Dapol's new Class 68 locomotives

[atom3624]

Is production going ahead then?

 

Al.

[classy52]

1 hour ago, atom3624 said:

Is production going ahead then?

 

Al.

 

I think we''ll know after the 31 Jan when apparently the pre-orders for both TPE 68's close.

[atom3624]

Ah OK.

 

Thanks.

 

Al.

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

5 hours ago, TomScrut said:

I have had Destroyer on pre order since the announcement, but last night impulsively put my name down for an Achilles too. Maybe an expensive mistake as I'll probably then have to order more carriages...

 

I know the feeling. 

 

Originally I was only planning on buying 023 but then ended up pre-ordering 032 as well. Thinking about it though with me already have 019 I may cancel one of these two at some point if they are going to be produced. 

 

2 hours ago, classy52 said:

 

I as well but also thinking about getting Achilles but that would mean getting 2 Accurascale TPE packs which really would make my bank balance go bust considering my other investments with them plus a few bits from Hornby and then we have Bachmann coming up with stuff I may be interested in as well over the next 12 months...just like London buses, everything comes at once lol

 

I have pre-ordered both and I have decided I may cancel one of them, if they are to be produced. Just because I already have 019 and realistically this year I can only afford one TPE MK5 rake, so technically I don't need three locos in TPE livery. Especially when by cancelling one of them this will nearly pay for another model. My budget is well and truly overstretched this year as my wishlist is now into thousands even with some items knocked off and sacrifices been made. I may decide to sell a couple more items of my existing stock/fleet to pay for some new stock. 2020 I would say is the most expensive year so far for us modern image modellers. 

[classy52]

4 minutes ago, DRS Crewe On A Mission said:

I may decide to sell a couple more items of my existing stock/fleet to pay for some new stock. 2020 I would say is the most expensive year so far for us modern image modellers. 

 

Yeah exactly what I am doing...

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

11 minutes ago, classy52 said:

 

Yeah exactly what I am doing...

 

I know what you mean. At least that way, that's the money found for a few new locos. To my shock when I added up my current loco fleet the other day, I now have 62 locos, so I'm sure I can spare two or three to sell to pay for some new items. 

[atom3624]

Don't worry too much, you know many of those '2020 announcements' won't appear until 2021 anyway .... !!

 

Al.

[TomScrut]

4 hours ago, classy52 said:

 

I as well but also thinking about getting Achilles but that would mean getting 2 Accurascale TPE packs which really would make my bank balance go bust considering my other investments with them plus a few bits from Hornby and then we have Bachmann coming up with stuff I may be interested in as well over the next 12 months...just like London buses, everything comes at once lol

 

I am going to park one up in a "York station" kind of scenario or run it on other stuff as if it was on DRS duty like they were reliveried before they were allocated to TPE. And then I will probably buy a second rake of coaches.

 

1 hour ago, DRS Crewe On A Mission said:

Especially 2020 I would say is the most expensive year so far for us modern image modellers. 

 

I only got back into it last year after a 20 year hiatus and looking back at the last 5 years there hasn't been that much to get excited about for me in hindsight other than the Dapol 68, but this year I have loads of stuff on pre order and I am about out if stuff I aren't that bothered about keeping long term to flog! Pretty much a Northern 153, some HHAs and a 221 which given the amount of work I have put in making it full DCC I aren't sure I want rid of yet! So not making a big dent in the outlay. At least most of it is back end, if not delayed, so I can save up.

 

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

2 hours ago, atom3624 said:

Don't worry too much, you know many of those '2020 announcements' won't appear until 2021 anyway .... !!

 

Al.

 

That's very true. Some items due late 2020 will no doubt as you say roll into Q1/Q2 2021. 

 

49 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

I am going to park one up in a "York station" kind of scenario or run it on other stuff as if it was on DRS duty like they were reliveried before they were allocated to TPE. And then I will probably buy a second rake of coaches.

 

 

I only got back into it last year after a 20 year hiatus and looking back at the last 5 years there hasn't been that much to get excited about for me in hindsight other than the Dapol 68, but this year I have loads of stuff on pre order and I am about out if stuff I aren't that bothered about keeping long term to flog! Pretty much a Northern 153, some HHAs and a 221 which given the amount of work I have put in making it full DCC I aren't sure I want rid of yet! So not making a big dent in the outlay. At least most of it is back end, if not delayed, so I can save up.

 

 

Good to hear that you have returned to the hobby. I know what you mean, but with me I currently have 40 DRS locos and with many more expected to be released over the coming years, especially newly tooled locos, I really now don't need 40 locos for one operator already. Funnily enough some of the DRS 37s I bought I intended to have reworked to Wipac lighting DRS 37/6s and now Accurascale have announced them for just £170 each, so that's saved me a considerable amount of money. I may now sell some of said 37s because I don't need to have them converted anymore. 

