The running board is level to the track on the real M7 and on other Dapol N gage M7 so once again you get the red headed stepchild locomotive. I like to guess what the grade will be, and, in this case, I nailed it with an "E". I do wonder why it loses power in the turns, but I usually put a capacitor in them when this happens. Anyway, great review and video, Jersey Bill
Some people who watch and enjoy your channel, like me have not one jot of interest in buying or becoming a model railway enthusiast, but the level of detail you discuss and the candid reviews are very entertaing. As for myself...age 7 my dad took me to Dinting railway and i saw Bahamas..and got to stand on the foot plate of a tank engine under steam. That would not happen today! So i do enjoy your dulcet tone and often very amusing reviews. May you and your happy partner enjoy life. Thanks Sam.
'SWR' is correct for the first batch of M7s, when Drummond was experimenting with his new livery. They would have received the 'LSWR' lettering at their first major overhaul mybe 7-8 years later, if that had involved repainting.
My dad has one of the old M7s from dapol and when we have his setup out admittedly it’s never been a great hauler, whenever we make up a train for it it does tend to wheelslip quite a bit and struggle but that’s our one plus it’s mainly when using it on heavy coaches, as for whether dapol should retire it no they shouldn’t, it’s currently the only M7 in N gauge available as far as I know and at least it’s been done in N gauge
@@SamsTrains I think my dads one is a southern green with Southern on the water tanks and then a number underneath but I’m not to sure as his setup has not been used for quite a while now.
There is a paint colour difference between the boiler and the tanks which you haven't mentioned, you have emphasised this on a couple of recent OO reviews!
Hi Sam, You should always include the cost of a tramsfabrik motor replacement whenever you review a Dapol N loco, they are unfortunately a necessity sooner or later.
As someone who owns a few n gauge locomotives, I'd absolutely love to send you some! Main issue is that I live in the USA, so shipping would be a hassle. However, I mainly use Graham Farish, specifically I have a 64xx, Peppercorn A1, and a few others. Great video though!
Good little review and know what I am getting in for now as have one in my collection to run. I hope to see some Graham Farish soon as have a Black 5 and Flying Scotsman as well. Work on the baseboards continues...
Sam thanks for the review keep going with the N gauge! I have the same M7 in BR black. In addition to the tilted appearance - definitely a manufacturing fault my really struggles to haul uphill. All it can pull up a 2% is a couple of wagons. Pity you don't have an incline test to demonstrate this.
Hi Sam, for your next target you should consider to take down Revolution Trains. They are eating out of your hand, so with a selective timing you could kick everything out from under them, like you do for Hornby …
I bought one of the original Dapol M7s knowingly as a non-runner, which I was able to get working. I didn't keep it long, because I wasn't that impressed with it. I think it had two speeds, flat out and stop. It also had pulling power best measured in rice pudding skins. The new version looks a lot better and seems to perform better too. I think Dapol has issued advice on how to fix the body lean. As the used-car salesman said, "They all do that, sir". Which they shouldn't. As far as I'm aware the original ones didn't have this issue, so maybe it's because the re-engineered chassis doesn't quite fit the old body. I've always been satisfied by the Dapol 57xx/97xx Pannier tanks (I have several) although other people have had issues. But the most impressive 0-4-0 and 0-6-0 locos in N gauge that I've bought are the Bachmann Percy, Toby and Thomas.
I have one of these new release M7s and it was great from the box. It does have a slight tilt but not like yours. Dapol had an issue with the initial release of this new chassis model mainly to do with poor coupling. If you look at their website there is a home fix or you can send it back FOC and they will put it right for you. Mine is probably one post fix in production. The latest M7 and the terrier are certainly their best N gauge models and both run beautifully.
I have just come across a Dapol news feed, there is an adjustment to the rear bogie pick ups, this not only a cure for the ride hight of the loco, but also elevates the wobble on No 1 & Radius curves, hope this helps ...
It is a simple matter to adjustment bogie pickups by very gentle bending to get the footplate level. With a good quality DCC decoder and a stay alive it is a beautiful runner even at a crawl .
Great video Sam!! Also what’s your opinion on Axle based pick ups? I picked up two Athern US switchers with those kind of pick ups and wanted to know your thoughts
I'm not sure if youve done this in the past but id love a budget suggestions video for a bunch of different scales. Similar to how you did the video showing how you'd release new TT models where you broke it down to eras and regions. Great video
When I saw you were reviewing this I jumped onto the forum threads and the first thing I found on the 2023 model was mention of the “forward tilt”, so it seems to be a known issue. The couplings in the second bag are Dapol magnetic “Easi Shunts” that work with magnets in the track. Not all modes come with them supplied now and they are not cheap separate. I implore you to look at a Diesel, preferable a bogie design from either Dapol or Farish in N. In fact I would love to hear your thoughts when comparing the two. Best.
