Dapol 00 Gauge LSWR B4

[JSpencer]

Here are my pair finally on the layout.

 

Dwarfing a P class. An 0-6-0 dwarfed by an 0-4-0, oh the shame. That said the P class is heavier and somewhat better thought through DCC wise with space for a speaker. The bigger side tanks on the B4 should be able to provide better real estate for a hard wired sound chip and speaker (or adding extra weight). The instructions only cover plain DCC, to use a small 6-pin less than 10mm long plugged in on top of the chassis. The flicker glow is nice but comes on when cranked to half speed (which is still relatively slow, but hardly crawling), in DCC mode instructions state F0 switches this feature on and off (normally reserved for head lamps). Novel and nice but not quite thought through.

 

 

With the USA tank in the dock. The B4 has sprung buffers (like the P), the USA does not:

 

 

Bluebell LSWR engines together

 

 

B4 with an O2.

 

 

Nice job Dapol, IMHO, not quite as good as the Hattons P but an excellent model none the less of a subject I never thought I would see in RTR. Baxter next?

[gz3xzf]

Well mine arrived from Sheffield this afternoon, I am really impressed by the detail of the cab, etc. sadly as noticed earlier on the thread, the transfer smokebox number plate and shed plate does let the front down; but for the price (£93.50 with free postage from Rails) I think it is very good value. I am planning to order an etched set of plates from Narrow Planet to add to the front.

 

I also questioned the shed location of 30089 carrying the early BR livery, Dapol have given her the 70C (Guildford) shed code, but looking at the BRDatabase the loco didn't go to Guildford until March 1959, having spent 6 months at Eastleigh just before. In my mind she should carry 72D (Plymouth Friary) as I expect the loco would have received the late BR emblem before going to Guildford. Does anybody have any other information?

 

[MartinTrucks]

Well mine arrived from Sheffield this afternoon, I am really impressed by the detail of the cab, etc. sadly as noticed earlier on the thread, the transfer smokebox number plate and shed plate does let the front down; but for the price (£93.50 with free postage from Rails) I think it is very good value. I am planning to order an etched set of plates from Narrow Planet to add to the front.

 

I also questioned the shed location of 30089 carrying the early BR livery, Dapol have given her the 70C (Guildford) shed code, but looking at the BRDatabase the loco didn't go to Guildford until March 1959, having spent 6 months at Eastleigh just before. In my mind she should carry 72D (Plymouth Friary) as I expect the loco would have received the late BR emblem before going to Guildford. Does anybody have any other information?

 

Dapol B4 30089.jpg

 

Yes!

 

http://www.davidheyscollection.com/userimages/00-b-hilton-SE10-2.jpg

shows 30089 at Guildford circa 1962 (post #400). The photo is copyright, which is why I only linked to it rather than copying it to this thread.

 

<edit> The last post in this thread (#15) suggests that 30096 was the only member of the class to receive the later BR crest.

www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?%2Ftopic%2F86525-adams-b4%2F

 

Regards,

Martin

Edited June 7, 2018 by MartinTrucks

[gz3xzf]

Yes!

 

http://www.davidheyscollection.com/userimages/00-b-hilton-SE10-2.jpg

shows 30089 at Guildford circa 1962 (post #400). The photo is copyright, which is why I only linked to it rather than copying it to this thread.

 

<edit> The last post in this thread (#15) suggests that 30096 was the only member of the class to receive the later BR crest.

www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?%2Ftopic%2F86525-adams-b4%2F

 

Regards,

Martin

Thanks Martin, that explains the conundrum; in that case I have a choice of shed plates I could use, quite like the idea of the loco being in the Eastern Division.

[5050]

Are separate bodies available as spares for those of us of the wider gauge persuasion?  Is the footplate part of the body and not the chassis as so many recent introductions?

[PaulRhB]

Are separate bodies available as spares for those of us of the wider gauge persuasion? Is the footplate part of the body and not the chassis as so many recent introductions?

The body and footplate are all one piece, the chassis is completely separate. There are photos of mine apart a couple of pages back showing the chassis and the body from beneath.

[Dunsignalling]

Are separate bodies available as spares for those of us of the wider gauge persuasion?  Is the footplate part of the body and not the chassis as so many recent introductions?

ISTR that Dapol announced there wouldn't be quite early on.

 

If you aren't wanting to simply re-gauge the model as supplied, there shouldn't be much difficulty selling on a chassis like this to the 7mm NG fraternity, though.

 

John

Edited June 7, 2018 by Dunsignalling

[gz3xzf]

OK, I have run the loco in now and attempted to fit a decoder, but you really need one that is around 10mm long; a Gaugemaster DCC28 has absolutely no chance. I am probably going to go for a Gaugemaster DCC23 which is shown as being 10.6mm. I have done a search for a Dapol Imperium 6P decoder and cannot find anybody who stocks them, even Dapol do not have them on their site, so I am guessing they no longer exist or are new?

