Dapol have announced a new batch of their N gauge Class A1/A3 steam locomotives!

[Philip.]

http://www.dapol.co.uk/Catalogue/32/index.html
https://railsofsheffield.com/groups/3147/n-gauge-class-a1-a3

[joe cassidy]

I like the layout of the catalogue - reminds me of the old Tri-ang catalogues.

[Newportnobby]

And just where in the  pipeline will they go?
Come on, Dapol. At least give us a rough clue as to the sequence stuff will emerge in

[osborns]

my Dapol flyer states for A3 and A4 Expected In Shops End Q1 2021

[Skyline2uk]

I think what Mick is referring to is the fabled "new development" pipeline (unless I am wrong @Newportnobby ?).

We are both awaiting promised new tool items (although very different prototypes) and the worry is new livery / versions of existing tooling may "clog" said pipeline....

Skyline2uk

[Chuffington]

I think my wallet is gonna take another beating...

[Paddy]

Some fine locos there but I wish they would get rid of their tender drive system.  Not a fan of the shaft.  Either drive the tender or stick the motor in the loco.

Kind regards

Paddy

[Newportnobby]

I think what Mick is referring to is the fabled "new development" pipeline (unless I am wrong @Newportnobby ?).

We are both awaiting promised new tool items (although very different prototypes) and the worry is new livery / versions of existing tooling may "clog" said pipeline....

Skyline2uk

@Skyline2uk
We're on the same wavelength

[Richard Taylor]

I got a bit interested but then realised that, despite what Rails say, they aren't doing any A1s - the re-run is A4s and mainly BR-era A3s. 

Not absolutely certain, but I'm pretty sure that the "LNER" A3 they are going to produce is a loco which never existed in that combination of name, number, livery and boiler!  But I might grab a couple for re-naming...

Best,
Richard T

[Capri_sam]

I'm very happy to see Dapol putting out more n gauge stock, as it shows their confidence in N - especially with some receiving new NEXT18 PCBs, but it is a shame none of it seems to be true new toolings at the moment. Fingers crossed we'll finally get to see some real progress on the promised new models soon!

For now though, I'm chuffed to see more A4s especially, they are lovely models fetching far too high a price second hand!

[honk843]

People seem to want to do away with the tender motor which is supposed to be the delay in the producing new BB/WC but if we get no new steam locos until then we are unlikely to see anything for ages. If Dapol reckon there is a demand for these great all round. I am worried though that once they do produce the BB/WC spares for these will become scarce/unavailable?
I would have thought the demand for a Gresley A1 would be pretty limited after all the A3s sold by Minitrix / Farish / and Dapol. Perhaps a replacement 3D printed body to replace the existing one might be the answer?

[Les1952]

There isn't a lot of tooling needed to make a Gresley A1, but it might be an irreversable change to existing moulds.  Certainly one mould would produce the different boiler barrel and the different cab side.  I don't know if a new footplate would be needed in order to clip the reverser on the other side of the loco, or if the existing boiler side steam pipe would go in its mirror-image position.

Having said all that I wouldn't expect a Gresley A1 from Dapol until the general chassis upgrade of the A3 and A4, which given the slow rate of progress with the Bulleids  will be a few years off yet I believe.

The tender drive to Loco I find more satisfactory overall than the Farish tender drive. Exhibition layouts by their very nature accumulate foreign bodies on the track over the course of a show weekend, no matter how thoroughly you vacuum at the start of the day.  Experience has shown me that my Dapol A3s and A4s are less likely to be stopped by a foreign body than my Farish A1s and A2s. The valve gear on the Farish can also pick up enough dust and sweat over a weekend in a hot exhibition hall to cause a lockup of the loco.  Haulage wise, provided the Farish has TWO sets of traction tyres fitted there is nothing to choose between them.  The A4 is more track sensitive than the A1/A2/A3, which are much of a muchness. 

My locos lead a hard life on Croft Spa, allocated to the heaviest and fastest trains (up to 12 coaches or thirty fitted wagons and with a line speed of 80mph).  During the course of a weekend a loco will do about 1.6 miles, though I do rotate them as far as possible.  How many do I have?  On latest count 5 A1s, 4 A2s, 15 A3s and 14 A4s.

At some stage there will be more.

Les

[Ben A]

Hello all,

Are any of these suitable for running in the present day?  I have seen Flying Scotsman in recent years in dark green BR livery but it had smoke deflectors, which the model does not appear to have.

Are any of the proposed A4s preserved and likely to be seen on the mainline?

Also, is it correct that Flying Scotsman in LNER is an A1 but in BR is an A3?  Did this change?

cheers

Ben A.

[Dr Al]

Are any of these suitable for running in the present day?  I have seen Flying Scotsman in recent years in dark green BR livery but it had smoke deflectors, which the model does not appear to have.

Dapol did Scotsman in this form in the past, both as a separate loco and as a book set. This run doesn't have it in that form, so if you are after one you are looking at secondhand.

Cheers,
Alan

[Dr Al]

Also, is it correct that Flying Scotsman in LNER is an A1 but in BR is an A3?  Did this change?

Scotsman was built an A1, and only converted to A3 in 1947. So technically it was a LNER engine as an A3, but only for a very short time before 1948 nationalisation. Obviously ever since it's been A3.

Cheers,
Alan