 

That's a good idea. TPE liveried 68s are regularly stabled in the parcel sidings at the side of the station, either for training purposes or for forwarding to Longsight Depot. There used to be a York to Doncaster and return engineers train operated by DRS which was worked by a variety of traction including 20/3s, 37/6s, 47s, 57/0s, 66s so realistically you could say that a TPE 68 was hauling the train or in the consist. I'm not sure if this working still exists but it was operated for many years by DRS. 

[TomScrut]

Another thing is (but I aren't sure it ever happened) is I have 68034 which could work with one of them on nukes possibly? Maybe a bit of a tenuous link there but...

 

I have a rake of JNAs and MOAs which from what I can see on Flickr there is hardly any diesel loco still running which hasn't been on the front of a rake of those.

 

I do actually want some more 68s, especially a ScotRail one but I am resisting as I am already getting carried away!

[TomScrut]

2 hours ago, atom3624 said:

Don't worry too much, you know many of those '2020 announcements' won't appear until 2021 anyway .... !!

 

Al.

 

If the 68s come back end I may have 2 68s, 2 sound 37s and 1 sound 92 (which I haven't ordered yet) coming all at the same time!

 

The "issue" with the Accurascale models is the sound looks good value vs upgrading down the line. I use ESU Lokpilots anyway (so about £30) meaning a sound 37 or 92 is only £60 more than DCC and it will come with all the functions mapped already.

Edited January 28, 2020 by TomScrut

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

9 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

Another thing is (but I aren't sure it ever happened) is I have 68034 which could work with one of them on nukes possibly? Maybe a bit of a tenuous link there but...

 

I have a rake of JNAs and MOAs which from what I can see on Flickr there is hardly any diesel loco still running which hasn't been on the front of a rake of those.

 

I do actually want some more 68s, especially a ScotRail one but I am resisting as I am already getting carried away!

 

Don't quote me on this but...

 

To my knowledge a TPE liveried 68 hasn't yet appeared on any type of nuclear flask train, whether it be with FNAs, PFAs or KUAs. 

 

But I am sure that a Chiltern Railways 68 did appear on a nuclear flask train a couple of years ago. So in that case it is prototypical to have the passenger liveried 68s directly placed onto DRS duties/trains. DRS liveried 68034 regularly appears on nuclear flask trains so that is definitely prototypical. 

 

So I would say if you want to model a TPE 68 with DRS 68034 go for it, because in reality at some stage it will likely happen anyway. 

 

I have a rake of NR Yellow JNAs too and I still use them to operate my DRS engineers trains with, even if not entirely prototypical. I think and this is my opinion and perspective only when you are modelling modern image you can't always be bang up to date. Locos are regularly repainted/revinyled, have new logos applied, are renumbered, transferred between operators, operator numerous workings etc, so been entirely prototypical is difficult so I just follow rule one and run what I like. 

 

I have two Chiltern Railways 68s and they both work on DRS duties on my layout because as yet no Chiltern MK3s are available by Hornby, Oxford or any other manufacturer. Thus, if I didn't make use out of them they would have been sat in their boxes for going on four years now since I bought them in 2016...and still no coaches have been announced to run with them. 

[TomScrut]

The silly thing is that the circumstances where a TPE 68 would be running flasks would probably mean either 68033 or 68034 running TPE instead meaning a 50/50 chance of what I am proposing not happening either given I have 68034! Which I specifically bought as one of the 2 DRS ones with the gear for running with MK5s in case the new TPEs never see light of day or Brutus (which I had in my possession at the weekend but sent it back as dissatisfied with the condition) doesn't drop in second hand value.

[classy52]

Btw Key Publishing a have released a new publication titled 'Direct Rail Services' which celebrates 25 years of DRS in the rail business...I know this isn't the correct thread but thought I should mention it since all this is related to DRS and bought myself a copy.

[ba14eagle]

I pre-ordered 68032, with Hattons, as soon as the announcement was made.

[classy52]

Ok I've pre-ordered my second TPE 68 'Achilles' from Rails to go with 'Destroyer'...why do I do this to myself 

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

1 hour ago, TomScrut said:

The silly thing is that the circumstances where a TPE 68 would be running flasks would probably mean either 68033 or 68034 running TPE instead meaning a 50/50 chance of what I am proposing not happening either given I have 68034! Which I specifically bought as one of the 2 DRS ones with the gear for running with MK5s in case the new TPEs never see light of day or Brutus (which I had in my possession at the weekend but sent it back as dissatisfied with the condition) doesn't drop in second hand value.

 

Yes DRS 034 is good in the fact that it can be used either on DRS duties or TPE trains. I'm hoping Dapol do 033 as well at some stage because technically you can buy one loco which can technically be two locos, for two different purposes/types of trains. 

 

1 hour ago, classy52 said:

Btw Key Publishing a have released a new publication titled 'Direct Rail Services' which celebrates 25 years of DRS in the rail business...I know this isn't the correct thread but thought I should mention it since all this is related to DRS and bought myself a copy.

 

Thanks for letting us know. I didn't know about this. I will have to try and buy it. 

 

1 hour ago, ba14eagle said:

I pre-ordered 68032, with Hattons, as soon as the announcement was made.

