RTR 7mm Class 23 and J94 from DJ Models

adrian

adrian

Flying Squad
Dapol Dave has gone his own way and has just announced production of RTR 7mm Class 23 Baby Deltic and a J94.

http://djmodels.co.uk/?page_id=11

I don't normally do RTR announcements and it's not something I would consider as I enjoy the building more than the running, but I thought some WT'ers maybe interested. No delivery dates announced as yet but pre-orders taken in a week or so.
 
AJC

AJC

Western Thunderer
And not only in 7mm. Beyond noting that all these have been done in other scales by another manufacturer this is no more than an 'interesting' development; who knows when (if?) any of this stuff will actually appear.

The CAD drawings of the one prototype I know anything about, the Austerity tank, are quite interesting and the chassis suggests that someone, somewhere, has looked at the real thing. As presented, the body, has as weird a mix of industrial and preservation era fittings as you could wish for (including the vacuum brake fittings). That reversing rod for example, is straight off one of the Hunslet rebuilds from the mid-60s; the kink was to clear the over fire holes that was part of the revised draughting; a maximum of 14 of the 400 odd built carried this. There are some elements as well as some whose origin seems to be in the earlier 4mm Dapol model* with no relation to the prototype (as does the rather unsatisfactory mode of assembly with all those visible joins which are a pig to eliminate). The solid footplate and the lumps under the boiler should be avoidable too in 4mm and above as well. My anorak is on and I'm out of the door. ;)

Adam

* the cab steps (clearly based on a modified example), the very tall brake standard with the funny shaped handle, the stubby, misplaced lamp irons...
 
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P

PMP

Western Thunderer
I saw that too, a quick scan of his about page
http://djmodels.co.uk/?page_id=29 shows him as being winner of this competition
In 1982 I won the inaugural ‘Prime Ministers Cup’ as the best under 18 modeller in the country.
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Can anyone remember that competition?

I was of a similar age and I know a good few on here would be too, but I've never heard of it. Most odd as at the time I was very firmly professionally in the trade as were a number of similar aged mates, and, as I do now, working across car and a range of military modelling subject matters too. Seems odd that it doesn't even ring a vague bell. Lets hope his Class 17 isn't as prototypically accurate as the Heljan one was.
 
Neil

Neil

Western Thunderer
PMP said:
.... Can anyone remember that competition?....
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Afraid not, but I was 18 in '78 and at the start of my model making 'wilderness years' so it may well have passed me by. Of slightly greater concern to me would be the missed opportunity to do an industrial other than the austerity. I know the Dapol/Hornby model is a bit long in the tooth (as is the Bachmann/Farish n gauge one) but it would have been nice to have another option. Ok it's not my cash being put up front, but I'd have thought there may be greater interest in a prototype not available before.
 
Bob

Bob

Western Thunderer
I'm not into RTR preferring to build but a nice industrial loco could tempt me into 7mm or even EM. :eek:

Only as a side project, something small i.e. compact and bijou, the sort of thing Mr Nevard excels in.
 
AJC

AJC

Western Thunderer
Given the required cash, I suppose a degree of refinement might be sensible. ;)

I don't generally go for 'soothsaying' in model railways - I'm a historian, I save the educated guessing for the day job - but thinking for a moment about the choice of prototypes there's some logic to it. The previous 7mm RTR Austerity was a blatant copy of the Dapol/Hornby model. With all the errors and, amusingly, the boxes under the boiler to accommodate the motor mount from that same OO model. Far worse than the Derby type 2s from the same Bachmann brass range in my view.

I don't follow the market all that closely but in terms of RTR BO-BOs in 7mm haven't the popular/numerous types all been done? The travails of models of Derby Sulzers in 4mm suggest that this would be 'brave', verging on 'courageous' (Minister), as a first go and Heljan have shown that there is a market for Claytons and Baby Deltics there and they show no signs of wanting to do the same in 7mm so why not? A NB type 2 of one type or another RTR might be more WT friendly but I reckon that would go down poorly* with Mr Jones's former employers.

Adam

* Depending on the terms of his contract anyhow... I'm being careful here, but Dapol's choice of prototypes in N - as opposed to their execution - might offer some hints of their research strategy. I don't know who drove that and I don't know the research methodology.
 
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queensquare

queensquare

Western Thunderer
Jordan said:
I did restrict it to being free of 4mm Froth... we're quite capable of 7mm Froth... :p :rolleyes: ;)
I don't recall anyone being 'sniffy' at the 2mm F/S work you chaps have posted here... more :bowdown::bowdown::bowdown: in admiration, I think..?
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Hi Jordan, no 2mm stuff is largely (but not entirely) ignored on WT:(

The 'sniffy' comment was not aimed at any individual and was largely tongue in cheek although there is a track record of it on WT - see the Peco O gauge set track thread, gauge one Mk1s and now DJModels amongst others.

Jerry
 
Dikitriki

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
queensquare said:
Hi Jordan, no 2mm stuff is largely (but not entirely) ignored on WT:(
Jerry
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Hi Jerry

This may just be because you (ie 2mm finescale) have not achieved critical mass yet, and 2mm was a relative latecomer to WT. For my part, I admire enormously what is currently being achieved in 2mm finescale, and have publicly said so. I would like to see much more exposure for the work, and kits, of Nigel Hunt and the like.

Cheers

Richard
 
iploffy

iploffy

OC Blue Brigade
Join the club I had 2mm when I was younger but the spirit is willing and the mojo is there but if you are as blind as a bat not good for green moving blurs (some times refered to as hedgerows by my fellow hard of slight colleagues due to the fact we have to be so far away to see them)
 
Phill Dyson

Phill Dyson

Western Thunderer
queensquare said:
Hi Jordan, no 2mm stuff is largely (but not entirely) ignored on WT:(
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I always follow your 2mm with stuff with great interest, but not knowing much about a scale I'm not directly involved in means I tend to spectate rather than comment:oops:........perhaps a few more active 2mm modellers would help?:)


queensquare said:
The 'sniffy' comment was not aimed at any individual and was largely tongue in cheek although there is a track record of it on WT - see the Peco O gauge set track thread, gauge one Mk1s and now DJModels amongst others.

Jerry
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I don't think the comments of a couple of members are really representative of the rest of us. I welcome DJModels into the world of 7mm RTR but the Baby Deltic is a disappointing choice for me personally.

The gauge one MK1's will be a great for 10mm modellers (especially outdoor types):thumbs: ..........I wish we had something similar available in 7mm.

I have modeled in N gauge, OO gauge & O gauge but never had a use for set track in any of them I'm afraid.

Phill :)
 
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