Dapol 'Western'

[whistler]

I've just received my replacement Western from Kernow and it still wobbles. It's their limited edition weathered one. How do I cure it without spending another £10 sending it back to them and not getting any return postage refunded ?

I must say that I am disappointed that 2 out of 2 suffer the same problem.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

Talk to DCC Supplies, then get someone to carefully remove your wheelsets and check them for the wheels being square to the axle (roll them across a piece of glass etc and look for side to side deflection). Return the dodgy ones and replace them with good ones.

 

Sounds good in theory

 

Dave  

Edited July 29, 2013 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[Gwiwer]

On the subject of headcodes I found that once the aforementioned screws were removed (remember those screws?  we spoke of them before being severely over-tightened) the locos disassemble very easily.  The cab and headcode / marker lamp units both need to come out together and care needs to be taken with the latter which is several small pieces apparently just glued together.

 

I found Heljan class 52 headcodes just a little too large - it would have been necessary to cut to the white of the character to get them in.  Instead I am using the supplied Dapol stick-on ones but inserted behind the plastic glazing and stuck to scrap sprue moulding / flash to keep them in place.  Remember the adhesive surface will not be on the "window side" when they are used inside rather than outside the loco so this step is necessary and a handy way to use what is otherwise wasted scrap.

 

While inside I also fitted crew and unplugged the socket which powers the cab lighting so the locos aren't running around in traffic like the Blackpool Illuminations.  The results are fine.  A tiny bit of light leak around the headcode panels but not a lot more than could sometimes be seen on the real thing (especially when the roller blinds were slack or torn) and no cab light when driving.

 

Still happy with those in traffic despite very slight waddle on all three and with two more on the way.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Gwiwer

[railroadbill]

Ok, here's the test. 

I cut 4mm numbers/letters from Heljan sheet, stuck on top of scap rectangle of clear plastic, Used dab of plastic cement and smear of pva. That gave me 4 inserts.  2 of them disappeared from workbench, not even due to carpet monster but to "things that disappear  into thin air for no reason" monster so had to make 2 more number sets and had to use different numbers from those left on sheet. The down train now leaves at an earlier time Mondays to Fridays...

 

Body came off easily, cabs/headcode assemblies also came out ok.  Did notice that there are clear plastic squares inside body under the cab windows that seem to clip body in place on chassis. My loco only had 2 of them left (but it reassembled ok).

 

Pics show the headcodes fitted.  They are pressed in but additionally secured by a fillet of clearfix round back.

 

Think they do look a bit big, or rather surround is small (but this could be the rounded edges of the transparencies - from above you can see all the codes ok).

 

The characters are the same as the Heljan 35 next to the 52 in one pic, they look a bit big on that one too (but they were much much easier to fit behind the removable front panel).  In various pics I've seen of the full size locos characters take up nearly all the height of the panel, but often not wound level with each other so top or bottom sometimes hidden.

 

Like Gwiwer's locos, there is a bit of light leakage round the codes as well.

 

So I'm not completely sure, loco looks much better with headcodes fitted, so I'll live with them for a while and see if they need changing.

 

 

I see from the the pics that one front hose has fallen off and I've bent a lamp iron. Otherwise loco is running very well indeed, especially slow running.

 

 

Edited July 29, 2013 by railroadbill

[luke_stevens]

 

And here is one with the 3.6mm headcodes.

Individual characters, stuck to the headcode frame then trimmed and stuck to inside of glazing.

 

The double sided tape wasn't that clean so I'll need to re-do but the size looks more like prototype photographs. Oddly the internal frame gives the impression of the rubber framing.

 

I like the flexibility but it does make me go a little cross-eyed!

 

Luke

 

PS and window frames painted grey...

Edited July 29, 2013 by luke_stevens

[Horsetan]

I've got to measure the height of the headcode apertures again...

[buffalo]

I've got to measure the height of the headcode apertures again...

The body aperture is about 4.75mm high, which is about as close as you'll get to the scale distance between the black rubber seals. The available space in the plastic glazing is only about 4.4mm as it is a three-sided box. If the body aperture were filled with flat glazing, I think the 4mm characters would look fine but the shape of the Dapol box makes them look cramped/too big. On the other hand, I reckon the 3.6mm characters look a bit too small, but give a fair impression (though not an exact scale representation) of the space above and below the characters.

 

Nick

[railroadbill]

If you look down on the loco the curved  edge of the 3 sided clear headcode box lets you see the whole character better... I'm still wavering between "scale height correct or looks a bit better smaller" ...

