New OO gauge Class 73

[LaGrange]

15 hours ago, Alan Oliver said:

Maybe Dapol should start doing unpainted versions 

 

Who is going to buy them though, they sell unpainted wagons, but thats it

[adb968008]

10 hours ago, Roy Langridge said:

Going to be ordering a 73002 now I can see that the right bodyshell has been used, unlike the images released beforehand.

Unfortunately the BR arrows look to be in the wrong place on one side (under the grill instead of to the left of it). Oh well…

 

Roy

Lower under the grill, then below, upper.

 

other side

all above flickr urls / not my images.

It looks to me it was right at least at some point it moved ?

 

The model is without OHLE flashes, so maybe representing 1970’s rather than 1980’s ?

Edited November 3, 2022 by adb968008

[Roy Langridge]

10 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Lower under the grill, then below, upper.

 

other side

all above flickr urls / not my images.

It looks to me it was right at least at some point it moved ?

 

The model is without OHLE flashes, so maybe representing 1970’s rather than 1980’s ?

Thanks @adb968008 

 

The model has OHLE flashes on the fronts, but not the sides which fits a very narrow timeframe around 1980-1981. There is one photo I found that claims to be 1983 with no bodyside flashes, I am somewhat sceptical about the date of that given others at around the same time have them. 
 

Edit, got carried away on OHLE and didn’t clarify the arrow comment. The arrow on 73002 was not centred on the grill (as modelled) it was rather oddly offset to the left which made it look wrong. See:

 

(Not my photo)
 

Cheers,

 

Roy

Edited November 3, 2022 by Roy Langridge

[SRman]

On the subject of incorrect liveries, I bought one of the original batch from The Hobby Shop in Faversham. This was a special for them numbered E 6007. However, it suffered from the same wildly incorrect blues as all the other BR blue releases at that time, plus the lemon yellow warning panel that was too wide as well. The Lima colour has always looked right to me.

As it has long been a source of dissatisfaction to me, I have finally plucked up the courage to repaint it. BR blue is generally a little different from the version English Electric applied to the earlier 73s, so I decided I have to mix it myself (it was never Electric Blue). My first attempt is shown here against the Lima colour for the same type and period. I'm not entirely happy with the result, as I think I got too close to Electric Blue, but with a bit of weathering and some matt or satin varnish, I think I can redeem it further. This is still a work in progress.

 

The first pic shows the "before" colour.

 

 

[SRman]

A quick update on my repaint of the early Dapol release: I did a thin wash of BR blue mixed with some satin varnish, and the result is now much closer to the "correct" colour, or at least, a colour I am happy with. Once again, the Lima version is behind in the photo. Next I have to retouch the grey bits where I slipped with the paint brush.

[lapford34102]

On 03/11/2022 at 22:54, SRman said:

I bought one of the original batch from The Hobby Shop in Faversham. This was a special for them numbered E 6007. However, it suffered from the same wildly incorrect blues as all the other BR blue releases at that time,

IIRC the Hobby Shop one was done in association with a Preservation group and actually said "electric blue" in the blurb which as you point out is nonsense. Probably rambled on earlier in this thread but the units/KBs/JB's were technically all Rail Blue but looked a tad different from each other because of the way they were painted. I did more or less the same to mine and like yours it looks a good deal better.

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/149877-1967-and-all-that-bournemouth-electrification-class-74-dckitsheljan/#comment-3762577

Dapol sadly haven't been able to get some colours right even if you paid them which, if you think about it is precisely what we were doing though it does look better on the recent batch.

Stu

 

 

[MoonM]

Received my intercity executive today. Yes, the intercity beige is very nearly white, but it is slight darker than the white stripe above. Given the variety of photos shown in this thread I would classify as in the range of what is acceptable (albeit at the lighter end). It works with my rake of hobby mk2e coaches (I think the colour difference would be too stark though vs the Bachmann mk2s). 

 

Moreover the shade of yellow appears correct to me (not a hint of lemon). The loco arrived well packaged (no parts fallen off), paint and finish appears excellent. 

