berth44 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Hello Mr SRman, DP2 is the very first of my 'Heljan' locos to get a good run as I've never had the opportunity to really run any of my locos on more than a 'yard length!' Anyhoo, once I got that middle wheel 'ont track' It went round and round and round, and if you could'nt actually see it,you woul'nt know it was there!!.... it's 'whisper quiet'...and good luck in aquiring a DP2 for yourself by the way, you've read the 'Forum', you've obviously formed your own opinion and not been put off........good on you! I think you will be very happy with it....Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
59205 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Hornby Mag gives DP2 quite a good review, the only major issue they mention being the width of the bogies. So i'm quite happy and have taken the plunge! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
berth44 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 That issue hasn't reached Australia yet 59205! I'm just pissed off with that middle wheel set,it sort of 'hangs up and I've had a few derailments,can't figure out how to fix it yet...Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
59205 Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 That issue hasn't reached Australia yet 59205! I'm just pissed off with that middle wheel set,it sort of 'hangs up and I've had a few derailments,can't figure out how to fix it yet...Dave They also question the depth of the main body side grilles but they seem overall impressed with the model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 The cooling group side grilles genuinely were deeply recessed, the visual effect much like non-flush glazing on previous generation OO coach models... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
berth44 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Anybody else have problems getting this loco on the track?? Eventually I do, obviously!!...,but as she's proceding to run round , you can hear an odd 'clicking' sound, even when you think you have ALL 6 axles on track?... .This might be the answer,on inspection (off track) one wheel set it seems does not 'drop down' perfectly everytime (as it should??) and gets 'hung up' at one side this could mean the 'clicketty' sound is the other wheel possibly hitting the rail 'chairs!'...?? The 'inspection' was by simply holding the loco about 'eye level', and by gently 'playing' or 'tapping'( with a finger..or whatever?) on the the middle set of wheels... if the wheel set constantly 'drops' to the left and right with no bother, all is probably fine,with mine?, one side of the set seems to 'hang up'.."OK then".... gets stuck!!...how then (I wonder? ?) does she not come to grief EVERY time it hits a turnout??, beats me, I don't know, but it's not 'lucky' every time, one bogie goes one way, the other goes the other way, and we have a derailment!??? So, am I alone fellow modellers?? any suggestions (decent please) on a fix??....................Dave P/S, I have the Heljan 'Falcon' loco,it's wheelsets are the same,the middle set do nowt, but all you do is place it on the track,no problems here! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
antrobuscp Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Anybody else have problems getting this loco on the track?? Eventually I do, obviously!!...,but as she's proceding to run round , you can hear an odd 'clicking' sound, even when you think you have ALL 6 axles on track?... .This might be the answer,on inspection (off track) one wheel set it seems does not 'drop down' perfectly everytime (as it should??) and gets 'hung up' at one side this could mean the 'clicketty' sound is the other wheel possibly hitting the rail 'chairs!'...?? The 'inspection' was by simply holding the loco about 'eye level', and by gently 'playing' or 'tapping'( with a finger..or whatever?) on the the middle set of wheels... if the wheel set constantly 'drops' to the left and right with no bother, all is probably fine,with mine?, one side of the set seems to 'hang up'.."OK then".... gets stuck!!...how then (I wonder? ?) does she not come to grief EVERY time it hits a turnout??, beats me, I don't know, but it's not 'lucky' every time, one bogie goes one way, the other goes the other way, and we have a derailment!??? So, am I alone fellow modellers?? any suggestions (decent please) on a fix??....................Dave P/S, I have the Heljan 'Falcon' loco,it's wheelsets are the same,the middle set do nowt, but all you do is place it on the track,no problems here! Hi Dave, I posted earlier in this thread about problems I was having. First, if you compare the wheelsets on your Falcon, I think you will find Falcon's "treads" are wider. DP2 has all wheels narrower, rather similar to the outer pairs of wheels only under the Bachmann Deltic The middle pair of wheels on each DP2 bogie are a devil to get on the track, and sometimes you think they're on, but you can