Dapol Streamlined Railcar

[RogerE]

Don't forget that one of them operated on the Chesham Branch of the Met in March 1936, as a trial to see if such a vehicle was suitable.

[Ozexpatriate]

First let me state that I haven't as yet purchased the current Dapol catalogue - though I do intend to.

 

Having said that, have any images been published online regarding the planned GWR railcars? CAD, mock-ups anything?

 

(And yes, I believe I know what they are supposed to look like, I'm just curious.)

[Ozexpatriate]

 

Whilst on the subject of GWR railcars, some months ago i saw a photo of a GWR railcar set at Derby. From memory it was a two car unit with a GWR coach in the middle. I am guessing it was some kind of special train or railtour.

 

Does anyone else recall this image ?

Might be the set on its way to or from the Leeds area where it went for some trials in the early-ish 1950s; there's a fairly well known pic of it standing in the station at Harrogate.

Like this one of Nos. 37 and 38 Phil? Though that one is not Derby. It's from this website.

 

No. 18 is shown hauling a coach here.

Edited February 9, 2013 by Ozexpatriate

[buffalo]

...No. 18 is shown hauling a coach here.

That's not No 18, but one of the next series from 19 onwards. The caption is perhaps a little confusing.

 

Nick

[Ozexpatriate]

No two car units, but lots of good contemporary detail photographs of AEC railcars here. (Cab, front, side view of the front, etc)

Edited March 15, 2013 by Ozexpatriate

[dibber25]

No.18 was arguably the best looking of the lot. It was known as the Lambourn Valley car as it was built to haul a tail-load (mainly horseboxes) on the Newbury-Lambourn branch. I can understand why Dapol has chosen to model one of the early cars, because there's one at Swindon that can be scanned, but Nos. 1-4 were of limited usefulness, being only suitable for main line operation yet not having enough passenger capacity for it. Would have been much better to do 5-16 which were more widely useful (though still not ideal for some branch lines) and lasted longer (generally if they didn't get burned out by their own heating system). Unfortunately there's no surviving example to scan and they are very different from 1-4, having been built by Gloucester RC&W.

CHRIS LEIGH

[Armchair Modeller]

No.18 was arguably the best looking of the lot. It was known as the Lambourn Valley car as it was built to haul a tail-load (mainly horseboxes) on the Newbury-Lambourn branch. I can understand why Dapol has chosen to model one of the early cars, because there's one at Swindon that can be scanned, but Nos. 1-4 were of limited usefulness, being only suitable for main line operation yet not having enough passenger capacity for it. Would have been much better to do 5-16 which were more widely useful (though still not ideal for some branch lines) and lasted longer (generally if they didn't get burned out by their own heating system). Unfortunately there's no surviving example to scan and they are very different from 1-4, having been built by Gloucester RC&W.

CHRIS LEIGH

Hopefully, they will follow the usual Dapol pattern of starting at the beginning and working through to the end, assuming early sales are good enough

[wombatofludham]

To be honest, not being a GW modeller, I'm rather pleased they are doing the first batch as they are a stunning art deco icon. Some of the drawings I've seen of the buffet and interior are really nice and even though my steam era layout will be firmly LMS I'll be buying one and invoking penalty points on my modeller's licence to run one.

 

I think the first batch look better than the "razor edge" units and took the GW away from the fuddy-duddy quaint over-brassed Edwardian look of their copper kettles and into the modern streamlined era in one streamline swoop. The concept of a high speed diesel business express of limited load was also quite daring for the GW although probably based on the success of Germany's Flying Hamburger. The fact it became a victim of it's own success shows the concept was right - perhaps the GW might have considered in the longer term similar trains running at premium fares in addition to the regular services on other routes had the war not intervened?

[The Stationmaster]

To be honest, not being a GW modeller, I'm rather pleased they are doing the first batch as they are a stunning art deco icon. Some of the drawings I've seen of the buffet and interior are really nice and even though my steam era layout will be firmly LMS I'll be buying one and invoking penalty points on my modeller's licence to run one.

 

I think the first batch look better than the "razor edge" units and took the GW away from the fuddy-duddy quaint over-brassed Edwardian look of their copper kettles and into the modern streamlined era in one streamline swoop. The concept of a high speed diesel business express of limited load was also quite daring for the GW although probably based on the success of Germany's Flying Hamburger. The fact it became a victim of it's own success shows the concept was right - perhaps the GW might have considered in the longer term similar trains running at premium fares in addition to the regular services on other routes had the war not intervened?

I think it might have been a toss up between streamlined railcars and aeroplanes for any sort of premium, low capacity, traffic on some potential routes as the GWR always seems to have been a keen member of the Railway Air Service organisation.

[wombatofludham]

 

I think it might have been a toss up between streamlined railcars and aeroplanes for any sort of premium, low capacity, traffic on some potential routes as the GWR always seems to have been a keen member of the Railway Air Service organisation.

Agreed the GWR were very enthusiastic about air travel, but back in the 1930s the aircraft in use had a very limited capacity and were not all-weather capapble, so a 44 seat high-speed railcar fitted with GWR ATC would have been able to out-perform the DH Dragons and Dragon Rapides of the RAS, both for point to point speed and for reliability in poor weather, and carrying nearly six times the passengers. The railcars also offered far higher levels of comfort and amenity. Having sampled three different Dragon Rapides in real life, much as I enjoyed them, if I had the choice of sitting in one all the way from Castle Bromwich to Cardiff versus Railcar no 1 from Snow Hill to Cardiff Central, the railcar would win hands down, the DH89 isn't the most comfortable or quiet of aircraft!