During the body removal a couple of things tripped me up: -

• First, as the instructions note, once the base plate is off the wheels can drop out, I found it a lot easier to handle the model by loosely putting the base plate back on with a couple of screws to secure it after removing the two body screws (marked 4 on the instructions).
• Second, watch out for the top connection to the motor, mine got caught in the body and was stopping the chassis coming out, you need a fine screw driver or tweezers to just push it back towards the side of the motor.
• Lastly, once the chassis is out, the cylinders are not held in, if they shift forward too far the slide bar and the piston rod will disconnect and it is fiddly to get it all back together.

[Wickham Green]

ISTR that Dapol announced there wouldn't be quite early on.

 

If you aren't wanting to simply re-gauge the model as supplied, there shouldn't be much difficulty selling on a chassis like this to the 7mm NG fraternity, though.

 

John

With a built-in three-point suspension there should be no need for a new chassis - the brake blocks will need moving out and sand pipes adjusting but little else ! ................. though a change of wheels would be a little more challenging.

[SRman]

 

OK, I have run the loco in now and attempted to fit a decoder, but you really need one that is around 10mm long; a Gaugemaster DCC28 has absolutely no chance. I am probably going to go for a Gaugemaster DCC23 which is shown as being 10.6mm. I have done a search for a Dapol Imperium 6P decoder and cannot find anybody who stocks them, even Dapol do not have them on their site, so I am guessing they no longer exist or are new?

During the body removal a couple of things tripped me up: -

• First, as the instructions note, once the base plate is off the wheels can drop out, I found it a lot easier to handle the model by loosely putting the base plate back on with a couple of screws to secure it after removing the two body screws (marked 4 on the instructions).
• Second, watch out for the top connection to the motor, mine got caught in the body and was stopping the chassis coming out, you need a fine screw driver or tweezers to just push it back towards the side of the motor.
• Lastly, once the chassis is out, the cylinders are not held in, if they shift forward too far the slide bar and the piston rod will disconnect and it is fiddly to get it all back together.

 

 

I ordered my Normandy to be already DCC-fitted after reading about the very limited space. However, I had also ordered locally a pair of 6-pin CT Elektronic decoders, DCX74zD, which arrived today, and these look as if they would have fitted the bill admirably.

[No Decorum]

These are lovely little locomotives and beautiful runners. I could only afford two but, having got them, I ordered a third. For models like this, somehow money is found. A sandbox had come loose on one model but it was easily pressed back into place without any need for glue. The is a little gear whine but not much and only at unrealistically high speed.

 

The manual says that there are no accessories but, as has been mentioned, alternative couplings have been provided, perhaps as an afterthought. They take the form of a hollow rectangle and I suppose they are intended to allow coupling on very tight curves. I tried them out and found that the hook on the towed vehicle slid along the bar towards the end, which then twisted because it plugs into a CCM. The hook then just disengaged. A curious idea, perhaps just best forgotten.

[Robin Verth]

The box says R2 radius curves as minimum.

 

 

[JSpencer]

I,m starting to find these run better than the excellent P class which is really saying something. But I'm so disappointed that they cannot race around the track against Smokey Joe.......

[PaulRhB]

The box says R2 radius curves as minimum.

I think that's just due to the rear overhang and  tension lock couplings as people would moan if they advertised it as capable of sharper curves and it kept buffer locking

[Wickham Green]

I think that's just due to the rear overhang and  tension lock couplings as people would moan if they advertised it as capable of sharper curves and it kept buffer locking

Looks like 'Normandy' and '96 have got bigger buffer heads - will they go round R1 curves OK  I wonder ?

[Edwardian]

Mmmmm

 

Adams livery had a white line separating the black border from the 'pea' green. Given the current standards of printing and the ability of other manufacturers to reproduce far more complex pre-Grouping liveries (3 manufacturers to date have mastered the SE&CR Wainright livery), I confess I am at a loss to understand why Dapol have not included the white lining on their Collector's Club model of No.91.  

 

The white line might have been narrow, but was pretty prominent.  Of course, the one circumstance in which it is not so clear is in photographic grey livery.  Perhaps Dapol relied on a picture like No.90 below, and missed it?  It seems they did not properly research or understand the livery, which is a shame.

 

Looking at enlargement of the model, there is a sort of paler green smudge between the pea green and the black, but nothing Iike a white line. 

 

For comparison, Oxford's Radial. For convenience I repost the image posted by NHY 581 and a scratch-built example from elsewhere on RMWeb.

