Dapol / wales and Dapol china

Hi All.   A while ago I purchased some Dapol OO wagons, some on offer from the Dapol website, and some from an online retailer, whose name escapes me??? Some of these wagons are made in wales, others China .Most of the wagons run well, but I wanted a variety, so I got a van out of its box and it is a factory weathered variety. Made in wales, but it isn't free running, I applied a drop of oil on the axle ends to no avail,that maybe due to the weathering??? And another thing I wanted to fit Kadee couplings, one end the coupling stays in place, but, at the other end it pulls out.  Any Remedies?     All the best. Kevin

Hi Kevin,

To free up those axles you need one of those gadgets that is an axle bearing dreamer with a cutting blade to ream out the bearing hole a bit. You could try gently bending out the frames a bit, or fitting wheels and axles from another supplier. The issue is the axles are too long or the bearing hole is too small. Check the brakes to make sure they are not rubbing on the rim or tread.

Loose KD? The "Dapol 362 problem". The pocket is too big. A very thin piece of styrene sheet will normally fix it. Or bin it and put a #5 on.

Nigel

Hi Nigel. Thank you.  It wasn't good enough applying Loco oil on the Axle ends, being a van I had nothing to looe? so I gave the a quick spray of Silicone lubricant, so it must have been the weathering paint causing friction. The Kadee , at one end, pulled out because it don't "engage" when I pushed it in. All the best.  Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Take a bit of the inner end with a needle file.

Dapol boxes are supposed to be the same dimensions as an NEM 362, they are not. They are either too loose or too long for KD #17-#20.

Nigel

Hi Nigel.  Thank you. It is such a fiddly space and a PITA  to do.   All the best Kevin

Hi Nigel   This is a belated “ Second Reply “ on Dapol NEM pockets. I couldn’t understand why some of my wagons wouldn’t uncouple with Kadee 19’s.  Now after faffing around, and replacing the culprits with 146’s drilled and screwed in position, which work rather well, I had noticed that some of the NEM pockets were “ flopping around” more than necessary , on close inspection I found this was due to the spring in the Pocket becoming disengaged . Not a problem with the original tension locks. Best wishes Kevin 

Yes, replacing the long spring in Kadee NEM's is a real PITA.

Hi Ron.  Thank you for your reply . It wasn’t the Kadee’s that we’re a PITA,  but the Dapol version of some of thr NEM pockets, that swing . and then having to file down the mounts.  Best wishes. Kevin

You could use a suitably-sized drill bit.
I have done this to sort out the odd sticky wheel set.
Also it is cheaper than trying to buy the correct tool. :hmm