Dapol 2011 product announcements

[Vanders]

As I've just put the last coat of blue on my N gauge Class 22, I can be 99% certain that Dapol will announce a ready to run Class 22 in N gauge.

[spackz]

An 0-4-0 diesel like a Barclay or a Brush

http://bob-anderson....t/c1806808.html

 

The usual Covhop and (scale) Grain wagons, at least one of he many transition era coil carriers and an LWB conflat or two.

 

I agree with you on having a small shunter something that is lacking in the hobby, a NBL 0-4-0 hydraulic as seen in those pics in your link would be good as would a class 01 or 02.

 

Glad its not just me after COVHOP's.

[MrSimon]

Dear Mr DapolDave,

 

I don't know what frothing is but I would like the following to be produced in N Gauge:

 

- A West Yorkshire Metro liveried class 155 which I'm sure you will agree would look AMAZING on my layout (or could you tell me you'll never ever do one so I can make my own from two 153s?)

 

- A class 185 which would also look AMAZING on Gresby

 

- An EWS container wagon like the FAA which I would like some of for Gresby and a few more for the next layout I'm planning.

 

- The rest of the pretendolino MK3 set.

 

- A L&Y Radial Tank. I like them.

 

- Pre-grouping coaches. Obviously sorts that lasted through to BR service, Not express coaches, suburban coaches. They're hard kits to build and theres only the rubbishy old Farish one available second hand

 

Thank you very much.

 

Simon of Gresby

 

PS. Is the 'where to stick the extra bis that come on a class 67' sheet online anywhere because mine didn't have one and I'm stumped.

[Ozexpatriate]

As also mentioned somewhere - nice shunting loco - both steam and diesel. An industrial Barclay, Bagnall or Peckett 0-4-0 steam engine like one of these ; http://bob-anderson.fotopic.net/c1896442.html

I'm trying to avoid wishlisting, but a small industrial 0-4-0T locomotive would be tremendous. I don't know if Dapol is thinking this way, but they are developing small 00 engine experience with the Sentinel, Beattie Well tank and the O2.

 

A Peckett 0-4-0ST would do handsomely.

[RWJP]

My perfect wishlist would be this:

 

4CIGs, CEPs, and VEPs in varying schemes

Class 442

Class 444s and 450s.

 

As my layout is nominally based on the South Coast between 1990 and today, these kind of things are a gaping hole in my needs...

 

Sadly, those are unlikely (especially the 442) so here are some (slightly) more realistic requests:

 

Decent rendition of a 57XX Pannier

Decent rendition of a Bulleid Pacific (any of them, but i'd love to get my mitts on an RTR N Gauge "Eddystone" or "257 Squadron" in N Gauge!)

Any GWR 4-6-0.

Decent rendition of a Standard 4MT Tank (especially if they did 80104 or 80078!)

[Revolution Mike]

My perfect wishlist would be this:

 

4CIGs, CEPs, and VEPs in varying schemes

Class 442

Class 444s and 450s.

 

As my layout is nominally based on the South Coast between 1990 and today, these kind of things are a gaping hole in my needs...

 

This is going to sound overly-critical for which I apologise, but CIGs, CEPs and 442s are all available as conversion kits from TPM (using Farish Mk1 and Mk3 bodies respectively) - all of which are very nice kits that are easy to put together.

 

BH Enterprises make complete kits for CEPs, CIGs, and VEPs - which are more difficult to make nicely.

 

Worsley Works do scratch aids for CIGs and VEPs - very nice etchings, but need bits from other sources to complete.

 

Fox Transfers make applying NSE livery pretty easy. Or of course you could just buy EMU ends and underframe details and use vinyls for the sides.

 

I know you have said in the past that you don't have the time or skill to build kits - the first is your choice how to arrange your time, the second is a matter of practice. Ultimately you may be waiting an awfully long time for all the things that you might want to be made RTR (particularly 3rd rail EMUs!). The sense of satisfaction of having a fairly unique model that you made is great and well worth the perseverance and learning curve.

 

Cheers, Mike

[frobisher]

Of course just because a kit is available for a certain prototype shouldn't preclude an RTR version being produced...

 

In many ways the presence and popularity of certain kits should be a damn good pointer for the likes of Dapol (and indeed Bachmann) as to what prototypes should be produced. Often these kits are plugging the "obvious holes".

