It just came to my head that no one has made slip coaches. They were really unique on the GWR and people have tried making their own but it must be really hard to make them uncouple on the move, it would be cool to see a manufacturer make some! Also great video Sam!
Fascinating coach concept! And by the way just congrats on one of the most professional model train channel out there. So much work must go into these videos, well done 👍👍👍
Thanks for that Sam, i ordered a coach and loco last week ( the wife wants a garden railway ,,,how luck am i !!!) i bought her the coach and she bought me the loco,,, Christmas presents !!!! a very good channel, always worth the time to watch ..keep up the good work ...
Speaking as an 0 Gauge modeller, I think in general modellers in this scale are more prepared to deal with minor issues -- e.g. refitting stock with after-market couplings -- and generally don't expect perfection straight out of the box. That would be nice, of course, but in the larger scale a certain amount of titivating or customizing is not unusual on every model even if it's 'ready to run'. If I had one of these, for example, apart from replacing the couplings I'd definitely be looking to tweak the interior decoration. And that speaker housing is horrible. Given that you wouldn't expect huge volumes of sound from this model, I'd have thought that a couple of 15mm 'sugar-cube' speakers would have been more than adequate for digital sound. Much easier to hide, too. This was not well thought through. Thanks for another excellent review of a model which, despite its flaws, is both impressive and attractive.
I’m also very new to o gauge and have just pre-ordered a rake of 3 Dapol stroudley 4 wheel coaches to go with my Terrier. These are being made in the UK and will be available as “main line” and “Suburban” variants. In the later, only the brake/3rd coaches have conventional buffers and linkages on the brake end only. The non-break end is connected to the remaining coaches via nem type draw bar.
Thank you for such a good video. I already have 2 Dapol auto coaches running on my outside double loop tracks. I thought it was me when the couplings kept falling apart. They are such rubbish that I have adapted paper clips for actual running. Of course you cannot notice them in "play". I have this week increased my rolling stock by a further 5 Dapol auto coaches. I was a little disappointed that you did not cover how easy you found it to open the roof. My first 2 I bought with DCC and lights fitted. My new ones are an assortment and I intend to do them myself. I have only tried so far with one, but I just couldn't get the roof off. Being an all thumbs type, I have left it to another day. But again I thank you for your reports.
Definitely not just you on the couplings - I almost lost my temper with this one.... got one coupling back together, and then the other one collapsed... very close to reaching for the hammer, I can tell you xD Good idea with the paper clips - I like that!! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@clapz9068 Yep! The county was £55 and the lanky tank was only £10! It was because it was kitbuilt and the paint job looked a little tatty... touched it up with a marker it looks like new again. The county was actually meant to be £65 but a loose screw on the loco drawbar meant it wasnt running properly so got a tenner off. Nice models anyways!
The autotrain service that used to operate between Gloucester and Chalford was, because of the added responsibility of the fireman, considered the same level (or link) as working on the Cheltenham Spa Express to Paddington and back on a Castle. The fireman as well as dealing with the fire and water had to operate the cut off and reset the brakes so only the top men were on the services.
I have seen this autocoach that many times but despite this I never grow tired of seeing it. It is such a lovely and well detailed model. That size being O gauge is massive obviously. It looks perfect coupled with the 14xx. Lovely combo. Bit surprised with the terrible coat of arms. Looks like 19bit coloured. Regardless tho it is a lovely model that can do with some painting and detail on the inside. No seat for the driver?! I mean come on! All the best, Clint
You prolly dont care at all but does someone know a way to log back into an instagram account..? I somehow lost the login password. I would appreciate any help you can offer me!
I only had 0 gauge stuff for a short time, my teacher said (back in 2000) he found a small collection of old 3 rail 0 scale trains at his father's attic, and would I be interested in it. I said "sure" so i brought the whole collection for the price of a cheaper H0 loco. It was a little bit of everything : coaches, buildings, lamps, signals, points, trees, wagons, and 2 diesel locos, it filled up 2 crates. It took too much space and everything was OLD (~ late 60's early 70's): lot off sheet-metal, and cast iron, large bulbs for lighting.... So I just cleaned and serviced everything, and set it up for a test-run in the basement (wish I'd filmed it or something), and that's it. I sold everything for the price of a good quality loco! Today it would worth 10 times that.... (wasn't interested in antique trains back then) But at least the coaches had working lights and open-able doors, by the handles, though not much interior !
