New Class 52's

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Is anybody able to give me a run-down on the DCC performance of the new Dapol Westerns? I had a bad experience of a Dapol Class 22 last year which was a very poor runner. I have a Heljan Western which runs as smooth as a nut, but the Dapol looks like a beautiful model.
Thanks
Tony

[Bigmet]

When they are good, they are very good runners based on what I have seen. But then so are the Heljan.

There has been above average unreliability with the Dapol diesel product would be my guess from the reports on line. The only Dapol diesel model I see with any regularity is a friend's LMS 10000, and that's a fine performer; so nothing wrong with the basic mechanism design which I would expect to be similar to that in the Western. It seems to be the motor and electronics where most of the reported trouble lies, these are replaceable subsystems so not a killer.

Personally, should Dapol get their new product act together and release a class 21 to the standard of the class 22's appearance, I will buy even if the present rep for incidence of some dodgy locos continues. Either a local purchase in which case return if faulty is dead easy, or via Hattons who on the very few occasions I have had problems have done the job completely right. Really there is no risk with a good retailer.

[tgz001]

Thanks for your insight.
Since posting the original question, I have seen a good many comments on the Dapol Westerns on other forums, many of which are uncomplimentary, citing derailing and motor problems. Build quality also seems to be an issue with some examples.
The cost of the troubled Class 22 I spoke of in my first post was refunded by Hattons without any problem but I would rather not have to keep returning items, if only to avoid the cost of return postage.
Thanks again.
Tony

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The trouble is that a model that meets expectations, but doesn't surpass them rarely gets commented on. Bad news always spreads further. I always try to comment positively somewhere whenever I get a good 'un, but I doubt many people bother.

[Bigmet]

Claims of derailing are problematic, which I must admit I take with a large pinch of salt. It isn't an 'independent' problem - which would be just the loco in this case - as the owner's track has a major bearing on how a vehicle runs. If the problem was described as 'the new XYZ won't stay on the rails on my layout, derailing on several of the maker's name and type points purchased XX years ago' then it might be worth noticing.

When the old BRM forum got going about ten years ago we pursued such a problem at length regarding the then new Heljan 47. Eventually the owner fessed up to expecting it to run through Playcraft points bought in about 1960. These are something like 12" radius, and unbelievably coarse, the Heljan wheel could actually fall entire into the flange gap. Yet the owner had started out insisting the track was fine. Hadn't bought a new loco or stock since about 1970. I am not suggesting all such problems are as extreme as this, but it does highlight the issue that it is vehicle and track, not vehicle alone when it comes to derailment.

[martin_l_jones]

I have purchased two, they run really well and look really good in front of a rake of maroon coaches.

However I detailed mine and then had to remove bit by bit around the bogie areas to see what was causing the derailing.

The lifting eyes on the top of the body take some fitting but with care they look really neat.

The problem I had was with some pipes fouling the body and the steps which I reshaped and tidied up some flash on the steps and it now runs ok.

The headcode boxes lets it down slightly having to fit stickers on the front, but they do look ok running round with the lights on.

I have read lots of positives and negatives on them but my own personal experience was a after bit of frustration I'm really pleased.

The other thing is the price, you need to buy them on preorder to keep it around the £100.00 mark...

[Metadyneman]

One will be arriving on my railway soon so I will be able to make my own judgement!

[Campaigner]

We want pics, we want pics!

[Metadyneman]

Pictures will be forthcoming hopefully after this weekend. I have been engaged on other slightly larger projects (new french doors being fitted to my house) so the garden line has had to take a back seat for the last couple of weeks.

I have however given the Dapol Western a good testing on the line and I am very pleased to say it is not only a stunner in terms of looks but also in terms of running quality. I fitted mine initially with a Bachmann 36-554 3 function decoder and it ran very well with this in it. However the 36-554 is only a 3-funtion decoder and the loco uses 4 DCC functions. Namely Loco power, Head/tail lights, front cab light & rear cab light. I therefore swapped the decoder for a Hornby Sapphire 4 function 21 pin decoder and I am very pleased to say it runs just as smoothly with this in it and all the functions work (even though I am not a lover of Hornby decoders).

No model manufacturer has got the Western exactly right and this complicated shape is almost impossible to get 100% right in model form anyway. In my opinion this is very much THE best model Western in OO I have ever seen and is certainly an improvement on the Heljan version in many ways. It looks like a Western in all aspects and unless you are going to get the nit comb out it's perfect!. My only real gripe is the headcode numbers which are rather cheap looking stickers which stick to the outside of the headcode panel rather than sit behid it like the Heljan type. The real treat is the ability to be able to run the loco with all the brake rodding attached which does so much to enhance the look of the loco at rail level. It is also possible to fit the speedo cables on too as these flex with the wheels although they are not physically attached to them. I would perhaps suggest that both these fittings might struggle with anything less than a radius 3 curve though. My layout is an outdoor one with very gentle curves.

As far as running speed is concerned, this is excellent, with a realistic scale 90mph easily achieveable, unlike some Bachmann locos (notably the Deltic and some class 47s) which really struggle to get above 50mph at full whack on DCC. It isn't quite as demonically fast as the Heljan 52 of which some examples can perform a very unrealistic 160mph!

All in all a lovely loco and a realistic price given the research made and the amount of work undertaken to get the loco looking right. There may be the odd fault or two but they are very hard to find and a vast improvement on any of the previous Westerns made by other manufacturers!

Pictures to come of my Dapol "Western Legionaire" in due course

[Campaigner]

My blue one has headcdes fitted "Heljan style" and indeed are Heljan headcodes. This was because the blue one had black paint around the edge of the "glass" I successfully removed it from the loco without any problem but then they disintegrated as I was cleaning the paint off. So I cut some clear plasticard and refitted them Heljan style

[Metadyneman]

I wasn't brave enough to do that just yet....maybe when I've had the loco a while I might pluck up the courage

[Campaigner]

I can well understand that. Rest assured that the body securing screws will come undone, I tried them to make sure there would be no problem when I bought it.
Have you been brave enough to fix the nameplates? I haven't with mine

[Metadyneman]

Yep name number and maker plates all fitted. Looking nice too. Will upload pics over the weekend.

[Metadyneman]

As promised. Pictures of said Wizzo passing a Blue Pullman on an inaugural run on a superb sunny weekend.

[Campaigner]

Lookin good