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Not all plain sailing – Dapol’s Class 22s


I have given in to temptation and purchased one of Dapol’s Class 22 green diesels.

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(Left) D6313 (Head Code Boxes) back from hospital (Right) D6311 (Discs) fresh from its bath!

In fact I have bought two Class 22s, one with Discs and one with split Head Code Boxes.

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Green Diesels from “The Western Since 1948” (G Freeman Allen 1979)

I never saw the prototype but there is a picture of a Class 22 with an early form of air conditioning in the company of a couple of Warships in one of my favourite reference books for things ‘Western’.

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D6311 with Headcode Discs

D6311 was purchased new from one of those well known retailers. It was very noisy and jerky. I was advised to apply some oil to the gearing - or if I was not happy the engine could be returned.

 

The replacement model had been tested and was a little quieter. I still thought it was an uneven runner. The latest models have a small hole in the keeper plate on the underside of the bogie to aid lubrication. Do NOT be tempted to squirt oil into the bogie as I did! It was late in the evening and I don’t know what possessed me - but there was oil everywhere. I ended up separating the bodyshell and chassis. The body shell was given a thorough soaking in lukewarm solution of Fairy Liquid before rinsing in clean water. The chassis too was submerged in soap solution and again thoroughly rinsed before being placed on top of the Aga to dry out for some 24 hours or more. Dapol are to be commended for the quality of the finish on the bodyshell as there was no loss of detail or damage to the paintwork or transfers from this ‘extreme’ treatment. As a bonus I think the engine now runs a little sweeter!

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Fixing the Skirts with double sided tape

I am less impressed by Dapol’s removable skirts. I have studied dozens of pictures of Class 22 diesels and have only seen two where the skirt panels have been removed. One image was where the engine was being broken up and the other image was where the engine had been condemned and was awaiting scrapping. So why make the skirt in little bits which are both fiddly to attach and in my case warped and wavy? In the short term I have used double sided tape to fix the pieces to the chassis. In the longer term I may well go down the ‘Captain Kernow’ route and fix the individual bits to a thin strip of plastic which can then be permanently glued to the bodyshell. On my models there seem to be particular difficulties to attaching the end plates (numbers one and five). I partly resolved this by carefully opening out the fixing holes. I inserted and rotated a sharp craft knife to clean excess plastic and paint from around the fixing hole.

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D6313 with Split Headcode Boxes

My second model, D6313 with split headcode boxes was preowned and reimported from Holland. It had not been ‘played with’ which might be why ‘no one’ had noticed that the lighting did not work. A little knowledge is dangerous and the consensus here on RMweb is that the blanking plate would be faulty.

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Faulty blanking plate – early model

Certainly the solder tags for one of the components had been cut through – compared to the latest working plate shown below.

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Working blanking plate – latest model

A replacement ‘early’ blanking plate was purchased from DCC Supplies which on arrival displayed the same ‘cut through’ tags – and which still did not bring the lights back on. DCC Supplies advised that I send them the complete engine for repair. As encouragement I was provided with a prepaid address label. D6313 has been to and come back from DCC Supplies and now has working lights. Thank you DCC Supplies, who are to be commended for their speedy service and for providing a replacement under warranty.

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The second replacement blanking plate

This time the ‘working’ blanking plate is completely different from both of the originals and the latest model. It still has to be inserted ‘upside down’ in contrast to the latest model where the plate sits with the components facing upwards. I have tried to ascertain from DCC Supplies what was wrong and whether the ‘cut through’ solder tags were part of the problem – so far without a response.

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Contrasting Head Codes

I think D6313 is nearly very good. The detail on the bodyshell is excellent. I am not so convinced about the Dapol Head Code numbers which as supplied are in my opinion too ‘see through’. I have used the approach suggested by ‘Neal’ and fitted the nice glossy Dapol numbers to a piece of white self adhesive label which I then attached to the front of the Head Code Box. It works well for me and I think is an improvement. For some people the extra thickness of the white paper might make the resulting light rather dim, however the white numbers do now stand out.

http://youtu.be/iSVplGsBdBQ

What do I think of the Dapol 22s? Well it seems to have taken me not a little time to get the models up and running. I think they are suitably detailed and look the part. However I do think they sound rather clockwork, and in my opinion they lack the smooth gliding motion of my Heljan 35s.

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11 Comments


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CME and Bottlewasher

Posted

Hi,

 

I am sorry to hear of your problems - they do look like cracking models from an aesthetic POV.

 

I am sorry to say that myself and others believe that Dapol have problems.

 

I wont go into detail, yet your comments confirm our suspicions along with a raft of other issues that people have been suffering with their models.

 

I hope that running in may help?

 

Kindest regards,

 

CME

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Silver Sidelines

Posted

Thanks for the support

- they do look like cracking models from an aesthetic POV...

Your comments remind me of Airfix when they introduced their Castle back in 1977.  Compared to the Hornby Dublo Castle the Airfix model was 'super detailed' - but it wasn't very robust.