hear them running along the tops of the sleepers or the moulded rail chairs. Personally, I think there should be some light springing or restraint on the wheelset, but it hasn't any, and it tends to go it's own way. In my case this does not appear to be a primary cause of derailmant, and I've not experienced the bogies wishing to take opposing tracks through a turnout. I have had the loco trying to dive between the rails on a turnout, or the inner bogie ends lifting causing a derailment. I have had the centre pair of wheels derail and right themselves on the next turnout. I did mention in an earlier post that I felt the re buffer beams on my loco projected downwards more than those in Bigherb's detailed photo a few pages back. I've since compared my DP2 - as much as it possible to by comparing wesite photo's against my own physical loco - with other photos and videos, and I'm now convinced that when the buffer beams were fitted to my loco, they were not pushed fully home. I am presuming here that they are a push and glue fit into the upturned body. The difference was only about 1mm or so, but it did appear to make a difference. The effect being to place the coupler pocket right under the bottom of the buffer beam, and when there was a variation in the track level the inner end of the bogie lifted because of downward pressure on the outer end. I've sorted out a couple of turnouts that were not as level as they should have been, and my DP2 is now performing well, with only the very occasional trackholding problem. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigherb Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Anybody else have problems getting this loco on the track?? Eventually I do, obviously!!...,but as she's proceding to run round , you can hear an odd 'clicking' sound, even when you think you have ALL 6 axles on track?... So, am I alone fellow modellers?? any suggestions (decent please) on a fix??....................Dave You need one of these, invaluable for getting peaks and class 40's on the track. http://www.ebay.co.u...=item4aacffe42d Lima also did one and Hornby reissued it as a freebee with Model rail magazine. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
berth44 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Thanks Colin, I had another look at my DP2 last night to try and figure out this problem once and for all without actually stripping the thing down! Anyhoo, I got her up to a conserative speed..'.walking pace' and followed her round the layout, all seemed well,but at a certain spot right on a pair of turnouts, it came off! I removed it from the track,put it on a 'straight bit' and gave her another go, but this time I thought I'd become a 'platelayer' and get down to track level,this is a bit difficult with my boards at 'chest level',(new layout,nothing but track on it at the mo)so I use a small set of ladders to get to the 'far side!' So here I am, down at 'grun' level (Scot) waiting....it's like trainspotting again!!, along comes DP2,still going 'slowish', hits the first turnout,second one, "Oh!" we gets the 'click' ,she's off, but she stays put!,and as we go round the curve onto the embankment and over the 'River Clyde' she's running on the chairs and as she hits another set of turnouts,it stays on track,but has come good,all wheelsets are back on!! So, were the pair of turnouts before the 'Clyde' at fault all the time and causing this 'dilema' and me to go silly??",("Hmm") Up on the ladders once again,I do a bit of this,a bit of that,a bit of a clean when I'm at it,I then removed the 'tempory tack'," ah hid annurer wee footer aboot" (Scot) then gave DP2 another run at it, this time 'perfecto' 'no problemo'... So Colin,have these turnouts been the problem all along with DP2??, they are quite ancient Peco 'dead frog' ,brought out from Scotland 27 years ago,( plus VAT) but for their years,they are in perfect working condition,( I made sure before I put this layout up) everything else seems to be OK with them, conclusion,has Heljan made the wheel sets 'too good' on DP2??? Lastly,'bigherb' funny you mentioned the 're-railer' my friend here in Oz suggested the exact same thing,and I'm thinking it's a great idea,perhaps I will...thanks guys........Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I don't have a DP2, but do have the Bachmann class 55 which has a similar description narrow tyred wheelset either end. This is no trouble at all with the code 100 and code 75 live crossing Peco points, but the leading narrow tyre wheelsets in particular noticeably 'fell into the hole' at the crossing of the older code 100 dead crossing points that I had re-used in a couple of locations. This didn't cause a derailment, but the lurch and 'crash' at speed made me feel that eventually something would 'gang agley'. These older dead frog points are noticeably coarser in the flange gaps than the more recently purchased live crossing points, and so have been retired (and subsequently converted rather brutally to live crossing for use 'off scene'; cut out the plastic crossing and use the rails to form a new soldered up metal crossing all secured to the track base with araldite). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
