I’m relatively new to the hobby but already have 3 of these locos in the different liveries! Such good value for money and highly detailed. Run then on DCC and have no problems whatsoever. Coupling are a bit annoying but that’s all I can fault it for really. Have you seen one of these in real life? The engine sound is incredible!
Great loco, I work with DRS and having worked on 68s for a while now I was really surprised how accurate Dapol managed to make this. Top marks and great model, might have to get a TPE livery one aswell though, this looks lush 🤣
I don't now why but the tiny emergency break glass fire alarm, was so impressive to me, that they included it, it looks prefect as well, I just wasn't expecting that much detail.
I think the detail is good for what you're paying for. That coupler height is comedic, though. Easy enough to fix, though. Sure is a great looking piece of kit.
I have the Dapol Class 68 as well. I have 68032 (I wanted a TPE one so I can use it with Accurascale Mark 5a coaches when they eventually release). Always thought the detail was brilliant. I bought mine factory fitted with DCC and I have had no problems with the performance. I can get incredible slow speed performance as well. I don't remember having problems with the couplings (I haven't used mine in a couple of months) but I do remember them always being better than those on the Hornby Railways Class 67 which I know has couplings that seem to sag quite a bit. The biggest problem I have with my Class 68 is one of the detail inaccuracies which I have on my model. The first half the 68s were actually built by Vossloh before Stadler bought them and they gave a little Vossloh logo on the front as well as Vossloh Makers plates and this has been correctly modelled by Dapol. The later builds of Class 68s lost the Vossloh logos on the front as they built by Stadler. I know that when I bought my 68 Dapol had tooled for this as they had made a plain Blue DRS logo without this logo and with Stadler makers plates, as on your model. But annoyingly my 68 which is a Stadler built loco has Stadler makers plates on the side but it still has the Vossloh logo on the front. Anyway very pleased to see a review of what I think is a brilliant loco shame to see you found some performance issues.
I have several of these Class 68’s and very happy with them. Also had the coupling hook flick off on occasion but converted to Kadee couplings a while back and just had to adjust the trip pin height to cater for the droopy nem pocket and don’t have issues anymore. Another great review Sam
A splendid "SPLENDID" nameplate! I may be in Canada, but that's a great looking locomotive. Love that silver on black roof detail... extremely sharp! Those wheels are awesome... "1ST Company" is the name of our mass-transit owners as well. BN switcher 912 @ 25:37 seems the odd locomotive. John Condolences to your nation, Long Live The King.
I painted the control panel in the cab and it shows up - so something could have been done. I have 5 now - the best diesel locos I have. No problems with couplngs and runs like a dream - slow speed excellent - but all mine are DCC, four of them running with sound - 2 TPE; 2 DRS and one Scotrail
hey sam great video, I think dapols decoration is always good but it feels like they struggle with derailing problems let alone mechanism and couplings and this is coming from a bachmann fan
Love mine. Most of what I have is split equally between pre and post nationalisation steam, with a smallish group of diesel and electric but as these run close to where I live, I really fancied one. It’s absolutely brilliant, only using it on DC at the moment as well
The real full size class 68 run from Scarborough to York Sam, on the Trans Pennine Express service. TP built a maintenance centre in Scarborough costing 9 million but suffered complaints from residence from the noise from the locos during the night on testing before service. I live 3 miles from the Scarborough to York line and the dull droning noise from this engine can be heard, it's very strong. I hope the model is quieter HAHA. Love your reviews best wishes to you.
Good morning Sam. I've just come across your channel. Many thanks for such a great review. I am just starting to look into model rail reading myself. For a long time I was wanting to go US model railroading specifically modern diesels. To me they just looked amazing over European locos. However despite the sheer daunting amount of info around I still found myself hesitant to jump in. Based more on wanting to get it right. It suddenly occured to me that living here in the UK and being able to see railways and operation right here was so much better. I was then slowly coming round to the idea of British modern freight rail roading. Having seen many time the class 66 and 67 locos running I've been more convinced than ever that I'm making the right choice. Now this absolute beauty the Class 68. I'm going N gauge myself with space and I just love the scale. I hope to learn a lot from your channel as my venture begins. Dapol is most certainly my loco of choice for quality and price. I'm definitely going DCC. I'd really appreciate any advice from your side for a complete newbie like myself.
