Henry 84F

My 7812 is maturing very nicely. Its slow speed is excellent on a Dapol Next18 decoder although I don't think I've seen any life from any stay-alive yet? The more I'm playing with it, the more I'm amazed with it. I've scrubbed off the OHLE warnings off 7812. Does anyone know if 7812 had an early crest whilst lined green akin to the incoming 7810 with lined fenders? If not, I'll keep it late 👍 Very much looking forward to Dinmore arriving in the next batch.

I did actually pop back to my retailer this morning to see if they could advise about the wobbling. They tested another which had the exact same wobble - it was actually impressive how similar it was! So I've held onto mine for now and shall await the reply to my warranty form. Aside from the wobble, I'm absolutely besotted with it. The weight, finesse and livery application are superb. Even with the wobble, it runs silky smooth. I think these things alone deserve a big thumbs up to Rapido. So let's see what happens next 👍

Thanks. I've sent a warranty form off.

Evening all. It's a lovely model. I've gazed at it longingly. Unfortunately I have a wobbler. Even my wife knows it's not right! I've been blessed with not having to return a model in years, but I assume I'm heading back to the retailer over contacting Rapido? Many thanks, Henry

Over on Instagram...

I am tempted by a BR lined black version... I wonder if the revised slide bars will be available as spares and, if so, how easy they might be to transplant onto an earlier release with the flared arrangement.

Absolutely - an unenviable task! Looking forward to seeing mine soon 😊

Likewise, I paid for mine last September so it's a bit raw to see people enjoying theirs already when they only ordered them this week. However the customer service team at Accurascale have been excellent and, by the sounds of it, the Siphons are equally as excellent. I do hope I get a DHL notification soon though...

Dear Darius, Sorry for the resurrection of a dated thread but also thank you so much for going to the effort of restoring the photos after the RMWeb blip. The crimson paint is lovely. Is it a brand of paint you used or did you mix it yourself? Thanks, Henry

This is very exciting - I'm really looking forward to this one. It would be good to see some livery samples - just to further whet the appetite.

Evening all, Apologies if I've missed this further back. Has anyone successfully removed a nameplate from one of these? How is it done? Thanks, Henry

The green really does change with the light, setting and angle. I agree, it is more washed-out than I might prefer, but please refer to two screenshots from the same video - only seconds apart - which highlights just how much the livery changes depending on circumstances. Another very happy customer over here. Saint next?

On my 7819 there is a very minimal upward slope on the running plate over the leading bogie wheel. Incredibly minimal. Good to hear that others are dead straight though.

Really enjoying my Manor. I've got the DCC fitted version and have only had it on the rolling road for the traditional half an hour forwards and backwards. It's beautifully smooth-running and virtually silent. The slow-speed crawl is exceptional - a real testament to how far Dapol have acted on gearing feedback since the Moguls - and it runs at realistic speeds. The firebox flicker is much improved too. Visually, I think it looks great. Is the taper too steep? Perhaps but it certainly doesn't detract from the 'normal viewing angle/distance' that I can see has been discussed at length already. I hadn't noticed the plastic crosshead arrangement until it was pointed out - be reassured that it certainly doesn't impact the running quality. The next steps are to paint the wheel rims in satin black, dull down the safety valve bonnet and replace the smokebox numberplate with a new plate (are those printed numbers just a little too small?) The only issue I have spotted so far is the resistance to the tender wheels, where the pickups are clearly pressing down upon them quite hard. I haven't had chance to load test yet but had no issues with the strength of the Mogul or the Prairie so I have no worries. Well done, Dapol 👍 Henry

That's good news for their arrival this week. It will be good for people to see them 'in the flesh' so to speak as I don't think those production shots always showed them in, literally, the best light. It looks as though the bonnet is the same as the Prairie. It was a bit on the shiny side. I put a few coats of matt varnish on and it made a huge difference. Would rather it too shiny than too dull. Have a well-Manored week, all.

Thank you for a prompt and comprehensive reply. It's a bit frustrating that, when asked, those who commissioned the model sold me the wrong decoder to go with it but we are all human. I'll have to go back and look at the trains in those shiny display cabinets again Henry

Evening all, Picked mine up from Sheffield today. Looks brilliant; have only had a small play so far. The shop sold me a 21-pin decoder to fit to it - this is what the Caley's box says it needs. But the instruction manual says it needs a NEXT 18-pin. Before I take the body off, have I been sold the correct decoder? Apologies if covered already! Henry

Good afternoon all, Apologies if I've missed this somewhere; I can't find this info on the Rails website either. Do we know what kind of decoder it will need? Will it be 18 pin? Looking forward to mine, Henry

Evening all, Another image passed on by the helpful and comprehensive customer care team. Further evidence they believe of the running plates being green. What are your thoughts? It sounds as though they're not budging on the colour of the running plates - at least it's good to know that what we've got is what we've got. Not a whinge nor a moan; healthy discussion only! Supplied photo taken by Gary Straiton. Henry

Mine certainly took a bit of running in but it got there. Eventually it was smooth and steady. For a while in reverse there was a noticeable rattle/groan from the motor (I think) but this disappeared after a while.

Sorry for getting your hopes up! Turns out it was the post-pres 70013 image from a few posts back. That will teach me to not read back far enough. And it seems we're back to square one with the running plate debate...

A much-appreciated prompt reply from Hornby this morning about my two Clan-related qualms. Despite giving them the product code for Clan MacDonald, I think they were replying about Clan Stewart. They attached an old colour photo which does suggest a green running plate underneath the grime. I'm still not convinced this applies to 72004 though but really appreciated their time to make their case. They did also tell me they wouldn't be able to provide a spare lamp iron and that the model would need to be returned. I appreciate that may be the policy but it does seem bizzare to send a perfectly-working product back because it's missing a tiny detail. The one I get in replacement might be worse! Henry

I spoke with my preferred retailer this morning who advised that I send it back to them as they don't hold spares. A shame as it runs well and seems a bit OTT to send the whole thing back because of a tiny missing piece. They were very understanding and helpful though and said that I could wait for my reply from Hornby about the missing lamp iron before I decide what to do. On a more positive note, I ran the Clan in fully yesterday on a simple fourth-radius loop and it's now very smooth and free-running. It's going back in its box now until the missing lamp iron debacle progresses further. Henry

And while I absolutely value your guidance (genuinely - thank you - I can use this for kit building and second hand stuff), I'm sure we are all in agreement that I shouldn't need to put staples or drills anywhere near a brand-new £200 product. Henry

Mine's here (72004). Currently running in and seems fairly smooth. Good weight to it. Green is okay I think. I can live with the running plate lining - I think it's more finely printed than earlier releases of the 6MT and 7MT. Still not convinced about the green running plate though - I'd never heard about any running plates being anything other than black until this debate started! Missing its top lamp iron. Not one floating around in the box either. Am I likely to get a replacement lamp iron now that I've emailed Hornby? It looks good. It looks like it could have been nearly £200-worth of brilliance. But the jury's still out. Henry