Dapol A4 Review

[Seanem44]

After receiving Dapol A4 "Wild Swan" in the mail close to two months ago, I finally decided to take her out of the box and give her a proper test run.

 

For me, this process always worries me. Living in the U.S., if I have any problems with a model, rectifying the situation can prove to be a long process. I have never had issues returning a model to a dealer, which I only needed to once on a Farish A1, but the process can take two to three months to complete due to shipping times.

 

The A4 is well packaged and showed no signs that it had been wounded during the rough trip over the atlantic. As per the instructions, I oiled the motion and placed her on the tracks, taking off the front rapido coupler. The Dapol A4 is a beauty and ivokes the image very well, looking very similiar to how I remember the Sir Nigel Gresley I rode when I visited the NYMR last month.

 

The only niggles I have are with the cartazzi truck. I feel a much better job could have been accomplished, and the gap was very pronounced at first. However after starting the running in process, and looking at the model from a normal vantage point and not level, this was less noticable.

 

As this was my first Dapol steam engine, I was very worried about how the model would run, and getting used to the cardan shaft took some time as well. Again, the shaft dissapeared from my vision at normal viewing, and a loco crew will go further to remove it.

 

Wild Swan got off to a slow start and made some rather loud electric noises from the tender. However this quickly resolved itself, and with each passing minute, ran better and better. I ran the engine in forward for 45 minutes, and reversed, doing the same.

 

She is a faultless runner, with no overheating. The tender was quite cool actually. After I ran her in I hooked up three Farish MK I coaches and all I can say is Wild Swan looked STUNNING. I watched her run around my small oval of kato track for quite a time before putting her away until my layout is completed.

 

In my opinion, the A4 is top notch and I will buy Dapol steam engines in the future.

 

A few things though, and Dapol Dave, if you are out there, maybe you can take note for future models.

 

1. On Steam Engine like the A4, A3 and Farishes A1 and other mainline engines, I feel that the front coupler should be completely ommited and instead a chain coupling added for realism. I never use the front coupler and always take it off. I have a feeling many more do the same.

 

2. I noticed someone else had a problem with the new magentic Dapol buckeye coupler with a spring or something similiar. The small package supplied with my A4 had one in which the srping had come out of the coupler. Don't know if this is a huge problem, but thought you all might want to be aware.

 

3. This is a long shot, but I think companies should start supplying engine with a crew. I know Bachmann once did. Just a nice little carrot for spending well over $150 USD.

 

Again, A4 is stunning and ran great!

[Steven B]

Some folk need a front coupling - at least now it's easy to remove and cosmetic three links are available from elsewhere.

Perhaps we need a dummy three link that fits the NEM pocket?

 

Happy modelling.

 

Steven B.

[Les1952]

I can see if crew were supplied plenty of warranty claims for locos that don't work because the user had superglued the crew to the dirve shaft..........

 

Front couplings are a contentious issue- pacifics were brought from shed (particularly at Kings Cross) in pairs coupled together to save light engine paths. They would back down onto the first train to depart then the front one would uncouple and move to its train. Also North of York it was possible for a pacific to be piloted by anything up to a 4-6-0 in size. On the other hand they were never piloted through Newark as the Trent bridge wasn't strong enough, and there was another similar location nearer London.

 

 

My Wild Swan has now run in and is smooth and quiet. It has also now had a change of identity- I remember hiding in the corridoor tender of this one on Darlington shed dead line.

 

All the very best

 

Les

[Seanem44]

Very nice. Where did you get the nameplate and transfers from? Did you just affix the new nameplate over the old one, or did you scrape the old one off? I have been contemplating changing the identity of mine to Sir Nigel Gresley, as it has special meaning to me now.

 

I can see your point about the loco crews. The front coupling issue witll probably remain a debate.

[Seanem44]

Some folk need a front coupling - at least now it's easy to remove and cosmetic three links are available from elsewhere.

Perhaps we need a dummy three link that fits the NEM pocket?

