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Dapol new N-gauge M7


Crepello
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The dcc thing is strange but people will work around it. They always do. The most mental thing for me is ONE olive version, the same running number as before! 

 

Two pre grouping liveries? 

 

But one southern green to match the maunsells. 

 

Why do people constantly underestimate how many big 4 loco's to produce. Just look at the hattons P class, try finding a southern livery on that. All companies do it. Farish LMS jubilee? 

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On the plus side, it is a definite improvement over the first and tweeked version (better chimney). 

The chassis looks better with the thinner tire walls. The hand rails are also metal this time. The originals had a habit of expanding and going rather wobbly. 

 

EDIT: looking at it I suspect the wheels are the same size. Just thinner rims giving more spoke. 

Edited by Mr chapman
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Comment from Dapol on their digest:

 

Quote

We have tried hard to include a DCC socket but the reality is there is no room without either compromising the cab interior or removing weight, either of which would compromise the looks or running for the majority of customers who run in DC. It is a shame, we agree but in our view is the best way forward. It should be possible to hardwire a decoder if customers so wish and it is then their choice in which area they wish to compromise. We did also consider the bunker, but there really is not enough room for everything that is involved.

 

I just find it astonishing that Dapol have been unable to design in even a basic 6 pin DCC socket when we have it in the likes of the Farish 3F and 64xx, not to mention their own Pannier, which are comparable in size. Hell, Farish are even squeezing DCC and sound into their Class 14 and the N Gauge Society Hunslet shunter comes with DCC and onboard stay alive. When we now have small, high quality chips available like the Zimo MX616, it becomes even harder to fathom. Perhaps if they binned that awful can motor for a more compact coreless type they might find they have more room and better performance to boot.  

 

If Dapol are assuming that DCC is a niche corner of the scale because they sell more DC versions than DCC fitted versions, they need to realise that most people will opt to fit their own preferred decoder brand/type over a factory fitted version which might not offer the features they need. By not making it easy to do that they are risking sales right from the get go.

 

Tom.  

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21 hours ago, Steven B said:

I'd have thought a decoder could be fitted in the bunker without effecting the extra weights which I'd guess should be mostly over the drivers.

 

Steven B.

 

If they have put much if any weight in the bunker that will surely make the performance worse as it will lift the driving wheels, this is surely the place to fit some kind of decoder socket

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34 minutes ago, TomE said:

If Dapol are assuming that DCC is a niche corner of the scale because they sell more DC versions than DCC fitted versions, they need to realise that most people will opt to fit their own preferred decoder brand/type over a factory fitted version which might not offer the features they need.

 

Not forgetting that a DCC ready Dapol loco + Zimo decoder is less expensive than a Dapol DCC fitted loco.

 

Steven B.

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On 22/02/2021 at 21:33, meatloaf said:

Seems pointless retooling it if there not making it dcc ready.

 

On 22/02/2021 at 22:37, Kaput said:

Retooling a model in 2021 and not making it DCC ready seems like a bit of an epic fail and basically destroyed any interest I had in it.

 

However, if they set it up so it was a removable weight that revealed 4 easy solder tabs that might be acceptable as a compromise...


But is it a full re-tool? I was under the impression that it was just getting an updated chassis which meant finer wheels and nothing else?

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On 23/02/2021 at 13:22, Ed-farms said:

 

If they have put much if any weight in the bunker that will surely make the performance worse as it will lift the driving wheels, this is surely the place to fit some kind of decoder socket

Having seen the vid of it pulling 7 Mk3s on a test layout I would have thought weight in bunker inevitable and rear bogie has spring under to weight transfer unless the boiler front weight is left over from the gulf?

   

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My DCC fitted M7-G5 (done by DCC Supplies) has a very small chip mounted inside the cab roof.  A driver and fireman looking out of the cab aperture each side hide it.

 

However this one is a lot weaker than my surviving analogue one.  It will quite happily propel the 2-coach push-pull set round the layout, but not pull it.  The difference being that propelling tends to push the driving wheels downwards while pulling takes weight off them...

 

The analogue one survives because its handrails suffered plastic fatigue (a problem with the first release of M7s) and I've not yet got round to fitting metal replacements.

 

Les  

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  • 5 months later...

Have found a way!!

 

It's back to the old remove some bits and wire it in, or buy with our choice of decoder.

 

So basically they have accepted the error of omitting DCC on a model in N gauge - good!

 

It't not a perfect solution, but it's better than what it was, I just hope going forward when the look at other N gauge tanks they don't follow this model but come back to plug in decoders.

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That they are willing to sell this with the decoder installed should give everyone confidence as to how hard it will be to do. If it were hard it would not be offered.

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2 hours ago, Jon Harbour said:

Can't understand why they didn't go down the path that the N Gauge Society took and fit a PCB with the decoder built-in that runs on DC. They've shown it can be done...


Bit of a minefield in a general release model perhaps. People have their own preference of decoder manufacturer, and DC users may object to paying for something they aren't going to use. Plus if the manufacturer doesn't get the PCB/decoder spot on it may negatively affect sales. Are the Dapol decoders good enough to be provided woven in to the model? (genuine question, I've never used one)

Tom. 

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TBH I am not sure I will upgrade to the new model. The M7 I have (with my OAP failing eyesight!) looks pretty good, doesn't get much use and, surprisingly, performs probably the best out of all my Dapol locos. Slow running is excellent, manages 4 coaches and didn't need to be sent to DCC for repairs!!

I am hoping that the release of the new version might see an original BR Malachite model come onto the SH market cheap as people upgrade. Be a handy station pilot as at Waterloo.

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16 hours ago, Stefen1988 said:

Nothing new about the M7?

 

I wish Dapol would focus more on N Gauge...

 

The artwork was shown last month according to the post above, 6 weeks is hardly a long time without updates. It's TING's next weekend so would not be surpirsed if something came out from there on them.

 

As for focus more on N gauge its hard to focus on a scale which is not its main seller, and I say that as an N gauge modeller

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1 hour ago, D9020 Nimbus said:

Those grey wheels need something changing before release…

 

I would like ot hope that its just a test chassis, mind you they carried errors over on other models. 

 

I have just noticed the 2nd from left top row has "S W R" not LSWR on the tanks. Is that right?

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1 hour ago, Ed-farms said:

I have just noticed the 2nd from left top row has "S W R" not LSWR on the tanks. Is that right?



Not an M7 but it was a livery variation:
 

P1070344blog.jpg.31ce334e98ffdcbb9ebbfd7e38b6e5c3.jpg

Tom.  

Edited by TomE
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