Dapol's new Class 68 locomotives

[Adam1701D]

Double-checked and all handrails present and correct.

[Kaput]

Hope the N gauge version of Felix (and the rest of that batch) turns up sometime soon, ideally with all handrails ;)

[martin_l_jones]

Need some Chiltern coaches from Hornby to go with 68014 !

[Roy Langridge]

23 minutes ago, martin_l_jones said:

Need some Chiltern coaches from Hornby to go with 68014 !

 

Need somebody to make them, the Hornby slide-door Mk3 is no good for Chiltern and would need a complete body retool.

 

Roy

[Adam1701D]

The problem is that the tooling costs for a small batch of coaches would make them prohibitively expensive, given the limited appeal. Perhaps one of the 3D modellers out there could produce a new end/door section to graft onto an existing Mk3?

 

I was working on vinyl overlays foe the Chiltern coaches at Electra before the end, so perhaps these could be resurrected when the new owners take over.

[Sweetling Park]

I am pleased to see this year's release includes 68006 in the DRS/NTS "Powering a greener Britain" livery, as I was hoping that would be produced at some point.  I have seen the real loco in that livery and thought it was a nice livery.  It certainly makes it stand out so should add something a little different to the layout.

[GEARJAMMER]

Sorry if this has been covered in one of the other previous 117 pages.....

I've been offered an opportunity to buy a model of 68005 in DRS livery, is the livery on the model correct, ive had a quick look at photos of the model and the real thing and can't see an issue but I believe there was an error on the first release, but im not sure if 68005 was on the first release or a later batch, i think i seen 68002 mentioned?

Any clarification would be gratefully recieved.

[adb968008]

7 hours ago, GEARJAMMER said:

Sorry if this has been covered in one of the other previous 117 pages.....

I've been offered an opportunity to buy a model of 68005 in DRS livery, is the livery on the model correct, ive had a quick look at photos of the model and the real thing and can't see an issue but I believe there was an error on the first release, but im not sure if 68005 was on the first release or a later batch, i think i seen 68002 mentioned?

Any clarification would be gratefully recieved.

this link from Hattons website shows the issue

https://www.hattons.co.uk/145648/dapol_4d_022_002_class_68_68005_defiant_in_drs_livery/stockdetail
 

the Aurora blue effect should be passing under the DRS logo and number on the number 1 cab end.

 

like this…

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/276401/dapol_4d_022_010_class_68_68008_avenger_in_direct_rail_services_compass_livery/stockdetail
 

 

Dapol did make replacement bodies, so if the owner did so they may have swapped them for an accurate one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JohnC]

Personally, I do not think Dapol get the accolades they deserve for these locos. When they first came out, there was not another rtr loco to match them. They are superbly detailed and have excellent haulage capacity.

 

[spamcan61]

6 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Personally, I do not think Dapol get the accolades they deserve for these locos. When they first came out, there was not another rtr loco to match them. They are superbly detailed and have excellent haulage capacity.

 

... and very good value for money versus Hornby or Bachmann.

[Creampot Junction]

On 19/05/2023 at 08:00, martin_l_jones said:

Need some Chiltern coaches from Hornby to go with 68014 !

Been waiting years for someone to make some. But no luck yet 😥

[Roy Langridge]

10 hours ago, JohnC said:

Personally, I do not think Dapol get the accolades they deserve for these locos. When they first came out, there was not another rtr loco to match them. They are superbly detailed and have excellent haulage capacity.

 

Whilst I would challenge the “not another rtr loco to match them” given the SLW Class 24 was already released, I agree fully these are very much under appreciated. 
 

Roy

[ERIC ALLTORQUE]

The only let down is the sound fitted dont sound like the real thing which is a shame as what a fantastic noise they have in real life,by now they should have a chassis to have the bass speaker inside to recreate it.

[zr2498]

On 11/06/2023 at 16:38, ERIC ALLTORQUE said:

The only let down is the sound fitted dont sound like the real thing which is a shame as what a fantastic noise they have in real life,by now they should have a chassis to have the bass speaker inside to recreate it.

