O Gauge Wagon Detailing Parts for Dapol RTR 7 Plank Wagon

46444

46444

Active Member
Evening,

Hope I've posted this question in the right place?

Recently I brought one of the newly released Dapol RTR O Gauge wagons in Stewarts and Lloyds livery. Couldn't resist the local theme. I've weathered this wagon heavily but haven't completed the chassis yet.

One of the reasons being the handbrake lever on the model is halfway between being 'on' or 'off'. I would very much like to replace this with a brass lever but can't find a source of supply. I've looked on most of the O Gauge wagon kit manufacturers websites without any joy.

Does anyone know who can supply brake levers and detailing parts in this scale?

I'm aware that the Dapol models have some flaws in their design against the prototype wagons but as my first O Gauge wagon I can live with this.:)

Cheers,

Mark
 
Dikitriki

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
You can buy a set of brake levers plus guides - etched- produced by Ambis. Sold by Hobby Holidays amongst others.

Richard
 
Dog Star

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Or... Exactoscale does brake gear for 9'0", 9'6" and 10'0" wagons with brake blocks of an early style (single lug) or a later RCH style (two lugs). Each pack includes a brake lever and a brake lever guard. Etched nickel silver so stand up to some handling.
 
S

SteveO

Guest
Didn't Adrian Swain say he was in the process of making an upgrade kit? I may have got this wrong - or that he's crapped the idea - but I'm sure I read it in the Dapol thread...
 
iploffy

iploffy

OC Blue Brigade
SteveO said:
Didn't Adrian Swain say he was in the process of making an upgrade kit? I may have got this wrong - or that he's crapped :shit: the idea - but I'm sure I read it in the Dapol thread...
Click to expand...

They ain't that bad are they SteveO, personally I prefer toilet paper is it's a bit kinder to ones bits
 
A

Adrian B.Swain

Active Member
Hi All, Love the idea that my components are crap, they would have been very appropriate for the Dapol POWs
but I am afraid I saw no point in providing upgrade parts. By the time you have bought a wagon, bought the
upgrade parts and spent many a happy hour replacing the originals and modifying the rest you would have
been far better off financially and timewise buying a Lionheart RTR, a Slaters kit or a Parkside kit etc etc.
I found this out the expensive way by buying samples of the Dapol wagons. Note: I have not recommended
an abs kit as I never completed the components, having been outmanoeuvered by my competitors whilst
spending too much time trying to make a really superb kit!! Better to have fun than be frustrated ! Adrian
 
S

SteveO

Guest
Adrian B.Swain said:
Hi All... Adrian
Click to expand...
Hello! Going off topic for a bit, do you offer an over-the-counter sales service at your home/office? I need a few open wagons ready for when I finish my vans, and getting to shows is proving very difficult with a partner who organises my social life by not including any of my social activities in it.
 
iploffy

iploffy

OC Blue Brigade
Adrian B.Swain said:
Hi All, Love the idea that my components are crap, they would have been very appropriate for the Dapol POWs
but I am afraid I saw no point in providing upgrade parts. By the time you have bought a wagon, bought the
upgrade parts and spent many a happy hour replacing the originals and modifying the rest you would have
been far better off financially and timewise buying a Lionheart RTR, a Slaters kit or a Parkside kit etc etc.
I found this out the expensive way by buying samples of the Dapol wagons. Note: I have not recommended
an abs kit as I never completed the components, having been outmanoeuvered by my competitors whilst
spending too much time trying to make a really superb kit!! Better to have fun than be frustrated ! Adrian
Click to expand...

Adrian no one said you stuff is crap mate.
 
A

Adrian B.Swain

Active Member
Hi All, I appreciate it was a typo but SteveO's post does give the impression that I crapped the idea of an upgrade kit !! By the way Steve if you would like to make an appointment I can supply over the counter, I do not normally do this as it usually takes up a lot of time because customers like to have a chat !!
Incidentally have the eagle eyed among you noticed that the planking on some of the Hereford Models 25​
off specials appear to show a different planking spacing to the standard 7 Plank wagons with a narrow plank at
the top and then a very wide plank followed by the normal 5 narrow planks.?? I have no intention of buying any
to check but they assured me the photos were of production models. Does this mean that Dapol had THREE goes at
the 7 plank design and still made nearly 40 errors. I wonder if these Hereford wagons are possibly from a run of reject bodies which they are disposing of via third parties to avoid even more criticism?? It hardly matters of
course as, even if they had been the later design, they would only have had one less error !! The liveries I have been able to check are not authentic for a '23 POW in any case. Can anyone check the liveries out, I'm too busy ??
I think there are now 36 or more different Dapol O gauge wagons either available or announced and they​
have not even announced the additional liveries in their own range officially yet, I think I noticed a couple at
Kettering but I could not be bothered to spend time checking, the salesgirls looked a lot more like the prototype,
of salesgirls I mean! ( not a visible bolt in sight and only two buffers ------!!.)
I'll be back some time Adrian
 
