Mk3 coach production

[mikeharvey22]

Helpful production schedule here:-

 

http://Dapol.co.uk/index.php?route=product%2Fcategory&path=179_298_300_330

 

Mike

[Robert Shrives]

Yipee ! good news at bottom of page - Arriva Mk3s  for WAG train - announced just in time for train to be subject to withdrawal threats !

looks like a good steady production run so thanks for info

Robert    

[valeofyork]

Yipee ! good news at bottom of page - Arriva Mk3s  for WAG train - announced just in time for train to be subject to withdrawal threats !

looks like a good steady production run so thanks for info

Robert    

 

No mention of the DVT though

[Mike at C&M]

Don't forget the ScotRail liveried Mark 3 boxed set and the 'SC' prefix blue/grey boxed set from C&M Models. These are also due out in early 2014

[Robert Shrives]

Hi DVT was hinted by Dave a while back and 67 slated for production. i have a surplus Pretendolino DVT and transfers from Precision labels - plus for coaches as well so might make up a set anyway - this will ensure that the Dapol ones get to market!

Mind you I can save transfers until Farish MK2 aircons land and repaint them as even less chance of those getting a WAG livery!

Time will tell!

Robert

[ash39]

Does anyone know if the swallow ones will match the ones from the earlier production run?

 

I have one at home , think the code is NC-053E.  I was looking to make a full HST but the coaches are proving hard to come by. Don't mind waiting but I'm sure I read something on here about them having different colour grey to match the HST bookset?

[scruff]

Nc053e is a more chocolatey dark grey nearly executive dark grey and its a lot blacker nearly falcon grey on the newer coaches plus the more recent swallow livery coaches have black roofs.

hope that helps.

cheers

Mark

[Vonzack]

At the risk of being called a 'troll', or a 'Dapol basher', I have to say I'm very disappointed with the quality of the HST sets and Mk3 coaches.

 

As somebody who is modelling modern image (for me that's 80's on), the HST sets and Mk3 coaches figure highly on my wish lists. Over the last few years I have been lucky enough to be able to get a hold of a number of examples and based on my personal experience, here are the issues I have spotted:

• HST IC Swallow livery Bookset coaches do not match the livery of the original Mk3 HST Coaches that were released.
• Of the original Mk3 IC Swallow livery coaches, the Mk3 HST coaches have a different livery to the Loco hauled versions.
• Of the original Mk3 Virgin livery coaches, both Loco hauled and HST seem to have IC Swallow window inserts (look out for the swallow in the door windows).
• The IC Swallow livery of the Class 86 and DVT matches the original Mk3 HST coaches, not the original Mk3 Loco hauled stock which matches the HST bookset.
• Virgin Pretendolino bookset and original Mk3 coaches have gloss roofs, the recently released bookset of Buffet and TSO have matt roofs.

Each one of these items has been discussed on this forum and there is little or no response from the company. Indeed, when I contacted a certain individual about the pretendolino roofs, all I received was a curt 'nobody else has mentioned it as a problem'. Which for somebody, who I consider must take some responsibility for these quality issues, is a less than understanding response to a Customer who has obviously bought their products. To the person in question (if you read this thread), it's great that you make yourself available, but please try and understand that when people contact you, they may want to be a little more engaged than the response I received.

 

With regards to the IC Swallow livery, it would be nice to have a confirmation from Dapol as to whether or not the new HST coaches will match the livery on the booksets or the original MK3 HST coaches. Or for that fact, what livery they will deliver with the loco hauled ones when they are released. I'm guessing this hasn't and won't happen as it could mean allot of unsold coaches at the end of the day.

 

Don't forget, these are meant to be RTR items and are sold as such, if you then have to go and start weathering them to hide errors in the livery, there's something badly wrong.

 

Cheers, Mark 'Dapol Basher'

[ash39]

I don't want to jump on the bandwagon either but I kind of agree, just started out in N gauge and having a few doubts about it now. Bought a couple of Intercity swallow mk3's which now won't match the next releases (or the power cars) so I can't complete the rake. Only choice I have is to put them into a mixed Virgin set.

