£185 for this piece of junk is daylight robbery. I think your grading was very generous, this piece of junk should never have got so many stars. However I did enjoy the video and your scathing comments. God bless you both
Sam, no excuses for KR but large, headsized coal was not uncommon in the steam era, fireman had to break large parts with their shovels when it fell forward, some chunks were so large they wouldn’t fit through the tender door! I have read that in various firemans memoirs. All the best. Dan
I‘ve seen videos of firing and some of the coal is absolutely gargantuan. Theres a video with the WD 2-10-0 Kitchener at Longmoor, and one of the chunks of coal filled most of the shovel. I think it‘s in a longmoor compilation on preserved thumpers
To add to this, when firing some locomotives here in the US sometimes that's necessary. Such as at the Colorado State Railroad Museum where Rio Grande Southern #20 is. A small 3 foot gauge 4-6-0. Breaking up the coal is just as necessary to prevent too much water being evaporated into steam and causing it to be wasted by being blown out the safety valve.
There are many pictures of the Leader showing the top, and the coal load never exceeded anything higher than the roof level. The 'Leader' itself was already nearly over the height limit being extremely tall, and an overloaded bunker would certainly cause problems, concerns if not at the very least. While I absolutely agree that it was common practice for many coal bunkers to be topped up over the brim, especially on the Southern and even more so in B.R. days, this engine is absolutely non-applicable to that logic due to its unique construction and height.
You got a QUICK response from KR.... well done. When my Fell arrived they sent an analogue one instead of the DCC sound I'd ordered. It took 6 weeks for them not to organise a replacement, then two more to send the refund after I told them I'd had enough..
Sam- saying you’re going to return it speaks for the rest of the commentary in the video. Watching every video for the last 6-7 years you’ve always been reasonable with returns to keep your integrity and honesty. I was shocked when you first said it😮 but even a well-known reviewer like you shouldn’t waste your money on what is supposed to be a premium model. Great review as always! Cheers!
Whilst the driving cab front and rear is novel the articulation of two powered bogies under a fixed frame with boiler and tank is just Kitson-Meyer, which was used successfully from designs used outside the UK from 1894 down to 1926.
Sam, when you announced your Bulleid Leader review back in the Model Railway News last week, I had a strange feeling it was going to be bad when I first saw it on the screen. (And Dear God, I am shocked to see I'm correct)
Definitely been looking forward to the review of the Leader and you did a great job Sam, I like the weird but unique look it has being an experimental locomotive. Shame that one was a bit of a flaw especially with the tweaked wheel, almost makes me wonder if it was dropped during assembly and just brushed aside. Thanks for another great video :)
Sam ever thought of taking on the role of a quality controller some of these lot could do with a good one great review honest as always keep it up and a happy new year to you and yours.
Both have made 1 decent model as far as I can tell: KR with the GT3 and DJM with the 1361. I still think Heljan's the most deserving of that title though...
I knew this one was going to be fun when at 0.18 in the locomotive trundled past, top half drunkenly tilted to one side. Thought you might run the Bulleid Booster and the Q1 at the end as other unusual Bulleid creations. Can't blame you for sending it back, definitely a shame it's so pants. Unfortunately their next release is Spring 2025 so you might not even get that much of a break. Thank you for suffering on our behalf Sam.
Was also disappointed when mine turned up but managed to fix the issues as I intended to keep it The loose wheels: the wheels slip onto a plastic cap on the end of the axel so to fix this I applied a small amount of contact adhesive to the plastic cap using a cocktail stick then pressed the wheel back on using the handle of my tweezers. The next thing was the running of the loco as seen very slow and hates corners, this is because there is no lubricant in the worm gear boxes above the bogies and what lubricant is there it’s more like a glue than lubricant so some model train grease applied into the worm gear boxes helped allot making it smooth and less stressful on the motor along with applying some oil to the axles. Lastly the ticking sound! Now this may be what was causing yours to tick but allot of the models have white paint on the fly wheels that then scrap against the frame so a bit of scraping and thinners to remove the paint should resolve this. With all this done mine seems to work fine, pulls a good rake just needs a good warm up every time I run her (but the shed is a cold place so allot of my locos do) Still no excuse for a company to hand out such a product like this but I wanted to keep mine and was determined to make it work so these things did fix the issues in the end.
I'm a Yank, dormant in the hobby (HO) but enjoy many British trains, real and model...I stopped the video after Sam wobbled the wheel to see if every comment was negative (just for the halibut), and saw yours.. I like that you had the prowess to remedy the problems..I'd have done the same.. Was wondering just before I read yours that perhaps, depending upon the materials (styrene, delrin + metal axel ?) might CA glue fix the wheel wobble.. Anyway, will now watch the rest of vid and see how Sam makes out with it.. Hope yours is holding up OK...
@@MarkInLA Hey there, thank you for your kind words. CA glue (super glue) should fix the issue as well, contact adhesive is a more immediate bond. The one i used bonds in 10-20 seconds. I wish i did a video of doing the repairs for people (may even make a model kit and loco channel) but looking at the wheel and axle it looks like the cap should stay in the wheel and then press into the axle but in some cases this plastic piece has come loose forming a tighter hold on the axle rather than the wheel. I have been running mine for the past 2 weeks and with a warm up every session its perfectly fine, the motor dose make a little noise but once warmed up its very smooth and doesn't produce any heat. The next step i may take is attempting to paint the buffer beam red. I have a BR black version (thought it looked quite smart even though it didn't have this livery but it was painted back at one point) and not even the buffers are painted red unlike the photo grey versions but looking at all the BR black models and reference photos i think its the right move, plus iv fiddled with it so no chance of sending it back now may as well customise it properly! Sorry if this all seems like jabbering as id like to get as much info out as much as possible to help since model kits and trains is my passion.
Great review as always Sam! It really is unfortunate, ever since I learned about the Leader, I had wanted to see a model of it, and I was really hoping this would've been up to par. Like you stated near the end, I hope this doesn't deter other manufacturers from taking a crack at the Leader, as I'd love to one day see a glowing review of one on your channel. Take care!
I think you are generous in giving this 5/10. One thing I have noticed is that the springs, such a prominent feature on the prototype, have no leaves moulded into the model. They are flat-faced moulding. Has Tesla been sub contracted to do the quality control? Later: I have seen a film about the Leader. The springs do have covers on them. Foot in mouth!
I dont remember it having any issues when we had the sample at the NEC... It ran with no issues the entire day, granted. we werent exactly pushing it to its limits with three mk1's behind it. but it navigated the 2nd radius curves with ease.
On reflection the ones I’ve seen are very accurate. Wheels shearing off and leaning towards the boiler side. Both things afflicted the real one so kudos to KR for replicating the loco in its “needs dragging back to Eastleigh or Brighton” state.
lol...your description....of the 'crust ' made me chuckle....and the thought of shovelling massive head sized chunks of coal was hilarious....all the best...
I really want to support KR Models, I really do, but I've been burnt by them more times than not now. My GT3 was wonderful, but with the fell being wrong and now leader, I cannot support them any longer. Fortunately I bought this on a whim and so this was always going to be a shelf queen, very rarely run. Also, for anyone interested, no loose wheels on mine, but both whistles had snapped, and the coal is held in with tape... so if anyone wants to remove it, there's very little force required.
Thanks Jake I feel the same mate - they've had a fair chance, and I feel like they've had the opportunity to do better but haven't taken it... so sorry to hear about the issues on yours! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Your exactly correct. You try to support a manufacturer and they take advantage of you. Both my KR models are paperweights. So much potential but just a bad actor !!!!!!!!!! I won't buy a thing off them anymore.