The original M7s were intended for express passenger work between Exeter and Plymouth, until one left the road at high speed on a curve near Tavistock., after which they were withdrawn from the est Country and relegated to suburban passenger work in London. The Inspector, Lieut-Colonel Yorke, had some criticisms of the design. In the words of L T C Rolt, 'What the great Dugald (Drummond) had to say about this is not recorded...'! I had one of the original Triang models of the M7, which was a good, fast runner. It also had, IIRC, an opening smokebox door and a lit firebox, and that in the Sixties...! Incidentally, the bright green of the original Dapol M7 is a pretty close match to the livery of the T3 down at Swanage...
@johncunningham6928 I believe they were test run on Eastern metals and performed perfectly. It wasn't the loco so much as the poorly maintained Southern track which caused the derailment.
@@andrewguttry6886 That sounds more like the River class tanks after the disastrous derailment at Sevenoaks or the Hastings line DEMUs after the derailment at Orpington, both of which are referred to in Tom Rolt's book 'Red for Danger'...
@@johncunningham6928 I think you're right; I have Rolt's book and also Nock's 'Historic Railway Disasters' so I'll check. Thanks for the reminder and correction-memory fades with time.
I’ve been looking for British n scale locomotives for so long! Thanks for bringing this to my attention Sam! I think you would enjoy taking a look at a Broadway limited or Kato USA steam locomotive in n scale one day. I think a pacific or mikado would fit your layout best. Any other the northernes challenger, big boy or y6b probably won’t fit those curves.
When did you get more N gauge wagons? I assume they are the same Bachmann Graham Farish tooling that came in the GWR set. I do hope you review some non-Dapol N gauge locomotives soon.
Great video, Sam. 👍 If you're looking for more Dapol N scale tank engines to review, then I can recommend the GWR 57XX Pannier tank and the LBSCR A1 terrier.
A good-looking model (I like the BR malachite green version), but does the lack of some smaller details really matter in N gauge? I doubt if all that many people operate their layouts whilst standing an inch or two away from the trains...
The Dapol M7 was the first British N scale rollingstock I ever bought. so it holds quite a special place for me... I have to say however, it has never been the greatest of runners when compared to other locos I've collected, the other issue I've noticed is that its not the most powerful and struggles to haul more then 2 maunsell coaches round the curves on my layout. I know in real life they weren't that powerful but it would be nicer to have them running better at slower speeds. Great video Sam, Love to see more N scale. :)
@@squidgyvase7269 my dads one is the same, in terms of running it’s quite good but like you say the haulage capability isn’t the best with ours struggling depending on what train you couple to it, my dad though does have some fairly light bogie coaches and it seems to be okay with 2 of them, maybe 3 but it’s been quite a while since we had my dads setup out and running so not to sure, in terms of wagons though it will haul quite a few of them.
Sam, I've got the malachite green with BR sunshine lettering version. The body on mine doesn't slant as much as yours, but it wobbles really badly on my curves and occasionally derails and I genuinely doubt it can handle R1. I noticed that the problem might be with the trailing pony truck, it doesn't seem to have the side-to-side range of motion it needs for taking curves. When mine goes onto the curve, you can see the trailing wheels coming off the inside rail.
Hi Sam, I've got the dcc fitted version of No 245 and the body on mine was dead straight. my only gripe is that it runs badly on an R1 curve and loves to derail on points positioned on curves. After watching your video I looked a bit closer at my M7 only to find bits of oil and grease (especially in the recess at the front of the water tank. If I remember right I got mine from Hatton's as a black friday deal for a lot less than the current retailers price for the un-chipped version
Around 18:30, it appears that at least one of the connecting rod pins has not been fully pressed into the wheel on the rear set of drivers. I'm guessing this may be leading to the connecting rod(s) fouling the steps on the curves, causing the erratic running.
When Dapol announced they were redoing this loco, it wasn't originally going to be dcc, just dc, but people kicked up a stink. That is why it doesn't have a dcc socket but the solder pads. or you can get a dcc fitted one.
I see you do a lot of dapol in N guage Sam… have you considered checking out say, the sonic models J50 tank, or the rapido Class 28? I think you can pick them up at certain retailers for 100 or less.
@dennisneo1608 They were used between London and the South West of England. Not much distance in terms of there-and-back mileage but with many branch lines criss-crossing the region. The old London and South Western Railway built around 1000 route miles in total, almost all long gone now with just a handful of branches remaining off the main line from London Waterloo to Cornwall. Most were axed in the early '60s as being economically non-viable with very little traffic and low passenger numbers. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_cuts
Branch lines such as the Swanage branch had them. You can find some photos on line. Hoping that 30053 will steam again in the not too distant future too.
I recently got back into the hobby and went with N Gauge because of space, etc. I appreciate your reviews very much. I absolutely wanted that Dapol Britannia, but after seeing your review, and reviews of others I watched after that, I said "No thanks." I'd say the same about this model. In my very limited experience of N Gauge based on reviews like yours and also those from @endoorrailway I've come to the conclusion - diesel not steam. I've stuck with diesel, it's just easier. I'd also say, having bought a lot in the last few months, Graham Farish > Dapol (for locomotives) by far. Love my Dapol class 52 Western, looks great, always wanted one. Also like my Dapol class 22. But my Farish 37, 42 Warship, and 24 run far, far better.
