Dapol Streamlined Railcar

[railcar1]

Glad to read you have your railcar running to your satisfaction although the solution is drastic. Your analysis of the issue seems very plausible. Perhaps the'hunting'is made worse by lack ofriction in the pickup system.Adding pickups to the wheelbacks may act as a damper to the differential backlash.

Why do other's seem to run ok!

I still await my replacement from Liverpool.

[swiftbeam]

Glad to read you have your railcar running to your satisfaction although the solution is drastic. Your analysis of the issue seems very plausible. Perhaps the'hunting'is made worse by lack ofriction in the pickup system.Adding pickups to the wheelbacks may act as a damper to the differential backlash.

Why do other's seem to run ok!

I still await my replacement from Liverpool.

 

I'm sure your new replacement will be perfect :-)

[Prometheus]

I came across these two interesting photographs of what I suspect is No1 in a copy of an old publication 'Railway Wonders of The World' by Clarence Winchester. It has the hallmarks of a significantly pre-war publication. 

 

 

 

The second in particular may be of help for cab detailing.

 

Tony

Edited November 10, 2017 by Prometheus

[Legend]

You can understand now why there was no cab detail. Apart from a chair there doesn't seem much to model

[woodenhead]

Basically it was a bus on rails - there appears to be a speaker in the centre, is that so they could listen to the latest tunes on BBC Radio?

 

Was the driver really so accessible - any Tom, Dick or Harry could have taken over the unit and where did the fireman sit?

[bertiedog]

The cab interior is quite different to the later units, as with the Didcot example, with a brake column etc.

However is any thing hidden behind the seat in this view?

 

 

And still no answer on the seat colours so far..........

Still worth fully detailing the cab, even if so sparse on the early design.

 

Running still perfect, it has been lubed with Teflon grease etc., and fitted with second flywheel, with extra outer ballrace support.

 

Stephen

[The Johnster]

Basically it was a bus on rails - there appears to be a speaker in the centre, is that so they could listen to the latest tunes on BBC Radio?

 

Was the driver really so accessible - any Tom, Dick or Harry could have taken over the unit and where did the fireman sit?

 

 

There was no fireman.  Early dmus and electric sets were single manned from the outset, the unions seemingly recognising that no fireman was needed.  It is unusual for only one seat to be provided, though, as there are always occasions when a second man is legitimately the cab, such as a route conductor or inspector riding with the driver.  

 

I have never been inside one and do not know if the cab is open to the saloon, but would doubt it, although some early auto trailers were laid out like this and the passenger entered through the cab doorways.  The distracting of the driver by passengers was more of a worry than a terrorist or criminal attempt to take over the controls in the innocent days of the 1930s; I doubt if anybody even thought about it, though it would be an important consideration now.

 

The bananas were 'informed' by current passenger aircraft design, in the desire to convey a feeling of modernity (BR were still touting dmus as modern 20 years later), and aircraft cockpits were open to the passenger saloons in those days.

[Coppercap]

These images are of No.1, and it had a luggage compartment at one end - this end - with a bulkhead between it and the passenger compartment. The other end had a windowed bulkhead, like later DMUs.

[217 RIVER FLESK]

Sadly my W14W didn't even get to touch it's wheels on any track, due to the obvious paint mark on one end, back in the post to the retailer tomorrow . . .

Edited November 10, 2017 by 217 RIVER FLESK

[dibber25]

There was no fireman.  Early dmus and electric sets were single manned from the outset, the unions seemingly recognising that no fireman was needed.  It is unusual for only one seat to be provided, though, as there are always occasions when a second man is legitimately the cab, such as a route conductor or inspector riding with the driver.  

 

I have never been inside one and do not know if the cab is open to the saloon, but would doubt it, although some early auto trailers were laid out like this and the passenger entered through the cab doorways.  The distracting of the driver by passengers was more of a worry than a terrorist or criminal attempt to take over the controls in the innocent days of the 1930s; I doubt if anybody even thought about it, though it would be an important consideration now.