 

 

 

apologies for slighly out of focus pic. but writing speech for daughter's wedding tonight so mustn't be seen going back in loft to take another shot! 

 

Cheers,

Bill

 

[railroadbill]

And here is one with the 3.6mm headcodes.

Individual characters, stuck to the headcode frame then trimmed and stuck to inside of glazing.

 

The double sided tape wasn't that clean so I'll need to re-do but the size looks more like prototype photographs. Oddly the internal frame gives the impression of the rubber framing.

 

I like the flexibility but it does make me go a little cross-eyed!

 

Luke

 

PS and window frames painted grey...

 

Luke,  below the right buffer  (looking at the front) of your loco there is a pipe which matches a pipe below the left hand buffer (both with some yellow on). This wasn't fitted on my loco - I presumed that it was an air brake pipe which wouldn't be present on a loco with vacuum brakes only ie syp maroon period.  Am I wrong about this pipe and does it have another purpose and should therefore be fitted? Info gratefully received...

 

Bill

[christopher2061]

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.

I have 1056 (Maroon/full yellow end) and cab lights only work at one end.  I'm told that F2 will operate other cab.  However this does not work with Bachmann 36554 decoder.  Any idea of a suitable decoder for Dapol oo locos?  Same comments apply to class 22

[luke_stevens]

Luke,  below the right buffer  (looking at the front) of your loco there is a pipe which matches a pipe below the left hand buffer (both with some yellow on). This wasn't fitted on my loco - I presumed that it was an air brake pipe which wouldn't be present on a loco with vacuum brakes only ie syp maroon period.  Am I wrong about this pipe and does it have another purpose and should therefore be fitted? Info gratefully received...

 

Bill

Hi Bil,

 

No idea! Nothing to do with me! Those are the pipes it came fitted with. I guess I better start looking at photos for the pipework.

 

Thanks (I think!) for the info.

 

Luke (now puzzled)

 

Edit:

 

I now have Modern Locomotives Illustrated 200 in front of me. The 2 pipes below the buffers are the main reservoir pipes (yellow), To the left of the coupling is the the big vac pipe, to the right of the coupling the lower pipe is the steam pipe, to the right the upper pipe is air break pipe.

 

Thus I need to loose the air break pipe, but you should have the main reservoir pipes below each buffer beam.

 

Luke (less puzzled now)

Edited July 29, 2013 by luke_stevens

[railroadbill]

Hi Bil,

 

No idea! Nothing to do with me! Those are the pipes it came fitted with. I guess I better start looking at photos for the pipework.

 

Thanks (I think!) for the info.

 

Luke (now puzzled)

 

Edit:

 

I now have Modern Locomotives Illustrated 200 in front of me. The 2 pipes below the buffers are the main reservoir pipes (yellow), To the left of the coupling is the the big vac pipe, to the right of the coupling the lower pipe is the steam pipe, to the right the upper pipe is air break pipe.

 

Thus I need to loose the air break pipe, but you should have the main reservoir pipes below each buffer beam.

 

Luke (less puzzled now)

Hi Luke,

 

Thanks very much for the information, just the job, i know which pipes need adding/taking off now.  Couldn't find a reference to which pipe was which.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Bill

[brushman47544]

I have 1056 (Maroon/full yellow end) and cab lights only work at one end.  I'm told that F2 will operate other cab.  However this does not work with Bachmann 36554 decoder.  Any idea of a suitable decoder for Dapol oo locos?  Same comments apply to class 22

 

The new Bachmann 21-pin decoder 36-557 should do the trick as it has the extra 4th function needed.

[luke_stevens]

The new Bachmann 21-pin decoder 36-557 should do the trick as it has the extra 4th function needed.

 

Whis is what I've used! And yes it works for the 2nd cab light.

 

Luke

[D1056WesternSultan]

Unfortunately the Bachmann 36-557 decoder does not work with the Hornby Select as the latter is not NMRA compliant.

[D1056WesternSultan]

Another D1000 attracting some serious bids.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dapol-LIMITED-EDITION-WESTERN-CLASS-52-IN-DESERT-SAND-LIVERY-/161072356743?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item2580a91d87

 

 

 

Crazy money

Edited July 30, 2013 by D1056WesternSultan

[D1056WesternSultan]

While I am on line.  Has anyone any news when D1062 will be hitting the UK.  It's August soon and we were expecting a July arrival date.  Must be on a very slow boat from China.  Lets hope it doesn't end up washed up on a Devon beach

[TrevorP1]

While I am on line.  Has anyone any news when D1062 will be hitting the UK.  It's August soon and we were expecting a July arrival date.  Must be on a very slow boat from China.  Lets hope it doesn't end up washed up on a Devon beach

 

I believe the models are on the 'Budapest Express'.