Ahh fantastic - glad they've been helpful for you! Yeah definitely wise to avoid the Britannia - I have more reviews on the way soon hopefully! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
The Push-pull M7 had and extended running plate in front of the chimney to house the air tank for the system. However! Why is it SWR? I thought it was LSWR and I have never seen a photo of an LSWR with just SWR lettering. Could this be a major Dapol blooper?!!
I’ve been looking to get my hands on the Hornby M7, specifically the No. 245 version they made. I almost got a Drummond pea green version but it was sold before I could get it, but I haven’t been deterred yet.
@@SamsTrains oh I'm talking about getting one and painting it in Joker colors! Lol! But hey, market it as a character based off of the Joker and it'll sell to train and DC fans. Take care Sam!
Hi Sam! Great video as always, you never fail to disappoint. I noticed that the green in the tanks and cab is a slightly lighter shade of green. I don’t know if it’s just me but it’s really bugging me. The out of context video was a huge success and I want to thank you for letting me do it. I have people asking for a part 2 of the video, is it okay if I can do that? Thanks. :)
Yeah very well spotted - it's extremely noticeable in the footage but I have to say I didn't notice it in person... it's pretty odd! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I have one of the old M7s, unfortunately terrible at hauling, it could not run at anything lower than 20 on the controller and 35 it was full speed. While a terrible runner, it sure did catch the eye!
I'm not keen on this design of tank engine, as you know. Of course, I've yet to test my own pair of N Gauge GWR steamies. Aside from this, I've done a 14xx swap with my friend Ryan. I now have Alfie's old Airfix 00 gauge 14xx in my possession. Alfie is another TH-cam friend of mine, and he was a bit heartbroken at first, but his little Oliver, renamed Annabel, is safe under my bed. Try Airfix 00 gauge steamies yourself, if you don't own any. You could tell me whether they're any good on your railway.
Would fitting it with smaller diameter bogie wheels lower the rear of the loco? Personally I would love it, except for that lean of the body which kills it for me unfortunately.
I have had two Dapol failures of the same model, the 57XX pannier. Personally I'd happily forego the tiny details that the naked eye can barely see, and have that development money spent on making the bloody useless things run properly! If Germany and Japan can produce beautiful, reliable models, albeit more costly, there's no reason Britain cannot. That 'value for money' £80-odd quid isn't much of a bargain if the thing is sat on a shelf, dead. That said the pre-Bachmann Farish models I owned, including the tiny Terriers, ran perfectly; no juddering, stalling or wobbling on bends.
Mine is just fine. I know you dont respond well to criticisms Sam but you really need more experience with N scale. N scale has loads of quirks that are just part of our scale and since we dont need to buy as many models as you need to to run a YT channel, we accept thise quirks and tinker with them as hobbyists do. Smaller engines like this are SO difficult in smaller scales and are therefore such a gift. Spend some time with N scale modelong groups...I think you will find that despite flaws (given with any mass produced item) what is available today is really something special despite "Sam's arbitrary ratings". 🤷♂️
That’s fine if you don’t mind tinkering - but there are N gauge locos I’ve tried that were perfect out of the box… so to my mind those are objectively better than the ones that need the “tinkering”… what’s arbitrary about that? 😂
Hi mukka, That issue with the body not fitting level with the frames looks hideous, wonky and embarrassing for Dapol. Surely the body just needs a simple adjustment where it is secured to the frames. Needs a trip into works for a strip down, investigation and modification. Regards from Oz. Gaz 😊
those flat chassis-mounted springs that contact the bogie pickups are too stiff/wrongly formed so need bending/poking with some pliers to allow the ride height to be correct
Thanks for the video, the old models were awful, was going to get this in BR lined black, but my new layout is a micro, continuous run, No 1 rad, so think I will have to leave this one, pity as it looks awesome..
I right away noticed the down angle from back to front and wondered if that was the way it was in real life, apparently no it should be level so to me that’s a big issue with construction of this , it shouldn’t be sloped. They should fix that and I read in the comments that some people have wheel slip so traction wheels might be better on this model . I love the color scheme it’s a beautiful engine too bad it’s not made out of metal , it would be a looker !
At least you have the later M7, the early model has a plastic chassis and weights in the loco body. Which makes for very bad haulage. I have one from a late member of the 'N' society and.... well... it's not a pretty sight. But!... Dapol themselves are absolutely second to none when it comes to after sales and parts service. Fantastic, even a very intersting and helpful chat with the parts chap. But there steam Locos are in my opinion, after fixing some for club members......... I'm sorry to say 'Terrible'.
I believe the sloping running board is a design flaw with this model. After a lot of observation and consideration i carefully machined the diecast chassis direct under the rear bogie wheels so the bogie actually sits deeper into the chassis and my model now runs really well. However this is fairly major surgery but mine sits perfectly flat. Without this i could actually see daylight under the rear driving wheels so they weren't actually in contact with the track. Other thoughts....the driving wheels are underscale which doesn't help and the factory fitted decoder is poor. Replacing it with a zimo decoder transformed the performance but its not easy unless you are really good with the soldering iron. Suffice to say my model runs really well and has been very reliable but out of the box it has issues. The so called running board fix (adjusting rear pickups) proposed by Dapol is nonsense in my opinion. I probably wouldn't buy another one though....too much work to get it absolutely spot on.
