Dapol 'Western'

[2ManySpams]

Thanks, Geoff.  Looked at some hymek photos and the headcodes look like they take up nearly all the height of the headcode window so the 4mm height seems right for them. Same applies to western photos, I think, so I'll give 4mm a try and see how it looks.

 

Measured the headcode "windows" on a number of my oo locos including the western and hymek and they are all 45mm deep - so that's consistent.

 

45mm? Surely you mean 4.5mm!

[railroadbill]

Yup, you're quite right there!!!!!  Oh, those decimal points..........

[buffalo]

I have used Precision Labels 4mm headcodes. Headcodes on Hymeks and Westerns should be the same size.

 

Geoff Endacott

 

Interesting, though Precision Labels recommend 3.6mm for Westerns and 4mm for Hymeks. They also note that "...model sizes vary from true scale."

See this page.

 

Nick

 

ps. I used the 3.6mm on my Dapol Western and they look fine to me, 4mm would, I think, be a bit big.

Edited July 26, 2013 by buffalo

[Geoff Endacott]

I had always assumed that Precision Labels recommendations were based on the dimensions of models, not prototypes. Their list was published before the Dapol Western was released. The standard headcode blind character is 12 inches high and I am not aware of any classes with four-character codes which had special small blinds.

 

Geoff Endacott

[railroadbill]

If the standard headcode was 12" high  then due to the accuracy of the Dapol model, the  correct 4mm would be  best?  But there's not much in it though.

 

What puzzled me originally was if all headcodes had the same style of lettering, ie were they the same across all regions, even after tthe blinds  might have been replaced?

 

Bill

[Downendian]

I've used both 3.6mm and 4.0mm in mine - dithering that the 4.0mm look slightly too large, the 3.6mm too small. Have a photo will upload shortly.

[Horsetan]

Fox headcode characters are 3.7mm - I thought they were marginally too tall for the Dapol apertures.

[Downendian]

D1030 (left with 3.6mm)

D1001 (ex D1068) (right with 4.0mm)

To my eyes 4.0mm precision labels are best

Sorry for the quality iphone photo -left my camera in Plymouth last week

Neil

 

[buffalo]

I had always assumed that Precision Labels recommendations were based on the dimensions of models, not prototypes...

Yes, Geoff, I think that's right, hence why I quoted the other bit. For example, the 4mm is a good match for the Heljan Hymek. Here's a photo of the 3.6mm fitted to a Dapol Western:

 

 

Although these are strictly a little undersize, the 4mm characters would probably be masked by that black surround on the earlier versions. Also, the curved edges of the box appear to cause a slight magnification which may make the 4mm appear oversize or even extend beyond the box.

 

Nick

 

ps if anyone has fitted the 4mm type, it would be instructive to see a comparison shot.

Edited July 26, 2013 by buffalo

[Horsetan]

I see you've gone for the independent windscreen wiper as well!

[Enterprisingwestern]

Don't know whether this will help;

 

 

Mike.

[Phil Bullock]

With Downendian on this  in the Whizzo 4mm are tight but 3.6 a tad on the small side - so have gone with 4mm

 

Had 4 running on Abbotswood and Toddington yesterday - D1074 Western Overload?
 

Phil

 

[Enterprisingwestern]

 D1074 Western Overload?

 

 

Impossible.

 

Mike.

[orcadian]

With Downendian on this  in the Whizzo 4mm are tight but 3.6 a tad on the small side - so have gone with 4mm

 

Had 4 running on Abbotswood and Toddington yesterday - D1074 Western Overload?

 

Phil

 

 

 

Overload? Certainly not - didn't Swindon and the WR Powers That Be initially plan for 300 of them, with names ready for the first 200? 

Here a Wessie, there a Wessie, everywhere a Wessie!   

 

They might even have remembered that the pre-nationalised GWR had strong connections with the bus industry, and given us  Western Welsh and Western National!  

 

Coat already on, taxi already waiting with its door open!

