fantastic video. weirdly i sort of like the vans wobbling. why? well having driven a goods train several times at galas the vans and wagons wobble so weirdly i see it was an extra realistic representation of real life.
These vans from Dapol may look old and outdated but they are reasonably priced and they run better now thanks to Dapol for making their own wheels in Britain instead of China which is a major game changer for Dapol Sam.
I think UV printing would actually look really good on a weathered wagon. Then the furriness would just look like the lettering has worn away over time.
Totally agree! The UV printing does give a readymade weathered and used appearance as the doors would be regularly in use and it's a pity Sam reduced the rating because of this. I'll have to investigate their brewery ones.
It's so refreshing to see a cheap dapol wagon work properly finally nowadays the hobby is very expensive but these are an opportunity for modellers to get a good wagon for $24 Australian or £11
Those are perfect for a do it yourself starting kit: find out a bargain loco, search for 2nd hand rails & points, buy a recommended controller, to have at least a line and a shunting area to fill with such wagons, so saving not one but two lots of money.
That's very true - there are some of these without much decoration on them... so you could easily strip it off and make it whatever you like! Yep, for bulking up a layout they're ideal Thanks for watching, Sam :)
6:56 Fry's Confectionery was indeed bought by Cadbury for two main reasons. The factory north of Bristol was at the time the most efficient and cost productive. Also the Fry's brands; Turkish Delight and Chocolate/Peppermint Cream were so iconic that despite the takeover, they're still sold under the Fry's name. Finally ~ and here's something I bet you didn't know ~ Fry's invented the Creme Egg. It is something of a miracle that when the yanks gpbbled up Cadbury, the names remained. Despite solemn promises to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission that they wouldn't, soon after the deal was waved through Flop goes the P45s onto the workers' doormats, Clunk goes the padlock on the Fry's factory gates and Woe is me goes yours truly because it also meant the end of the boxes of duff creme eggs from my mate who lost his job there. International corporate shenanigans can be a right bar steward sometimes.
At last, vans at affordable prices. Yeah the printing is maybe a bit humph, but then again the more expensive ones are often just as poor on crisp print. I would say that they are an improvement, and maybe it’s me, but I only saw wobble on the points. Well done Dapol, would be great if they could give N gauge some value models. Went to a model shop in Norwich at weekend, nearly had a heart attack, most of the ones I would use for my layout ( still in progress ) , were out of my price range. Looking like I will have to save up for a couple of years and buy a second hand train and rolling stock. Oh well, I guess it will be on my headstone. “ Almost, but not quite a model railway owner “ . Thank you for making enjoyable videos about the models. I enjoy watching the dream machines. One day , maybe, perhaps, if I win a fortune on the lottery. Will have to buy a ticket one day. Lmao.
A good idea would be for Dapol to release a rake of 3 colored, but undecorated, wagons or vans for about 25-30£, and let the modeler paint/weather and detail them to their heart’s desire. Maybe even re-release the egg vans with the new couplings and better wheels. Then, I think, Sam would be a happy chap. 😊
Very happy to see these vans working now. I was able to order the purple Cadbury van after watching this video, but they’re selling out FAST! Hopefully Dapol can keep it up. I am very excited for the popsicle-livery vans. Sorry, ice lollies haha. Excellent review, Sam, especially when it influences me. Cheers.
Dapol is 40 mins away from me.Been to there small shop and bought a damaged returned loco which had very minimal damage and they took me around back to the manufacturing area to show me the loco is a runner on a oval of track they have.I tend to buy the localy named wagons they produce being a welsh company. 🏴
The irony in comparison to Hornby Railroad is that I believe the origin of these bodies is the Hornby Dublo super detailed models from the 60s, which were in the day at the limit of what possible by injection molding.
Yes the van body appeared in 1958 with the rest of the then new 2 rail wagons tooled by British Industrial Plastics which were the very best you could get, fascinating that they are still produced
Blimey it's as old as that? In that case the moulding is nothing short of miraculous - still looks great by today's standards! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Fry's chocolate cream was the very first commercial bar chocolate, although the shape was a little different from now. There's an irony that Dapol have brought the manufacture of the wagons back to the UK, because one of the first things Kraft did when they bought Cadburys was to close the Fry's factory in Keynsham and ship manufacture out to Poland. Marion
These are adorable! What other “candy” cars do they have? These would make a great train at Easter! Maybe behind creamy white or purple locomotive named ‘Rabbit’.
