15 September 2022
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New 7mm:1ft scale rolling stock arrives from the manufacturer for review – time for a closer look?
Ahead of its his full review in the November 2022 issue of BRM, Andy York casts an eye across Dapol's latest model release for O gauge depicting the 14T anchor-mounted tank wagon.
The immediate impression of the wagon is of substantial weight, 250g, a result of the die-cast chassis frame. The quality of paint finish and decoration is excellent with printed solebar information being clearly visible and a good density to the white lettering over the black surface. This is far superior to Dapol’s first O gauge open wagons.
Plate and lettering detail is commendably fine, with underframe brake gear well-represented.
What we like:
- Each axle is sprung by a wire above the interior axle mounting and moves up and down under pressure within the W-irons.
- Buffers are sprung and should work prototypically given the weight of the wagon, despite it being very free-running thanks to the pinpoint axles in brass bearings.
- The 17ft 6in chassis (common to earlier wagon types) is commendably fine, and good representations of the Morton brake gear are evident with the brake blocks positioned very close to the fine profile wheels.
An impression of bolt and hinge detail is present around the wagon, both more visible in this scale.
What we noticed:
- The coupling hooks are sprung, but might be a little stiff, so it's advisable to make clean starts with a train.
- Overall, this is quite a low wagon with the top of the tank around 70mm above rail level but this is accurate, as are the other proportions.
Free-running wheels ensure smooth running on layouts, while compensation should help even out track imperfections.
For an RRP of £55 (with prices around £8 lower at many stockists) the wagon represents excellent value for money, not being much higher than the cost of some two-axle wagons in 4mm:1ft scale.
Read more – see the full review in the November 2022 issue of BRM, on-sale October 7.
