This and several other smaller steam locos seem to have uncovered a new market.

Those who have been around for too many moons ( I remember man landing on the moon )  have enjoyed these new items, but many younger ones have no experience with lubrication, running in, adding decoders etc.

Many people have built layouts with 18" curves ( and sometimes smaller) so they ask locos to negotiate these curves "because my NR will do it. "

They want an F to haul 20 container flats " cause that is how many I run already. "

It will be interesting to see how many of these locos will start to struggle next year, or maybe three years time, And it will be interesting to see if enough people will be able to share with others how to maintain them
The other thing will be interesting to see if people can learn to work with 8 fixed wheels on small radii.

The drivers and rear axle on the prototype are fixed on the prototype. That is why the prototype used flangeless wheels on the front.
However flangeless wheels on a model on tiny radius curves is asking for derailments or excessive wear on bearings.
When connecting rods start bending or pinging it will be interesting to follow the comments.

Brands like Marklin, Fleschmann etc have evolved to solve these problems, but it is a compromise that these latest engines may or may not have been designed for.

My first run C class diesel has still not required lubrication, but I am not as confident about these latest Steam Locos.

Good luck all and it will be interesting to watch.

Maybe AMRM could do a reprint of an article by Phil Curnow that was printed years ago titled, How much should it or could it pull, something like that were he describes the desires of railway modellers to pull everything out of the yard including the yard masters office.

You still see this today were a locomotive is used to pull a greater than prototype load. Model railways have sharper curves and steeper grades than the real thing though but modellers tend to forget that.

This and several other smaller steam locos seem to have uncovered a new market.

Those who have been around for too many moons ( I remember man landing on the moon )  have enjoyed these new items, but many younger ones have no experience with lubrication, running in, adding decoders etc.

Many people have built layouts with 18" curves ( and sometimes smaller) so they ask locos to negotiate these curves "because my NR will do it. "

They want an F to haul 20 container flats " cause that is how many I run already. "

It will be interesting to see how many of these locos will start to struggle next year, or maybe three years time, And it will be interesting to see if enough people will be able to share with others how to maintain them
The other thing will be interesting to see if people can learn to work with 8 fixed wheels on small radii.

The drivers and rear axle on the prototype are fixed on the prototype. That is why the prototype used flangeless wheels on the front.
However flangeless wheels on a model on tiny radius curves is asking for derailments or excessive wear on bearings.
When connecting rods start bending or pinging it will be interesting to follow the comments.

Brands like Marklin, Fleschmann etc have evolved to solve these problems, but it is a compromise that these latest engines may or may not have been designed for.

My first run C class diesel has still not required lubrication, but I am not as confident about these latest Steam Locos.

Good luck all and it will be interesting to watch.

What a load of old man's twaddle. Absolutely no relevance to what has been written in the previous posts.

Where has anyone complained about the haulage capabilities?

A load of twaddle indeed!

I’d like to know how having a flangless wheel increases the expected west rate on an axle bearing in a model locomotive. If anything, like in the prototype it will REDUCE the expected loading. Even that is an irrelevant a model locomotive motor probably has all of 600mW with hardly a lossless transmission to the wheels, and torque is not worth calculating, when you’ve only got 600mW available to you torque is never going to be massive. Simply a model locomotive seldom has the available energy to wear brass wheel bearings, with or without lubrication. Applied lubrication is there to minimise friction from a running quality point of view, it’s not there to minimise wear that is almost impossible.

Friction will see the motor run out of torque and the axles no longer rotate long before appreciable axle bearing wear occurs.

There have been a few that have complained about it's slipperyness but it will haul a decent prototype load though on a layout that does not have steep grades and very sharp curves. Now having stated that it might be possible to add a bit more weight to the models. I have one here that is kaput it was broken from the factory and had been stripped for parts like motor, electronics etc, and I asked at Orient Express if they had one for this project and so I got one.

Anyway on taking this model apart it appears that some more weight could be placed into the tanks of the locomotive, it will not be much extra weight but it might be enough to give you a bit better haulage on a model railway. You could use some sheet lead suitably cut and worked a bit to clear wheel tops etc or you could use lead shot held in with glue or something. But as this area is right over the main driving wheels it might fix this so called problem a bit. You will have to work it out though and I would suggest you do it after the warranty period runs out which is 12 months from the date of purchase. Also make sure that the loco runs well to start with by running it in like it is suggested in the info sheet you should have got with your loco. If you did not get one of these sheets with your model then contact Orient Express for one.

