I have the chance to buy a Dapol SBC N1 RTC Autocoach, which I believe is a Signal Box Ltd edition. Despite doing a Google search I can't find a lot of info about it.
I have no Dapol products and have followed with interest the ongoing debate on here regarding Dapol quality, can anyone give me some info about this item please,

Cheers,

Rob.

If you are referring to the Signal Box limited edition RTC liveried Test Car No. 1., there use to be a website with pictures but it is no longer up.  It is still available as Cached version but without pictures:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:kfnNGu58iEAJ:www.traintesting.com/test_car_1.htm+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Actually, there is a link within that page to one that has pictures (scroll to the bottom):
http://www.auto169.co.uk/w233w.htm

The Dapol model is supposed to represent the second version of TC No. 1.

The model was reviewed in Model Rail some years back - I have the issue but would have to rumage to find it.  The gist of the review was that the model is not the right diagram of autocoach (the model is just a bog standard Dapol autocoach but with the RTC livery applied) to be a truly accurate model of TC No. 1, but it goes on to say that being the only RTC liveried model in N (at that time) and also the prohibitive cost of tooling such an esoteric model, the Dapol model is close enough.

When you look at the pictures you can see immediately what the MR review was talking about as the RTC model and the prototype are clearly not the same diagram autocoach, but they are close.

The Dapol autocoach is itself an old tooling and while it has no quality problems (I have three in various liveries), it does shows its age.  It doesn't have flush glazing, for instance.

I bought one of the RTC ones, £15.99 new, and it's a nice enough model which I'm happy to own but the paint finish is too flat and both the shade of blue and RTC red are "off," particularly the red.  This model is not nearly as nice when compared to the later Model Zone RTC special editions, but then it predates all of those by a year or more.

Finally - I wouldn't t shy away from Dapol products.  The wagons and coaches are fine, the locos are as well, if perhaps (in very general terms) not quite as sophisticated as ones from Farish, although in fact, the Class 22, 26, 27, 52, and 56 diesels are spendid models and run as well as anything from Farish.

Hope this helps.

Matt

Thank you very much, that's a great help, much appreciated,

Regards,

Rob.

Quote from: Rob H on January 13, 2014, 06:36:35 PM
I have the chance to buy a Dapol SBC N1 RTC Autocoach, which I believe is a Signal Box Ltd edition. Despite doing a Google search I can't find a lot of info about it.

Its a work of fiction. The Dapol model represents a completely different vehicle. Ordinarily I'd say its still a nice fallback but given Bachmann are going to do the right diagram shortly you might as wait for whoever releases that in RTC livery.

(Post RTC is harder as it got modern buffers and B4 bogies)