Dapol 'Western'

[Rugd1022]

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.

 

Paul, those two Thousands look great, but alas, D1007's window pillars should be pale grey not maroon! They do often look darker in photos, mainly due to dirt, but none of the maroon Westerns had maroon window pillars in BR sevice. D1001's were white, all subsequent maroon locos had them in pale grey. (D1023 had them in maroon for a while when it was first preserved though).

[D1047]

Paul, those two Thousands look great, but alas, D1007's window pillars should be pale grey not maroon! They do often look darker in photos, mainly due to dirt, but none of the maroon Westerns had maroon window pillars in BR sevice. D1001's were white, all subsequent maroon locos had them in pale grey. (D1023 had them in maroon for a while when it was first preserved though).

Hi Nidge

 

Thanks for info .I will suitably amend D1007 ,its amazing what you can still miss after studying a photo.Its  always good to receive constructive comments to improve the models.All severn locos have had a fair bit of running on Shenston and have performed very well and I look forward to getting a few more,perhaps I should have modelled Laira instead of the West Midlands !!.

 

Greg B  

[Phil Bullock]

Why? Once saw 3 in an hour at Worcester!

 

Phil

[TrevorP1]

Just been out for the evening and enjoyed a beer called 'Western Glory'.  Just sayin...

 

Trevor

[MikeParkin65]

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

Unfortunately yes. My maroon SYP has already been back to DCC supplies because of a pronounced wobble but now derails on the same axle at the frog on various straight leg routes from PECO Code 75 live points. To be fair it was doing this before it went back to DCC Supplies the first time although because of the wobble I hadn't tested it over the entire layout at that time - I rather hoped re wheeling would cure it but obviously not. I have a fleet of 40+ steam and diesel and this is the only loco so affected so I'm confident its not my track at fault. Will be going back to DCC Supplies in the near future. Overall I am loosing a little faith in this model - its neither the quietest nor smoothest and because of its ongoing problems is currently being substituted by Bachmann 47's which cost less than half of what the Western did but run beautifully.

[Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71]

....try standing it on a very flat surface e.g. a mirror or other piece of glass and check to see that all wheel rims are in contact with the glass. 

 

Dave

Edited August 3, 2013 by Torr Giffard LSWR 1951-71

[talisman56]

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.

 

Nice bit of sideswipe damage on 1007...

[Swindon 123]

Hi Nidge

 

Thanks for info .I will suitably amend D1007 ,its amazing what you can still miss after studying a photo.Its  always good to receive constructive comments to improve the models.All severn locos have had a fair bit of running on Shenston and have performed very well and I look forward to getting a few more,perhaps I should have modelled Laira instead of the West Midlands !!.

 

Greg B  

 

True to his word and in double quick time "Western Talisman" has had the window repaint as shown below.

 

 

As Greg noted it is easy to miss something and a second pair of knowlegeable eyes will usually spot the mistake. Unfortunately for Greg, my eyes are NOT knowlegable when it comes to Westerns.

 

Paul J.

[Rugd1022]

Smart work there... looks bang on!!

 

I've been looking at these for four decades now so the details are pretty much etched into the old grey cells Paul.... consequently certain things stick out like the proverbial sore thumb!

 

Must get on with mine soon, they've hardly been out of their boxes...

[Gwiwer]

Cross-posted from my layout thread

 

 

Click to start the show and turn the sound on.  Note this is NOT a DCC sound-fitted loco; it's "DC sound".

 

 

And snaking through on the hoods

 

 

Looking good, running quite well (though there are a couple of bumps over suspect track joints) but not enjoying the weather conditions as these clips were filmed in a biting wind with rain falling and the temperature barely up to 10C.  Gotta love outdoor layouts!

 

 

[the-gog]

Cross-posted from my layout thread

 

 

Click to start the show and turn the sound on.  Note this is NOT a DCC sound-fitted loco; it's "DC sound".

 

And snaking through on the hoods

 

Looking good, running quite well (though there are a couple of bumps over suspect track joints) but not enjoying the weather conditions as these clips were filmed in a biting wind with rain falling and the temperature barely up to 10C.  Gotta love outdoor layouts!

 

Is it my imagination or is the loco wobbling even as it moves over plain track?

[Gwiwer]

Which one?  The passenger wobbles a little over the points and the clays hiccups at a joint on plain track which needs a new joiner fitted.  

[the-gog]

My D1068 arrived this week from Kernow - very nice indeed - but even though three of the screws came out with no difficulty, one of them was so b*ggering tight that I almost stripped the crosshead on the screw. With some persistence I did manage to remove it without too much damage. Thankfully, it's a smooth runner. I need to take a look at my D1000 to see if that's similarly affected.