I've only just seen the pop up, will watch rhe rest later - a grade of nearly 5 and F - that's absolutely shocking, paired eith the problems of "you'll get them by christmas", kr models have really shot themselves in the foot with this one! Great review as always sam, hope your well :)
The Southern Leader Class honestly reminds me of the ACE 3000 locomotive that was proposed here in the US back in the 1980s, which never got off the drawing board. It was the brainchild of the (in)famous Ross Rowland and came about due to the oil crisis of the 70s, and would've had a body design similar to a cowl-bodied diesel locomotive over here. American-Rails has a pretty good article on the design, if you're curious about it.
"You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel..." To be fair, the model is actually pretty realistic- the real Leader broke it's crank axle while on test..
This is such a interesting train from a engineering and historical standpoint, I hope it gets a repass one day as it’s such a cool footnote in railway history. Thanks for the review!
Sam, another great video and with KR's prompt reply and refund, it would seem that they have admitted defeat and all returned loco's will probably end up in the bin. keep up the great reviews.
I wonder if I have some sort of identifiable neurological condition that means I click play, instantly, by reflex, whenever I see a Sam’s Trains video with the word “Dreadful” in the title 😂 Please do keep us informed on the customer service aspects. Best
I bought this from rails of Sheffield and i was lucky to get a good one. Mine has plenty of torque and runs great with no wobbly wheel. The only thing i didn't like is that the motor inside was really noisy. I had to put a piece of rubber isolater on the top of the motor between the circuit board to quiet it down. After that it runs good and quiet.
The problem ist not the motor, it is the very hard grease in the gearboxes in combination with the poorly manufactured gears. If you replace both, it runs very well without overerheating.
I see that most other reviews of the Leader mention much the same faults as Sam has done. The black version looks good, though I think I might wait until some appear at the retailers at a massive discount! Lined black is the livery in which the prototypes would have run in service, being classed as mixed-traffic locomotives .
As others have said having a complete lemon of a model is accurate to the Leader IRL. So getting a discounted model to dump in the sidings whilst you run rebuilt Bulleid Light Pacifics might be a good day's modelling!!!! 😂
@@jamesdawson9154 But a nice black Leader would look great at the head of a fitted freight, or parcels train, or a cross-country passenger service...why, we might have seen some at Tonbridge!
Your review is really interesting. I bought the black sound fitted one and the only issue I had was the coupling disintegrated when I tried to put a NEM tail into it. To test it out I made one from Hornby parts but eventually Rails sent me a new one. I must have really got a good one, I really like it. I ran it in for 30 minutes each way and then to test its load capability I coupled up 5 of the new Hornby Coronation coaches (they were on the layout, so why not) and ran it round my layout. Surprisingly it was perfect no slowing down, no derailing at parts of the track where others do, so no real issues at all, I really like it. So it may be because of the DCC and the fact I bought it from Rails, I even double checked the wheels and they seemed ok. My only criticism was the couplings, they had glued the tails into the adapter so you couldn't get to the screw to take them off, which in my case was a pain as I wanted to swap the broken one with the one on the other end of the loco.
Wow great video as always Sam!! The leader was certainly wasn’t leading anything anytime soon! I also have a recommendation for you Sam! It is the Atlas Ho scale RS-1! It’s a lot better in every way than the leader! Lots of details, dicast running board and chassis, and pre fitted crew! I got it for 120$ on train world I believe
One upon a time I got excited for KR models upcoming Big Bertha as it’s one of my favourite locomotives, I wanted to see what the Leader was like before I pre ordered it, let’s just say after the Fel mishaps and Leader travesty I won’t be doing that anymore. (That money might be going towards a Rapido J13 instead)
I do really like big bertha, but now my only option is kit or scratch building. Certainly not even considering the KR one at the minute, though maybe they’ll get better..?
Among the many thinks KR models got wrong with this one is the inclusion of red tail lights! The real loco did NOT have any form of built in tail lights - if running on its own the a good old fashioned paraffin lamp with red glass would need to be hung on a lamp iron (just as would be found on the rearmost passenger coach or on the guards van at the back of a freight train).
The lights seem to be behind the lamp irons, so maybe they were intended to shine through dummy lamps attached to the lamp irons? Except they don't seem to have included the dummy lamps in the box.
@ Indeed they did - but light Pacific’s didn’t have red tail lights either! Please pay attention to exactly what I wrote! White lights were shown on the leading end of the loco - those at the back, be it on the Leader or any of the conventional Pacific locos the lights facing backwards were ALL OFF! I repeat, if a red light needed to be shown because the loco was running without a train then a conventional paraffin lamp would be hing on a lamp bracket of the leader - just as with any other loco!
@@kkobayashi1 No they weren’t! The lamps fitted to the Leader were there to perform the same function as those fitted to Mr Bullieds pacific locomotives - they were ONLY there to display the headcodes (provided by white discs or unlit lamps during the day) to signalmen and platform staff. These headcodes were provided for train routing and train identification purposes - they were NOT HEADLIGHTS (and were pretty feeble affairs anyway being low powered incandescent lamps) The standard requirement for ALL motive power at the time applied to the Leader - a good old fashioned paraffin lamp with red glass MUST be hung on the rear lamp bracket loco (or placed on the rear of the train it was hauling) to indicate to signalmen that the train was complete. The lights were therefore NOT fitted so as to provide any form of 'tail lights' on the rear of the locomotive when running on its own - that didn't come in until the diesel era and even then railway regulations still required the provision of a Paraffin lamp till the mid 1960s at least You should take note that even the Southern Railways electric multiple fleet had to carry paraffin tail lamps on the rear to indicate the train was complete - despite them being electrically powered and having electric lamps fitted to illuminate the headcode boxes during the hours of darkness
@philkeller4170 I'm talking about the model, not the prototype. Red LED in the loco plus dummy lamps would be one way to model a loco fitted with red paraffin lamps.
You are correct to call the Leader Class a tank engine, because it was indeed classified as one. I must admit after seeing this review...I am insanely lucky. My model (the same as yours) arrived with a buffer that fell off. Which was annoying. And the detail is lackluster... But when it came to performance, I had no issues. It ran around 2nd Radius curves without issue at high and low speed. Although that might be because I had no wobbly wheels... A pity, this engine is so fascinating despite being a failure. I rather hoped the model would not be a failure too, but it seems KR models went further than they meant to for accuracy!
It's got to be the oddest looking tank engine I've ever seen. So glad to hear you didn't have any performance issues - minor cosmetic issues are at least safe to repair! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hello Sam, I think I had better post my experience with the KR Leader, since you invited viewers to do so. I have indulged in pre-ordering 3 examples, one in ‘Grey’ with BR early crest like yours, and others in BR Lined Black and Lined Green. I appreciate those are alternate history versions but my example in BR Green with grey roof is, in my opinion, the best looking. Good points first, the general build, albeit not Rapido, is good enough. It certainly is sharper, straighter and better finished than any finished kit I have seen. I’ve run the BR Green example the most and it made noises when running slowly which went away as it ran in. No derailments and no loose wheels. The whistle snapped of the moment it was unpacked. The lamp Irons are a bit wobbly but none have fallen off. The coal is awful, I can’t live with that stuff, despite it being resin moulded for realism. Why they didn’t paint the buffer beams red? That’s a bit sloppy. I shall also drill out the chimney, I dislike the filled in look. I am ‘quite pleased’ with mine. Having watched your review - I’m feeling quite relieved my models could have been considerably worse. I might say to other viewers if you fancy one of these unusual beasts, they aren’t all bad, and after running it, it’s certainly a good performer, with a reasonable speed range. None of my models have dried mucous or food residues, and the dreadful attention to lamp irons and buffer gluing on yours is really tidy on all of my trio. I think your example must have been made at the end of a very long shift - or maybe the assembler was ill. I am now a bit worried my doubler decker EMU and Class 40s are going to be a problem. Time will tell!
