Dapol N Scale Steam locos

[Stewart_D]

Hi,

I'm a new N scale modeller and wish to model BR steam Late 40's to 50's.
I was thinking of buying a dapol N scale A4 but. I want a loco to challenge my
radius and gradients to make sure I can run good models. Min radius 11 inch
max gradient 1 in 30.
max train length at platforms 32 inches.
I would like to run some express passenger with rake of 4.
Could any a4 owners comment on likely performance?
are my corners too sharp and gradient too steep.
Could I run 9f models or is radius too sharp.

Any comments wellcome

stew

[ParkeNd]

This is just my experience Stew, others may have fared better. I had to return the new Dapol A4 Mallard because the front bogie derailed every time on 12" radii. Mine was hopeless. GF Jubilee, GF 5MT, and a Dapol A3 perform perfectly on them as does everything else I own.

Not sure why you want your 11" radii to be challenged though.

Don't know about gradients though.

[Stewart_D]

This is just my experience Stew, others may have fared better. I had to return the new Dapol A4 Mallard because the front bogie derailed every time on 12" radii. Mine was hopeless. GF Jubilee, GF 5MT, and a Dapol A3 perform perfectly on them as does everything else I own.

Not sure why you want your 11" radii to be challenged though.

Don't know about gradients though.

Thanks , your not the first to say that about A4 I'm worried about GF
locos tender drive not having guts for 1 in 30 grad but No info yet
the only suitable GF loco I could find with main wheel drive was the
Ivatt 2MT.

[Stewart_D]

This is just my experience Stew, others may have fared better. I had to return the new Dapol A4 Mallard because the front bogie derailed every time on 12" radii. Mine was hopeless. GF Jubilee, GF 5MT, and a Dapol A3 perform perfectly on them as does everything else I own.

Not sure why you want your 11" radii to be challenged though.

Don't know about gradients though.

Sorry to be clear I meant by " challange radius "
to run a loco renowned for needing large radius and see if
it will run on my layout. I Would like to have visitors in future
bring their models and
want a layout that can run almost anything.

SD

[Bigmet]

The bottom line in building a layout with curve radii on the small side is that you can get the models to go round, provided you are prepared to work on them. It doesn't matter what the scale, it is always the same stuff that has to be looked at, enough freedom for bogies to swing far enough, flexibility in the coupled chassis, quite a large spacing between loco and tender and the train that is coupled on. This can mean leaving detail off a model or removing it, fitting undersize wheelsets on bogies especially, modifying rigid chassis for more sideplay in the wheelsets, relocating couplers.

None of that helps with having other folks stock running on the layout, you may have to accept that anything bigger than a visiting unmodified J39 or something similar is unlikely to go round the curves.

I would guess it is a layout space restriction that is pushing you toward the 11" radius? Layouts don't have to be round and round; you could build a terminus to fiddle yard type (with very large radius curvatur) in a location much longer than it is wide.

[ParkeNd]

Steam locos I have found are by far the most difficult locos to run. If you wanted totally foolproof running sessions then forget the gradients, have very few points and all those on straights, have only 15" radii curves, and insist only new medium size diesels like Class 22, Class 24, Class 25, and Class 26 run on it.

The most troublesome loco is going to be someone else's old steam loco with a very lightly loaded 2 wheel front pony bogie with a coupling that catches under the buffers. To allow this to run you would need a straight end to end layout laid with a 10" straight Tracksetta to ensure virtually seamless joints. Maybe not the most entertaining layout though.

Inevitably you are going to need compromise. 1940/1950 impressive looking steam locos must include A1 to A4 inclusive with a heavy sprinkling of 9Fs pulling long trains. 6 coach rakes would fit fine on say an 8ft 6in x 3ft N gauge roundy roundy with no gradient. This would accommodate a twin track with 15" inner radii and at least 4ft 6in platforms. To add some drama in lieue of gradients you could have the roadways the track runs on raised say 2" above the baseboard and run it predominantly on an embankment with bridges, and have the baseboard come up to meet it in places like the station.

So that is basing a layout around the stock you want to run - large temperamental crack passenger steam.

Naturally less impressive as prototypes, but sublimely running as N gauge models, bogie driven diesels will relish it with faultlesss performances. The new Farish Class 55 Deltic, and the new Dapol Class 52 Western will perform like Rolls Royces.

[Emettman]

Sorry to be clear I meant by " challange radius "
to run a loco renowned for needing large radius and see if
it will run on my layout. I Would like to have visitors in future
bring their models and
want a layout that can run almost anything.

SD

I've had that on my garden line (45mm gauge.) At a few places I'm down to 3.5 ft radius: all my stock is fine (or has been made to be) on that, but I've had visitors' locos and stock that needed the full 4ft as an absolute minimum.
I learned to announce my line's loading gauge and tolerances in advance to avoid disappointment. Anyone bringing a loco much over a foot long to my garden had better be bringing a Fairlie or Garratt .

If you are going to be that generous to visitors, "nowhere near the limit" is likely to have to be the rule for curves, gradients and combinations of points.
From your track plan could you arrange that just for the visible track, and bar visitors from the hidden loops: they can then still work the line end-to end, (as they should!?)
Chris