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Dapol 00 Gauge LSWR B4

ndg910

By ndg910,
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Tim Hall

Tim Hall

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 I just received a B4 Caen thanks to Rails flash sale! Everything was where it should be, and it ran okay except it ticked quite loudly in reverse, this turned out to be the motion just catching the remarkably thin footstep. I very gently bent it away and the ticking was gone. I must say I was somewhat disappointed how light it was, Hornby's brilliant Peckett is so much smaller yet far heavier and will "wup" the B4s pants for haulage. Never being one to give up, I took it apart and saw that the side tanks are full of nothing but air except for a strange small plastic box in one of them. I filled all the available space with lead, including a disk in the front of the smokebox (bad idea!) Had real fun shortening the blanking plate enough to reassemble. However! now not only will it pull anything it runs so silky smooth compared to before. I'm super impressed and at less than £80 a real bargain. Just one thing that struck me as odd though, why go to all the effort of fitting flickering firebox, but no crew in there? I'm not sure it would be possible to get any in as the entrance is very tight. Also what is that strange device behind the dome? I noticed that the later BR liveried ones don't have it.

 

Easy enough to get crew in, and yes, they do hide the firebox flicker. Sorry about poor phone snap.

 

post-18087-0-21051700-1539931233_thumb.jpg

Edited by Tim Hall
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peteskitchen

peteskitchen

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Oh I forgot to add. I don't know how Dapol have done it considering the axles are rigidly mounted in bearings in the chassis, but I've never had an 0-4-0 go so well though insulated frogs before. Even the dreadful peco code 100 long crossing with its massive hideous plastic frogs doesn't even produce the slightest stutter.

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peteskitchen

peteskitchen

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It has a rocking front axle giving a degree of compensation. Is this a first for a RTR model ?

 Does it? I must have missed that. Thought it was just two axle bearings held in the chassis by the keeper plate. Saying that with my crappy eyesight I could have easily missed that! The Heljan/Hattons LMS Bayer Garratt has compensation. I think that's the only one so far before the B4.

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Butler Henderson

Butler Henderson

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 Some Airfix GMR had this feature which takes us back to the late 1970s. But it is always welcome and perhaps if given a little more publicity might feature in more mechanism designs.

Provided its thought through correctly unlike the Airfix 14xx that had a plastic gear wheel of the front axle rocking against a brass worm - cue stripped gear wheel.

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Oldddudders

Oldddudders

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Having today given both my B4s a bit of a workout tonight, I have to be impressed. My layout is about 70' continuous run, flat but with curves rather less than 3' radius in places. Codes 75 and 83, both Peco, obviously.  It is filthy, needs a good clean - the Heljan 128 (stops at nothing - would pull walls down) with a wet track-cleaner is overdue. But the B4s excelled. Their load in each case was a BSL Bulleid CK, which has dreadful running properties. Caen and 88 were stars. 

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JSpencer

JSpencer

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Plenty of locos have a sprung axle but I think the B4 has a lot more movement and probably benefits from it. The two I've seen running have performed perfectly.

I have 3 and all perform perfectly. That rocking axle really ensures perfect pickups and smooth running. More locos should be fitted with it.

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Graham_Muz

Graham_Muz

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I originally had four of which two were dead on arrival, but I fixed them myself rather than return them:

the first with a broken cylinder bracket meaning the cylinders and slide bars were loose in the box, but some careful reassembly and glue fixed it;

The second limped badly due to the floating front axle, the outside of the brass bearings are supposed to be square with slots to allow vertical movement in the frames, on one side the bearing was slightly rectangular and had been forced into the frames, turning it through 90 degrees fixed it.

Both now along with other two and 5th now obtained run nicely.

The chassis is a right faff to disassemble tho.

post-243-0-67035700-1539984322_thumb.jpeg

Edited by Graham_Muz
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Les1952

Les1952

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I now have the Dapol Club B4, DCC fitted, operating on NO PACE.  Kadee fitting and exhaustive testing of all locos and wagons had occupied much of the last fortnight.

 

The B4 is one of only three 4 wheeled locos that are able to shunt the screens at the rear of the layout.  This is an effect of two tight Y-points following each other and the second having a dead frog.

 

The three 4-wheeled locos that can successfully shunt the screens under all circumstances are -

  • The Dapol B4
  • The Model Rail Sentinel
  • A Roco Austrian "Glaskastern" 0-4-0 Tank.

 

Both of my Hornby Pecketts and the Hattons Barclay stall on the dead frog on the second Y if going slow enough to stay on the track on the first one.  The Hornby Sentinel derails on the second Y point.  Normal shunting can also be done by one of a trio of Hornby J94s, a Bachmann 57xx, a Hattons Class P, a DJModels Beattie, or class 03, 05, 08 or 14 diesels.  No other larger locos can cope.

 

 

post-13358-0-04795200-1540069055_thumb.jpg

 

I may well have posted this pic before. The loco now has Kadee couplings.

 

Les

 

Edited by Les1952
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JSpencer

JSpencer

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I see on Page 17 of the latest Dapol Collector's Club newsletter that some further B4s (with K14 boiler) are planned for Q2/Q3 2019. It'll be interesting to see what liveries are planned for these.

That is interesting.

 

FWIW 30084 with the K14 boiler worked at Dover in BR days. There is a photo of her in Kent Coast Heyday on page 47 with this boiler in early BR crest (pic taken on the 2nd July 1956).

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Gary H

Gary H

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I ordered a Dapol club B4 on the 18th of December. Money passed from my account but still no sign of loco but I got the forms a couple of days after.

Silly question, but do you need to fill in the club membership forms and post them back first??

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Gary H

Gary H

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I beleive you have to be a member of the club to be able to order the model so probably yes.

Even though the money has gone from my account? Just a thought, I appreciate the feedback.

I checked on the Dapol site just now, logged into the account and it says 'shipped'. 

I've sent a couple of emails too but had no reply.

Confused.com. 

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Hippo

Hippo

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I am interested in history of 'Sussex'.

I knew 2 survived into preservation, but can;t seem to find any info on Sussex and its yellow livery.

 

Also does any one know about the liveries of the Southampton dock loco liveries, I already have Caen in brown, but I see Guernsey will be produced in lined green ?

 

Thanks

Owen

 

 

 

 

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