Dapol Britannia

[BECMAYE]

Is there much spare room in the boiler? Given the length of the loco it would be nice if there was room for a Loksound Micro, or room could be made for one

Hi, there appears to be some room in the boiler at the front for a speaker but not sure how you would get the wires from the decoder in the tender to the front of the boiler

[woodenhead]

Have seen one in the flesh, it has natural steel wheels (not sure how this compares to prototype). Whilst the motion is also silver it's not as shiny as the publicity shots had it and the black screws whilst visible are in real life very small.

[Dr Al]

Have seen one in the flesh, it has natural steel wheels (not sure how this compares to prototype)

 

Prototype has black painted wheel faces.

 

Cheers,

Alan

[Kris]

Sounds like a requirement for a bit of paint then. Not ideal but very easy to do so not a problem.

 

Woodenhead - I'm glad that you have said the screw is not overly intrusive. This was a real sticking point for me in the appreciation of the model.

[jcmjcm]

Question for DapolDave...

Will any of the future releases have the different type of smoke deflector?

Many Thanks

JCM

[Plumloco]

I was planning to snap one of these up, but does anyone have any further running-in reports. I am frankly a little concerned about the need to disassemble, oil, reassemble then paint the silver motion and grey wheels on an engine they are asking 120 pounds for. The engine-tender gap looks nicely tight, but the height of the tender where it meets the cab roof could be an issue. Does anyone have pics from the rear or above, preferably sitting on a layout? I just need to be tipped over the edge!

[Karhedron]

Does anyone have pics from the rear or above, preferably sitting on a layout? I just need to be tipped over the edge!

Not rear or above but there are some here of a loco "in-situ" on a layout. I must say it looks better in a real setting than some of the "cruel enlargement" shots.

 

http://www.ness-st.co.uk/links.html

 

I think that digital photos can overemphasive issues that are scarcely visible at normal viewing distances.

[Plumloco]

Thanks very much for the pics, I agree it looks much better than the various 'official' images, especially this Golden Arrow version. I now consider myself tipped-over. Is it running well?

[orcadian]

The engine-tender gap looks nicely tight, but the height of the tender where it meets the cab roof could be an issue.

 

If I recall correctly, Dapol have explained that the tender front/cab roof height discrepancy is the necessary compromise to achieve the tight engine-tender gap. As the model has to be able to negotiate the non-scale set-track curve radii, if the tender front were full height, it would hit the cab roof as the loco rounds a curve. Dapol's solution allows it to 'slide under' the rear of the roof.

 

It seems that Dapol have noticed that a significant number of N gauge modellers comment on the excessive cab-tender gap in steam models from various sources, and have decided that the height difference will be the lesser of two evils.

 

If we only used our models on true-scale curves, we could have full fidelity to design details! Has anyone got a spare barn in which I can build an accurate BLT, please?

 

Richard

[Kris]

 

If we only used our models on true-scale curves, we could have full fidelity to design details! Has anyone got a spare barn in which I can build an accurate BLT, please?

 

Richard

 

 

Doesn't require that much space Richard, that's why we don't do 4mm.

 

 

[Plumloco]

If I recall correctly, Dapol have explained that the tender front/cab roof height discrepancy is the necessary compromise to achieve the tight engine-tender gap. As the model has to be able to negotiate the non-scale set-track curve radii, if the tender front were full height, it would hit the cab roof as the loco rounds a curve. Dapol's solution allows it to 'slide under' the rear of the roof.

 

It seems that Dapol have noticed that a significant number of N gauge modellers comment on the excessive cab-tender gap in steam models from various sources, and have decided that the height difference will be the lesser of two evils.

 

Richard

 

I wasn't aware the roof step was deliberate, but I understand the obvious logic. I keep all my nastiest curves inside tunnels, so I had not throught through the neccesary compromise. It is also true that I dismissed another recent BR standard class because of the horrendous loco-tender gap, so Dapol's thinking was good.

[rprodgers]

Sounds like a requirement for a bit of paint then. Not ideal but very easy to do so not a problem.

 

Puzzled why the wheels are not painted......makes it seem unfinished/ a proving model

[zivadiva]

Hi

 

I have just done a haulage test with my brit on a 1:25 incline with 13 coaches. Noproblem even with a standing start.

 

A superb model.

 

Well done Dapol.

 

Zivadiva

[Kris]

I have just done a haulage test with my brit on a 1:25 incline with 13 coaches. Noproblem even with a standing start.

 

 

Those are impressive figures. Were these light weight Farish coaches or the heavier Dapol ones?

