Dapol's new Class 68 locomotives

[adb968008]

38 minutes ago, APOLLO said:

Here's Felix on the ELR a week or so ago. No Whiskers, I think she ate Kit e Kat !!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

A nice run behind her in a Mk 1 carriage at 25 mph !!!!

 

Brit15

I saw pictures of this at the ELR, is this vac fitted, or is the maroon rake air fitted ?

 

Whilst noting its handrails on the front i’m also drawn to its purple nameplate….

 

I hope someday a class 68 is preserved in this livery, its fantastic !

 

10 hours ago, WisTramwayMan said:

Don't think there's any mounting holes drilled (?) for them. And given it looks like a cock-up by Dapol shouldn't they be the ones sorting it out ? (Not customers buying their own !)

 

Yes, but I doubt its serious enough for them to re-do all the bodies, unfortunately I think the best your going to get is a hands up apology and option to return it.

 

hence why I posted a more likely outcome to help those really bothered by it, or of course buy an earlier one and rename it, they are easy peasy to renumber, you can practically remove the numbers with your fingernails and railtecs numbers are a doddle.

 

 

Edited July 13, 2022 by adb968008

[WisTramwayMan]

10 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

I saw pictures of this at the ELR, is this vac fitted, or is the maroon rake air fitted ?

 

Whilst noting its handrails on the front i’m also drawn to its purple nameplate….

 

I hope someday a class 68 is preserved in this livery, its fantastic !

 

 

Yes, but I doubt its serious enough for them to re-do all the bodies, unfortunately I think the best your going to get is a hands up apology and option to return it.

 

hence why I posted a more likely outcome to help those really bothered by it, or of course buy an earlier one and rename it, they are easy peasy to renumber, you can practically remove the numbers with your fingernails and railtecs numbers are a doddle.

 

 

Debatable. Given the intricacy of the detail on the rest of the loco - all the very small individual transfers/tampo prints - it seems obvious to me what segment of the market this loco is aimed at and a cock-up of a fair magnitude that they appear to have used the wrong bodyshell. You'd miss two or three of those small prints less than you would what they've done - miss the handrails - off what is, after all, the face of the loco. If it had been on a par with, say, the Hornby Railroad Range then I'd agree acceptable, but it's not - it's supposed to be considerably better than that.

[TomScrut]

10 hours ago, Ncarter2 said:

I was thinking they had used the shell from the early Chiltern models instead of the correct one.

 

That can't be the case as the Chilterns were Vossloh locos, 031 is a Stadler and looks to have the right moulding (something they didn't do on 032, it has the Vossloh logo on the front IIRC)

 

So it would appear that the only absolutely correct bodies in TPE are 019 and 023?

Edited July 13, 2022 by TomScrut

[Ncarter2]

2 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

That can't be the case as the Chilterns were Vossloh locos, 031 is a Stadler and looks to have the right moulding (something they didn't do on 032, it has the Vossloh logo on the front IIRC)

 

So it would appear that the only absolutely correct bodies in TPE are 019 and 023?

Is there a difference in the body moulding between the Vossloh and Stadler ones? Genuine question, I don’t really keep up in the 68’s. 

[TomScrut]

21 minutes ago, Ncarter2 said:

Is there a difference in the body moulding between the Vossloh and Stadler ones? Genuine question, I don’t really keep up in the 68’s. 

 

The Vossloh ones had a small logo front centre at the bottom of the body, Stadler ones don't. Dapols tooling covers both of these but some of the Stadler ones have ended up with it anyway. Very visible in the pic below (not mine, found on Flickr). This also shows the rails being discussed earlier.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2022 by TomScrut

[Ncarter2]

4 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

The Vossloh ones had a small logo front centre at the bottom of the body, Stadler ones don't. Dapols tooling covers both of these but some of the Stadler ones have ended up with it anyway. Very visible in the pic below (not mine, found on Flickr)

 

 

 

 

I see what you mean, every days a school day 😃. Looks like a error by Dapol then. No response yet to my enquiries. 

[TomScrut]

1 minute ago, Ncarter2 said:

I see what you mean, every days a school day 😃. Looks like a error by Dapol then. No response yet to my enquiries. 

 

I think 031 hasn't got that logo on the model, which is correct (023 is the last Vossloh one IIRC). The issue with the new one looks to be lack of top rails. My 032 (from last run) however has the rails but also a Vossloh logo on the front.

[Ncarter2]

Just now, TomScrut said:

 

I think 031 hasn't got that logo on the model, which is correct (023 is the last Vossloh one IIRC). The issue with the new one looks to be lack of top rails. My 032 (from last run) however has the rails but also a Vossloh logo on the front.

I just had a look at 027, no logo, so not the same moulding as the early Chiltern ones. I’ve found a new 023, £30 above the current models price, but looks like that is the only way to get one that’s correct. 