It might be possible to do this but do not add too much weight to one of these locomotives as it still needs to slip if overloaded.


If you check your model closely you will see that the rear set of wheels is a bogie, not fixed with enough sideplay like the real one was. If it is a bit tight front or back then simply loosen the screw a fraction. So it should go around tight curves nicely but not 90 degree bends though in a short section. The other thing that could affect its hauling power is the cars etc that it is hauling if the cars are like bricks then of course it will not haul much if the cars are free wheeling and roll away on the slighest grade you might get a bit extra hauled behind it. This goes for any loco though so check the rollingstock and keep them able to roll really freely.

There have been a few that have complained about it's slipperyness but it will haul a decent prototype load though on a layout that does not have steep grades and very sharp curves. Now having stated that it might be possible to add a bit more weight to the models. I have one here that is kaput it was broken from the factory and had been stripped for parts like motor, electronics etc, and I asked at Orient Express if they had one for this project and so I got one.

Anyway on taking this model apart it appears that some more weight could be placed into the tanks of the locomotive, it will not be much extra weight but it might be enough to give you a bit better haulage on a model railway. You could use some sheet lead suitably cut and worked a bit to clear wheel tops etc or you could use lead shot held in with glue or something. But as this area is right over the main driving wheels it might fix this so called problem a bit. You will have to work it out though and I would suggest you do it after the warranty period runs out which is 12 months from the date of purchase. Also make sure that the loco runs well to start with by running it in like it is suggested in the info sheet you should have got with your loco. If you did not get one of these sheets with your model then contact Orient Express for one.

It might be possible to do this but do not add too much weight to one of these locomotives as it still needs to slip if overloaded.


If you check your model closely you will see that the rear set of wheels is a bogie, not fixed with enough sideplay like the real one was. If it is a bit tight front or back then simply loosen the screw a fraction. So it should go around tight curves nicely but not 90 degree bends though in a short section. The other thing that could affect its hauling power is the cars etc that it is hauling if the cars are like bricks then of course it will not haul much if the cars are free wheeling and roll away on the slighest grade you might get a bit extra hauled behind it. This goes for any loco though so check the rollingstock and keep them able to roll really freely.

There have been a few that have complained about it's slipperyness but it will haul a decent prototype load though on a layout that does not have steep grades and very sharp curves. Now having stated that it might be possible to add a bit more weight to the models. I have one here that is kaput it was broken from the factory and had been stripped for parts like motor, electronics etc, and I asked at Orient Express if they had one for this project and so I got one.

Anyway on taking this model apart it appears that some more weight could be placed into the tanks of the locomotive, it will not be much extra weight but it might be enough to give you a bit better haulage on a model railway. You could use some sheet lead suitably cut and worked a bit to clear wheel tops etc or you could use lead shot held in with glue or something. But as this area is right over the main driving wheels it might fix this so called problem a bit. You will have to work it out though and I would suggest you do it after the warranty period runs out which is 12 months from the date of purchase. Also make sure that the loco runs well to start with by running it in like it is suggested in the info sheet you should have got with your loco. If you did not get one of these sheets with your model then contact Orient Express for one.

It might be possible to do this but do not add too much weight to one of these locomotives as it still needs to slip if overloaded.


If you check your model closely you will see that the rear set of wheels is a bogie, not fixed with enough sideplay like the real one was. If it is a bit tight front or back then simply loosen the screw a fraction. So it should go around tight curves nicely but not 90 degree bends though in a short section. The other thing that could affect its hauling power is the cars etc that it is hauling if the cars are like bricks then of course it will not haul much if the cars are free wheeling and roll away on the slighest grade you might get a bit extra hauled behind it. This goes for any loco though so check the rollingstock and keep them able to roll really freely.

There have been a few that have complained about it's slipperyness but it will haul a decent prototype load though on a layout that does not have steep grades and very sharp curves. Now having stated that it might be possible to add a bit more weight to the models. I have one here that is kaput it was broken from the factory and had been stripped for parts like motor, electronics etc, and I asked at Orient Express if they had one for this project and so I got one.