antrobuscp Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Hi Dave, I've a mix of Peco code 100 turnouts, mostly live-frog, but some older insul-frog. They cover about 3 or 4 generations of the Peco product. I've not had any problems at all with the Bachmann Deltic, and I've not noticed any consistent pattern of behaviour over the different generations of the turnouts. Mostly, it now works fine, clatters a bit over some turnouts, but there are a couple of rarely used crossovers or reverse curves as part of a ladder of turnouts which the loco doesn't like. I had more problems at first than most seem to have had, I tied this down in a couple of cases to the trackwork having loosened - I explained about my original use of the Peco underlay 20+ years ago - but the vertical clearance at one end of my loco seemed to be a partial cause. I did not need the coupler pocket at one end, I chose that end, and the loco is very much better. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
berth44 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Thanks for responding guys,it's really informative to read about our 'wee' problems and how we go about solving them. I am going to cut off the coupling pocket on DP2 Colin, if it's not in use,off it comes! I've did this with most of my 'newer' locos,steam and diesel alike. I leave them on certain locos like tanks and 0-6-0's as these locos require the use of couplings ,front and back, for obvious reasons! Anyhoo,if I may I might just mention my 'pecos', I did a wee test on one, re the 'dark hole', I placed a finger on a brand new 'Hornby' brakevan and pushed it through the point 'slowly', "god", it's a rather big hole we have here,more akin to a ditch!! Back in my BR days, (Carstairs Junc) if I were 'relaxing' (if I ever!!) in my 'guards van' and went through a hole like that, I think I might be as Elvis says, "all shook up!!" I happened to have an old Tri-ang b'van at hand,now, if I were in that one with it's 2 foot thick wheels,I would not have felt a thing,not a jot,nor a jolt.....it went over the 'hole' as if it were not there!! Anyhoo, obviously the 'live froggies' with their all metal 'usage' are the way to go,but I like 'simple' electrics,so for me ,it's 'insulfroggie' I'm afraid,they are old and decrepit, "as are I", I had them,so I used 'em!... What I'd like to ask,has anybody tried to 'improve' the gap on these by cutting out the froggie thingy and replacing it with another chunk of plastic??.........Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Vader Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I can't speak for DP2 but, with one exception, I have found that Heljan locos run very, very quietly indeed, so that the only sound is the wheels clicking over track joints. The one exception is a class 33 which has a slight gear whine. I have around 14 Heljan diesels in service so I think that's a pretty good record. I do intend getting a DP2 model as well so thanks to the posters here for the comments and photo/video. Hi Jeff Well you won't be disappointed with DP2. Got mine last week and it runs very well. Very quiet silky smooth. Runs through all the points on my layout including some older code 100 Peco 3 way points in the storage yard. I will bring it to the BRMA meeting on Saturday. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 I've rebuilt many a Peco point, not with plastic though. Chopped out the plastic frog ang a few sleepers, the latter being replaced with copperclad strip, and then a new metal frog built up from rail. Easy & cheap to do, the rail usually being offcuts of Peco anyway. As for the complications of electrofrogs, well thats a non starter. Take 5 minuites to understand how it works (I'll post it later if you want) and you will find it easy, never looking back to insulfrogs. Electrofrogs give far better running quality as there is no break in electrical pickup through them. Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
berth44 Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hello Stewart,thanks for that,I was actually thinking of using rail as I've got heaps of 'off cuts' all over the place,I'll give it a go. I do realise that 'live' is the way to go but being a very late 're-starter' I thought I'd use what I had from 'the old days', getting all new points here in Australia would cost me an absolute fortune,I was thinking about a 'change' and getting them from 'Rails of Sheffield'` but I really wanted to use what I have,and so far I've put in place 40 points. As I said,I'm a late starter,it's taken me 27 years to think about it, and to be honest,I wasn't going to bother as it is my intention of retiring back 'Home' to Scotland in about 3 years or so,but through those years I've been purchasing and collecting locos and rolling stock for an event such as this,I think I had grown weary of my 3 foot of 'test track!', but to be honest, what 'actually' prompted me, I got 10 '7X3' boards for 'free' on the same day that I received DP2! So up went 8 of them,out came my 2 boxes of Peco (100) that I purchased about 6 years ago,I've used all that,and I'm thinking, I want something 'simple' as it will eventually be dismantled,but meantime,I'm going to enjoy every minute of it! Thanks again Stewart and 'yes' to the info on the 'Electrogrog','oops' frog! ,if you can tell me in 'laymans terms' I'll keep it for future reference.You can contact me through my Email which is in my 'profile',as can anybody else who wants to,I love to talk 'trains'...thanks Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 No problem Dave, and good luck with the project. I'll reply in a day our two with a layman's guide. Just give me time to draw something upon my home pc (I'm on the netbook at the moment). as i said it is quite simple if you spend 5 mins getting your head round it. I tend to build my own points nowadays, much cheaper. Nothing fancy, just copies of Peco really, I'll add a little about that too. I'll probably pm it to you, then if you are happy with it put it on here for reference as I'm sure some others will be interested. Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
berth44 Posted June 18, 2012 Share Posted June 18, 2012 Thanks Stewart,I had a look at the 'eletro points' at our 'local' model railway 'dispenser',they look very good,much more realistic. I'll just mention if I may our 'local shop',well, it's a 'hardware store' with it's loft dedicated to models,they have a small stock of BR,but their prices are not,we pay through the nose,so as a rule,I hardly buy anything in Australia! Unfortunately, I run out of my Peco 100,2 boxes gone,I need another,so I just jumped into my car and drove over,I enquired,they had none,1 month the guy said..ouch! I tried the local 'Toy shop',they have more or less just 'Thomas' stuff, strange that they had a box of code 100,the guy in the 'other shop'says "not in Canberra I'm afraid" So for an extremely high price,I forked out the cash, in your money Stewart, 4.50 per length,the whole box cost me 175 Australian dollars!! (It's life Jim,but not as we know it,it's life Jim!!) Anyway,onto DP2,I've decided that this loco is my 'guinnea pig',if it goes through a turnout without derailing,anything will!,I had the friggin' thing in bits trying to figure it's constant bad manners over my points, and my verdict?.... it just hates them!,The wheels are about as fine you can get and I constantly played with the 'guage' of the leading wheelset until I got it down to just a 'rumble' as it passed over a previous offending point! I openened up the centre hole for the middle wheelsets to try and get them to 'fall' into place, but it still 'hangs up',not as much though,so I must be winning....perhaps I'm on the 'right track?'...cough!! I'm hoping that when the track is eventually 'unmoveable' with the ballast in place,it might just help, I just love this loco despite this wee niggly problem with it, fortunately, it is not shared amongst the several locos that I have tried, my NRM Deltic powers over as does my B'mann 'production' Deltic, they say that there is always a problem puppy!!........Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I received my DP2 today. As usual, I quickly popped it on to the test bench using Analogue DC to see if it ran smoothly. This highlighted a glitch straight away; it was not picking up at one end. Since the entire bogie was not picking up, i guessed that one of the circuit board plugs may not be attached properly or the wires may have pulled out. So, it was off with the body to investigate and to fit a decoder when ready anyway. Sure enough, one of the little plugs at one end of the circuit board was simply not plugged in at all and floating loose. Plugging that in fixed the problem completely. Anotehr test on DC power showed it to run smoothly and quietly and that all the lights worked correctly. DP2 has now been happily trundling around my tracks on the inner (tighter) curves and through all the pointwork without any hesitations or hiccups for a couple of hours with one reversal to even up the running in process. One other thing came to my attention: it seems to run in reverse to what i expected - normally, the radiator end should be no 1 end, but forwards is actually the opposite end, so I added one to CV29 (it was set at 38, so I changed it to 39) and it now goes the way I would expect! Am I happy with it? You bet! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewartingram Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Just in case it has been missed and you are looking for one, I have a Lima/Craftsman DP2 listed on RMWeb Marketplace, open to offers! Stewart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
berth44 Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 I didn't know that a 'marketplace' existed Stewart, I'll need to have a wee look now that you've metioned it!! I'm glad to hear that 'other' DP2's are behaving themselves and their customers ar 'happy',nice one Mr SRman,I'm sure it's going to cover many 'scale' miles and give you endless pleasure...I'm really pleased with mine despite it's dislikes of my pointwork, it's quite a stunner,and believe it or not, it's been behaving itself of late,that's a real bonus for me and my layout, if DP2 likes it,I should not have any bother with 'the others!'...("Hmmm???") I was nearly chucking out my Pecos the other day for brand new ones,and 'yes' Stewart,I would have gone with 'live' ones , but it was'nt DP2!?...it's happily minding it's own business going round the outside,round the outside!! I was testing out my pointwork into the 'steam shed' (to be) with an A2,it crashed and banged it's way through them coming to a dead stop,I thought this is the last straw, I tested a couple of diesels,no worries,(?) but if a steam loco can't make it what is the 'point' of having a steam shed!!..looks like these points have to go! Anyhoo,to cut a long story short,the points are fine,it was the 'metal sand pipes' catching on the 'frogs' as it passed through,hence the severe 'rough riding', and as it tuned into its 'set road'...'bang'.... dead stop! So there you go,it was an easy 'fix',so, by hastely jumping to a conclusion and not thoroughly checking things out, it could have cost me dearly............Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raffles Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Whilst I was still deliberating about getting one of these, the wife took the decision out of my hands and I received a 'late' DP2 for my birthday a short while ago. I can see the error with the cab taper starting too late and I think I have accepted it but for some reason the thing that kept bothering me was the headcodes. Heljan have acknowledged the use of an incorrect font and included replacements in the box but (to me) they still are wide of the mark. Using the template I created for Class 47 headcodes, I ran up some replacements of my own this evening and printed them on photo paper. For me, they make a huge improvement. I'll pop a couple of photos up if anyone would like to see the difference. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D605Eagle Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Whilst I was still deliberating about getting one of these, the wife took the decision out of my hands and I received a 'late' DP2 for my birthday a short while ago. I can see the error with the cab taper starting too late and I think I have accepted it but for some reason the thing that kept bothering me was the headcodes. Heljan have acknowledged the use of an incorrect font and included replacements in the box but (to me) they still are wide of the mark. Using the template I created for Class 47 headcodes, I ran up some replacements of my own this evening and printed them on photo paper. For me, they make a huge improvement. I'll pop a couple of photos up if anyone would like to see the difference. Yes, please do! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raffles Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Here you are then: A comparison with the HJ replacements and one of my early tests Number two end (I damaged the perspex panel but have already got a new one from Howes) Number one end (apologies for this being incorrectly focussed) The headcodes were influenced by the picture in Hornby Magazine and one of the pictures that appears in this thread as well as the fact that my template hasn't got many letters/numbers set up for it... yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D605Eagle Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Now they look great. I love the slight miss wound look, it gives it that authentic feel I think. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted June 29, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 29, 2012 This is my first post here, hello. I bought this model, I do not thin it is perfect, however on the whole it is a nice model of a prototype I never expected to see modeled in RTR form. As others have said the main problem to my eyes is around the cab, however in other areas such as the body - bogies joint, fuel tanks etc it really is extremely good. The alternative is to build a kit or do a conversion, and there are very, very few modelers who will get anywhere near this good a model of DP2 by their own efforts despite its faults (I wouldn't even make the attempt), it does capture the look of DP2 in most ways and it is more than good enough for me to be very happy with it. I like the review in Model Rail, they were pretty fair in pointing out faults at the same time as saying that for all that it is still a nice model that most people will be happy with. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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