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Class 121

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Alan564017

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1 hour ago, skinner75 said:

Could the stock speaker not be replaced with one of the 'sugarcube' ones in the future? Surely a snipping of a couple of wires & a bit of soldering would cure a dodgy stock speaker in the future, if no original spare ones were to be had?

 

I believe the 121 comes with a sugarcube speaker as standard.

There's nothing special about these speakers, they are readily available and can be replaced easily enough.  Although I would'nt fancy having to do surgery like that on a brand new loco!

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2 hours ago, skinner75 said:

Could the stock speaker not be replaced with one of the 'sugarcube' ones in the future? Surely a snipping of a couple of wires & a bit of soldering would cure a dodgy stock speaker in the future, if no original spare ones were to be had?

 

No doubt but for the price I would expect the model to work straight from the box.

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2 hours ago, skinner75 said:

Could the stock speaker not be replaced with one of the 'sugarcube' ones in the future? Surely a snipping of a couple of wires & a bit of soldering would cure a dodgy stock speaker in the future, if no original spare ones were to be had?

 

The internal speaker is already a sugar cube speaker but in a rather inaccessible location. It seems almost a miracle of design that MM managed to get everything to fit inside such a small narrow loco body (ie double flywheel motor, two bogies, PCB, lighting, chassis, and a speaker with the see through panels. So its not really a straight forward DIY swap out. Anyway MM resolved my problem promptly, professionally and with good will. Don't know if the issues was the speaker itself or perhaps how it was housed. I'm sure it will be sorted for the next livery variations. I too feel for PM, as this model was a triumph of a success, a real beauty, the best MM loco yet, and one little pimple of a problem must have caused MM some degree of annoyance, especially as MM went to so much trouble to do a decent customised sound project. But that's just business, the model business. Just trying to figure out how to get a driver into the cab having watched the hattons review video this morning where the guy mentioned two screws to get the cab off.

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No problem with the speaker in the one MM 121 I have purchased so far. 
 

I have had a couple of faulty speakers in the past from various other manufacturers so it’s not a unique problem. 
At the end of the day the more features and extras that a model has the more chance of a problem. 
What I would say is the 121 is a nicely designed bit of kit. 

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2 hours ago, Irishrailwayman said:

For interest here is a photo of B123 presumably just out of the factory in the USA!

DSCF3926.thumb.JPG.5a777e50f0dec39d15ed4b584d6dca8d.JPG

How the heck did they get that out of the packaging? :) :)  Can't see the NEM pocket.

1 hour ago, NIRCLASS80 said:

No problem with the speaker in the one MM 121 I have purchased so far. 
 

I have had a couple of faulty speakers in the past from various other manufacturers so it’s not a unique problem. 
At the end of the day the more features and extras that a model has the more chance of a problem. 
What I would say is the 121 is a nicely designed bit of kit. 

Yes first world problems :) Its an incredible model. Love operating it.

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8 hours ago, murphaph said:

I'd say PM is well annoyed with the speaker manufacturer. That's really bad luck.

It may be just a few isolated speakers rather than a systemic issue but the number of faulty units failing shortly after purchase (they're selling fairly rapidly) will dictate that. I think we'll know soon.

That would be a better scenario than a slow but definite failing over time when out of warranty and hard to locate new replacements/ or replacement parts. 

8 hours ago, skinner75 said:

Could the stock speaker not be replaced with one of the 'sugarcube' ones in the future? Surely a snipping of a couple of wires & a bit of soldering would cure a dodgy stock speaker in the future, if no original spare ones were to be had?

 

I thought they had a sugar cube speaker but I 'm not sure if that is a particular brand or just a descriptive term for any small square speaker

Edited by DiveController
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That's true and you're right. They only problem may be figuring out what that is insofar as on another thread at the moment someone is looking for a 071 motor replacement which seems to be a generic motor rather than a proprietary/bespoke MM motor but has nothing stamped on it to indicate who manufacturer is. The sugar cube as you say should be easier to source and easy enough to refit as the model ages. Incidentally where does one get them from? 