Anyway on taking this model apart it appears that some more weight could be placed into the tanks of the locomotive, it will not be much extra weight but it might be enough to give you a bit better haulage on a model railway. You could use some sheet lead suitably cut and worked a bit to clear wheel tops etc or you could use lead shot held in with glue or something. But as this area is right over the main driving wheels it might fix this so called problem a bit. You will have to work it out though and I would suggest you do it after the warranty period runs out which is 12 months from the date of purchase. Also make sure that the loco runs well to start with by running it in like it is suggested in the info sheet you should have got with your loco. If you did not get one of these sheets with your model then contact Orient Express for one.

It might be possible to do this but do not add too much weight to one of these locomotives as it still needs to slip if overloaded.


If you check your model closely you will see that the rear set of wheels is a bogie, not fixed with enough sideplay like the real one was. If it is a bit tight front or back then simply loosen the screw a fraction. So it should go around tight curves nicely but not 90 degree bends though in a short section. The other thing that could affect its hauling power is the cars etc that it is hauling if the cars are like bricks then of course it will not haul much if the cars are free wheeling and roll away on the slighest grade you might get a bit extra hauled behind it. This goes for any loco though so check the rollingstock and keep them able to roll really freely.sted


G'day all,

During the 1950s, I attended primary school at Brighton SA from Marino behind F and Rx class locomotives. The consist was always 3 centenary cars morning and afternoon. My mother said that in the afternoon, all the mothers waited because if the locomotive had to be turned on the manual turntable at Marino, all us children, girls and boys, would climb onto the engine.

Regards,

There have been a few that have complained about it's slipperyness but it will haul a decent prototype load though on a layout that does not have steep grades and very sharp curves. Now having stated that it might be possible to add a bit more weight to the models. I have one here that is kaput it was broken from the factory and had been stripped for parts like motor, electronics etc, and I asked at Orient Express if they had one for this project and so I got one.

Anyway on taking this model apart it appears that some more weight could be placed into the tanks of the locomotive, it will not be much extra weight but it might be enough to give you a bit better haulage on a model railway. You could use some sheet lead suitably cut and worked a bit to clear wheel tops etc or you could use lead shot held in with glue or something. But as this area is right over the main driving wheels it might fix this so called problem a bit. You will have to work it out though and I would suggest you do it after the warranty period runs out which is 12 months from the date of purchase. Also make sure that the loco runs well to start with by running it in like it is suggested in the info sheet you should have got with your loco. If you did not get one of these sheets with your model then contact Orient Express for one.

It might be possible to do this but do not add too much weight to one of these locomotives as it still needs to slip if overloaded.


If you check your model closely you will see that the rear set of wheels is a bogie, not fixed with enough sideplay like the real one was. If it is a bit tight front or back then simply loosen the screw a fraction. So it should go around tight curves nicely but not 90 degree bends though in a short section. The other thing that could affect its hauling power is the cars etc that it is hauling if the cars are like bricks then of course it will not haul much if the cars are free wheeling and roll away on the slighest grade you might get a bit extra hauled behind it. This goes for any loco though so check the rollingstock and keep them able to roll really freely.sted


G'day all,

During the 1950s, I attended primary school at Brighton SA from Marino behind F and Rx class locomotives. The consist was always 3 centenary cars morning and afternoon. My mother said that in the afternoon, all the mothers waited because if the locomotive had to be turned on the manual turntable at Marino, all us children, girls and boys, would climb onto the engine.

Regards,

In the 2003 Modelling the Railways of South Australia Convention notes there is an article detailing the train services to Marino which also shows train consists with various types of coaches.

The 2006 convention notes has a very detailed article on the F class locos.

Les.

I have now had the oppurtunity to pull apart a F class loco for a static display to be made from it. It was a dud one and had been stripped of a few internal details like motor and electronics etc. Now in taking it apart it appears it might be possible to add some extra weight over the drive wheels by adding some weight into the side tanks which on the model I had to pull apart are empty, it might add enough weight to make it a little better. It would be best to wait until the warranty runs out though or else take your chances. Some lead shot and some glue might do the trick or some lead strips in there. I have two and when my warranty on both of them run out I will investigate doing this further to a running model.