I have said for ages that with automation it is possible to make things in the UK. I had great difficulty picking the three up from the same Retailer but eventually I got weathered ones from Hereford Models. So a lot of people must think they are worth the money and thank you Sam for pointing them out. Ok they are not super detailed but for running around the railway they look ok.
maybe it broke off when it was being pulled behind the egg vans from a derailment, and the repair crew, worried about another derailment with these chocolate vans, decided to wait to make sure the other one wouldn't break off.
I think Dapol have done the hobby a great service with these vans. They have given the hobby brand new vans that are in the reach of children for the first time I many years. Apart from the droopy OLD style couplings, I have always found dapol wagons really reliable. These new style couplings are really looking good. I wonder if Dapol will sell kits to retro fit the new couplings in place of the old ones?
Such a refereshing change t o see economical items that are actually made in the UK and not China. To be able to make them this price and working well is great, but to do that in the UK and not from the cheaper factories in China is just amazing. I just have to say well done to Dapol for not only fixing the issues the had, but for making the move to manufacturing in the UK withont dramatic price increases. I think other manufacturers could learn from this
I hope the fall-out from the unfortunate Locomotion Motion copyright "row" that arose soon after this video was released, calms down soon (8th June 24). Unfortunately, Locomotion Motion has now stopped his channel altogether, apparently due to "trolling" but with some people blaming Sam. This is all very sad as model railways should be a broad "church" for everyone to have fun int heir own way. I trust that Sam does not get the same treatment. Please keep up your good work with so many, varied videos.
Great review. Shame about the initial loco failure. My wife will love these . I will be retrofitting with air pipes as my layout is set in the 80s/90s .Its great to see new affordable railway products.
More manufacturers need to make note. For people just getting into the hobby Affordable and reliable is the key. Fine detail comes later when you know what you want from your layout.
Dapol's rolling stock reminds me of Con-cor's N-Scale rolling stock, not the most detailed but decent at running around the layout and at a price that won't break the bank.
Hi Sam. From "normal" viewing distances, the vans still look pretty good. The printing is a little disappointing. A little sidenote about TMC: I got a promotional email from them and I clicked on the link to N gauge items. I was most amused to find that Dapols signals were priced at £85,000 - yes! £85k. I sent them an email and they said they were going to check their data. A little while later the prices were still there - although, to be fair, TMC did suggest that perhaps I should clear my browser cache (too lazy to do that, though).
I definitely think wagons like this are great for both entry level/cheap gifts for a train set and those who want to detail up their stock. There was a discussion on another channel (Iron Horse Railways) about pricing etc and quality and the subject of Dapol came up. I've got a good handful of Dapol wagons and they do run well. They also do unpainted wagons for modellers to detail up and weather with their own liveries, decoration etc wheels could possibly benefit from pinpoint axle bearings and a reamer is available to convert them for decent wheels. Maybe you could try that out on the egg vans as an experiment.
I bought the lot before the review, and have had no problems with them and got the weathered versions which I think look really good. Fab that they are made in Britain.
For those who have never been in the business of manufacturing, to put an empty box on the retailer's shelf for £12 is a fair achievement, especially if you are doing it all in the UK. £2 is VAT. The retailer will, reasonably, need to make £2.50. You have got to ship it to the retailer out of the price. You need to make a profit so you probably need it to go out of the factory door having cost not more than £5 to make and put in a printed box. Break down that fiver however you like and see where the scope is for doing things differently. Odds are you have to pay somebody to put the wheels on and put it in the box (with the right label on the end). Perhaps not a surprise that things cost what they do? Well done DAPOL for making these here. Support them by buying some.
Totally agree, see it is possible to make stuff in the UK. Jenny Kirk did a video of a trip around their plant, fully automated. They need to be supported, but at those prices they will be. If the wheels are that much of an issue you could always replace them with Hornby ones.
Good review! These are low cost fun wagons, I have a soft spot for stuff like this (I still love the old Hornby pork sausage van!). The wagon itself is basic but really very well done for what it is. I see models of this standard as what Railroad should be, good low cost models which may not be high fidelity but look good on a layout and don't cost ££££££££s.
these vans would be a great addition to a starter set, cant go wrong for the money really with a bit of weathering you wouldn't notice the slight rougher areas in the printing!
