classy52

I didn't see your post as particularly derogatory towards Dapol and just an explanation around economics but hey each to their own. Anyway I don't fall into the 'demand' category and surprised to hear there are people demanding from Dapol a free replacement body shell for 68001 and as I have stipulated already I would pay for it but as long as it is limited to the original customers and only 350 are made with the corrected livery, if it comes free then that's a bonus. I think we can leave the speculation for now and just wait & see what Dapol do in regards to all 3 DRS variants and just accept it if it's knocked on the head and if customers have to pay extra for the corrected body then so be it but ultimately this is for Dapol's PR Dept. to handle...like you said everyone has purchased the DRS Class 68 product knowing full well there was a livery hiccup on an otherwise top class product and personally really looking forward to the next batch of 68's and hopefully the Class 88 beyond that.

I'm not privy to Dapol's financial issues or seen anything regarding this but do agree that offering replacement body shell's would be a bridge too far for a company of their size, even just doing 350 replacements for those who purchased 68001 would be a stretch considering the cost to get them made in China and shipped to the UK let alone the numbers required for 68002 & 68005. I'm sure Dapol are reviewing this behind the scenes and working out the pro & cons before making any announcements and like I said their Digest thread about this was neither here or there and non-committal and for me personally, even though I have spent a lot of money already, I would entertain the idea of paying Dapol a certain fee for a replacement body shell for 68001 but as long as only 350 body shells and no more are made for 68001 so it doesn't de-value the limited edition exclusivity and only 1 per customer from the original invoices. As for 68002 & 68005 I think Dapol would have to charge people for the body shell's because the financial burden of offering for free would completely eat into their profits for this product.

Yes I did say this and no I hadn't checked Dapol Digest's until now thus here is the link to the rumour about replacement body shells for 68001 and/or for the other two, really vague at this point so not holding my breathe. https://digest.Dapol.co.uk/forum/main-forum/class-68/5317-next-batch-of-class-68-s-any-improvements If they want to charge customers for the corrected replacement body shell who purchased 68001 then Dapol will be taking the proverbial so let's hope it is a free replacement program, even better if it is extended to those with 68002 & 68005 which I have also but like I said wouldn't mind if I was charged a token fee for those two, I do understand the economics may be a bit too much to do all of them.

DRS Crewe I had purchased 68001 as a pre-order and yes the packaging of the product was pretty crap, luckily mine came when it wasn't raining and intact and yes it was only wrapped within a thin covering of bubble wrap and brown paper and expected to be in it's own cardboard box with bubble wrap as well. Too be honest the more I think about it for me Dapol have been quite poor in not at least offering a free replacement body shell with correct livery positioning for these 350 special edition 68001 examples as a good will gesture and perhaps charge people a token amount, like £20-£30 perhaps, for the mainstream models as an option for people to get a replacement body shell if they wanted. I did suggest this to Dapol at Ally Pally in March but it was sort of shrugged off as a wait & see which basically means I don't think so and let's move onto the next question. If I hadn't already no I wouldn't buy the 68001 purely based on the livery error as £200 plus postage for a non-DCC fitted/sound fitted model with that mistake is just not worth it thus you see the reason why they haven't sold out considering the popularity of the model and that only 350 units were made. Just wait for the next batch and get one re-numbered to 68001, probably end up being cheaper and with the correct livery.

Hi Andy, They are both just gorgeous especially the Colas 67, if I hadn't spent so much earlier this year on all 3 Class 68's & Kernow's NR 37 I would be definitely bidding for the 67 until I've won it. Have always said the 67 in Colas livery looks absolutely stunning...great job and hope it finds a worthy home. Cheers Steve

Ok didn't know that, thus according to Olivia's everyone else's Class 68 sound projects are fake, lol my sides are splitting...moving on.