 

If you follow this link http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=218352000 it will bring up the ship's details and if you click on the position it will show you a map with the current location. 

 

Trevor.

 

(Waiting patiently for 'Western Princess!).

Edited July 30, 2013 by TrevorP1

[WesternZenith]

I have now received information that the Western Locomotive Association limited edition model of D1062 Western Courier is now scheduled to arrive at the end of September/early October 2013. Apologies to all who have reserved their models for the delay, delivery originally promised to coincide with the 50th celebrations of the locomotive in May 2013.

Dapol have issued a statement confirming production difficulties are due to them and no blame for the delay can be attributed to the WLA. Please see the statement which will be published on the WLA website westernloco.com

Thank you 

[WesternZenith]

While I am on line.  Has anyone any news when D1062 will be hitting the UK.  It's August soon and we were expecting a July arrival date.  Must be on a very slow boat from China.  Lets hope it doesn't end up washed up on a Devon beach

I have now received information that the Western Locomotive Association limited edition model of D1062 Western Courier is now scheduled to arrive at the end of September/early October 2013. Apologies to all who have reserved their models for the delay, delivery originally promised to coincide with the 50th celebrations of the locomotive in May 2013.

Dapol have issued a statement confirming production difficulties are due to them and no blame for the delay can be attributed to the WLA. Please see the statement which will be published on the WLA website westernloco.com

Thank you 

[Swindon 123]

The Shenston Rd paint shop has been busy again and Greg, in between driving trains, has finally turned out his 2 maroon Westerns into the spotlight.  Here are some photos of said beasts.

 

The first 2 are of 1007 Western Talisman and has been copied from a Norman Preedy photo for accuracy.

 

 

Next up is 1039 Western King.

 

 

I think he has one left to do in Blue, but he has been muttering about getting some more.

 

Paul J.

[PaulT Perth]

Does anyone else out there run a Western on Fleischmann track?

I have a mixture of Fleischmann Profi and Peco Code 100, both plain track and turnouts.

I have had other issues with running my ‘Legionnaire’ however when I finally did get it running, I would have to say not brilliantly well, it proved to be the most derailment prone loco out of a fleet of 30+ I have, especially at some turnouts, both leading and trailing.

The worst ‘culprit’ is a Fleischmann High Speed Point (FL6178) through which it derails in both directions but it has also come off on the straight leg of a Peco turnout, across a Peco diamond crossing and through the curved leg of a Fleischmann double slip. I have not yet run it through every part of my fairly complex layout.

The loco is spending the weekend on a friend’s (partially built) layout to see how it fares there and how it compares with his six axle diesel locos, of which I have none to provide a comparison.

Has anyone else had similar experiences? Anybody have any ideas of a ‘fix’?

Thanks,

Paul T

[roundhouse]

I picked up a maroon one at DEMU.

 

I want to do it as one that was seen on the Merstham M25 aggregate workings and I am sure i have seen photos of ones in maroon  but having searched through many books I still haven't found any photos.

 

Does any one have any or know which books such photos are in?

[hornbyandbf3fan]

The Shenston Rd paint shop has been busy again and Greg, in between driving trains, has finally turned out his 2 maroon Westerns into the spotlight.  Here are some photos of said beasts.

 

The first 2 are of 1007 Western Talisman and has been copied from a Norman Preedy photo for accuracy.

1007 Western Talisman on Shenston Rd (1).jpg

 

1007 Western Talisman on Shenston Rd (2).jpg

 

Next up is 1039 Western King.

1039 Western King on Shenston Rd (1).jpg

 

1039 Western King on Shenston Rd (2).jpg

 

I think he has one left to do in Blue, but he has been muttering about getting some more.

 

Paul J.

I honestly thought that the first one was real

[brushman47544]

I picked up a maroon one at DEMU.

 

I want to do it as one that was seen on the Merstham M25 aggregate workings and I am sure i have seen photos of ones in maroon  but having searched through many books I still haven't found any photos.

 

Does any one have any or know which books such photos are in?

 

I want to model a Blue Western on these workings, so asked a similar question a while ago. I didn't get any replies so perhaps they remained camera shy on these workings - plenty of photos of Warships but they were the more regular motive power.