I was really looking forward to finally purchasing a ready to run OO scale model of Bullied”s Leader. Thank you Sam for your honest insightful review. Sadly I’ll be keeping my money in my pocket.
Part of Pre-ordering is that it reduces risk for manufacturers and that means more variety. If prices are kept the same to keep sales buoyant instead of having and immediate price hike then that is good for everybody. There is also the benefit you should be guaranteed to get one. There is more to it than giving away money to a lucky few.
That's great for the manufacturers - but what about risk for customers? After repeat duds from KR models - I for one, and there are plenty of others like me, won't be taking that risk again. Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Blimey Martin that sounds rough my friend - I'm sorry to hear you've been unwell, and I hope you're doing much, much better soon. Please don't be a stranger and do keep in touch. Take care of yourself, Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Interesting review mukka. Looks like KMR models uses the same crappy factory as Heljan! 😂 I'm sure it depicts reality as I'm sure there was many a Southern loco crew who looked forward to it arriving only to find it was a failure... poor firemen .just have suffered badly in that cramped sweat box of a firing cab. Heap of crap all round in conclusion. Send it back. Regards from Oz. Gaz 😅
And from now on it can only getting better in the score for 2025 locomotives. I thought nothing could be worse than Heljan rubbish but this KR wears the crown. Curious to see your update on this adventure !
While watching this I was opening my latest loco, a Kato N-gauge Swiss Ge4/4 II. A complete contrast. Looks perfect, even under a magnifying glass. Runs well straight out of the box. No blobs of glue or bits dropping off. It's about half the price of the Leader!
One other thing you have missed, brakes hanging down, should there have been some extra brake rigging in a bag to fit? Looks like that’s something else that’s been overlooked.
I remember seeing this on KR Models’ stall at the Great British Model Railway Show at the British Motir Museum last year and thinking how cool this model looked … such a shame.
A lot of steam locos did have massive pieces of coal in their tenders. A mate of mine used to fire 9Fs. One trip into Wales passed a house of a friend/relation of the driver. He said to my mate pick a big bit and when I say, chuck it out of the cab. Unfortunately, this piece was between 12" and 14" wide by about 9" thick. It was aldi about 3ft long. These were usually broken up in the cab and shoveled into the firebox, this one was duly put on end and, at the drivers call, was pushed off the footplate! The driver thought it would land on its side and slide down the hill to the Friends/relations cottage. It didn't! It actually bounced and tumbled on each end, bouncing down the hill. It then to proceeded to snash though the back yard gate and and explode into pieces!!! So steam locos did have large lumps of coal in their tenders!!!
KR must have given you a bad one! When I watched the review on Jennifer E. Kirk Model Railways’ review, I was ready to buy one. Of course, she had a pre-release sample and I wouldn’t put it beyond any manufacturer to give a pre-release sample the ‘once over’ before giving it to a UA-cam celebrity. I know you are not a ‘DCC guy,’ but the unique sound of this locomotive is intriguing. Jennifer was also impressed by the locomotive’s smooth pulling power. I am surprised that you didn’t immediately call KR and get a replacement.
Hi Sam, excellent review. You've got the same decorated version that I've got although mines DCC fitted. Mine's not even touched the track and straight out the box 4 driving wheels detached from axles and another just about to part company!! How the hell did this one and others ever, ever get through QC??? Applied for a replacement and or refund. I suppose I'd better ask for refund before KR goes down the toilet!!! Cheers for content!
It looks like the single axles don't have any horizontal sway so they act as a wedge against the double axles in the corners. I'm thinking the manufacturer never tested this loco themselves. Not even once around a loop as a function check before putting it in the box.
Hi Sam, I got the BR green version with DCC sound. Mine goes round 18 inch radius curves without any issue. I did notice the same "warm motor" as you after running in. Mine was also missing a buffer. KR have promised to send a replacement when they get the spares in stock. I certainly didn't have the loose lamp brackets etc. Hope you get your refund!
I’ve had bad experiences with all of KR’s models, my GT3 had zero torque, derailed on curves and was an overall poor runner. I’ve also had their “Bellerophon” and Lickey Banker on pre order.. starting to really reconsider my chocies
As you pointed out it came with instanta couplings. I’m guessing they had these left over from one of their wagon models as these are generally only fitted to wagons. The photos on KR models own website show Leader had a screw coupling
Mine came with two of the vacuum cylinders loose in the bottom of the box. Managed to glue them back on but it was very fiddly. My wheels were ok luckily. Don’t think I’ll be buying from KR models again unless it’s something really special.
It may look like a Tube train, but it certainly isn’t!! It’s one of the last steam locomotives made by Sir Oliver Bulleid!! And that’s what makes it a Southern Railway locomotive!!
I reviewed one of these recently, an I can tell you that there are good examples of this out there. I was able to load mine up with my most drag heavy coaches without any slowing down whatsoever. Mine wasn't perfect, but at least I can run it and enjoy it. That said, the travesty that you received is unacceptable.
Yes I've heard one or two stories of good examples too - great to hear yours performed well at least, that's the main thing! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam. Good review as ever. I noticed that the number is in the wrong place 36001 is under a cab window on the real loco. Pic's available on good ole Google
Just a side note, I have a Y6b from AHM manufactured by Rivarossi, recommended radius is 18”. When I built my first attempt at a layout some of the curves were as tight as 16” or less, the locomotive handled these easily with no binding, slowing or derailing.
What a locomotive to start off the new year with, something that at least for my part actually hurts to watch. I think there was a locomotive last year that I had hoped you wouldn't end up dealing with anything worse; I don't think there ended up being a worse one last year, but calling this thing a lemon would be an insult to lemons everywhere.
11:12 "The one Leader was scrapped..." That's the first time I've heard you use the word "scrapped" without adding "sadly" just before it. Good review; goes in my "Whew! Dodged another loser." file with the Fell. There seem to be two types of reviews: 1.) Shiny and wonderful - if supplied to the reviewer, or 2.) all pimply and troublesome as found by those who had to purchase one over the counter, (or by mail). Thanks for the honesty.
I had considered pre-ordering the Leader, but given some of the horror stories I’ve heard (everything from parts laying loose in the box to wheels falling off), I’m honestly glad I didn’t Needless to say it doesn’t give me much confidence in KR Models 🙃
Another great review of another rubbish KR Models locomotive. Mine too has a detached wheel, and I contacted KR a few days ago to ask how to return it and get a refund - they haven't given an answer yet, so it would be good if you could advise at some point Sam.
I got the BR blue one and haven't had an issue as of yet, but I do agree the coal load is shocking. I think old triang models had better coal loads some of the time 😂
Hello Sam I hope you are well and a belated Happy New Year! I watch just about all of your reviews and they are most enjoyable. I own both the KR Models GT3 and the ‘Fell’ My GT3 has a broken driving wheel exactly the same as your example of your Leader. My Fell has completely out of sync quartering on its driving wheels which makes the connecting rods rock like a see-saw making it look quite ridiculous whilst running. I wish you the very best of luck in your attempts to communicate with KR Models and your forthcoming attempts to return this model for replacement/refund. My own experiences with KR Models regarding after sales service was an absolute nightmare, KR Models would not even respond to my emails until I threatened to involve my credit card provider, I really wish you the very best of luck getting your money back! After watching this review, I am totally convinced I have done the right thing by promising myself I will never ever purchase another KR Models product.
I like how they managed to find a photo that doesn't clearly show the wheels on the leaflet at 13:11 . Shall we put a big banner saying S C Townroe - Family Collection over the offending detail or get China to fix it? Banner it is.