6:56 {Apols as this is a repeat of the answer I gave some moments ago. Had to keep that one for our host's reply and this one because of the joy in the P.S.} Fry's Confectionery was indeed bought by Cadbury for two main reasons. The factory north of Bristol was at the time the most efficient and cost effective. Also the Fry's brands; Turkish Delight and Chocolate/Peppermint Cream were so iconic that despite the takeover, they're still sold under the Fry's name. Finally ~ and here's something I bet you didn't know ~ Fry's invented the Creme Egg. It is something of a miracle that when the yanks gobbled up Cadbury, the names remained. Despite solemn promises to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission that they wouldn't, soon after the deal was waved through Flop goes the P45s onto the workers' doormats, Clunk goes the padlock on the Fry's factory gates and Woe is me goes yours truly because it also meant the end of the boxes of duff creme eggs from my mate who lost his job there. International corporate shenanigans can be a right bar steward sometimes. P.S. You just haven't lived until your eight year old self has gorged himself on nearly all yolk, nearly all egg white and nearly all chocolate reject Creme Eggs!!
@@petermudie4847 Pleased to hear of a fellow lucky bugger! If they sold them to the public, they could charge a fortune. Glad your trucks aren't troublesome too.
No derailments at last, pwoah! I've seen plenty of wagons wiggle and wobble about in real life because of springing, track undulation etc so I'm not at all bothered by this. It's a detail I wish more wagons and engines would have to be fair. If you ever get on the footplate Sam I can vouch for it not being a smooth ride like our models! :D
Super glue a bit of weight in each wagon, and then run them in for an hour or so. If those axle boxes are plastic, then friction should heat them and let the axles bed in. Alternatively, get some after-market bearings - tiny cone shaped brass shims that go between the axle and the axle box. A bit of a sod to fit, but worth it. When I had a railway in the 1970's, my dad got some to improve the running of some old Dublo and TriAng wagons I had.
Hi Sam, great review as always. I have two of these with more on order. The couplings and wheels are 100% better, decoration more than adequate and much like you I only notice the slight fuzzy printing when they are in super close up and still. Weirdly slight oscillation prototypical on 4 wheel vehicles, but yes it would be better with none. I personally think we all need to get behind Dapol, they are looking after us making the hobby viable while at the same time protecting British jobs to an ever increasing degree.
Sam thankyou cor this positive video; closed van; brand new in box for less than £12!!!! Oh wow now roll out the rakes of rolling stock. Hope more decor are made available by Dapol at these prices. Great video review as always. All best Marc from Leighton Buzzard
I’m very happy I got these after watching this i truly love them. Thanks Sam I do know that dapol are making more of these which is ice lollies like rocket, fab and another
I'm showing my age - I've lived outside the UK for more than 50 years - but I remember as a kid paying about 23p for similar wagons in Hornby, with coaches at around 52p. Even then, though, it stretched my pocket money! Money ain't what it used to be.
Yeah, even in the late 80’s and early 90’s, life was pretty good for modeller’s , I had an 00 layout in a shed during the 2010 period, was ideal time. But life changed and now after a few moves, models are too expensive. Too fragile. At least some manufacturers are willing to bring the building/making of models back to the UK.
Fry's was made at Keynsham near Bristol. They were bought by Nestlé who promptly transferred production to Poland. The former Fry's factory is now high priced flats.
Not Nestlé : it was Kraft (now known as Mondelēz) who promised to keep the factory open, but before the ink was dry on the contract they reneged on the promise. They did much the same to Terry's of York.
I was ready to pooh-pooh the printing quality on the liveries, but I think the extreme closeup was doing it a disservice - when viewed at a distance during the coupling experiment, I thought each livery looked sharp enough to give a good impression. It comes down to at what distance you're the most likely to view them from.
Hi Sam train great video. Normal now only get most Rapido been last 3 years. As used to have dapol but the coupling and coming off track got rid of them. But seeing your Sam train how they work plus only £10 and liverys are not bad get some of them as can spend bit of money on them. Great work keep up the work Sam train.
What happened to being fair and not getting money or models for giving a review? You review them as if you’re not connected at all yet you literally post a link and say it is an affiliate link which means you get money for people buying the trains. That seems a bit like a double standard saying that you won’t give reviews if a company sends you something but you’ll do a review if you have kickbacks from an affiliate link
He bought them outright (check 3:00 mark). The affiliate link is for another store that carries these, but he didn't receive them free from Dapol or the store he bought them from. This channel is how he earns his living, so he has to get money from somewhere.
Hi Sam, I have some weathered some non weathered. .I'm having some problems with coupling. I have changed some to Kay-Dee's and much better, may change all of them, (12 ) Great video as always.
Personally I think they're actually good (I know, shoot me!). I bought the weathered version of the Fry's Chocolate Cream one and I think it looks really good on my layout. I think the pricing for them is fairly reasonable when you compare to what the likes of Hornby, Bachmann or Rapido charge for their wagons.
Dapol are filling part of the market others have left. Affordable and works. !! I can recommend the Toplight coaches if you want to see what the bachmann birdcage should have been.
