We have taken the decision to make this model the first with our new steam chassis and mechanism. We are currently testing and adjusting these and will publish full specifications here once finalised, along with the specification of this particular model.
Announcement
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No announcement yet.
N West Country
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We have just tested a new coreless motor in a loco driven mock up and to be frank it did not perform that well. We are prioritising this project now and have some further options to evaluate, but at this stage and with this result cannot give an accurate time frame I am afraid.Regards
Joel
Dapol Staff Member
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Hi Joel.
Good to hear that the West Country / BOB is a priority, I need several for my current project, but please take your time and make sure that the new mechanism works to your satisfaction! I'm sure everyone would rather wait for it to be spot on rather than something being rushed to market.
Tom.
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Joel,
I would happily agree with TomE. I have 34052 ‘Lord Dowding’ on Pre-order (purely for sentimental reasons: I feel I owe my freedom to Lord Dowding; if you have seen the movie ‘Battle of Britain’, you might know what I mean).
Having placed the pre-order, I was extremely worried that it might be tender-drive… Eeek…!
Glad to know that will be loco-drive – but I am very patient to wait until you have your new coreless motor (loco driven?) working to everyone’s satisfaction.
Charles.
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I have five of these on pre-order as they are essential to my West of England BR (SR) layout. Please Dapol, make these the best yet!Last edited by CeeDee; 11 July 2016, 22:15.
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I wonder if they could be supplied with multiple transfers so as to get say 20 different running numbers and names?
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Would it be possible to take this opportunity to strengthen the valve gear on this loco so that it isn't so prone to damage? I hope the new motor will be one that doesn't overheat like the old one. I am still getting problems with this on my locos. Today my Silver Link was removed from the layout and I nearly burnt my fingers. Another weak point on Dapol steam is the wire connections between loco and tender. I don't think these issues are beyond the possibility of being resolved.
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TomE, Hi Tom, the subject of rods and motion is something that we are reviewing as art of the 'new' design. Personally speaking, I prefer an etched rather than pressed/punched rod (which is how the heavier rodding on the American model was produced) and there is definitely a sweet spot between [scale] accuracy, overall bulk and the ability to withstand a bit of rough and tumble. This is the point we aim to reach.
Paint is another interesting issue and again, quite a personal choice on a model. What does look poor is flaky paint or a mismatched finish on the rivets - something also being taken into account.
Elvinley Hi, I think you simply have a faulty motor, we identified a problem about 4 years back which would cause some motors to run hot. We changed the assembly process accordingly. If you PM me I can arrange either to send you a motor or to have the model booked in for a motor exchange.
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Andy Dapol That is very much appreciated. I recently had a problem with a Western that was dealt with by Joel which was due to component failure. I think if these mechanical issues are resolved along with better QC then things will be moving in a very positive upwards direction. As for finish, the Farish BR green is a very deep colour with a slight shine and is very effective. The more matte effect of their recent Royal Scot in maroon is less effective. From my view, Dapol has been more successful in getting a good finish on their N diesels than steam. Not sure why this is.
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Andy Dapol Elvinley The satin effect BR green used by Farish does appear more or less spot on to my eyes, and I hate to say it on your own forum but the matt effect BR green used by Dapol historically has always looked somewhat washed out, or faded in comparison. When I put my Dapol Britannia next to a Farish Std 5, the colour is worlds apart, so it would be nice to see some improvement in this area.
There were some CAD images circulating for the West Country / BoB a while back, will they be re-issued for comment on the re-designed model when appropriate?
Tom.
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Hattons say they are expecting the new models in November or December (yes 2016). As they have seem to have completely disappeared from the Dapol website I presume that this "information" is well out of date.
Are we talking years before we see them?
John
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Not years John, I appreciate your frustration and we have been/are working on this mech. in the 'background' and as it will be the basis for all new designs going forwards we want it to be right. The entire drive train is being specified and designed from the ground up and will use some new techniques not before used in a model locomotive.
Just to give you an idea of the level we are starting from, I have been working directly with a company who design and produce motors, the custom motor will address the many issues of regular coreless motors (i.e. dislike of DCC, feedback controllers etc. etc.). There are many other areas being worked on which will produce not only a great model, but set the bar for performance. - all this takes time, testing and engineering; I don't want to rush to announce before we have completed our design and evaluation.
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