Dapol new N-gauge M7

[Gareth Collier]

There are plenty of examples out there with wonky lettering including one further up this page.

[5944]

3 hours ago, Gareth Collier said:

There are plenty of examples out there with wonky lettering including one further up this page.

If you scroll your screen down, the lettering is parallel with the rails, even though the running plate slopes forwards. I'm not sure how Dapol have managed it! The lining is slightly out of kilter as well somehow.

[Izzy]

The poor placement of the lining and lettering is just indication of sloppy factory assembly since they will be applied/printed with the body in a tool for accurate placement and alignment. 
 

With regard to the  nose-down issue and taking this into account alongside study of the photos posted I’m just wondering if the problem is the the bogie’s have been fitted upside down in the chassis? 
 

How is the bogie fitted? With a screw? Anyone with one care to check and try reversing it? Dapol would be grateful no doubt if this is the case…..

 

Bob

[Silly Moo]

It’s the lettering in relation to the lining that’s one of the problems. Or perhaps you could say the lining is out of alignment, either way it doesn’t look right. 

Edited April 27, 2023 by Silly Moo
Addition

[Graham_Muz]

Ride height fix here https://www.Dapol.co.uk/blogs/news/n-gauge-m7-ride-height-fix

[TomE]

Good that a solution is available, I’ll be interested to see how people get on with the suggested modification. 
 

Will those versions yet to arrive be modified by the factory prior to delivery? 
 

It also means those with printing that is currently level like those shown here will now be out of alignment, which is a bit unfortunate! 
 

Tom. 

[AndyB]

I'd be interested to know if making this modification would invalidate the guarantee.

Or, put another way, if I did this and the contacts snapped in the process would Dapol accept liability and fix it? 

 

That's not to say that this isnt good news. 

 

[woodenhead]

Just now, AndyB said:

I'd be interested to know if making this modification would invalidate the guarantee.

Or, put another way, if I did this and the contacts snapped in the process would Dapol accept liability and fix it? 

 

That's not to say that this isnt good news. 

 

Simple, just return the loco for Dapol to fix, then the guarantee is maintained, they'd probably also respect the guarantee though if you snapped it as you wouldn't be playing with the contact if Dapol had installed it correctly in the first place.  Commonsense applies here, they won't look for an out if it is a manufacturing fault in the first place.

[dpgibbons]

Simpler still, return it to the retailer. Who knows how long it will take Dapol to do the fix, and they won't fix the wonky lettering.

Edited April 29, 2023 by dpgibbons

[Adam1701D]

21 hours ago, woodenhead said:

Simple, just return the loco for Dapol to fix, then the guarantee is maintained, they'd probably also respect the guarantee though if you snapped it as you wouldn't be playing with the contact if Dapol had installed it correctly in the first place.  Commonsense applies here, they won't look for an out if it is a manufacturing fault in the first place.

Common sense applies on both sides. I am sure that we would happily repair an M7 if the customer managed to damage the metal strip (which is quite robust). Just drop us a mail; we are a nice bunch :-)

[fezza]

On 28/04/2023 at 10:21, Graham_Muz said:

Ride height fix here https://www.Dapol.co.uk/blogs/news/n-gauge-m7-ride-height-fix

Useful, but 'bend the pickups' seems a rather primitive solution. If done clumsily it could affect pickup ability and electrical continuity. Dapol really need to recall them as faulty and fit pickups of the correct size and shape.

 

Sorry if this seems negative, but this is something else in a long line of faults on Dapol products - the gunked-up 121/122 chassis that stutter at low speeds, 156s bodies that still haven't been replaced, the bendy body 153s that were being sold long after the fault was identified, the inaccurate sleeper liveries that have been barely acknowledged as problematic, let alone been corrected...

 

I'm going to be very cautious at picking up new Dapol products until the quality control is there.

 

 

[Adam1701D]

Not a primitive solution, correcting something that was missed in manufacturing. We will do the fix for the M7 for ay customer who does not feel happy doing it themselves. We are as bummed disappointed by the situation as anyone else. 

 

The replacement 156 bodies are going to be in production soon - the reason for the delay is that we decided to correct the shade of orange and this took a lot of attempts by the factory to get right.

 

We have big plans for N Gauge, with at least a dozen unannounced new and retool projects currently underway.

 

 

[woodenhead]

45 minutes ago, Captain Electra said:

We have big plans for N Gauge, with at least a dozen unannounced new and retool projects currently underway.

 

 

I like the sound of that, what is the sort of time period before these begin to surface, I know it won’t be an exact science

[bluedepot]

it's great that adam is with Dapol now and also replying to posts.

 

i think we've all had some let downs from Dapol and felt disappointed (or cross) at times, but also some great models too over the years.

 

great to hear some more products are planned to come.

 

on the m7 - if anyone has pics of their fixed locos please post them and we can see if they are level now and how to lining looks. 

 

have a great bank holiday monday 

 

 

tim

 

[Hilux5972]

Is a letter missing or is it supposed to be like that?

Edited May 22, 2023 by Hilux5972

[woodenhead]

It's meant to be like that.

[Graham_Muz]

3 hours ago, Hilux5972 said:

Is a letter missing or is it supposed to be like that?

 

It is correct for the Drummond livery as applied between December 1895 and August 1897.

 

Edited May 22, 2023 by Graham_Muz
typo!

[Curlew]

32 minutes ago, Graham_Muz said:

 

It is correct for the Drummond livery as applied between December 1895 and August 1987.

 

Quite a long time then ;) 

[Graham_Muz]

1 minute ago, Curlew said:

Quite a long time then ;) 

 

As applied yes :) but those locos so applied would have been in service carrying the style for longer...

 

[Curlew]

1 hour ago, Graham_Muz said:

 

As applied yes :) but those locos so applied would have been in service carrying the style for longer...

 

Sorry you missed my point - your closing date was 1987 (presume you meant 1897?)

[Graham_Muz]

12 minutes ago, Curlew said:

Sorry you missed my point - your closing date was 1987 (presume you meant 1897?)

 

Doh yes, well spotted duly corrected! 

[Mr chapman]

Is the southern M7 37 correct? I thought the lining should be white? Although I know early on it may be different given the E prefix. The first run of which I have one has white lining. 

[Crepello]

My early crest 30673 arrived today. It sits level on the track. It (DC) weighs 43g, compared with the first version’s 24g. Despite the increased weight, it won’t be adequate for Waterloo-Clapham e.c.s., but will be more at home on the Sidmouth branch with 3 coaches or 6 wagons.

[Wotan]

I’ve a question to owners of these little locos, I have one and it’s runs beautifully no complaints at all especially with a decoder and stay alive fitted but a customer bought one from us the other day and came back and said it doesn’t run round 1st radius curves, we exchanged for another and he’s been back saying this one is a bit better but still not very good.

Has anybody else had this experience, sounds not quite right to me and I’ve suggested give it a good run in and oil ?

anyone got any comments to make.

Thanks in advance 

michael 

[SandHutton]

Hi Michael - Guy from 2mm, hope you're well.  I have bought one and had it tested at gaugemaster before hand and it seemed fine on there relatively tight circuit (probably R2?).  There is no mention of radius restrictions on the service sheet so I would assume its designed to cope with R1.