Dapol/ex-Lionheart Announcements

[Kris]

PS - they're on the Hatton's website already for under £200... http://www.hattons.co.uk/stocklist/1000396/1000590/1000640/1446724/Dapol_O_Gauge_1_43_Scale_Steam_locos_UK_rail_era_3_The_Big_Four_LMS_GWR_LNER_SR_1923_1947_1923_1947/prodlist.aspx

 

 

I wouldn't trust any pre order price given by Hatton's, they are not worth the pixels they are used to display them. 

 

I wonder if the 64xx could be cheaper but there may have been a thought that if the price was cut too far it would devalue the brand. 

[frobisher]

I wonder why the price difference between two models, that are on the face of it, very similar in specification? Or is there something I'm missing about the Dapol 57xx that allows it to be cheaper?

It might well be where they are made or where the tooling was originally made. The Lionheart tooling may need modification to work at Dapol's manufacturer in the far east so that cost may be reflected in the price difference, whereas the new Dapol tooling was made with that plant in mind.

[brianthesnail96]

They do say that further Ex-Lionheart releases will be announced soon so I wonder if the small prairie is on the cards!

 

Willy

 

 

  

 

The merger announcement suggested that Dapol were taking on the "plastic" models (there's actually quite a lot of die cast in the Lionheart pannier, more than there is plastic) and the higher end brass stuff will continue to be sold and developed by Richard working alone as Lionheart. There are several wagon variants not yet mentioned that I would expect Dapol to re release, specifically the 16T minerals as they will complement the Dapol 10ft wheelbase wagons due later this year.

 

The Lionheart Pannier is a fairly complex "mixed media" body, with lots of diecast and metal details- it's also a belt drive chassis. I imagine the Dapol 57xx will follow the Terrier in having a metal chassis with plastic cosmetic sideframes and a mostly plastic body, and I'd be very surprised if it doesn't have a very similar motor/ gearbox arrangement as the Terrier and 08. That will go some way to explaining the price difference. The end result probably won't be quite as "quality" but I'm more than happy with my Terrier both aesthetically and functionally and the 08 is shaping up to be better still. This is pure guesswork by the way, I could be completely wrong on the spec of the 57xx!

[Bartb]

Thats great new, better start saving up then

[jjb1970]

I think there could be many reasons. Dapol may be modifying the model to reduce costs, if that can be done without visibly compromising the model or degrading its performance then I see nothing wrong with that. Or perhaps the tooling paid for itself from the Lionheart runs and Dapol are looking only at costs to manufacture and distribute, not develop and tool. Or perhaps they’re pricing these aggressively as part of a strategy to grow their O gauge range? Certainly the Terrier and 08 models were aggressively priced for O gauge models. Maybe Dapol are just working to lower margins? Whatever the reason the net result is that O gauge modelling is being made a lot more accessible, which must be a good thing. I know a lot have criticised the Dapol wagons (and there are justifiable criticisms to be made there) but along with Heljan and Ixion Dapol are really opening up O gauge and that should be applauded I think. At a time when OO prices are going up I’d be really tempted to look at what I could do with a small end to end and a small selection of nice rolling stock if I hadn’t reverted to HO.

[Phill Dyson (onslaught832)]

Hi Phil, I was thinking the same a couple of months ago, they have done 2mm  & 4mm, so 7mm is the next logical step.

 

I don't do kettles normally, but at those prices a little tank & Autocoach is getting harder to resist 

 

Craig.

I think I  may well get a 57xx at that price too  Craig 

[Hal Nail]

Any news on the ex Lionheart B set at Telford?

Edited September 3, 2016 by Hal Nail

[south_tyne]

Looking forward to announcement about the 16t and RCH mineral wagons in due course. Hopefully it won't be too long before they are available again.

[Jintyman]

Any news on the ex Lionheart B set at Telford?

 

Last I'd heard is that they'd been put back to November.

 

Jinty

[Kev_Lewis]

Last I'd heard is that they'd been put back to November.

 

Jinty

 

That is actually good for me to hear. Having blown a big chunk of cash at Telford today I can not make the B set my xmas pressie!

[Night Train]

I definitely want an autocoach now though.

[gardenwall]

The Dapol reference numbers given to the forthcoming reissue of the ex Lionheart autotrailers are 7P-004-001  thru 7P-004-005.   (Tower Models website)  Now the milk tankers, though technically passenger stock, were given 7F-031-xxx numbers by Dapol. So what are 7P-001-xxx, 7P-002-xxx and 7P-003-xxx?

 

Do Dapol have some other passenger stock in development that they have not disclosed yet? Or are these just the numbers allocated to the Lionheart  suburbans - diagrams D109, E140 and E141.

[PMP99]

The Lionheart Pannier is a fairly complex "mixed media" body, with lots of diecast and metal details- it's also a belt drive chassis. I imagine the Dapol 57xx will follow the Terrier in having a metal chassis with plastic cosmetic sideframes and a mostly plastic body, and I'd be very surprised if it doesn't have a very similar motor/ gearbox arrangement as the Terrier and 08. That will go some way to explaining the price difference. The end result probably won't be quite as "quality" but I'm more than happy with my Terrier both aesthetically and functionally and the 08 is shaping up to be better still. This is pure guesswork by the way, I could be completely wrong on the spec of the 57xx!

