DapolDave

Hi JGP, Firstly please dont be so formal it's Dave, not Mr Jones;) Secondly, and you may not like this, but there is a delay on the RFM and a longer one on the TGS. We are not dumping them or giving up on them, although some on here will probably say we are. What's happened is simple, we are extremely busy right now, more so than at any time in thepast and our new CEO has given me authority to proceed with more projects in N and OO than we have ever done in 1 year. so much so that the factories we currently have in China (2 of them) are running almost to capacity and i am out there again soon looking at a third) now this means that we have had to prioritise, and the RFM has slipped to next year (1st quarter i hope). This is simply a problem of economics........why make a coach a priority with £3.00 per unit profit when you can make a loco that gives you £30.00 per unit profit especially this time of year, and taking into account the HST isnt ready yet? Mercenary i know, but realistic for us to keep a cash flow going to be able to re-invest. So please dont worry, the buffet is still on the list, we just need tool room time / capacity, and this should happen just before or after Chinese New Year. As for the HST, well to confirm again i am not happy with the headlight fitting (as you can see in the pictures on this thread), and although i could have released it, it would have been slated quite rightly by the modelling fraternity. I'd rather take the flak for taking a little extra time to get things right than for letting it go on sale incorrect. I have had a revised one through now and it's better, but still concerning regarding the fit of the light clusters. But it will be right for launch. The side window issue has been looked at and, although not perfect, seems fine now on the latest issue, and the mould lines on the side of the cab front are being removes and the valance join tightened up even more. The paint finish for the warning panel yellow on the pictures were merely mock ups for display and never indicative of the finished item. The Grand Central power car is with GC for approval, and so is the FGW set with FGW for approval too. Talking of which a FGW power car and MK3 coach will debut this weekend on the Dapol stand at Darlingotn (weather permitting). Please bear with us, and although i know it is frustrating, we are trying to get a premium item out to you as soon as its ready. All who have seen and handled the HST think the wait will be worth it, and i encourage any of you visiting Darlington this weekend to come and see, and maybe handle, the power cars to judge for themselves. Hope this helps and you hav'nt all gone to sleeep with this mail. cheers Dave Dapol Ltd Hallo, -> Dapol Info on TGS and "catering coach" was conspicuous by it's absence. Production dates of these items really cannot be Top Secret, can it?!? I mean producing an HST and NOT having them available at the same time seems, well, let's say, particularly strange... Any dates, Mr Jones? RFM was loosely targeted for late summer 2010, and it's gone very quiet. Now adding those missing coaches to the booked sets might just be that marketing move you are looking for. Thanks JGP

Just wondering. Is the 21/29 going to be a limited edition run like the 22 being produced for Kernow or will it be general availability? Hi David, not sure where you got that info from but the class 22 is for all stockists who want to order it, and so will the 21/29 be Hope this helps Cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi everyone, i can only apologise for the lack of HST book sets for sale at Warley, and while i hoped to get them in at the latest by Christmas, it was obvious Friday that this wasnt to happen. I'm reasonably happy with the livery application, and i'm exctatic about the chassis and its running qualities.......however i am concerned about the light glazing unit on the model (where one is needed) which doesnt fit the cavity in the body very well and leaves a gap at the edge and the op or bottom (dependig on how its fitted). I have asked the factory to make adjustments to this area and this will take a month. added to this a months worth of production time, and 5 weeks delivery time from China and we are into next year, so taking into account Chinese New Year, then the end of March is the most likely 'best guess' for me. So, sorry about the delay but i hope you understand the reasons? cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi, as with the class 22, we are putting slides into the tool to allow us to model most, if not all, class 21 + 29 variants. hope this helps? cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi everyone, glad we seem to have made peoples day with this announcement We have started cad/cam work on it using the dimensions we know of, but like the class 22 it will take help (which i'm not afraid to ask for) and a little time. Having said that it is being 'fast tracked' if you will excuse the pun for 2011. so if any of you can help with anything from dimensions of bodyside grilles (yes we are missing that crucial one) to pictures of the class in service (oh for a time machine and access to Woodhams) then we would be very grateful. Like all our recent projects of this ilk, i will keep you posted, and try and update things when i think its worth it, but rest assured it wont be a 2 year burnt down factory, and start from scratch job like the 22 Cheers Dave

Hi guys, to clarify the models on display. these were first EP or 'first shots' from the tooling that i picked up last week when in China. they do not have all the detail you would expect from a finished model as this is added in the second stage (2nd EP stage) the immediately preceeds production. So all the bogie pipes, rivets etc will come in about a month. in fact the paint jobs were created from scratch whilst over there in 2 days for all those colours, and to be honest for that length of time taken i didnt really care about the final livery application as i just wanted something green on the stand. sorry. As for the milky glazing? easy answer, once second EP stage proceeds then the tool is polished to create clear glazing. so please bear all this in mind when you see pictures of the model either here or on our web site on monday. the best is yet to come. Cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi everyone, we started to dipatch the Britannia loco's to stockists yesterday in a special mid-month release. Both models should be with your stockists over the next 2-3 days as its a time consuming process and dispatch are being as quick as they can. Osbournes 'special edition' will also be amongst this batch. As for stock, all that were ordered by stockists were made plus extra to cope with demand should those that miss out want one, so stockists can re-order from us. details on the home page of www.Dapol.co.uk cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi Mike, here would be great if you could please? cheers Dave

