Dapol shaft driven loco problems

[lendix]

Has anyone experienced similar problems to this? Bought two n gauge locos recently, an N Class by Graham Farish and a Q1 by Dapol. Both are beautiful models; the N Class runs beautifully, with no problems at all. The Q1 however has now been replaced three times. The first derailed and the tender detached from the loco, including the very flimsy wires to the main loco drive wheels. In the second case, the front drive wheels ran out of true, causing the tender to wobble sideways, forward movement to be rather jersey, and a tendency to derail or detach from carriages. Congratulations to Hattons who replaced both quickly with no question.
However, the third loco hit the buffers a little harder than intended (I use a Morley controller); the drive shaft disconnected, but was not difficult to reconnect. However, I noticed rather uneven running, and on examination noticed the tender coupler had also detached, together with one wire from the loco drive wheels. The coupler seems to be held in place by a thin plate along the bottom of the loco, which in turn is held in place by a very thin bar with cross pieces pushed into minute holes on brackets from the loco body. Fortunately, I managed to raise the plate and relocate the coupler, and with some difficulty replace the tiny cross pieces. However, the wire to the driving wheels cannot be reconnected, and the locos runs (seemingly satisfactorily) gaining power from the tender wheels alone.
This system seems to me to be extremely weak and vulnerable. I hope Dapol read this, and come up with a sturdier system, or suggestions on how to solve the problem of the drive wheel wires. If they continue this system, this is likely to be my last Dapol loco. Which is a pity, because it's a beautiful model.
Comments would be welcome.

[Newportnobby]

Hi Lendix, and welcome aboard
Loco - tender connections does seem to be one of their Achilles Heels, but I'm glad you have the Q1 running again. Hopefully someone can help you with a better solution to bring it fully back to life.
I'm not really understanding the problem with the Morley controller, though

[lendix]

The fact that there's no problem with the controller is in itself the problem. The Morley controller is brilliant, but is pretty sensitive; it can make a loco crawl at less than snail's pace, which is great. But if you accidentally turn the knob up high, particularly in the case the Q1 Dapol loco, it goes off like an unexpected rocket. Which with its delicate linkage etc., doesn't always do it much good! Hence my problem. However, as I said, at present, using just the tender's power pick up contacts, the loco is going pretty well - except, of course, as has been mentioned elsewhere, it can't pull much of a train, four carriages being about as much as it can do comfortably.

[Newportnobby]

Aha - now I understand.
I have a Morley Vortrack controller and my 2 x Q1s (from the very first run) used to take off like scalded cats but they do eventually settle down to reasonable slow running (I only use them on freight workings)

[Les1952]

The Q1 was early in Dapol's learning curve and has a few characteristics not shared by their later locos.  I bought the first one on sale at Wellingborough on the first day, and by the end of the show it had run almost continuously for the two days of the show-
Two stops, the first for lubrication and the second for a quick weathering (to the horror of George Smith).

It has not run a lot since, being kept more for sentimental reasons than anything else.  It is noticeably fast off the blocks, sharing this with Union Mills, and the loco to tender connections are fragile by comparison with later locos.

It IS possible to re-solder the connections- even a ham-fisted nit like me can do it - I've re-done one for a friend and  a couple of 9Fs that I broke.  Thankfully the more recent screw fixings are a lot easier to do, though these are easier with a magnetised screwdriver.

hope this helps.
Les

[lendix]

That's interesting. How does one get to the connection in the main loco body to refix the wire? The wire is extremely thin; is soldering on agin much of a problem? I have to say I love the loco, having recently visited York and falling in love with the original.

[Les1952]

I must confess I can't remember what I did with the Q1, it was quite a long time ago.  The 9F you can reach the end of the pickup strip without taking the body off.  I'm dyspraxic so had to wait for a good day before tackling it.

Les