A

Adrian B.Swain

Active Member
Hi All again, After an lovely sunny weekend up in Cleckheaton for the GOG bash and a day out on the KWVR it's
back to the grindstone again. However my suspicions were confirmed about the ""Reject"" Dapol bodies as there
was yet another "Special" on sale opposite me. This "Bickershaw " wagon did indeed have the peculiar planking
as I suspected in my last post. What is even more interesting is that I have in my collection a "Bickershaw" POW
which was one of my very first 7mm wagons and it has some sentimental value as it was painted and lettered
beautifully by the late Hugh Joslin, one of the pioneers of finescale modelling. He did the sets of wagon drawings for Hamblings 4mm blueprints as well as being the CME of Colonel Ronnie Hoare's magnificent "Gallon in a pint pot" 7mm layout "Bromford and High Peak".
Via Hugh I was lucky enough to be a regular visitor to this layout, watching it grow from it's earlier days up to final dismantling. My model is actually a very revamped LMC bakelite 7 plank wagon from the prewar days
sporting a set of very nearly correct fully working brakegear, rather more accurate than the Dapol efforts in spite
of its age. The LMC wagon is a rather generic design only being fairly close to the last version of the RCH 7 plank
wagons with steel underframe and end stanchions but has an odd bolt pattern on the cornerplates. It does, even
with its considerable age, give Dapol more than a run for the money even having the sprung S & B axleguards !!
Happy modelleing Adrian
 
A

Adrian B.Swain

Active Member
Hi All, Not sure why it has come out like this but it does show "Brakes Full on" and they actually do work
rather than half on and still nowhere near the wheels. The wheels are actually also Bakel;ite I think and are
still ok after at least 70 years. Adrian
 
S

SteveO

Guest
That looks hand-painted. Very nice workmanship. Obviously not a smoker!
 
A

Adrian B.Swain

Active Member
Hi All The Prewar LMC Bakelite wagons were a brave attempt to produce 3D mass produced bodies not made in
wood, tinplate or cast metal. They would probably have lead to some very interesting additional models had the
war not intervened. The development of post war plastics and 4mm scale put paid to LMC. The box van
and RCH mineral both showed a lack of knowledge of the material and the prototypes as they had TEE section
stanchions and channel steel type underframes which could have been changed to the wood style to great
advantage. This would have reduced the breakage rate dramatically, most of todays survivors having chips out of
the thin sections. I have a "Bakelite" LNWR box van developed from the Spiers electroformed body shell but I
have never heard of another and have no idea how it was moulded. Normally the material requires steel dies
and high pressure but this seems to be an "Open Mould" set of castings similar to todays PU resin.
I did say it was hand painted SteveO, but I think the lettering has either been nicotine stained or the varnish
has yellowed, the lettering should be white !! I did not make a note of the Dapol special's running number but, if
it is 952 like mine, both models have the same problem. My copy of "The Model Railway News" Oct. '46 shows
a much lower 4 plank wagon with a length of about 15' (It is only a sketch not a photo ) I cannot find any other
references to Bickershaw wagons nor an illustration of the Dapol one which was on sale on the JPL stand for, wait for it,! £50-00. ie more than a Lionheart wagon. One can only assume Dapol et al are hoping that modellers are going to collect these wagons like cigarette cards rather than use them on a model railway layout.
At the current rate of release they will be needing a fair old cupboard to put them in. I have just realised that
the super box they come in does not quite fit the Post Office new preferred size for packaging so they will be
costing quite a lot to send by Royal Mail but the other couriers will be a lot cheaper. Hornby do a 4mm model
and it IS a 4 plank wagon so they at least must have done some research in an attempt at authenticity.
I hope there is someone who knows about other Bickershaw info or about the Dapol running number.
Back to work again Adrian
 
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