[TomScrut]

3 minutes ago, Ncarter2 said:

but looks like that is the only way to get one that’s correct. 

 

I believe 019 is also correct, and 034 is if you want a DRS coloured one to run with mk5s. Both long sold out though.

[Ncarter2]

Just now, TomScrut said:

 

I believe 019 is also correct, and 034 is if you want a DRS coloured one to run with mk5s. Both long sold out though.

019 seems to command high prices these days, generally higher than the others. Luckily, I have 034, I forgot it was one of the two DRS ones that could run with the mk5’s. 

[Gilbert]

12 hours ago, WisTramwayMan said:

Don't think there's any mounting holes drilled (?) for them. And given it looks like a cock-up by Dapol shouldn't they be the ones sorting it out ? (Not customers buying their own !)

Can someone post a picture - I'm expecting my Brutus Felix imminently.

Chris

Edited July 13, 2022 by Gilbert

[TomScrut]

2 minutes ago, Gilbert said:

Can someone post a picture - I'm expecting my Brutus imminently.

Chris

 

Brutus? As in the one from 2018-9? It has them already:

 

 

 

If you're on about the new ones, Kernow pics are good:

 

 

VS the real thing:

 

 

 

 

[TomScrut]

2 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Whilst noting its handrails on the front i’m also drawn to its purple nameplate….

 

That's not an error, that was only done a few weeks ago. I expect somebody will be doing one sooner or later!

[Gilbert]

Thanks - I've contacted my supplier

Chris

[Ian Hargrave]

1 hour ago, TomScrut said:

 

I believe 019 is also correct, and 034 is if you want a DRS coloured one to run with mk5s. Both long sold out though.

Well thank you for that. My Brutus will shortly have work 

[TomScrut]

3 minutes ago, Gilbert said:

Thanks - I've contacted my supplier

Chris

 

Is it Brutus you have ordered though or one of the new releases (Felix or Splendid)?

[Ncarter2]

The more I look at it, the more it stands out. I feel I will be retuning mine if Dapol are not going to offer a solution. 

[Gilbert]

8 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

Is it Brutus you have ordered though or one of the new releases (Felix or Splendid)?

Felix as in the Kernow photo

[WisTramwayMan]

11 minutes ago, Ncarter2 said:

The more I look at it, the more it stands out. I feel I will be retuning mine if Dapol are not going to offer a solution. 

My thoughts entirely. Particularly when I look at it next to the other 3 or 4 I've got, all which are OK (and as per an earlier post run beautifully). A shame, because as well as Felix I was contemplating adding Vigilant to the DRS fleet, and admit that although I haven't checked rather suspect that this will be wrong as well. Another own goal.....

[DanielP]

Cab hand rails are also not fitted on 68016 or 68018 from the current batch.

[Gilbert]

5 minutes ago, DanielP said:

Cab hand rails are also not fitted on 68016 or 68018 from the current batch.

or any by the look of it.

https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/c/1702/Class-68-Diesel

[Gilbert]

My retailer has responded as follows:

Dapol have replied to another customer today who has received a non dcc version to say that this is an error on their part. They will be producing handrails but they have no timeframe as to how long will be, they have asked customers to contact them directly with their contact details so they can send them to the customers when they do become available

I have asked them to tell Dapol there are no obvious holes for the handrails to be fitted if the Kernow photos are accurate and I await a response.

 

We should not be expected to start drilling into new body shells.

 

Chris

Edited July 13, 2022 by Gilbert

[Gilbert]

an update from the shop:

 

They have confirmed that they will be producing handrails and not new bodyshells, however, they are not sure yet on the fixings of this as there are no holes in the bodies on these.

 

Can't say I'm impressed by Dapol...I've been offered a refund by the retailer which is fine but I'd like to know the Dapol proposal first - but that won't be soon I'm sure...

Chris H

 

[TomScrut]

1 minute ago, Gilbert said:

an update from the shop:

 

They have confirmed that they will be producing handrails and not new bodyshells, however, they are not sure yet on the fixings of this as there are no holes in the bodies on these.

 

Can't say I'm impressed by Dapol...I've been offered a refund by the retailer which is fine but I'd like to know the Dapol proposal first - but that won't be soon I'm sure...

Chris H

 

 

Well, it's probably a commercial decision for them. Chances are that most people will (despite complaining and understandably not being happy with it) will accept the handrails and fix themselves, be completely oblivious to it and keep it or send back for a refund and somebody else will buy the loco and either be oblivious or fit the rails.

 

The only times I am aware of when shells have been completely remade has been when there has been a livery screw up and so the only option is for the bodies to be remade.

[Ian Hargrave]

Oh dear.Dapol gets it in the neck again .At least they actually have responded which is at least positive.They are not the only manufacturer to have suffered mistakes on delivery. Let’s be fair .These things happen with remote production facilities I’m afraid.