 

Happy modelling.

 

Steven B.

 

I think that might be a good solution. I don;t know for sure if A4s used the plate that guarded the coupling link, but that might be a solution as well, just something that can be inserted to make the front a little nicer.

[Les1952]

I use Fox transfers (http://www.fox-transfers.co.uk). For the A4s you can get a sheet that does the cabside for each of the class as a separate number. The smokebox numbers also come as a separate sheet that covers all of the A4s, and I think as far as the beginning of the A1s as a single sheet.

 

For nameplates the Modelmaster Jackson Evans range is available either through the N-Gauge Society or direct from them at a slightly higher price. (http://www.modelmasterdecals.com). They also take Paypal. Modelmaster also do transfers, which plenty of people prefer to the Fox ones (personally I prefer Fox but it does really come down to the ones that work best for you).

 

On Dominion of Canada I put the end of a sharp knife under the Wild Swan nameplate and it pinged off (one recovered, the other disappeared). I rubbed the plastic behind with the end of a sharp file. Cab numbers I remove by rubbing gently with a Faber-Castell Perfection erasing pencil. Again there are other makes available but these are the ones my local art shop stocks. I then cover the lower cabside with a thin coat of gloss varnish before applying the transfers. Afterwards they need sealing with matt (on this loco) or semi-matt varnish.

 

The top opf the tender I did black because this one is definitely a 1928-type. Wild Swan perhaps should be green as the tender is masquerading as a 1935 type. Siver Fox also should have a green tender top. Gresley also had a 1928-type tender. I also use real coal in the tender.

 

Hope this all helps.

 

Les

[Seanem44]

It does help. Thanks!

[Les1952]

I've been running the A4 on Gresby today before Mr Simon packs it up to move North. The loco has been out of action for a short while after I hamfistedly lost the driveshaft inside then incorrectly reattached the front bogie- now cured.

 

http://youtu.be/g-32T3-bXT8

 

First is a runpast with 28 coaches in tow. For the record they are a mixture of Dapol, Graham farish (China) and Old farish Pullmans. There were still some coaches available and the A4 pulled 33 but the others caused the train to pull sideways off the rails on the 12" radius curves. This meant I couldn't get a video of the whole train.

 

 

The same train having been stopped next time around stages a restart and runpast. The sudden stop at the end of the video is due to a coupler parting. The same train was easily hauled by Lemberg and by William Shakespeare.

 

All the very best

Les

[oreamnos]

For me, this process always worries me. Living in the U.S., if I have any problems with a model, rectifying the situation can prove to be a long process. I have never had issues returning a model to a dealer, which I only needed to once on a Farish A1, but the process can take two to three months to complete due to shipping times.

 

Living in California I have the same qualms. Given the spotty quality control from the two major British N scale manufacturers I always have to cross my fingers and say a prayer as I open the box. To make things worse, I'm fussy and my standards as to what constitutes the proper assembly and running of a model are pretty high - if I'm paying $150 (90 quid) for a model, it damn well better be right. I probably send back for exchange between one-quarter to one-third of the loco models I receive from the UK. The thing that is truly annoying, however, is that within the past year or so the primary reason I've had to send things back is not because of poor assembly or running but because of actual damage to the model that clearly was caused at the factory, not in transit. I've received several models recently with very noticable scratches or cuts in the body work, a few of which even showed evidence that someone at the factory had noticed and tried to rub the scratch out (which just ruined the finish even more) before they put it in the box. In one instance I kept the damaged model as I judged the damage to be disguiseable (and it was), but I've sent all the others back for exchange.

 

I am very surprised though to hear it is taking you 2-3 months to exchange models. Even from California it's rare for for the whole process to take more than 5 weeks from the date I post the model back to the date I receive a replacement or a refund. Some shops are better than others. I'd recommend you try Hattons if you haven't already - I've found its exchange service to be the benchmark against which I measure every other shop.

 

Thanks for posting your comments about the A4.

 

Matt