 

Somebody posted a YouTube video of a friend's D1000, and the various maladies it had. He even videoed the poor soldering of the loco's electrics, the erratic electrical pickup, and the results of the back-to-back measurements on the wheelsets. He observes that for such a fine - and expensive loco - it's a pity that there's next to no QC in the factory. Here it is, and it makes for rather painful viewing:

 

 

Apologies if it had already been posted on here.

 

RWJ

Which one?  The passenger wobbles a little over the points and the clays hiccups at a joint on plain track which needs a new joiner fitted.  

 

Ah, right. That explains it.

Edited August 4, 2013 by the-gog

[47137]

Somebody posted a YouTube video of a friend's D1000, and the various maladies it had.

I have watched through this video and then had a look at my blue D1005 Western Venturer. On my model, 11 of the wheels have working pickups but one does not. All of the wheel back to backs are 14.5 to 14.6 mm. All four of the screws holding the chassis to the body can be loosened and retightened easily. I haven't looked inside the model, I don't want to end up fixing something that currently works.

 

 

I am guessing these models are made in separate batches, e.g. all the 400 'Steam' models, all the BFYE ones, all the blue weathered ones and so on ... different assembly workers do different batches ... and some assembly workers do care and some do not care what they produce. Though if someone can produce a report of a good 'Western Enterprise' or a bad 'Venturer' this would rather negate this suggestion.

 

I'm not so sure about the claims of a lack of 'quality control' in the video ... my own experience of this discipline told me it may ensure consistency, but not fitness for purpose. The lack of control seems to be in the assembly.

[Gwiwer]

Thought I had a glitch for a short time.  "Musketeer" having performed honours in front of the crowd on Saturday and run happily for an hour or so then suddenly stopped.  There was headcode illumination but no traction power.  "Typical hydraulic" I muttered under my breath recalling similar instances on the main line back in the day

 

On the workbench with the body off the blanking plate seemed a little lose so it was re-seated as firmly as I could manage with the required result.  The loco is back in traffic.

 

While under inspection I also took a look at why it had occasionally derailed one wheel set now and again.  Turns out the bogie-mounted part of the suspension moulding had a tiny amount of flash which was catching on the frame moulding at a couple of spots on the layout through a combination of curve and cant.  With the very fine tolerances to which these locos are built any slight imperfection (in track or loco) can result in hiccups.  Light rubbing with a fine needle file removed the flash without marking the loco and all is now well.

[colinjamesporter]

My western Enterprise seems to be a good one. Not had any problem yet. I just notice Kernow are selling their westerns with sound. Any idea who recording it is?

[southernelectric]

I am still debating whether or not to get a Maroon FYE one (Western Sultan - which I would change to Western Explorer) to add to the two blue FYE ones (Western Venturer - but will rename one to Western Thunderer) I have already.

 

The first blue I got from Kernow, no problems at all. The second blue one from Cheltenham had no working lights in either direction and would not stay on the track (no pointwork to contend with either, just a little test 6' x 4' oval with R3 curves). Sent back to DCC Supplies. Came back with the lights working fine but still derailing. So it went back again to DCC Supplies.

 

In the end they sent me a replacement locomotive which - although I've only had a chance to do a quick test run with - seems OK, except a little noisier than the first trouble-free one I bought.

 

So thank you to Dapol and DCC Supplies for sorting out the problem. But I still have my doubts about the QC on these wonderful looking models. 

 

I'm worried I will have problems with the next one I buy given that, out of the two blue ones I bought, I had serious problems with one of them (which is 50% of my purchases of this model) - with all the resultant hassle of sending it back twice before getting a replacement. I don't want to go through that palaver again!

[the-gog]

I'm worried I will have problems with the next one I buy given that, out of the two blue ones I bought, I had serious problems with one of them (which is 50% of my purchases of this model) - with all the resultant hassle of sending it back twice before getting a replacement. I don't want to go through that palaver again!

 

It's put me off buying another blue one, sadly. I haven't screw-tested my D1000 yet, but that seems to be of minor significance compared to whether or not a new Dapol 52 won't have square wheels, nor that it might take - and cost me £20 - to get at *brand new model* fixed/bodged by DCC Supplies. Sorry Dapol, but you've lost trade. With everything else I have to deal with at present, I'm taking the easy option of not buying what's likely to be a "Friday Western" as I really don't want the hassle with what's supposed to be brand new and guaranteed. And it's not as if they're cheap, either.

 

RWJ

[D1030western musketeer]

So its just not me highlighting problems with the western which I gave up trying in the end.

 

Richard.