 

And finally running is very smooth even over my son's Hornby set track points complete with sizeable dead zones. I was concerned about the running given the history of this model but have been pleasantly surprised. Overall a very happy customer. Well done Dapol

[adb968008]

73109 arrived safely yesterday…

 

 

one definitely looks like the other…. 

At least in the dark…

 

initially I was concerned the font and colour was lighter than the ends, but this id per prototype (gbrf has different shades of orange on different 73’s), and the text shades are different on the prototype to orange ends…

 

 

So all good, great in fact… but….

(April 2020 before renaming)..it recieved a body side repaint… for September 2020…

 

The roof… ? Is it Grey or is it Dirty Blue on the real thing ?

Definitely some 73’s were blue, but 109 was spruced up in September 2020 for its renaming ( which is this guise the model is made ).

 

 

 

That door kick plate is just crying out for an etch…

(Does anyone make them ?)

Edited November 8, 2022 by adb968008

[SR Chris]

"The roof… ? Is it Grey or is it Dirty Blue on the real thing ?"

 

Looks quite grey to me.  But that won't stop me buying one. 

 

 

of course, once properly weathered the base colour is irrelevant ....

 

Edited November 8, 2022 by SR Chris
to add a bit

[Roy Langridge]

When first named Battle of Britain, 73109 had a grey roof, but that became blue when renamed with the 80th anniversary addition. See:

https://flic.kr/p/2jH3QRC

 

Roy

[NickL2008]

13 hours ago, adb968008 said:

73109 arrived safely yesterday…

 

 

one definitely looks like the other…. 

At least in the dark…

 

initially I was concerned the font and colour was lighter than the ends, but this id per prototype (gbrf has different shades of orange on different 73’s), and the text shades are different on the prototype to orange ends…

 

 

So all good, great in fact… but….

(April 2020 before renaming)..it recieved a body side repaint… for September 2020…

 

The roof… ? Is it Grey or is it Dirty Blue on the real thing ?

Definitely some 73’s were blue, but 109 was spruced up in September 2020 for its renaming ( which is this guise the model is made ).

 

 

 

That door kick plate is just crying out for an etch…

(Does anyone make them ?)

I used Stenson models' kick plate for underneath the doors, not 100% correct, but it does the job

 

NL

[adb968008]

2 hours ago, Roy Langridge said:

When first named Battle of Britain, 73109 had a grey roof, but that became blue when renamed with the 80th anniversary addition. See:

https://flic.kr/p/2jH3QRC

 

Roy

Aha.. cheers Roy, that answers the other two little niggles I had also..

The Orange horns were orange, at least for a day, and on that picture it wasnt yet carrying a 73A shed code.

 

i’ll be fitting the latter to mine.

 

Tonbridge yard on a weekend is reminiscent of a BR depot ( indeed this and the redhill line would make a great place for an openday.. remember those ?).

One weekend in Tonbridge…. You can often spot 10 EDs, and a half dozen 69’s… 5/6 class 66’s, if your lucky a NRTT will give a pair of 37’s..

 

 

looks like a model railway fiddle yard, locos often parked at the head of their train, ready to go, and often simply reverse in from the station too.

[LaGrange]

13 hours ago, Roy Langridge said:

When first named Battle of Britain, 73109 had a grey roof, but that became blue when renamed with the 80th anniversary addition. See:

https://flic.kr/p/2jH3QRC

 

Roy

 

Was first named BoB in 1990, when it was in NSE livery, as also immortalised by Dapol

[Roy Langridge]

48 minutes ago, LaGrange said:

 

Was first named BoB in 1990, when it was in NSE livery, as also immortalised by Dapol

 

Yep, and had a grey roof all the way through from first NSE in 1990, through an NSE repaint, SWT, new SWT and its first GBRf repaint. Not until its renaming in 2020 did it get a blue roof.

Roy

Edited November 9, 2022 by Roy Langridge
Typo

[Steadfast]

4 hours ago, Roy Langridge said:

 

Yep, and had a grey roof all the way through from first NSE in 1990, through an NSE repaint, SWT, new SWT and its first GBRf repaint. Not until its renaming in 2020 did it get a blue roof.