Ah! So mixed. At such a low price it'd have been an easy sell if it just ran that little bit better. If it could bridge that crawl with low speed performance i'd get two! Having said that it's a decent price for a scale model + 'moving feature' Do you have a top 5 n guage? Preferably with smaller locos like this.
Could the wobel on corners have something to do with the pickup forks on the rear bogie? If they fit OK straight ahead, but are sticking as they turn a corner that might be what is causing the issue. It is what would change the most with a change of direction.
The M7 locomotive model from Dapol is decent which is all I can say Sam. It is a shame that it does not have its pick-ups on the base keeper plate like the other modern models have and no detail painted in its cab which totally sucks.
The old m7 was terrible, and actually had some rather neon liveries, the new one seems to work better but clearly hasnt been refined enough, i do like this one better though, i reccomend you review the terrier next as a loco, as its a very good loco from dapol
Sadly I don't think I'l be getting one of these Sam. I've had one for a few years now and it's not the best runner in my N scale collection, plus it was very hard to fix. Check Jasper & Willow
Pictures are cruel in N gauge, as they are so much bigger than the actual model, exaggerating any issues. This isn't a bad model, for the price I think it's OK and worth getting for SR fans in N.
Does anyone know how to resolve it derailing on curved set track points? Only does it when going into the sharper turn and not the turnout itself. Adjusted back to backs but problem still persisting! Other than that runs well over code 80 medium points :)
Sam, when will the Hornby Jigsaw review come out? Did you manage to overcome the tape on the packaging? Hopefully the pieces aren't covered in glue marks, but knowing Hornby I won't be so sure! 😆
@@Ianshandle999 The Schools and Q1 from dapol in n gauge that my dad has are 2 of the finest dapol n gauge locos he has. As for diesel he has a N gauge 66 which is half and half, sometimes it will run nicely and sometime it won’t run as nicely.
I've got a bone to pick with you, since first watching you in 2019 l've become train addicted. It's costing me a lot of money !
hahaha sorry for that Michael - maybe you need an intervention?!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I need something lol :D
@@michaelwhite8031 you need more how about some European 3rail stuff
Lol !
It happened to me too!
The running board is level to the track on the real M7 and on other Dapol N gage M7 so once again you get the red headed stepchild locomotive. I like to guess what the grade will be, and, in this case, I nailed it with an "E". I do wonder why it loses power in the turns, but I usually put a capacitor in them when this happens. Anyway, great review and video, Jersey Bill
Yeah I thought as much - not great that! It is odd the way it runs on curves isn't it? Stayalive would be great!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
On Dapol's website they have a blog post advising to bend the tips of the rabbit ear contactors on the bogie truck, to fix the lean
Some people who watch and enjoy your channel, like me have not one jot of interest in buying or becoming a model railway enthusiast, but the level of detail you discuss and the candid reviews are very entertaing.
As for myself...age 7 my dad took me to Dinting railway and i saw Bahamas..and got to stand on the foot plate of a tank engine under steam.
That would not happen today!
So i do enjoy your dulcet tone and often very amusing reviews.
May you and your happy partner enjoy life.
Thanks Sam.
'SWR' is correct for the first batch of M7s, when Drummond was experimenting with his new livery. They would have received the 'LSWR' lettering at their first major overhaul mybe 7-8 years later, if that had involved repainting.
My dad has one of the old M7s from dapol and when we have his setup out admittedly it’s never been a great hauler, whenever we make up a train for it it does tend to wheelslip quite a bit and struggle but that’s our one plus it’s mainly when using it on heavy coaches, as for whether dapol should retire it no they shouldn’t, it’s currently the only M7 in N gauge available as far as I know and at least it’s been done in N gauge
Ahh thanks for sharing - what was the livery like out of interest?
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains I think my dads one is a southern green with Southern on the water tanks and then a number underneath but I’m not to sure as his setup has not been used for quite a while now.
There is a paint colour difference between the boiler and the tanks which you haven't mentioned, you have emphasised this on a couple of recent OO reviews!
There are 2 issues : the body doesn't sit level on the chassis & the boiler's colour doesn't match with the rest.
Yeah true - the colour issue was only noticeable on camera though weirdly... never noticed that in person!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam,
You should always include the cost of a tramsfabrik motor replacement whenever you review a Dapol N loco, they are unfortunately a necessity sooner or later.
I have one of the very early SR versions of this, back when I was massively into N. Still one of my favourite models
As someone who owns a few n gauge locomotives, I'd absolutely love to send you some! Main issue is that I live in the USA, so shipping would be a hassle. However, I mainly use Graham Farish, specifically I have a 64xx, Peppercorn A1, and a few others. Great video though!
