Dapol to produce a southern "thumper" DEMU

[Metadyneman]

Just read on the Kernow Model centre website that Dapol are to produce in conjunction with the KMC a limited run of the class 205 DEMU.

See HERE for full details.

An exciting time ahead what with the long awaited Bachmann 4-CEP on it's way too. the DEMU would be good for forming the basis of a 2 or 4-EPB EMU as well!

[Rabspat]

Now this i can't wait for. I grew up next to Tunbridge Wells West and watched Thumpers all day so i have a love for them, so i will be getting one of these no matter the cost.

[m.levin]

Think it was Model Rail that did an article on the research and development of the Dapol "thumper" A very intresting Read. I will true find it and let you know which mag and page, for those interested.
Bachmanns 4CEP! Mumbles as purchased, hid from the wife, built, painted, built up the dust on it, Dcc'd and lite up his 4CEP, since Bachmann announced the first New release date.

[briantwigley]

Lovely! If only it was N gauge too..

[RFS]

Kernow website now says delivery will be during 2011 for the 2H Thumper.

http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/pa ... d_Editions

[Metadyneman]

That suits me.. my wallet is likely to take a bashing in 2010 and may have struggled with the 2H at £150. It better be a top notch model at that price. £100 for Bachmann's 4-CEP is extremely good value so the 2H will need to be gold plated for £150!

[son of triangman]

It's a great addition for all you Southern fans. I carn't see the appeal of them myself, all these old EMU's all look the same, a box on wheels. Perhaps someone will enlighten me about the differences between each class of boxes on wheels.

[Bigmet]

Some rattled like this: brmmm-a-clang-brrmmm, others; chikker-chikker-squeee-chikkker; others again waaaAAAA-ish-parp-waaaAAAA-ish-parp.The last one being a personal favourite.

As for when Dapol actually produce it on behalf of Kernow, and where the price ends up. Dapol now have a list of motorised OO products ( with original due dates where I can remember them) from their announcements that reads: Class 22 due spring 2009 - missed; Thumper 2 car due spring 2009 - missed; Thumper 3 car due end 2009 - missed; Class 41 due in 2010?; Beattie Well Tank due for last quarter 2010; Sentinel shunter. They have pushed the 2 car Thumper into spring 2011, apparently so they can focus on the Beattie; and they have shown progress reports on the class 22, so that probably means the class 22 and Beattie this year. It's not like their brisk progress in N gauge...

I was very surprised when Dapol announced they were moving into OO in early 2008. Only six months earlier their MD was in print in Model Rail telling the world that they were fast and manoeuverable compared to the bigger companies, and could decide on a product, tool it, make it and sell it, before their competitors had finished their product selection process; and that he had no immediate intentions to expand their OO range significantly. They certainly were and are able to achieve the speed in N; but motorised OO is clearly a different story.

[Metadyneman]

all these old EMU's all look the same

Well in actual fact 2H and 3H (and their Sussex cousins the 3D) "Thumpers" are not EMUs at all, they are Diesel Electric MUs and have a bloomin great Diesel power unit at one end. Bigmet is probably right for the sound of a slam door EMU but as for a DEMU they have a definite "Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump-----pause-------Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump----pause etc etc" sound when idling and a definite loud rolling rhytmic thunder type noise when on full notch (you can't hear much else). If you have a trained enough ear you can also hear the electric traction motors like on an old EMU and the air compressor but these noises are very often drowned out by the engine. If you prefer a quieter ride, the trailer cars provide the noises supplied above by Bigmet

I use the above in present tense because several "Thumpers" have been preserved in working order.

[son of triangman]

Forgot the DEMU's, not being from the rich part of the country we don't see anything like the boxes on wheels, the nearest we used to get out here are Derby Lightweights and later on 101 class DMU's. It's good to have the differences pointed out.

[charliepetty]

Bachmann I have heard have undercut DAPOL on price, not delivery , for the thumper. Lets hope delivery is 2011!!!

[Zunnan]

I thought it prudent that a response on 'another forum' directly from Dapol be reproduced here.

Hi everyone,

Can i just clear this up for you all.

Dapol were comissioned to produce the OO class 205 'thumper' unit by Kernow.

Development of other products for Kernow took a slight priority until last November when in conversation with Bachmann, Kernow found out that Bachmann were about to announce this model as part of their range.

Knowing that this would 'kill' Kernow sales in its tracks, Chris offered Bachmann the laser scan file we produced for him, and they struck a private deal which involved the laser scan going to Barwell.

Dapol, having paid for some of the laser scanning still intend to produce the 205 in N gauge, and this has now 'jumped the queue' for production and should be with us in a short time scale.

Never did Dapol have problems with Kernow regarding the Thumper in OO, and our relationship remains strong and is cemented further by new 'secret' projects still to be announced.

I hope this helps.

Cheers
Dave

Dapol Ltd

So it basically appears that Bachmann were working on their own 'Thumper', presumably to get greater mileage out of their own forthcoming 2EPB tooling, which to be honest is a very logical thing to do; as is Kernows decision to combine the two projects rather than attempt to go head to head. An amicable decision which will probably provide the best outcome for the modeller. Kernow and OO modellers still get their Thumper, Dapol and N Gauge modellers likewise.

[Grayum]

Just got the newsletter from Kernow confirming Bachmann are now producing this not Dapol.... and grrr NSE version won't be in the first production run..

[Metadyneman]

I'm wondering if now that we know Bachmann have been developing their own model of a Thumper, whether we will still have the usual boring 18 month to two year wait for it to appear on the shelves!

[Bigmet]

Well it's already been a (boring?) near two year wait since Kernow announced they had commissioned it from Dapol, so it would only be fair to allow Bachmann the same sort of time from the new announcement.

As I posted earlier in this thread it has been interesting to see that Dapol who manage very crisp delivery schedules in N, have not been able to replicate that performance in OO. Their first OO loco announcement, taken from Dapol's site: OO gauge class 22 locomotive 04.03.08 We take great pleasure in publicly announcing that we have, for some months now, been working on a North British class 22 locomotive for release in OO gauge .. scheduled for 2009 ...

If Dapol have the 22 out for Warley/Christmas this year, that would be a clear year behind the original schedule. It would be interesting to hear from them what has made the OO process significantly slower than their N gauge productions.