 

Am I reading this correctly that the ex-Lionheart pannier chassis is superior to the type of chassis Dapol are now employing?

 

Any thoughts gratefully received.

[brianthesnail96]

No, it's just a different way of doing things. The Dapol Terrier chassis is more traditional in design than the Lionheart one with it's fairly unusual belt drive. Not really better, just different.

 

My comment about quality was more referring to the amount of diecast in the Lionheart one. This was in quotation marks as it's really a matter of what is perceived as quality as opposed to actually making much of a difference to most aspects of the finished product.

Edited September 10, 2016 by brianthesnail96

[PMP99]

No, it's just a different way of doing things. The Dapol Terrier chassis is more traditional in design than the Lionheart one with it's fairly unusual belt drive. Not really better, just different.

 

My comment about quality was more referring to the amount of diecast in the Lionheart one. This was in quotation marks as it's really a matter of what is perceived as quality as opposed to actually making much of a difference to most aspects of the finished product.

 

Thanks very much for that clarification.

 

Like a few other people on here I think I'm going to be sorely tempted although I've never done 7mm (yet)!

[south_tyne]

Was there any mention at Telford of a re-release date for the 16t and RCH minerals? I haven't read anything official so maube it is just a case of 'in due course'.

[DavidM]

Was there any mention at Telford of a re-release date for the 16t and RCH minerals? I haven't read anything official so maube it is just a case of 'in due course'.

 

They're available at a few places if you search for ""Lionheart"".

[south_tyne]

They're available at a few places if you search for ""Lionheart"".

Cheers, hopefully managed to track a couple down now!

[NCB]

I'm wondering about the liveries of the 64XX models. 7S-024-002 is clearly Shirtbutton. But 7S-024-001 is described as "Great Western GWR Green". So is this GWR Green with "Great Western" branding, or Great Western Green with "GWR branding"?

 

Likewise for the 74XX, is 7S-025-001 "GWR Green" GWR green with "GWR" branding, or something else? Note that with these the GWR livery brandings are clear.

 

Whatever, these are all attractive prospects, as are the 57XX models. No doubt 8750 panniers could appear at some point. I may not get around to my planned purchase of a JLTRT pannier kit "sometime" after all!

[CME and Bottlewasher]

Hi,

 

Does anyone know if the Dapol Pannier (64/74xx) will be the same specification as the Lionheart version - I have been told that it will be?

 

The price seems to be £340.00 from most of the big box shifters with Antics being £399 and others at £340? Does anyone else know different?

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

ATVB

 

CME

 

Edit; On Tower's website they have confirmed that the model will be the same spec as the Lionheart original

Edited September 27, 2016 by CME and Bottlewasher

[CME and Bottlewasher]

I'm wondering about the liveries of the 64XX models. 7S-024-002 is clearly Shirtbutton. But 7S-024-001 is described as "Great Western GWR Green". So is this GWR Green with "Great Western" branding, or Great Western Green with "GWR branding"?

 

Likewise for the 74XX, is 7S-025-001 "GWR Green" GWR green with "GWR" branding, or something else? Note that with these the GWR livery brandings are clear.

 

Whatever, these are all attractive prospects, as are the 57XX models. No doubt 8750 panniers could appear at some point. I may not get around to my planned purchase of a JLTRT pannier kit "sometime" after all!

The 8750s and 57xx are being done by Minerva too...

[CME and Bottlewasher]

Can anyone direct me towards (or provide Links) to photos of 74xx working in or around Marlborough, Swindon, Gloucester etc.

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

CME

[90rob]

Can anyone direct me towards (or provide Links) to photos of 74xx working in or around Marlborough, Swindon, Gloucester etc.

 

Thanks in anticipation.

 

CME

 

 

There are three pictures of 74xxs (7418, 7421) working the Kemble - Tetbury branch in Bradford Barton 'Great Western Branch Line Steam' vol 1.

[CME and Bottlewasher]

There are three pictures of 74xxs (7418, 7421) working the Kemble - Tetbury branch in Bradford Barton 'Great Western Branch Line Steam' vol 1.

Ah! Thanks for that, kind of you and appreciated, I thought that Id seen a photo somewhere, I have that vol., its the only book that I hadnt looked in yet (doah!)!

 

Kindest regards,

 

CME

 

EDIT; Found them! Page 81 onwards. Also looks like a 64xx with an Autocoach/mixed Goods. Looks like 7421 & 7418 had Top Feeds.

Edited October 6, 2016 by CME and Bottlewasher

[CME and Bottlewasher]

As an update, I noted that from page 74-80 of GW Branchline Steam Vol 2 there are more-'local'-class 74xx on at Fairford et al (and as I had an ancestor that worked at Fairford, station-master IIRC, such has a little more interest for me). So within that Vol., locos Nos; 7411, 7412 & 7404 are to be seen, all Top Feed fitted so it would seem.

Edited October 6, 2016 by CME and Bottlewasher