Quote from: tunneroner61 on <strong>Yesterday</strong> at 11:52:11 PMPlease corect me if I'm wrong, but I am under the impression that Dapol inherited the cardan shaft design concept from Ixion when Dapol took on the Manor. I have an Ixion Manor and for smoothness and quietness it is far far better than the Dapol tender locos I have. It goes round 9" radius curves too. As has been pointed out previously I do suspect Dapol 'cost engineered' the whole power train design concept downwards.

It is a while back now but I don't think that is how it came about. I recall that the first Dapol loco to use the cardan shaft arrangement (and their first tender loco) was the Q1 released in 2007.

The Ixion Manor came along later in around 2010 and while it was manufactured for Ixion via Dapol, the design was the work of well respected Australian N modeller Phil Badger rather than anyone at Dapol. 1,200 Ixion Manors were produced in four liveries, I still have my BR black "Hook Norton Manor" to this day.

When Ixion exited from N Gauge following the Manor, Dapol did though take over the tooling and produce the loco themselves, albeit with a different DCC ready tender.

Roy

Quote from: Suffolk Rob on November 04, 2026, 12:43:11 PMLittle surprised to see another 2 150s, been a fair few farish DMUs in bargin bins for a while now.

Maybe, but now Central and Great Western modellers get a chance to buy one.

It's an interesting problem of privatisation. A green, blue or blue/grey DMU doesn't look out of place anywhere (particularly if you can't read the destination boards!). A Transport for Wales unit in Birmingham on the otherhand looks odd.

I'd happy have another class 158 (of which there are plenty left), but it'd have to be in West Yorkshire red and cream rather than Scotrail which leaves the stock on the shelves.

Stepping away from the King and other 4-6-0s, it's interesting to look at the smaller tender engines.

The C Class is an exceptional little loco, and handily fills the 0-6-0 tender loco shaped gap in the SR fleet.

LMS has the Fowler, LNER the J39 leaving GWR fans to hunt for long discontinued Peco 2251s if they want an 0-6-0 tender loco.

I feel it's the 4-4-0s that are noticeable by their absence. With the loss of the Union Mill Dukedog, I think there's only the Dapol Schools.

Please corect me if I'm wrong, but I am under the impression that Dapol inherited the cardan shaft design concept from Ixion when Dapol took on the Manor. I have an Ixion Manor and for smoothness and quietness it is far far better than the Dapol tender locos I have. It goes round 9" radius curves too. As has been pointed out previously I do suspect Dapol 'cost engineered' the whole power train design concept downwards.

Quote from: Railbank on <strong>Yesterday</strong> at 08:50:30 PMNobody said that the model wasn't good.

As to if they will sell out, or following the usual 15% initial discount period they will end up in the bargain bin in the new year, then that's my opinion. Time will tell.

Currently there are numerous 12t wagons being sold off following on from many 16t minerals of which I have bought up many.

According to the Bachmann website the cattle wagons won't even arrive until December/January so the 15% period won't be up until March/April. That initial restricted period is intended to level the "playing field" so that the big box-shifters don't undercut the smaller retailers for the launch of new products.

However those of us with longer memories recall that some years ago before that restriction was imposed, the likes of Hattons very often discounted by 25% - 30% right from first release relying on volume of sales for their margin, so what may these days be regarded as "bargain bin" prices, very often happened from the outset where the big "box shifters" were concerned back then.

Don't get me wrong, I have no crystal ball and wouldn't care to predict how well the cattle wagons will sell, but they haven't been run for a while and they are new liveries so I would think they'll probably do OK.

As to there being a lot of wagons on the inventory at Barwell, just looking at what they have available in N, including those just announced but not yet in stock, they are showing a total of 166 items currently which actually, given the overall size of their N portfolio and tooling suite is to me surprisingly few.

Regards

Roy

Quote from: trkilliman on <strong>Yesterday</strong> at 07:18:54 PMDapol have dropped their controversial cardan shaft. ... ... ... (I wonder who was responsible for the cardan shaft at Dapol?)

Quote from: trkilliman on <strong>Yesterday</strong> at 07:18:54 PMI paid two deposits with D.J. for Kings.

The very same DJ was Product Designer at Dapol through most of that period...
It was amusing that as soon as he parted ways with dapol, some of his most vocal supporters slated the very designs he was responsible for!

Theres nothing inherently wrong with the principle of the motor in the tender with a cardan shaft driving the loco wheels - it's the flavoured layout for 2mm finescale locos; just that to make it so locos would go around train-set corners, Dapols design had to have sufficient 'slop' in it that with rough handling the shafts were liable to pop out of the sockets.

Nobody said that the model wasn't good.

As to if they will sell out, or following the usual 15% initial discount period they will end up in the bargain bin in the new year, then that's my opinion. Time will tell.

Currently there are numerous 12t wagons being sold off following on from many 16t minerals of which I have bought up many.

Quote from: Bigmac on <strong>Yesterday</strong> at 06:15:48 PMRe the C Class: Maybe there was a tie up between Bachman and the Bluebell, sponsorship perhaps, otherwise it was a strange choice for n gauge. Was it a good seller ?

The C Class was part of their OO range, I don't think one needs to look any further than that for the reason it then became part of the Farish range along with the SECR "Birdcage" coaches. The loco is exquisite and included features never seen in a British outline 0-6-0 tender loco up to that point such as Next 18 socket and speaker. The ones in the intricate SE&CR livery sold out pretty quickly and there is nothing to suggest the loco was in anything but a success, with the likes of me (with no interest in matters "Southern") buying one just because it is such a lovely model, mine now being fitted with a sound chip.

As @thebrighton rightly points out, the fact there has recently been a second run including a "Collectors club" special and this time including a sound fitted option points to the first batch being popular otherwise they wouldn't have done it.

Roy

I paid two deposits with D.J. for Kings.

Paying by credit card I had the deposits repaid in full. I know others were not so lucky in getting their money back, if they paid by a different way.

I think the most likely to release a King would be Farish.

Dapol have dropped their controversial cardan shaft. I imagine many will be keen to see/try their Mogul and Manor with the new mechanisms. (I wonder who was responsible for the cardan shaft at Dapol?) A Grange with their new mechanism could be next from them?

Sonic could surprise us with a King. I understand their owner once worked for Bachmann, and designed the latest incarnation of the Coronation/Duchess loco.

Any of them may/or may not be working on a King in the background.

You dirty man. Wash your hands next time.