A3 Dapol A3 photo review

[Roy L S]

Hi Roy and everyone else,

 

Here are some pictures straight from China of the revised tender deco on the BR Green A3.

 

cheers

Dave

 

Thanks Dave

 

They look excellent. It was so worth you "pulling" the shipment to correct the tender lining.

 

Just got to be patient now..

 

Roy

[romley midland]

 

 

Thanks Dave

 

They look excellent. It was so worth you "pulling" the shipment to correct the tender lining.

 

Just got to be patient now..

 

Roy

 

Atleast the BR versions are being air freighted over so I guess they are now only a week or so away from release?

 

Cheers, Richard

 

[Roy L S]

Atleast the BR versions are being air freighted over so I guess they are now only a week or so away from release?

 

Cheers, Richard

 

Hi Richard

 

I think what Dave was showing was a sample of the corrected finish rather than models from the actual production run..

 

From what he said the production of the two LNER liveried variants will be completed first, so I am guessing that even if air-freighted we will still have to wait a few more weeks for the BR ones.

 

Regards

 

Roy

[romley midland]

 

 

Hi Richard

 

I think what Dave was showing was a sample of the corrected finish rather than models from the actual production run..

 

From what he said the production of the two LNER liveried variants will be completed first, so I am guessing that even if air-freighted we will still have to wait a few more weeks for the BR ones.

 

Regards

 

Roy

 

Fair point Roy, I presumed these were pictures taken of production models before they were packaged up.

 

I have always wondered how long it takes to produce a 'batch' of loco's, are we talking hours, days or weeks even, it would be really interesting to know though!

 

Cheers, Richard

[Atso]

Any further news as to when these will be released Dapol Dave? I've got Papyrus on order and the suspense is killing me!

 

Also, could you let me know if the smoke box is a separate fitting to the boiler? I'm looking to backdate one of the round dome versions into A1 condition...

[n-gauge]

A Liverpool retailer is showing them as being in stock, no potos as yet though.

[Les1952]

According to Dapol's Facebook page Scotsman and Bayardo are fairly imminent (June) while Lemberg and Papyrus are about a month behind....

 

Dave no doubt has more accurate dates.

 

All the very best

Les

[Coldgunner]

I'm rather tempted by Papyrus, just seen pics of the livery and think it would look gorgeous towing some teaks. Has anyone got Papyrus that can give me their opinions?

[n-gauge]

I've been looking at Papyrus on Hattons site - the only place I've been able to find any high resolution close up photos - and I've noticed a couple of things which look a bit odd to my eyes. Firstly the frames / runing plate (if thats the right term) are lined out red on top of green along the edges. I though they would have been red on top of black?

 

Then looking at the cabside numbers - the last two digits "50" appear to be only 90% of the size of the first two "27"

 

So are these two points typical of the way the loco would have been in the timeframe its modelled?

 

George

[Roy L S]

I've been looking at Papyrus on Hattons site - the only place I've been able to find any high resolution close up photos - and I've noticed a couple of things which look a bit odd to my eyes. Firstly the frames / runing plate (if thats the right term) are lined out red on top of green along the edges. I though they would have been red on top of black?

 

Then looking at the cabside numbers - the last two digits "50" appear to be only 90% of the size of the first two "27"

 

So are these two points typical of the way the loco would have been in the timeframe its modelled?

 

George

 

Hi George

 

Have had a look at the Hattons site and see what you mean.

 

My first thoughts when I saw "Papyrus" in this livery on the Hattons site was "wow!".

 

Now I have looked again, and while I can't comment on the lining, assuming the photos are not deceiving the eye somehow, the fonts of the first and last two numbers do look to be different sizes and as far as I can determine they shouldn't be.

 

How much you would notice this from normal viewing distances is perhaps another question to consider.

 

Academic for me in any event, I still keenly await "Lemberg".....

 

Regards

 

Roy

 

Regards

 

Roy

[Coldgunner]

Think I may need to go to my local and have a look in person.

[oreamnos]

I believe the different sized cabside numbers are per prototype. Compare:

 

http://www.ingenious...}&viewby=images

 

with

 

http://www.ehattons.com/47708/Dapol_Model_Railways_ND129B_A3_class_steam_locomotive_and_tender_2750_Papyrus_in_LNER_apple_green/StockDetail.aspx

 

Matt

[Roy L S]

I believe the different sized cabside numbers are per prototype. Compare:

 

http://www.ingenious...}&viewby=images

 

with

 

http://www.ehattons....tockDetail.aspx

 

Matt

 

Hi Matt

 

Couldn't open your link, but having had a further look around the Internet, while I cannot find a good profile pic of 2750, contrary to what I said yesterday pics of other class members from the same period do actually suggest the Dapol model is more probably correct (Big dollop of humble pie duly eaten).

 

Regards

 

Roy

[n-gauge]

Matt's link worked for me, and the numbering is in the same style as Dapol's loco. Its certainly something I wasn't aware of, and have not noticed it on other locos in larger scales.

 

I have one reserved at my local retailer, but my dodgy hip is preventing me driving or getting up int the loft to run my layout.

[CF MRC]

My Papyrus arrived today. There are good pictures of it on the Osborn's Models web site. It can be turned into a really useful engine. A few comments:

 

From a cosmetic point of view, the apple green is spot on. Certainly, the lining would benefit from cooling down a bit: i.e. weathering to make it less prominent on the corners, washout plugs etc. The coupling between engine and tender has to be shortened (there is enough slack in the driveshaft to allow this) and the cut out in the front buffer beam filled in. I'm tempted to use a piece of white plastic strip for this and scratch the white line through the edge of the red paint. The ejector pipe should also be black over the smokebox and could benefit from being smaller. The green valance can be painted over, although I scratched this paint off of the edge. When the body is off, I'll see if the dome can be snuggled in a bit better. Despite the comments in the thread above, I will probably 'grow' the 5 & 0 a bit to balance the size a touch.

