Which Models would you wish from Dapol?

[Quarryscapes]

More O gauge. Maybe a small 0-6-0 Tender loco, a Midland 2F, GWR Dean Goods, LNER J10 that sort of thing. 

[friscopete]

A TT 120  Terrier .

Edited October 6, 2022 by friscopete

[jjb1970]

3 hours ago, NIRCLASS80 said:

I have been in the Dapol Shop recently and two employees were chatting about things on RMWeb, so they certainly keep up to date what’s going on here. 

 

Whether or not manufacturers participate in forums I'm guessing they'll all be aware of what is said on the more popular ones, if not then they really should as it is an excellent resource to monitor the pulse of their customers.

[Ed-farms]

Whatever Dapol decides will be a market success, selling in sufficient volumes to generate a profit that will allow them to reinvest into the market. I am not sure another wisah list type post is needed, you did start one on the revolution page.

 

As far as I know no one from Dapol is on here, I may be wrong of course

[Kris]

5 hours ago, Markwj said:

Dapol Dave is definitely not active anymore (see DJM threads) and I believe Dapol do not take part on the forum but do (or did) have their own Dapol digest forum so any wish list may be better on there to get their attention.

You do occasionally get some interaction in here, mainly about O gauge models. 

[Kris]

5 hours ago, Markwj said:

Dapol Dave is definitely not active anymore (see DJM threads) and I believe Dapol do not take part on the forum but do (or did) have their own Dapol digest forum so any wish list may be better on there to get their attention.

You do occasionally get some interaction in here, mainly about O gauge models. 

[Dreadnought05]

Dapol is the reason I got into O gauge way back when they first announced the 08 and Terrier.

I'd be really keen to see some sort of tender engine, perhaps even reissuing the Lionheart mogul as diecast instead of brass, similarly to what they've done with the prairie.

[SteamingWales]

Given Dapol's current track record with GWR locos a GWR 2251 seems a sensibel suggestion. They already have one appropriate tender to go behind to loco.

[Dragonfly]

In 0 gauge, Dapol have done a great job with the smaller loco market (Sentinel, 08, Jinty, Pannier, and Terrier)... but there's a gap in the Eastern Region... Maybe J50? Or as suggested above, a small tender engine... J15?

[Steamport Southport]

26 minutes ago, Ed-farms said:

Whatever Dapol decides will be a market success, selling in sufficient volumes to generate a profit that will allow them to reinvest into the market. I am not sure another wisah list type post is needed, you did start one on the revolution page.

 

As far as I know no one from Dapol is on here, I may be wrong of course

 

At least one contributes occasionally.

 

 

Jason

[Steamport Southport]

15 minutes ago, SteamingWales said:

Given Dapol's current track record with GWR locos a GWR 2251 seems a sensibel suggestion. They already have one appropriate tender to go behind to loco.

 

What's wrong with the Bachmann version?

Contrary to popular belief it has nothing to do with the old Mainline model.

 

 

Jason

[SteamingWales]

32 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

What's wrong with the Bachmann version?

Contrary to popular belief it has nothing to do with the old Mainline model.

 

 

Jason

 

I don't quite understand this comment. The 2251 was one of the first models produced by Bachmann so even the currently tooling is from the 2000s at least and the details are hardly modern. Moulded smokebox dart, horrible chunky lamp irons, limited cab detail, limited scope for DCC to name a couple.

 

There are many calls for the Bachmann 57XX to be retooled, which is of similar detail, and calls for Hornby WC/BoB to be retooled which is of a similar age and I would argue much better detailed.

 

So why should the 2251 be forgotten and the question asked "What's wrong with it?"

 

The current Bachmann offering hasn't been in the range since 2016 either so plenty opportunity for a competitor, such as Dapol, to get in there and upgrade it.

[The Black Hat]

Indulging in this... but for things specifically from Dapol in 00 gauge... 

DRS Class 88 
Network Rail Auto-ballaster sets
Network Rail continuously welded rail train

left field idea.... BR standard 3MT

Edited October 6, 2022 by The Black Hat
adding idea

[Steamport Southport]

12 minutes ago, SteamingWales said:

 

I don't quite understand this comment. The 2251 was one of the first models produced by Bachmann so even the currently tooling is from the 2000s at least and the details are hardly modern. Moulded smokebox dart, horrible chunky lamp irons, limited cab detail, limited scope for DCC to name a couple.

 

There are many calls for the Bachmann 57XX to be retooled, which is of similar detail, and calls for Hornby WC/BoB to be retooled which is of a similar age and I would argue much better detailed.

 

So why should the 2251 be forgotten and the question asked "What's wrong with it?"

 

The current Bachmann offering hasn't been in the range since 2016 either so plenty opportunity for a competitor, such as Dapol, to get in there and upgrade it.

 

So you want a new version of something that is more than adequate because it's a little bit old? Came out in 2008 BTW and has nothing of the old model in it.

 

Okay my reasoning.

 

How many actually agree with you and are going to fork out nearly £200 for what is just a slight upgrade on what is already available and what they probably have already got several of?

 

Would Dapol be willing to spend a few hundred thousand on new tooling to go head to head with Bachmann? 

 

Maybe it not being available for a few years is a clue. Bachmann could probably do a revamp for much less than Dapol starting from scratch. Probably an updated version in the works with sound which would probably be similar to the 94XX sound they've already got.

 

Most of the issues with the Bachmann model can be solved by a bit of modelling. How difficult is it to change a smokebox door handle for example? 

 

https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/locomotive/4m637/

 

Why not ask for an Aberdare, Bulldog, Duke, Flower, Saint, County (three types), other types of Large Prairies (31XX, 3150, 51XX, 81XX), plenty of Panniers (including the now forty year old 57XX), etc. instead?

