DJM J94 on sale

[whynot]

Surely to many folk (certainly ME), it really is no longer acceptable to spend getting on for a ton on a consumer item that only performs as it should "If you can fettle an assembly so that the motor is firmly mounted with the motor shaft perpendicular to the gear shaft, and the worm engaged with fag paper clearance on the pinion, and the rest of the gear train properly engaged and free running....".

This sort of disregard for the customer - who very much does NOT expect to have to rectify a new purchase and mostly does NOT have the skill to do so - will I think kill the hobby even faster than changing demographics and inter-generational income inequality.

If I spent a grand (seems a fair comparison given the relative sizes (!) and usefulness) on a bicycle it would work as it should!

[Admin4]

From Hattons (very swift response)

I can confirm that your loco is not faulty although it does differ slightly from the sample. The sample is an initial impression and not the final outcome. From the sample we were then able to make any necessary changes. There will be slight differences as well with each individual loco because they have all been hand finished.

implying the production model is the 'new improved' finish

[Bigmet]

Surely to many folk (certainly ME), it really is no longer acceptable to spend getting on for a ton on a consumer item that only performs as it should "If you can fettle an assembly so that the motor is firmly mounted with the motor shaft perpendicular to the gear shaft, and the worm engaged with fag paper clearance on the pinion, and the rest of the gear train properly engaged and free running...

The one I own came in at under £20 as a s/h 'non-runner', but that was a good while back.

This comes back to advice I have put on this site before, research the purchase carefully, and only buy if it is a proven product. Avoid all ye olde tat (particularly that infesting Hornby's range with origins decades ago, and the Bach split chassis) unless you already have the skills to 'sort it'. The OO RTR product designed and made from all new tooling and first marketed over the last 16 years - a number of known bloopers apart which the research will quickly discover - will work properly out of the box on the large majority of occasions; and if it doesn't then a retailer exchange or refund is the recourse, there's no need to suffer with a manufacturing defect or transit damage.

[Pennine MC]

... His personal testing regime has managed to miss a couple of duff ones too judging by comments and videos elsewhere.

Oh quite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBKZENqOF0o

Seems the owner of this model was so keen to show the world his new toy that he wasn't worried about possible negative effects on the manufacturer. Or is it a clockwork one for DCC luddites

[Mike Parkes]

... His personal testing regime has managed to miss a couple of duff ones too judging by comments and videos elsewhere.

Oh quite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBKZENqOF0o

Seems the owner of this model was so keen to show the world his new toy that he wasn't worried about possible negative effects on the manufacturer. Or is it a clockwork one for DCC luddites

Difficult to make any sensible judgement on that as many model locos sound rough until they have been run in. In the absence of a continuous run circuit I use an oval of Kato Unitrack on the floor and for every hour of recommended running in time run the loco 15 mins each way and then turn it round and another 15 mins each way.

[stuartp]

True, but he's let through at least one which doesn't work at all.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... try2425548

it is on its way back for exchange- dead on arrival

[bradshaw]

Seems the owner of this model was so keen to show the world his new toy that he wasn't worried about possible negative effects on the manufacturer. Or is it a clockwork one for DCC luddites

An awful lot of gear noise there. Hardly suprising given the thing's gear driven throughout. More gears=more noise. I wonder why that was done rather than the more usual drive that works for everbody else. Is there a benefit? Hopefully it'll get quieter with running

You can also see the loco bouncing on the frogs. Don't think that's a fair test though with such sharp points. Like to see it perform on some wider radius pointwork.

[bradshaw]

True, but he's let through at least one which doesn't work at all.

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... try2425548

it is on its way back for exchange- dead on arrival

Must have gone faulty in the post!!

[Pennine MC]

[

Difficult to make any sensible judgement on that as many model locos sound rough until they have been run in. .

I can only speak as I find Mike, but virtually all of my Bachmann and Heljan locos (probably 30-40) have been sewing-machine quiet on just a test run. And that's just what I'd call current spec models; I have a modified Lima 27 that was running at a show just last weekend, and it didnt sound like that tank.

[Mike Parkes]

[

Difficult to make any sensible judgement on that as many model locos sound rough until they have been run in. .

I can only speak as I find Mike, but virtually all of my Bachmann and Heljan locos (probably 30-40) have been sewing-machine quiet on just a test run. And that's just what I'd call current spec models; I have a modified Lima 27 that was running at a show just last weekend, and it didnt sound like that tank.

These are comment on MRF on the DJM made Kernow O2 which I would expect apply equally to the. J94;

My Kernow O2 was very noisy out of the box. After running it in, and then oiling as per the instructions, it is much quieter.

The noise on mine seems no more than most of my locomotives, now. The M7s might possibly be a bit quieter, but not by a huge amount. Running in, then a tiny touch of Peco Power-Lube at the places indicated on the instructions seems to have done the trick.

[dubdee1000]

So, other than Alex, who has bought one?

[ONTrail]

Im waiting for news on the N gauge one but theirs a review on the OO one here https://albionyard.wordpress.com/2016/0 ... standards/

[Mike Parkes]

So, other than Alex, who has bought one?

Judging by postings on rmweb quite a lot of people have. If the price is off putting have a look at ebay as some are appearing on auction and typically are selling for noticeably less.

[dubdee1000]

I bought 3. I was interested to see who else had bought one

[Bigmet]

... a review on the OO one here https://albionyard.wordpress.com/2016/0 ... standards/

That's a most useful review, thanks for the link. The motor mounted in the body instead of on the rolling chassis rates a double plus ungood in my opinion. As a general comment on the drive layout, I'd trade away the decent idea of simple decoder socket access; for the motor solidly mounted on the driveline, and no decoder socket at all!

The rolling chassis construction description all too reminiscent of Bachmann's split chassis steamers, especially the visible construction screws, and the difficulties with releasing them (and no assurance of being able to achieve a good reassembly if you did get them out). Pardon my lack of a welcome for this, but it is borne out of the experience of the old Bachmann split chassis product. This product looks like a better execution of split chassis construction; but we already have something much better generally available from other RTR manufacturers: steel axled wheelsets running in brass bearings. Split chassis steamer = no sale to me.