 

Glad you have got your pre-order in. Hopefully we will find out soon if they will be produced. 

 

53 minutes ago, classy52 said:

Ok I've pre-ordered my second TPE 68 'Achilles' from Rails to go with 'Destroyer'...why do I do this to myself 

 

It's me going on about 68s. You're as bad as me now...

 

But I'm just beyond help haha!

[TomScrut]

You'd think 033 would be a logical choice (vs other DRS ones) because of that. There's no real reason why that would be a bad idea

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

12 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

You'd think 033 would be a logical choice (vs other DRS ones) because of that. There's no real reason why that would be a bad idea

 

I know that their are many DRS liveried examples still available with retailers but yes you would think 033 perhaps could have been announced as a batch with these two TPE examples. That way it may have made the batch more viable and as well not a single livery production run. 

 

Saying that though I appreciate what Dapol say about retailers still having many DRS models available and thus they don't want to produce more in the same livery to keep retailers shelves warm. 

 

Personally, I think that if this TPE batch goes ahead we won't see any further DRS liveries until late 2021 or 2022, which for big DRS fans/modellers like myself it isn't ideal. 

 

We will have to see what Dapol's thoughts are. 

[TomScrut]

13 minutes ago, DRS Crewe On A Mission said:

 

I know that their are many DRS liveried examples still available with retailers but yes you would think 033 perhaps could have been announced as a batch with these two TPE examples. That way it may have made the batch more viable and as well not a single livery production run. 

 

Saying that though I appreciate what Dapol say about retailers still having many DRS models available and thus they don't want to produce more in the same livery to keep retailers shelves warm. 

 

Personally, I think that if this TPE batch goes ahead we won't see any further DRS liveries until late 2021 or 2022, which for big DRS fans/modellers like myself it isn't ideal. 

 

We will have to see what Dapol's thoughts are. 

 

I would be pleasantly surprised if the TPE one goes ahead TBH. Having said that there seems to be plenty of us ordered 2, and my only "real life" model railway friend has ordered one. I can't help but wonder if Dapol have set this up to see if the numbers match the noise.

 

Although you'd expect the quantities to make a 3 locos viable would be far less than to make 2 sets of coaches viable.

[atom3624]

One major reason for the TPE locomotive variants being so popular is a certain other manufacturer in Ireland ... 

 

Al.

[TomScrut]

7 minutes ago, atom3624 said:

One major reason for the TPE locomotive variants being so popular is a certain other manufacturer in Ireland ... 

 

Al.

 

Yes but the question is how popular are they?

 

For example, have the Irish company already got enough orders to cover their costs? If not then it might also mean there isn't enough demand, whilst quite a lot of us want it, to do a run exclusively made up of TPE 68s.

 

It's a funny one. Hornby can do runs of red class 60s year in year out (2 this year!) without bother but Dapol need expressions of interest for what is a popular locomotive in one of the most desirable and sought after livery on the network.

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

1 hour ago, TomScrut said:

 

I would be pleasantly surprised if the TPE one goes ahead TBH. Having said that there seems to be plenty of us ordered 2, and my only "real life" model railway friend has ordered one. I can't help but wonder if Dapol have set this up to see if the numbers match the noise.

 

Although you'd expect the quantities to make a 3 locos viable would be far less than to make 2 sets of coaches viable.

 

You're right, the more people that order two/both TPE 68s then the more likely it is that they will be produced. I suppose it depends more on how many people order one, considering that if said people just want one model, this may include those who already have 019, thus that group of people might not pre-order if they only want one model. 

 

It's certainly interesting and what makes it even more interesting is the proposal of a single livery production run. As you say if this goes ahead it will be new ground for the hobby because this very rarely happens. In fact I can't think of a single loco/s off the top of my head that have been produced in a single livery production run. 

[rob D2]

30 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

Yes but the question is how popular are they?

 

For example, have the Irish company already got enough orders to cover their costs? If not then it might also mean there isn't enough demand, whilst quite a lot of us want it, to do a run exclusively made up of TPE 68s.

 

It's a funny one. Hornby can do runs of red class 60s year in year out (2 this year!) without bother but Dapol need expressions of interest for what is a popular locomotive in one of the most desirable and sought after livery on the network.

But a TPE loco generally will work in a very specific spot with very specific stock, a DB 60 can be seen all over the place , so probably way more popular 

[TomScrut]

12 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

But a TPE loco generally will work in a very specific spot with very specific stock, a DB 60 can be seen all over the place , so probably way more popular 

 

Yeah but they have made their fair share of DB 60s now haven't they? Dowlow is still hanging about yet they are doing two more this year! Anyway it was just an example, there are quite a few "broken records" in terms of stuff that seems to appear almost year on year and interest must be low surely? Yet a loco in a very nice (IMO) livery, with RTR stock to go with it on its way (which is more than can be said for quite a few locos) needs to go through this process.

 

We don't know how many people want mk5as, how many people already have Brutus, how many Dapol need to sell, etc. etc. so it is really an unknown what's going to happen!