[Revolution Mike]

Of course just because a kit is available for a certain prototype shouldn't preclude an RTR version being produced...

 

In many ways the presence and popularity of certain kits should be a damn good pointer for the likes of Dapol (and indeed Bachmann) as to what prototypes should be produced. Often these kits are plugging the "obvious holes".

 

I have no idea how popular the kits are (though going on the number of 3rd rail N layouts probably not that popular!), I was more pointing out that (relatively simple to build in some cases) alternatives exist rather than having to wait for RTR.

 

I am not sure that I agree with you about obvious holes - what is economic for a small kit maker to produce in a relatively small run is not necessarily the same as even the shortest runs for RTR. Furthermore I guess for the kit maker it is precisely because it is an obvious hole and unlikely to be produced by RTR manufacturers that make it attractive for them to produce.

 

Furthermore it would be a sad day for kit makers if all their "popular" kits were cherry-picked by the RTR manufacturers - I appreciate that is the nature of supply + demand and competition, but if it ultimately leads to less choice in the market (when a kit maker thinks I have had enough) then we all lose.

 

Cheers, Mike

[scruff]

a new class 50 to modern standards would really hit the spot.

 

a class 59 would make my year complete.

 

and a modern standards class 90 would be out of this world.

 

if Dapol made just one of these I'd be over the moon.

 

a range of mk 2 coaches to the same standards as the mk3 coaches would be excellent too.

 

mark

[McRuss]

I would be pleased if Dapol will produce their announced Class 26 in N.

I think some new paint schemes of the Class 156 would be nice. e.g. in some ScotRail liveries.

 

Markus

[frobisher]

I am not sure that I agree with you about obvious holes - what is economic for a small kit maker to produce in a relatively small run is not necessarily the same as even the shortest runs for RTR. Furthermore I guess for the kit maker it is precisely because it is an obvious hole and unlikely to be produced by RTR manufacturers that make it attractive for them to produce.

 

The 4CEP very much fell into that category, and somehow I don't think it was a decision that Bachmann have regretted. Increasingly we're seeing RTR produced that would have traditionally been the domain of the kit producers and love it or hate it, this is a trend that will continue. You can, 100% guarentee though that if an RTR producer comes up with something "new" that isn't a duplicate of an existing RTR item, it will be a duplicate of an existing kit - if we're deriding the manufacturers for the first we have to be prepared to accept the second. If we take the third (unlisted option) of producing something completely new for which there is no RTR variant or kit then we have to rely on the real world to produce new stuff or have RTR produced for prototypes so obscure no one had previously thought it was worth modelling commercially.

[cromptonnut]

I have no idea how popular the kits are (though going on the number of 3rd rail N layouts probably not that popular!), I was more pointing out that (relatively simple to build in some cases) alternatives exist rather than having to wait for RTR.

 

It's a viscious circle - unless the stock is available rtr, a lot of people won't contemplate a 3rd rail layout, so as there's nothing to run them on, people won't buy them.

 

Look how popular the OO Bachmann 4-CEP has been - now we've got the 2EPB coming, the 4-VEP and the Thumper all due our this year. A lot of people running this stock aren't even bothering to put down a third rail on their layout.

 

If slam door units were available in powered and unpowered form, just think how great N gauge is for running 3 sets together as a 12 carriage EMU 'just like the real thing'; how many of us living anywhere even remotely near London and the south east wouldn't want to recreate those childhood memories in miniature? Much more practical for the N gauge modeller than those in OO.

[BernardTPM]

In many ways the presence and popularity of certain kits should be a damn good pointer for the likes of Dapol (and indeed Bachmann) as to what prototypes should be produced. Often these kits are plugging the "obvious holes".

 

I have to admit that I made the kit for the 442 because I liked the prototype! At the time it seemed that a Networker might be a better bet for RTR as there were plans to build many more than actually happened in the end.

[Jim Martin]

In N gauge:

 

Things already announced (specifically, for me, the 142 and Pendolino; but the other stuff as well)

 

If you want a wagon (and who doesn't?) then I can't believe that no-one has mentioned a ferry flat: uses the existing "DB-style" bogie moulding; complements the existing Cargowaggon, VTG steel wagon and Class 73; used virtually everywhere in the country at one time or another over the last 30 years or so; suitable for block trains or single-wagon working. Seems like an obvious choice to me.

