Dapol's new Class 68 locomotives

[TomScrut]

48 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

100% agree.

 

Whilst Dapol has said they are going to run more TPE 68’s, it might be useful to see a few class 68 chassis’s too.. ebay is a wash with class 68 bodies... both accurate and inaccurate ones.

 

Yeah I think people have been buying the incorrect ones from the first run (£10 from DCC supplies) and respraying. I normally don't like fantasy liveries but some look good TBH. I saw a Network Rail one and a Caledonian Sleeper one.

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

On 10/02/2020 at 16:45, classy52 said:

 

I would wait for the Accurascale ROG 37608 but all depends how quickly you want one, I will end up getting 37608 but not until next year as I have to prioritize what I have on order from Accurascale already which also includes the GBRf Class 92 & Class 55 Alycidon from Rails and all with sound so getting quite expensive...not to mention the two TPE 68's from Dapol.

 

I am tempted to wait for 608, but I could afford to buy 800 as well. That way I could put 800 straight into service and wait for 608 as well to help it out. The only thing is the price for 800 because it's £153 at retailers after the discount, which for a Bachmann 37 is a considerable price, especially when compared to the £170 that Accurascale are charging. I will have a think. 

 

I'm in the same boat. I haven't got any sound locos on order but I have plenty of DCC Ready locos on my wishlist for this year and it's going to be extremely expensive. I was going to buy some GBRf & Caledonian Sleeper 92s from Accurascale too but with the Bachmann 20/3s, Accurascale 37s and Transpennine 68s by Dapol, that's already £2000 for those. So I may have to miss the 92s and hope that Accurascale do another run in the future. 

 

On 10/02/2020 at 16:51, TomScrut said:

 

I pre order from Hattons as they don't want a deposit and I can cancel if I have to have something else instead. When buying stuff readily available I buy from either who is cheapest or mix it up to spread the support.

 

I would buy 37800 any other time than now because of other stuff I am waiting for. Will work well with the 37/6 Accurascale are doing, loads of pics of them together out and about.

 

 

I have pre-ordered the ScotRail 2fs now so will be able to run with 2 ScotRail opens, 1 DRS open and a brake from each. Not quite prototypical but will look the part.

 

Yeah I decided I had to have a HST. Flirted with the one regionally correct regular the XC one with sliding doors, but aren't that keen on the livery and also not sure how long the franchise has left. So then I thought about the Inter7City as it's a cool livery but then as soon as I heard Hornby were doing the NMT pack again with 2 coaches due later I quickly bought the three from last year and ordered the other stuff.

 

I do the same with Rails just to share out who I am supporting. Rails offer free pre-ordering, opportunity to cancel pre-orders and free postage on at least some pre-order items as Classy has mentioned above. 

 

You're right about 800, it would be good to have to work with 608. But Accurascale will most likely produce another Europhoenix/ROG 37 at some stage, so do O wait for Accurascale to produce some other versions of the 37 in this livery or have the best of both worlds and have 800 sooner by Bachmann. I could potentially have the best of both worlds, because I intend on keeping most of my Bachmann 37s anyway so the fact that their will be different levels of detail between Bachmann and Accurascale won't matter for me. 

 

The MK2f rake will look brilliant. A mixture of ScotRail and DRS Compass liveried MK2fs have worked the Fife loco hauled diagrams so really anything is prototypical. At the moment their are mostly or all Compass MK2fs working the diagrams following some of the ScotRail MK2fs been debranded and pulled out of service. 

 

Yes the NMT is excellent by Hornby and if I had the money that is something I would like. Hornby played a blinder by releasing some of the NMT MK3s last year and announcing the other NMT MK3s and HST set this year as part of the 2020 range. 

 

All in all I need 2021 to be a quieter year in relation to new models and the expense of them haha. 

[newbryford]

8 hours ago, DRS Crewe On A Mission said:

 

I

 

Yes the NMT is excellent by Hornby and if I had the money that is something I would like. Hornby played a blinder by releasing some of the NMT MK3s last year and announcing the other NMT MK3s and HST set this year as part of the 2020 range. 

 

 

 

Apologies for dragging this thread away from Dapol 68s but it seems like that's the norm these days.

 

How can it (NMT) be excellent when the coaches simply have painted over windows and no extra roof detail?

 

And as for 977993...………..

 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2020 by newbryford

[TomScrut]

4 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

Apologies for dragging this thread away from Dapol 68s but it seems like that's the norm these days.

 

How can it (NMT) be excellent when the coaches simply have painted over windows and no extra roof detail?

 

And as for 977993...………..

 

 

 

 

Hahahaha I was going to say exactly the same thing! Although I expect if they were to prototype most would be £50 apiece and 993 would be £70! Although it's a bit like the mk2s not having additional stuff underneath as well isn't it.

 

Although it's a let down on the power cars they don't have the top light.

 

For what I want (and will pay for it) it fulfils a role. I wanted a HST may as well make it a yellow one! Wouldn't have wanted to pay the cost of a prototypical one.

[adb968008]

18 hours ago, DRS Crewe On A Mission said:

 

 

it's going to be extremely expensive. 

So I may have to miss the ...

 

All in all I need 2021 to be a quieter year in relation to new models and the expense of them haha. 

Therein is the danger zone the hobby is in.

We have 9 prominent suppliers, 6 passive suppliers in RTR OO, each has overheads.

They cannot afford 2021 to be quiet.

 

If each supplier makes just 2 new toolings and just 4 liveries, and just 2 new liveries on just 2 existing toolings... that’s 12 new models a year... x 15 that’s 180 new models...

or 15 new models a month...  

Bachmann just announced 25 for the next 3 months.. that’s just models on wheels... and people consider that quiet, Then Hornby, Dapol, Accurascale, Heljan, Hattons...

 

Lima went under for making just 3 a month... and they were under £40.

 

I fear if people can’t afford to buy what they want, with so much coming in, the consumer won’t need to worry about items selling out, Shops have less to worry about, the days of mass discounting are gone, they just need to minimum order items across the spread of suppliers safe in knowledge the warehouse has stock... but Manufacturers accountants will need to Start worrying if they got the volume sums wrong.

 

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

15 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Therein is the danger zone the hobby is in.

We have 9 prominent suppliers, 6 passive suppliers in RTR OO, each has overheads.

They cannot afford 2021 to be quiet.

 

If each supplier makes just 2 new toolings and just 4 liveries, and just 2 new liveries on just 2 existing toolings... that’s 12 new models a year... x 15 that’s 180 new models...

or 15 new models a month...  

Bachmann just announced 25 for the next 3 months.. that’s just models on wheels... and people consider that quiet, Then Hornby, Dapol, Accurascale, Heljan, Hattons...

 

Lima went under for making just 3 a month... and they were under £40.

 

I fear if people can’t afford to buy what they want, with so much coming in, the consumer won’t need to worry about items selling out, Shops have less to worry about, the days of mass discounting are gone, they just need to minimum order items across the spread of suppliers safe in knowledge the warehouse has stock... but Manufacturers accountants will need to Start worrying if they got the volume sums wrong.

 

 

I agree. I know for that for me personally after most likely spending around £3000 in 2020, that 2021 will have to be less expensive for me even if their are models available that I wish to buy. I will be able to afford some models next year but nowhere near as many as this year. At the moment for myself and I assume many others it's about buying what you want the most and been really selective just because no one can afford to buy every item that they would like. 

 

Whilst it's good for manufacturers and us that they are producing more and new models as you mention they do need to air on the side of caution because with 2020 been such an expensive year for modern image modellers especially, how many will for example have the same amount of money available in 2021 for more of the same or other new models? Obviously we will never have a specific answer to this question in full about individual's spending on models year on year but my personal thoughts are that 2021 will have to be a quieter year for many of us with regards to new models and the expense of them. 

[TomScrut]

Likewise I will probably spend about £3000 this year when finished. But it is an exceptional year. There is stuff this year I'd buy any normal year that I aren't, such as the Scottish LNER 800 and the GBRF class 50s. And when it comes down to brass tacks I expect some stuff I want or have on order will be next year anyway. Accurascale 37 (x2) and 92 (x1) could easily be in 2021 in my opinion. That's a fair lump of that £3000!

 

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

On 12/02/2020 at 21:13, TomScrut said:

Likewise I will probably spend about £3000 this year when finished. But it is an exceptional year. There is stuff this year I'd buy any normal year that I aren't, such as the Scottish LNER 800 and the GBRF class 50s. And when it comes down to brass tacks I expect some stuff I want or have on order will be next year anyway. Accurascale 37 (x2) and 92 (x1) could easily be in 2021 in my opinion. That's a fair lump of that £3000!

