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Dapol 'Western'


Andy Y
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Mornin' all,

 

A 'OO' gauge test track has now been installed on one of the TG P4 fiddle yard frames. The first Dapol Western (1037 to be) is running fine...powered by a trusty H&M Duette. The green paint shade looks just right and finishes off the model. Not too sure about the pale green central roof section....it was grey on the prototype but it will disappear under roof grime at the weathering stage anyway. The cab lights will need to be screened too. 

 

Full marks to Dapol Dave and those who assisted with the Research and Development....a superb rendition of a great prototype!

 

P4 conversion now eagerly awaited.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

Edited by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71
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A loco model i have been waiting for since it was mentioned to replace my heljans but i may be doomed in not being able to have them due to not able to run them on my layout unless a reason is found soon as to why i have suffered burnt out blanking plates on 2 allready and is giving me withdrawel sytoms.

 

richard.

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Richard, did you not get any feedback yet as to what is causing the problem? If I remember rightly, you're using DC controllers, and running the locos out of the box, i.e. without fitting decoders. The locos have a so-called blanking plate fitted to the DCC connector, which basically connects the track power pins to the motor pins and, depending on make/model/design, also to the lights via diodes/resistances/transistors. The Class 22 may be fitted with a different design blanking plate (do the 22 and the 52 even have the same type of DCC connector?), but all blanking plates should be designed to cope with all types of DC controllers, from old rheostat jobs to modern pulse modulating controllers. The overheating you noted could be due to inadequate or badly-fitted current limiting resistances, or even something shorting these resistances out, thus feeding the full current to the LEDs. It could also be due to this design of blanking plate being too sensitive to whatever your controller is putting out. Probably a silly question, but you don't have anything else connected, do you, like a high-frequency track cleaner?

Edited by Dogmatix
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No feedback yet as Dapol dave has quoted its being looked into and a thank him for his kind patience.DCC suplies having spoke to them monday asked the same question and the answer is no.

All am using is  gaugemaster combi controllers with nothing else connected to these or the track.I have quoted all my presant locos all 40 of them including 2 Dapol 22s are running fine.I did suffer a year ago with Hornby sound fitted class 50s doing the same but after 2 yrs of running them.In not taking a Dapol 22 apart i have no idea what circuit is fitted to them.

 

regards.

 

richard.

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No, I think it was sound fitted by the shop (Lord & Butler for what it's worth - usual disclaimer etc).

So probably Brian's sounds from Howes - L&B usually use his

 

Still waiting for my chip - dispatched from Howes on 18th Feb, no show as yet

 

Phil

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STOP IT HORSE TAN!!!!!

 

I didn't realise Brassmasters did a Lima conversion pack......

 

You've got me juices flowing now!

 

Cheers.

 

Sean.

 

 

If you're going down that route Sean, get hold of a past S4 news and look at, I think, one of the Bendalls articles.

 

Mike.

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Thanks Mike (and Horsetan).

 

It would appear that I am going down that route as, this evening, £15 secured me a Lima Western loco, spare body and some detail parts.....

 

An upcoming minor operation and post op recovery time, (away from my work bench), means this might be just the job to while away the hours of boredom......

 

Cheers.

 

Sean.

Edited by the penguin of doom
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Hi Sean,

 

Ive done a project with the Lima western, its a good model, but is slightly too short but otherwise its a good starting point, mine will probably be a non mover now thanks to the Dapol Western being such a fine model!

 

NL

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I have upgraded quite a few Lima Westerns and with a little care and the right parts they can be made to look very smart.  I use Craftsman buffer and Shawplan valences, fuel fillers and etched nameplates. I also replace the moulded handrails with nickel silver wire - don't forget to replace the cab door ones too so that they are flush with the sides.

 

A good quality second hand or new MIB one goes for around £30 now on eBay - compared to the ones I bought for £7.50 back in the late 70s from Kings Cross Models this is still good value.

 

You also get the satisfaction of having done some real modelling other than just opening a box.

 

(My avatar is Lima model)

Edited by D1056WesternSultan
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Never a bad thing Jim,

 

Welcome to the Hydraulics, and we all expect a lovely model of Exeter St. Davids next :jester:

Knowing your modelling ability it would probably be as mind blowing as New Street :locomotive:

 

cheers

Dave

 

Nah, all he needs to do is backdate New Street a bit to early 70s. Westerns were quite a sight (and sound) heading off to Paddington from Platform 1.

 

Chris

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So probably Brian's sounds from Howes - L&B usually use his

 

Still waiting for my chip - dispatched from Howes on 18th Feb, no show as yet

 

Phil

 

Having seen Barry Ten's posting about the sound fitted green Western phoned L&B to ask them to put a sound decoder in my Western Invader when it arrives. If I remember correctly L&B said that they use an SWD decoder married to a bass reflex speaker. After chatting a bit, L&B then managed to get me to order a green Western Sovereign with sound and very light weathering......

 

If that was not enough, Steam called me today advising that they had found my order for D1000 which had got mixed up with my order for Lode Star. In view of the delay in getting to my order for D1000 Steam said they would send the model postage free. Very nice of them, certainly can't complain about that. Maybe I'll get a Howes sound decoder for D1000 to ring the changes.

 

Keith

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Mornin' all,

 

David Rodgers now has a Dapol Western and is investigating the scale of the task involved with the conversions. There is still a considerable way to go with some RTR locos before he would view them as 'conversion friendly' i.e. can be easily adapted to the other gauges.

