DapolDave

Hi guys, i'll go with the consensus of opinion here, but i have tracked down the roof grey to this http://www.e-paint.co.uk/search_colour.asp?cQuery=BS 9-097 But it looks a shade darker than the pictures i can see although that might be film emulsion and light on the roof making it look like loco roof grey to my old eyes. so if you are all agreed then the Green ones and the Early Maroon ones will get this 'admiralty grey' As for finish, i really hate gloss on a model so am loathed to do so, as our new 'blue, green and maroon, have a sheen to them like the Bachmann loco's. Tell me what you think and i'll go with the flow if there's enough comments for to justify it. cheers Dave

Hi, Can i just confirm that this isnt the same picture Rail Express did for the OO version just repeated here? I ask because i was assured by Dave at Tower Models that Heljan had been climbing over the real thing to put right what was wrong on the OO version for the O gauge one. cheers Dave

Hi Nidge, Just read it thanks. I was after a bit more detail though ;-) Cheers Dave

Hi Tony, something to show quite soon. And I'm afraid no, to your request. Sorry Cheers Dave

Hi guys, Anyone know the colour of the roof panels on the BR Green ones please? cheers Dave

Hi guys, Not sure on the Christmas delivery and i'll be gutted if we miss out on some this year. As for the yellow warning panel, it is a bit 'feathery' but will be tidied up on production. These were produced as first deco samples allowing us to get Mercig to Weather Kernow's models to speed things up a bit rather than supply a perfectly finished item which could take 2-3 weeks longer. cheers Dave

Hi everyone, We've had the paint box out and this is the result so far. Still a little work to do (toilet window greyed out for example), but its a taster. These 2 will be heading to Mercig for fitting plates and weathering today to produce the masters for Kernow's weathered ones. Please note the blue is pretty much a perfect match for Bachmann Blue, its just taking a pic in my window makes it look slightly different. cheers Dave

Hi Roger, I'm with Pugsley on this one, as i seriously believe that the use or forums is here to stay, for this type of thing. With regards to the Western i have found it invaluable and its been good in that its shown members on here just what needs to go into a model, how it can go wrong, and how you eventually get it put right to the benefit of all. Cheers Dave

Hi Paul, i totally agree with you, and i dont know why, for the life of me, they have done that, as its not on the first shot i have here. :-( cheers Dave

Hi Roger, Not sure that your using of the word 'sharks' is a good one. No one is looking to eat you up or put you out of business, each is just looking out for themselves. With that in mind most, if not all of the larger manufacturers, will look at what they perceive they can sell, and in quantity as a RTR model. They wont necessarily look at your range and think, 'i know, i'll muck up his investment', as thats not what we are here for. However the fact that it does, isnt our fault. The larger manufacturers have just taken time to get round to picking the higher hanging fruit, that's all, and you occupy that space already so it will continue to affect yours and others ranges. cheers Dave

Hi everyone, Just a quick update with a couple of cad/cams to show progress on these milk tanks from the cad/cam posted in the catalogue. cheers Dave

Hi gordon, PM me on this please, i might, just might, be able to help. cheers Dave

Hi Jon, As a modeller i do see your point of view, although i cannot wholly agree with it, sorry. As part of Dapol, you have to look at it from our perspective. Will it sell? Will it sell lots? Will we have a model that we can keep manufacturing for 40+ years? Will we make money from it form all those that either cant, or dont want to make a kit version? The answer to all those questions as a manufacturer is yes. Hence why we do it. And it's hence why you will see it happen more often over the next few years as manufacturers look towards a contracting market (in models available that will tick all the boxes of those questions i posed above). Its not the manufacturer being mean, its just the manufacturer looking to make money, and if that means duplicatin a kit in RTR form, then it is going to happen, and has happened in both OO and N gauge already. As for the progress? well its been quiet the last few months but is back on the burner now and i hope to have something to show after Christmas. cheers Dave

Hi Lucazone, Indeed these are Dapol items, although you are easily forgiven , due to the time in getting these to market. Cheers Dave

Hi Rich, i have been told that there was a delay in getting some components from outside sources within China that led to the manufacturing delay on these models. I dont have an update yet, but will post here when i know what's happening. cheers Dave

Hi Pete, Large logo is on the cards for the Doncaster built ones as AFAIK no Romanian ever got painted thus. Cheers Dave

Hi Pete, I know we shipped a considerable quantity to Hatton's by courier on Thursday in time for them to get hemFriday and dispatch to customers. It seems that either they didn't get them (by courier service unlikely) or they have received them and are oversold already, hence no stock, or havnt updated their website etc yet. The other explanation is that we havnt sent them yet, but as Hatton's wanted so many I cannot fathom why we would keep the gathering dust at HQ? Cheers Perplexed of Liverpool (aka Dave) :-/

Hi David, Just asking my first 2 days off in 24 (non stop since my holiday) so forgive me if i don't clarify this until Monday. Cheers Dave

Sorry, I thought "Hatton's will start shipping tomorrow" non-ambiguous. But just in case, let me confirm that Hatton's will start shipping tomorrow" lol :-) Sorry, couldn't resist. Cheers Dave

I'd not read too much into it Matt, and I won't explain the situation further. Needless to say its a strange tale with a happy ending. I'd imagine knowing the full story that Hatton's will start shipping tomorrow. Cheers Dave

Hi Dave, Luckily N.R. And the graphics design house that does the 150's and 156/158 units with their lovely (some say) pictograms graphics supplied all their files to me a couple of years back. Indeed I supplied Aran and Charlie with some files for their rail us in case they wanted to do those deco's. All that plusNorthern, like most companies require final say on the model before authorising it for production. Cheers Dave

Yes, all blue and rail freight grey that were ordered had gone out to stockist by courier 2 days ago at the latest. Dapol still hold stock of both these liveries if you cannot get them elsewhere or your stockist is laiming he cannot get them etc. Cheers Dave

Hi Dave, Permanently coupled 2 car set, through wiring, directional lighting, all wheel pickups, no gap concertina corridor connectors and 1 PCB with a single decoder required. Hope this helps. cheers Dave

Blue ones docked Pete, they started going out the other day to stockists. cheers Dave

Hi Gerry, As it goes, and i'm sure some on here will pick about the livery, but i think it looks fantastic. Incidentally we used the original works paint diagams for this deco, that way we got the double arrows spot on measurement wise for the RFG version. cheers Dave