Edited by DiveController
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1 hour ago, DiveController said:

The sugar cube as you say should be easier to source able and easy enough to refit as the model ages. Incidentally where does one get them from? 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264766583456

That was just the first one I found with a Google search. They're  readily available, Loksound even supply them with new V5 decoders.

As for motors, it should'nt be too hard to find a motor that will fit a 071. Or at least one that will fit with a minimum of modification. US modellers re-motor locos all the time, there are countless videos about the subject on Youtube.

 

Edited by irishthump
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Had fun running this pair of 121s today in consist as a double header, both with sound operating. F24 prevents the lights being on at the ends where the two locos are coupled together.  Will have a go at weathering B135 in the next week or so. Just love these new Murphy Model 121s. Sublime little beauties. Will have to put a driver in the cab of B135 when weathering it.

IMG_8024.jpg

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Very short clip of a pair of MM 121s consisting both with sound running. Unique lighting functions for consisting, and train load functions for prototypical driving simulating light, medium and heavy train loads with associated acceleration, coasting and braking distances. Might do a longer demo clip in the future. Just love driving these 121s. Well done Murphy Models.

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5 hours ago, Noel said:

Had fun running this pair of 121s today in consist as a double header, both with sound operating. F24 prevents the lights being on at the ends where the two locos are coupled together.  Will have a go at weathering B135 in the next week or so. Just love these new Murphy Model 121s. Sublime little beauties. Will have to put a driver in the cab of B135 when weathering it.

IMG_8024.jpg

You would need to run them 'elephant fashion" (nose to tail) with a driver in each loco if you have travelled back in time to the early 1960s as the B121s were not fitted to run in multiple until the late 60s.

The B121s had a weak brake and were considered unsuitable for working heavy loose coupled goods trains & seem to have mainly worked passenger or light goods trains, it might be possible to simulate a run-away like the Roscommon de-railment by retarding the decoder brake setting. A single B121 was unable to hold a Westport-Athlone goods on the long grade from Donamon to Roscommon and ended up buried under the wagons when it ran off the rails at the end of the headshunt at the Dublin end of the station. The driver survived and there appears to have been relatively little damage to the loco.

 

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16 minutes ago, Mayner said:

You would need to run them 'elephant fashion" (nose to tail) with a driver in each loco if you have travelled back in time to the early 1960s as the B121s were not fitted to run in multiple until the late 60s.

The B121s had a weak brake and were considered unsuitable for working heavy loose coupled goods trains & seem to have mainly worked passenger or light goods trains, it might be possible to simulate a run-away like the Roscommon de-railment by retarding the decoder brake setting. A single B121 was unable to hold a Westport-Athlone goods on the long grade from Donamon to Roscommon and ended up buried under the wagons when it ran off the rails at the end of the headshunt at the Dublin end of the station. The driver survived and there appears to have been relatively little damage to the loco.

 

Cheers John. Yes I knew they didn't run in pairs until the late black'n'tab era. They only had one brake cylinder on each bogie side whereas the 141 and 181s had two brake cylinders each bogie side. But it was fun running them nose2nose in advance of the orange era. Did locos in the 1960s have 2 or 3 people in the cab (ie was there a 'fire man')?

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43 minutes ago, Noel said:

Cheers John. Yes I knew they didn't run in pairs until the late black'n'tab era. They only had one brake cylinder on each bogie side whereas the 141 and 181s had two brake cylinders each bogie side. But it was fun running them nose2nose in advance of the orange era. Did locos in the 1960s have 2 or 3 people in the cab (ie was there a 'fire man')?

Locos were single manned, but a "snatcher man" travelled on the loco to exchange the electric train staff (ETS) on single track lines equipped with mechanical staff apparatus when the trains ran through crossing places without stopping mainly passenger and goods trains Dublin Galway line west of Clonsilla, the Rosslare Express both Rosslare-Mallow and Rosslare-Limerick and for a short lived express on the Dublin-Waterford line in the early 70s.