I've taken delivery of a black DCC sound version, with, you guessed it, 2 loose wheels on the ?rear bogie (at the tender end). However from some of the comments on here I am encouraged to feel that this is a correctable issue and glad to learn that KR has got back to some customers with replacement parts, being that their customer service/repair department appears to be based in Canada. Other than that the black version is nicely finished, satin with neat lining, no glue marks, all detail parts accurately fitted, produces lots of interesting sounds on straightforward DC (HM 2000) and ran pretty well on 3rd radius curves in both directions in spite of its 2 wonky wheels(?!?), and short sections of 2nd radius, and over points without issues. Still has black buffer beams, but overall looks better than metallic silver. One query though- I presume the fireman's door is meant to open onto the platform side, eg to the left, so this would mean that the tender end of the loco is at the 'rear', and the chimney is at the 'front'. If this is the case, then the early BR crest on my version faces backwards on both sides-?? did K R make a mistake here?
I seem to recall reading somewhere that BR had official trouble with the coat of arms regulators because to face "the same way" on both sides would have required them registering (and presumably paying for) two different designs - right and left handed, and they were told to only use the exact design they had registered? I have a black Leader which, touch wood, is ok. The (never used in anger) black looks so much better to me than the grey/silver. I can live with the incorrect design of wheels and can paint the buffer beams. Bit worried that loosewheelgate may be only a matter of time though!
That was the later Lion & Dartboard crest, which had to follow heraldry rules, enforced vigorously by the College of Arms. The earlier Unicycling Lion crest was just a badge and could face any direction. Leader was originally painted unlined gloss black with NO crest- for about 24h- until British Railways instructed this to be changed.
It was never silver. It was as Sam accurately said grey and can be seen to be so in the only colour photographs taken which were by Steven Townroe at Eastleigh works. All other colour photographs are black and white which have been colourised.
It was “photographic grey”. Lining was applied afterwards when traffic trials began. It was never silver. They got it wrong. I know it’s hard to imagine and they’ll never admit it, but they got it wrong.
Not sure about KR Models - was disappointed when I missed out on pre-order of The Fell - but the relieved when I saw the review that I had not brought one. This looks awful too - clearly not a market leader. thanks for the review
Whilst I'm not familiar with KR models or their products, you'd expect them to be checking all remaining stock of this one to prevent further disaster and weeding out anything with significant faults.
A real shame, this was my most anticipated UK model with the turbomotive. The turbomotive was pricy but didnt disappoint me at least, this just makes me sad, and very glad I didnt have one sent to the US and have to faff about with returning it...
As the Chuckle Brothers would say, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. This Leader is such a poor show that it could give Heljan a run for their money. I'm glad I haven't ordered one of these for myself (certainly not at full price, but I doubt I'll reconsider if the price is ever reduced).
The capacitor must be a pre-fitted stay-alive for the DCC decoder. It's connected to the DCC socket and gets used by the DCC decoder. This is a very nice feature, though not as important for big models like this with so many axles. (The size of the capacitor is total overkill if it were just for the lights.)
Mine seems to run OK and did so the other night on the Club Layout. The only down item I found were the poor tension lock couplings which I replaced with Hornby ones.
I have tried to purchase the brass versions of both of these locos for the last 40 years. I have seen less than five offered. Unfortunately, only one was in excellent condition (a ‘Jawn Henry’) and as I recall, it went for more than $5K. At least I have the ALCO double electric that was built for the Virginian RR (painted) and a Great Northern W-1 (unpainted).
Going to try mine on our club layout on Friday, I don't hold out much hope. The wheels on mine are not loose........yet! It was not Rocket Science to find out what colour it should have been, and it wasn't silver! I rather feel it's going to be sent back.
Ok, Ran mine on the Club Layout. To be honest it ran very well, no loose wheels and very smooth. Run in for 30 mins in each direction with no problems. Ran ok with an 8 coach load of various hornby vintages. The only problem was a Nem coupling pulled out. It has to be noted, the test track at Newbury MRC is a 5M circle.
Leader class- a mechanical nightmare
Model leader class- tiny mechanical nightmare
Yeah makes sense.
True - one detail they seem to have gotten thoroughly correct!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Does it have a toy fireman that gets burned alive in case of accident?
I think I've worked out why this model didn’t arrive on time; there must have been a 4th radius curve somewhere during the shipping.
underated comment fr
£185 for this piece of junk is daylight robbery. I think your grading was very generous, this piece of junk should never have got so many stars. However I did enjoy the video and your scathing comments. God bless you both
Hmm, reminds me about something from the automotive world, the Cybertr....(something). However this one is not that ugly.
Sam, no excuses for KR but large, headsized coal was not uncommon in the steam era, fireman had to break large parts with their shovels when it fell forward, some chunks were so large they wouldn’t fit through the tender door! I have read that in various firemans memoirs. All the best. Dan
I‘ve seen videos of firing and some of the coal is absolutely gargantuan. Theres a video with the WD 2-10-0 Kitchener at Longmoor, and one of the chunks of coal filled most of the shovel. I think it‘s in a longmoor compilation on preserved thumpers
To add to this, when firing some locomotives here in the US sometimes that's necessary. Such as at the Colorado State Railroad Museum where Rio Grande Southern #20 is. A small 3 foot gauge 4-6-0. Breaking up the coal is just as necessary to prevent too much water being evaporated into steam and causing it to be wasted by being blown out the safety valve.
There are many pictures of the Leader showing the top, and the coal load never exceeded anything higher than the roof level. The 'Leader' itself was already nearly over the height limit being extremely tall, and an overloaded bunker would certainly cause problems, concerns if not at the very least. While I absolutely agree that it was common practice for many coal bunkers to be topped up over the brim, especially on the Southern and even more so in B.R. days, this engine is absolutely non-applicable to that logic due to its unique construction and height.
@@amazi6542 People aren't talking about the height of the load here though. Just the size of some of the pieces.
Terry Essery's account of his battle with a huge lump of coal jamming a prototype mechanical stoker is the one that sticks in my mind.
Wow over 75 years later and it’s STILL causing nightmares…. Just in a miniature form
hahaha very true!!
1:76 scale "disaster"..haha....
Oh boy first OO loco review of the year and it's a top contender already for the lemon "awards" at the end of the year
You got a QUICK response from KR.... well done. When my Fell arrived they sent an analogue one instead of the DCC sound I'd ordered. It took 6 weeks for them not to organise a replacement, then two more to send the refund after I told them I'd had enough..
Finally! A model railroad company accurately created a bad real life train.
haha absolutely!!
Heljan class 17
It wasn't actually that bad, it had some problems yes, but so dose stuff before and since (the real loco that is)
@@cdyvids22 I planning on buying the 17 just to commemorate the Thomas and friends franchise.
My favorite part of reading the comments is just seeing the kyle larson pfp pop up
Sam- saying you’re going to return it speaks for the rest of the commentary in the video. Watching every video for the last 6-7 years you’ve always been reasonable with returns to keep your integrity and honesty. I was shocked when you first said it😮 but even a well-known reviewer like you shouldn’t waste your money on what is supposed to be a premium model. Great review as always! Cheers!
Whilst the driving cab front and rear is novel the articulation of two powered bogies under a fixed frame with boiler and tank is just Kitson-Meyer, which was used successfully from designs used outside the UK from 1894 down to 1926.
Hi Sam, Heljan have just breathed a sigh of relief, they're not the worst manufacturer anymore.
Heljan: „Hold my beer!“
Haha, love it 😂
Sam, when you announced your Bulleid Leader review back in the Model Railway News last week, I had a strange feeling it was going to be bad when I first saw it on the screen.