 

It might be worth looking at this. Planning to do the same.

 

 

[Rhydgaled]

On 19/05/2023 at 08:25, Roy Langridge said:

 

Need somebody to make them, the Hornby slide-door Mk3 is no good for Chiltern and would need a complete body retool.

 

Roy

I was thinking couldn't they just do a run of the slam-door mark 3s in Chiltern livery, but then I Googled up a pic of a Chiltern class 67 and saw it was running with the plug-door coaches so presumably the coaches had all been modernised before the 68s arrived. I suppose there's always the 'Banbury set', both in blue & grey and the later white with silver ends. Even then, to be strictly accurate we would need accurate mark 3a coaches - does the newly retooled slam-door range now include the mark 3a roof vents?

 

On 19/05/2023 at 09:47, Adam1701D said:

The problem is that the tooling costs for a small batch of coaches would make them prohibitively expensive, given the limited appeal. Perhaps one of the 3D modellers out there could produce a new end/door section to graft onto an existing Mk3?

 

I was thinking, with Hornby having the mark 3a roof vents on some of the XC slide-door mark 3s and the slide-doors being recessed rather than a nice flush finish, perhaps somebody could produce a 3D printed (or maybe some sort of resin) Chiltern-style plug door insert which would be a simple push-fit into the slide-door recess on the Hornby model. The GFW (Galley First Wheelchair) aka 'buffet' or 'business zone coach' would still be missing suppose, and the Chiltern mark 3 coaches retain some of the toilet windows (they are all gone on the slide-door ones due to the door sliding into where the window used to be) which could be an issue.

[WCML100]

6 hours ago, Rhydgaled said:

I was thinking couldn't they just do a run of the slam-door mark 3s in Chiltern livery, but then I Googled up a pic of a Chiltern class 67 and saw it was running with the plug-door coaches so presumably the coaches had all been modernised before the 68s arrived. I suppose there's always the 'Banbury set', both in blue & grey and the later white with silver ends. Even then, to be strictly accurate we would need accurate mark 3a coaches - does the newly retooled slam-door range now include the mark 3a roof vents?

 

 

I was thinking, with Hornby having the mark 3a roof vents on some of the XC slide-door mark 3s and the slide-doors being recessed rather than a nice flush finish, perhaps somebody could produce a 3D printed (or maybe some sort of resin) Chiltern-style plug door insert which would be a simple push-fit into the slide-door recess on the Hornby model. The GFW (Galley First Wheelchair) aka 'buffet' or 'business zone coach' would still be missing suppose, and the Chiltern mark 3 coaches retain some of the toilet windows (they are all gone on the slide-door ones due to the door sliding into where the window used to be) which could be an issue.

the issue is the chiltern mk3 sliding doors are a completely different shape and size in comparison to the door they replaced, unlike the HST sliding door which still ‘fit’ in roughly the same space. 
 

you can model the banbury set with livery mods to the oxford mk3a’s if thats helpful. 

[zr2498]

On 01/08/2023 at 21:54, zr2498 said:

 

It might be worth looking at this. Planning to do the same.

 

 

 

Installed in Vigilant and Fearless

 

The kit. Note that Digitrains modified the decoder 440C to replicate a 440D.

 

 

Speaker held down by black tack rather than glued

 

 

The decoder had wires already connected to the solder pads. So stay alive and decoder wires connected.

 

 

Tidy up

 

 

Very impressed with the sound. Even better than on the U-tube video!

 

 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by zr2498

[Rhydgaled]

On 02/08/2023 at 19:10, WCML100 said:

the issue is the chiltern mk3 sliding doors are a completely different shape and size in comparison to the door they replaced, unlike the HST sliding door which still ‘fit’ in roughly the same space.
 

you can model the banbury set with livery mods to the oxford mk3a’s if thats helpful. 

Regarding the doors, surely both styles of power doors are completely different to the original 'slam doors' since those wrapped round the end of the coach body while both styles of power door have a new solid pillar built at the corner of the bodyshell, where the hinges used to be?

