Quote from: GlenEglise on July 25, 2026, 07:59:58 PMCan anyone recommend a suitable supplier for NMT graphics to apply to Dapol Mk3 pantograph car?

Dapol don't make a Mk3 pantograph car. You'll need to modify the roof to include the pantograph well (and source a pantograph). 977993 is the pantograph car - plenty of photos on Flickr and Departmentals.com.

Quote from: njee20 on July 25, 2026, 08:10:20 PMPaint it and apply Railtec decals, IIRC they do new and old NMT logos.

Agree - don't bother applying vinyls to Dapol Mk3. Either use Farish Mk3 for the vinyl (if you can find them), or rework a Dapol Mk3. I would however add one step - Strip it, then paint it.

You'll get a better finish if you remove the factory applied livery first. Phoenix Super Strip is my go-to paint stripper as it doesn't affect the plastic.

Whilst it's stripped you'll be able to fill in any windows that don't exist on the prototype you're replicating.

Phoenix Paints will also sell you network rail yellow in tinlets or aerosol

Without re-reading much of John @Train Waiting  excellent thread, I'd like to add a bit more about compounding, which I don't think has been mentioned before (at least I hope not).

From, once again, the RCTS LNER green bible, talking about the N8 class, but applicable to many locos of the time.

Quote;

'A factor which made compounding attractive at that time [1886] that Class B [N8] was introduced, when low pressures were in use and before superheating (my emphasis, not just to this class) had been adopted, was the smaller expansion ration of the steam in each cylinder [of a compound loco], meaning that the temperature difference between exhaust and live steam was less. This meant that there was smaller loss due to cooling and condensation of steam entering the cylinders. The compounds were thus able to demonstrate and efficiency of the simple classmates'

End quote.

All of this class were changed to simples, with some being superheated. This was not the only class of locos to be so treated.

HTH is of some use to others reading this.

[information inside this style brackets] added to make sense of the extract.

Martyn

Quote from: njee20 on July 25, 2026, 08:10:20 PMVinyls would be rubbish on a Dapol mk3 anyway, too much relief on the body side. Paint it and apply Railtec decals, IIRC they do new and old NMT logos.

Agreed - they vinyls were designed for the Graham Farish smooth-sided Mk3 coaches. They could be used on the Dapol Mk3s also but did not look as a good.

Received my sound fitted Ragley Hall today, I was going to wait for the other one I had ordered (Kinlet Hall) to arrive, but my willpower crumbled very easily when I saw @Ensign Elliott 's pictures!

I am not typically a GW modeller (although I have a few locos) but as Halls were seen on the GC after Nationalisation, and regularly on cross-country workings I can justify a couple, and I am really pleased that is the case! The loco is superb, beautifully detailed and finished, runs sublimely and the sound file is excellent. Now to me it does not quite shade the new V2 as the best British N steam loco to date, but there really isn't much in it.

Personally I am not too fussed about the Hawksworth tender but understand why others will be wanting to wait, and I really hope this loco does well enough to justify another run quickly, such a lovely model of a really versatile prototype really deserves to do well.

As to the Dapol Hall, the kindest thing I can say is that it was an OK model for its time, but things have moved on, and in pretty much every respect possible the new Farish model absolutely blows it away in my opinion.

Roy

Quote from: njee20 on July 25, 2026, 08:10:20 PMVinyls would be rubbish on a Dapol mk3 anyway, too much relief on the body side. Paint it and apply Railtec decals, IIRC they do new and old NMT logos.

Thank you, nice to know.

GE

Quote from: jpendle on Yesterday at 07:04:52 PMAs we don't have a slightly bemused thread this one will have to do 

I decided to bite the bullet and buy a Dapol CL68, sound fitted, in TPE livery even though Dapol won't ship to the US.

"Felix" was just £150, so a real bargain.

My son and our grandchildren just came over so they brought it with them.

I just tried it out and it runs like a dream and the sound project sounds pretty good to me.
BUT I already have 2 TPE liveried CL68's 

For some reason I thought that I just had the one.

Old age is catching up on me 

John P

A good problem?

I too wanted one of those bargains but was stymied by Dapol.

