Dapol New Releases 2016/17

[Snowwolflair]

We do a club buy from Gaugemaster and they are expected imminently.

[Widnes Model Centre]

Just checked and arriving in May. I would guess that means its at sea but not that far away.

[exmouthcraig]

Can anybody give us an accurate update as to the dapol WC /Bob? ?? 5 years is one hell of a long time to get nowhere other them some cad drawings which surely people who do this could produce within a short period of time.

Les you seem to have the most knowledge to support dapol are you aware of any updates relating to this??

Why are they struggling so much?? I'm bored of seeing announcements made about future models and waiting more then a year for just an updated model.

Farishs 131A guv in green was meant to of been released 15,/16 and STILL we have nothing, all they need to do was change a number.

So as the farish MN is so good with new motor, shockingly the same chassis, give or take for a rebuilt, hurry up build us a rebuilt MN / WC / Bob and shaft dapol good and proper!! £130 each I'd happily nip up to Hattons and buy 10 straight away!!!

[longbow]

On the WC here are the most recent Dapol comments from their forums:

June 2016 - We have taken the decision to make this model the first with our new steam chassis and mechanism. We have just tested a new coreless motor in a loco driven mock up and to be frank it did not perform that well. We are prioritising this project now and have some further options to evaluate, but at this stage and with this result we cannot give an accurate time frame I am afraid.

Sep 2016 - [It's] not years away. We have been/are working on this mech. in the 'background' and as it will be the basis for all new designs going forwards we want it to be right. The entire drive train is being specified and designed from the ground up and will use some new techniques not before used in a model locomotive. Just to give you an idea of the level we are starting from, I have been working directly with a company who design and produce motors, the custom motor will address the many issues of regular coreless motors (i.e. dislike of DCC, feedback controllers etc. etc.). There are many other areas being worked on which will produce not only a great model, but set the bar for performance. - all this takes time, testing and engineering; I don't want to rush to announce before we have completed our design and evaluation.

[exmouthcraig]

Same old story then. Next we'll be told that there's a strike in China so another 3 month delay then a ship stuck in the suez canal so another 3 months. I won't hold out any hope for 2018 then. Why if it takes this long would they even announce it as a model??? Do the home work first get a pre production sample that's perfect and then tell us it will be on the shelves in 3 months not 10 years!!

[Snowwolflair]

A hundred people come down a street, but you are looking for the lady in the red dress.  You impatiently wait wondering where she is and you are oblivious to the 99 other people who pass you while you are waiting.

With color livery and number variations there are probably 100 different individual items going through design and manufacture and the one you want is getting its equal 1% of time and effort just like all the rest.

More importantly there are probably 99 other people waiting each for a different one of the 100 models, all equally impatient.

So the manufacturer cannot ever satisfy everyone.

[exmouthcraig]

Yeah but 5 years!!! I think we could build a life size rebuilt bulleid in that time couldn't we???

If dapol hadn't announced in exactly 5 years ago we wouldn't all be complaining about waiting and in our world of 24hour success they can't expect to not have customers desperate to purchase them disappointed with the lack of decent information they give us. We might as well all stick a cad picture up and say we are going to build this, tease people and then just disappear off the face of the earth.

I just hope when they FINALLY get the things built and shipped that they send a good few thousand because I want at least 15

[Snowwolflair]

When I read they were still figuring out the motor I assumed at least two years, as once they sort this out they will have to rework the loco CAD and bring it up to date with all the new ideas incorporated in newer designs.  My bet Christmas 2018.

[leachsprite4]

Maybe but 4 years plus and waiting, at least one complete redesign, three different motors, and a promise that no other steam until new approach with BoB / WC is delivered, yet the schools and Grange was pushed on ahead.
I can only hope they're the dogs when they arrive. I've spent the budget I had allocated for three of these on Farish locos.
Graham

[Portpatrick]

This particular story is rather reminiscent of Farish and the Ivatt Mickey Mouse Mogul, though perhaps with an even longer lead time.  The Ivatt was announced c 2006/7.  Released some 6 years later.  Fabulous gem now we have it - no question in my mind about that.  And I gathered producing a suitable motor given the small size of loco and tender was a major cause of that delay.  They should surely have anticipated that problem at the start.  Given how long the preproduction work takes, I also would prefer no announcement on new models until much later in the process - e.g. when production is getting under way, or at least scheduled.  That still gives us a heads up of a few months before they appear for sale.  And that in spite of the fact in Poole days I had built a Crab,  Std 264T and earlier a 4F from kits and then for the Crab and tank at least had the Farish offerings appear within a year or so.  I held off a P D Marsh Peak kit when I wanted that loco once I heard the Farish one was coming.  But we at least did not wait several years for that. 

[exmouthcraig]

That's the thing these employ the best people in the business it's not a bunch of no hopers and surely questions should be asked WHY it's taken this long

[davidinyork]

That's the thing these employ the best people in the business it's not a bunch of no hopers and surely questions should be asked WHY it's taken this long

Dapol had a change of the senior staff a couple of years ago, which will probably be a lot of the reason - it's bound to take time for them to get up to speed on projects started by someone else.

[exmouthcraig]

Sounds like dapol are just like mps then. Sell us a dream lie through their back teeth about it actually happening and then blame it on the previous bunch

[Snowwolflair]

I think they had an Oh  moment when the planned motor did not work and they had to seriously back track.

[exmouthcraig]

Well whinging and moaning doesn't help us our really does it.

DAPOL STOP IGNORING US, TELL US THE TRUTH AND PULL YOUR FINGER OUT AND GET THESE THINGS BUILT MIND BLOWINGLY GOOD AND DELIVERED FOR £120 AND AMAZINGLY WE WILL BUY THEM BY THE BUCKET LOAD AND WE WILL FORGIVE YOU!!!!

Rant over 😄