(And Dear God, I am shocked to see I'm correct)
haha yeah - I had a bad feeling about it too, as much as I was hoping they'd turned things around for it...
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Definitely been looking forward to the review of the Leader and you did a great job Sam, I like the weird but unique look it has being an experimental locomotive. Shame that one was a bit of a flaw especially with the tweaked wheel, almost makes me wonder if it was dropped during assembly and just brushed aside. Thanks for another great video :)
The music cutting out when it went round the curve sent me 😂
Sam ever thought of taking on the role of a quality controller some of these lot could do with a good one great review honest as always keep it up and a happy new year to you and yours.
DJ Models: We were the worst manufacturer in British model railway history.
KR: Hold my Leader.
Both have made 1 decent model as far as I can tell: KR with the GT3 and DJM with the 1361. I still think Heljan's the most deserving of that title though...
@@dakshanbalaramesh say that in front of Tug please
@@Ten_Animatoreq Heljians 07 is good sure but virtually all their steamers and a lot of their diesels are utter garbage
@jaidencracknell2326 i meant the DJM 14xx ,like tug is glazing it
aliexpress has competition
That problem with the wheels was also shown on the James May Hornby documentary that was shot in 2019. Quality control appears to asleep at the wheel.
I knew this one was going to be fun when at 0.18 in the locomotive trundled past, top half drunkenly tilted to one side.
Thought you might run the Bulleid Booster and the Q1 at the end as other unusual Bulleid creations.
Can't blame you for sending it back, definitely a shame it's so pants.
Unfortunately their next release is Spring 2025 so you might not even get that much of a break.
Thank you for suffering on our behalf Sam.
Im so glad i was too broke to pay the preorder and had to cancel. Can't wait to receive my Single Stirling coming in the mail.
I think you probably made the right call... you'll be better spending the money on the Stirling!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
the wallet was going to die either way 😂
Was also disappointed when mine turned up but managed to fix the issues as I intended to keep it
The loose wheels: the wheels slip onto a plastic cap on the end of the axel so to fix this I applied a small amount of contact adhesive to the plastic cap using a cocktail stick then pressed the wheel back on using the handle of my tweezers.
The next thing was the running of the loco as seen very slow and hates corners, this is because there is no lubricant in the worm gear boxes above the bogies and what lubricant is there it’s more like a glue than lubricant so some model train grease applied into the worm gear boxes helped allot making it smooth and less stressful on the motor along with applying some oil to the axles.
Lastly the ticking sound! Now this may be what was causing yours to tick but allot of the models have white paint on the fly wheels that then scrap against the frame so a bit of scraping and thinners to remove the paint should resolve this.
With all this done mine seems to work fine, pulls a good rake just needs a good warm up every time I run her (but the shed is a cold place so allot of my locos do)
Still no excuse for a company to hand out such a product like this but I wanted to keep mine and was determined to make it work so these things did fix the issues in the end.
I'm a Yank, dormant in the hobby (HO) but enjoy many British trains, real and model...I stopped the video after Sam wobbled the wheel to see if every comment was negative (just for the halibut), and saw yours..
I like that you had the prowess to remedy the problems..I'd have done the same..
Was wondering just before I read yours that perhaps, depending upon the materials (styrene, delrin + metal axel ?) might CA glue fix the wheel wobble..
Anyway, will now watch the rest of vid and see how Sam makes out with it.. Hope yours is holding up OK...
@@MarkInLA Hey there, thank you for your kind words. CA glue (super glue) should fix the issue as well, contact adhesive is a more immediate bond. The one i used bonds in 10-20 seconds.
I wish i did a video of doing the repairs for people (may even make a model kit and loco channel) but looking at the wheel and axle it looks like the cap should stay in the wheel and then press into the axle but in some cases this plastic piece has come loose forming a tighter hold on the axle rather than the wheel.
I have been running mine for the past 2 weeks and with a warm up every session its perfectly fine, the motor dose make a little noise but once warmed up its very smooth and doesn't produce any heat.
The next step i may take is attempting to paint the buffer beam red. I have a BR black version (thought it looked quite smart even though it didn't have this livery but it was painted back at one point) and not even the buffers are painted red unlike the photo grey versions but looking at all the BR black models and reference photos i think its the right move, plus iv fiddled with it so no chance of sending it back now may as well customise it properly!
Sorry if this all seems like jabbering as id like to get as much info out as much as possible to help since model kits and trains is my passion.
Great review as always Sam! It really is unfortunate, ever since I learned about the Leader, I had wanted to see a model of it, and I was really hoping this would've been up to par. Like you stated near the end, I hope this doesn't deter other manufacturers from taking a crack at the Leader, as I'd love to one day see a glowing review of one on your channel. Take care!
I think you are generous in giving this 5/10. One thing I have noticed is that the springs, such a prominent feature on the prototype, have no leaves moulded into the model. They are flat-faced moulding. Has Tesla been sub contracted to do the quality control?
Later: I have seen a film about the Leader. The springs do have covers on them. Foot in mouth!
I noticed it didn't like second radis curves when we had the sample
Ahh interesting - so it's not necessarily the loose wheel then??
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I dont remember it having any issues when we had the sample at the NEC...
It ran with no issues the entire day, granted. we werent exactly pushing it to its limits with three mk1's behind it. but it navigated the 2nd radius curves with ease.
Are you sure you remember the right loco - During our video it's even shown in the video running round a 2nd radius without change of speed.
Sam has 2 2nd radius back to back within the wheelbase of the locomotive., forming a bit of a chicane, that probably makes it worse
Beautiful headline! 'Dreadful' is perfect.
I'd say it looks like a tube train, without all the windows.
haha thank you! Yes it gets full marks for the odd appearance!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
That means it does at least look right!😂😂😂😂
On reflection the ones I’ve seen are very accurate. Wheels shearing off and leaning towards the boiler side. Both things afflicted the real one so kudos to KR for replicating the loco in its “needs dragging back to Eastleigh or Brighton” state.
lol...your description....of the 'crust ' made me chuckle....and the thought of shovelling massive head sized chunks of coal was hilarious....all the best...
haha thanks mate! Got to laugh I suppose...
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
There's a dried bogey on the bogie
I really want to support KR Models, I really do, but I've been burnt by them more times than not now. My GT3 was wonderful, but with the fell being wrong and now leader, I cannot support them any longer. Fortunately I bought this on a whim and so this was always going to be a shelf queen, very rarely run. Also, for anyone interested, no loose wheels on mine, but both whistles had snapped, and the coal is held in with tape... so if anyone wants to remove it, there's very little force required.
Thanks Jake I feel the same mate - they've had a fair chance, and I feel like they've had the opportunity to do better but haven't taken it... so sorry to hear about the issues on yours!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
The coal was held in with tape?! Wow… I don’t even know what to say at this point…
Your exactly correct. You try to support a manufacturer and they take advantage of you. Both my KR models are paperweights. So much potential but just a bad actor !!!!!!!!!! I won't buy a thing off them anymore.
I didn’t notice the new intro. That looks amazing.
Thank you so much! :D
I've only just seen the pop up, will watch rhe rest later - a grade of nearly 5 and F - that's absolutely shocking, paired eith the problems of "you'll get them by christmas", kr models have really shot themselves in the foot with this one! Great review as always sam, hope your well :)
The Southern Leader Class honestly reminds me of the ACE 3000 locomotive that was proposed here in the US back in the 1980s, which never got off the drawing board. It was the brainchild of the (in)famous Ross Rowland and came about due to the oil crisis of the 70s, and would've had a body design similar to a cowl-bodied diesel locomotive over here. American-Rails has a pretty good article on the design, if you're curious about it.
