort of "ram bow".  Not sure if I can rectify that until I examine her in more detail.

With regard to running - I don't know how she runs yet - she hasn't been fed.   I'm setting up a DC circle tomorrow to run her in - couldn't find the darned DC controller today !!  I'll give her around 30 minutes in each direction then report back.  :cheers

Peter

I suspect the "ice-breaker box" is to avod buffer locking on toy train set curves.  On a model railway, you could probably get away with a set of shortened couplings.  The protrusions are highlighted by what look like short buffer stocks??  The prototypes were often found on close-coupled suburban stock hence the short buffers??

[user=2006]Barry Miltenburg[/user] wrote:

Peter

I suspect the "ice-breaker box" is to avod buffer locking on toy train set curves.  On a model railway, you could probably get away with a set of shortened couplings.  The protrusions are highlighted by what look like short buffer stocks??  The prototypes were often found on close-coupled suburban stock hence the short buffers??

The side-on photo shows the NEM socket to be located as far back as could be expected, well behind the buffer beam. I've long given up on tension lock couplings for what are mostly my small stock. They are and scream "hopelessly oversized".

They're not everyone's cup of tea but I'm very happy using Kadee NEM fittings, available in a variety of lengths (see their website). Its relatively easy to work out what will work in your minimum curve with a bit of trial and error.

 In my current setting with the odd "train set" radius by necessity, I still managed to get much closer coupling between a Class 48xx loco and auto-coach with carefully chosen Kadees than I could have achieved with tension locks.

As to looks, anything other than a 3-link coupling is non-prototypical so it boils down to personal taste /compromise. The centrally located Kadees don't ever catch my eye, I've even converted old Hornby Clerestories sporting those impossible Big "D" type couplings over to Kadee to advantage.

Some argue they're expensive but with long fixed rakes you could choose to fit just the ends. I bit the bullet and did the lot. 

Bachmann make short tension locks.
Terry

Oh yes. I agree about changing to Kadee. I did for all my stock and even as Colin says, still not prototypical, but look much better.

I hope it runs as well as it looks, Peter.

As an aside. I  had the failed 02 from Rails in record time too. Very different from this end. I posted it back last Saturday the 5th and it's still sitting at Brisbane airport.  :roll:

A simple comparison: