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Dapol class 08 in 'O' gauge for less than £199!


mick
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Yes I know, this is an OO gauge Garden Railway forum but haven't you yourself ever considered a little dabble in the larger scale? Well perhaps soon you might just be able to.

At only slightly more than the cost of some OO gauge loco's comes the news that Dapol are to release an 'O' gauge model of the popular class 08 diesel shunting locomotive. Almost 1,000 of these 0-6-0 locos were manufactured from 1953 until 1962 and they were put to work in almost all areas of the country.

The model will be released initially in BR green, BR blue and EWS liveries and all models will feature a 5 pole motor connected to a flywheel and DCC interface making it DCC sound compatible. The loco will feature sprung buffers, sprung coupling hook and 3 link chain, internally painted cab detail as well as directional lighting.

7D010001 Class 08 shunter D3048 in BR Green with late crest and no yellow warning panels

7D010002 Class 08 shunter 13115 in BR Green with early crest and no yellow warning panels

7D010003 Class 08 shunter 08529 in BR Blue with wasp stripes

7D010004 Class 08 shunter 08708 in EWS with wasp stripes

The RRP of this model is an incredible £199 with one online retailer (namely one in Liverpool) currently advertising pre-orders at just £169!

If you've ever fancied a look at O gauge, perhaps for just a simple shunting layout, then this might be just the incentive you need.

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  • 7 months later...

At that sort of price, all my OO gauge stuff could find itself on ebay and the HFR could find itself having gone onto version 4 and full circle, back to the gauge where it all started. An 08 would be perfect, pottering around my tight circuit, with a few wagons in tow - joined by a class 20, 25, 26, 27 or 33 (I think most of these are on Heljans agenda) - very tempting 8-)

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ba14eagle said:

At that sort of price, all my OO gauge stuff could find itself on ebay and the HFR could find itself having gone onto version 4 and full circle, back to the gauge where it all started...

Do I need to start thinking about a new forum.... :?

I've pre-ordered a class 08 although I'm not really expecting too much if I'm perfectly honest, especially for the £169 it's cost me. The wagons will be a different story altogether at a rrp of around £69 each - even a short rake is going to bump up the total cost. I've got no plans for a complete move into the larger scale but I really do fancy a dabble to get the feel of it. I hope that Dapol's venture will bring down the price of other manufacturer's models to a similar level.

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There is at present a massive gap in the market for affordable British locos and rolling stock in the larger scales - gauge 0 and gauge 1. As we all get older and our eyesight deteriorates, are we likely to turn to these larger scales when stuff costs ten times the price of 00? Somehow I doubt it.

Gauge 1 looks like it could be fun, but the main offerings are expensive European outline narrow gauge items from LGB. If Bachmann, Heljan and Hornby were to get their act together with some decently-priced, British outline items available, some of their best customers (i.e. us) would probably migrate happily to the larger scales. Some BR standard locos (and Mk1 coaches at less than £250 each) in either scale would be a good start.

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There appears to be growing interest in the O gauge market and after apparently testing the water with their earlier diesel releases, Heljan now seem to be getting more and more involved in the larger scale with several new models currently in production and planned. Dapol clearly feel that there is an opportunity for them too and I can only see things improving and becoming more and more affordable.

I've considered O gauge myself for the sole reason that, as you rightly state, it would prove a lot easier on the eyes for us 'older' hands. I'm going to be keeping a close watch on what's available.

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There is a bloke on you tube that has an enormous G scale layout in Mesa Arizona and he has a huge collection of stock. I asked if he was a millionaire but he said no. He has a club that runs at his place and also has open days.

The Dapol 08 looks interesting but as Mick points out the loco maybe cheap but once you start adding stock the price really does spiral upwards.

As for myself if my eyes really do deteriorate that much I'll probably be a really old fart by then and the rest of me will have deteriorated as well to a point of not being able to operate a garden railway in any scale.

Roy.

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  • 3 years later...

Yes I know it's been four years since the first post regarding the Dapol O gauge class 08 shunter but at last it's finally here - and I have to say, what a beauty it is!

68eaad7e0c133adf01c70553237ab6db.jpg

The one featured here is the Dapol Collectors' Club special edition 7D-008-005 in BR Black livery with early crest. It's numbered 13308 and named CHARLIE. I believe the prototype currently resides on the Dean Forest Railway, albeit now in BR Blue. 'CHARLIE' was an apt choice for me as that's the name of our little Westie so the primary reason for purchase but it's not my only Dapol 08 as two BR blue versions are keeping it company.

On appearance alone (not yet tested or run the model) this is a winner, capturing perfectly the look and feel of these little engines. CHARLIE was only £145 - less than some oo gauge locos now, although you do need to be a Dapol cub member to purchase, while the BR blue versions were retailed at £169 each. The price looks set to rise so better be quick if you want one.

Surely everyone can find space for a little shunting layout?

96b12f8e19a4cb06cd5c097984bc8c23.jpg

5162bdff6b98f392714a1ab24900a54e.jpg

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Hmmm… that little loco plus some of your older shorter goods vans.

You could do a decent time saver if you built according to the original design and measured all the spurs according to car lengths. ;)

http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/data/Bill%20Hebb/200912518377_TimeSaver%20cropped.jpg

Now I will sit back and listen to the sound of people's pocket books getting ripped apart and change falling to the ground. :o:lol::lol:

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Oh No!

Our aviary houses a handful of budgies & they are reaching the time when they will be called to the higher bird cage in the sky.(We always sold on the young born)

Recently we discussed not replenishing the aviary and pulling it all down.

Now you see the dilemma, especially planting the seed of an "O" gauge shunter!

Down the opposite side of the "OO" railway?

Get thee behind me Satan!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mike wrote,

Quote

Yes I know it's been four years since the first post regarding the Dapol O gauge class 08 shunter but at last it's finally here - and I have to say, what a beauty it is!

Hi Mick, yeah nice looking loco that diesel shunter, we have one simular to that class.

I have an old Hornby 0 gauge clock work 0-4-0 tank loco which is 57 years old and want to give it a new lease of life, want to leave all the clock working gear in just a matter of putting it out of gear and with the added coach which will be battery powered and controlled by remote control some thing different and run it at my train clubs garden layout, like the pic I am planning to modify too, what do you all think :?::?:

It is dam hot over here in QLD Friday going to be a stinker 41 degrees may go hotter, I have a specialist appointment in Brisbane slightly cooler, want to work in the cooler mornings before it gets hot, my wife said I can bring the module inside the house and work in the bath room big enough, be able to nail the track down and do the wiring in the cool.

Tony from hot down under, keeping on moving a head.

wpdd70d421_05_06.jpg

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