As for the Oxford Rail models isn't it the case that, while Hornby and Lima made reasonably accurate HST mark 3s (but not a slam-door mark 3a, unless the new Hornby tooling has added the appropriate roof vent style), Oxford messed up the shape of the underframe so failed to accurately model any mark 3? (I've never seen the Oxford Rail model 'in the flesh' but it looks wrong in some of the photos I've found online).

[WCML100]

11 hours ago, Rhydgaled said:

Regarding the doors, surely both styles of power doors are completely different to the original 'slam doors' since those wrapped round the end of the coach body while both styles of power door have a new solid pillar built at the corner of the bodyshell, where the hinges used to be?

As for the Oxford Rail models isn't it the case that, while Hornby and Lima made reasonably accurate HST mark 3s (but not a slam-door mark 3a, unless the new Hornby tooling has added the appropriate roof vent style), Oxford messed up the shape of the underframe so failed to accurately model any mark 3? (I've never seen the Oxford Rail model 'in the flesh' but it looks wrong in some of the photos I've found online).

Im not an MK3 expert so don’t know if the oxford release is incorrect to that extent. I have a few and have modelled one in chiltern condition from the oxford model and generally quite satisfied by them. 
 

regarding the sliding doors, i am talking from a tooling perspective that the chiltern ones need a full body tool of their own, where as the the HST sliding door type is much easier to model as one, they are RTR now but also their dimensions fit into the original door space from a visual point of view from the outside, where as the chiltern plug type are completely different from the original doors

[TomScrut]

16 minutes ago, WCML100 said:

regarding the sliding doors, i am talking from a tooling perspective that the chiltern ones need a full body tool of their own, where as the the HST sliding door type is much easier to model as one

 

I think the Hornby SDs were a complete retool, but the market is larger too. In the last few years, SD mk3s were running in Scotland as XC and ScotRail, ECML down to Yorkshire as XC (and ScotRail on stock moves from Donny), then across to the Midlands, then in the Western region as XC and GWR. Far greater market than the Chiltern main line IMO.

[atom3624]

I love my Dapol TPE 68's .... but:

Splendid, which I fitted the front / rear handrails - reasonable but not perfect I admit - only runs in one direction.  Separately powered the motor is fine, so that'll doubtless be a PCB issue.  She's already on her 2nd motor as well.  I only generally ran her with the A/Scale TPE 5-coach set.

Brutus is on at least her 2nd motor, and needs another.

I will set trains going at 'an appropriate setting' which for these is typically ~60% and can leave for perhaps one hour at a time, but I've plenty of Hornby and Bachmann locomotives still comfortably on their 1st motor with no drivetrain issues / motor wear problems.

I admit I'm a little reticent to approach a 'Warranty claim' for the PCB as I was knocked back on a Western a couple of years ago.

Splendid was purchased off Rails last year when they came out.

Anyone have any ideas who could check out the PCB, and possibly repair it?

Thanks,

Al.

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by atom3624

[atom3624]

Well I mentioned my dilemma to Rails, where I purchased Splendid, and within minutes, there's an email and postage label - FANTASTIC SERVICE (so far, here's hoping) and thank you Rails.

Al.

[atom3624]

Another Gold Star for Rails.

They've got back to me, to confirm receipt, initial review, failure as I reported, and that they'll forward 'to the manufacturer' for repairs.

 

Al.

[atom3624]

Well here we are, nearly 4 weeks on ....

Rails called yesterday to say 'the manufacturer' has fully repaired the locomotive, and they've just tested her - both directions - and all seems fine.

I should receive her tomorrow or Friday - great news and THANK YOU RAILS once again.

Al.

[atom3624]

'Splendid return' - indeed it has.

As advised by Rails, it now performs perfectly.

A quick 'desk test' with a 9V battery does indeed confirm operation in both directions.

THANK YOU to both Rails of Sheffield, and to Dapol / DCC Spares.

 

Al.