Good little review and know what I am getting in for now as have one in my collection to run. I hope to see some Graham Farish soon as have a Black 5 and Flying Scotsman as well. Work on the baseboards continues...
I will be waiting when you come at me with another review Sam!
Sam thanks for the review keep going with the N gauge! I have the same M7 in BR black. In addition to the tilted appearance - definitely a manufacturing fault my really struggles to haul uphill. All it can pull up a 2% is a couple of wagons. Pity you don't have an incline test to demonstrate this.
Hi Sam, for your next target you should consider to take down Revolution Trains. They are eating out of your hand, so with a selective timing you could kick everything out from under them, like you do for Hornby …
I bought one of the original Dapol M7s knowingly as a non-runner, which I was able to get working. I didn't keep it long, because I wasn't that impressed with it. I think it had two speeds, flat out and stop. It also had pulling power best measured in rice pudding skins. The new version looks a lot better and seems to perform better too.
I think Dapol has issued advice on how to fix the body lean. As the used-car salesman said, "They all do that, sir". Which they shouldn't. As far as I'm aware the original ones didn't have this issue, so maybe it's because the re-engineered chassis doesn't quite fit the old body.
I've always been satisfied by the Dapol 57xx/97xx Pannier tanks (I have several) although other people have had issues. But the most impressive 0-4-0 and 0-6-0 locos in N gauge that I've bought are the Bachmann Percy, Toby and Thomas.
Another great video, Sam!
I couldn't get past that slant in the body, though!
I have one of these new release M7s and it was great from the box. It does have a slight tilt but not like yours. Dapol had an issue with the initial release of this new chassis model mainly to do with poor coupling. If you look at their website there is a home fix or you can send it back FOC and they will put it right for you. Mine is probably one post fix in production. The latest M7 and the terrier are certainly their best N gauge models and both run beautifully.
I have just come across a Dapol news feed, there is an adjustment to the rear bogie pick ups, this not only a cure for the ride hight of the loco, but also elevates the wobble on No 1 & Radius curves, hope this helps ...
It is a simple matter to adjustment bogie pickups by very gentle bending to get the footplate level. With a good quality DCC decoder and a stay alive it is a beautiful runner even at a crawl .
Oh, come on! The yellow one Sam showed at the beginning really stands out, like safety-orange work vests! 😅
Great video Sam!! Also what’s your opinion on Axle based pick ups? I picked up two Athern US switchers with those kind of pick ups and wanted to know your thoughts
I'm not sure if youve done this in the past but id love a budget suggestions video for a bunch of different scales. Similar to how you did the video showing how you'd release new TT models where you broke it down to eras and regions. Great video
When I saw you were reviewing this I jumped onto the forum threads and the first thing I found on the 2023 model was mention of the “forward tilt”, so it seems to be a known issue.
The couplings in the second bag are Dapol magnetic “Easi Shunts” that work with magnets in the track. Not all modes come with them supplied now and they are not cheap separate.
I implore you to look at a Diesel, preferable a bogie design from either Dapol or Farish in N.
In fact I would love to hear your thoughts when comparing the two.
Best.
The original M7s were intended for express passenger work between Exeter and Plymouth, until one left the road at high speed on a curve near Tavistock., after which they were withdrawn from the est Country and relegated to suburban passenger work in London. The Inspector, Lieut-Colonel Yorke, had some criticisms of the design. In the words of L T C Rolt, 'What the great Dugald (Drummond) had to say about this is not recorded...'!
I had one of the original Triang models of the M7, which was a good, fast runner. It also had, IIRC, an opening smokebox door and a lit firebox, and that in the Sixties...!
Incidentally, the bright green of the original Dapol M7 is a pretty close match to the livery of the T3 down at Swanage...
@johncunningham6928 I believe they were test run on Eastern metals and performed perfectly. It wasn't the loco so much as the poorly maintained Southern track which caused the derailment.
@@andrewguttry6886 That sounds more like the River class tanks after the disastrous derailment at Sevenoaks or the Hastings line DEMUs after the derailment at Orpington, both of which are referred to in Tom Rolt's book 'Red for Danger'...
@@johncunningham6928 I think you're right; I have Rolt's book and also Nock's 'Historic Railway Disasters' so I'll check. Thanks for the reminder and correction-memory fades with time.
I’ve been looking for British n scale locomotives for so long! Thanks for bringing this to my attention Sam! I think you would enjoy taking a look at a Broadway limited or Kato USA steam locomotive in n scale one day. I think a pacific or mikado would fit your layout best. Any other the northernes challenger, big boy or y6b probably won’t fit those curves.
When did you get more N gauge wagons? I assume they are the same Bachmann Graham Farish tooling that came in the GWR set.
I do hope you review some non-Dapol N gauge locomotives soon.
Great video, Sam. 👍
If you're looking for more Dapol N scale tank engines to review, then I can recommend the GWR 57XX Pannier tank and the LBSCR A1 terrier.
A good-looking model (I like the BR malachite green version), but does the lack of some smaller details really matter in N gauge? I doubt if all that many people operate their layouts whilst standing an inch or two away from the trains...
The Dapol M7 was the first British N scale rollingstock I ever bought. so it holds quite a special place for me... I have to say however, it has never been the greatest of runners when compared to other locos I've collected, the other issue I've noticed is that its not the most powerful and struggles to haul more then 2 maunsell coaches round the curves on my layout. I know in real life they weren't that powerful but it would be nicer to have them running better at slower speeds. Great video Sam, Love to see more N scale. :)
@@squidgyvase7269 my dads one is the same, in terms of running it’s quite good but like you say the haulage capability isn’t the best with ours struggling depending on what train you couple to it, my dad though does have some fairly light bogie coaches and it seems to be okay with 2 of them, maybe 3 but it’s been quite a while since we had my dads setup out and running so not to sure, in terms of wagons though it will haul quite a few of them.
Ahh glad you've got some lovely memories of that - but I can concur with that, not a great runner at all!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Sam, I've got the malachite green with BR sunshine lettering version. The body on mine doesn't slant as much as yours, but it wobbles really badly on my curves and occasionally derails and I genuinely doubt it can handle R1. I noticed that the problem might be with the trailing pony truck, it doesn't seem to have the side-to-side range of motion it needs for taking curves. When mine goes onto the curve, you can see the trailing wheels coming off the inside rail.
How on earth did that body alignment get past QC? Tsk tsk.
0:38 It looks like a Thomas character without a face 😂
For real 🤣🤣
The first release looks like a highlighter, the second release is a kids’ Crayola colouring pencil
The 2006 version looks like the Joker.
Lipstick on a pig!
haha it does!!
Joker products ! I got a grin agen in agen
Hi Sam, I've got the dcc fitted version of No 245 and the body on mine was dead straight.
my only gripe is that it runs badly on an R1 curve and loves to derail on points positioned on curves.
After watching your video I looked a bit closer at my M7 only to find bits of oil and grease (especially in the recess at the front of the water tank.
If I remember right I got mine from Hatton's as a black friday deal for a lot less than the current retailers price for the un-chipped version
Around 18:30, it appears that at least one of the connecting rod pins has not been fully pressed into the wheel on the rear set of drivers. I'm guessing this may be leading to the connecting rod(s) fouling the steps on the curves, causing the erratic running.
When Dapol announced they were redoing this loco, it wasn't originally going to be dcc, just dc, but people kicked up a stink. That is why it doesn't have a dcc socket but the solder pads. or you can get a dcc fitted one.
Ahh so they just did a half-arsed job? That figures!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I see you do a lot of dapol in N guage Sam… have you considered checking out say, the sonic models J50 tank, or the rapido Class 28? I think you can pick them up at certain retailers for 100 or less.
Yes! Sonic J50 on the way soon!
@@SamsTrains sweet! Just so you know, Kernow has a version of the rapido 28 going for 99 quid, if that tickles your fancy
I can't imagine how over 100 of these locos were accommodated in England. Considering its small size, where the heck did they run?
@dennisneo1608 They were used between London and the South West of England. Not much distance in terms of there-and-back mileage but with many branch lines criss-crossing the region. The old London and South Western Railway built around 1000 route miles in total, almost all long gone now with just a handful of branches remaining off the main line from London Waterloo to Cornwall. Most were axed in the early '60s as being economically non-viable with very little traffic and low passenger numbers. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeching_cuts
Branch lines such as the Swanage branch had them. You can find some photos on line. Hoping that 30053 will steam again in the not too distant future too.
Sam, it looks to me that the wires to the blanking plate may be causing the body to lift at the cab/bunker end of the locomotive.
What a coincidence, I wanted to buy this model in the British Railways malachite green. Guess I'll watch the review first. Just in time 👍
Yeah give it a watch - this one's a mixed bag!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Ive just purchased a dapol a1 terrier, I think it might even be smaller than what you have here 😮
I recently got back into the hobby and went with N Gauge because of space, etc. I appreciate your reviews very much. I absolutely wanted that Dapol Britannia, but after seeing your review, and reviews of others I watched after that, I said "No thanks." I'd say the same about this model. In my very limited experience of N Gauge based on reviews like yours and also those from @endoorrailway I've come to the conclusion - diesel not steam. I've stuck with diesel, it's just easier. I'd also say, having bought a lot in the last few months, Graham Farish > Dapol (for locomotives) by far. Love my Dapol class 52 Western, looks great, always wanted one. Also like my Dapol class 22. But my Farish 37, 42 Warship, and 24 run far, far better.
Ahh fantastic - glad they've been helpful for you! Yeah definitely wise to avoid the Britannia - I have more reviews on the way soon hopefully!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
The Push-pull M7 had and extended running plate in front of the chimney to house the air tank for the system.
However! Why is it SWR? I thought it was LSWR and I have never seen a photo of an LSWR with just SWR lettering. Could this be a major Dapol blooper?!!
Ahh interesting thanks for sharing - I assumed that was just a variation of the livery - is that not accurate?