I love my N gauge 68 in the Chiltern Railways livery. One of my favourite locos in the collection. It's an absolutely fantastic model. Waiting for the coaches to be released for it! I'm so glad to see your review and opinion on the 00 one. Dapol have generally great consistency for a reasonable price these days. Love what they do.
@samstrains The N gauge ones can indeed be found for good value money, especially if being sold at the Dapol stand at the International N gauge show this weekend…
Got two of these, by far one of the best ever locos Dapol has made, the quality, finish, detail, performance all of it. Just wish they were more consistent with their other locos.
We have a dapol class 68 and it's probably the strongest loco we have along with the accurascale class 92. They are the only two locos we have so far that will seperate from their magnetically coupled rake by holding the head of the rake and just driving away slowly. 😂. Dapol offer great value.
Had one of these for a year and a half now, and it's easily one of my favourite models. Had a look over where the detail is catching on the bogies of yours and not an issue with mine. I agree that the clip on assembly of the models body/bogie chassis is not great (but I think that's true of a lot of modern tooled diesels/electrics) and the coupling hook on mine also droops at the rear(?) end. After I saw it getting caught on points and such I just cut half of the lower half of the hook off. Never had it ping off like yours did though. Never the less, for the price compared to the (at the time) Bachmann LMS 10000/DP1 diesels this far outclassed either of them in pretty much every area and is a really great model, imo. Cheers Edit, of course the next time I run the thing, the front coupling hook pings off never to be seen again within 5 seconds. Ha
Hi Sam, you didn't spot what I didn't spot, until putting mine alongside Brutus, now with new motor and running perfectly ..... Want to know what you missed? Grabrails at the bottom of the windscreens each end - they're MISSING !! There was an 'open return' option which I'd missed, receiving mine after the 31AUG22 deadline. Check out the RMWEB / Dapol / Class 68 thread. I'm putting the screws on Rails and Dapol to see if they'll at least send me replacement rails, and I'll glue them on myself. A lovely locomotive ruined by Dapol's lack of QC, and ... well, I'll know if they do assist before I start throwing any mud!! I hope they do - not my fault they stuffed up!! Al.
Glad you finally got one ! I still think this is amongst the best in diesel models at the moment and I do have the Accurascale Deltic . It runs well out of the box . The decoration is superb . Agree on couplings but I have to say when it is coupled to whatever you are pulling it seldom uncouples . I have a DRS Compass one and TPE “Brutus” just waiting for the Accurascale Mk5s to run with it with it . As I said I think these are very good , they run well and do anything I need of them .
I was thinking it and Joe Eason came very close to writing it. 'His' Class 68 detailing is spot on. Both couplings work complete with sprung buffers interior lights, working horn complete with Ilkley Moor melody and he has got plenty of torque with 71,000lbf of tractive effort!🤣
I got the Chiltern railways livery of this model as my first dapol model. I'm very happy with the purchase. I just wish there were more metal parts on the outside. It feels slightly plastic in some places but for the price this is to be expected really
@@terencemartin3649 the consistent running is really what I love about the model! I haven't done any of the dropper wires yet and it still runs very consistently
I saw the Chiltern Railways one of these at Marylebone Station on Sunday as I was on my way to the P2 Loco Roadshow. The 68 was at the 'country' end (DVT at the other end) because (as informed by a train driver pub mate that evening) the 68s have a very powerful Caterpillar engine which makes a loud old school rumble. It was placed at that end to save passengers having to tolerate the noise as they disembarked and walked past it to the station exit. To me that shouts, great, go get a decent DCC sound decoder for this model.