 

Mechanically, I'll need to see what can be done to the wheels to convert them to 2mm fine scale, by simply reducing flange width and altering back -to - back. I think the valve gear is capable of improvement in width and some dimensions. It looks a bit 'leggy' to me.

 

All in all, it will look smashing on the front of my Queen of Scots Pullman set. Life is so much easier nowadays!

 

Tim

[Les1952]

[

Mechanically, I'll need to see what can be done to the wheels to convert them to 2mm fine scale, by simply reducing flange width and altering back -to - back. I think the valve gear is capable of improvement in width and some dimensions. It looks a bit 'leggy' to me.

 

Tim

 

One thing that looks right, at least to me, on Dapol's Gresley pacifics is that they look right when moving in a way that earlier models just don't. Gresley pacifics are "long-legged", like the racehorses so many were named after.

 

This is down to the length of the eccentric rod- the long one from the eccentric on the middle driver to the link down from the expansion link. On most locos the front end of these is close to the rearmost rim of the front driving wheel. On an A3 and A4 it is almost opposite the centre of the front driving wheel (ie about 4mm longer in N). Dapol got this right- the Farish A3 and A4 have a short rod like a Duchess and the Minitrix ones follow the German O1 class.

 

When this unusually long rod is moving it gives the same effect as you get when racehorses are running- long-legged. The leggy valve-gear is what Gresley designed.

 

All the very best

Les

[CF MRC]

Les

Fully agree with you that the eccentric rod is the right length. I was more concerned that the eccentric/return crank and the expansion link were too long, i.e. both too much throw. Also the eccentric is set to the middle of the axle, so it doesn't describe a circle. I think that re-positioning the pivot for the expansion link closer to the die block slots and shortening the eccentric throw are achievable: there is plenty of metal to work on to shift one holes width on both.

 

Still a huge improvement on previous efforts....

 

Tim

[Atso]

Hi Tim,

 

Any chance of seeing some pictures of Papyrus? I too noticed the last two digits of the cab side number look strange, how bad is it in the flesh?

 

I'm still waiting for my Papyrus, Hatton's seem to have them in stock but I placed my order with Rails of Sheffield who don't yet...

 

I'm looking to back date my A3 into A1 condition, this will mean moving the steam pipe over to the other side of the boiler (as well as some other modifications). Does anyone know a good match for Dapol's LNER green as I'm sure I'm going to have a few holes to fill in and I don't fancy trying to reproduce Dapol's superb lining job by going for a full repaint...

[Gareth Collier]

Hi Tim,

 

Any chance of seeing some pictures of Papyrus? I too noticed the last two digits of the cab side number look strange, how bad is it in the flesh?

 

 

 

Greetings,

Here are the 2 links from Matts earlier post. Dapol seem to have got this spot on but I'm sure many will still dispute the authenticity of the mis matched numbers. Perhaps Dapol should include a photo with each loco!

http://www.ingenious...}&viewby=images

 

http://www.ehattons....tockDetail.aspx

 

Gareth

[CF MRC]

 

 

Any chance of seeing some pictures of Papyrus? I too noticed the last two digits of the cab side number look strange, how bad is it in the flesh?

 

Steve:

This is the link to the Osborn Models web page with Papyrus featured. better pictures than I would take:

http://www.osbornsmodels.com/nd129b--Dapol-a3-pacific-2750--papyrus-lner-lined-apple-green-17633-p.asp

Tim

[beast66606]

Dapol seem to have got this spot on but I'm sure many will still dispute the authenticity of the mis matched numbers

 

Any chance of seeing some pictures of Papyrus? I too noticed the last two digits of the cab side number look strange, how bad is it in the flesh?

 

How can it be "bad" if it's spot on ?

[S.A.C Martin]

One thing detracting from Papyrus is the green and orange lining on the running plate. It should just be red lining out on black...?

 

Is it possible the Hattons sample has a BR era running plate attached?

[Les1952]

Sorry folks, but if you look at the widely-published colour close-up photo of 2582 Sir Hugo- available as Colourail NE204, you will find the line along the footplate valance to be.... ORANGE.

 

another case of the prototype not matching what we believe it should be like?

 

All the very best

Les

 

PS- the link to this photo was sent by me to Dapol Dave as a colour reference for the LNER A3s.

[S.A.C Martin]

Sorry folks, but if you look at the widely-published colour close-up photo of 2582 Sir Hugo- available as Colourail NE204, you will find the line along the footplate valance to be.... ORANGE.

 

another case of the prototype not matching what we believe it should be like?

 

All the very best

Les

 

PS- the link to this photo was sent by me to Dapol Dave as a colour reference for the LNER A3s.

 

Hi Les,

 

Can you advise on the date the photograph is please? Orange lining on its own may be believeable, but not a green running plate lined in orange on an LNER A3. I am reading RCTS Volume 2A on the A3 Pacifics at this very moment and the standard lining out on running plates, frames and cylinders is always described as red on black while in LNER apple green.

 

Is it possible the colour photograph is showing the red rather brighter and more orangey than it should be?

 

I understand of course, and it has proven before, that not all is as it seems in the railway world sometimes, regarding history; but this particular livery variation has either slipped the net of many various publications and esteemed authors and knowledgable people regarding the LNER, or it's a misinterpretation of a discoloured photograph. The latter seems more likely to me but I am happy to be corrected.

 

If you do have the link, would you mind sharing it please Les?

[Pennine MC]

How can it be "bad" if it's spot on ?

 

Aesthetically displeasing, presumably. A model (any model) may well be 100% correct to prototype, but still unattractive to an individual. YMMV of course.