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains SWR is totally accurate for a few years after this livery was applied, it did a few years later change to LSWR
I was actually thinking of getting one of these at one point but ended up with an a4 (may still get one)
I think the A4 was definitely a better choice!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I’ve been looking to get my hands on the Hornby M7, specifically the No. 245 version they made. I almost got a Drummond pea green version but it was sold before I could get it, but I haven’t been deterred yet.
Idk, I lowkey like the Joker-esk livery on the M7! Kinda tempted to get a OO version to make that livery! 😂😂😂
hahahaha I wonder if it'd sell?!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains oh I'm talking about getting one and painting it in Joker colors! Lol! But hey, market it as a character based off of the Joker and it'll sell to train and DC fans. Take care Sam!
I watch your videos with great pleasure. Your videos are a real treat for the eyes.🍃☝️🥑
Hi Sam! Great video as always, you never fail to disappoint.
I noticed that the green in the tanks and cab is a slightly lighter shade of green.
I don’t know if it’s just me but it’s really bugging me.
The out of context video was a huge success and I want to thank you for letting me do it.
I have people asking for a part 2 of the video, is it okay if I can do that?
Thanks. :)
Yeah very well spotted - it's extremely noticeable in the footage but I have to say I didn't notice it in person... it's pretty odd!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I have one of the old M7s, unfortunately terrible at hauling, it could not run at anything lower than 20 on the controller and 35 it was full speed. While a terrible runner, it sure did catch the eye!
Interesting review Sam! Th old one definitely looks a bit bright! This version is much better 👍👍
hahaha bright is the word!!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Awesome video Sam
Thank you Brian!
@SamsTrains you're welcome Sam 😊
Every single time I hear "M7" I think of the M7's from the LIRR (Long Island Railroad)
I'm not keen on this design of tank engine, as you know. Of course, I've yet to test my own pair of N Gauge GWR steamies. Aside from this, I've done a 14xx swap with my friend Ryan. I now have Alfie's old Airfix 00 gauge 14xx in my possession. Alfie is another TH-cam friend of mine, and he was a bit heartbroken at first, but his little Oliver, renamed Annabel, is safe under my bed. Try Airfix 00 gauge steamies yourself, if you don't own any. You could tell me whether they're any good on your railway.
He has a few airfix royal Scot’s I belive
A Nice little Steam Loco 😉🚂🚂🚂
Would fitting it with smaller diameter bogie wheels lower the rear of the loco? Personally I would love it, except for that lean of the body which kills it for me unfortunately.
I have had two Dapol failures of the same model, the 57XX pannier. Personally I'd happily forego the tiny details that the naked eye can barely see, and have that development money spent on making the bloody useless things run properly! If Germany and Japan can produce beautiful, reliable models, albeit more costly, there's no reason Britain cannot. That 'value for money' £80-odd quid isn't much of a bargain if the thing is sat on a shelf, dead.
That said the pre-Bachmann Farish models I owned, including the tiny Terriers, ran perfectly; no juddering, stalling or wobbling on bends.
Alright ratings Sam and good video by the way 👍 31:34
Thanks a lot Dennis!
@@SamsTrains You're welcome Sam
Mine is just fine. I know you dont respond well to criticisms Sam but you really need more experience with N scale. N scale has loads of quirks that are just part of our scale and since we dont need to buy as many models as you need to to run a YT channel, we accept thise quirks and tinker with them as hobbyists do.
Smaller engines like this are SO difficult in smaller scales and are therefore such a gift. Spend some time with N scale modelong groups...I think you will find that despite flaws (given with any mass produced item) what is available today is really something special despite "Sam's arbitrary ratings". 🤷♂️
That’s fine if you don’t mind tinkering - but there are N gauge locos I’ve tried that were perfect out of the box… so to my mind those are objectively better than the ones that need the “tinkering”… what’s arbitrary about that? 😂
Hello Sam they regularly pulled the funeral train down to Brookwood Cemetery
Ahh interesting - that'd be a fun layout idea wouldn't it?
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi mukka,
That issue with the body not fitting level with the frames looks hideous, wonky and embarrassing for Dapol.
Surely the body just needs a simple adjustment where it is secured to the frames.
Needs a trip into works for a strip down, investigation and modification.
Regards from Oz.
Gaz 😊
those flat chassis-mounted springs that contact the bogie pickups are too stiff/wrongly formed so need bending/poking with some pliers to allow the ride height to be correct
Really dont think this is the issue. See my reply elsewhere!
Hey Sam!
Hi. Does the body look a different shade of green to the tanks? Or is it the camera? Cheers. Dave
Thanks for the video, the old models were awful, was going to get this in BR lined black, but my new layout is a micro, continuous run, No 1 rad, so think I will have to leave this one, pity as it looks awesome..
that looks bloody lovely
The modern livery application totally transforms it doesn't it?
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains indeed
Keep em coming
Thank you will do! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I right away noticed the down angle from back to front and wondered if that was the way it was in real life, apparently no it should be level so to me that’s a big issue with construction of this , it shouldn’t be sloped. They should fix that and I read in the comments that some people have wheel slip so traction wheels might be better on this model . I love the color scheme it’s a beautiful engine too bad it’s not made out of metal , it would be a looker !