 

 

I'm the same, I was interested in an LNER 800 but their becomes a point because it's a hobby that you have to draw a line and say that's my limit for spending this year etc. Otherwise whether individuals have the money or not for models, it becomes too much of an expense. Personally, for me I don't massively relish the thought of spending thousands this year, but to put it into context in 2018 I spent less than a thousand pounds and it was the same for last year in 2019. So I have had a couple of less expensive years and saved the money for models that I have wanted for a long time which are due for release in 2020. 

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

On 12/02/2020 at 09:28, newbryford said:

 

Apologies for dragging this thread away from Dapol 68s but it seems like that's the norm these days.

 

How can it (NMT) be excellent when the coaches simply have painted over windows and no extra roof detail?

 

And as for 977993...………..

 

 

 

 

I wasn't aware that the coaches were not individually replicated by Hornby. In that case, maybe they aren't excellent. But then again for around £30 each, can we really complain? If the tooling was modified to produce the specific detail differences for each coach I would suspect that the price would double to around £60 each, if we compare to say Bachmann coaches with DCC features, super detailed etc. Then comes the question as to how many people could afford a HST set with the coaches costing £60 or so each? That's not to mention the pair of power cars to go with them. This would then make the train cost in excess of £600. For one train, for the majority of people this amount of money may be out of reach. This may then result in customers not buying the coaches or the power cars. 

 

But, I do understand your point, considering that their are differences which are noticeable between the NMT coaches. Considering that we are in 2020 and we are seeing more and more upgrades and modifications by manufacturers of existing models/tooling, it would have been appropriate to do the same with the NMT coaches. 

[TomScrut]

That's the thing though. When I am done I will have 5 of the NMT coaches in a rake and it will have cost me about £430.

 

If I feel like getting creative I could have a go at putting the pantograph on 993 but I don't think I will bother for now. I don't know whether doing them sort of mods adds or removes financial value and I always try to think of residuals.

[adb968008]

1 hour ago, TomScrut said:

That's the thing though. When I am done I will have 5 of the NMT coaches in a rake and it will have cost me about £430.

 

If I feel like getting creative I could have a go at putting the pantograph on 993 but I don't think I will bother for now. I don't know whether doing them sort of mods adds or removes financial value and I always try to think of residuals.

Done well, will definitely add value, youve got something no one else will have.

 

Dont forget at release there only £30, so comparative to modifying a new loco its not massive.

 

If your uncertain you could always buy an old mk2 or mk3 for a few quid, and have a trial run with the mods, then replicate with lessons learned on the NMT one,

[TomScrut]

10 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Done well, will definitely add value, youve got something no one else will have.

 

Dont forget at release there only £30, so comparative to modifying a new loco its not massive.

 

If your uncertain you could always buy an old mk2 or mk3 for a few quid, and have a trial run with the mods, then replicate with lessons learned on the NMT one,

 

Yeah I did actually have two in my possession at one point, bought one on eBay above RRP not realising I could get one from Kernow at RRP so flogged the one I bought on eBay for what I paid for it. Should maybe have kept one in case I screwed the other one up!

 

Kernow still have them in actually I saw yesterday at RRP.

 

[Guest Half-full]

2 hours ago, DRS Crewe On A Mission said:

 

I wasn't aware that the coaches were not individually replicated by Hornby.

 

This proves a point that (not singling anyone out at all) some people will criticise the tiniest error on a loco, but will put anything behind it!

 

19 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

 

If your uncertain you could always buy an old mk2 or mk3 for a few quid, and have a trial run with the mods, then replicate with lessons learned on the NMT one,

 

When people are commenting on how expensive the hobby is getting, it fails to surprise me that people wont resort to a bit of modelling, create something with their own hands, and be proud of their achievements, and save a few quid too.

 

I've seen Mick's Network Rail stock on his layouts and the difference, even at a glance, between his stock and rtr NR stock is phenomenal, even when not familiar with the prototype.

 

Pick up a cheap coach, get some plasticard and filler, some yellow paint and have a go!  Its fun, its modelling.

 

It seems that Network Rail yellow livery for old stock is the 21st century equivalent of Hammerite for cars!  For those to young to recall/know, Hammerite (Smooth!) was often used to tart up 2nd hand cars by painting around the lower quarters of doors and sills to give an edgy 2 tone-livery, and hiding copious rust on said panels!

