Dapol 'O' 57XX / 8750

[dpgibbons]

Thanks for the demo. So the loco takes a 31mm speaker as standard?

[Vecchio]

Yes it does. I thought it may also take a smaller speaker - and 28mm was the best match I found at youchoose. Probably a blob of buetack or two would also have worked, but sometimes I like to make a nice engineering solution....  

[Bowie]

The following is being posted from my mobile so please forgive the formatting also the photos are unedited mobile ones.

 

I've been a bit quiet in regards to the 57xx. First I was going to get the DC one and then I saw the sound clip on the Dapol website so I changed my pre-order.

 

Then when I heard about the wiring issue/delay I just went back to the DC one.

 

 

As some may recall I wasn't overly happy with the pipes in the cab. I had a bit of fun attaching them as:

 

1. I had forgotten about the length of the pipes and the floor as the backhead nicely slides in as a press fit. When I put the backhead back into place and fitted the cab back on everything fall off due to the over pressure in trying to get it to fit.

 

2. Was also trying to trim the ones that were still attached with a 52tpi saw and well...snap/pop it came. So after 3 attempts with CA and patching with copper and flat black paint I just went to using 4 minute epoxy.

 

The following is still in progress as I'm slowly adding and removing weathering powders (AIM) the fake coal will be replaced with the real thing later. Also painted the glazing with GWR Loco Green. Plus I added a crude hydrostatic lubricator and handles for injectors.

 

Before

 

After

 

 

Still got to add buckets, fireirons and leaning out of cab warning sign on firemans side. Buckets (Minerva), Fireirons (Ixion) on order. Sign will be copied from the net and put on some scrap brass.

 

I realised that the fold down seats are too wide however thats asking for possible more fun with the pipes so another compromise. Even added some crude sanding levers in the cab, forgot the damper levers but maybe at an later date.

 

Figures are the excellent Modelu figures for the Minerva pannier. The driver was fun to fit due to the arm and lever positioning and also the reverser is in the way...a very tight fit.

 

Also added some Modelu GWR Lamps.

 

Putting together the Dingham couplers.

 

 

Now for the sound installation.

 

Using the excellent sound project for Minerva by Paul Chetter presented a few moments of fun. As their project is on a 8-Pin harness and Dapol is 21-Pin.

 

Not wanting to hardwire a decoder permanently I got a TCS 21-Pin adapter board and soldered the wires to it. The reason being I was afraid of height restrictions from the speaker replacement. Which actually turned out to be okay. If I used a DCC Concepts board it would have be too fine.

 

Now you may be asking why not hardwire? Well I am of the belief it a decoder blows or I want to fit it in another loco its just a simple refitting of the blanking plug.

 

So in regards to the speaker. I'm of the opinion that cube speakers are in some cases superior to round speakers for certain sizes. So as provided by Dapol you get the enclosure for a 31mm Round speaker.

 

 

Well...also note I had to shave a tiny bit into the screw mountings.

 

 

And a perfect fit Zimo 4ohm 2watt 55x20x9 speaker. The speaker has be tacked around.

 

 

Next where the pcb board screws are located I added a small piece of Evergreen #255 7.9 x 7.9 (5/16") about 6mm wide and then drilled a hole in it. Then I got the mounting screw (Which are self-taping) and screwed it in to to if it would hold..it did. I had tried a solid piece but it was difficult to get the screw in even with drilling.

 

So I cut another piece of tube and repeated the above steps. Then I screwed the pcb to the tubes.

 

I then got a piece of Evergreen #159 1.5 x 6.3mm stripe and put it across the screw mounts on the bottom and a bit off center towards the speaker so I could have a bit of more comfort space of sliding the pcb board towards the front of the loco.

 

This provides plenty of room to put a TCS KA4 Stay-Alive between the motor and the speaker.

 

I then glued the the tube pieces attached the pcb to the stripe across the bottom screw mounting.

 

I should have taken more photos to explain this better but in effect it creates a step for the pcb to be mounted above the speaker so it doesn't touch anything and allows the sound to flow freely inside the body while using the original pcb board.

 

This arrangement can used for the normal 21-Pin if you want to fit large cubes.

 

Anyway it sounds brilliant and I'll upload some videos of it running on a test track on youtube later.

Edited April 30, 2018 by Bowie

[Vecchio]

Nice and interesting. You did several improvements to the cab. Why did you not attack the glazing strip? This will be my next step. I plan cutting out the window lenses and instruments and glue them in place.

[Bowie]

Nice and interesting. You did several improvements to the cab. Why did you not attack the glazing strip? This will be my next step. I plan cutting out the window lenses and instruments and glue them in place.