Very good I saw this locomotive before it's the Nova 3 the class 68 with the TPE coaches called the Nova 3 does the service between York and Scarborough plus it will soon do the service between Cleethorpes and Liverpool lime Street or Manchester Piccadilly via Sheffield
Youngest daughter is taking a class 68 Nova 3 Cleethorpes to Manchester then back tomorrow ,its not in service running as class 5 (empty coaching stock) .She signs 68/Nova 5 but its just run to keep her driver competency up to date till there in service later this year
Dapol have been on fire this year. I'm modeling N scale so I can't really get stuff like this but man you are tempting me to sell all my earthly possessions and dedicate myself entirely to the way of the train
@@SamsTrains based on what I've seen on hattons, they are certainly cheaper! I think a diesel like this tends to average around 100 to 120, pending if you want DCC fitted out of the box.. I'm probably going to get a class 66 from them
Fantastic video I have got 68 031 Felix I personally don't let it run with any other stocks I have got Mark 5A Coaches on order so my 68 will mostly run with those Coaches
TransPennine used the Class 68s on push-pull trains on their Manchester-Huddersfield-Leeds line, with a driving trailer coach at the other end (which had a cab that actually looked quite like the 68 cab). I live near the Calder Valley line (Manchester-Halifax-Leeds) and TransPennine trains sometimes get diverted along the Calder Valley. I took photos of 68 025 'Superb' storming through Hebden Bridge with a push-pull train in 2023. However, the livery didn't look quite the same - very similar, but the blue round the cab (a sort of sky-blue on the model) seems a lot darker. Also, it had had its name removed at some point, as did 'Splendid' and the other TP locos. TransPennine stopped using their 68s in August 2023 and put them into storage. One reason I heard was that there had been complaints about the noise of the locos !
Most of the NEM pockets seem to droop which is why these couplers are low. There should be some way to pit a shim under the coupler to bring it up to the right height. Thanks for the video Sam good review once again.
I spotted a diesel locomotive today right here in Lancaster going through Lancaster Train Station (my home town and my home town's train station) and the locomotive was a brown locomotive.
This is one of dapol best OO gauge locomotives, I have had my DRS one which is 68003 Astute for quite a few years now and originally had it as a Christmas present, it’s one of my best diesels, good to see you finally review one of these.
It sure is awesome - and so glad to see one without any sign of motor issues... this one's run faultlessly for quite a while now. Fab that you're happy with yours too! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I have 'Destroyer' in TPE livery as she was the first class 68 I worked alone as her conductor. However my model runs fantastically on DCC and I've not had any problems with her. I'm just waiting for the Mk5A carriages to go with her next!
Well what can I say? Splendid remains, erm, splendid! Together with Brutus, a motor change had been required - Splendid on her 2nd, Brutus the older locomotive on her 3rd motor! I do notice generally with Dapol locomotives that they 'warm up' - they speed up slightly after a 'couple of loops' and the 68's can reach a reasonable turn of speed. Al.
This locomotive looks awesome! Usually European locomotives don't catch my eye but this engine is one that intrigues me. Such an interesting looking locomotive, and it reminds me of the ACS-64 if it was a diesel.
You need to take a look at the Bachmann class 90. Probably one of the best models made in the last few years. 5 stars in everything (except maybe the price)
Accurascale have got a Transpennine full coach set coming in September for the Class 68. It’s got lights and everything else you now expect from Accurascale. I’ve had mine on pre-order, to go with my Dapol Class 68, for a good while now.
Will you be doing an updated version of your 'getting started' video from 4 years ago? I suspect the cost would have jumped dramatically since then...not a cheap hobby for newbies or youngsters to get into I suspect. Do you have advice on cutting costs or cheap ways to get started?
I have just been and looked at my five 68s and not one of them has the coupling that low. They have a shroud around them that keeps it up. Yours does not seem to have that shroud, does it?. I love them. Never had an issue or a derailment. Also with that coupling I run it with Hornby and Bachmann stock. I do not run Hornby and Bachmann mixed. Different heights on the couplings give me no end of issues.
Hi Sam, have you ever thought about getting some Australian locomotives in your collection? Australian Rail Models (owned by Hornby) releasing the famous 3801 and I would love to see a detailed review on it with your format.
