PLD

Life, Work, and everything else that gets in the way and uses up the time you'd rather spend modelling...

Good to meet you on Saturday Tom, and Sam and Anna. Those trams look even better in the flesh than the photos and from comments of others who saw them you certainly made a good impression. When you go into production I'll have a Balloon please and if you do the Brush Car I'll also have one of those. (If you need any more detail photos of the Brush just yell and I get them next time I'm in the park) Paul

Hi Tom, Looks like I'll be in the Park on Saturday. (should be 2 cars in service on Sat and 2/3 depending on crews on Sun) If you visit ask for me and please do bring along a couple of those trams! Paul Yeah all right Mark, I'll be at the show Sunday. Suppose I could manage an hour or two if you need a break...

And above all, isn't it ironic that the most vocal complaints about the control method are from self proclamed 'Electronics Experts' or 'Control Systems Experts'; just the sort of people who (you would think) would be capable of adapting the signals to their own particular needs... Whereas several others more modest about their skills have actually got on and adapted the Dapol product to suit and shared their methods on here. To the the first group - put-up or shut-up! To the the second group - Thank you! Paul

I should be in Manchester next weekend as well. If there's any chance, I would like to see those trams in the flesh. My current plan is to spend one day at the show and the other working on the Tramway in Heaton Park (just not sure which way round yet - depends on availability of other crew in the Park...) Paul

Coming on nicely Tom. Just being really picky but your current Jubilee body is only truly accurate for 761. 762 of course retained it's centre exit door on conversion, so the staircases were in a more central location and the lower deck window arrangement different... Mighty impressed with the rendition of the liveries on 761 and 726 though - look better than many efforts in the larger scales. Good look with the first show. Sorry I won't be there - I shall instead be passing the real thing at some point, it being Tram Sunday this weekend! Paul

Thanks Dave, and no worries about not disclosing reasons. Actually good to know that if there is an issue with them (whatever it may be), that it was caught by yourselves and they were stopped before they went out to dealers or worst of all just sent out regardless in the hope that no-one would notice. Paul

from the N-Gauge forum: Is this accurate Dave / are you able to expand?

My take as a class 56 non-expert... The class is a minefield with numerous noticeable differences between 4? fairly small batches of locos, then a multitude of in service modifications not applied consistently across the fleet, and several different liveries so by the end of their lives no two looked exactly the same. This means that one body moulding is only ever going to accurately represent a small number of locos for a small time window so to be commercially viable there has to be some compromise in detail by producing only a limited range of major variations. What appears to be agreed by all is that Dapol have produced a model which is a much better representation of a class 56 (any 56) than any previous Ready-to-Run Model in 2mm/N scale. However from the comments and photographic evidence presented in this thread it would appear to be the case that Dapol have in some cases, not made the most appropriate choice of identity for the combinations of detail and livery (i.e. the chosen loco didn't wear that livery in that condition but others did...). Yes it may have been better if Dapol had chosen different identities, but if you are that bothered there is nothing irredeemable with an order from Fox Transfers and a few moments effort… Paul

As per the last few posts: a conversion kit is close to release which will allow you to fit the easi-shunt couplings to most non-NEM equipped stock. I think your best option is a little patientce and wait for those conversion kits rather than replacing bogies...

As I see it: The Dapol signals do not compare with the Hand-built masterpieces Mick and others construct (no Ready to Use product ever will) They do have certain design compromises in the interests of producing a robust item at a commercially viable price (e.g. lack of a balance weight, thickness of the arms). However: They are a big step forward from any previous attempt to produce a ready to use signal. I very much doubt anyone could build by hand and motorise a comparable item for the same price. They aren't sufficiently accurate to satisfy the 'top end' of the market, but are probably sufficient to appeal to a significant proprtion of 'middle ground' modellers and there will be others for whom they represent a reasonable basis to start from and customise e.g. fit balance weights, replacement etched brass arms... Paul

Welcome to the Forum 726. It’s not a favoured location for most tram enthusiasts because seeing T/G on the destination blind usually meant a late-running Fleetwood service car turning short, but certainly an interesting location to model. I take it from the photos and liveries of the trams you are modelling the immediate pre-upgrade works period (c2000-07)? It could also be interesting to back-date to pre-1950 and feature the yard in its original use as a coal yard with the Electric Loco hauling ordinary coal wagons from Fleetwood. Those Balloon body shells look good - certainly capture the spirit of the prototype. The one essential car you need for that period and location is the ‘Yellow Peril’ - Engineering car 754. A Centenary and a Twin would also be common sights at that time. Not sure if you are aware, but Thornton Gate may still have a tramway connected future as the Lancastrian Transport Trust are proposing to develop a museum for their collection of trams and buses on the site. Where/when is the debut showing? Paul

Exactly the oposite actually. It was very rare to find identical trams delivered new to any two UK systems. In something build by hand and is small batches there is so much scope for detail differences, even between two batches from the same builder for the same system built to supposedly the same spec... This is often quoted as a primary reason why there is a lack of ready-to-run trams...