As a Yank, I was surprised that Athearn didn’t make a model of the ACE 3000 locomotive. I would have bought one.
"You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel..." To be fair, the model is actually pretty realistic- the real Leader broke it's crank axle while on test..
Yes I was going to mention that too Very realistic LOL
This is such a interesting train from a engineering and historical standpoint, I hope it gets a repass one day as it’s such a cool footnote in railway history. Thanks for the review!
It certainly is - I'd love to see a proper model done, but I doubt we will... at least not any time soon!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Sam, another great video and with KR's prompt reply and refund, it would seem that they have admitted defeat and all returned loco's will probably end up in the bin. keep up the great reviews.
I wonder if I have some sort of identifiable neurological condition that means I click play, instantly, by reflex, whenever I see a Sam’s Trains video with the word “Dreadful” in the title 😂
Please do keep us informed on the customer service aspects.
Best
I bought this from rails of Sheffield and i was lucky to get a good one. Mine has plenty of torque and runs great with no wobbly wheel. The only thing i didn't like is that the motor inside was really noisy. I had to put a piece of rubber isolater on the top of the motor between the circuit board to quiet it down. After that it runs good and quiet.
The problem ist not the motor, it is the very hard grease in the gearboxes in combination with the poorly manufactured gears. If you replace both, it runs very well without overerheating.
I see that most other reviews of the Leader mention much the same faults as Sam has done. The black version looks good, though I think I might wait until some appear at the retailers at a massive discount! Lined black is the livery in which the prototypes would have run in service, being classed as mixed-traffic locomotives .
As others have said having a complete lemon of a model is accurate to the Leader IRL. So getting a discounted model to dump in the sidings whilst you run rebuilt Bulleid Light Pacifics might be a good day's modelling!!!! 😂
@@jamesdawson9154 But a nice black Leader would look great at the head of a fitted freight, or parcels train, or a cross-country passenger service...why, we might have seen some at Tonbridge!
Watching this as my 60 year old Tri-ang 3f trundles perfectly around the track.
can't beat a good ol' 0-6-0.....haha
Possibly the best loco in my collection. Nice to know they're appreciated by many
hi, and my Triang 08 which runs great for a 1965 loco !
Your review is really interesting. I bought the black sound fitted one and the only issue I had was the coupling disintegrated when I tried to put a NEM tail into it. To test it out I made one from Hornby parts but eventually Rails sent me a new one. I must have really got a good one, I really like it. I ran it in for 30 minutes each way and then to test its load capability I coupled up 5 of the new Hornby Coronation coaches (they were on the layout, so why not) and ran it round my layout. Surprisingly it was perfect no slowing down, no derailing at parts of the track where others do, so no real issues at all, I really like it. So it may be because of the DCC and the fact I bought it from Rails, I even double checked the wheels and they seemed ok. My only criticism was the couplings, they had glued the tails into the adapter so you couldn't get to the screw to take them off, which in my case was a pain as I wanted to swap the broken one with the one on the other end of the loco.
Wow great video as always Sam!! The leader was certainly wasn’t leading anything anytime soon! I also have a recommendation for you Sam! It is the Atlas Ho scale RS-1! It’s a lot better in every way than the leader! Lots of details, dicast running board and chassis, and pre fitted crew! I got it for 120$ on train world I believe
0:24 seconds in and ive spit out my cola, god sam your a riot, just you giggling set me off haha, comady gold i say
hahahaha sorry about the cola... better get that up before it stains!!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
That curve performance makes the bachmann precedent look like a powerhouse
haha exactly!!
@aberfordwest4003 the Precedent wasn’t even that bad lol
One upon a time I got excited for KR models upcoming Big Bertha as it’s one of my favourite locomotives, I wanted to see what the Leader was like before I pre ordered it, let’s just say after the Fel mishaps and Leader travesty I won’t be doing that anymore. (That money might be going towards a Rapido J13 instead)
Yeah... not sure about Big Bertha now - guess we'll have to wait and see!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I do really like big bertha, but now my only option is kit or scratch building. Certainly not even considering the KR one at the minute, though maybe they’ll get better..?
This has made my mind up about Big Bertha 😥
Among the many thinks KR models got wrong with this one is the inclusion of red tail lights!
The real loco did NOT have any form of built in tail lights - if running on its own the a good old fashioned paraffin lamp with red glass would need to be hung on a lamp iron (just as would be found on the rearmost passenger coach or on the guards van at the back of a freight train).
The lights seem to be behind the lamp irons, so maybe they were intended to shine through dummy lamps attached to the lamp irons? Except they don't seem to have included the dummy lamps in the box.
The real loco had electric lighting like his Pacifics.
@ Indeed they did - but light Pacific’s didn’t have red tail lights either!
Please pay attention to exactly what I wrote!
White lights were shown on the leading end of the loco - those at the back, be it on the Leader or any of the conventional Pacific locos the lights facing backwards were ALL OFF!
I repeat, if a red light needed to be shown because the loco was running without a train then a conventional paraffin lamp would be hing on a lamp bracket of the leader - just as with any other loco!
@@kkobayashi1 No they weren’t!
The lamps fitted to the Leader were there to perform the same function as those fitted to Mr Bullieds pacific locomotives - they were ONLY there to display the headcodes (provided by white discs or unlit lamps during the day) to signalmen and platform staff.
These headcodes were provided for train routing and train identification purposes - they were NOT HEADLIGHTS (and were pretty feeble affairs anyway being low powered incandescent lamps)
The standard requirement for ALL motive power at the time applied to the Leader - a good old fashioned paraffin lamp with red glass MUST be hung on the rear lamp bracket loco (or placed on the rear of the train it was hauling) to indicate to signalmen that the train was complete.
The lights were therefore NOT fitted so as to provide any form of 'tail lights' on the rear of the locomotive when running on its own - that didn't come in until the diesel era and even then railway regulations still required the provision of a Paraffin lamp till the mid 1960s at least
You should take note that even the Southern Railways electric multiple fleet had to carry paraffin tail lamps on the rear to indicate the train was complete - despite them being electrically powered and having electric lamps fitted to illuminate the headcode boxes during the hours of darkness
@philkeller4170 I'm talking about the model, not the prototype. Red LED in the loco plus dummy lamps would be one way to model a loco fitted with red paraffin lamps.
Great video as always sam please don't ruin the surprise at the start 😂
haha thank you! I did try....
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
You are correct to call the Leader Class a tank engine, because it was indeed classified as one.
I must admit after seeing this review...I am insanely lucky. My model (the same as yours) arrived with a buffer that fell off. Which was annoying. And the detail is lackluster...
But when it came to performance, I had no issues. It ran around 2nd Radius curves without issue at high and low speed. Although that might be because I had no wobbly wheels...
A pity, this engine is so fascinating despite being a failure. I rather hoped the model would not be a failure too, but it seems KR models went further than they meant to for accuracy!
It's got to be the oddest looking tank engine I've ever seen. So glad to hear you didn't have any performance issues - minor cosmetic issues are at least safe to repair!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@SamsTrains thank you for the video! Always a pleasure to watch. I am sorry this model was such a mess for you.