I was just browsing around Olivia's Trains online shop and their homepage is stating the following; Class 68 Sounds Now Available Recorded at Wembley Depot using 68010 (Oxford Flyer)We have now completed our Olivia’s Sound of the Class 68. All these sounds are Authentic unlike other released copies...now that's a curious statement Not being funny but if I was the one who had been commissioned by Dapol to provide the Class 68 sound project as per recent release would I take the above as an insult or just brush it aside as friendly banter? ​​Apart from DC Kits and now Olivia's I am not aware of anyone else who has re-produced the Class 68 sound project for ESU or Zimo decoders, has anyone else completed the Class 68 sound project and selling it?

Well there you go, Dapol have now released an online catalogue on their website which covers all gauges and will be proactively updated when required thus keeping everyone informed of all their products currently available and those coming soon or down the line. Well done Dapol and a very positive move in the right direction.

I had pre-ordered but came within 5 days of being released and delivered by Royal Mail signed.

I bet my loco is bigger than your loco, oh wait maybe not...

Th Thanks, that's why I missed it...time to buy the back issue.

Don't want to make you spend more money but DRS 68001, strangely, is still available to purchase from the online DRS Shop. I luckily got a brand new Bachmann NR 97303 last year for £155 off eBay which was pure luck as they normally sell for over 200 quid, also have all the NR coaches from both Hornby & Bachmann as well as Dapol's NR MRA's & IOA's, still working on getting the JNA's. Have an array of intermodal wagons & containers from Dapol, Bachmann & Hornby as I intend to build on side of the layout a Container Terminal and on the other side of the layout a DRS TMD thus two scenic areas with both having a different purpose, anyway that is the plan. Yes have to agree on the fact if you don't buy the desirable model loco's, wagon's or coach's when they are released you will miss out and pay over the odds down the line off eBay or somewhere else, also what I have noticed recently in the past 12 months is that online model retailers are now getting in on the act in ripping people off with high prices when runs are sold out even when they have 10 or more in stock but for me this is a recent thing as I didn't notice this happening a couple of years ago unless I'm mistaken, the Dapol DRS 68 a particular case in point but have now noticed reduced prices for these on eBay now the dust has settled. I actually have a comprehensive spreadsheet detailing all my stock and how much they cost, what I have sold, pre-orders and what I am still searching for and too be honest to this day from 2014 I have spent 7.2k, I have everything including the Gaugemaster Prodigy DCC02 controller/DCC Concepts rolling roads but except an actual layout which would probably double the cost by the time I start and finish one in the near future. To say this is an expensive hobby would be a gross understatement but hey those are the choices we make and nobody is forcing me or us to do this, at least I'm contributing to the model railway industry.

I was also looking at doing the same thing as you, have plenty of loco's & rolling stock which I've collected over the last 4 years but they are just on display as I haven't built a proper layout but can't atm due to space limitations and looking to move house over the summer. Anyway, I also have a home office and was thinking about building a very small 4.5' x 2' DCC diorama such as a TMD so I can practice by starting off small and get used to installing track, points and scenes before I venture into a proper sized one, that way mistakes won't be so costly and easier to fix but the learning factor will be a big plus. My intention is to put the layout in front of my window in the office as a display feature with live running loco's chugging up & down the TMD with a few points to add variety of movement, haven't started as it is only in my head but seeing this thread might just inspire me to get started and also follow your progress.

Sounds like something out of the movie 'Time Machine', you didn't go 1000 years into the future watching your models turn to dust did you???...only joking

Hi Phil, Where and when was the detailing article published, as a beginner I would be quite interested to have a read and pick up some tips. Cheers Steve

Basically return to the Vitrains school of thought, which too be honest if it reduced the price of a loco by £20-£30 then yes I would still buy it and have fun fitting the detail.

Wow they look excellent, top draw modeling. Just one question, which paint did you use and how did you apply the cantrail stripe around the loco? This is something I may perform on a spare loco body if I'm brave enough...

