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Dapol Class 21/29


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25 minutes ago, davknigh said:

Would it be fair to say that any 21 with a SYP would have made the journey north? I’m referring to D6116 in the current batch on offer.

 

Cheers,

 

David

They all would have made the journey north, but I don't recall any going SYP until after the transfer...

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image.png.9c39e6d1cac99bb61b0dc05096dae250.pngNot quite sure that the front is right. The lower marker lights should all be in line with the centre line of the "sausages". The centre marker lights should be nearer the centre line, so the discs are centred. The small square panel on the right hand door-plate should be across to the right to match. The top disc should be higher, so the top rim is above the lip. See attached snipping from the web.

 

There is also a side window on the No2 end which is also slightly out of place. 

 

 

cl29 3.jpg

cl 29 2.jpg

Edited by a@y
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I assure you they're too low: I've been sitting looking at the model and lots and lots of photos over Christmas: but haven't yet considered whether the lights are too low, or the "sausages" are in the wrong place/wrongly sized. Have a look at an additional pic of my model that I've now uploaded.

They're also shifted a little far to the left (centre two). I'm not posting more proper pics of the real thing for copyright reasons, but take a look here for a pic of 6123:  (you'll need to click to see the images)

 

Additionally one of the body side windows at the No2 end is a fraction out, but I can live with that.  I'm not complaining about the grilles/rain-strip/different windscreen wiper positions as those were modifications on the real thing, and that is called modelling. Roll on replacement grill etches, microstrip, and a repaint. 

NBL works plates were a little fuzzy, but as I've got etchings, I'm not worried about a little modelling.

The 65A shed plate was also "eccentric" - again a little modelling can cure that. 

 

On my loco there's a weird "splat" on the outside of the large radiator grille, - not too noticeable, but looks like the plastic re-melted a little after being cast. Hope mine was a one-off.

 

And I can only hope the Cl 29 version is more to my taste for the WHL.

a@y

Edited by a@y
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Now coming up two weeks with a decent amount of running time accrued, and well pleased with it overall.

 

It's a lovely runner, creamy smooth and now so quiet that the sound of the wheels on the rails are all there is to be heard. I concur on the minor detail errors already identified, but these are way less significant in my view than the body side glazing which is plain ugly. I'll see how that looks with a mist of external filth obscuring it; if the effect is thus 'disappeared' then all is well. The key character features of the cab front windows with extremely fine posts, and the angles of the body side panelling are well done. Robustness of exterior detail has been faultless, way better for example than my very much liked Heljan Baby Deltics which have showered the track with small bogie detail.

 

Having decided to standardise on Kadee body mounted through the bufferbeam for passenger traction, there's some surgery in prospect. Can I neatly enlarge the drawhook hole so that an NEM mounting Kadee will just clip in? Or will the screw/tapping securing the hinged NEM pocket be of use in this modification? I don't know yet, and don't anticipate finding out for a month or three.

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On 31/12/2019 at 21:11, The Stationmaster said:

So it didn't use the spare aluminium one which lurked in A Shop at Swindon?

 

If I have it right Mike she was sent to NBL for repair - and as you say the spare cab was at Swindon. Did they talk to each other?????

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On 04/01/2020 at 14:16, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

 

Having decided to standardise on Kadee body mounted through the bufferbeam for passenger traction, there's some surgery in prospect. Can I neatly enlarge the drawhook hole so that an NEM mounting Kadee will just clip in? Or will the screw/tapping securing the hinged NEM pocket be of use in this modification? I don't know yet, and don't anticipate finding out for a month or three.

Hi,

Due to the nature of the NEM Kadees, the draw hook hole is too high to mount one. Body mount Kadees would need to be screwed on more or less level with the bottom of the bufferbeam, rather than through it, but be aware this may cause problems if you have any sharp or reverse curves due to limited coupling side play when body mounted. Due to the buffers they would have to stick out a fair way too so I think you'd need a longer version of the No.5 style for that approach. And if drilling for a screw, bare in mind any wiring / lighting components present in the nose which could be damaged (I'm not familiar with the Dapol set up). If mounting Kadee couplers at 4mm scale bufferbeam "prototype" height, I'm not sure the trip pins will activate easily either. 

 

Is there a reason you don't wish to use the NEM boxes already fitted?

 

I have found even bogie mounted NEM boxes with Kadees can be used in conjunction with bufferbeam detailing on my Heljan 26/27s on "Crinan", providing curves are reasonably gentle (ie not less than Peco medium radius points), albeit with slight compromise on the Vac & steam pipe positions.

 

ATB,

Martyn. 

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2 minutes ago, Signaller69 said:

...Is there a reason you don't wish to use the NEM boxes already fitted?...

The answer to that is that they weren't fitted to the prototype!

 

I am at mid-project point on the whole vexing 'autocouplers for OO' issue.