Hi everyone, just finishing the smal details in the hope that i get them right, and i notice something. I have amongst all those pictures everyone sent me for reference pictures taken 3/4 on shoing the cab side and the worksplate. What i do not have is a picture of the worksplate to be able to replicate it accurately on the model in Brass. Anyone know what size it is and have access to a picture please? Also i note that some pictures have them painted red, and others the more standard black. Was there a hard and fast rule or are the red ones 'specials' for some reason. The class 22 is close now, as we have just signed off on the new OO gauge motor and i have been informed from China that the first shots are on the way. Will post more details and perhaps pics when i have them. cheers Dave

Hi everyone, Just heard through from China regarding the package and its even sadder news i'm afraid and puts thingas into perspective. The package was a total write off because it was on board UPS flight 6 that crashed on approach to Dubai last week after declaring an inflight emergency just after take off en-route to Cologne. 2 crew members were killed, and our thoughts at Dapol are with their families at this time. link here for details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPS_Airlines_Flight_6 Dave

Hi, please dont worry. These were extra models made for press reviews, and not part of the original consignment. Unfortunately these were the first completed models of our locomotives that are solely made in China for us. (the JNA and IOA plus 2mm 8plank already are) and so we were not masters of our own destiny here. the rest of the consignment are on board ship as i type this and should be with Dapol in a couple of weeks. Hope this helps. cheers Dave

Hi everyone, As an aside but equally important to those visiting the International N gauge show this weekend, we have had notification from our famous shipping company that a parcel has been destroyed by an accident on the pan at Dubai International airport. Typically its an important parcel or else we wouldnt have shipped it at great cost on a 48 hour shipping schedule. It contains, 10 Britannia's (5 x William Shakespeare, and 5 x Iron Duke) that we were going to have n display this weekend at the show. Unfortunately this wont now happen, but Britannia will be there amongst some other items. Sorry to dissapoint. cheers Dave Dapol ltd

Hi Dr Al and B.H., to answer your questions, No the thermistors would not fit the Manor tender and the wires are screwed into a metal frame on the Brit. which itself acts as a heat sink should there be problems. I'm not sure that it could be retro fitted t the Manor as the pins that hold the springs are interferance fit into the plastic chassis, and such there might be contact issues. Yes the Brit does have the promised 'square axles' for the wheels, so quartering should not be a problem. cheers Dave Dapol ltd

Hi Grahame, further to your mail i thought i would put some flesh on the statement from us regarding the manufactured amounts of Brits, only being doen to order. Originally we announced 4 names for this loco at release and sent out order forms. The total quantity pre-ordered from stockists was in fact way below what we have now produced. We think this was for a number of reasons, 1) An unproven product, and uncertainty about it. 2) Price point and worries about where this would sit in the market sales wise. 3) We have announced too many too soon, with the potential to leave stockists with standing stock if the buying public felt it was not a good model. 4) a wealth of recently released steam locomotives in a relatively small market place with only so much money to go round. We therefore decided that we would only make 2 running numbers for this model initially, and to make exactly what was pre-ordered when the relevant from was re-issued to stockists. As mentioned, this amount is greater than the 4 original loco's whcih were on pre-order. This was good for us in a couple of ways. Firstly it allowed us to sell out at launch and secondly allowed almost every stockist to sell out at launch. This is good for cash flow for both parties, and allows re-investment by both Dapol and the stockist in new stock, liveries etc. We do aknowledge that the business plan for this model will not please everyone, and that there will be a vociferous few who dont like it The simple fact is that the business plan works for Dapol, and as such we are no longer harnessed to a huge stock holding due to poor choice of model or an abundance of liveries because of it. Rest assured that, as i tried to explain to a gentleman this weekend at a show i was attending, we will be producing more of the same as the months / years go on, and we already have ideas for further names / variants (thinking smoke deflectros and tenders here) which will appear in due course. This means that if customers miss out on the initial batch they will be able to buy one (if not the same running number and name) a few months further on. I know people out there will understandably want to 'try before they buy', and in this situation things get a little fraught as it is not always possible with such limited runs. This is why the models went out to magazines a month early for review so that potential customers could have an honest appraisal of the locomotive, its' features, performance etc if they dont have time or the ability to take a look and examine it in person before purchase. As for spares, this is the first steam loco with which we will have ample spares for drive shafts, traction tyres, electrical tender to loco wire and even chassis available at launch, should the worst happen to a customers loco. I hope this clears up a few questions about the loc, but if any one else has any, please feel free to post to this forum thread and i will try my best to answer them. Cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi Grahame, Just to clarify regarding your post. We were originally going to fit the Brit with power transfer springs for loco to tender connection, but decided to have these wired instead. Now, in a change form the B17 etc, the wires are screwed in as each wire has soldered 'eyes' each end to help electrical contact. We have also had 2 'thermistors' fitted tender side of the 2 wires to apparently (as the theory of this is beyond me) soak up electrical heat caused by derailments etc. Replacement wires and screws are in the accessory pack included with the loco, as are a pair of replacement traction tyres, and these 'spares' will be available from Dapol on the loco's launch which will be in less than a month. All 3 will be here at once. Hope this helps cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi guys, I can answer the dismantling question for you. Due to requests from customers regarding diagrammes for dismantling, we thought it a good idea to add this feature for those that may need to avail themselves of it at a later date. The gearbox will not need oiling from purchase, only the other areas mentioned on the diagramme. Hope this helps. cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi Lee, I hope not All good things come etc etc.......seriously though, we are finalising the class 26 at the moment and i'm not sure if this or the 56 will come first. What i do know is that the Britannia is next, followed closely by the B1, then the HST. What comes after that is purely down to what we feel might be the bigger seller at that time. Look out for a lot of the previously announced backlog getting cleared soon though. Cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi Mike, To help you with your problem, i have unearthed some hitherto unknown paperwork that tells me that ironically all of our stated releases worked in South Wales at one time or another, and that all the liveries were spotted there too!! Amazing what some digging in the Dapol archives can produce cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi everyone, Just a quick note to let you know that the final cad/cam images of this project are on the home page of our website. www.Dapol.co.uk It's been a long journey and we thank you all for your patience, and hope to have the fist EP models to look at within 8 weeks. i hope you like them and the attention to detail we have gone into. Cheers Dave