The round box in the luggage department is for the speaker. It is obtrusive but is readily removed as four small screws hold it in place. I chose to mask the speaker housing through creating a cardboard cover and painting luggage with water colours, adding an additional small box on top and a hat box. It is effective as it is a luggage compartment. Removal of the speaker housing will allow for more luggage, but I didn’t want to lose the speaker housing or it’s screws so kept it in situe. I would upload photos if I knew how too. ❤
They had those on the Wallingford branch with gas lighting into the 1950s. They were 70 feet long, which is why the model is so big. I got a ride on 1407 pushing from Cholsey and Moulsford.
Thanks to your review I bought the coach with no windows at one end. This helps to hide the speaker housing. I noted from your review that electrical pickups were already fitted. Easy job to fit a led strip to the underside of the roof (warm white with a resistor) and a red lamp (from Hattons). Saved me about £25. Expect problems with buffer lock when reversing around peco 2nd radius curves otherwise very pleased with this model
So glad you got an autocoach in O to review. I was lucky to get one for 110 second hand from a chap I met at a Garden Railway Open Day last year. A superb model overall.
Nice pick there Sam. Looks brilliant. It's not a bad deal and new couplers, a little interior detailing and figures and voila! Knowing it has pick-ups already fitted was surprising! You'll save folks some cash there. Brilliant review as always, great stuff.
It's huge! A shame about the lack of interior detail, but it's large enough to work on if you wanted to add more. I presume the bulkheads are removable (with care) if you can get the glue to let go? I'd take a dremel to that speaker housing then repair the floor. A few of those coffee stirrers might work well and look like wooden planking? Those pick up wires could be moved down the steel plates away from the edges (you'd have to remove the plates though otherwise the heat might melt things - refitting them after. It might be easier to dewire them entirely if you don't intend to fit lighting?
If I was to build a model Railway again it would be in O gauge. The Auto coach and matching engine would be the first port of call. It would be quite easy to build a small preserved line with this gauge.
Hi Sam, as you know, I have some "0" gage. This includes an Auto-Train. Mine is hauled by an auto-fitted 64xx Pannier Tank, which is DCC Sound fitted and made by "Lionheart Trains," who may now be defunct or taken over. The 64xx has all the usual sound functions. The coach has it's own sound system, with lights in coach and cab (which go off when being propelled), background chatter, gong and special start-up sequence when starting off coach first, and numerous phrases from guard, station master etc. I have had NO trouble with the couplings, so far. I have also seen pictures of auto-trains with four coaches, two either side of the loco. I hope this has been of some interest to you. Regards, Alan.
Seeing trains run on the O gauge layout always puts me on edge. One day, the track or something is going to give way and a loco is going to plummet to it's doom.
First off beautiful coach that shows off a wonderful advantage with O-scale and that is the level of detail. For the interior issues, from my experience it rather common in the industry. However knowing how many O-scale 2 rail modelers are, this isn't too big an issue as many are the type that would most likely go in and paint it up the way they want and add extra details. Now the cost, that I do feel is a touch steep, but only a touch. I have seen O scale cars on both sides of the price. Most notable (and setting my point of reference) of cars going for below the price are Atlas's California Zephyr passenger cars. Very well detailed, free rolling and built in lights that car run off of track power or battery for around £112.50 (given current exchange rates. Now biggest thing there is that the paint is considerably simpler and appearance of the car is cleaner (this is due to the nature of stainless steel streamliner build). Knock £40-£50 off and yeah, if I modeled British equipment I would seriously consider it.
Very Nice Sam sorry I haven't been here in a while I was diagnosed with Auto Immune liver disease last October so I've been focusing on my health but I will start watching your content more again.
Hi sam's trains. I just wanted to let you know i just got my first ho scale train set. I'm so excited! The set i got is hornby's santa's express. I named the locomotive "jack" and i'm planning to change the track to bachmann brand track.
The detail and version of this autocoach is far better than any of the 'OO' offerings I have seen up to now. I wish manufactuerers would start to make versions of the ''toplight'' coaches on which the autocoaches were based. They were beautiful coaches and the paint schemes were similar to your 'O' gauge model. The toplights were the small window slits above the main windows I believe but I stand to be corrected on that one. Still, they were all gorgeous coaches.
