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Dapol N gauge 9F


strangelygreen
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Yes it will. I dont have any first radius on my layout but the shop i got it from test ran it on a first radius oval. It didnt like set track points on the test layout but its fine on streamline points

Thanks for the info. I might give it a miss then as I have setrack points.

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With all of the Dapol cardon shaft engines its best to give them as wide a radius as possible. the tortion force of the shaft combined with fixtures knocking in to one another can amke the tender 'jump' off the rails on tight bends. points should be okay simply because they dont last too long, but certainly dont expect trouble free running on a tight layout curve - keep them as wide as you possibly can. 

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Most of Dapols tender steam locos are designed and engineered to work on curves down to radius 2. That would sugest it's not advisable to run on R1 or less without accepting some compromise and detrimental effect on running performance. Therefore, it would be best to try and incorporate R2 as your minimum radius.

 

G.

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Good advice

 

Old, eh?

 

Perhaps it's now a good time to think about an upgrade/rebuild (just like the real railway) to more modern and accommodating standards.

 

Just a thought.

 

G.

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  • 1 year later...

Just finished my N gauge layout and started running locos. To save space and allow more sidings I used Peco set track on 4 sets of siding with  LH & RH set track points facing each other. No matter what I do the Dapol 9F will not negotiate these points at any speed

I originally thought it was the front bogie so I reset the B-B .and it still derailed. I took the front bogie off and ran it and it still de railed with the tender also coming off sometimes. I wrote to Dapol explaining the situation and got a one liner back "the points are too tight".

Most manufactures specify a minimum working radius but I can find nothing in Dapol's literature which tells me this. I have tested all my other locos including diesels & Pacific's all which negotiate these points perfectly. I have tested on a friends layout and it does the same there on set points and he has the same problem with his layout Sadly I have come to the conclusion the 9F must go to another home and I am going to resort to a Diesel to pull the loads I was expecting the 9F to do.

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I had a discussion with Dapol about their locos and suitable track radii, I suggested that they display the suggested radius suitable for the loco on the box like Hornby do. They are going to be doing this with new locos but that doesn't help anyone buying an older model. Farish should do it as well. Both manufacturers should mention suggested radii on their boxes and websites.

 

I think set track points in any scale should be avoided but sometimes space is an issue. Peco continue to sell a setback starter pack which probably doesn't help matters, I'm not sure whether there is anything in their literature about suitable locos for their set track.

 

All of this causes confusion for new modellers and no doubt puts a few of them off completely.

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I use the Setrack CURVED points on Hawthorn Dene, and Dapol 9Fs have no problem with these. For that matter other "tricky" locos don't either.

 

HOWEVER after a lot of trials I have only used them as TRAILING points.  Too many locos of all makes didn't like them as facing points.  They are Radius 2 out of Radius 3.

 

There are a lot of other steamers of both Dapol and Farish that don't like Setrack 9" ordinary points, and which like a Setrack crossover even less.  More than a few Continental locos won't run over them, either, as I found out with Furtwangen Ost. 

 

If you have Setrack points stick to diesels (not Classes 40/4/45/46 to be safe), or replace them with Streamline if possible.

 

Les

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