The finger on the front waiting for it to slip is going to be less reliable for testing "torque" as the heavier weight will press the wheels tighter to the track, meaning it needs more power to get the wheels to spin. A proper torque measuring tool would be more beneficial. That could be the reason for a poor crawl as well. Admittedly this one was lacking at very slow speeds, but the slow speed is enough to do controlled coupling and these locos are not really designed as shunters. I totally agree on the coupling though. Even on the low cost end, couplings should work
Fantastic locomotive with fantastic livery. Looks like Syd Mead took a '80s VCR and filled it up with diesel while some vaporwave enthusiast spraypainted it with Fiji bottled water. N scale pls!
If you compare your model with previous releases you will notice your model has handrails missing on both ends ( below windscreen ). I believe these were missed due to an error on production line. Dapol are asking people to remove the bodies and return them so handrails can be fitted free of charge. Not very good for people who may have health issues or lack confidence in working on locos.
Hi Sam I have two in n gaged I have not looked at in has much detail as you but it amazes me how the n gage seams a lot better than in oo you would think that a bigger model would look a lot better I have no problems with couplings it makes me scratching My head both mine runs really well
Very enjoyable vid Sam as usual. I do think you were a tad harsh on the final score but at the end of the day it’s your opinion based on your experience. I have one of the DRS compass liveried ones and it’s a fantastic loco in my opinion. I’ve fitted it with sound and a large basey speaker and I did a video on this which you can check out if you’d like to. The coupling issue is famous for the 68s however is easily solvable by cutting off the bottom of the hook. Shouldn’t need to do it really but atleast it’s easily solvable. Best thing I would say about these locos indeed is the price especially in this day and age. I bought mine second hand for £130 DCC fitted which is an amazing bargain. The new ones are also very well priced and it just shows and unreasonable the prices from the likes of Hornby and Bachmann are. Dapol really are good at showing how easy it is to produce a high quality model at a reasonable price. All the best to you bud and look forward to the next one 👍
"the body removal also relies on the use of clips and not screws,again i think that screws are just more long lasting quality solution. However the chassis comes off reasonably easily once you've disengaged those screws" Yes Sam i know you want there to be screws but you cliped up that one up a little. Haha self-ejecting coupling, it'd be fun action feature for like a catapult based "canon" for military vagon but as it is the droop is a problem. Right the body detail being lacking from up close is fine you are unlikely to look at it from close if you are using it right? looks like overall good deal, if you have spare couplings anyways
I have one in DRS compass livery but due to some family shit it’s missing it’s front buffers, missing nameplates and accessories Still amazing non the less
Hi sam thanks for covering the 68 I have mine four years now and paid less than 100 pounds for it, no problems with coupling as my one is higher up also the details are not catching the bogies, torque is not an issue as I have no gradients and dont pull unusually long trains ,very happy with it 👍
Another good video. In the future if you are looking for a US diesel locomotive the EMD SD40-2 was a largely popular locomotive in the US and Canada with 1000s produced form 1972 to the mid 1980s with many still in used and others that have been rebuilt. The older Athearn Blue box model from the 80s are good, however the detailing is lacking compared to todays models but solid runners and easy to work on. Still possible to get New old stock Blue box Athearns.. Blue box because the came in a blue box. There are more modern models of the locomotive also available. Just a idea.
So when are Dapol gonna do the 88s? Same loco shape, slightly different vents plus a pantograph. I have 007 Valiant in ScotRail livery (1st batch, so doesn't have the brake discs) and 032 Destroyer in TPE (3rd batch, because I couldn't get Brutus from the 2nd batch). Just waiting on the mk5as, now due december. These 68s are my 3rd most powerful locos, after the hornby 60s at #2 and the accurascale deltics at #1 (discounting my hornby 50 with traction tyres, which is cheating). Not bad for a Bo-Bo. One thing I really appreciate with these 68s is that they supply the nameplates separately, not on a sprue as Bachmann usually does, so you don't need to mess about with cutting them off and bending them. Still, they're not the cleanest so could do with a light filing on the edges where they were attached. And another thing I'm super impressed with is the halo lights. How do you get a ring of light around a central light on something this small? Don't think they work on DC though. I forgot the couplings droop. I bent the tension locks upwards on mine, so the ends line up correctly. Very carefully done, but not easy to do. Never seen the issue of detail being in the way of the bogies though. I was very surprised last night at my new hornby super detailed 67. It crawls really really slowly using a panel mounted gaugemaster controller, but it also flies along very quickly at 100% on a handheld gaugemaster controller (DC only, don't have any spare chips for it atm).