 

The bananas were 'informed' by current passenger aircraft design, in the desire to convey a feeling of modernity (BR were still touting dmus as modern 20 years later), and aircraft cockpits were open to the passenger saloons in those days.

 

Some cars, if not all, had a tip-up seat on the right behind where the photographer is standing. The same was true of early BR DMUs. (CJL)

[swiftbeam]

Considering the Dapol model has two seats, we must conclude the drivers area should have the detail to match the real twin seat drivers area?

 

 

[Irishrailwaymodeller]

Got my Dapol GWR Railcar No W12 today and it looks great. I fitted a 3-function decoder and it runs along fine with front/rear and cabin lights working directionally. However, the interiour lights don't seem to be working - do I need to map some functions to a different button I wonder? The space for a speaker is small, I would think only a sugar-cube would fit?

 

I understand that Mr Soundguy has developed a suitable sound-chip/project.

Edited November 10, 2017 by Irishrailwaymodeller

[The Johnster]

The black and white photo may be of No.1, which was different in some details; the colour shot shows a handbrake standard and a second tip-up seat which is a far more typical arrangement for electric units and dmus into BR days.  The model interior moulding has 2 seats, but they are identical to each other, which is probably not right (but I am not claiming to be the definitive, or any other sort of, authority on the subject) as the right hand seat is almost always a tip-up.  This is firstly because it only sees occasional use and secondly because a fitted seat would get in the driver's way when he needs to cross the cab, to pick up a single line token for example or to look back down the train at a right hand platform.

 

If this detail is incorrect, as I think it might be, it is a little irritating, because this vehicle's cab is particularly visible through the raked windows and draws attention to itself.  The driver's seat looks a bit too substantial compared to the photo, with it's high back and solid form, and the identical co-pilot's seat looks far too solid.  It is easier to add a detail that isn't there than to remove an incorrect lump of moulding in an awkward location; the seat mouldings look as if they double as supports for the cream plastic lighting holder, and messing around with them might entail all sorts of unforeseen issues!

[Coppercap]

The black and white photo may be of No.1, 

 

It is No1! Only one with external drivers doors, and, initially, no buffers. 

Edited November 10, 2017 by Coppercap

[melmerby]

Got my Dapol GWR Railcar No W12 today and it looks great. I fitted a 3-function decoder and it runs along fine with front/rear and cabin lights working directionally. However, the interiour lights don't seem to be working - do I need to map some functions to a different button I wonder? The space for a speaker is small, I would think only a sugar-cube would fit?

 

I understand that Mr Soundguy has developed a suitable sound-chip/project.

Switched on & off with F2 on the handset.

 

Keith

 

Edit

I reckon Dapol missed a trick with the push-in oil lamp.

They could have fitted a LED behind the hole and a fibre optic tail lamp, switched on with an extra function.

Edited November 10, 2017 by melmerby

[Izzy]

Got my Dapol GWR Railcar No W12 today and it looks great. I fitted a 3-function decoder and it runs along fine with front/rear and cabin lights working directionally. However, the interiour lights don't seem to be working - do I need to map some functions to a different button I wonder? The space for a speaker is small, I would think only a sugar-cube would fit?

 

I understand that Mr Soundguy has developed a suitable sound-chip/project.

 

 John YouChoos has posted an install here:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/127695-Dapol-oo-gwr-diesel-railcar-zimo-dcc-sound-installation-info/

 

Izzy

[unravelled]

I picked up my Crimson/cream version from Invicta today. I've not had a chance to run it yet. but it looks good.

Reading of the problems some  have faced with hunting, and the suggestion that it might be a feature of the gear train between the axles, I wonder whether removing some gears to create a single axle drive is possible? As it only has to move itself, it doesn't need a lot of traction on a level layout.

