34006 Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 (edited) Bought a number of Dapol wagons from various places and times,and nearly all of them had the wrong back to back.When I rang to tell them,I got the impression " and you expect us to do what,exactly?" ,and silence when I said perhaps they could tighten up their quality control.After all, how hard is it to have some one with a go/no go gauge checking the wheel sets before they are fitted? atb Phil Edited December 27, 2020 by 34006 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted December 28, 2020 Author Share Posted December 28, 2020 Phil I had a more or less similar experience when one of my banana vans had a bearing missing. They sent one taped to a compliments slip which pierced the envelope in transit and got lost. When I went back to them they simply said sorry we don't have any more in the country! I had two vans with couplings adrift but I managed to fix them. Very poor frankly Paul R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted December 28, 2020 Author Share Posted December 28, 2020 Made a start on the next set of bogies for the Freightliner set. I am going to solder these up rather then glue them. I've glued the bearings in with superglue this time rather than epoxy. I have the fit of the stretcher right this time so its an interference fit which will hold in place whilst I solder them up. I'll tin them first with 188 degree solder and then solder the side frames to the stretcher with 70 degree low melt. I've also decided to build a BAA kit I had in stock - its an old RJH (ex Parkin) now with PRMRP. The castings in this example are not the best but I can repair them with low melt solder and file them up. You can see in this photo the missing elements of the sideframe at the end. I think I must have a bad batch of castings since other kits I have are OK. This next shot shows the disc brake inserts that need gluing in. I am using the steel wheels that came in the kit since these etchings fit them although I don't normally like these steel wheels. I opted for Slaters on the Freightliner flats. Ideally it would have been better if these had been etched out of nickle silver or even stainless steel since they would be shiny silver on the prototype and the brake discs cleaned and kept them shined. Difficult to replicate with paint. I had a similar issue on a VGA I built from this source many years ago and the paint doesn't look right. You can see again the missing piece of the castings. I've superglued a washer to the wheel face to raise the discs up flush with the wheels. The other thing wrong with these castings is that they are not thick enough to be drilled out for the bearings without going through the axle box. I've drilled them as far as I can but the bearings only go in half way. I have tried them as a dry fit and they still work as there is plenty of space. I'll glue these in with metal epoxy and solder the stretchers and that should work. The actual kit is very similar to the the FFA so should be restively easy to build. I'll post photos as we go. In the meantime work on the plastikard containers continues. I am applying the ribbing to the sides - the early Freightliner containers had them. I also decided to make another 30ft Ford type container as used on the Halewood to Harwich Parkeston Quay (for Ghent in Belgium) route. I'll post some photos tomorrow of them Paul R 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34006 Posted December 28, 2020 Share Posted December 28, 2020 6 hours ago, pwr said: Phil I had a more or less similar experience when one of my banana vans had a bearing missing. They sent one taped to a compliments slip which pierced the envelope in transit and got lost. When I went back to them they simply said sorry we don't have any more in the country! I had two vans with couplings adrift but I managed to fix them. Very poor frankly Paul R Loose couplings and dodgy buffers I can deal with,iffy b2b I ended up twisting the wheels on the axles while pulling them apart.Painful to the finger ends and very little wriggle room due to the brake gear,but not impossible.However, as you say very poor. atb Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted December 29, 2020 Author Share Posted December 29, 2020 14 hours ago, 34006 said: Loose couplings and dodgy buffers I can deal with,iffy b2b I ended up twisting the wheels on the axles while pulling them apart.Painful to the finger ends and very little wriggle room due to the brake gear,but not impossible.However, as you say very poor. atb Phil With my bearing I had to order up a set of Peco Wagon wheels and use them instead. The bearings fixed into the Dapol holes without mods after the Dapol bearings came out which was a it of a job but I got there in the end. Job done but about £9 poorer. I should have sent the van back but I couldn't say for certain which retailer it came from as I bought several from 3 sources. I am hoping the conflats will be better but I am not holding my breath. Of course this would not happen if the retailers checked them over before they sent them out! Not had a problem with B2B as yet but will watch out for it. I have to say the Hattons Warwell is a real gem. Paul R 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold jcarta Posted December 29, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 29, 2020 2 hours ago, pwr said: Job done but about £9 poorer. I agree that someone should quality check these items prior to dispatch and it is very infuriating when such a product arrives only to be left with the dilemma...... Do I send it back (sometimes at a cost) or do you fix it yourself...... I'm glad that you have sorted it.. Jim 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hal Nail Posted December 29, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 29, 2020 5 hours ago, jcarta said: I agree that someone should quality check these items prior to dispatch They usually will if you ask. Opening every box probably isnt cost effective for the box shifters which is the cost of buying cheaper I guess. Rails have now agreed to pay me the cost of a replacement wheelset on my wagon in fairness to them 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted December 29, 2020 Author Share Posted December 29, 2020 5 hours ago, jcarta said: I agree that someone should quality check these items prior to dispatch and it is very infuriating when such a product arrives only to be left with the dilemma...... Do I send it back (sometimes at a cost) or do you fix it yourself...... I'm glad that you have sorted it.. Jim Jim Rails have comeback and offered to repalce the wagon or just the buffer so I am pleased with that outcome Paul 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted December 29, 2020 Author Share Posted December 29, 2020 I promised to post some photos of the containers in progress so here we are This is the 30ft - I still have to finish the other side and I now have enough plastic in stock to do this. I am using the Evergreen half round but at a cost of £1 per 12 inch strip this is not cheap! This is the 20ft which again needs finishing off on the other side and both containers need door furniture. This is the Ford version which still has the sides and ends to go on. Once these 3 are done I am going to leave it there until the full 5 car FFA/FGA set is done. I soldered up the bogies for the next flat today so progress is being made. These are the bogies for the BAA steel carrier and the too are now soldered up. Next job is the next deck for the Freightliner outer. All for now Paul R 4 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold jcarta Posted December 29, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 29, 2020 1 hour ago, pwr said: Jim Rails have comeback and offered to repalce the wagon or just the buffer so I am pleased with that outcome Paul Great result Paul 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hal Nail Posted December 29, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 29, 2020 Might be worth making a casting of those containers - even if just the sides. Would probably be cheaper than all that strip and you could then sell some! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted December 30, 2020 Author Share Posted December 30, 2020 12 hours ago, Hal Nail said: Might be worth making a casting of those containers - even if just the sides. Would probably be cheaper than all that strip and you could then sell some! Hal Its a thought but the resulting container would be pretty heavy if it was cast. Sides might be a better bet. I am not sure what other types I am going to do as clearly the branding changed over the years. Raitech do the later transfers. In theory the year that the set is depicted would be dependent on the containers carried side they had a pretty long life and were not majorly modified. Buzz models do a casting and they also do a tanktainer which I may have a go at. Paul R 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
47606odin Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 22 hours ago, pwr said: Hal Its a thought but the resulting container would be pretty heavy if it was cast. Sides might be a better bet. I am not sure what other types I am going to do as clearly the branding changed over the years. Raitech do the later transfers. In theory the year that the set is depicted would be dependent on the containers carried side they had a pretty long life and were not majorly modified. Buzz models do a casting and they also do a tanktainer which I may have a go at. Paul R you could make a plug to go in the mold centre from below, therefore lighter and using less resin 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted December 31, 2020 Author Share Posted December 31, 2020 8 hours ago, 47606odin said: you could make a plug to go in the mold centre from below, therefore lighter and using less resin Yes that's an idea. Also thinking of 3D printing. Paul R 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Hal Nail Posted January 1, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 1, 2021 23 hours ago, pwr said: Yes that's an idea. Also thinking of 3D printing. Paul R Michael Hughes thread shows how he does a hollow van body with the mould split into two - including how to get the plug part back out! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted January 2, 2021 Share Posted January 2, 2021 Why not just an open box with no bottom Paul? No one will see it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted January 2, 2021 Author Share Posted January 2, 2021 1 hour ago, Andrew P said: Why not just an open box with no bottom Paul? No one will see it. Yes good idea although I am thinking about possibly gluing steel washers to the bottom with magnets under the deck to keep them in place. Not entirely sure what I will do to be fair! Paul R 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 (edited) Right so in parallel with the FFA build I now have the main frames for the BAA soldered up. They need cleaning up before soldering to the wagon bed. Looks to be a well designed kit which according to the etchings was designed by David Parkin in 1984 although mine came in an RJH box in the early 1980's from Home of O Gauge as was. I might go fo the longer BBA as well at some point as these will be used on the steel trains to the Lake and Elliott works in Braintree. I've also soldered up the deck for the next FFA I was not going to show another set of photos for what is the same wagon but this one has developed a pronounced twist in it I can't get out by bending so I am going to have to settle it on a piece of glass (which I made it on in the first place) and re-solder some of the joints to get the twist out before go much further. Some of the other parts will help with this process but it wasn't something that affected the first wagon I did. Anyhow all for now Paul R Edited January 3, 2021 by pwr Formatting error 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 So an envelope arrived for me today from Rails of Sheffield with new buffers in for my Dapol Hybar. I was impressed with the service until I realised they are the wrong type. I think they have been taken off a PO wagon that may have come in as a return or second hand but they are nothing like those that I need. So I have e-mailed back and asked for what next! So the saga continues! Paul R 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold jcarta Posted January 9, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 9, 2021 It'll be interesting to see what is sent out next.... mind you, you may have enough parts to build a kit eventually Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 2 hours ago, jcarta said: It'll be interesting to see what is sent out next.... mind you, you may have enough parts to build a kit eventually Here's hoping! Paul R 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 Been in the modelling room today and made some progress on the BAA Looking good I think. Bit of cleaning up to do but OK so far. I also started straightening out the deck of the next FFA - some progress but more work to be done. I have unsoldered the ends of the main beams and I think I am going to take a gas torch to the rest whilst ensuring that whilst it heats up the deck is flat to the glass sheet. More on that next time Paul R 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted January 11, 2021 Author Share Posted January 11, 2021 Decided I needed a few more modern cars for when I run Notley as a diesel layout. This came today 1986 For Escort Mk 1V XR3i. a real boy racer machine - the sort I am sure Andy P would have driven back in the day. Paul R 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwr Posted January 13, 2021 Author Share Posted January 13, 2021 Decided to see what these Smart Models figures are like. These came today. They are 3D printed and surprisingly good. The newspaper seller is printed with the mesh grid on it so I might file that off and have a printed headline with grids on. I'll need to work out what the headlines were in 1958. The seventies figures I just couldn't resist! I'll pop them on the layout when I am running blue diesels. Not made any progress on the wagons this week. Hopefully soon. Paul R 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 (edited) On 11/01/2021 at 09:21, pwr said: Decided I needed a few more modern cars for when I run Notley as a diesel layout. This came today 1986 For Escort Mk 1V XR3i. a real boy racer machine - the sort I am sure Andy P would have driven back in the day. Paul R DRIVEN? I was selling them at the time and had a Black one as a Demo, it seemed quite quick at the time. Bloomin uncomfortable though. And I need some more modern ones as well. Edited January 13, 2021 by Andrew P 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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