 

Richard

[SuperWHIZZO]

LETS HEAR IT FOR DAVE JONES ,,, WHO I UNDERSTAND VIA TWITTER IS LEAVING Dapol . HAND YOUR CLASS 52 FLAK JACKET IN KID. A BIG PITY THE EXEMPLERARY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE Dapol WHIZZO DOES NOT RESULT IN A MODEL THAT ALTHOUGH (TO QUOTE JOHN McCORQINDALE ??} IS A "LOOKER" IS VERY INCONSISTENT IN TERMS OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION DUE TO POOR QUALITY CONTROL IN MANUFACTURE IN THE FAR EAST.I MYSELF HAVE PURCHASED THE "SWINDON" ENTERPRISE MODEL , AND A GREEN LIVERY VERSION ,BOTH WITH NO RUNNING PROBLEMS,(IF A LITTLE NOISY AT THE "TOP-END" !},AND HAD PURCHASED A CLASS 22 EARLIER WHICH LOOKS AND RUNS GORGEOUSLY , SO I HOPE Dapol SOON GET THEIR PROBLEMS SORTED OUT QUICKLY.

[Horsetan]

There's no need to shout....

[47137]

With Downendian on this  in the Whizzo 4mm are tight but 3.6 a tad on the small side - so have gone with 4mm

 

 

There is a web site named http://www.headcode.co.uk/ which has samples of numerals 0 to 9 and letters A to K on its home page. It should be straightforward to pop the desired combination into a graphics package and scale down to suit. You could even print 3.6, 3.7 and 3.8 mm (slightly tongue in cheek!) and see what looks best on the model.

 

Please, what is the true diameter of the white dots? If I am going to go to all this effort it needs to be something in period like (dot) 0 5 for my 'Venturer'.

 

- Richard.

 

(Edit: typo)

Edited July 27, 2013 by 47137

[SuperWHIZZO]

There's no need to shout....

Sorry !! Probably wasn`t a capital idea !!

[newbryford]

 

 

 D1074 Western Overload?

 

 

 

 

Impossible.

 

Mike.

 

 

More like Western Overkill.....................

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Enterprisingwestern]

More like Western Overkill.....................

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

Mike.

[railroadbill]

All the above postings on head code size have been very useful.  Having looked at loads of pics of locos in the headcode era, it seems to me that

1 headcode characters nearly fill the height of the headcode window

2 there is a small gap above/below each character unless codes haven't been wound properly.

 

Enterprisingwesterns pic above of full size headcodes seems to show this very well.

 

I have 3 sets of headcode characters from Heljan locos, all 4mm tall. I'm now thinking that those fitted to Hymek model  actually  look slightly (but only slightly) too tall.   But if they are the scale height.....

 

H'mm

 

Anyway, I know the body comes off ok, just got to try and shift the cab interiors next.

Edited July 27, 2013 by railroadbill

[50A55B]

There is a web site named http://www.headcode.co.uk/ which has samples of numerals 0 to 9 and letters A to K on its home page. It should be straightforward to pop the desired combination into a graphics package and scale down to suit. You could even print 3.6, 3.7 and 3.8 mm (slightly tongue in cheek!) and see what looks best on the model.

 

Please, what is the true diameter of the white dots? If I am going to go to all this effort it needs to be something in period like (dot) 0 5 for my 'Venturer'.

 

- Richard.

 

(Edit: typo)

Richard

 

The dots are 2" diameter, and all characters are 12" tall. This was the standard across BR for locos except SR types. The only variation I have found is that in a few instances some 'letter' blinds have a slightly fatter O, whereas most have the same shape as the number 0 (this came to light when blinds were supposed to be set this way from 1/1/76).

As such, 4mm scale blinds should have 4mm tall characters, so if they don't fit (which is quite often), the model headcode aperture is undersized.

I have a full set of original BR blinds from which the measurements have been taken.

 

Simon

[mat]

I have my special edition 1068 at home and wow looks great and runs great as well anybody else had issues with the cab light only one set come on with function 1.

[luke_stevens]

I have my special edition 1068 at home and wow looks great and runs great as well anybody else had issues with the cab light only one set come on with function 1.

My Western's other cab light comes on with F2

 

Luke

[railroadbill]

Headcode progress so far.  Having absorbed all the advice so far, I took the plunge.

 

Well. I've taken the body off, screws fine.  Cab moulding came out easily (only taken one out so far) and the headcode transparency came out ok as well. I cut 4 rectangular pieces from thin clear plastic sheet to fit behind each  headcode transparency. I've used  characters from Heljan sheets and made up 2 reporting numbers  in 2 parts of 2 characters each.  These are 4mm high, so to scale, but  I had to cut each character individually to squeeze them into the required width, so it's going to be a bit tight.  I stuck each character down on the clear plastic backing with pva which seems to have worked so far. Tomorrow, hopefully, when glue is totally dry, they will fit into place...

 

Good job I've got my new varifocals.

Edited July 27, 2013 by railroadbill