 

 

In other words, more pointless duplication when there are hundreds of models that have never been available RTR and in many cases aren't even currently available as kits.

 

 

Jason

[adb968008]

How about a nice simple, accurate 6 wheel milk tank wagon…

 

weve never had one rtr.

[AndrueC]

Is there any more news of their Super Voyager re-run?

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/versiondetails/article?id=920

Edited October 6, 2022 by AndrueC

[woodenhead]

6 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

How about a nice simple, accurate 6 wheel milk tank wagon…

 

weve never had one rtr.

Has there been one in O?

[70E]

In O gauge a Class 2251 at a better price than Heljan were going to do it for and an O gauge class 121 with the correct speed whisker configuration

[SteamingWales]

45 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

So you want a new version of something that is more than adequate because it's a little bit old? Came out in 2008 BTW and has nothing of the old model in it.

 

I am saying I want an upgrade as the detail is not to modern standards and can't/don't believe it is a 2008 model. It may have had a DCC upgrade in 2008 but not a new body. The Hornby 4MT was released in 2008 looking at the date on my model and if the 2251 is from 2008 it has age very quickly and very badly

 

48 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

How many actually agree with you and are going to fork out nearly £200 for what is just a slight upgrade on what is already available and what they probably have already got several of?

 

At Dapol prices it would not be £200, more like £150 tops (?) and some of the innovations Dapol are putting into models with DCC I wouldn't call a slight upgrade, plus all the benefits of a modern tooling.

 

53 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

Most of the issues with the Bachmann model can be solved by a bit of modelling. How difficult is it to change a smokebox door handle for example? 

 

Please don't forget not everyone is confident enough to do this (including myself)

 

55 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

Why not ask for an Aberdare, Bulldog, Duke, Flower, Saint, County (three types), other types of Large Prairies (31XX, 3150, 51XX, 81XX), plenty of Panniers (including the now forty year old 57XX), etc. instead?

 

Isn't the whole point of these threads to garner people's opinion on what they would like to see from a manufacturer? My personal need/want is for a newly tooled GWR 2251, all those GWR prototypes are out of era or geographic location for me, and I thought Dapol seemed a likely candidate for it given that they seem to like producing GWR prototypes and have the opportunity to use the already tooled/researched Collett tender already used behind the Moguls and Manors

 

Equally I would be happy (but maybe not my wallet) if Bachmann released a fully retooled, all singing, all dancing version and I agree that its absense may be a sign of something in the works from them. Time will only tell!

 

 

[melmerby]

14 minutes ago, SteamingWales said:

 

I am saying I want an upgrade as the detail is not to modern standards and can't/don't believe it is a 2008 model. It may have had a DCC upgrade in 2008 but not a new body. The Hornby 4MT was released in 2008 looking at the date on my model and if the 2251 is from 2008 it has age very quickly and very badly

That's wrong IMHO.

The DCC upgraded version has a modified loco chassis, the Bachmann 2251 is not the same body as the Mainline one. It was all new tooling, there never was an early Bachmann 2251 because they didn't consider the Mainline one good enough to continue with.

Many other Mainline locos got new can motors still using a split chassis but the 2251 didn't, it was dropped until the newly tooled one came out, DCC was provided later.

 

 

 

Edited October 6, 2022 by melmerby

[adb968008]

Not to rain on anyones parade, but both the 2251 and 4MT lived in bargain bins.

Why would another be any different ?

 

imo we need innovation not reincarnation.

 

GWR /LNER and Southern have been over done the last few years. A little bit more LMS may be worthwhile… plenty of LMS and pre-grouping stuff that lasted to BR days remains undone.

 

However tbh imo the future is in modern traction, steam seems to be nearer the end than the begining of potential, just look at how it sells out…. 

Edited October 6, 2022 by adb968008

[melmerby]

35 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Not to rain on anyones parade, but both the 2251 and 4MT lived in bargain bins.

Why would another be any different ?

I think that would be likely, I've never paid anywhere near RRP for the ones I have. (all new, DCC and non DCC)

 

The 57XX body has been slightly improved so the current Bachmann body is not identical to the Mainline one.

I've examples of all three bodies:  Mainline (37-084), Bachmann split chassis (31-901A), Bachmann solid chassis (several).

The first two are as near as dammit identical, the 3rd is improved a bit, (but not all new)

[melmerby]

45 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

plenty of LMS and pre-grouping stuff that lasted to BR days remains undone.

 

Claughton? A reasonably long lived loco, several variations available too.

Loads of Scottish steamers untouched.

 

Plenty of scope though for the latest generation of EMU/DMU/bi modes as well

[Iskra]

A Caledonian Sleeper 73/9 in OO

[Mallard60022]

The forgotten LMS Coaches. Maybe an upgrade and perhaps one or two additional Diagrams. The existing ones make a remarkably inexpensive carcass to use with (say) Comet Sides and detailing but are very basic other than for a very basic Train Set, for a youngster maybe?

If they can produce a reasonable Class 63XX (I like mine) then doing some MR Coaches that are quite neglected really in RTR, can't be too challenging?

I'm not familiar with more modern Stock and that to me means MK2s onwards! Thus I won't comment further on that area.

Also, the Vans and Wagons. Rationalise maybe? Seek some popular Diagrams and upgrade or even retool, after advice from someone like Paul Bartlett, at least the Chassis so as to be really accurate. I hate to say it, but dump some of the 'howlers'? 

Depends if Dapol want to compete in the detailed stock markets with the Established and new, on the Block RTR merchants?

Whatever they decide they do produce inexpensive stuff that has good play value and also often provide much for the modeller that loves to hack and cut stuff. I'm sort of mix of both those people.

Phil