Track cleaner from Piko
- Thread starter kim
- Start date
steinman
Comfortably Numb
I've just picked mine up from Darren, I will post a few picks later if I get the chance , also I just realized that the only rechargeable batteries I have are AA , so a I will nip and get AAA's some from Argos later in the week , so its Poundland specials for this afternoon.
steinman
Comfortably Numb
He has a stack of them, looks like its expected to be a good seller , I had a quick look at one in the shop, battery holder easy to get at , radiator opens up , the cleaning pads not what I was expecting , they fit over the loco's pick up shoes , and you get a spare pair , which is good as the replacements aren't cheap, around £18 I think
The starter set with the non battery loco smart for the money as well , should be a good seller as well
The starter set with the non battery loco smart for the money as well , should be a good seller as well
steinman
Comfortably Numb
Well here we go . out of the box , there is a little bag with some extra bits to fit, not much just a bell and horn
Radiator grill off and battery pack out
The cleaning pads fit over the skates , and there is an extra pack supplied
And with some cheap batteries , we are off at a slow steady pace with two LGB wagons in tow , the light seems bright especially in the cab, I will leave it running and see how long the cheap batteries last £1 for 12 , after a few trips round the garden I can't really say the track looks any cleaner , but then I did have my LGB track cleaner out over the weekend . I'm sure somebody else will give it a better review but I thought i'd just post this first look
Radiator grill off and battery pack out
The cleaning pads fit over the skates , and there is an extra pack supplied
And with some cheap batteries , we are off at a slow steady pace with two LGB wagons in tow , the light seems bright especially in the cab, I will leave it running and see how long the cheap batteries last £1 for 12 , after a few trips round the garden I can't really say the track looks any cleaner , but then I did have my LGB track cleaner out over the weekend . I'm sure somebody else will give it a better review but I thought i'd just post this first look
BakerJohn
Baker, Modeler, future husband
Well, it appears ya'll over there have gotten them earlier than we will here. OnlyTrains.Com still says they are set to ship next month.
But, all in all, I'm excited to buy one. It looks like a good lil loco! I am very anxious to see how much space it really has available for small RC components.
PS: Nice photos, Rick. Thanks for the first look!
steinman
Comfortably Numb
Rick, have you got a starter-set diesel, or something similar, you can put in a photo with it? - As a size comparison, please??
Will this do Phil
BakerJohn
Baker, Modeler, future husband
Thats great! So, it is a rather small little model.
Greg Elmassian
Guest
Rick, does it appear that you can fit new "sandpaper" in the shoes yourself, or you are forced to buy new shoes?
That's a very small bit of sandpaper...
Also, it appears all 4 wheels have traction tires, can you confirm?
So, you see they used the same sandpaper as the prototype/mockup.
Greg
That's a very small bit of sandpaper...
Also, it appears all 4 wheels have traction tires, can you confirm?
So, you see they used the same sandpaper as the prototype/mockup.
Greg
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Well well at last the anticipation, speculation and rumours can all desist now. It is here available and we have seen one.
Looks a nice little critter to me and I can see lots of them geting bought and perhaps more so in the US where they are a lot richer than us in the UK and do not worry so much about trashing resale value, many will get modified and turned into even more interesting litle critters.
Waiting for those first inspirational bashes.
Looks a nice little critter to me and I can see lots of them geting bought and perhaps more so in the US where they are a lot richer than us in the UK and do not worry so much about trashing resale value, many will get modified and turned into even more interesting litle critters.
Waiting for those first inspirational bashes.
I now have mine..
Interesting way the battery-holder works.. - A standard 2x3 (6 total) 'AAA' battery-holder, with a little handle on the front. This is held in the loco with a clip, in order to apply pressure to the connecting springs on the circuit-board in the loco.
NOTE:
It would not be possible to fit 'AA' batteries, the loco / hood is just too small.
A second set of cleaning attachments. - These fit over the skates, so are only held to the track by the springs of the skates. Adding extra weight would NOT improve cleaning, only track-adhesion.
All four wheels have traction-tyres.
Forward-off-reverse switch is a centre-off slide-switch, and is nicely concealed, but easily operated.
There is a small bag of detail-parts (bell and horn) which also contains a pair of Kadee adaptors.
Handrails are nicely moulded plastic. All appear straight (not always true, on some models), quite fine. Only time will tell how robust these are?
The supplied paperwork is quite comprehensive enough to show how to get the loco apart, and diagrams are included for wiring and internal connectors. - Nice!
There is a moulded 'inner-roof' to the cab, and this is designed to house a speaker. - I think I can get an after-market sound-card in there.
With the wiring information, and not being afraid to attack the circuit-board, I think I can re-purpose the existing switch for charge-off-run, and find room for a charging socket.
Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by this model..
Moulding seems 'crisper' than an equivalent LGB model (more definition to angles, etc.) though whether this equates to it being more brittle will be found over time. 'Finer, and crisper' sums it up.
Not sure the lights are really in the right place? Also, there is some 'bleed' of light through the surrounding plastics. - Lights are where they are so LED's can mount on the internal roof circuit board, I reckon?
Speed it runs at is sensible, and due to the light pressure from the springs, it is not going to cause any real damage to track IMHO. - The instructions suggest 2 hours-plus run-time from a standard set of rechargeables, and needing to run it for (probably) an hour to clean your track.. They also suggest it is really better for cleaning a continuous run, rather than an end-to-end configuration.
PhilP.
Interesting way the battery-holder works.. - A standard 2x3 (6 total) 'AAA' battery-holder, with a little handle on the front. This is held in the loco with a clip, in order to apply pressure to the connecting springs on the circuit-board in the loco.
