Highland Railway Jones Goods 4-6-0 from Rapido

[Bigmet]

Ever wanted a model of the first 4-6-0 class to be operated in the UK? Here's your chance. I haven't looked into the details but Rapido typically make to order, so it's a case of decide if you want one, and take the appropriate action while orders are being accepted...

[Morayshire]

Now in stock at various retailers. Just in time for Christmas!

[Bigmet]

And a most attractive model it certainly is. Don't open and look at the link unless able to resist all temptation.
https://rapidotrains.co.uk/highland-rai ... ods-4-6-0/

[Dad-1]

Shows all sold out except Unlined LMS Black.
That has saved me some money - nearly went for a DJH Kit many years ago.
Would have looked nice alongside my Caledonian single wheeler.
Too late now - I'll enjoy looking at others running them.

Geoff T.

[Bigmet]

That's only 'sold out at Rapido', retailers now

[TomTom]

One has arrived at Helmsdale shed....

[Bigmet]

It's clearly 'at home' against that impressive backdrop. Do tell more about your impressions and the running quality

[Peterm]

I wonder what happened to my post. Anyway, the loco looks great and I'm still impressed with the way you've made the back scene blend in so well.

[TomTom]

Overall a lovely model and a good runner after a bit of attention. Several have mentioned a bit of hesitancy at low speeds and I noticed this as well, so based on my experiences with their 16xx, I cleaned the wheel treads and backs with Deoxit which removed a lot of grime and tweaked one of the loco pickups which wasn't making continual contact which improved matters no end. It will benefit from a good spell of running in, as is usually the case for new engines. The connection between loco and tender is not to my mind, ideal - difficult to see what you are doing and prone to damage - I managed to twist one of the contacts at my first go but managed to straighten it so it could get its initial running.As I use DC, and I know this is unhelpful to DCC users, I removed all the internal electronics and hard wired loco and tender straight to pick ups and motor and made a hook and wire connection between the two which allows a flexibility lacking in the supplied version for keeping contact with the rails.

Here are a couple of shots which might help locating the factory connection - there is a tab and slot between the two which guides the join, but is awkward to see when doing so. The cab floor fall plate is in two halves and hinges upwards, allowing more visibility, but locating the two takes some care.

[Bigmet]

A truly useful report, thanks for posting.

...As I use DC, and I know this is unhelpful to DCC users, I removed all the internal electronics and hard wired loco and tender straight to pick ups and motor and made a hook and wire connection between the two which allows a flexibility lacking in the supplied version for keeping contact with the rails...

I am a DCC user, with over 20 years experience, and my opinion is that much of the current RTR OO product is 'unhelpful' for DCC with all the emphasis on extra features, and especially when a loco to tender electrical connection is fadged together with a useless loco to tender camming coupling. I do just as you have done, chop out the junk, install a reliable loco to tender link, simplify the wiring: and then the slightly different bit relevant to a DCC user; hardwire the type of decoder I wish to use into the pick ups to motor terminals circuit.

[TomTom]

Phew, glad it's just not me who eviscerates internals....simple is better, to my mind.

[aleopardstail]

Sams Trains has a review up, seems the manual is wrong when it comes to servicing but otherwise it seems a lovely loco

and yes to hard wiring, don't always do it but have done it when adding pickups etc before

[Bigmet]

...yes to hard wiring, don't always do it but have done it when adding pickups etc ...

Funnily enough, my hardwiring often includes removing pick ups, especially on Hornby's tenders with wheelback wiper pick ups, which are thieves of traction, and are simply unnecessary on a layout with live crossing points.
(I leave in place sensibly arranged pick ups on unpowered wheels, collecting through the pinpoint bearings. That's the way to do it, minimum rolling friction and pick up obtained with no incremental drag.)

[Dad-1]

Sometimes I wish I wasn't sensible.
That HR Green looks great, always wanted one, but as I'm reducing my arena
there is no space, or sensible reason to have one.

The only locomotive I'm keeping wipers on non-driven wheels is the under renovation
Adams Radial where the reasonably close coupled drivers wouldn't be adequate. I'd
prefer to hard wire in, but sometimes it's too easy to be lazy, plug in and play !!

My reason for hating extra pick-ups was my Hornby Railroad LMS Black 5. The loco had
a fine re-engineered chassis, BUT Hornby had continued using the tender drive, tender.
This had VERY draggy pickups on the tender which continued to have all the non-working
motor components, so in addition to high drag it weighed a ton !! Once weight and pickups
removed it worked a treat.

Anyway I can't justify one of these, if only it had come out 5 years ago !! I know I can afford
one, but to leave in it's box to be disposed of later doesn't make sense.
Let's have a video of it running - please.

Geoff T.

[Bigmet]

Sometimes I wish I wasn't sensible...

I can send you a 'Sensible Off -What Harm Arises Then?' permit, allowing harmless irrational action

...My reason for hating extra pick-ups was my Hornby Railroad LMS Black 5. The loco had a fine re-engineered chassis, BUT Hornby had continued using the tender drive, tender. This had VERY draggy pickups on the tender...

Hornby have clearly discovered a metallic conductor - element or alloy - 'Retardium' ; from which they have their pick-up wipers specially made, at great expense. I have seen multiple incidences of Hornby locos robbed of all useful traction by the tender pick ups acting as effective brakes. This effect typically requires what I estimate to be two or three hundred hours of running before it kicks in after the model has been in use about five years.

As one who runs his trains a lot, daily whenever possible - the sole purpose of my having a layout - I now remove or take out of wheel contact all Hornby tender pick up wipers once the loco has completed its infant mortality test of at least ten hours running, so is very unlikely to ever be returned while under warranty (100% thus far).