Hi Stu, Mike should have his loco's either today or tomorrow, so giving him time to unpack etc early next week sounds good. Cheers Dave

Hi there, Glad to put this one to rest. i think i menationed earlier in this thread that our original cad/cam design factory in China had had a fire, subsequently losing ALL the cad/cam files and variations for the class 22. Now this isnt as bad as it seems because they were still a long way from finishing the cad/cam. However as the Chinese like the idea of 'saving face' we only found out about the fire by accident 5 months after the event, when a slipped up word in an e-mail let us know something was wrong. This plus the revisions were taking longer. So, we took the job back to our normal cad/cam designer and factory and since then progress has been great. In fact i have a request out for more detail for the bits and pieces behind the valances (we have a picture for the detail directly behind the valance above the fuel tank) to allow us to model this area, sucessfully,and have removable / customer fit valances. So if anyone can help or point the way quickly i'd be obliged. Otherwise we are literally an e-mail away from cutting metal, which will probably happen next week (when if we get not further information we will keep the cad/cam with the detail missing so that at least people can model their own, or attach the valances at an angle as per prototype. Our new motor for the class 22 is under test at the moment, and looks / performs well. We hope to have first shots of the 22 within about 8 or so weeks of this e-mail if all goes well, with release for Warley at the very latest, but i hope maybe late summer or early autumn. Hope this helps. cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi, With regards to special editions of the class 86 for future releases. We at Dapol are currently speaking to a few shops with regards to this, and the ideas for models at the moment include; Freightliner 'twin packs' (1 x green powered + 1 x triple grey 'dummy' (or the other way around) The 2 rail 150 loco's the 2 ETL loco's and the 2 network rail yellow ones. However we get the impression that traders are waiting to see if both the 86 and the catenary 'take off' before signing on the dotted line, which is understandable as we do the same from time to time. cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi guys, i have just checkled the delivery reports for Interlink, who deliver all our stock to model shops, and apart from 3 shops that should get their delivery later today, all the silver bullet wagons for OO have been delivered. Hope this helps some of you,. cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi everyone, Just to confirm that the Silver Bullets in OO gauge (clean) will be released to traders attending the Alexander Palace Model Railway show this weekend. I am taking these down to the show personally for them to collect from us at our stand. All orders will be dispatched today and monday to stockists not attending the show. Dapol have now officially sold out of our production run and there will not be any more clean or even dirty ones with these running numbers. The Silver Bullets represent a 'step change' for us in quality, whcih started off with the FEA-B, and as such all wagons that meet this standard of extra detail and quality will now be branded 'Gold Standard' and be readily identifiable by this badging on the boxes. I hope you all enjoy them as much as i did getting them manufactured. cheers Dave Dapol Ltd

Hi guys and gals, To clarify for everyone, The chassis for the class 86 got delayed as i altered the pick-up arrangements on the originally planned ones, putting us back a couple of months. I have had 30 of the chassis shipped here and they have been completed ready for display at the Festival of Model Railways show in London next weekend. The others not required for display will go to the magazines for review, including the 2 we have produced for C&M models. The balance of the chassis are on the high seas, and should be in the UK around next weekend, which is too late to finish manufacture and get out for our 'end of month' for March. So they will go out to stockists at the end of April with the class 58's and silver bullets in N gauge being held over until the end of May so as not to swamp stockists with too much new modern stock. I hope this helps. cheers Dave