I was thinking about it, most of the model is press fit and I could force it. But I decided the possibly splitting/damaging the cab wasn't worth the risk. Plus the paint does tone it down. Even more if I had done another coat.

 

Its a compromise I'm willing to take, after all that period of the loco should have the cab step hole filled in and have double brake shoes. The art of compromise...I cheated with the lamps next to the toolbox as the lamp irons are missing from the model haha

Edited April 30, 2018 by Bowie

[Vecchio]

I was thinking about it, most of the model is press fit and I could force it. But I decided the possibly splitting/damaging the cab wasn't worth the risk. Plus the paint does tone it down. Even more if I had done another coat.

 

Its a compromise I'm willing to take, after all that period of the loco should have the cab step hole filled in and have double brake shoes. The art of compromise...I cheated with the lamps next to the toolbox as the lamp irons are missing from the model haha

 

Well mine isn't glued on at all - so I have the strip out already. Question is do I use the original lenses or do I make new ones....

[Vecchio]

OK. Trial with new lenses. How to cut a lens? 

Why not make yourself a tool.  What do you need? A screw (and a lathe...).

 

20180430_191751 

 

Well - the lenses do not come out that nice - they have quite a burr as the material gets hot - even at 40 rpm. Well - my tool isn't perfect..

But with a bit of patience and filing the lenses can be used. 

 

20180430_192050 

 

20180430_192027 

 

I can tell you - the flash has no mercy. every scratch is visible. Looking at it at normal light conditions - the lenses are ok. I think I will use them. 

 

And another thing. In the flashlight it is clearly visible where the original strip solution was glued on. I have to say without flash I cannot see that. And I suppose when the cab is closed nobody can see it. And also: a steam engine cab wasn't that clean... 

Edited April 30, 2018 by Vecchio

[two tone green]

I have used these in four Lionheart panniers which have the same speaker installation as the Dapol one.

 

1.22 inch is 31mm.

 

Works very well.

 

http://www.digitrains.co.uk/ecommerce/search/high-bass-122-speaker-round-frame.aspx

 

I will be using the same in my Dapol pannier when it arrives.

Edited April 30, 2018 by two tone green

[Vecchio]

Next step is getting the instruments back into place. 

 

First removing them from the plastic strip. 

 

20180430_201844

 

And then the instruments back on with some brass wire 0.3mm.

 

20180430_211515 

 

And if you ask where is the 3rd one??? 

 

Well I had it already on its brass pipe - when it jumped of my tweezers. I worked in my office as there is less chance in losing parts (clean, proper wood floor) but I cannot find it any more... 

 

Still - it was worth it!

[dpgibbons]

My replacement 57xx has arrived with the proper quartering and correct motor polarity but with a number of small bits bent or broken. It doesn't look like the typical transport damage so I'm wondering if this happened during the motor wiring fix reportedly done on early batches.

[Greenmodelmonkey]

My replacement 57xx has arrived with the proper quartering and correct motor polarity but with a number of small bits bent or broken. It doesn't look like the typical transport damage so I'm wondering if this happened during the motor wiring fix reportedly done on early batches.

Who did the fix as I thinking of sending mine back for a couple of issues but a little reluctant if it comes back worse?

[dpgibbons]

Mine (a Great Western livery 5700) came from Hattons but there was talk of models being recalled by Dapol, so a repair may have been done elsewhere.

 

Alternatively the replacement could be from a different batch that hasn't needed a fix, and the damage occurred some other way. 

[dpgibbons]

Any views please on who does the best sound set for a 57xx?

[two tone green]

SWD.

 

http://www.southwestdigital.co.uk

[Vecchio]

Any views please on who does the best sound set for a 57xx?

 

I use a Zimo MX 644 plus 28mm speaker (too small, needs to be 31mm, read further up this thread) from youchoose, together with a 4800uF stay alive - very nice, not a single dropout. It is immersive drive - so you have to break if you want to stop - otherwise it will roll quite a distance. I recommend one of the newer DCC controllers where you can program a function key to a momentary button. A normal switch function will lead to a "controlled emergency breaking". I use a Z21, which covers the necessary feature.

 

Sound - especially when rolling  - exceptional. When I do up my next British loco I will use them again. 

Vecchio, happy camper customer

[Vecchio]

Next step is getting the instruments back into place. 

 

First removing them from the plastic strip. 

 

20180430_201844

 

And then the instruments back on with some brass wire 0.3mm.

 

20180430_211515

 

And if you ask where is the 3rd one??? 