 

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by Half-full

[newbryford]

4 hours ago, Half-full said:

 

 

 

I've seen Mick's Network Rail stock on his layouts and the difference, even at a glance, between his stock and rtr NR stock is phenomenal, even when not familiar with the prototype.

 

Pick up a cheap coach, get some plasticard and filler, some yellow paint and have a go!  Its fun, its modelling.

 

 

 

 

 

Typically £10 for an Airfix Mk2 and plenty of hints and tips on my mostly yellow workbench

Edited February 19, 2020 by newbryford

[classy52]

Does anyone know the story behind 68034 in regards to naming of this loco?

I've seen it in my Rail Guide 2019 handbook it has been named 'Victorious' but looking at images of it on Flickr right up until today it doesn't have any nameplates applied and I think this is the case for some other Class 68's from 68029 onward's as well but too be honest not sure what's going on as info is really sketchy around this.

I think there is some issue using certain names on the 68's that are apparently run by TPE or something like that, any clarity around this would be grateful.

[TomScrut]

10 minutes ago, classy52 said:

Does anyone know the story behind 68034 in regards to naming of this loco?

I've seen it in my Rail Guide 2019 handbook it has been named 'Victorious' but looking at images of it on Flickr right up until today it doesn't have any nameplates applied and I think this is the case for some other Class 68's from 68029 onward's as well but too be honest not sure what's going on as info is really sketchy around this.

I think there is some issue using certain names on the 68's that are apparently run by TPE or something like that, any clarity around this would be grateful.

 

I'll have a look later but I think that there is a name lined up for it but it hasn't been given one yet. I think only 033 and 034 are unnamed now other than the Chiltern ones. But some of the older entries online have different names with different locos as if they have shuffled them about a bit when planning.

Edited March 4, 2020 by TomScrut

[TomScrut]

I looked in the recently released DRS book, which you'd expect to be quite up to date and as I said before no names on 33 and 34, and the Chiltern ones except Oxford Flyer which I forgot earlier. All TPE ones are named.

[rob D2]

If you  have more than one , by definition you must be a collector.

 

nothing wrong with that, I’m primarily a collector , who happens to make 10’ long models to run them on. The models aren’t incidental to the scene for me - they are the focus.

 

I know nothing about 68s but they seem to have ignited enthusiast interest like no new generation diesel has, and who can be surprised with great names like “ destroyer “ 

[TomScrut]

12 minutes ago, rob D2 said:

If you  have more than one , by definition you must be a collector.

 

nothing wrong with that, I’m primarily a collector , who happens to make 10’ long models to run them on. The models aren’t incidental to the scene for me - they are the focus.

 

I know nothing about 68s but they seem to have ignited enthusiast interest like no new generation diesel has, and who can be surprised with great names like “ destroyer “ 

 

They do have some brilliant names I think. Including 68031 "Felix" which is good given their nickname!

[adb968008]

22 hours ago, rob D2 said:

 

I know nothing about 68s but they seem to have ignited enthusiast interest like no new generation diesel has, and who can be surprised with great names like “ destroyer “ 

The only thing you need to know, that explains all the excitement is..

 

They drone like Deltics.. very loud.

[newbryford]

5 hours ago, adb968008 said:

The only thing you need to know, that explains all the excitement is..

 

They drone like Deltics.. very loud.

 

 So much so, that the residents of Scarborough have complained..................

 

Modifications to the TPE 68 silencers are being considered

[No Decorum]

14 hours ago, adb968008 said:

The only thing you need to know, that explains all the excitement is..

 

They drone like Deltics.. very loud.

So they do but they also look wonderful, have evocative names and stunning liveries and they were new on the network.

 

“Sorry, boss, the ’andle came orf in my hand.” 

[TomScrut]

12 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

 So much so, that the residents of Scarborough have complained..................

 

Modifications to the TPE 68 silencers are being considered

 

Indeed they have!

 

They certainly are noisy, but I think in the case of Scarborough it's that they protected the side towards houses near the depot but not the side facing onto a valley with houses the other side. As far as I am aware that's where the complaints have come from.

[letterspider]

I heard a 68 on the Chilten Line out of Marylebone for the first time this week - from the speed it was going must have been near to 2 miles away when you first hear the drone. Comparing that with the 165 and 168 DMU's it is pretty unbearable in residential areas

[Crisis Rail]

On 20/02/2016 at 17:47, MGR Hooper! said:

Going to be my favorite RTR model now...as good as or even better than the Hornby Class 60

 

Well - thats refreshing  - praising a manufacturer.