Dapol’s new O gauge GWR 14xx

[billtee]

I have bought this model (GWR unlined green with G W R lettering), and it will arrive soon.

I was particularly interested in the article “A Cornish Autotank” in the July 2020 issue of Railway Modeller about how the modeller modified his locomotive with the fine auto gear, but I have a few problems.

(a) I have only ever seen a 14xx 0-4-2 tank loco afar - never close enough to be able to take photographs of the auto gear.

(b) I have spent AGES looking for photos of these locos showing the auto gear, but again, the ones I have seen are not exactly good photos of what appears to be a rather dirty lower front of the locomotive.

(c) The Railway Modeller article shows wonderful pictures of the front auto gear, but none of the rear of the locomotive.

So I thought I’d look on the internet for photos of the rear of an auto-fitted 14xx! Did I find any? NO!!! Not one!

My problems which the more knowledgeable of you may be able to answer are:

Does the auto gear continue in a straight line from the, err, port side of the loco’s front buffer beam to the port side of the rear buffer, or does it somehow get transferred to the starboard side of the rear buffer beam?

(Apologies for using nautical terminology, but ‘nearside’ and ‘offside’  don’t really apply to a locomotive. The port side is, of course, the left side of the engine!)

The author of the article in Railway Modeller shows the battery connection box on the starboard side of the front coupling, but again, I have no idea where the connection box goes on the rear buffer beam, or indeed where the wiring to it runs. Does the wire(s?) go behind the buffer beam, or along the bottom edge? And how are they fastened? 
The author also shows some triangular supporting plates under the footplate, near the sandboxes. I have not seen any supporting evidence that any 14xx locos had these plates, but that could be because they are in a very dark, probably very dirty, position where photo images just do not show.

Below the front buffer beam, just behind the screwlink coupling, is a device about which I know nothing! Can anyone tell me what it is, and is there a similar device below the rear buffer beam?

I would be very grateful if my queries can be resolved, and I thank you knowledgeable modellers for reading this post. There are a lot of questions to which I need answers, as I don’t want to make lots of mistakes. The boiler shown in most photos of No. 1432 has a topfeed, but my model will not have topfeed! I realise that boilers were often swapped about when the engines were being repaired, so the lack of topfeed on my model is not a concern. My model will have the cut-out on the rear steps, and the steps and handrail up the fireman’s side of the bunker and cab, so I know they are correct. I cannot discover whether the steps below the footplate are ‘joggled’ as they were on later locomotives, or merely angled inwards as they were on early locos. Photos of the Dapol model do not show this detail!

Problems, problems!

Thank you, everyone!

Bill

[brossard]

Discussion and pics of auto gear here,Bill:

 

 Page 9 in case the link got messed up.

 

John

[Hal Nail]

21 hours ago, billtee said:

Does the auto gear continue in a straight line from the, err, port side of the loco’s front buffer beam to the port side of the rear buffer, or does it somehow get transferred to the starboard side of the rear buffer beam?

 

I have no idea where the connection box goes on the rear buffer beam, or indeed where the wiring to it runs. Does the wire(s?) go behind the buffer beam, or along the bottom edge? And how are they fastened? 

 

The author also shows some triangular supporting plates under the footplate, near the sandboxes. I have not seen any supporting evidence that any 14xx locos had these plates, but that could be because they are in a very dark, probably very dirty, position where photo images just do not show.

 

Below the front buffer beam, just behind the screwlink coupling, is a device about which I know nothing! Can anyone tell me what it is, and is there a similar device below the rear buffer beam?

 

I cannot discover whether the steps below the footplate are ‘joggled’ as they were on later locomotives, or merely angled inwards as they were on early locos. Photos of the Dapol model do not show this detail!

 

Hi,

 

Connections are the same side at the back - electrical cover to the left as you look, regulator link to the right. If you think about it, the back of the coach will be the same whichever end of the loco it is fixed to.... The apparatus under the screwlink is also part of the regulator linkage but is only at the front (this may convert the direction of turn perhaps?) 

 

The triangular chassis plates are almost impossible to see. They are on another model I have, so i dug out loads of photos until I eventually found one light enough to see.

 

The electrical wire in the photo in the article that disappears round the back immediately under the footplate carries on right across and into to the cover.near the top. There is actually a 2nd cable that pops up from under the buffer beam on the inside of the right hand buffer as you look, and runs parallel to the bottom of the buffer beam and into the bottom of the electrical cover. I'd actually forgotten about this until typing and haven't got round to it!

 

Dapol make two footplates, an early one without the hole and I think I've seen with the angled front steps and a later version with hole and joggle. The tool boxes are in different positions but easily moved to suit your loco.

 

I rather glossed over it but cleaning up the mould lines on the boiler does make quite a big difference but does then need weathering or a repaint. Also the crack in the chimney could be filled in.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Ian

 

 

You can see a red cable running along the top here. I haven't done the bottom one yet! The rear vac pipe is actually Heljan from their steam locos which was the best I could find.

Edited June 16, 2020 by Hal Nail

[billtee]

Thank you very much, Ian. I am very pleased with my model which arrived today, but the model does not have any electrical connection boxes on either buffer beam, nor the electrical wiring, but I can fit those myself with not too much trouble.

I was rather disappointed by the volume of the Zimo sound chip in my model - I could hardly hear it! I use Gaugemaster’s DCC equipment, and know how to alter overall volume, etc but all my locomotives use ESU chips, not Zimo, and the CV code for ESU sound chips is different. Telephoned Tower Models who supplied my loco, but Roger couldn’t help! He suggested I call DCC Supplies who fit all the sound chips for Dapol locomotives, and the lady there very helpfully sent me the full (over 80 A4 pages!) DCC chip manual. I found the overall volume CV and increased it slightly and now I can hear the sounds much better (not too loud or they won’t be realistic!). I also lowered the top speed of my model as it was doing a scale 150mph when screwed up to its maximum! Now it is a much more realistic scale 50-60mph.

The firebox flicker is a disappointment - it is hardly visible at all when the fire is being stoked (F4), but I can live with that. My footplate crew (ModelU figures) aren’t doing much driving - they are standing about and looking out!

Anyway, thank you for your help with the matter of the auto gear at the rear of the loco. Now I can modify it with confidence.

Bill

 

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Bill, what CV is for the overall sound?

 

Thanks.

 

Cheers, Ade.

[billtee]

CV266. It is by default 65, but can easily be raised, but be careful - too loud and you will destroy the speaker in the loco.

Bill

[Adrian Stevenson]

Thanks Bill.

 

Like you I feel it just needs a little bit more volume. I will give it a go later today.

 

Cheers, Ade.