Did you also know the Erie tri-plexs were also classed as tank loco - It had drivers under the tender so it wasn't a separate vehicle... 👍
Hello Sam, I think I had better post my experience with the KR Leader, since you invited viewers to do so. I have indulged in pre-ordering 3 examples, one in ‘Grey’ with BR early crest like yours, and others in BR Lined Black and Lined Green. I appreciate those are alternate history versions but my example in BR Green with grey roof is, in my opinion, the best looking. Good points first, the general build, albeit not Rapido, is good enough. It certainly is sharper, straighter and better finished than any finished kit I have seen. I’ve run the BR Green example the most and it made noises when running slowly which went away as it ran in. No derailments and no loose wheels. The whistle snapped of the moment it was unpacked. The lamp Irons are a bit wobbly but none have fallen off. The coal is awful, I can’t live with that stuff, despite it being resin moulded for realism. Why they didn’t paint the buffer beams red? That’s a bit sloppy. I shall also drill out the chimney, I dislike the filled in look. I am ‘quite pleased’ with mine. Having watched your review - I’m feeling quite relieved my models could have been considerably worse. I might say to other viewers if you fancy one of these unusual beasts, they aren’t all bad, and after running it, it’s certainly a good performer, with a reasonable speed range. None of my models have dried mucous or food residues, and the dreadful attention to lamp irons and buffer gluing on yours is really tidy on all of my trio. I think your example must have been made at the end of a very long shift - or maybe the assembler was ill. I am now a bit worried my doubler decker EMU and Class 40s are going to be a problem. Time will tell!
That’s an appalling price. It’s £15 more expensive than my Accurscale Deltic. It’s unbelievable. How did KR manage to mess this up?. Great review Sam.
Now dreading my 4 DD emu 😢 so disappointing , but a great and honest review as always Sam !⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was really toying with the idea of getting that, but think I'll wait until it comes out before deciding.
I was really looking forward to finally purchasing a ready to run OO scale model of Bullied”s Leader. Thank you Sam for your honest insightful review.
Sadly I’ll be keeping my money in my pocket.
Likewise,it was on my list as well.
Part of Pre-ordering is that it reduces risk for manufacturers and that means more variety. If prices are kept the same to keep sales buoyant instead of having and immediate price hike then that is good for everybody. There is also the benefit you should be guaranteed to get one. There is more to it than giving away money to a lucky few.
That's great for the manufacturers - but what about risk for customers? After repeat duds from KR models - I for one, and there are plenty of others like me, won't be taking that risk again.
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
As long as the product is adequate
I also believe the ‘Crest’ mentioned on the box is wrong too, it should say ‘Crust’.
hahahaha amazing - I WISH I'd thought of that!!!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains yeah...the "upper" crust......
I have really enjoyed your video and it really helps with my recovery from my brain tumour and stroke as I try to get back to my modelling Thank 😊 you
Blimey Martin that sounds rough my friend - I'm sorry to hear you've been unwell, and I hope you're doing much, much better soon. Please don't be a stranger and do keep in touch. Take care of yourself,
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@SamsTrains thank you 😊
Interesting review mukka.
Looks like KMR models uses the same crappy factory as Heljan! 😂
I'm sure it depicts reality as I'm sure there was many a Southern loco crew who looked forward to it arriving only to find it was a failure... poor firemen .just have suffered badly in that cramped sweat box of a firing cab.
Heap of crap all round in conclusion.
Send it back. Regards from Oz.
Gaz 😅
And from now on it can only getting better in the score for 2025 locomotives. I thought nothing could be worse than Heljan rubbish but this KR wears the crown. Curious to see your update on this adventure !
While watching this I was opening my latest loco, a Kato N-gauge Swiss Ge4/4 II. A complete contrast. Looks perfect, even under a magnifying glass. Runs well straight out of the box. No blobs of glue or bits dropping off. It's about half the price of the Leader!
One other thing you have missed, brakes hanging down, should there have been some extra brake rigging in a bag to fit? Looks like that’s something else that’s been overlooked.
I remember seeing this on KR Models’ stall at the Great British Model Railway Show at the British Motir Museum last year and thinking how cool this model looked … such a shame.
Really making us wait for the highly anticipated Stirling Single review. haha *cries* 😥
haha absolutely - it's worth the wait!!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
We all love the sterling single. 😂
A lot of steam locos did have massive pieces of coal in their tenders. A mate of mine used to fire 9Fs. One trip into Wales passed a house of a friend/relation of the driver.
He said to my mate pick a big bit and when I say, chuck it out of the cab. Unfortunately, this piece was between 12" and 14" wide by about 9" thick. It was aldi about 3ft long. These were usually broken up in the cab and shoveled into the firebox, this one was duly put on end and, at the drivers call, was pushed off the footplate!
The driver thought it would land on its side and slide down the hill to the Friends/relations cottage. It didn't!
It actually bounced and tumbled on each end, bouncing down the hill. It then to proceeded to snash though the back yard gate and and explode into pieces!!!
So steam locos did have large lumps of coal in their tenders!!!
haha thanks for sharing - that sounds like a nightmare!!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
sounds like a "fools and horses" moment 🤣👍
KR must have given you a bad one! When I watched the review on Jennifer E. Kirk Model Railways’ review, I was ready to buy one.
Of course, she had a pre-release sample and I wouldn’t put it beyond any manufacturer to give a pre-release sample the ‘once over’ before giving it to a UA-cam celebrity.
I know you are not a ‘DCC guy,’ but the unique sound of this locomotive is intriguing.
Jennifer was also impressed by the locomotive’s smooth pulling power.
I am surprised that you didn’t immediately call KR and get a replacement.
Christmas Tat, send it back ! I've heard of "running it till the wheels fall off" but not "unboxing it till the wheels fall off!" Cheers!😁
haha quite right - it's gone back, and to be fair a refund was quickly issued!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam, excellent review. You've got the same decorated version that I've got although mines DCC fitted. Mine's not even touched the track and straight out the box 4 driving wheels detached from axles and another just about to part company!! How the hell did this one and others ever, ever get through QC???
Applied for a replacement and or refund. I suppose I'd better ask for refund before KR goes down the toilet!!!
Cheers for content!
It looks like the single axles don't have any horizontal sway so they act as a wedge against the double axles in the corners. I'm thinking the manufacturer never tested this loco themselves. Not even once around a loop as a function check before putting it in the box.
Hi Sam,
I got the BR green version with DCC sound. Mine goes round 18 inch radius curves without any issue. I did notice the same "warm motor" as you after running in. Mine was also missing a buffer. KR have promised to send a replacement when they get the spares in stock. I certainly didn't have the loose lamp brackets etc. Hope you get your refund!
I’ve had bad experiences with all of KR’s models, my GT3 had zero torque, derailed on curves and was an overall poor runner. I’ve also had their “Bellerophon” and Lickey Banker on pre order.. starting to really reconsider my chocies
Thanks for the amazing video Sam😊
It's a pleasure!
Great channel and another great video 👏🏽
As you pointed out it came with instanta couplings. I’m guessing they had these left over from one of their wagon models as these are generally only fitted to wagons. The photos on KR models own website show Leader had a screw coupling
Wheels are prototypical on the model, unlike Bulleid's more conventional locos the Leader ones were cut through.
Mine came with two of the vacuum cylinders loose in the bottom of the box. Managed to glue them back on but it was very fiddly. My wheels were ok luckily. Don’t think I’ll be buying from KR models again unless it’s something really special.
It may look like a Tube train, but it certainly isn’t!! It’s one of the last steam locomotives made by Sir Oliver Bulleid!! And that’s what makes it a Southern Railway locomotive!!
I reviewed one of these recently, an I can tell you that there are good examples of this out there. I was able to load mine up with my most drag heavy coaches without any slowing down whatsoever. Mine wasn't perfect, but at least I can run it and enjoy it.
That said, the travesty that you received is unacceptable.
Yes I've heard one or two stories of good examples too - great to hear yours performed well at least, that's the main thing!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam. Good review as ever. I noticed that the number is in the wrong place 36001 is under a cab window on the real loco.