 

Thanks

 

Dave

[swiftbeam]

I picked up my Crimson/cream version from Invicta today. I've not had a chance to run it yet. but it looks good.

Reading of the problems some  have faced with hunting, and the suggestion that it might be a feature of the gear train between the axles, I wonder whether removing some gears to create a single axle drive is possible? As it only has to move itself, it doesn't need a lot of traction on a level layout.

 

Thanks

 

Dave

 

 

I thought that as I was doing my conversion.

So I did it just to see, don't bother.

Believe it or not, it can't generate enough traction to pull it's self, even on flat, straight, level track, I was shocked!

You could add lead in the space where the gears were and all around the bogie body.

Then you just end up with a single axle driven mess.

 

I think the drive is just a problem I had to be honest as everybody else don't seem to have a problem. 

I've seen a few in shops this week and guys at the club were saying how good it is.

Don't worry abut the drive train, just run it, I'm sure yours will be spot on :-)

Edited November 11, 2017 by swiftbeam

[railcar1]

I thought that as I was doing my conversion.

So I did it just to see, don't bother.

Believe it or not, it can't generate enough traction to pull it's self, even on flat, straight, level track, I was shocked!

You could add lead in the space where the gears were and all around the bogie body.

Then you just end up with a single axle driven mess.

 

I think the drive is just a problem I had to be honest as everybody else don't seem to have a problem.

I've seen a few in shops this week and guys at the club were saying how good it is.

Don't worry abut the drive train, just run it, I'm sure yours will be spot on :-)

[railcar1]

Not just you Swiftbeam.

[unravelled]

I thought that as I was doing my conversion.

So I did it just to see, don't bother.

Believe it or not, it can't generate enough traction to pull it's self, even on flat, straight, level track, I was shocked!

You could add lead in the space where the gears were and all around the bogie body.

Then you just end up with a single axle driven mess.

 

I think the drive is just a problem I had to be honest as everybody else don't seem to have a problem. 

I've seen a few in shops this week and guys at the club were saying how good it is.

Don't worry abut the drive train, just run it, I'm sure yours will be spot on :-)

Thanks for the info, just one question about the hunting, if you can remember. Did you notice how it related to wheel revolutions? I was wondering whether some of the gears produced are slightly out of round. Get two of these in phase in a bogie, and there would be a regular tight spot. Randomly oriented gears in the  bogies would only give a small chance of hitting a sour spot. Then sod's law is responsible for you getting more than one of them.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[swiftbeam]

I know exactly what you are saying, two or three 'Friday' gears. I don't think that is the case though. All the gears are nicely moulded and the bogie is super smooth.

 

I suspect my problem was the fact that there is 4 gears to the inboard axle and only 2 to the rear axle, this gives the uneven 'free wheel rev'. Maybe if the gears had much less backlash. Try filling the gearbox with lots of thick silicon grease.

 

I think the best answer to try IF yours hunts, is the do what railcar1 said and fit a set of pickups on the driving bogie that press hard against the rear of the wheels.

[Prometheus]

I have managed to acquire via Amazon a near-mint ex-reference library copy of Judge's 'The History of the Great Western A.E.C. Diesel Railcars' [£13 - very good value]. It's hugely detailed and covers the lot with profuse photographs.

 

On No11, the drawing confirms a very slightly left-of-centre driver's seat with an adjacent tip-up seat on the far right. Photographs of the interior of No12 show seats upholstered in a large tartan-pattern moquette and the floor in the aisle appears to be carpeted. Colours can not be determined for either. The lavatory compartment in the vestibule has no natural light and so must have been illuminated electrically.

 

It is clear that the windows are also fitted with roller blinds which retract quite neatly when not in use, barely noticeably.

 

I've not yet found any cab detailing however.

 

Tony

[swiftbeam]

I just bought that book as well 

 

Thanks for the tip off 

[KymN]

I ordered the DCC version.  Still waiting.