NOTE:
It would not be possible to fit 'AA' batteries, the loco / hood is just too small.
A second set of cleaning attachments. - These fit over the skates, so are only held to the track by the springs of the skates. Adding extra weight would NOT improve cleaning, only track-adhesion.
All four wheels have traction-tyres.
Forward-off-reverse switch is a centre-off slide-switch, and is nicely concealed, but easily operated.
There is a small bag of detail-parts (bell and horn) which also contains a pair of Kadee adaptors.
Handrails are nicely moulded plastic. All appear straight (not always true, on some models), quite fine. Only time will tell how robust these are?
The supplied paperwork is quite comprehensive enough to show how to get the loco apart, and diagrams are included for wiring and internal connectors. - Nice!
There is a moulded 'inner-roof' to the cab, and this is designed to house a speaker. - I think I can get an after-market sound-card in there.
With the wiring information, and not being afraid to attack the circuit-board, I think I can re-purpose the existing switch for charge-off-run, and find room for a charging socket.
Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by this model..
Moulding seems 'crisper' than an equivalent LGB model (more definition to angles, etc.) though whether this equates to it being more brittle will be found over time. 'Finer, and crisper' sums it up.
Not sure the lights are really in the right place? Also, there is some 'bleed' of light through the surrounding plastics. - Lights are where they are so LED's can mount on the internal roof circuit board, I reckon?
Speed it runs at is sensible, and due to the light pressure from the springs, it is not going to cause any real damage to track IMHO. - The instructions suggest 2 hours-plus run-time from a standard set of rechargeables, and needing to run it for (probably) an hour to clean your track.. They also suggest it is really better for cleaning a continuous run, rather than an end-to-end configuration.
PhilP.
BakerJohn
Baker, Modeler, future husband
*tries to wait before purchasing*I now have mine..
Interesting way the battery-holder works.. - A standard 2x3 (6 total) 'AAA' battery-holder, with a little handle on the front. This is held in the loco with a clip, in order to apply pressure to the connecting springs on the circuit-board in the loco.
NOTE:
It would not be possible to fit 'AA' batteries, the loco / hood is just too small.
A second set of cleaning attachments. - These fit over the skates, so are only held to the track by the springs of the skates. Adding extra weight would NOT improve cleaning, only track-adhesion.
All four wheels have traction-tyres.
Forward-off-reverse switch is a centre-off slide-switch, and is nicely concealed, but easily operated.
There is a small bag of detail-parts (bell and horn) which also contains a pair of Kadee adaptors.
Handrails are nicely moulded plastic. All appear straight (not always true, on some models), quite fine. Only time will tell how robust these are?
The supplied paperwork is quite comprehensive enough to show how to get the loco apart, and diagrams are included for wiring and internal connectors. - Nice!
There is a moulded 'inner-roof' to the cab, and this is designed to house a speaker. - I think I can get an after-market sound-card in there.
With the wiring information, and not being afraid to attack the circuit-board, I think I can re-purpose the existing switch for charge-off-run, and find room for a charging socket.
Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by this model..
Moulding seems 'crisper' than an equivalent LGB model (more definition to angles, etc.) though whether this equates to it being more brittle will be found over time. 'Finer, and crisper' sums it up.
Not sure the lights are really in the right place? Also, there is some 'bleed' of light through the surrounding plastics. - Lights are where they are so LED's can mount on the internal roof circuit board, I reckon?
Speed it runs at is sensible, and due to the light pressure from the springs, it is not going to cause any real damage to track IMHO. - The instructions suggest 2 hours-plus run-time from a standard set of rechargeables, and needing to run it for (probably) an hour to clean your track.. They also suggest it is really better for cleaning a continuous run, rather than an end-to-end configuration.
PhilP.
Zerogee
Clencher's Bogleman
It will be interesting to hear how well it actually performs its cleaning tasks, once people have a little experience of running them; having to run it for an hour or so does seem an awfully long time, though obviously that should be proportional to the size of your layout! I appreciate that this little unit is much cheaper than an LGB track-cleaner, but when you consider that the LGB one will clean even quite heavily crudded track in maybe a couple of passes, I don't know how well the Piko one will compete..... it may prove handy as a light-duty maintenance unit to keep the track shiny on a daily basis.
Jon.
Jon.
BakerJohn
Baker, Modeler, future husband
For me, it's more about the size and the loco it's modeled after than anything else. (I may have said this previously.) The Providence & Worcester Railroad have a 25 Ton switcher numbered 150 that I am looking to model. This particular Railroad is special to be because I saw it's locos every day behind my college campus. Eventually the LHRR may become a model of the PW, but, currently, it's a general assembly of New England RRs.
Woke up to see your report PhilP! Thanks for the info and your thoughts... can't wait to see them in the States. You gave us some nice, early info.
Kadee adapters are a nice bonus... I had not seen any mention of that. (Though they said it would be an easy coupler swap.)
Kadee adapters are a nice bonus... I had not seen any mention of that. (Though they said it would be an easy coupler swap.)
BakerJohn
Baker, Modeler, future husband
I just hope its exactly the same sale here in the states. I don't have much reason to be worried, but it seems like the kind of nonsensical thing that would happen between countries.
sale?
Greg Elmassian
Guest
I think price is the word he really meant.
Ah, got it. I was thinking, I already ordered one... what sale?
Just in case, it will be more expensive in the States than in Germany or Europe. I see 219 Euros, and $229 Dollars in the U.S. (At full price.) That is actually a pretty decent break on what would usually be the extra charge for getting it in the U.S.