 

Regards

 

Ray

sigtech

Posted

Hello Ray, glad to hear that you seem to have solved the problem with your original class 22 'running like a bag of nails'...

Mine by contrast ( also pre owned-from "Rails of Sheffield" ) will crawl at slow walking pace and is probably my best running loco.

I have a minor problem with the side valences,- with mine it's the centre one on each side that falls off occasionally, if it becomes a nuisance I will glue them onto the bodysides.

My loco was missing one of the four bufferbeam cabsteps, so I ended up having to scratchbuild a replacement using bits from the scrapbox, as the all green livery locos are rather rare now, and I didn't fancy sending it back for a refund for such a trivial fault. I think it looks o.k, will have to keep my eyes open for a replacement in the future.

I did check with DCC supplies and of course it is NOT an available spare item....

Regards

Steve.

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Posted

Thanks Steve for the support

.

I have a minor problem with the side valences,- with mine it's the centre one on each side that falls off occasionally, if it becomes a nuisance I will glue them onto the bodysides.

..

I am not sure that you would be happy with the result if you glue the valence directly to the bodyshell.  You might need to revisit Captain Kernow's post (the link in the Blog above).  If you glue the valance directly to the body shell would probably need to add a spacer between the body shell and the valance.  Your would also need to remove the two studs on the chassis - someone I think said that they were only plastic.

 

Yes at slow speed the engines will crawl very nicely and quietly.  It is at intermediate speeds and above that they don't seem to want to run steadily.  Now is that a function of the DC controller (Gaugemaster DS)?

 

Speak again

 

Ray

steve22

Posted

Gents, your several comments about the valances had me searching out my 'The WR Diesel Hydraulics' compiled by Hugh Dady, Ian Allan 1989, p40.  A Norman Preedy picture there of D6320 in green at Gloucester Horton Road shed with a couple of side valances missing and the comment, "It was common for the bodyside valances to be missing as they had a tendency to fall off!"   If they fall off on the model then don't knock it (or glue it), Dapol are going all out for realism! 

Ray, your photos are excellent as ever and show what a fine looking beast this Class 22 is.  

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Silver Sidelines

Posted

Thanks Steve for that reference.

 

I obviously have not been looking in the right books.

.... your photos are excellent as ever and show what a fine looking beast this Class 22 is.  

Nice looking models - I wish I had more confidence in their mechanics (and electronics).  Clever camera as well.

 

Regards

 

Ray

 

PS I should add that those of us who model green diesels might expect them to have been better maintained with all their 'bits' attached.

CME and Bottlewasher

Posted

Thanks for the support

Your comments remind me of Airfix when they introduced their Castle back in 1977.  Compared to the Hornby Dublo Castle the Airfix model was 'super detailed' - but it wasn't very robust.

 

Regards

 

Ray

Indeed, I remember those days too, Mainline as well - all show and no go!?

 

Kindest,

 

CME

SwissRailPassion

Posted

Thanks for this and the video. I had to send 3 back due to very poor running on DC. In the end I gave up despite wanting to have one.

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Silver Sidelines

Posted

Hello SWP

 

Good to read your experience.

 I hope you've had no further problems.

One new (well number 2 actually as first went back) and one second hand (repaired under warranty).  They get intermittent use and run reasonably quietly although I think I should replace some of the wheel sets because there is a 'wobble'.  Dapol could learn a lot from Heljan.  Most recently I purchased a Bachmann Class 43 which seems to me to be in an even higher league again.

 

Regards

 

Ray

CME and Bottlewasher

Posted

Sadly in 7mm Heljans and Dapol's output have both been unreliable, what with Heljan's split gears (you get a set given to you and the customer has to fix them - never seen Heljan hold their hands up to it all though) and electronic problems from Dapol, to date Dapol have offered the best verbal support, with their no quibble warranty. hopefully early next year they will fix my loco for me.

 

ATVB

 

CME

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Posted

Good to hear from you CME

 

I know nothing about 'O' gauge models - except that they are big and perhaps take more load.  I do have doubts about plastic gears especially where they are 'bonded' or 'force fitted' to pieces of metal.  I have just replaced the plastic toothed gear in the mixer valve to our shower and my daughter's expensive German sewing machine has been away to have a similarly designed gear buried deep inside the works replaced for not a little money. 

 

My fleet of Heljan Westerns and Hymeks predate the more recent models outsourced to China.  It is difficult to decide whether poor running is a quality control issue or bad design.  I was pleased to see that the latest Hornby Castle (Earl Haig) has a brass final drive gear - a step in the right direction I would say.  As to Dapol's warranty - if it is broken that's fine - it will be mended.  If it just doesn't run smoothly or the parts such as the valences on the Class 22 don't quite fit, will these be replaced - I doubt it.

... hopefully early next year they will fix my loco for me.

 

Hope to hear that your loco gets fixed.

 

Speak again

 

Regards

 

Ray

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