RMweb Premium maq1988 Posted January 15, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 15, 2022 I'm looking at picking up a Dapol Hall class in N, I've gone a few pages back but can't find a discussion on these. Anyone have any thoughts before I commit? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Seems like a nice little loco to me. The loco to tender power wires will probably need repair/replacement as they are notoriously week. Easy enough to fix if they go. There have been some examples where the footplate has bent, I think this must have happened during the moulding process. Its worth checking it to make sure it is straight when you buy one. Other than that a well detailed loco which is a great puller. Here she is working on my layout while under construction. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 I run DC and I have since fitted a crew which makes her look better. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium maq1988 Posted January 16, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 16, 2022 4 hours ago, Chris M said: Seems like a nice little loco to me. The loco to tender power wires will probably need repair/replacement as they are notoriously week. Easy enough to fix if they go. There have been some examples where the footplate has bent, I think this must have happened during the moulding process. Its worth checking it to make sure it is straight when you buy one. Other than that a well detailed loco which is a great puller. I did see one in a picture on Rails I think that looked like the footplate was bent. Thanks for the video - very helpful. I was also considering a pair of 9Fs for long coal trains so it's good to see those in action. I know the early ones had some issues for some people. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 I've a few Dapol GW steam tender engines, all sounded awful but actually ran fine, the same could also be said for my two class 35s. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted January 16, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 16, 2022 I have 5 of these (older and newer releases), one was DOA but was replaced by Dapol with no problems (They pay for the postage back to them for faulty items, something that Bachmann don't). They all work well but are very noisy. They are strong hauliers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Sorry but I can't recommend a Dapol 9F for long freight trains. They just aren't great pullers. The Dapol 28xx however is excellent albeit the tenders vibrate which makes them noisy, smooth runners but noisy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted January 16, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 16, 2022 This is a link to some thoughts on the original release (2011) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold AndrueC Posted January 16, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 16, 2022 (edited) I have one. It can't handle my second radius curves (which is basically the entire layout) so I'm not very impressed. It does look quite good though. Edited January 16, 2022 by AndrueC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpgibbons Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 I have three Halls and all are fine on second radius curves. Perhaps you have a bad 'un. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 Yep - 2nd radius isn't a problem for me either. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickel Plate Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Is it me or does something look slightly off in the boiler/smokebox area? Happy to be corrected Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold AndrueC Posted January 26, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 26, 2022 (edited) I might dig it out and try and investigate further but what I remember from last time is that it rocks while it's running and the problem is that the cylinder block hits the front bogey on curves. Based on my experience with my Queen Elizabeth I've checked B2B with a gauge but they appear to be spot on. Edited January 26, 2022 by AndrueC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold AndrueC Posted January 30, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 30, 2022 Well that was interesting. So having dug the Hall out again I can confirm that when it runs: It sounds rough while travelling in a straight line. It rocks while moving. It can go round an R2 curve but it hesitates a bit. It will de-rail trying to go straight over a Setrack turnout. I would try and run it in a bit more but there's a more fundamental issue that surprised me. Just shows that I've never been able to run it for long: It can't get under one of my bridges, or more accurate one of the supports (it's a girder bridge). Okay so it is a short gap - 41mm but every other loco fits under it with a couple of mm spare. Is a Hall really taller than a Queen Elizabeth? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 On 16/01/2022 at 19:21, Chris M said: Sorry but I can't recommend a Dapol 9F for long freight trains. They just aren't great pullers. The Dapol 28xx however is excellent albeit the tenders vibrate which makes them noisy, smooth runners but noisy. My 9Fs do long trains quite well, as do all of my Dapol tender locos, including the Hall, which regularly took 40 vans round Rise park at shows.. On the other hand my WDs from the other manufacturer all have traction problems (caused by over deep milling of the wheelset with the traction tyres on some examples, which Graham Hubbard finally admitted to when I showed him an A2 wheelset with tyres and no grooves at all). I suspect any of my 9Fs will pull my weakest two WDs backwards. Must try it sometime. Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 17 hours ago, Les1952 said: My 9Fs do long trains quite well, as do all of my Dapol tender locos, including the Hall, which regularly took 40 vans round Rise park at shows.. On the other hand my WDs from the other manufacturer all have traction problems (caused by over deep milling of the wheelset with the traction tyres on some examples, which Graham Hubbard finally admitted to when I showed him an A2 wheelset with tyres and no grooves at all). I suspect any of my 9Fs will pull my weakest two WDs backwards. Must try it sometime. Les I’m surprised that your 9F is a good puller. The previous versions just weren’t great at all. The Dapol 28xx, Hall and Grange are all excellent haulers. The new release Dapol 9F is a different kettle of fish. It is slightly heavier and has four (yes four) traction tyres on the drivers. It should be able to pull very long trains indeed. I don’t need one but I’m tempted to get one because it looks good and should now have the pulling power to go with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 On 31/01/2022 at 08:56, Chris M said: I’m surprised that your 9F is a good puller. The previous versions just weren’t great at all. The Dapol 28xx, Hall and Grange are all excellent haulers. The new release Dapol 9F is a different kettle of fish. It is slightly heavier and has four (yes four) traction tyres on the drivers. It should be able to pull very long trains indeed. I don’t need one but I’m tempted to get one because it looks good and should now have the pulling power to go with it. Not one good one but four..... Les Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris M Posted February 2, 2022 Share Posted February 2, 2022 (edited) Sorry about going a little off topic but this little vid shows the difference between old and new 9Fs. Yes I have just bought a new one. The first two bits of film show my old 9F struggling with a freight train and the second two segments show the new one pulling the same train. Those traction tyres make a big difference. Getting a little back on topic my Hall, Grange and 28xx locos all pull this freight train regularly with absolutely no issues. My Manor (an Ixion without traction tyres) and Castle are about as poor as my old 9F. Having said that I find the Castle and Manor are adequate for most duties and both will handle a 10 coach train without any problem. Ten coaches is about the maximum for these two though. I do want my freight locos to pull a reasonable freight train though which is why the earlier 9Fs weren't great but the new batch is. Going back to my Hall. I only have one but it is quite possibly my very best steam outline loco; I'm certainly very happy with it indeed. As my layout is n the Western Region you would expect a toad to be at the end of the train and indeed in normally is when I'm running steam. The standard BR brake van was in use because I am currently running mid sixties diesels where a BR brake is correct. I just got the steamies out for filming and forgot to change the brake van. Sorry about that. One day I will get round to fitting different tenders to these 9Fs to make them more Western Region. They might even get double chimneys. The only problem with that is they might just get called into service on a model of the Settle & Carlisle line. Edited February 2, 2022 by Chris M spelling Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium maq1988 Posted February 2, 2022 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted February 2, 2022 Chris, don't worry about going off topic. I'm modelling the S&C so a pair of 9Fs were on the cards but I knew the old ones had issues. Your video has been very very useful. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold AndrueC Posted February 2, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 2, 2022 Just a gentle bump on my question. It's academic for now since I don't intend to remove/fix that bridge but my next layout is in the planning stages and since it has no R2 or tighter curves I'm hoping to run the Hall on it. Does it seem reasonable that a Hall would be unable to fit under an overhang that other rolling stock clears? Were they known to be unusually tall locomotives? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvinley Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 (edited) The Hall is one of Dapol's better steam locos. It runs quieter after many hours use. The down sides, as with other Dapol steam locos is the fragile rods, tender to loco wires and cardan shaft. The bent running board can be straightened by careful gluing and wobbles can be the fault of traction tyres which can be replaced. After weathering and the addition of a crew, they can look really good and they have a good slow speed. As for the new 9F, there seems to be a lot of confusion over it's specs and it does seem to suffer from the wavy coupling rods issue that can occur where all wheels are driven by gears. I only have the older versions. Dapol's smoothest steam loco is the Schools. It is a lovely looking model but has the same issues as the Hall mentioned above; It is however, very quiet. Ian. Edited February 7, 2022 by Elvinley additional info Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 5944 Posted February 12, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 12, 2022 On 26/01/2022 at 21:42, Nickel Plate said: Is it me or does something look slightly off in the boiler/smokebox area? Happy to be corrected It looks a bit undernourished for some reason, though apparently the measurements check out. It's put me off buying one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefen1988 Posted January 15, 2023 Share Posted January 15, 2023 Is is common for the Dapol Hall to have a bended running board / buffer beam? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted January 16, 2023 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 16, 2023 On 15/01/2023 at 16:18, Stefen1988 said: Is is common for the Dapol Hall to have a bended running board / buffer beam? From memory, there was a batch a few years ago where the running board was bent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leslie M Posted October 24, 2023 Share Posted October 24, 2023 (edited) Hi Guys, I’ve bought one of the Dapol hall class locos - Kimberley hall. I think it’s been about 10years ago. I’ve have nothing but problems with it. Great on a straight line but alway derails on the curves. The curves I have set up are 13inch radius and of the tender locos I have only the Hall comes off. Was there a bad batch at the time or was I unlucky with a deformed loco? Am I better off putting lead weight inside the loco to hold it to the rail or will the loco continue to derail? Edited October 24, 2023 by Leslie M Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now