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Review: Bachmann 31-189 Jubilee 45606 Falkland Islands BR Green EE (Weathered)
Review: Bachmann 31-189 Jubilee 45606 Falkland Islands BR Green EE (Weathered)
Bachmann 31-189 Jubilee 45606 Falkland Islands BR Green EE (Weathered) is a remarkable product form Bachmann which has been a sound addition to the railway modeling catalog. The train comes with a very sleek and sturdy approach to design and layout. Although, the design does not have much detailing, yet it has a great appeal and brings aesthetic appeal with itself. Its design gives it more stability while running on the track due to its lower center of gravity. It has a light weathering which gives it a very glossy finish.
Key features
OO gauge (1:76 scale)
It has a light weathering that covers the entire structure
It has a comes with a cab crew
The flashlights and the routers could be modified as well
DCC Ready. 21-pin socket
More information
The Bachmann 31-189 is a great train model but it is not suitable for the children. The train is suitable to be used by ages 14 years and above.
This product has a very sleek and sturdy design, a well-balanced layout and infrastructure, and a great speed as well. The structure stays in line with the crest, has great stability and comes at a good price as well. It’s also very reasonably priced for what you’re getting.
The Bachmann 31-189 Jubilee 45606 Falkland Islands BR Green EE (Weathered) model is available in the retail market and in online stores as well. You can order it easily and get it customized as well. It is a great piece to be added to your collection.
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Review: Bachmann 32-882
Review: Bachmann 32-882 Fairburn 2-6-4 Tank 42062 BR Lined Black Late Crest
Holding a high stake in the railway model manufacturing industry, Bachmann is introduced yet another great product in the market. This one is the Bachmann 32-882 Fairburn 2-6-4 Tank 42062 BR Lined Black Late Crest is a freight train. It has a great design, a great sound decoder, and an excellent speed. The engine is a freight engine, has great carrying capacity, a well-balanced layout, and a very economical price as well
The main features
DCC Ready. 8-pin socket
OO Gauge
It belongs to the 5th era of the UK Railway ranging firm 1957 to 1966
It belongs to the Fairburn class of the railway engines
It is a freight train
The wheel configuration is 2-6-4
The entire structure has a pristine coating finish which makes it more durable and gives it a finishing touch as well.
Cap tarpaulin is also available
Route discs and lamps are also available
More information
This isn’t a toy, so shouldn’t be considered as one for younger children. The train operates with steam, so it can be dangerous for kids. Kids above 14 years of age can use it but adult supervision is still recommended. That said, it’s a great model and is a fantastic addition to any enthusiast’s collection.
The Bachmann 32-882 has a very sleek and sturdy infrastructure. The design is well balanced and comes with a pristine touch which makes it scratch free as well. You can get it at an economical price which is quite suitable owing to its great design and efficient working.
It is not a toy but a genuinely used model engine that has gained much respect from the users. The price is economical and it is easily available as well in the stores and online as well where you can order it and customize it as well.
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Model Steam Engines: Explaining Scales
Model steam engines are manufactured according to a variety of scales and gauges. The choice of scale and gauge is crucial as they are the major differentiating factors between the model steam engines. What makes things more confusing is that many model steam engine enthusiasts, and even seasoned fans, often use the two words ‘scale’ and ‘gauge’ interchangeably. However, they are two distinct attributes.
For starters, scale establishes the size relationship between the model engine and the real one. It is often represented as a ratio, such as 2mm:ft or 1:148 scale. This means that every part of the model engine is one-one forty eighth the size of the original steam engine. On the other hand, gauge is an attribute of the railway track. It is the distance between the inner edges of the track rails. Gauge is a more important attribute to consider, when purchasing a model steam engine. Let us understand why by looking at the main gauge types.
O Gauge
O Gauge model engines were produced from the beginning of the 20th century, and were among the most popular models for a long time, until the 1960s. Since then, they have lost their popularity and are difficult to find. They were manufactured in multiple scales from 1:1.48 to 1:43.5. But, they eventually lost their fame to smaller scale models. O Gauge model steam engines are not known for their finer details and accuracy. In fact, they were designed for pre-adults and therefore, cost-effectiveness, and durability were given more importance. Although they are valued by some collectors because of their rarity, most of the collectors and enthusiasts, with an attention to detail, do not prefer these models.