 

Also, I believe that in Adams's day, the locos would have had a wooden roof, I think the steel one represented on Dapol's No.91 is an anachronism. This is in addition to the pimple/vent hole and boiler band issues, of course.  Nevertheless, an attractive model of  a charismatic little prototype. 

Edited June 7, 2018 by Edwardian

[MartinTrucks]

My 30096 arrived this morning. It has completed its running in on my test oval and is now happily trundling round it. If you had asked me a year ago whether Dapol could produce a model as superb as this, I would have replied in the negative. I am very impressed. The B4 really is the dog's b*******!!!

 

Martin

[Ian J.]

I tested my 30096 at the club test track tonight and it performed flawlessly

[adb968008]

Mine arrived with its chimney off, but it fits safely back into place (it’s got a square inner lip to ensure it only fits the correct way.)

 

Otherwise this is a nice little runner.

It’s bigger than I thought (almost same size as the class 07)... there’s a big gap between those 2 axles.

Edited June 7, 2018 by adb968008

[GeoffBird]

Well mine arrived from Sheffield this afternoon, I am really impressed by the detail of the cab, etc. sadly as noticed earlier on the thread, the transfer smokebox number plate and shed plate does let the front down; but for the price (£93.50 with free postage from Rails) I think it is very good value. I am planning to order an etched set of plates from Narrow Planet to add to the front.

 

I also questioned the shed location of 30089 carrying the early BR livery, Dapol have given her the 70C (Guildford) shed code, but looking at the BRDatabase the loco didn't go to Guildford until March 1959, having spent 6 months at Eastleigh just before. In my mind she should carry 72D (Plymouth Friary) as I expect the loco would have received the late BR emblem before going to Guildford. Does anybody have any other information?

 

Dapol B4 30089.jpg

I ordered 30089 because it was a Friary engine.  There are several Pictures of it in and around Friary and the Turnchapel & Cattewater branches.  It carried a spark arrester on top of the chimney, of course, particularly for working into the woodyards.  I have a Friary shedplate but Need to get a süark arrester from somewhere - any ideas.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I would look in North American HO catalogues, as the logging railways were major spark arrestor users.

[Wickham Green]

I would look in North American HO catalogues, as the logging railways were major spark arrestor users.

Well, Alan Gibson ( used to ) do a balloon stack for a pannier tank ............. but I really don't think that's what's required here !

[JSpencer]

Adams livery had a white line separating the black border from the 'pea' green. Given the current standards of printing and the ability of other manufacturers to reproduce far more complex pre-Grouping liveries (3 manufacturers to date have mastered the SE&CR Wainright livery), I confess I am at a loss to understand why Dapol have not included the white lining on their Collector's Club model of No.91.  

 

The white line might have been narrow, but was pretty prominent.  Of course, the one circumstance in which it is not so clear is in photographic grey livery.  Perhaps Dapol relied on a picture like No.90 below, and missed it?  It seems they did not properly research or understand the livery, which is a shame.

 

Looking at enlargement of the model, there is a sort of paler green smudge between the pea green and the black, but nothing Iike a white line. 

 

For comparison, Oxford's Radial. For convenience I repost the image posted by NHY 581 and a scratch-built example from elsewhere on RMWeb.

 

Also, I believe that in Adams's day, the locos would have had a wooden roof, I think the steel one represented on Dapol's No.91 is an anachronism. This is in addition to the pimple/vent hole and boiler band issues, of course.  Nevertheless, an attractive model of  a charismatic little prototype.

 

I don,t doubt your word, but it is impossible for me to see a white line between the green and black on the posted black & white photo.

 

Agree it is odd they got the vent holes confused with rivets. These are so small on the real thing that they are probably not worth including anyway.

[Edwardian]

I don,t doubt your word, but it is impossible for me to see a white line between the green and black on the posted black & white photo.

 

Agree it is odd they got the vent holes confused with rivets. These are so small on the real thing that they are probably not worth including anyway.

 

Try this one, which I notice has been posted on the Dapol Digest site.

 

I can see the white line!

 

As the white lining was probably only 3/16" wide, at 4mm you would probably have to reproduce it over-scale, yet we have the Hornby and Oxford Radials in Adams green, showing how it can be done at 4mm to capture the appearance of the livery.

 

Also, look at the picture of No.90 in works grey next to the picture of the model.  Something seems to be awry in terms of the relationship between the top of the cab cut out and the black lining band.  One of the dimensions is out.  I don't know which, but it gives the impression of the cab cut-out being too high.

 

Now, to be fair, there has to be some compromise.  With the cut out, the cab beading might be over scale, and unavoidably so. If one element throws out another, it must be difficult to strike a balance and decide where to compromise. It's not an easy job, and we don't expect perfection!

[Captain Kernow]

I,m starting to find these run better than the excellent P class which is really saying something.

I was thinking the same thing this afternoon. The B4 really is a little gem.