Roy

Blue roof from repaint in 2015. This is when it gained GB livery. (Linked from Flickr). 25th August it was released from the works.

 

I'd put a large stack of cash on the "grey" roof being dirt. It was pressed into RHTT duty early after its repaint which won't have helped.

 

Jo

Edited November 9, 2022 by Steadfast

[SouthernMafia]

Dapol have it correct - I don't think any GBRf 73s actually received a grey roof, all blue and the grey is weathering as Jo says. It has caused much headaches over the years trying to work out! Currently doing 73208 (BR Blue circa 2008) which has the same problem, the roof looks grey in the majority of pictures but when fresh out the paint shop it was blue.

 

I find it strange also how Dapol can get GBRf pretty accurate, yet struggle on earlier liveries. I'm tempted by 73136, and will repaint the bottom band if it arrives. Kernow are currently doing bundle deals with the other new 73s and a TC at very favourable prices, so might have a chat with them at Warley...

[adb968008]

Went on a field trip today, to Tonbridge…

 

6 class 73’s in residence. All 6 had blue roofs, dirty but blue.

 

 

73109 went past my house at 8am, I missed it at 1130 in East Croydon and set off back from Tonbridge to catch it at Merstham, only for it to cut short it’s jolly and head back early, running past me as I was on the M25… How is it possible to be bowled three times by 1 loco on the same day !

[adb968008]

On 12/11/2022 at 16:44, adb968008 said:

 

 

73109 went past my house at 8am, I missed it at 1130 in East Croydon and set off back from Tonbridge to catch it at Merstham, only for it to cut short it’s jolly and head back early, running past me as I was on the M25… How is it possible to be bowled three times by 1 loco on the same day !

Second time lucky this week, 73109 headed to my area of South London once more, this time I saw it at South Croydon and secondly at  “London Airport” (Now known as “Waddon”, named after the local pub that closed in 2019, and whom locals want to rename again as “Purley Way”)… what ever name you put on it, the traffic or the neighbourhood doesnt get any better….

 

I digress… as its covered in leaf mulch, the leading loco is 73109 at South Croydon and trailing at Waddon… roof colour is the same as the cab window colours to me…

 

 

I have noted the Shoeboxes are resting a bit more this year, whilst still being rotated, the 69’s seem to have 3 daily diagrams on RHTT, including a pair upto London Victoria relatively frequently.

Edited November 20, 2022 by adb968008

[adb968008]

Definitely something afoot with the 73’s on RHTT… 56081 has moved to Tonbridge to takeover on RHTT work..

 

I dont recall a 56 in the South East for quite sometime, is the electric bill getting expensive for 73’s ?

 

[Roy Langridge]

73965 sat on its own in Eastleigh yard today, perhaps unwell?

 

Roy

[Simon Bendall]

On 22/11/2022 at 18:55, adb968008 said:

Definitely something afoot with the 73’s on RHTT… 56081 has moved to Tonbridge to takeover on RHTT work..

 

69002 and 69003 are both out of traffic, covering for them.

[Peter749]

Do the newer batch of Dapol 73s run any better on DCC?

 

I have 3 from when they were released and the running on DCC is very poor.

[St. Simon]

1 hour ago, Peter749 said:

Do the newer batch of Dapol 73s run any better on DCC?

 

I have 3 from when they were released and the running on DCC is very poor.

Hi,

 

The batch one releases are bad runners, but can be overcome by a simple fix as detailed on this thread and a stay alive capacitor on DCC.

 

The second batch are far far better and are fine runners.

 

I have two from the first batch and two from the second. The first batch ones would come out to run at an exhibition for a couple of minutes before I got frustrated with them, where as the second batch ones ran for an entire weekend with no problem whatsoever!

 

Simon

[letterspider]

A good example of a good manufacturer, as far as rectifying mistakes are concerned.

[Peter749]

3 hours ago, letterspider said:

A good example of a good manufacturer, as far as rectifying mistakes are concerned.

I seem to remember reading if I wanted a loco from the first batch improving - with correct lighting - I would have to pay extra

 

I don't think that is a good manufacturer