# Percy arrives, found the glitch!



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Hello Percy!



I have some friends who've been dying to meet you!



Pic of the cab area,might be tough to add interior details. Why bother with a removable roof if theres no real cab area to drop a figure into?



Side view, overall this is a nice looking British profile industrial engine, its big, as big as the 1/20 Porter, and unlike my LGB Porters, too big for my 21"D curves. But what the heck I've been looking for a couple of British engines since the day I started this scale.


Houston we may have a Problem here:


Wiring issues aside: Found this sizable glitch:





Thats a STANDARD unmodified LGB car next to Percy, there is about a 1/2" hieght difference between the couplers. The tongue of Percy will bend low enough to couple but not the other way around, no way.


Does Philly do this sort of stuff to us on purpose?


----------



## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

This is why Mark Oles put a 1/2 inch block under his to match up with Aristo. 
It is listed under the Thomas thread. I can't find it. It seems to be more than 2 days old. 
A search will show photos of the conversion.


----------



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

My angst can be exclaimed in one sentance: 

Why o why _do we even have to do_ said modification in the *first place?*


----------



## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By vsmith on 20 Dec 2009 08:53 PM 
My angst can be exclaimed in one sentance: 

Why o why _do we even have to do_ said modification in the *first place?* 
Because Thomas and Percy like being cheeky. But they seem to be making Sir Topham Hat cross


----------



## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By vsmith on 20 Dec 2009 08:53 PM 
My angst can be exclaimed in one sentance: 

Why o why _do we even have to do_ said modification in the *first place?*


Cause it's a Botchmann!! LOL the Regal


----------



## DKRickman (Mar 25, 2008)

I can't help thinking that both Thomas and Percy look a LOT like enlarged versions of the HO scale models Bachmann has been offering for a few years. How much you wanna bet they simply multiplied all the dimensions by 3 and said "good enough"? That might explain the coupler height issue, since HO couplers hang a lot higher relative to the track gauge.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Where is Stan Ames when we need him? 

Greg


----------



## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

My Thomas came with a bag full of coupler parts and brackets. There is a mounting bracket that drops the hook and loop down to the height for the more traditional h&l LGB truck mount height. I imagine that the same brackets are in the box with Percy. It is just a matter of replacing the mounting pads for the couplers.


I can't check on the installation now because my Thomas set is locked up at a snow bound show.

Chuck


----------



## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Vic,

A half inch block will solve the problem. I agree, it is silly, but it is an easy thing to fix. Perhaps Bachmann will offer adapter kits, consisting of a piece of plastic that screws in to the exisiting holes. It would have been worse if these weren't designed with kadee couplers in mind. 

The bigger concern is the newbies who get these sets on Christmas day. It was not really that big a deal for me to make the change, but what about all the new people? While it is probably the case that this will be the first large scale train for some, I know my nephew (5) is getting a Thomas set to go along with his Bachmann big hauler set. I guess I better make a few shims and have them ready to hand off to my brother in law so he can get his trains to all run together. None of this is big stuff, ultimately, but it will be frustrating for a lot of new people. All it would have taken is about 3 seconds of testing to reveal the coupler mis alignment and the fix required. 

Pictures again:








( I was shooting for 3/8", but it appears that anywhere between 3/8" and 1/2" will work.


----------



## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Chuck,

DOH! I just reopened the box and found the brackets you mentioned. That's what I get for not opening everything. 

Tried the packaged mount and it works perfectly. Shoot. Now, I have to dig through my parts bin to try and find four screws. The packaged brackets fit better than my modified blocks..


----------



## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Mark:

Glad to be of help. Unless you want to pull other makers cars, LGB, USA, etc., you don't have to modify anything. The couplers on Thomas, Clarabellle and Annie all match up. So I wouldn't worry too much about newbees receiving the sets not being able to pull the cars.

Don't feel too bad about not looking at everything. I damaged one of the maker bulbs on my new Bachmann caboose when I incorrectly tried to fix the lantern so that it showed red to the rear. Someone pointed out that if I looked at the exploded parts diagram, the fix would be obvious.

Chuck


----------



## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Chuck,

You're right, if all I was pulling was the set, it all works together. And with the lower brackets, they match up perfectly with the rest. I try to admit when I am wrong, and I was on this one! I am glad to see that bachmann did test these and provide solutions for the rest of us!! 

Mark


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Mark, when you have a chance, can you snap a pic of the bracket? 

Thanks, Greg


----------



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

No such brackets for my Percy, box is already gone in last weeks trash, I might have lost them without realizing they were even in there - I dang it. Looks like I'll be sending Bachmann a request for said adaptors cause I dont got them, but why should I even need them? Coupler height should be a no-brainer, something not to be concerned about as its been the same height since what, 1968? 

I'll be sure to check for said adaptors on any other Thomas items I pick up from here on out.


----------



## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Greg,

Camera left with MB this morning, so all I have are crappy blackberry camera photos:

That's the new bracket on the left, old bracket on the right. 









Bracket all by itself on the work bench. 









Ugh, what a crappy shot.

This is what it looks like mounted:









I drilled a new hole for the aristo coupler and I also cut off the tapered section of the bracket in the photo above. Wish I had bothered to look through all the parts when I opened the box the first time.


----------



## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

These are the first body mounted hook and loops, that I am aware of. Every hook and loop since 1968 has been at the lower truck mount level. 

Most people have been going to body mounts with Kaydee. I guess Bachmann thought that they would save us some trouble and ship out body mounted couplers. 

Chuck


----------



## nkelsey (Jan 4, 2008)

If you want the brackets from my Thomas, you are welcome to them.... need an address. Nick


----------



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Nick, PM sent, thanks, your a lifesaver.


----------



## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks Mark, that's one crazy looking bracket. 

I get most of it, but why the real tall end with the hole? 

Well, kudos to Bachmann to at least make mounting normal couplers easily, looks like you could bolt on a Kadee 831. 

Regards, Greg


----------



## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

The tail end with the hole is for their standard knuckle coupler. It has a long thin cylinder of plastic that is a centering rod for their standard coupler. 

I think I tend to agree with Vic, it would have been better for Bachmann to simply provide the couplers at the standard height using the thicker bracket. Why bother having the higher mounted hook and loop coupler? I like the kadee mounting holes, even though I don't use Kadees. It shows some thought went in to the making of these products.


----------



## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

I would think that 99.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of the "Thomasi" out there will never be run with anything more than what came in the set or line.


----------



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

I dunno know about that, theres alot of interest over on GSC, so maybe your statistic would be more like say 80-85%, with the other 20% going to British profile modelers and kitbashers like me.


----------



## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Recieved the coupler adaptors today, already added, makes a huge difference in usability.

PS the Face-ectomy has begun, Cheif Surgeon-err Mechanic Jigsaw was disappointed how easy Percys Pilsburry Doughboy face came off, just press his face sides and it just pops right off, no need to "get medaevil" on him...


















Pics to follow


----------