[zivadiva]

They were all Dapol collet coaches

[Anglian]

I've not yet seen the model in the flesh but from the images I have seen I do think the main driving wheels are disappointing. I feel they really do need painting black and find it a curious decision not to do so on the production models given the amount of thought that has clearly gone into this design.

[zivadiva]

I've not yet seen the model in the flesh but from the images I have seen I do think the main driving wheels are disappointing. I feel they really do need painting black and find it a curious decision not to do so on the production models given the amount of thought that has clearly gone into this design.

 

I feel and this is my own opinion that when on the layout they look fine as does the rest of the model.

 

Digital images do pick the smallest detail out where our eyes when looking @ a correct distance would not.

 

This Loco is far the best release this year re current pickup and haulage power. My other steam loco purchases look like a rolls royce but run like a dog with three legs.

 

The Brit looks like a ford granada and runs like a rolls royce without having to resorting to the screw driver.

 

A Very Good Compromise.

 

Zivadiva

[BECMAYE]

I was planning to snap one of these up, but does anyone have any further running-in reports. I am frankly a little concerned about the need to disassemble, oil, reassemble then paint the silver motion and grey wheels on an engine they are asking 120 pounds for. The engine-tender gap looks nicely tight, but the height of the tender where it meets the cab roof could be an issue. Does anyone have pics from the rear or above, preferably sitting on a layout? I just need to be tipped over the edge!

Hi, you don't need to disassemble and oil the 'inside' for the first 50 hours of running. The instructions ask you to oil the running gear before running in. Both my models run beautifully and I have had no problems with them going over pointwork. I have other Farish engines but these are the best runners.

[bingley hall]

It's early days yet but, I've heard the government are preparing for quarantine restrictions in certain parts of the country due to a possible outbreak of foot in mouth disease.

[RedgateModels]

One of the questions that I had surrounded the colouring of the driving wheels which as seen in the pictures looks an unfinished steel.

 

The final product to be shipped to stockists in around 3 weeks will have darker wheels cast. I would note that the wheels on the model reviewed are of good finish which is at variance with the sample reviewed in MR. As will be seen in the images there's no glue residue around the nameplates either.

 

Looking at the pics on Hattons and Rails websites this seems now not to be true and they have been shipped with unfinished drive wheels and unplated brass rivets ......

[Dr Al]

Haulage test of Dapol Brit:

 

 

 

Cheers,

Alan

[Kris]

Good test. It does show how bright the connecting rods are.

[justin1985]

Those bright metal coupling rods really do make the model look "unfinished". Looks like they need a very good dunking in blackening fluid! As people have said, not what you expect on a model over £100!

 

After getting the wheels and motion to look so good on the B17, its amazing how Dapol have managed to step backward with the Britannia and B1. But then thinking back, wasn't the first release of the Hymek a bizzare backward step, with steamroller wheels?

 

I can only imagine, but would be happy to be corrected, that Dapol change their Chinese sub-contractor for chassis really quite often, or that one subcontractor is a little variable in quality or interpretation of specifications. Once a batch of chassis have turned up in the UK, I don't imagine there is much choice but just to accept them in the form they end up having been finished in.

 

So often with Dapol it seems to end up being "so nearly, but not quite"

[Roy L S]

Haulage test of Dapol Brit:

 

 

 

Cheers,

Alan

 

Hi Alan

 

Thanks for sharing that with us.

 

Was that 40 coaches? I lost count. Very impressive indeed.

 

It does not alter my thoughts regarding the model overall though. There are too many cosmetic issues (Crosshead screws & black while motion is unblackened making them stand out even more, too thick driving wheel rims, drivers unblackenened or if they are blackened not matching other wheels, motion rather chunky and shiny).

 

It is pretty clear that a good deal of thought had gone into the design, it just feels as if in a rush to get it into the shops too many compromises in terms of final finishing have been accepted. No, not acceptable for a £120 loco to me.

 

Nonetheless they appear popular enough and it is perhaps significant that as yet I have not heard mention of a single mechanical failure anywhere.

 

Final conclusion, good yes, a new pinnacle no, not overall but it could have been. I am going to hold tight for a future batch and see if some of these cosmetic issues are improved upon I think.

 

Roy

[Dan Hamblin]

A bit confused here - I've just tried to open up my Dapol Britannia to apply a little bit of oil on the worm gear as per instructions. I can't separate the boiler from the running plate and chassis, specifically the smokebox won't come off from the saddle and the cab appears to be stuck to the rear end of the running plate moulding. Anyone else had similar issues? I have removed both bogies and body to chassis screws.

 

The loco seemed to have a slight growl when I tested it just now, hence I wanted to apply some oil to the worm gear before further running as a precaution as well.

 

Regards,

 

Dan