As we don't have a slightly bemused thread this one will have to do 

I decided to bite the bullet and buy a Dapol CL68, sound fitted, in TPE livery even though Dapol won't ship to the US.

"Felix" was just £150, so a real bargain.

My son and our grandchildren just came over so they brought it with them.

I just tried it out and it runs like a dream and the sound project sounds pretty good to me.
BUT I already have 2 TPE liveried CL68's 

For some reason I thought that I just had the one.

Old age is catching up on me 

John P

In Scotland and N.Ire it's 71 and in England and Wales it's 75 before you're exempt. WHY?
I won't be safe until I'm 76 so 2 1/2 years 

The Tale of the Lost Railway - Part seventeen

For the next couple of episodes I am indebted to John @Train Waiting  who has written the text so eloquently

After a detour to collect Colin Penn's luggage from the Guest House, the party returned to Baskerville Manor so that everyone could have plenty of time for a bath and then change for dinner.

Flic had really gone to town with the arrangements for dinner, drafting in additional people to help the Manor's servants. Archie had invited some local dignitaries to join his house guests at dinner and, hopefully, hear a positive response from Gerry Fiennes and John Hammond to his plan to re-open the Moretonhampstead branch to passenger traffic, connecting with his private railway to run through to Okehampton.

Their assistance with the important matter of Ministry of Transport approval for the private railway to open to passenger traffic would be essential.



The changing bell rang at 6.30 and, by 7.00 the house guests had assembled in the library for drinks. Archie and Flic stood by the door of the library to welcome their evening guests when they were announced by the butler.

At 7.45, Flic led her guests in for dinner. Due to the numbers present, this was served in the Manor's Ball Room which was magnificently decorated for the occasion. There were two long tables, arranged side-by-side along the main axis of the room. Across the room, at one end, was High Table, on a dais, set for five.

During the day, Archie had spoken to Bertie and Bonzo, inviting them to join him at High Table. To his slight surprise, both had declined, preferring to be seated with the other guests. Although Archie knew both of them, he didn't know them as well as you do and you won't be in the slightest surprised at this. At Bertie's suggestion, Flic had arranged for he and Bonzo to be seated at end places of each of the long tables, with a somewhat over-awed Colin Penn opposite Bonzo and Ron Parker opposite Bertie.

Archie sat in the middle chair at High Table, with Flic at his right and Melissa to his left. Gerry Fiennes sat next to Flic, with John Hammond at the other end, next to the lovely Melissa. These two gentleman enjoyed enchanting company for dinner.


Archie had arranged to open several bottles of wine from the cellars which had been retained for this very occasion

Looking at High Table, Bertie allowed himself a moment of self-satisfaction - that was precisely the arrangement he had suggested to Archie. The dinner was absolutely fabulous and Ron was greatly relieved to be seated opposite his new friend, who had, of course worked his magic on the butler and a young footman kept that end of the table well-supplied with lashings 'N' lashings of fine, foaming Devonshire ale.

Although the guests were in black-tie order for the occasion, there were four exceptions. Realising that neither Ron nor Colin would have the correct clothes, Bertie and Bonzo were informally attired - Bonzo in a neat grey suit and Bertie in a yellow-ish tweed suit with a loud purple check. Apart, perhaps, from Gerry Fiennes, no other man in the room could have carried off that garish garment; they would have looked like someone who had escaped from a circus.

Ron told Bertie how much he had liked meeting Gerry Fiennes and had enjoyed Gerry's anecdote about a locomotive, thirty-seven wagons and a brake van ending up in Granton Dock in the autumn of 1939.

"Granton," said Bertie, "I've a good chum who used to live there. A Welsh chap - he's delightful company, you'd like him enormously."

Colin enjoyed talking to Bonzo but, at one point, asked about his War service. Bonzo mentioned he had been stationed in Kent for a while and then went on to say that there were some lovely wild flowers to be seen in the Weald. Although a young journalist, Colin realised his question was being diverted in the most polite and gentle manner and resolved to look into the War service of this courteous and diffident man.

To be continued........

A very short test of Ragley Hall today and a little look over. In my view such a good loco and really looking forward to modified hall now.

Graham