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Dapol Mark 1 coaches?


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I got my Maroon pair today courtesy of DHL.  Not bad as I ordered on Tuesday morning.

 

I have a couple very minor niggles with the couplings.  The buckeye couplings are mounted under the buffer beam.  I think it is not worth the effort to raise them and modify the buffer beam to put them in the correct place.

 

The SK has buckeyes on both ends but I need to couple one end to a loco.  I will need to remove one coupling and replace it with a hook and cosmetic buckeye.

 

The BSK has a screw link on the brake end and buckeye on the other.  The screw link is incorrect and should be a hook and cosmetic buckeye.

 

Happily I bought a pair of Hattons (Heljan) Gresley coaches a couple of weeks ago.  These have hooks and cosmetic buckeyes, so some chopping and changing will take place.

 

See my post above.

 

Haven't put power to them yet, perhaps tomorrow.

 

John

 

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I have four of these coaches and a very pleased with them. I ordered a Darstead RMB to run in the rake, expecting coupling issues as noted above, but there are height issues that cannot be dealt with

 

P1010676.JPG.fcc47aba51a7416a1225c8af62591f9b.JPG

 

P1010678.JPG.012d8c6f5a81e4c4fcb1d7c78da73474.JPG

 

so the RMB is being returned and I will have to wait and hope that Dapol bring out an RMB of their own in due course.

 

regards

 

Mike

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A shame Dapol couldn't put the couplers in the correct place (a la Daerstadt).  Given they are on close coupling cams I don't think it feasible to raise them.  I will leave mine alone.  Function trumps form in this case I think.

 

John

 

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I've been working on couplings for my coaches.

 

I felt the end couplings needed to be replaced by hooks with drop down buckeyes:

 

P1010023.JPG.1da998bd5eba259e8a6793857d485028.JPG

 

The dummy buckeyes are from my Heljan coaches, hooks from my scrap box.

 

This is not for the faint hearted and, in retrospect the screw link provided makes life easier. 

 

Non brake ends that couple to the loco are a bit more involved.  I removed the faux Kadee and snipped the cam support.  The hook is installed like any other coupling with spring and retainer.

 

I removed the flexible gangway and glued it to the coach end.

 

P1010029.JPG.a4c2f24a561c86b73de42133b15a58bd.JPG

 

I have highlighted the coupling.

 

The problem with this is when the cover is on:

 

P1010030.JPG.eefdd8c2ea48c57703a30384c0174059.JPG

 

It is impossible to get a link onto the hook.  I think the way forward is to couple with the cover off and install the cover once that is done.  I have tried this and it works.

 

P1010028.JPG.a286f147ea4b54d616269b5c31a5881b.JPG

 

If anyone has better ideas, I'd love to hear/see them.

 

John

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9 minutes ago, brossard said:

I've been working on couplings for my coaches.

 

I felt the end couplings needed to be replaced by hooks with drop down buckeyes:

 

P1010023.JPG.1da998bd5eba259e8a6793857d485028.JPG

 

The dummy buckeyes are from my Heljan coaches, hooks from my scrap box.

 

This is not for the faint hearted and, in retrospect the screw link provided makes life easier. 

 

Non brake ends that couple to the loco are a bit more involved.  I removed the faux Kadee and snipped the cam support.  The hook is installed like any other coupling with spring and retainer.

 

I removed the flexible gangway and glued it to the coach end.

 

P1010029.JPG.a4c2f24a561c86b73de42133b15a58bd.JPG

 

I have highlighted the coupling.

 

The problem with this is when the cover is on:

 

P1010030.JPG.eefdd8c2ea48c57703a30384c0174059.JPG

 

It is impossible to get a link onto the hook.  I think the way forward is to couple with the cover off and install the cover once that is done.  I have tried this and it works.

 

P1010028.JPG.a286f147ea4b54d616269b5c31a5881b.JPG

 

If anyone has better ideas, I'd love to hear/see them.

 

John

Use a screw coupling attached to the coach and not the one on the loco?

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2 hours ago, Ressaldar said:

I have four of these coaches and a very pleased with them. I ordered a Darstead RMB to run in the rake, expecting coupling issues as noted above, but there are height issues that cannot be dealt with

 

P1010676.JPG.fcc47aba51a7416a1225c8af62591f9b.JPG

 

P1010678.JPG.012d8c6f5a81e4c4fcb1d7c78da73474.JPG

 

so the RMB is being returned and I will have to wait and hope that Dapol bring out an RMB of their own in due course.

 

regards

 

Mike

Hi Mike. 
 

you can shim the draft boxes down to match coupler heights on the Darstead coaches. I did mine as they don’t sit at the right height when using the Kadee height gauge. 
 