[ThePipersSon]

Sorry to be pedantic about this, but railcar no 1 was not used on the Cardif - Birmingham service.

 

Railcar no 1 was the original, and the only one with just one engine.  It was fitted-out with a bus type interior, with about 70 seats.  It seems to have spent most of the time in the Thames Valley, I assume because of less power than the later railcars.

 

Railcars 2, 3 and 4 were the ones fitted-out with a buffet counter, and 2 toilets.  They were used initially on the Cardif - Birmingham route via Gloucester.

 

Railcars 5 to 16 were fitted out with bus type interiors, with 10 to 12 having a single toilet.

 

I agree that 5 to 16 would have seemed to be the obvious choice to model, but with the opportunity to laser-scan no 4 at Swindon makes the task of replicating the subtle complex curves of these vehicles a bit easier.

[wombatofludham]

Stand corrected (not a GWR fan as you can tell) but I can't help thinking even a bus seated, buffet less railcar would still be more comfortable than a Dragon Rapide!

[Neal Ball]

Does anyone know an update on the Dapol / GWR streamlined railcars.

 

It all seems to have gone very quiet... a search on the Dapol website could not come up with anything.

 

thanks,

[gwrrob]

It all seems to have gone very quiet... a search on the Dapol website could not come up with anything.

 

 

 

A disadvantage of not having a man in the camp on here any more.

[Kev_Lewis]

I'm sure I remember reading somewhere that this has been put on hold. The reason being the out of order traverser at Swindon's Steam Museum means No. 4 can not be moved to enable it to be laser scanned.
 
Edit:
Found the post here.

Edited October 29, 2013 by Kev_Lewis

[DJM Dave]

Hi,

When i left the capstan on the traverser was indeed broken and looked unlikely for repair anytime soon.

 

However i have since figured out a way round those associated problems, and maybe one of the newbies might have had that same thought process allowing them to do the model.

 

Cheers

Dave

[woodenhead]

Hi,

When i left the capstan on the traverser was indeed broken and looked unlikely for repair anytime soon.

However i have since figured out a way round those associated problems, and maybe one of the newbies might have had that same thought process allowing them to do the model.

Cheers

Dave

Cover it in plastic, create a mould, make a plaster cast and scan that

[DJM Dave]

Would it be safe to say it's at least a couple years away before it will be on the shelves at the Retailers.

Although it was my baby, I can't possibly say.

It may possibly take 2-3 years if it was started today.

 

Again I had a few ideas, but they more than likely all have their own regarding progress now.

[rprodgers]

Although it was my baby, I can't possibly say.

It may possibly take 2-3 years if it was started today.

 

Again I had a few ideas, but they more than likely all have their own regarding progress now.

I have been waiting for  30 years for one of these so I guess I will still have to be patient.

 

My preference was always one of the earlier series rather than   no 18 ... having made do with a Lima "razor blade" for many years

Edited October 31, 2013 by rprodgers

[jcm@gwr]

Although it was my baby, I can't possibly say.

It may possibly take 2-3 years if it was started today.

 

Again I had a few ideas, but they more than likely all have their own regarding progress now.

 

Hi Dave,

 

Does this mean they are going to do this model, or not?

I realise you are no longer privvy to Dapol's inner workings,

but I was wondering what your thoughts were on the chances,

or not?

 

If unlikely, would you consider picking up the baton?

 

Jeff

[DJM Dave]

Hi Jeff,

 

I couldn't possibly and of course won't speak on their behalf.

Sorry mate.

Cheers

Dave

[Kev_Lewis]

If unlikely, would you consider picking up the baton?

 

Go on Dave. I'd have one in O gauge!

[orcadian]

Go on Dave. I'd have one in O gauge!

Although the Dutch firm are making some very, very attractive big diesels , I agree wholeheartedly with you, Kev, and this is just the sort of model to attract me into 0 gauge!

Small enough, niche enough, a self-contained 'train' and a GWR BLT 'no-brainer'!  Or have GWR BLTs been banned now on account of their cliche 'choccy box' niceness (and high colesterol content???)  ?

 

I certainly will never have space  nor the ready cash for an 0 Gauge Class 52 and a serious rake behind it, let alone the non-availability of good RTR coaches,  but a Railcar, or a Railbus is a very different 0 Gauge entry proposition  

 

Richard

[Roy L S]

Although the Dutch firm are making some very, very attractive big diesels , I agree wholeheartedly with you, Kev, and this is just the sort of model to attract me into 0 gauge!

 

 

Isn't Heljan a Danish firm or am I missing something new? (Quite likely!).

 

Cheers

 

roy

[orcadian]

Isn't Heljan a Danish firm or am I missing something new? (Quite likely!).

 

Cheers

 

roy

Oops!!  Thanks, Roy!  I can only plead two excuses  1; the late hour at which I was on-line;  2;  I'm a little islander, not even a Little Englander!

 

I think Heljan from Denmark are shortly going to offer us another one-coach BR (WR) train which may well be just too temping to resist!

 

Richard.