 

Well I had it already on its brass pipe - when it jumped of my tweezers. I worked in my office as there is less chance in losing parts (clean, proper wood floor) but I cannot find it any more... 

 

Still - it was worth it!

 

By the way - if anybody is interested to see (and hear) that locomotive running and you live near Milton Keynes - today is open day at the Milton Keynes Model Railway Society

 

You find us at the first floor (lift if needed) of

 

 

1 North House 

Bond Avenue 

Bletchley 

MK1 1SW

 

​We are open from 9:00 to 15:00 (for those who do not want to look the whole day into the TV - a pleasant alternative... - and no fear - I pressed the record button )

[84B Oxley]

Not all Dapol Panniers by any means but we held 'Pannierfest' at Preston O Gauge Group's Open Day today. We managed to muster a total of 20 Panniers, at least half of which were Dapol ones, and one of which was fitted with a snowplough! The rest were a mixture of Vulcan and JLRT versions.

Jeff

 

 

 

 

8767 is a well weathered Dapol one.

 

 

 

[84B Oxley]

P.S. I can count! Two Panniers were 'offstage' working for their living!

 

Jeff

[dpgibbons]

Thanks TTG for the link to SWD. I see that their GWR pannier soundset is generic. No doubt the differences between classes are minor, but does anyone do a custom 57xx set?

[81A Oldoak]

Thanks TTG for the link to SWD. I see that their GWR pannier soundset is generic. No doubt the differences between classes are minor, but does anyone do a custom 57xx set?

We at Minerva commissioned Paul Chetter to produce an exclusive 57XX sound project. It is available as a separate item, but has been specifically calibrated for our range of 57XX and 8750 panniers. 

[Bowie]

We at Minerva commissioned Paul Chetter to produce an exclusive 57XX sound project. It is available as a separate item, but has been specifically calibrated for our range of 57XX and 8750 panniers. 

Used this fantastic project in my Dapol 57xx. I set CV267=180 to get chuffs for 4 per wheel rotation as I was getting only 3 with default settings.

 

Note the Minerva project is on a 8-Pin Decoder, I'll recommend the DCC Concepts 8-Pin to 21-Pin Adopter board.

 

On a side note I'm having trouble with the Firebox Flicker but am not too concerned about it at this moment in time.

 

Here are some videos of the work in progress (please excuse the mess on the workbench *Cough abandoned OO Layout Cough*

 

 

 

 

 

The last video has some notes on the findings from the experimentation

 

Also the Digitrains Zimo 57xx Pannier is pretty good as well. Got it in my Bachmann 64xx

Edited May 27, 2018 by Bowie

[bgman]

Very useful videos Bowie, may ask which scale Dingham couplings you have used and the method of fixing to the loco and stock please.

 

Grahame

[Bowie]

Very useful videos Bowie, may ask which scale Dingham couplings you have used and the method of fixing to the loco and stock please.

 

Grahame

 

I used the 7mm ones and used 4 minute epoxy, I had used CA but found it (Twice) could creep through the coupling hook hole in the buffer beam and make the Latch* (Less than 5 minutes to make replacement) Loops** ( in taking the most time to assemble) stuck.

Edited May 27, 2018 by Bowie

[Paul.Uni]

Decorated samples of the London Transport Pannier Tanks have arrived at Dapol. The RRP for those two have increased by £7.50 due to licensing costs from TfL.

[wingrail]

Having picked up my latest purchase (a sound fitted GW version) and I have been looking it over.
I already have a sound fitted Minerva 57xx and so I have been  able to make comparisons between the two manufacturers.

What is slightly disconcerting is the sound project in the Dapol version and unless I have a badly programmed/faulty decoder the following things are present.

1. F10 is the tank filler closing, all very nice but there is no sound functions for opening the filler and water filling!
2. F11 Short whistle #2. This is not a whistle at all, I cant' quite make it out but sounds like a louder injector or safety valve or loud draincocks.
3.F15 Door slam. Sound is flange squeal.
4. F17 is not documented but seems to be draincocks + a bit of coal shovelling with firebox door closing.
5. F18 is not documented but produces another distant whistle.
The balance of volumes whilst moving off is poor as the automatic draincock sound is far too loud, completely swamping the chuffs etc. It would be nice if the CVs for each sound could be documented with their respective volume addresses so that the owner could adjust to suit.
The firebox glow is on all the time, again better if it could link in with coal shovelling sounds or at least have a function key of its own.
CV8 tells me its a Zimo decoder.
Does anyone have any further information on the sound project?
Regards,
Tim