 

Jim

[Portpatrick]

I have built a lot of kits over the years - and that in spite of suffering from Essential Tremor. Skytrex produced a Crab and 80XXX 264T. And then Farish produced their RTR models. The same happened with my D & M, now BHE, 4F, except the Farish version was much longer coming. I replaced the 4MT early on, due to its poor manufacturing quality, the others in slower time. I have also built the Langley B!, and modified 2 others into a K1 and K4. I look forward to the weathered late emblem B1 from Farish - unless Dapol produce one first! And if I had still been modelling Cambrian lines, my now sold PD Marsh Manor and Langley 2251 would be facing consideration for replacement. And my home bashed 55XX made from a butchered Farish 61XX would have long since been replaced.

 

So RTR following kits of popular locos does seem to be the way of it. But kits will be much less likely to be made if we do not have the means of motorising them reasonably simply and cheaply. Which brings us back to the discussion on chassis. Dapol and Farish are missing a trick if they choose not to sell chassis on their own, as a matter of policy, not just selling off surplus stock. There are some locos coaches and wagons which may always have a limited following - enough for our cottage industry but not for the main manufacturers.

[Revolution Mike]

In N gauge:

 

If you want a wagon (and who doesn't?) then I can't believe that no-one has mentioned a ferry flat: uses the existing "DB-style" bogie moulding; complements the existing Cargowaggon, VTG steel wagon and Class 73; used virtually everywhere in the country at one time or another over the last 30 years or so; suitable for block trains or single-wagon working. Seems like an obvious choice to me.

 

Hi Jim

 

Completely agree - I am really surprised that Dapol haven't done the flat yet. Really in vogue as well on timber flows.

 

Cheers, Mike

[leachsprite4]

I would love and will commit myself to buying the following:

2 Southern U Class engines (1 in southern olive green and 1 in br black)

2 Southern N Class engines (1 in southern olive green and 1 in br black)

6 non corridor southern bogie coaches in green

 

Now all I need is someone to make them

[Pennine MC]

Look how popular the OO Bachmann 4-CEP has been - now we've got the 2EPB coming, the 4-VEP and the Thumper all due our this year. A lot of people running this stock aren't even bothering to put down a third rail on their layout.

 

Yeah, I dont think I'd bother, not for a Thumper

[cheesysmith]

For 4mm, how about the announced BBA this year (please)with sprung buffers, so only screw couplings needed. Also, how about the original freightliner flats? Having done the spine flats, how abount the single wagon, double buffered version, so can be used for RHTT?

 

DS Smith

[Etched Pixels]

- An EWS container wagon like the FAA which I would like some of for Gresby and a few more for the next layout I'm planning.

 

- The rest of the pretendolino MK3 set.

 

And the rest of the HST, and the rest of the WSMR set.. but most of that seems to be the same extra mouldings ?

 

I already have some of Dapol Dave's FAAs. however.

 

Alan

[Jim Martin]

Also, how about the original freightliner flats?

 

This is something that's desperately needed in both N and 4mm, IMHO. It's a little bit out of period for me, but the existing RTR models in both scales are a joke (and in the case of the Farish model, at least, were a joke on the day they were first released) and these wagons made up practically 100% of the container wagon fleet between the mid-60s and the arrival of the FSAs and FTAs in the early 1990s. There were some KFAs in use before that; and there are actually different diagrams of FFA/FGA, but an accurate rendition of the basic 5-car set is just something that should exist for the good of the hobby.

 

Jim

[Geoff Endacott]

How about a Western-shaped Western in OO?

 

Geoff Endacott

[frobisher]

I have to admit that I made the kit for the 442 because I liked the prototype! At the time it seemed that a Networker might be a better bet for RTR as there were plans to build many more than actually happened in the end.

 

I think you were spot on there Bernard, the 442 is one of those trains that is popular beyond it's actual real life presence and "usefulness" - hell, I'd not actually seen one in the flesh until last summer but I've always had it in the back of my mind to have one for the layout "that shall be one day".

[Hippo]

For me, I would love to see N versions of the JNA, IOA, MLA and MRA

And also a small N gauge shunter preferably 0-4-0, which would also be great as a chassis for 009 scratch building.

 

Thanks

Owen

[Brinkly]

Something Dapol could to do complement their current range of O2, Beattie Well Tank & Class 22 would be a Class 121/122 Bubble Car.

 

Nick.