OO Gauge
OO Gauge or Double-O Gauge model steam engines belong to a family of model railway systems, which follow the standard gauge model. The OO Gauge has a railway track that is 16.5mm wide, and is built at a scale of 1:76.2 or 4mm:ft. A highlight of OO Gauge models is that they rank very high in terms of realistic appearance and finer details. For this reason, they are of great value to serious collectors. Moreover, many of the manufacturers also place a lot of emphasis on durability and affordability. Naturally, they are among the most popular model steam engine categories today.
G Gauge
G Gauge models are big in size. They are manufactured on a scale range of 1:22.5. Because of their relatively huge size and highly durable construction, they make the best garden railway models. Their extensive use as garden models have led to modern train enthusiasts to believe that the G in G Gauge stands for Garden. The truth is that the G comes from groß, which means “big” in German. Oh yes, the G Gauge models were born in Germany, just like many others. A large scale means that the parts are not as intricate as the other models, say O Gauge for instance. Therefore, they are easy to produce and are readily available.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, the choice of gauge will be quite obvious to you based on the purpose of your purchase of a model steam engine. If you want a garden mode, then G Gauge is what you need. If you are a collector who enjoys the finer details, then OO Gauge is what does the job for you. However, if you are buying a model engine for your kid, then O gauge is just the thing.
Review: Sunnytech® Hot Air Stirling Engine Model Educational Toy Sc02
Review of the Sunnytech® Hot Air Stirling Engine Sc02
The Sunnytech Single Flywheel Hot Air Stirling Engine is a well-crafted, fully working model which demonstrates the operational principles of Stirling engines.
What is a Stirling engine?
A Stirling engine is an external combustion engine. That is, it is an engine that gets its energy from an external heat source, in contrast to the internal combustion engine where the heat input is generated within the engine itself.
The Stirling engine was invented in 1816 by Robert Stirling, who wanted to create an alternative to existing steam engines, whose boilers could often explode because of the high steam pressures used and the strength limitations of the materials available to engineers at the time.
How does a Stirling engine work?
Like all heat engines, the Stirling turns heat energy into mechanical energy. The key feature of the Stirling engine is that it uses a fixed amount of gas – usually air – enclosed in a sealed container, with the heat consumed by the engine applied externally. This means that the engine can run on just about any heat source, including coal or gas, solar energy, chemical reaction and nuclear energy. It can also work with very low temperature differentials, which means a Stirling engine could be powered by body heat or even the steam from a cup of coffee. And because it uses heat from a constant source and does not, like an internal combustion engine, rely on a succession of explosive ignitions, the engine runs very quietly.
The heat source used in the Sunnytech Single Flywheel Hot Air Stirling Engine model is supplied by a small methylated spirit burner, which comes included, and the engine’s output is delivered – as the name suggests – by a single flywheel.
Model features
The Single Flywheel Hot Air Stirling Engine is robustly constructed from steel, copper and aluminium, and comes fully assembled, which means that you can have it up and running within minutes of taking it out of the box. Just fill the burner with meths, light the wick, let the working fluid (air) heat up for 30 seconds, give the flywheel a spin, and off it goes.
The model’s main features are:
Specification: Single Flywheel Hot Air Stirling Engine
Model No.: SC02
Speed: 1300-1500rpm
Size: 130mm X 80mm X 115mm
Materials: Aluminium, Copper and Steel
Weight: 500g
Colour: Silver
The Single Flywheel Hot Air Stirling Engine is an ideal collector’s item for engineering enthusiasts, as well as an engaging educational demonstration model. Most importantly, it is lots of fun. It should, however, only be used under adult supervision, and it is not suitable for children under 10 years old.
Customer reviews of the Sunnytech Hot Air Stirling Engine are consistently excellent. People who have bought it are particularly impressed by its quality and performance. In today’s world, where everything is made from plastic, the look and feel of a solid, tactile piece of high-quality workmanship is immensely satisfying. It has an elegant design, is well engineered and constructed, and runs like a dream.
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