Dapol Black Label Range

[31A]

In terms of 'smoke units', I'm a bit surprised nobody's adapted the technology used by e-cigarettes, or perhaps they have?

[slipalong]

Dapol certainly seem to be listening to comments made on their Warley models, just received the first subscriber update with 26 improvements listed and more to follow.

[railroadbill]

Re the discussion about smoke/steam smell, I was told about this range by another modeller.

 

http://www.modelrailscenes.com/accesories-track-train-242101.htm

 

Might be worth a look but I don't have any experience of these. 

 

A genuinely authentic hot oil/steam/coal smoke smell would be interesting to try as scent is a very strong trigger for memory (memories of full sized locos). 

 

There are now steam generators for model boats being produced that use water, seen this when I've been down at the local lake and quite effective, but a much bigger scale and the operating model is  further away than trains. Perhaps that would be a technology for model locos one day?

[Monkey28]

Dapol certainly seem to be listening to comments made on their Warley models, just received the first subscriber update with 26 improvements listed and more to follow.

I haven't received the update from Dapol about the  improvements to the A4 .you would have thought they would have it on there website 

[JSpencer]

You are correct to be concerned, the room should be well ventilated, I run with my workshop door and windows open, and the choice of smoke oil carefully considered - they are not all the same. Personally I would only run one with the smoke on at a time - the latest models allow you to also control the amount of smoke produced. I would also suggest that this can be a bit of a "party piece" when showing a model and this type of operation will make the hazard/risk minimal. Even as a big fan of the latest technology I would not wish to enter an exhibition full of smoke, I do not run at shows, only in my own train room, but I do believe there is a little room for developing better steam effects. The unit I mentioned earlier for my boat only uses water vapour - perhaps something for the future?

I would like to now what they say as it is in essence a light weight oil. Hornby's was Johnson's baby oil (or so they say which probably is why the elements blocked quickly). These special oils (seuthe, lgb etc) evaporate quite easily on their own if exposed to the air, all we do is speed it up. I have one loco with DCC fitted smoke but the chip can only cope with either sound or smoke but not both.

[Horsetan]

What is remarkable, it is impossible to buy these wonderful smoke units alone anywhere. I would something different from a Seuthe to fit to my locos.

You can buy Roco spare parts direct from Roco themselves. That may include the dynamic smoke units from the DB Br.10 - units which, I think, only work properly if you run DCC. If on DC, you "only" get continuous smoke.

[farren]

So then who's going to be first to run this with equally high detailed Hornby railroad teak coaches.

Edited January 4, 2016 by farren

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...There are now steam generators for model boats being produced that use water, seen this when I've been down at the local lake and quite effective, but a much bigger scale and the operating model is  further away than trains. Perhaps that would be a technology for model locos one day?

 Would that be an ultrasonic vapour generator, of the sort that are also used to create 'fog' effects in domestic toys? How small do they go? All the units I have seen would need a gauge 1 model, or a large O gauge prototype to fit.

[slipalong]

Dapol have now placed the 1st subscriber update on their website ("Latest News")

[railroadbill]

 Would that be an ultrasonic vapour generator, of the sort that are also used to create 'fog' effects in domestic toys? How small do they go? All the units I have seen would need a gauge 1 model, or a large O gauge prototype to fit.

Well what I've seen so far is like this   http://marksmodelbits.com/  (then click on "foggy") which is quite large, ok for largish model boat which would have to carry batteries to run it. But it sounds as if there are small units being developed.

[Riddles]

Clicking on the Marks Model Bits link, quoted above, directs me to an unavailable site.  It seems to add in some extra invisible characters, but typing marksmodelbits.com into my browser does work. The gallery shows some very convincing "steam" coming from the model boats. If that can be replicated in 1:76 scale I will be very happy.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Riddles

[No Decorum]

I'm a great fan of DCC sound but I avoid smoke. The possible health risk is one major reason.

[Dunsignalling]

just a thought. what safety tests are Dapol carring out on the smoke?

Is it a good idea to pump out untested chemicals into the air?

in america all smoke oil is labled that that the state of california knows it to cause cancer

Those kind of warnings are essentially a**e covering exercises.

 

The State of California "knows", just as the rest of us do, that pretty much everything can cause cancer if one is exposed to enough of it.

 

If in doubt, just don't use it. I have a Hornby MN fitted with a smoke generator that hardly ever gets filled since the novelty wore off. 

 

John

Edited February 21, 2016 by Dunsignalling

[60800]

Just a suggestion, but the appearance of wires underneath the lamps is very ugly. Why not do away with the external wires and make the lamp irons out of metal, thus making them the contacts, having the LED for the lamp soldered directly to the lamp iron and the connecting wire soldered to an exposed piece of the lamp iron hidden inside the body?

 

- 60800

[MGR Hooper!]

Just a suggestion, but the appearance of wires underneath the lamps is very ugly. Why not do away with the external wires and make the lamp irons out of metal, thus making them the contacts, having the LED for the lamp soldered directly to the lamp iron and the connecting wire soldered to an exposed piece of the lamp iron hidden inside the body?

 

- 60800

Why not pass that suggestion onto Dapol? Posting here won't guarantee that they'll see it.

[No Decorum]

Just a suggestion, but the appearance of wires underneath the lamps is very ugly. Why not do away with the external wires and make the lamp irons out of metal, thus making them the contacts, having the LED for the lamp soldered directly to the lamp iron and the connecting wire soldered to an exposed piece of the lamp iron hidden inside the body?