I always have issues with Dapol couplings and, on some wagons, with the wheels. I have generally to replace some couplers (all my fleet is planned to be equipped with Kadee couplers) and some wheels. the Fruit D and some milk tankers needs wheel replacement to be able to run, and that is enough to make them run properly. Dapol seems to get it, and to have done the right thing. It's good, because their budget wagons are nice. I just received a Presflo from them for the quarter of the price of the Bachmann version, I think this is a new issue with the new axles and couplings. I'll see that soon.
Yeah that's right - they often cause problems though these are now much better. I agree - great budget models, and I'd be very interested in the presflo - how is it?? Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Not got any modern dapol rolling stock in my collection, currently only dapol rolling stock I have is a rake of LMS coaches, haven’t had any running issues personally with the dapol locomotives I have, would be good to see those egg vans get fixed, I bet that it would be worth doing something to them to at least stop them from derailing.
About what an inexpensive railcar should be. Even if the detail is lacking, models should always perform consistently and not be prone to issues such as derailments or random separation from the rest of the train.
I know Dapol intend to make their own wheels but they may have quite a stock of china built ones to clear first. These low-cost wagons would be a good place to use them up?
Finally 'Crapol' have fixed their dodgy couplings! Must be a nice change to see the wagons not derailing at every given opportunity. If they ever release any of these in realistic liveries i may have to slip and pick some up!
Nice video Sam. Can't beat the price and I love the themes of gravies, beers, chocolates and ice creams so they titilate the collector in all of us. I bought the Dad's Army themed wagons that Dapol have done for Buggleskelly Station which are double the price, but they are special commisioned editions. I had quite a wobbly Jone's Butchers van wagon but Tom Marshall swapped it straight away. It's a lovely little wagon. Have you checked out his web site Sam?
Thanks Piers - I agree they're a great bit of fun! Not sure I'd pay double the price regardless of the livery - but it does sound cool! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I like these vans. I think I'm right in saying that this particular body dates back to Hornby Dublo from the late 1950s. How good must they have seemed then?
I don't know how accurately I'm seeing the purple after it's been digitised, compressed, squirted through the air and then displayed on my mediocre phone, but it looks far lighter than the actual Cadbury purple.
I've got the Bourneville Chocolate Van, upon the excuse I couldn't resist it. Anything to tickle my dark chocolate tastebuds, I'm a choco-holic and a sucker for anything chocolatey. I've also got another piece of Rapido rolling stock, which must have scared you out of your wits when I told you about it in my previous comment: the Royal Ordnance Gunpowder Van. As I said, I dare you to purchase it if you're brave enough.
haha they do - but I don't think these are designed to emulate that - the lightweight nature of the models means that wobbling can make them unstable! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Hi Sam, I'm looking at TMC Website at the Van's you order of tmc for your review, the weathered ventilated Van's cost £12.07 & the unweathered cost £11.05, so it's one of two things has happened and that is they have changed you wrong or you miss read which ones you where ordering.
Thanks Glenn - yes that's right, though they charged me even more than the £12.07 for the weathered one - not sure what they did! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
have some of the slightly older ones with iffy couplings, plan is to convert to KayDee so not too bothered but it is a needless frustration is good to see has been fixed
That sounds good - you might still have issues with the kaydees though as the NEMs sag and don't centre right - you'd need to fix them in place! Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Perhaps on vans and most other rolling stock the value element should be skewed somewhat for these now seem worthy of a low C.? As a counterpoint poor value top quality alternates should not rank as high as B.?
Oh hey, eventually couplings from Dapol not dangling downward, lol. For this petty money, you just can't complain can you. No wobbling wheels would have been nice though... But £11 / £12, really, you can't whine. Cheerio.
Cool looking wagons, puts Hornby to shame with their huge metal d style tension lock out dated couplings, well done Dapol for the wagons with NEM couplings.
For me Sam they are very interesting wagons. I might get some for may layout, although I'll probably wait until the price comes down a little bit. Cheers Jasper & Willow
Hey, sam, I love your videos. I'd like to see you look at some more American engines and maybe an Australian loco, too. I have a couple of suggestions for the U.S. stuff, which is the bachmann Dash 8 and any scaletrains locomotives (scaletrains is sadly not stocked at trainworld), however, I dont have any suggestions for the Australian stuff.
Put some weight in those wobbly wagons too. You can get strips of lead weight normally used for wheel balancing that have double sided tape on them. A little weight may reduce the wobble.
I tried some that Hunt sent me - not made right, too brittle and snapped when inserted into NEM pockets. Maybe they've improved them since then? Thanks for watching, Sam :)