Also there are other Kadee knuckles besides the centre set ones on the Darstead coaches. Under set and over set knuckles are great way to help overcome height issues. 
 

For the sake of two screws and some plastic card give it a go before returning the coach. 

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3 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

Do we think Dapol will bring out a BG variant

It's a different length so not a simple variation. Would be pretty much a completely new coach but I'm sure a popular one. We'll see!

Edited by Hal Nail
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In some of these photos you can see the square outline round the windows, where their tooling allows for the other window type to be done.

 

Since this hasn't been mentioned by anyone post release, presumably these dont detract much in the flesh? 

Edited by Hal Nail
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On 24/03/2021 at 19:44, Peter Eaton said:

Hi,

May I ask how the coach end profile comperes with the Heljan coaches & paired up are there obvious differences ?

Peter

Or is this mentioned elsewhere ?

The Heljan coaches are very flat sided in profile and I would have thought the difference would show up if Dapol and Heljan were next to each other but I've not seen anyone demonstrate it yet. 

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On 24/03/2021 at 16:04, Ressaldar said:

I have four of these coaches and a very pleased with them. I ordered a Darstead RMB to run in the rake, expecting coupling issues as noted above, but there are height issues that cannot be dealt with

 

P1010676.JPG.fcc47aba51a7416a1225c8af62591f9b.JPG

 

P1010678.JPG.012d8c6f5a81e4c4fcb1d7c78da73474.JPG

 

so the RMB is being returned and I will have to wait and hope that Dapol bring out an RMB of their own in due course.

 

regards

 

Mike

Thats a shame Mike is it a bogie issue do you think? I have a rake of the Darstaeds and v pleased with them.

I have completed both of your Inspection saloons back in January but been ill with UTIs and groin strain since.

 

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I had a play with my coaches yesterday.  Lighting is impressive (puts the Heljan Gresley's to shame).  See my post above from Wednesday, I was able to couple a loco with fair ease.  I now have to make new gangway doors to cover the unsightly gap.

 

John

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On 16/03/2021 at 20:14, Robin Brasher said:

You will be pleased to read that I have now received my green Mk1 corridor second and brake second.  They are wonderful models and the interiors have seats in the correct colours, miniature reading lamps, luggage racks, mirrors and carriage prints.  The corridors do connect. 

 

A couple of problems are that only the guard's end of the brake second has three link couplings and these are finer than my Dapol goods wagons.  I have not got any Dapol locomotives so I am not sure if they will couple to them. It also means that the brake second is the only coach that can couple to the locomotive as the other couplings are automatic.  The other problem is that one corridor connection has come off either in transit or when I removed it from the box and I cannot put it back.  There seems to be a screw at the bottom that I may be able to undo.

 

I have not tried the lights yet but the coach comes with full instructions and my analogue coaches will operate either on analogue or dcc. They are in Lionheart boxes. 

 

I have just received a message from one of my local model railway clubs that we may not be able to meet until September due to coronavirus so it will be a long time before I see these coaches in action. 

 

Meanwhile I enclose some pictures showing the two coaches,  the corridor connection and the broken connection at the other end of one of the coaches.

P1000690.JPG

P1000691.JPG

P1000689.JPG

P1000692.JPG


I had a problem at both ends of my Maroon BSK.  The parts shown above are the corridor ‘tube’ with a floating collar which has magnets top and bottom. 

 

This is fixed to the carriage end via slots which fit over pegs to the top and bottom to the coach opening.  These allow the corridor connection to articulate and slide in and out - quite clever!

 

Unless the pegs of the carriage end are broken, the above issue should be resolved by gently easing the connection back onto the pegs.


 

The issue I had was that the ‘tube’ section of the corridor connection is made of two mouldings connected by two somewhat flimsy pegs.  These either snapped or came unstuck to both ends, allowing the connections to split and fall off...

 

The solution I found is to fully glue the two halves of the connection together.  This was done with Tamiya extra thin glue, which if applied with care sticks but does not damage the paint finish.  This is a very useful adhesive as it runs freely with capillary action - but be careful not to touch it when drying.  Once the two halves are glued and fully dry, the collar can be added, and the connection reinstalled to the carriage end.

 

I have so far married these coaches with MTH LMS corridor coaches, and the connector works fine.  The three link connection is fiddly but works.

 

Will probably build a short rake over time once more maroon and b&c’s are available.

 

Neal

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Added a few folk to one of my coaches today:

 

P1010034.JPG.d45077d292509bbb0d988ec920a25d91.JPG

 

P1010035.JPG.7f7dbfe07aa78f0b8b6d2b0ffb539a5e.JPG

 

These are Omen Miniatures and really nice resin castings.  I did cut most of their feet off (ouch!).  Model U are also very good but at the price, too expensive to populate a coach, at least that's what I think.

 

Three more packs on the way.  20.00 for 10 figures.

