OO Gauge GWR Toplight Mainline & City Coaches announced

[Hal Nail]

4 hours ago, jaym481 said:

I noticed then that the bogies are attached by a substantial screw, and have a spring which pushes the bogie towards the body of the coach

Every sprung coach I have, from a variety of sources, has it between the screw head and the bogie. It holds the bogie in place against the body but with some give.

 

I suspect the other way round would promote body wobble and tilting as the body would be forced away from the bogie.

Edited March 8 by Hal Nail

[Andy Keane]

5 hours ago, jaym481 said:

Roco close couplers

Could you say which Roco part number you are using please?

thanks

Andy

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, Andy Keane said:

Could you say which Roco part number you are using please?

thanks

Andy

4 off (2 pair) #40270

large pack (50) #40271

 

They do not make the coaches very close compared to the fixed bars

Edited March 8 by melmerby

[Andy Keane]

23 minutes ago, melmerby said:

4 off (2 pair) #40270

large pack (50) #40271

 

They do not make the coaches very close compared to the fixed bars

Thanks. Have you tried them on groups of wagons you don’t need to shunt separately? I use Kadee  couplers but have some groups I don’t want to come apart.

Edited March 8 by Andy Keane

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, Andy Keane said:

Have you tried them on groups of wagons you don’t need to shunt separately?

They work best with the kinematic coupling mechanisms, which of course Kadee are not too good with.

I'm not sure what they would be like on wagons, especially short wheelbase ones.

[BlackRat]

I paid £54 quid each for mine, incredible value for money for what must be some of the best rtr coaches yet.

[jaym481]

12 hours ago, Hal Nail said:

Every sprung coach I have, from a variety of sources, has it between the screw head and the bogie. It holds the bogie in place against the body but with some give.

 

I suspect the other way round would promote body wobble and tilting as the body would be forced away from the bogie.

Thanks. I may have been biased by how locomotive bogies are often sprung in order to keep them on the track.

[jaym481]

8 hours ago, melmerby said:

4 off (2 pair) #40270

large pack (50) #40271

 

They do not make the coaches very close compared to the fixed bars

They seemed to be close to the longest bar, but they are a necessity at this point, so I'll live with it.

 

I don't understand why UK outline can't do close coupling like Continental HO. I have a rake of Roco coaches that negotiate 20" curves with ease and are so close on the straight you need to look very hard to see daylight between them. That's out of the box.

[Toton]

My Rapido Mink As and O11/O15 arrived hot on the heels of my Dapol Toplights but Dapol, unlike Rapido, have done the slightly annoying (but very common thing) of not saying where the details fit. Before I make a mess of it please can someone confirm which way round the vacuum and steam pipes go and which is which?

• I'm guessing the one with the 90° valve is the steam heat pipe and goes to the right of the coupling hook?
• Where the valve is on the above hose on this hose there is a thingymajig that points down. I guess this is the vacuum pipe and goes left of the  coupling hook?

Thanks in advance!

[melmerby]

On 08/03/2024 at 18:58, jaym481 said:

They seemed to be close to the longest bar, but they are a necessity at this point, so I'll live with it.

The distance between the shoulders is 4-5mm longer than the longest Dapol bar.

[Neal Ball]

17 hours ago, Toton said:

My Rapido Mink As and O11/O15 arrived hot on the heels of my Dapol Toplights but Dapol, unlike Rapido, have done the slightly annoying (but very common thing) of not saying where the details fit. Before I make a mess of it please can someone confirm which way round the vacuum and steam pipes go and which is which?

• I'm guessing the one with the 90° valve is the steam heat pipe and goes to the right of the coupling hook?
• Where the valve is on the above hose on this hose there is a thingymajig that points down. I guess this is the vacuum pipe and goes left of the  coupling hook?

Thanks in advance!

 

This will help: https://99percentinvisible.org/article/slip-coaches-back-when-british-express-trains-detached-passenger-cars-at-speed/  Dont worry about it being a slip carriage, the principle is the same.

Edited March 12 by Neal Ball

[trainsandco]

Seeing all these pictures is getting me a little jealous for mine in the next batch! Has there been any word on when the next batch are due? Or any confirmation on what the livery of set 2 will look like? (Hoping for this)

Edited March 12 by trainsandco

[phil-b259]

26 minutes ago, trainsandco said:

Seeing all these pictures is getting me a little jealous for mine in the next batch! Has there been any word on when the next batch are due? Or any confirmation on what the livery of set 2 will look like? (Hoping for this)

That’s what I’m hoping for

 

its more than a little annoying Dapol haven’t provided any images of decorated samples - in contrast to the 1st batch.

[The Johnster]

I’ve decided to hang fire with these because I want mine in1942-5 brown livery.  

