News on the Dapol 08

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Agreed. I've even seen one at Willesden depot, but a few years ago. (By that I mean 10 or so years, not 50!) And I freely admit that I have no knowledge about the liveries carried post 1968. However, I suspect that the locos to which you refer have, in fact, been repainted in to black with their "08" numbers. Certainly, when originally built in 1953 or thereabouts the 08s carried black and were in a number sequence of 13XXX which became D3XXX after about 1956, as they went through works. It was at about this time they started to be painted green. Pre 1956 none of the black locos carried any sort of warning stripes.

I agree that it's possible for an un-repainted and therefore black loco to have the stripes applied retrospectively but I find it difficult to believe that a loco which was black in the late '50s has never been repainted since.

All this simply points to one oft repeated truth. Ensure you have a dated photo of the loco you are modelling.

Brian
 

AJC

Western Thunderer
There are definitely 2 Black 08's in service on the real railway as we had each of them at the diesel galas on the Epping Ongar railway over the last couple of years..

I believe they came from Willesden? I could be wrong..

JB.

Quite possibly - I think Wabtec paint much of their hire fleet black (though so do other shunter operators).

The North Norfolk has a nicely weathered black 08, as does the Swanage Railway: pictures when
I can get the laptop online. As Steph said, an easy livery to apply.

Adam
 
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oldravendale

Western Thunderer
I'll happily bow to your greater understanding of things compression ignition, Mick. As I said, this neg had no details attached, much to my retrospective chagrin. The most obvious thing I found to tell the 08s and 11s apart (if that's what the ex LMS diesels were subsequently called) was the size of the wheels, as the 11s had smaller wheels by, if memory serves me correctly, three inches. Whatever the differences were one knew there was something "different" about the 11s when one saw one.

Memory is now very suspect after 50 year but I'd not have associated class 11s with Cricklewood, hence my belief that it's an 08, although diesels were far from my first interest at the time.

However, all this is rather a red herring as the concern is the accuracy of the Dapol model and I reckon the livery versions have to be carefully checked before agreeing they are authentic. My photos of the various shunters are intended only to help in establishing the variety which existed.

Brian
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Quite right, David. And when the numbering was changed from the 13XXX series to the D3XXX series the initial "D" was smaller than the figures.

I have a photo of that too.

Brian
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
I've just had details of the O Gauge Dapol Club Exclusive for 2016 which will be the Class 08 in BR black as 13308, but apparently named "Charlie". Cost is quoted (for members only) as £140. It appears that 13308 is at the Dean Forest Railway although now in blue as 08238. I'm guessing that the Dapol livery is based on the loco in an earlier guise during preservation and it is during this phase of it's life that the name and electrification flashes have been added 'cause these were not carried in service. As long as I can get the name plates and electrification flashes off I'll have one.......

But here's the rub. According to http://www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=locodata&type=D&id=3308&loco=13308 the loco was built, or entered service, on 20th May 1956 as 13308 and was renumbered D3308 in October 1958, so my few minor livery mods may make it right. However Rail UK Diesel/Electric Locomotive Information does not recognise 13308 as an earlier number so did this loco actually ever carry this number? In fact, was it ever black as a BR loco and did it ever carry the early totem?

In truth, as far as I'm concerned it will be in black and that's that!

Strangely all their others by Dapol are either in green or blue. Even the early crest model without warning stripes is in green. Maybe this is a clever marketing ploy to get people like me, who want a black one, to join their club.

Incidentally (and this may have been mentioned elsewhere) their other club models for 2016 will be "Schools" Class "Stowe" in N gauge at £95 and Class 59 59002 "Yeoman Enterprise" in 00 at £105, although I don't know the liveries of either.

Brian
 

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
According to MLI mag. full wasp stripes were started to be applied progressively from '62 during classified overhauls to existing loco's.

There are photo's of green loco's with early totem without stripes also.
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
According to MLI mag. full wasp stripes were started to be applied progressively from '62 during classified overhauls to existing loco's.

There are photo's of green loco's with early totem without stripes also.
That's interesting. From memory I'd have said it was earlier but there are no photographic records I can find before '62 so that's proof enough, I think.

As for the other liveries your comment about there being early totem locos in green without stripes is helpful too. Do you know if there are any records of one of the first series, ie 13XXX series in green? I only ever saw them in black. Also, in British Rail Class 08 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (normal care required, as ever), the black version being done by Dapol is shown as initially in to traffic as 13308, so hopefully that's safe.

The only concern now (apart from removing name plates and electrification flashes) is whether the Dapol model represents a loco with later additions/modifications, whatever they may have been. Their "Terriers" have been produced as different versions, but my concern with the model of 13308 is that it's based on a preserved example which has, almost certainly, been "mucked around with" during it's extensive service life.

Brian
 
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