It looks amazing! Here's a suggestion, why not put a break in one of the running rails an engines length from the buffers? Connect a diode across the gap and you'll have a fail safe to stop running into the buffers. With the diode no problem to back out of the section. Just an idea.
Thanks Robin - yeah I will be doing that soon - I'm going to get one of the Gaugemaster shuttle units to change the direction too! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains You might even have space for one of those little wooden 1 coach platforms with a GWR Pagoda shelter like they used on rural branch lines - with autotrains. Cattle dock/loading platform on the other track or at the other end of the layout. Which makes me want to get a layout going again 🤔... the problem is if I do a minimum space GWR branchline for Panniers, 14XX's and my Collet 2251 0-6-0 it'll be no time at all before it's overpopulated with 8F's and Duchess pacifics 😁
Thinking about the couplings springing apart, I am wondering if a change of material would make a difference. What if Dapol was to use a springier metal for the u-shaped portion of the coupling, so all you would have to do to install the couplings would be to open them up slightly, insert the middle portion of the assembly, and let it spring back into position. Repeat for the other end and VOILA, one assembled coupling. As things stand, Dapol seems to taken cost-cutting too far and used the cheapest metals it could find in its assembly. The coupling material is too soft basically.
Very nice! If I didn't already have a G Scale railway in garden I'd definitely be tempted to have a go at O Gauge given the quality of the RTR products that are available these days!
@@SamsTrains Yep, I'm fully invested at this point... and at least G Scale allows me to keep using the tension lock couplings! 😆 There's a few videos of it on my channel if you're interested in taking a look. Definitely looking forward to seeing more O Gauge stuff from you in the future though!
It’s a very nice coach but I agree the interior is a bit underwhelming. I would fit it with LED’s and passengers. I would also add a driver at one end with a little detail paint in the cab. It’s a perfect coach for a point to point layout like yours Sam.
This coach is a no-brainer really. Cheaper than a kit and all the tricky painting & lining is done for you. Couplings are trivial to replace and you could sort out the interior to do some actual modelling :)
You should decorated that speaker housing(?) in the luggage compartment as a poker table. Also an idea you could do to reward higher value superchats would be to have a model passenager named after you in the autocoach or as runner up prizes.
Didn't autocoaches get sandwiched at either end of tank engines like the 14xx? I saw on a programme once that there was the driver in the front autocoach, and the fireman in the loco. The controls were mechanically connected by links and chains. The driver could do everything apart from release the brakes!
Nice review on the Dapol O Gauge GWR Autocoach! This passenger coach is really huge as to be expected from an O Gauge model, it’s like the size of a 1:24 scale or 1:18 scale NASCAR or IndyCar die-cast! I love the details of the O gauge GWR Autocoach such as the interior! I could imagine you putting legos figurines or any other type of figurines inside the coach to make it look realistic! Overall, I’ll give this Dapol O Gauge GWR Autocoach a “B-”. Nice review that you did today Sam! 👍
Thanks a lot mate - yes very much so, but it was still very impressive! Yeah lego figures might be roughly the right size actually! xD Thanks for watching - Sam :)
y'know, here in the u.s. we still use our versions of the autocoach on mainline service today, the we call them "cab cars" and they don't need to be directly coupled to the loco.
Interestingly I have the exact same model. I don't have the resolution issues on the printed crests nor the speckling. I also don't have that nasty glue line from the separator between the driving cabin and the passenger compartment and the power lines are much tidier as well. I hate to say it but it looks like you got a real duff one. I do take your point on the interior, but the idea of having sub £200 coaches in O gauge (and sub £200 engines) is what got me into the gauge - after all you can have a prototype formation for £400, which you can detail yourself without having to be an expert painter. Great video
That's very interesting - are you sure about the resolution? I don't know how they could be different! Absolutely - that's why I didn't complain too much - I thought for the money it was pretty reasonable! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains I've just had a look under the highest resolution camera I could find - you're right - it's not that different - I just don't have the speckling. Clearly I just don't have the eyesight to tell the difference!
Have you ever thought of getting a Dapol break van? I’ve been looking around Hattons and found one for 68 pounds I don’t know if that gets your attention but it’s something to note about. And perhaps there’ll be more detail that OO gauge break vans don’t have.