 

I also don't know if the next Virgin releases will match the ones I got in the bookset. If there's a slight problem with a colour or livery, that's almost acceptable, but changing the colours on each batch is not.

[Mike W]

I think that raising the problem of colour discrepancies is fine. My only bugbear with the Mk3s is that the Executive box set (originally described as a 253 xxx set) came out with Swallow branding. Whilst that was easily remedied, I prefer not needing to alter models which cost over £100 to make them 'as described' on the box. Weathering is a different matter, of course.

 

To possibly add to Mark's post regarding colour, the grey on the power cars in the Executive set is Falcon grey (or at least it seems to be to me as it matches my Railmatch Falcon grey almost perfectly), which I think is incorrect.

 

On the other hand, Dapol's Mk3 coaches are superb models and whilst repainting might be a pain for an expensive model, they do look excellent when all matching in a rake.

[ash39]

You're right they are very very nice models. 

 

I'm still debating whether or not to rub off the Virgin stripes and logos and replace them all with transfers, Could get pretty expensive and fiddly but I think the printed ones are a bit too small for the coach. I'm definitely replacing the running numbers which are both too large and in the wrong position. Also saves having to find different numbers as I'll be changing them anyway so not too bothered about that one.

 

At least the printed detail seems to come off fairly easily with t-cut, but I'm still nervy about going all the way through the paint and having to respray.

[Steven B]

I don't think Dapol have done themselves any favours with the Mk3s. I think they tried to do too many liveries in one go and have ended up with the problems of miss-matching paint shades and finishes as mentioned above.

 

Perhaps it would have been better to limit the HST to two or three liveries in its first year but release all four coach types at the same time.

 

I've had the I/C Exec HST since it came out yet now three or four years later I still can't run it as a complete set as I've only got TS's in a matching livery. Had Farish released their Mk3 in Executive livery I'd have bought a train load of them and not bothered with the Dapol Mk3s. They might not have the same level of detail but at least I'd have a train I can use.

 

Happy modelling.

 

Steven B.

 

(with fingers crossed that the TF, Buffet and TGS in I/C exec matches what I've already bought.....)

[matt-b]

Hello

 

Personally i dont mind that there slightly different.

Once weathered it makes it look more realistic with sun fading, everyday dirt etc etc.

 

At the end of the day, if you dont like it dont buy it.. No one is forcing you too?

 

Matt

[Mike W]

Hi Matt,

 

I guess no one is forcing you to buy anything but in these days of limited production runs, for some products you must have a pre-order in place and therefore it is possible to be charged for and sent an item before seeing it in the flesh.

 

That is certainly what happened to me with the Executive bookset mentioned earlier.

 

I definitely agree as regards to weathering being able to make the models more even but I think that most HST sets tend to look pretty uniform in terms of colour if they've all got the same livery. Might be my poor eyesight though!

[ash39]

 

Hello

 

Personally i dont mind that there slightly different.

Once weathered it makes it look more realistic with sun fading, everyday dirt etc etc.

 

At the end of the day, if you dont like it dont buy it.. No one is forcing you too?

 

Matt

 

Absolute nonsense sorry! 

They stay mostly in fixed rakes and are usually painted together. Show me a picture of a swallow HST with two different colour grey mk3s?

 

I appreciate the roof can be dusted down to match, not a major problem. It's the different colours of swallow that is a concern. Plus the minor details like the Virgin logos and stripes being too small and swallow logos on the droplights. Also although it's not my era, the different colour roof on the original blue and yellow sets from the pictures I've seen is massive and would probably need fully respraying.

[ash39]

Having said all that, in their defence the paint finish is very good. I've just taken the numbers off mine with T-cut and they came off easily and no trace of it!

[Vonzack]

@Matt-b, you've got to consider the investment people have made in these models and this company. They probably have coaches and a HST bookset and are just waiting for one or two items to finish off their rake. How dis-appointed and let down would you feel when a mistake ruins the look of your train or means you then have to purchase additional items to try and match things up.

 

Mike W's point about limited production runs is also really valid. To be certain of acquiring some models, you have to pre-order which is fine, but if the company wants to operate like this, they have to ensure that the quality doesn't change between production runs. Are these errors in production, in which case we have faulty goods, or are these differences conscious decisions by the company, I'd like to know that.

