Dapol Pannier

[Perchpole]

Hello, All -

I rather fancy Dapol's latest Pannier (with the late crest) which has just become available. Whilst tempted I'm also a little apprehensive. I don't have a short wheelbase loco from Dapol so I don't know how well they perform when crossing points, etc. In the past I've been rather disappointed with the performance of short wheelbase locos from Farish - especially their 08 - so I'm hoping for some improvement.

Would someone please allay my fears!

:0)

[Ditape]

My Pannier Tank runs alright through my electrofrog points.

[port perran]

I have three Dapol panniers and have no problems with Insulfrog points.
Others will, I know, comment otherwise but I can only speak as I find.

[NeMo]

Would someone please allay my fears!

I'm not sure anyone can. These short wheelbase locos are sensitive to how flat the track is and how well it's been laid. Even errant bits of ballast glued inside the track can push the flanges up as the wheel goes along. Anything that "rocks" the wheelbase so it isn't entirely flat will lift one (or more) of the wheels up, reducing the number of parts in contact with the rail, and on a small 0-6-0 that's not many points of contact to begin with! Dirt on the wheels only make things worse, reducing the points through which current flows.

Bo-Bo and Co-Co diesels work best because they have a degree of compensation that pivots wheels up and down as well as side to side, ensuring more points of contact. Rigid wheelbase locos like 0-6-0 locos lack this.

In short: blame the track before the model. See if your 0-6-0 models will run slowly along bits of flexitrack laid flat on the dining room table. If they do, then go look at your track to find out why the same model is running less well across sectional track or points.

I recently bought one of the Farish 03s. I was hesitant for the same reasons as you, but in fact it actually runs really well on clean, flat (Kato) track. Wherever it doesn't run properly I take that as a sign of some problem in the tracklaying process, and go back and re-lay it!

Cheers, NeMo

[Newportnobby]

Welcome to the forum, Perchpole
It might help you to have a look in the review section to get a better range of comments.

[GrahamB]

I have one Dapol Pannier.

It's a good runner but, as others have said, bad trackwork can spoil the running of the best behaved loco.

I also have two Terriers which are even smaller and they run just fine.

[Perchpole]

Thanks, Everyone -

My concern harks back to the problems I had with the 08. It's only a few years old but the pick-up wipers behind the wheels have always been problematic. There seems to be too much sideways slop which makes intermittent loss of power almost inevitable.

I don't want to go down that route again!

:0)

Perchpole

[Dr Al]

My concern harks back to the problems I had with the 08. It's only a few years old but the pick-up wipers behind the wheels have always been problematic. There seems to be too much sideways slop which makes intermittent loss of power almost inevitable.

There is a long thread on the Dapol Pannier and most of this relates to pickup problems (solutions are explored in the thread however):

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=18619.0

With regards the 08 - have you bent out the wiper pickups to ensure they make good contact? This is often  needed on the 08 (and 03,04) but once done they are generally pretty reliable.

HTH,
Alan

[Croxy]

My Dapol Pannier Tank runs well on my layout using Fleischmann track and DCC. The detailing on the model is very nice as well.....for DCC had to get a Lenz Silver Mini as the length for the DCC chip is limited....