 

As previously stated there is likely to be some work required by the modeller to fit brake rigging etc around their chosen wheelsets.

 

3pm today is the cut off time for expressions of interest in his conversion packs for this loco.

 

Development and testing of the conversions is now under way, David R has asked that further feedback only be given once the outcome for all gauges is known. 

 

Progress is positive...announcement re prototype wheelsets, pictures and ordering dates soon.        

 

Cheers

 

Dave  

Edited by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71
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At the end of the day, I'm certain this will be a commercial success for Dapol. I want one , and I have no interest in 60s/ 70s.

 

Just reading the RM review - wow, they are getting hardcore - in the first paragraph " the model is slightly over length", " there is also some conjecture over the shape of the can front, but to our eyes at least it's a western ".

Why write that ? It makes no sense. It's the reviewers opinion that should be written , not the tittle tattle he may have heard.

 

However, being RM , the yin and yang are restored with "...we feel sure that many enthusiasts will want to add one of these fine models to their collection..."

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This is the RM we're talking about. All diesels look the same to them. Do they still like to pretend that time stopped in 1962? Have they switched to decimal currency yet?

 

RWJ

 

Yes the same RM whose editor is sorta partial to diesels, ( Kyle of Tongue and Reighton being his layouts). 

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I'm not knocking RM, I was a little surprised when some really misshapen models have got a pass, that they feel the need to comment on the western...

 

Didn't realise Steve did Reighton - I really liked that .

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Guest Max Stafford

This is the RM we're talking about. All diesels look the same to them. Do they still like to pretend that time stopped in 1962? Have they switched to decimal currency yet?

 

RWJ

 

Oh dear. Unjustified stereotype No 00523. 

Come on; anyone who reads The Muggler can see they've broadened their base a little under the watch of the new editor.

It's not my first choice of dead tree and in truth I only take MR and MRJ these days but credit where due.

 

Dave.

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Clearly there are very few fans of 'The" Railway Modeller and Model Rail in this thread.  Whatever, it's got little to do with the Dapol Western's. Has there been a magazine review by BRM yet? Perhaps though GoG you could write your own balanced appraisal/critical review of the model and publish it on here.... 

 

Though don't expect any lack of criticism :)

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Crass ignorance of the first order.

 

Let's see what rob D2 helpfully quoted from the RM's review, shall we?

 

in the first paragraph "the model is slightly over length",

 

Did it not cross their minds that this might be because the buffer shanks are a little too long, but can easily be rectified to scale length?

 

"there is also some conjecture over the shape of the can front"

 

No conjecture as far as I can see, nor from the trusted reviews elsewhere in the model railway press. So, what was it you were saying about ignorance?

 

RWJ

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Clearly there are very few fans of 'The" Railway Modeller and Model Rail in this thread.  Whatever, it's got little to do with the Dapol Western's. Has there been a magazine review by BRM yet? Perhaps though GoG you could write your own balanced appraisal/critical review of the model and publish it on here.... 

 

Though don't expect any lack of criticism :)

 

Here you go, then. It can be considered to so far be the definitive 4mm "Western". However, I have a few reservations.

 

Firstly, the flat matt finish on the pristine finish locos, especially D1000. Ideally it should have been gloss, but that can easily be fixed.

 

It sits a little too high off the bogies for my liking. It should be a fraction lower, but again, this can be fixed. The glazing frame is understandably as small as realistically possible for RTR manufacture, but it could be finer by replacing with etched components, should they be produced. The buffer shanks are too long, but again it's fixable. There shouldn't be a thick black line on the inside of the headcode glazing, and looks like it won't be printed on future models. It'll still mean that the rubber surround around the headcode glazing won't be represented, but might have to be drawn in with a steady hand or a template. Again, fixable.

 

I particularly like the fact Dapol have chosen to use warm white LEDs in the model vice yellow or blue-white ones.

 

 

That'll have to do as I'm in a hurry - the rugby starts in a few minutes. Criticise away.

 

RWJ

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Here you go, then. It can be considered to so far be the definitive 4mm "Western". However, I have a few reservations.

 

Firstly, the flat matt finish on the pristine finish locos, especially D1000. Ideally it should have been gloss, but that can easily be fixed.

 

It sits a little too high off the bogies for my liking. It should be a fraction lower, but again, this can be fixed. The glazing frame is understandably as small as realistically possible for RTR manufacture, but it could be finer by replacing with etched components, should they be produced. The buffer shanks are too long, but again it's fixable. There shouldn't be a thick black line on the inside of the headcode glazing, and looks like it won't be printed on future models. It'll still mean that the rubber surround around the headcode glazing won't be represented, but might have to be drawn in with a steady hand or a template. Again, fixable.

 

I particularly like the fact Dapol have chosen to use warm white LEDs in the model vice yellow or blue-white ones.

 

 

That'll have to do as I'm in a hurry - the rugby starts in a few minutes. Criticise away.

 

RWJ

 

Bzzz...wrong on a few counts.  [a] You've filled barely an inch of a page column  No photo's of the model in question were included and sadly [c] you've been reviewing the reviews clearly missing the point that the glazing rubber on the headcode panel isn't the real issue the actual frame part itself has been lost in dimensional accuracy....

 

Good try but no cigar.

 

edited to stop the software screwing up my (a) (b) & ©'s - see just like that.

Edited by Bob-65b
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