Yeah definitely should be level - seems to be the way the body fits on the chassis... not a fan of the design of that!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
At least you have the later M7, the early model has a plastic chassis and weights in the loco body. Which makes for very bad haulage. I have one from a late member of the 'N' society and.... well... it's not a pretty sight. But!... Dapol themselves are absolutely second to none when it comes to after sales and parts service. Fantastic, even a very intersting and helpful chat with the parts chap. But there steam Locos are in my opinion, after fixing some for club members......... I'm sorry to say 'Terrible'.
I believe the sloping running board is a design flaw with this model. After a lot of observation and consideration i carefully machined the diecast chassis direct under the rear bogie wheels so the bogie actually sits deeper into the chassis and my model now runs really well. However this is fairly major surgery but mine sits perfectly flat. Without this i could actually see daylight under the rear driving wheels so they weren't actually in contact with the track. Other thoughts....the driving wheels are underscale which doesn't help and the factory fitted decoder is poor. Replacing it with a zimo decoder transformed the performance but its not easy unless you are really good with the soldering iron. Suffice to say my model runs really well and has been very reliable but out of the box it has issues. The so called running board fix (adjusting rear pickups) proposed by Dapol is nonsense in my opinion. I probably wouldn't buy another one though....too much work to get it absolutely spot on.
Looks like very "hot-rodish" with the body angled this way. This little thing need some speed!
Ah! So mixed. At such a low price it'd have been an easy sell if it just ran that little bit better. If it could bridge that crawl with low speed performance i'd get two!
Having said that it's a decent price for a scale model + 'moving feature'
Do you have a top 5 n guage? Preferably with smaller locos like this.
Could the wobel on corners have something to do with the pickup forks on the rear bogie? If they fit OK straight ahead, but are sticking as they turn a corner that might be what is causing the issue. It is what would change the most with a change of direction.
The M7 locomotive model from Dapol is decent which is all I can say Sam. It is a shame that it does not have its pick-ups on the base keeper plate like the other modern models have and no detail painted in its cab which totally sucks.
Well it's a split chassis type design which works well for N gauge, but yeah they're not easy to clean!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Damn, this model as old as me
haha that's scary!!
The old m7 was terrible, and actually had some rather neon liveries, the new one seems to work better but clearly hasnt been refined enough, i do like this one better though, i reccomend you review the terrier next as a loco, as its a very good loco from dapol
Sadly I don't think I'l be getting one of these Sam. I've had one for a few years now and it's not the best runner in my N scale collection, plus it was very hard to fix.
Check Jasper & Willow
Hi Sam how come your farish pannier is not on the chart? Also try a farish 4f or n class
Maybe it needs a bit of grease, an cleaning of the contacts
I had a brand new one I bought from Warley, it wouldn't pull a greasy man out of bed. I sold it on ebay for a profit lol. Was crap.
The bogies are lifting on the curves. Guage to tight ?
Eccept for that rake , It really looks good.
i was thinking about converting one of these to a midland 1p
Ooh that'd be interesting - I'd love to see that done!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Do you know there is Thomas & Friends n scale
It looks like the rear wheels are lifting off the track on the curves near the end of the video.
Pictures are cruel in N gauge, as they are so much bigger than the actual model, exaggerating any issues. This isn't a bad model, for the price I think it's OK and worth getting for SR fans in N.
Hi Sam I have a question. Does the old b17's body fit on to the new streamline b17, minus the gear cover?
Cheers Jasper & Willow
I suspect it would do yeah - you'd just have to swap the motor mounts too!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Does anyone know how to resolve it derailing on curved set track points?
Only does it when going into the sharper turn and not the turnout itself. Adjusted back to backs but problem still persisting! Other than that runs well over code 80 medium points :)
That's so cool
I beleive the whole model was retooled since the body doesn't look anything like the old hattons image.
is it me or are the front driving wheels a different colour to the rear driving wheels?
Sam, when will the Hornby Jigsaw review come out? Did you manage to overcome the tape on the packaging? Hopefully the pieces aren't covered in glue marks, but knowing Hornby I won't be so sure! 😆
haha I don't know what I've done with it now - it might have gone to my Grandad for him to do!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
rip then i guess i never knowed that model even existed
It feels so weird that you open a plastic shell in this scale 😂
the sloping downwards and the lack of a dcc socket is embarrassing
Day-pol not dappol! If you watch any Dapol videos you’ll hear that’s how they pronounce. English spelling rules tells us that Day-pol is correct!
Come at me bro! Lol
Dipole diesels are good but steam is best avoided, but the couplers are dodgy on both.
@@Ianshandle999 The Schools and Q1 from dapol in n gauge that my dad has are 2 of the finest dapol n gauge locos he has.
As for diesel he has a N gauge 66 which is half and half, sometimes it will run nicely and sometime it won’t run as nicely.
The rolling stock isn't bad at least
Sam when are you going to have your girlfriend back on the show she was a nice addition
Yay,another N gauge loco :D
Looks horrible with that slope to the chassis L