Oh WOW 😮😮😮 excellent review of the O gauge GWR Auto carriage Sam 👍👍 It is a fantastic model, but it not as 100% perfect like the inside details including that thing in the luggage end of the coach which kind of look like a bathtub. And the chain link is a bit broken, but never the less, it does look like a good model of the carriage. Your next O gauge model should be diesel next time as that will be great for diesel fans.
I saw my first O scale diesel locomotives (CP Rail and CN Rail) the other day at my local hobby shop and I what shocked how big they were. They looked awesome but you need a ton of room for a nice 1/43 layout. I think I’ll stick with HO but they were still cool to see.
I am loving these 0 gauge reviews. I knew this would be a perfect match for the 14xx or if you decide to buy a GWR Pannier tank that its Auto fitted (has letter A in a yellow circle)
The "A" in yellow circle on the cab sides of GWR locos denotes the power class (A) and route weight restriction (yellow) of said loco, nothing to do with auto fitted locos.
This was a great review Sam, now off topic from trains I have got a phonograph from my grandmother and about two days later bought 3 records for fifty pence each.
I about had a heart attack when they came apart on the points. I thought something was going to tip over the edge and hit the ground. Great review as always Sam, personally though I would have knocked of a star on performance for the too close couplings/coupling failure. But she is a very beautiful looking model.
The, er, "front" reminds me of Hankyu trains in the Kansai region of Japan, especially the slightly classier ones used as expresses (though they all look pretty similar)
Nice looking coach but wasn’t the bell missing from the front. The interior is a bit disappointing as well but at least you have a hot tub in the back 😂. Can the links on the couplings be squeezed in a bit to prevent them from falling apart.
It was provided separately in the detail bag! Yeah it's a shame about the innards! ;D I've tried, but they spring back out again! Removing them first and adjusting them works to an extent, but they still aren't right :( Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam can you please do more reviews on O gauge coaches as they are really excellent to have unfortunately I don’t have space for one 🙂 thanks mate for this💪
Thanks Gerry - yeah that's true - it's amazing how easily you can find space though - a shelf layout can fit in tiny places! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)
9:23 it comes with ready made weathering! Actually that does seem the thing with O gauge; because it's so big it can look rather unconvincing unless you really go to town with the detailing.
Ideas for 100000 subscriber special. 1. Open a 4th loop to your layout. 2. Hornby live steam A4 3. Vintage 80s hornby class and working overhead wires.
Nice review Sam. You should check out Darstead MK1’s from Ellis Clark, they have great detail, lighting as standard and internal detail too for a fraction more than the auto coach.
Hi Sam, I was reading a magazine I picked up today and it said that there is now Bachman Thomas and Friends skarloey and rheneas from the narrow gauge railway are out now. Just thought I let you know. ;) Thanks. -Oliver-
Has anyone else noticed that Sam has higher marks and views on military/war rolling stock than on any coaches or vans ? I wonder... XD love watching your videos Sam, great job as always.
When you first showed the coach, I thought it was one of those self propel, 'Steam coaches'. Unless I'm mistaken, they look sort of the same. A question is, are there any of the self propel steam coaches in 'O" gauge. It is a good looking coach.
Ahh yeah - if only - I'd love something like that for O gauge, I think there may be something like that coming, though maybe I'm getting confused with the Heljan OO model? Happy New Year - Sam :)
hello sam i love the level of detail of the autocoach and the livery adds on to it and can you review a O gauge tender engine next and will you get a break van as the next piece of O gauge rolling stock and love the video from david
Magnificent coach and looks even better when in O gauge I do have a question though it really hasn’t got anything to do with this review or the auto coach but it is something that you might know knowing your really the expert I’m making a n gauge layout and I was wondering how do you ballast our HO/OO railway tracks in between the sleepers as in how do you get the glue and ballast in there and what glue would you recommend?
Nice one Sam, I think you have been looking in my attic and copying my collection LOL :-) My couplings were also in bits, no big deal though. Make sure the metal axle bogie side frames are free to move, one of mine was stuck and didn't allow the bogie to move correctly, just give it a twist to free :-) You can buy better couplings from other o gauge retailers. The internal detail can be added and the speaker lump cut out. The coach sounds can be within the loco if you ask for them to be loaded on your 14xx chip.
Hi sam I have a video idea for you ! You could maybe do a comparison of all of the track cleaning products that you own . ( you don’t have to use the idea ) thank you for the great video
