Having never ordered direct from Dapol before, I just wondered if they notify us when products are shipped?

yes they do, and they will give you the DPD tracking number

Perfect, thank you

Quote from: PaulCheffus on September 07, 2020, 12:07:13 PM
Hi

I've had to come home to pickup my mouse as I can't get on with the built in mousepad.

So I've managed to take a quick photo


Hope this helps.

Cheers



Paul

thank you mine now runs a lot better

John

Quote from: njee20 on October 02, 2020, 09:51:42 AM

Quote from: CaleyDave on October 01, 2020, 11:42:11 PM
Does anyone know when the doors were changed on the prototype coaches converted to "production" TF's?

I have only found pictures of the coaches after privatisation where they have been replaced with production doors but I have never seen them in blue, executive or swallow.

Aren't these both with standard doors?

C 42355 161293 by Steven Clements, on Flickr

C 42357 161293 by Steven Clements, on Flickr

Wanted to share for anyone reading this thread  and was also considering modeling the prototype mk3 after they were converted.

I recently read through the book
HST Silver Jubilee by Colin J. Marsden

It States that as part of the conversion the doors were
indeed changed. Apparently the coaches were stripped back to bare metal so the window columns could be strengthened so it's a bit bizarre they didn't change the window frames.

Caveat is the book is not perfect and I recommend cross referencing where possible but I would I would recommend this for any reference book.
Whilst I have identified some errors I believe this to be true.

So anyone wanting a unique mk3 to change things up should start with a production mk3 and remove the window frames and source a replacement prototype roof (hopefully these will be made available as spares as the prototype roof is the same as used on the production mk3A locomotive hauled coaches.)

Fortunately pictures of the lab/test coaches and royals are easier to come by. These all eventually received new style doors but at different times, some post privatisation.

Thanks again njee20 for finding the pictures.

Presumably the different doors presented either a safety issue (being subtly different in operation) or a spares issue, whilst a window frame makes no functional difference.

Quote from: njee20 on October 24, 2020, 08:24:41 AM
Presumably the different doors presented either a safety issue (being subtly different in operation) or a spares issue, whilst a window frame makes no functional difference.

Yea, if replacement glazing panels fits the windows regardless of the frame why change it. In my mind I think I was imagining the whole window, frame and all, being removed if it was broken which you would not do on a house or car.

On Doors;
From a Guard or station staff perspective i would think the Handel's would be less visible and therefore harder to tell of they were closed properly.

From the passenger perspective it looks like the Handel would again be hard to see when reaching out of the window to open it leading to some fumbling around trying to grab it.

It was the end of 1971 that internal door handles started being removed from mk2's after a number of fatalities attributed to them. Following the logic that they were delivered early 1972 I wonder if the prototype mk3's had or were designed to have internal door handles.

The production doors giving better view odf the Handel from the top and sides.

Speculation as most of the reference material I have focuses on the noisy bit over the more interesting comfortable bit.
When this is all over a trip to the archives by myself will be overdue!

I just paid £120 for another coach for my HST-P 

Ok, not strictly true. I have the power cars, a buffet/restaurant pack and a coach pack already. I decided rightly or wrongly that the HST-P doesn't look long enough with just 6 coaches and couldn't find a single coach anywhere as they don't seem to sell them singly. Once they arrive I'll decide what length I want (probably 7 coaches) and may offload the rest. Do you think there will be a market for selling single coaches? There's obviously a small market for them at least as I wanted one 

Yay - I did that too.

You might want to keep one first and one second class coach from the four pack.

On the western I think it ran mostly as Power Car (country end)- TS-TS-TRUB-TS-TRUK-TF-TF-Power Car (Paddington end)
But I have one photo with it running as Power Car (country end)- TS-TS-TRUB-TS-TRUK-TF-TF-TF-Power Car (Paddington end)

Or keep the set intact and hope that like the Kato Eurostar, the infill coach sets become more valuable once they are no longer available.

Happy decisions!

Bob

I was already leaning towards the Power Car-TS-TS-TRUB-TS-TRUK-TF-TF-Power Car formation so if that's prototypical then I may do that to keep the rivet coach counters at bay 

I noticed earlier that Dapol had 5 coach packs left. I bought 1 but now there are just 2 packs left. It is tempting to snap those up and sell them on in the future but I'm trying really hard not to do so. I saw a coach pack sell for £120 + £6 P&P on eBay earlier today which is £2.05 more than they would have paid directly from the manufacturer, strange. There are still 19 sets of the custard dipped power cars left though but I can't see those going quickly if there are no coaches left.

Quote from: Trainfish on November 10, 2020, 09:29:32 PM
There are still 19 sets of the custard dipped power cars left though but I can't see those going quickly if there are no coaches left.

They dont need reverse blue grey coaches. They need one or more Derby Research Centre coaches sandwiched between them.

Dont beat yourself up

Also don't believe everything you see on the site.
When they ran out of prototype livery power cars just after they went live to the public, they magically added some more, so its hard to tell what is their limit.
But I expect there will always be custard ones left at the end.

Bob

Quote from: Bob G on November 10, 2020, 10:30:52 PM
They dont need reverse blue grey coaches. They need one or more Derby Research Centre coaches sandwiched between them.

Prototypically maybe not but on my layout they have to be smart which means they match the power cars 

Quote from: Bob G on November 10, 2020, 10:30:52 PM
Also don't believe everything you see on the site.
When they ran out of prototype livery power cars just after they went live to the public, they magically added some more, so its hard to tell what is their limit.

Good point, I remember that now you mention it 

Quote from: Bob G on November 10, 2020, 10:30:52 PM
But I expect there will always be custard ones left at the end.

Bob

I think you're right, they'll take longer to shift a bit like the custard dipped Pullmans.

Not that I want to upset you, but just because you like matching liveries, this proves that you dont have to do that... although I would definitely not run these on my layout

I could just about accept the second picture but not the first. I like uniformity which is probably why I much prefer the old BR blue/grey days rather than all these multi-coloured worms we have these days.

I can see it's at Swindon but have you any idea when that picture was taken or if there are any more of it especially at Swindon?

Quote from: Trainfish on November 11, 2020, 11:52:46 AM
I could just about accept the second picture but not the first. I like uniformity which is probably why I much prefer the old BR blue/grey days rather than all these multi-coloured worms we have these days.

I can see it's at Swindon but have you any idea when that picture was taken or if there are any more of it especially at Swindon?

The first one with the test car is at Reading in August 1976.
The second is on an "in service" train with replacement Mark IIIs at Swindon in September 1976.

I know what you mean about uniformity. Maybe that's why I like southern green.

Bob

Bob