[southernelectric]

So its just not me highlighting problems with the western which I gave up trying in the end.

 

Richard.

 

How many did you get through before you gave up? Sounds like you had a really unfortunate experience with this model?

 

I would love the maroon one with FYE but I am just nervous about forking out the hard-earned for it only to potentially have all the hassle all over again.

 

Given that these were my first Dapol purchases of any kind, I was somewhat disappointed that one of them caused me so much hassle. I have a Dapol blue Class 121 bubble car DMU on pre-order and I'm crossing my fingers I won't have any issues with that when it comes out. 

 

This isn't a case of Dapol-bashing on my part, I've had issues with Hornby and Bachmann locos too but I have far more locos from those two manufacturers in my collection and the issues I've had so far with those have only been with a couple of locos out of the 20 or so I currently own.

Edited August 5, 2013 by southernelectric

[D1056WesternSultan]

Oh Dear.  All this negativity is making me wonder about the D1062 special.  Hopefully this one will be perfect. Pretty please.

[cctransuk]

Oh Dear.  All this negativity is making me wonder about the D1062 special.  Hopefully this one will be perfect. Pretty please.

 

Don't be put off !!

 

Remember - you haven't heard from the overwhelming silent majority who are perfectly happy with their Westerns and other Dapol models - amongst whom I number myself.

 

Just because there's a lot of 'noise' doesn't mean that the majority of models are defective - far from it!

 

Have a head count of those posters who report problems, and then compare that to the hundreds / thousands of models sold.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[westernglory]

John, I was going to post something very similar. I have three Dapol Westerns and also three Class 22s. All run (and look) perfect. I wouldn't hesitate to buy further Dapol hydraulics should the occasion arise.

[Trains4U]

I'm sure the cause of the lighting problems has already been mentioned in this thread, (But I'm not trawling 110 pages to find it)

 

The issue is with the lighting board.   There is no overload protection, so if a short circuit occurs, the integrated circuit on the board starts to overheat.

I experienced this on the layout in the shop - the loco derailed and the leading bogie crossed the rails, causing a short.  Bang go the lights.

 

This is a consistent and repeatable problem.

 

The LEDs themselves are not affected as they are protected by their resistors, but the Integrated circuit that controlls them, is ruined.

 

Putting a DCC chip in fixes the issue (Which is why no-one running DCC has a problem) so you should have no concerns buying the model if you are running digital.

But, the circuitry should be right in the first place.

 

I did write to Dapol about this, when Richard was experiencing his problems, suggesting what I believed the cause of the problem to be, but got no response.

 

 

I'm having similar silly problms with the lighting in their N gauge HSTs (Works fine on DCC but not on analogue)

The model might look fabulous (and it does) and may be the most accurate ever, but it can only be a great model if the whole package (Electrics and mechanicals included) inside and out, is of the same quality.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Trains4U

[D1056WesternSultan]

Ge

 

Don't be put off !!

 

Remember - you haven't heard from the overwhelming silent majority who are perfectly happy with their Westerns and other Dapol models - amongst whom I number myself.

 

Just because there's a lot of 'noise' doesn't mean that the majority of models are defective - far from it!

 

Have a head count of those posters who report problems, and then compare that to the hundreds / thousands of models sold.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

 

John, I was going to post something very similar. I have three Dapol Westerns and also three Class 22s. All run (and look) perfect. I wouldn't hesitate to buy further Dapol hydraulics should the occasion arise.

 

 

I'm sure the cause of the lighting problems has already been mentioned in this thread, (But I'm not trawling 110 pages to find it)

 

The issue is with the lighting board.   There is no overload protection, so if a short circuit occurs, the integrated circuit on the board starts to overheat.

I experienced this on the layout in the shop - the loco derailed and the leading bogie crossed the rails, causing a short.  Bang go the lights.

 

This is a consistent and repeatable problem.

 

The LEDs themselves are not affected as they are protected by their resistors, but the Integrated circuit that controlls them, is ruined.

 

Putting a DCC chip in fixes the issue (Which is why no-one running DCC has a problem) so you should have no concerns buying the model if you are running digital.

But, the circuitry should be right in the first place.

 

I did write to Dapol about this, when Richard was experiencing his problems, suggesting what I believed the cause of the problem to be, but got no response.

 

 

I'm having similar silly problms with the lighting in their N gauge HSTs (Works fine on DCC but not on analogue)

The model might look fabulous (and it does) and may be the most accurate ever, but it can only be a great model if the whole package (Electrics and mechanicals included) inside and out, is of the same quality.

Thank you for your reassurances.  Perhaps I am just getting impatient as it will be almost 12 months when D1062 is delivered that I placed my order.