I currently have the following Colas Loco's; 37421 47727 Rebecca 47739 Robin of Templecombe 47749 Demelza 56094 Waiting on 37099 Merl Evans, 60087 CLIC Sargent and 70805 but still need to purchase 66841 and 56087 if I see them for a good price. DRS Loco's 37402 37405 37409 47810 47813 47853 47790 NB 47832 NB 57305 NB 57309 68001 68002 68005 Pre-ordered 37558, 37688, 47805 John Scott, 57302, 68003 & 68008 Not to mention I also have both Network Rail Bachmann 37's & Class 43 HST, Paired Royal 67's and 5 Class 66's in various latest limited edition liveries as well as pre-ordering Rails Class 66 Freightliner Poppy, GBRf Maritime One & Locomotions GBRf Evening Star. Yes it's become an addiction and maybe I should seek professional help but hey that's why I come to this forum constantly, to engage like minded people... It's no wonder the wife nags me when she comes into my home office as they are all on display on my shelves along with my Star Wars action figure and vehicle collections.

I know mate and didn't take it that way, compared to most of you guys I am quite raw and learning all the time about modern British traction and too be honest have zero interest in model Steam but marvel at them when visiting a Heritage Railway Line. I am pretty much only into todays railway freight/infrastructure traction but starting to get an interest into earlier BR days but with the amount I spend on model railways that will stay in the back of my mind for some time to come, would love to come to Shildon in June but my biggest issue is living in South London thus getting to the shows anywhere north of Watford becomes an issue especially with the amount time it takes to get around from where I am. Which layout will your DRS loco's be running on in June? Btw love your Railway Photography website...top photos

Y Yep fair points and personally I have my fair share of 66's in model form and agree they are the workhorses of the modern day railway and will feature heavily on my future layout when I get around to starting it, I have just restricted my purchases of 66's to unique limited edition runs or liveries which are quite colourful sitting on my shelf atm. Too be honest I love British traction overall and love the way the Brits from the spectator, modeler and right up to the CEO of Freight/Infrastructure Companies who have the same passion for the railway which has grown on me quite considerably even though I am Australian and really only have known the scene since 2012 when I re-settled here, previously lived here from the late 80's to 2000 but didn't really take much notice of the railway scene. Anyway, I actually have a vague but a fond memory of standing on a platform at Wimbledon station in 1990 waiting for my train to Waterloo during a bleak winter's morning and it was snowing heavily with the trains being severely delayed and just standing there watching a Class 50 slowly rock up and sat idling at the platform for ages with it's rake of NSE coaches...snow, diesel rumble and fumes...classic. Now everyone knows my nationality and brief history...please be gentle.

Big Jim, secretly my Colas fleet is steadily growing in size as I love the livery and their choice of traction alongside DRS, but to be honest how long can DRS/Colas go on with operating heritage traction and just end up being like DB/EWS & GBRf where they mainly consist of boring Class 66's...DRS are now flooding their fleet with 68's and probably 88's and selling off their 37's and 47's which is a bit of a shame but all down to creating profit and efficiency.

Yep have all 5 DRS RE Vitrains 47's with sound, best purchase I have had since coming into model railway back in 2014. Currently have 13 DRS loco's comprising of 37's (x3), 47's (x5), 57's (x2) & 68's (x3) with further more added later in the year when Bachmann & Dapol do their releases including the John Scott DRS 47 from Bachmann which is the rep limited edition, looking forward to that one.

To me especially the RE Vitrains with Chetter's Class 47 sound project are collector items thus would never sell those off so I don't mind having the later NB 57's as well and maybe some time in the future the NB 68's...I just love my loco's...

I'll end up with 3 generations of Northern Belle loco's as well but it doesn't matter, I model from 2012 onwards so I'll just change it whenever it suits. Thus 2012 to late 2015 will be my Vitrains RE 47's and then from 2016 onwards the Bachmann NB 57's, but 57305 did top'n'tail with 47790 for a bit.

Damn wouldn't have noticed, they look really good.