 

@ash39, I think you've come up with a perfect solution for my I/C Swallow Coaches, I could put them into a mixed rake with Virgin liveried stock.

 

@DapolDave / jbqfc, as you disagreed with my earlier post, come on guys, what did you disagree with?

 

I should also add that, as far as the Mk3 coaches and HSTs are concerned, they are of a very high standard and I would consider them at the top of the list with regards to detail, on a par with Kato especially with regards to electrical pickups and provision for lighting out of the box.

 

Cheers, Mark.

[Dr Al]

• HST IC Swallow livery Bookset coaches do not match the livery of the original Mk3 HST Coaches that were released.
• Of the original Mk3 IC Swallow livery coaches, the Mk3 HST coaches have a different livery to the Loco hauled versions.
• Of the original Mk3 Virgin livery coaches, both Loco hauled and HST seem to have IC Swallow window inserts (look out for the swallow in the door windows).
• The IC Swallow livery of the Class 86 and DVT matches the original Mk3 HST coaches, not the original Mk3 Loco hauled stock which matches the HST bookset.
• Virgin Pretendolino bookset and original Mk3 coaches have gloss roofs, the recently released bookset of Buffet and TSO have matt roofs.

 

 

Also the blue grey ones - the ones sold before the HST book sets had grey roofs (which appears to be inaccurate) and those in the set had black ones. Fortunately an easy fix with removable roofs, just respray them black.

 

Cheers,

Alan

[valeofyork]

@ Dapol Dave - any chance of a TF in Grand Central livery at some point in the future? The only one so far produced is the one in the set with the power cars, and the most usual composition of the real sets is PC-TF-TRSB-TS-TS-TS-TF(declassified)-PC.

[njee20]

The FGW Dynamic Lines are different on the buffets too, and the yellow first class stripe is an entirely different shade and thickness to the other coaches.

 

I think it's disappointing, and saying it adds realism is utter rubbish.

[Vonzack]

Hi,

 

Just had an email from Hattons saying that the Blue Grey and Intercity Swallow buffets without buffers (HST) are expected November 2013.

 

Fingers crossed.

 

Cheers, Mark.

[Crepello]

Hi,

 

Just had an email from Hattons saying that the Blue Grey and Intercity Swallow buffets without buffers (HST) are expected November 2013.

 

Fingers crossed.

 

Cheers, Mark.

So have I. Wonder what the 'branding' will be; hopefully not just 'Buffet' like the old Farish ones. I always thought 'Buffet Bar 125' had a certain 'je ne sais quoi' about it!

[DJM Dave]

So have I. Wonder what the 'branding' will be; hopefully not just 'Buffet' like the old Farish ones. I always thought 'Buffet Bar 125' had a certain 'je ne sais quoi' about it!

I have no idea myself as I didn't approve any buffets for production from decorated samples.

The artwork was for Buffet Bar 125 on one I seem to remember, but senility has crept in and I can't promise.

 

What's sure is that it's been approved before the new guys got taken on as otherwise you'd be looking at a minimum of mid December delivery.

[woodenhead]

I'll still take delivery of the buffet even if I decide to upscale to OO, a full WR B/G set must be worth more than a part set given these will likely sell out quickly.

Edited November 5, 2013 by woodenhead

[tiger]

Several Executive liveried Mk 3 coaches are now listed as available on a well known South Yorkshire based retailers website.

 

These are listed as "InterCity Executive Mk3 Loco Hauled" coaches and have appropriate 11xxx and 12xxx running numbers, and buffers. However, the photos on the website show that they are branded "InterCity 125" rather then just "InterCity". The two open firsts appear to have the "1' first class branding applied in silver adjacent to the door, as per INTERCITY swallow livery, rather than as a black digit on the light grey lower half of the door, as was the case in Executive livery.

 

If these pictures do indeed show the finished product, rather than pre-production samples, then it seems that several disappointing errors have crept into the livery application of these models. Let's hope that there is better attention to detail with other forthcoming Mk3 coach releases.

 

Kind regards

 

Tom.