[Neal Ball]

On 12/03/2024 at 21:08, trainsandco said:

Seeing all these pictures is getting me a little jealous for mine in the next batch! Has there been any word on when the next batch are due? Or any confirmation on what the livery of set 2 will look like? (Hoping for this)

 

On 12/03/2024 at 21:37, phil-b259 said:

That’s what I’m hoping for

 

its more than a little annoying Dapol haven’t provided any images of decorated samples - in contrast to the 1st batch.

My understanding is that decorated samples were due at Dapol after Chinese new year - maybe in the last couple of weeks and production of the next batch will start shortly after.

 

I am guessing that we are probably looking at a summer delivery.

[longchap]

9 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

 

My understanding is that decorated samples were due at Dapol after Chinese new year - maybe in the last couple of weeks and production of the next batch will start shortly after.

 

I am guessing that we are probably looking at a summer delivery.

 

Mine are in the second batch, which I did not realise when placing my order with Kernow. So picture the scene: Here I am sat on a ferry to the UK with a free Saturday to myself and Guildford only an hour up the road and I can't think of any reason not to pop up to see the chaps and grab some first batch toplights, thus saving the Brexit tax in France.

 

Ah, decisions, decisions .  .  .

 

[Neal Ball]

1 hour ago, longchap said:

 

Mine are in the second batch, which I did not realise when placing my order with Kernow. So picture the scene: Here I am sat on a ferry to the UK with a free Saturday to myself and Guildford only an hour up the road and I can't think of any reason not to pop up to see the chaps and grab some first batch toplights, thus saving the Brexit tax in France.

 

Ah, decisions, decisions .  .  .

 

 

I think if someone has the first batch in stock when we are next in the UK I will be tempted to do the same. My preference will still be shirtbutton livery - but if they are delayed, I might have to change my mind.

[Harlequin]

12 minutes ago, Neal Ball said:

 

I think if someone has the first batch in stock when we are next in the UK I will be tempted to do the same. My preference will still be shirtbutton livery - but if they are delayed, I might have to change my mind.

 

I have one word to say to that: Bolections. 😉

 

Edited March 14 by Harlequin

[Neal Ball]

1 minute ago, Harlequin said:

 

I have one word to say to that: Bolections. 😉

 

 

i wont be painting bolections where the carriage is already glazed....

[Harlequin]

Readers of this thread might have missed this important update about bolections on the Twin Cities livery versions:

 

Edited March 14 by Harlequin

[longchap]

2 hours ago, Harlequin said:

 

I have one word to say to that: Bolections. 😉

 

Ah, I had quite forgotten that. Mind you, don't the glazing sections pop out for dropping in sme supplied partly open units, or am I dreaming of an easy painting solution?

 

I have much experience however with bolection painting from Aifix B set and Ratio 4 wheeler happy days and still have my Clifton Downs set to paint 

[Neal Ball]

9 hours ago, longchap said:

Ah, I had quite forgotten that. Mind you, don't the glazing sections pop out for dropping in sme supplied partly open units, or am I dreaming of an easy painting solution?

 

I have much experience however with bolection painting from Aifix B set and Ratio 4 wheeler happy days and still have my Clifton Downs set to paint 

I don’t think the Dapol windows pop out Bill. However, the windows do pop out on the Rapido B set.

[longchap]

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

I don’t think the Dapol windows pop out Bill. However, the windows do pop out on the Rapido B set.

 

Thanks Neal, that's really casts serious doubt on the likelihood of a seamless painting solution. Perhaps I'll have a lie in bed tomorrow morning instead.

 

Thanks also to Phil @Harlequin for his timely reminder. This forum really is the sharpest tool in the box.

 

[Hal Nail]

39 minutes ago, longchap said:

 

Thanks Neal, that's really casts serious doubt on the likelihood of a seamless painting solution. Perhaps I'll have a lie in bed tomorrow morning instead.

 

Thanks also to Phil @Harlequin for his timely reminder. This forum really is the sharpest tool in the box.

 

I haven't seen the inside of these but my other Dapol/Lionheart stock is a continuous moulded glazing strip, with the visible windows sticking out so they fit flush in the openings, glued strategically between windows. So you can ease a knife or screwdriver under it to release the whole thing. The only risk of damage is if glue has got near an opening anywhere so the glazing could crack or chip at a corner where the visible window is raised which is a bit of a weak point.

 

Popping it in the freezer to make the glue brittle helps. You get the idea from this when I was repainting one side of a B set.

 

 

[Toton]

On 12/03/2024 at 13:05, Neal Ball said:

 

This will help: https://99percentinvisible.org/article/slip-coaches-back-when-british-express-trains-detached-passenger-cars-at-speed/  Dont worry about it being a slip carriage, the principle is the same.

Awesome, many thanks Neal and for the interesting article! Though it's distracted me from actually fitting them :D