Pic's available on good ole Google
Just a side note, I have a Y6b from AHM manufactured by Rivarossi, recommended radius is 18”. When I built my first attempt at a layout some of the curves were as tight as 16” or less, the locomotive handled these easily with no binding, slowing or derailing.
The perks of mallets types.
What a locomotive to start off the new year with, something that at least for my part actually hurts to watch. I think there was a locomotive last year that I had hoped you wouldn't end up dealing with anything worse; I don't think there ended up being a worse one last year, but calling this thing a lemon would be an insult to lemons everywhere.
11:12 "The one Leader was scrapped..." That's the first time I've heard you use the word "scrapped" without adding "sadly" just before it.
Good review; goes in my "Whew! Dodged another loser." file with the Fell.
There seem to be two types of reviews: 1.) Shiny and wonderful - if supplied to the reviewer, or 2.) all pimply and troublesome as found by those who had to purchase one over the counter, (or by mail). Thanks for the honesty.
I had considered pre-ordering the Leader, but given some of the horror stories I’ve heard (everything from parts laying loose in the box to wheels falling off), I’m honestly glad I didn’t
Needless to say it doesn’t give me much confidence in KR Models 🙃
I think that was the right move Liam - no I have no confidence in them now either!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Nice video Sam😊❤
Another great review of another rubbish KR Models locomotive. Mine too has a detached wheel, and I contacted KR a few days ago to ask how to return it and get a refund - they haven't given an answer yet, so it would be good if you could advise at some point Sam.
are you going to get a new one to give it a second chance like the hush hush and the black five.
I got the BR blue one and haven't had an issue as of yet, but I do agree the coal load is shocking. I think old triang models had better coal loads some of the time 😂
Hello Sam
I hope you are well and a belated Happy New Year!
I watch just about all of your reviews and they are most enjoyable.
I own both the KR Models GT3 and the ‘Fell’
My GT3 has a broken driving wheel exactly the same as your example of your Leader.
My Fell has completely out of sync quartering on its driving wheels which makes the connecting rods rock like a see-saw making it look quite ridiculous whilst running.
I wish you the very best of luck in your attempts to communicate with KR Models and your forthcoming attempts to return this model for replacement/refund.
My own experiences with KR Models regarding after sales service was an absolute nightmare, KR Models would not even respond to my emails until I threatened to involve my credit card provider, I really wish you the very best of luck getting your money back!
After watching this review, I am totally convinced I have done the right thing by promising myself I will never ever purchase another KR Models product.
My fell did the out of quartering trick after running 2 metres.
It’s a shame this model was screwed over by KR models, hopefully your return goes well Sam!
I would love to see a review of the walthers mainline sd70ace
KR started strong and haven't caught even more lightning in a bottle since have they?
I like how they managed to find a photo that doesn't clearly show the wheels on the leaflet at 13:11 . Shall we put a big banner saying S C Townroe - Family Collection over the offending detail or get China to fix it? Banner it is.
haha exactly - though their photos do clearly show the red buffer beams!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains are you sure they arent colourised pictures?
It would be cracking hilarious if you saw one of the prototype going down the mainline with lettering on the side that said, “DCC Ready”! 😂
hahaha I know - I'd love to make that happen!!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I've taken delivery of a black DCC sound version, with, you guessed it, 2 loose wheels on the ?rear bogie (at the tender end). However from some of the comments on here I am encouraged to feel that this is a correctable issue and glad to learn that KR has got back to some customers with replacement parts, being that their customer service/repair department appears to be based in Canada. Other than that the black version is nicely finished, satin with neat lining, no glue marks, all detail parts accurately fitted, produces lots of interesting sounds on straightforward DC (HM 2000) and ran pretty well on 3rd radius curves in both directions in spite of its 2 wonky wheels(?!?), and short sections of 2nd radius, and over points without issues. Still has black buffer beams, but overall looks better than metallic silver. One query though- I presume the fireman's door is meant to open onto the platform side, eg to the left, so this would mean that the tender end of the loco is at the 'rear', and the chimney is at the 'front'. If this is the case, then the early BR crest on my version faces backwards on both sides-?? did K R make a mistake here?
I seem to recall reading somewhere that BR had official trouble with the coat of arms regulators because to face "the same way" on both sides would have required them registering (and presumably paying for) two different designs - right and left handed, and they were told to only use the exact design they had registered? I have a black Leader which, touch wood, is ok. The (never used in anger) black looks so much better to me than the grey/silver. I can live with the incorrect design of wheels and can paint the buffer beams. Bit worried that loosewheelgate may be only a matter of time though!
That was the later Lion & Dartboard crest, which had to follow heraldry rules, enforced vigorously by the College of Arms. The earlier Unicycling Lion crest was just a badge and could face any direction. Leader was originally painted unlined gloss black with NO crest- for about 24h- until British Railways instructed this to be changed.
Ah! Thanks for explaining that. I'd sort of half-remembered it then!
Silver was the actual colour of the Leader. To me it’s a gorgeous piece of kit. To some others it’s a great eyesore!!
It was never silver. It was as Sam accurately said grey and can be seen to be so in the only colour photographs taken which were by Steven Townroe at Eastleigh works. All other colour photographs are black and white which have been colourised.
It was “photographic grey”. Lining was applied afterwards when traffic trials began. It was never silver. They got it wrong. I know it’s hard to imagine and they’ll never admit it, but they got it wrong.
Not sure about KR Models - was disappointed when I missed out on pre-order of The Fell - but the relieved when I saw the review that I had not brought one. This looks awful too - clearly not a market leader. thanks for the review
Whilst I'm not familiar with KR models or their products, you'd expect them to be checking all remaining stock of this one to prevent further disaster and weeding out anything with significant faults.
Too busy banding up the pound notes.
A real shame, this was my most anticipated UK model with the turbomotive. The turbomotive was pricy but didnt disappoint me at least, this just makes me sad, and very glad I didnt have one sent to the US and have to faff about with returning it...
The contemporary diagram of the loco in the leaflet looks to have been pulled from Wikipedia.
As the Chuckle Brothers would say, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
This Leader is such a poor show that it could give Heljan a run for their money. I'm glad I haven't ordered one of these for myself (certainly not at full price, but I doubt I'll reconsider if the price is ever reduced).
The capacitor must be a pre-fitted stay-alive for the DCC decoder. It's connected to the DCC socket and gets used by the DCC decoder. This is a very nice feature, though not as important for big models like this with so many axles. (The size of the capacitor is total overkill if it were just for the lights.)
Mine seems to run OK and did so the other night on the Club Layout. The only down item I found were the poor tension lock couplings which I replaced with Hornby ones.
That's a good idea, I may try the same thing.
This reminds me of the experimental steam turbines in the US, primarily the C&O “Chessie” and the N&W “John Henry” (both were scrapped)
I have tried to purchase the brass versions of both of these locos for the last 40 years. I have seen less than five offered.
Unfortunately, only one was in excellent condition (a ‘Jawn Henry’) and as I recall, it went for more than $5K.
At least I have the ALCO double electric that was built for the Virginian RR (painted) and a Great Northern W-1 (unpainted).
Going to try mine on our club layout on Friday, I don't hold out much hope. The wheels on mine are not loose........yet! It was not Rocket Science to find out what colour it should have been, and it wasn't silver! I rather feel it's going to be sent back.
Ok, Ran mine on the Club Layout. To be honest it ran very well, no loose wheels and very smooth. Run in for 30 mins in each direction with no problems. Ran ok with an 8 coach load of various hornby vintages. The only problem was a Nem coupling pulled out. It has to be noted, the test track at Newbury MRC is a 5M circle.
Some manufacturers like dapol and accurascale seem to age like fine wine.
KR Models aged like milk. Glad I didn't pre-order a Shay!