 

Based on experience to date, my coaching stock trains which are generally operated as fixed end sets are getting body mounted Kadee on the set ends. What I have discovered is that I can cheerfully ignore Kadee's positioning prescription, and mount Kadees where couplers should go, in the drawbar of 4mm stock, and - crucial bit this - given proper care in consistent position, and despite being much higher above railtop, operation of the Kadees by Kadee track magnets is actually more reliable when used in this way. (No random uncouples if there is a slight bump just as a pair of couplers are above a permanent magnet.) The Kadee looks very well nestling under the Pullman gangway faceplate, just where it should be.

 

Kadees on passenger locos don't look too bad body mounted through the bufferbeam, and all other end detailing can be fitted. (If some keen inventing type can devise an equally efficient autocoupler which visually resembles the screwlink coupling, then bring it to market. The Dingham has been tried, close, but no cigar...)

 

The NEM pocket on RTR stock is very useful in many ways. Within coach stock sets Roco's 'rigid bar' coupler is used to optimally operate the close coupling mechanisms; and for my several hundred wagons dominated by Bachmann's productions, the coupler pockets are retained, much modified (so no longer NEM conforming) to improve performance with Bach's miniature tension lock.

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11 minutes ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

The answer to that is that they weren't fitted to the prototype!

 

The Kadee looks very well nestling under the Pullman gangway faceplate, just where it should be.

Aahh, I didn't appreciate you were going for the scale height approach.

 

In which case I think I would be tempted to try a screw coupling hook fitted to the loco, with a piece of brass wire soldered to the bottom of it, sticking out a couple of mm from the front of the hook and bent upward in an L shape, which would engage the knuckle of the coach Kadee. Not sure how practical it would be, but it would look less obtrusive and the auto coupling and uncoupling by magnet should still work?

 

Just a thought anyway.

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18 minutes ago, Signaller69 said:

... I think I would be tempted to try a screw coupling hook fitted to the loco, with a piece of brass wire soldered to the bottom of it, sticking out a couple of mm from the front of the hook and bent upward in an L shape, which would engage the knuckle of the coach Kadee. Not sure how practical it would be, but it would look less obtrusive and the auto coupling and uncoupling by magnet should still work?

Tried variations on this theme, and no go. (I am no great shakes at small mechanism design!) Simplest to just use the Kadee heads.

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18 hours ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Prompt reply received (within minutes, but I had a heap of other high priority mail to work through!) no assembly/spares diagram available for this model.

There won’t be any because NBL went bust years ago. If the loco breaks you’re supposed to store it U/S like the prototype.

Edited by Baby Deltic
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19 hours ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Prompt reply received (within minutes, but I had a heap of other high priority mail to work through!) no assembly/spares diagram available for this model.


Pretty shoddy.

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48 minutes ago, Baby Deltic said:

There won’t be any because NBL went bust years ago. If the loco breaks you’re supposed to store it U/S like the prototype.

For quite a while I modelled this class and the other duffers BR introduced on the GN sub services 'virtually': they were 'failed' before they ever got on scene, to be replaced by old faithfuls, mainly N2 and N7. (And that's how my kitbuilt N7s got worn out...)

 

Hopefully like most centre motor drives, the model mechanisms will prove long term robust. (And I still have my dreadful 'Hornmann' lash up as a standby, which has Bach's very reliable 24/25 mechanism powering it.)

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23 hours ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

Prompt reply received (within minutes, but I had a heap of other high priority mail to work through!) no assembly/spares diagram available for this model.

Did Dapol do a sheet for the class 22? It should be close enough for the interior bits.

 

Cheers,

 

David

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19 hours ago, davknigh said:

Did Dapol do a sheet for the class 22? It should be close enough for the interior bits.

Or indeed any other of their earlier centre motor mechanism models, LMS twins, 52, 68, 73: if the mechanism layout is generic, any will do to give hints. There have been at least two threads started on the topic of whether spares/assembly diagrams are available for any Dapol diesels, and based on the ensuing silence, my assessment would be 'no'.

 

Next port of call, can anyone spot an HO mechanism with the same style of mechanism layout; and if so does that brand supply diagrams?

 

I should emphasise that the actual item is fine, and showing no signs of distress whatsoever, and may well outlive me in reliable operation. But I do like to 'be prepared'...

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Was having a good look at D6116 in a Dapol retailer this afternoon, and the first thing that struck me was the lid of the excellently robust packaging states, in large letters, "North British Class 21 / Class 29 Diesel Hydraulic Locomotives". Err - wrong lads - class 22 was the diesel hydraulic, 21/29 were diesel electrics, someone obviously didn't do their research or proof checking (for the box lid) properly.

On the plus side, it would appear that Dapol for the 21/29 are using a rigid plastic sleeve over the clamshell instead of the clingfilm like material used on the 22s, which always seemed to me to spoil the otherwise classy packaging, so tick there. And the model itself looked very nice.

I'm waiting for the 29s.....

 

 

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