 

- 60800

Good idea.

 

I have wondered about how to reproduce lit oil lamp headcodes and had the idea of something similar. Wire to the lampiron, which is insulated from the loco body and lamp and loco body used as a return.

 

Too expensive, I fancy, for run-of-the-mill locos but for something special, perhaps. In this case, hardly necessary. A4 on a stopping goods train?

[60800]

Why not pass that suggestion onto Dapol? Posting here won't guarantee that they'll see it.

I got a reply via Facebook;

 

Hi Joseph the pictures are quite cruel with respect to the wires and they are in fact not that noticeable in the flesh. We have however, looked at making the wires thinner and further up more underneath the lamps. I will however pass in your suggestion to the design engineer and get his comments.

 

Cheers,

60800

[MGR Hooper!]

I got a reply via Facebook;

 

Hi Joseph the pictures are quite cruel with respect to the wires and they are in fact not that noticeable in the flesh. We have however, looked at making the wires thinner and further up more underneath the lamps. I will however pass in your suggestion to the design engineer and get his comments.

 

Cheers,

60800

Well I think thinner wires would be better! IMO the used a blue wire on the Mallard that was much lighter than the garter blue.... That's what stood out for me!

[MGR Hooper!]

I got a reply via Facebook;

 

Hi Joseph the pictures are quite cruel with respect to the wires and they are in fact not that noticeable in the flesh. We have however, looked at making the wires thinner and further up more underneath the lamps. I will however pass in your suggestion to the design engineer and get his comments.

 

Cheers,

60800

You can see what I meant from these images (I think the finer wire and smaller hole will be an easier mod).

 

 

 

 

PS: These pics are cruelly enlarged on a computer screen. The trick is the re-size the image to where it would look more OO gauge like and then see what it's like.

[Removed a/c]

They do look amazing although the recent Class 73 fiasco has left me a little cold. I do need a Mallard for the layout and I think this should be the one to buy? Is it me or does the about picture look a little on the purple side? 

Edited February 26, 2016 by thebritfarmer

[MGR Hooper!]

They do look amazing although the recent Class 73 fiasco has left me a little cold.

 

Is it me or does the about picture look a little on the purple side? 

1) I'm sure Dapol are using multiple factories. Over time we've seen some models affected and some not. It can be a QC issue with 1-2 factories. Most of their N gauge models are fine and and not gotten much complaints apart from colour shades.

 

2) Never trust an image on a screen... Trust your eyes (except if you're colour blind)

[JSpencer]

You can see what I meant from these images (I think the finer wire and smaller hole will be an easier mod).

 

 

 

PS: These pics are cruelly enlarged on a computer screen. The trick is the re-size the image to where it would look more OO gauge like and then see what it's like.

While looking much better, I still find the wires and the holes for them to the lamps an eyesore. DCC concepts are much finer than this.

 

Oddly I have a vage memory that one Dave's replacements was from DCC concepts. That might be just my memory, but if I am correct, it is odd that the thinner wires of DCC concepts was not used IMHO.

[Ian Hargrave]

Cab ? Chimney ? Wheel profiles ? Some way to go before it comptes with Hornby's offering for overall appearance..No,I do believe Dapol are using a different manufacturing base from their usual and are going via a source which markets models done to a "high end" European standard.This same source in fact had a presence at the Warley Show which is where this A4 broke cover. I'm afraid...mea culpa...I have forgotten the name of the trading stand but they had examples of HO European models on display manufactured to a superior standard. In conversation with one of the two gents manning the stand,he did say that they were working with Dapol on commission,though he didn't specifically mention the A4.His English wasn't that fluent in any case.

I was tempted to "sign up" but I don't really think I need another A4. IMHO,the Hornby version is a superb model which is more or less spot on and suits my needs.Don't however be put off by a variety of bad press that Dapol are getting in regard to the Class 73. Yes,there are issues withn it,as there have been with both the 22 and the 52 in terms of QC but I recently bought a BR green example and it's quite superb. Their forthcoming 68 is also shaping up to be a cracking model as indeed are ALL Dapol's models if they are given the opportunity to fulfil their potential by the rectification of some unnecessary errors and by "us lot" giving them a fair chance.

[No Decorum]

I agree about the 73 and 86 but then I haven’t attempted to convert the 73 to DCC. Looking at those pictures, the wheels seem to have a glossier finish than the body. At least they are painted, which the wheels of my Hornby A4 are not. All of them are flanged, too.

 

Sorry – I think I’m exposing my prejudices here.

[Riddles]

Today I've received an email from Joel at Dapol with an MP4 video link showing the first test runs. Release has been delayed in order to get everything right but they should now be available in May. He goes on to say: -

 

The current state of play with the model is that the sound and smoke is now fully finalised and all we are waiting for is the modified tooling to be completed. This is due at the end of the month. Unfortunately, this does mean that production of the model is now delayed slightly and we now expect manufacture to be towards the end of April. Although we are disappointed by this ourselves, we hope you agree that it is better to get the details right and produce what should be a stunning and industry changing model.

 

The EP’s will on display and in action at Alexandra Palace on the 19^th and 20^th March. So please, if you can, come and see us and check them out for yourselves.

 

The next and final update will be in the middle of April. This will have full pictures and details of all the final pre-production models, including all the liveries and full and final specification. Shortly after this we will be contacting subscribers to confirm their orders and take payment details.