To sumarise: Dapol have stepped into an unfulfilled gap in the market with a new product. [i think all can agree this is a positive] Dapol have chosen to implement the simplest possible control system to enable the product to be worked by those with the most basic of knowledge of electronics [thereby maximising the potential market and keeping unit costs down] MERG have designed a replacement control board which satisfies those with more complex control requirements (and should be no trouble for the self-proclaimed electronics experts to fit) [therefore all modellers can have the signals controlled in the way they want] Have I missed anything?? I find it ironic that those proclaiming themselves to be 'electronics experts' and to 'know how to do it better' (so should have the skills to adapt the Dapol product) are the ones who are most vocally objecting to having to put in some effort to adapt it to suit their own particular needs...

For all these similar threads, ("Ugliest", "Silliest", "Best Looking") surely it has to be the ones that stand out from the crowd, whether for the right or wrong reasons, so we should be looking at one offs, or examples treated differently to the majority of the class, or classes that are a radical departure from the norm, rather than just nominating large classes or 'everything designed by J Bloggs'. So for example most streamlined types are worthy of a mention as are the Deltics and Western as looking very different to the average 'box on wheels', but to the uninitiated all GWR 4-6-0s look very similar...

So reading between the lines: An N gauge Class 22 will be in the Dapol Catalogue which will come as a suplement in a polly bag with MI3

We've successfully used the Dapol fixed knuckle couplers on fixed rakes of coaches, including propelling rakes of up to 12 coaches! Also has the added bonus that they give you closer coupling than the standard rapidos. Paul

Sounds like the issue already mentioned a couple of times with the couplings not being moved wide enough apart. Some had that caused by using less powerful or smaller magnets than the Dapol branded ones. - Solution stronger/larger magnets. For others the solution was to adjust the angle of the trip pin so that the couplings opened wider...

And remember what ever 'it' is this week; 'it' will probably be something or someone else next week...

Ironically that's also quoted by some as a reason to dislike it. Normally I do tend to be put off by unfinished layouts (so often worn out and been everywhere before you actually get to see them finished), however i'll make an exception for CF: it is a massive project with a lot of detail and there is always something new/finished/different/improved every time you see it...

My understanding is that the 'below ground' bit is the same for 2 and 4 mm versions

Right from seeing the first working prototype at the N Gauge Show last year, I though this was a bold but very welcome step by Dapol. This final version look to have adressed all the refinements suggested since then. Pleased to hear that (assuming these sell as well as they deserve to) Dapol intend to look at other post types and more complex designs such as brackets. The other quick-easy development would be a short post version for platform mounting as I'm not sure these could be easily adapted by the end user...

The mag cover idea is not a particularly good measure. Firstly, the photo chosen for the cover will generally be something bold and bright to stand out on the shelf of Smiths so a welll modelled but realistically drab scene won't necessarily be chosen over a 'twee'/'pretty' vibrantly coloured pic... Secondly how much of a good photo is the skill of the modeller and how much is the skill of the photographer (or these days the photo-shop editor) in hiding any blemishes... To answer the original question, it is when others (unsolicited) tell you how they enjoyed watching your trainset, rather than you telling them how wonderful you (think you) are!

Almost: - at one show a trader had a lot of EFE buses displayed with a sign reading "OO Gauge Buses - £xx each, 2 for £yy" One smart alec did ask him how easy it would be to convert them to EM...

Two thoughts come to mind: Firstly in life in general there is an aversion to change, particularly when it is seen as change for the worse, so perhaps that leads to reluctance to model those times despite them actually offering the widest variety of types and livery combiniations and a legitimate reason for some odd-ball combinations. It's not just 1968/9 that is rarely modelled; you don't often see 1923/4 modelled or 1948/9 - its either pre-WW1, the 1930s or the 1950s/early 60s you see most of... Secondly there is a tendency to think of neat cut-off dates. Despite the impression the average model railway show gives, not all locos and coaches were painted blue/grey overnight on 1st January 1970 nor were all LNWR coaches painted LMS crimson overnight on 1 January 1923. A viewer once got quite upset by us running a rake of ex-LNWR coaches in a mix of LNWR and LMS livery on a layout set c1925-28!