CIE would not allow a fireman to travel on the loco when diesels were initially introduced, which may be on of the reasons for using heating vans rather than a boiler on the loco.

Though you might have a travelling inspector, an enthusiast or a railway worker going home at the end of their shift. There is a story of a p.w. worker climbing on to the gangway of a B121 intending to hitch a lift home with the driver as he had no doubt done on a B141 only to come up against the back of the cab rather than a doorway. Apparently he was smoking a cigarette and the driver saw the reflection of the embers in the windscreen and stopped in time to save a very scared colleague who was hanging to the walkway handrail for his life.

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Some 1960s CIE passenger and goods movements behind Murphy Models 121 class locos B135 and B134. ESU LokSound v5 by WheelTappers DCC sound EMD 645 on B134 + EMD 567 on B135. Prototypical driving with light, medium, heavy trains simulating acceleration, coasting and prototypical braking distances. Full range of light functions including train mode, shunting mode, and parking mode with Dual mode for double header consists with a pair of 121s (ie nose2nose running lights remain off at coupled end).

 

 

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4 hours ago, murphaph said:

We're deffo overdue a bit of news alright. Hattons email alert a few weeks back said they expected the IR ones in t the end of September and the IE ones end of this month. Who knows, maybe the factory is under lockdown again. Numbers going up worldwide more or less 😞

 

Except here...

Numbers falling for the past week or so.

Can't wait to see the IR and IE ones rolling with some Mk3 push-pull stock!

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Numbers getting out of control and Liverpool is at the centre of things with a level 3 lockdown in place from this weekend so nothing going to happen anytime soon.

This could be followed by a full lockdown in a couple of weeks when the schools in Liverpool shut for half term, they are talking about a full two weeks of closure nothing in or nothing out.

 

Colin R

Its a long way to Tipperary.........         

 

Edited by Colin R
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Bit of an update
Apparently the virus has raised its ugly head again in model trainland and local restrictions are in operation
Add to this that there was another national holiday last week and we can see where this is going
Another change to the production run may see the IR locos replacing the Supertrain ones
No date for delivery yet
 

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2 minutes ago, WRENNEIRE said:

...the IR locos replacing the Supertrain ones...

 

Just like real life!

 

2 hours ago, Georgeconna said:

Wait till half of Europe arrives on Hols in the future kid!

 

That's what happened a few months ago! 50 cases throughout the archipelago, opened up the airports, climbed to 7500 cases.

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i really feel sorry for paddy as everything is outside his control . thankfully the greys arrived and have shown how good the 121 is i dont mind waiting a bit longer and when they arrive we can all enjoy them then. now just for IRM to announce nice park royals or mk3s to run behind them

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Add to that all shipping dates from China are being strecthed in every area , there is even a shortage of shipping containers in that part of the world to add to this .

https://www.metroshipping.co.uk/news/container-shortages-in-china/#:~:text=Port operations have been severely,of equipment back to China. 

They might have to get C rail on the case!!.

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Spoiler alert - DCC sound symphony video. Had so much fun playing with these ESU LokSound V5  running on wonderful MM 121 locos. DCC sound really adds to the prototypical operation of these superb models. Can't wait for the Black'n'Tan livery due very soon. No connection with WheelTappers just a very happy customer for some years. Great service. Cost seems about the same an MMs own decoders, but just more comprehensive functions and some truly wonderful prototypical driving features due to the FULL TROTTLE feature of LokSound V5 decoders which includes: PowerDrive, Light, Medium and Heavy Train loads, coasting and prototypical braking distances. Good support for Consisting with light arrangements, as well as push pull operation. The video explains. I understand there is an option to get a pair of matched decoders, one with sound, one non-sound to save expense of two sound decoders in a 121 pair (ie LokSound+LokPilot). Enjoy.

http://www.wheeltappersdccsounds.co.uk

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