 

My figure painting won't win prizes but I think they will serve.

 

I had bought a pack of Slaters figures, really quite horrible.  I had thought to use them in unlit coaches but having seen these, I will convert the two Heljan Gresley's and a Dapol

Autocoach.

 

John

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5 hours ago, brossard said:

Added a few folk to one of my coaches today:

 

P1010034.JPG.d45077d292509bbb0d988ec920a25d91.JPG

 

P1010035.JPG.7f7dbfe07aa78f0b8b6d2b0ffb539a5e.JPG

 

These are Omen Miniatures and really nice resin castings.  I did cut most of their feet off (ouch!).  Model U are also very good but at the price, too expensive to populate a coach, at least that's what I think.

 

Three more packs on the way.  20.00 for 10 figures.

 

My figure painting won't win prizes but I think they will serve.

 

I had bought a pack of Slaters figures, really quite horrible.  I had thought to use them in unlit coaches but having seen these, I will convert the two Heljan Gresley's and a Dapol

Autocoach.

 

John

They look rather splendid with the interiors and passengers.

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16 hours ago, neal said:


I had a problem at both ends of my Maroon BSK.  The parts shown above are the corridor ‘tube’ with a floating collar which has magnets top and bottom. 

 

This is fixed to the carriage end via slots which fit over pegs to the top and bottom to the coach opening.  These allow the corridor connection to articulate and slide in and out - quite clever!

 

Unless the pegs of the carriage end are broken, the above issue should be resolved by gently easing the connection back onto the pegs.


 

The issue I had was that the ‘tube’ section of the corridor connection is made of two mouldings connected by two somewhat flimsy pegs.  These either snapped or came unstuck to both ends, allowing the connections to split and fall off...

 

The solution I found is to fully glue the two halves of the connection together.  This was done with Tamiya extra thin glue, which if applied with care sticks but does not damage the paint finish.  This is a very useful adhesive as it runs freely with capillary action - but be careful not to touch it when drying.  Once the two halves are glued and fully dry, the collar can be added, and the connection reinstalled to the carriage end.

 

I have so far married these coaches with MTH LMS corridor coaches, and the connector works fine.  The three link connection is fiddly but works.

 

Will probably build a short rake over time once more maroon and b&c’s are available.

 

Neal

May I ask; is the Tamiya cement that you used the green or white label? Their ranges confuse me at times - not difficult, I admit! Any advice gratefully received.

 

Also any photos of MTH stock and MK1s please.

 

ATB

 

CME.

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On 26/03/2021 at 11:04, Hal Nail said:

The Heljan coaches are very flat sided in profile and I would have thought the difference would show up if Dapol and Heljan were next to each other but I've not seen anyone demonstrate it yet. 

 

 

The reason for this is that the Heljan coaches are moulded in one piece with the roof and if they had the correct side profile/tumblehome then they would not come out of the mould which is why they are wrong and look wrong.  The Dapol ones despite the coupling issues are much much better. That was how it was explained to me by Pete Waterman.

 

Paul R

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3 hours ago, pwr said:

 

 

The reason for this is that the Heljan coaches are moulded in one piece with the roof and if they had the correct side profile/tumblehome then they would not come out of the mould which is why they are wrong and look wrong.  The Dapol ones despite the coupling issues are much much better. That was how it was explained to me by Pete Waterman.

 

Paul R

Great explanation but I think that there's also a little bit more to it than that. True the tooling and moulding needs to be shaped for release, but the initial design for such Eg roof included, or separate etc is all down to the designer and how one goes about capturing the subtly of the tumblehome/shape of the prototype (then designing the tooling). Heljan and their advisors got it wrong on several counts. Amazing really when there's Parkin's seminal, bible on the subject.

 

The best 7mm MK1, if one has the time and inclination? MMPs. Followed by the JLTRT rendition and equally, maybe, very closely, followed by the EZB version.

 

In RTR? Until recent times, Peter Cowling's excellent rendition. Now, with four RTR versions, I think that Peter Cowling's versions just capture some of the subtleties that little bit better (I'm not sure if hes still taking orders). Mass production always requires compromises of course, but, with the Heljan versions, how they got such so wrong, when Hornby and Bachmann managed perfectly well with the same type of construction used? No excuses really. And before anyone calls me a heretic, or a hypocrite, I have a Heljan GUV, it was bought for me, it's okay, not perfect, but - setting aside build quality issues of handbrake wheels falling off and windows falling out - with some fettling it's fine for a layout model (if one can accept the roof issues). On the back of that, I then picked one up cheaply. I've other stock by Peter Cowling and it's excellent, perfect as layout models.

 

I've no connection with any businesses mentioned, I'm merely a customer.

 

Edited by CME and Bottlewasher
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