You do realize the cab window hand rails are missing which is a major fault with the model, Dapol are fitting them for free if you send your model to them but what you get back may not be the one you sent which has been reported on forums thus another issue especially when the model you get back has scratches or other things wrong with it. A top model but I think the fit & finish is starting to show its age.
Overall an absolutely Splendid locomotive - no pun! I have an earlier TPE, and YES, I've had to change the motor and cradle, as it had uncoupled, caught up with the rear, derailed and burnt out - wheels not spinning. So whilst not totally pleased, I do agree with virtually all of the comments. Love the livery, smooth running - runs for hours without fault - and the overall look. The higher weight will obviously affect the lack of wheelspin, so not totally a fair comment there, but I suppose not fully unfounded. In my collection, definitely one of my favourites, and very reliable - once coupled properly. Al.
There's a Splendid 'special' on at Rails, so just couldn't resist ... had to!! Love my Brutus, and have A/S coach set coming soon, so would be rude not to take up the offer ... relative bargain. Al.
Hi Sam, I think I'll call you the Agent of Doom !! Just as I was singing the praises, and saying how much I loved my '68', after having been away for a couple of weeks, I coupled up, and found mine reluctant to move - this with its replacement motor of 18 months - I burnt out the 1st one when it derailed - collision / coupling height issue - when I wasn't present and as you reliably observed, didn't have the torque to spin the wheels, so stalled and burnt out - motor and cradle replaced. This one is the replacement motor, of 18 months as indicated .. and running slowly. It has had perhaps 30-40 hours' use, so I've had some quite reasonable use out of it, but would expect more. I will investigate, but suspect the motor has died or is ready to. Al.
It's SPLENDID you've reviewed one and mine is amazing and love it reasonable great runner and the option of the different lighting settings on DCC thanks again for the video
@@perthdave100 Agreed. She's served me well, but I've been having some weird issues with her recently, probably because of age. The problem is that I built that thing into my scenery, so getting it out is one problem, and fitting a new one in it's place is gonna be interesting as well.
The engine is heavy so it will grip the rails - the wheels not turning is good - it's gripping! If the wheels spin easily then it will have low puling power due to slipping. Grip isn't torque.
If you put a brick wall in front of a high torque engine, it will spin its wheels! It won't just sit there and not spin is wheels. Nothing to do with grip.
@@dennisneo1608 That's not the case. A motor that stalls may have way more torque than one that doesn't but cannot overcome friction (due to weight and coefficients of friction of the materials involved) , whereas a low torque motor in an engine with low weight and/or low friction may easily spin it's wheels. Sam's tractive effort test is a much better indicator an engines pulling power - the maximum tractive effort is when the load *either* causes the motor stall *or* when the engine slips. The same motor in a heavy engine will pull more than the same motor in a lightweight engine. That's why people add weights to engines to get better pulling power (grip) - in the case of this review the manufacturer has already added that weight, specifically to stop slipping and increase tractive effort.
I get what you're saying, but with an appropriate mechanism, a model should be able to overcome its adhesion when is it being held still, just like a real locomotive would be able to. I think that the motor is just a little weak. Plus, the lack of proper bearings and the double pickups will be sapping away effective torque at lower speeds hence the inability to crawl.
Got a class 68 from the first ever batch. And never had a part fall off nor any issues with running. Shows that these are well made and good value.
I really hope that other manufacturers (hornby) take note, especially when it comes to price and quality. Well done Dapol.
Don't worry, they won't! :)
The best name on one of the 68s is 'Felix', as it is named after the station cat at Huddersfield.
Nah Evolution or Destroyer does
I really like the livery of this one. The wheels also look pretty cool with that sort of dotted design around them.
These are brake discs built into the wheels, for anyone wondering :)
I’m relatively new to the hobby but already have 3 of these locos in the different liveries! Such good value for money and highly detailed. Run then on DCC and have no problems whatsoever. Coupling are a bit annoying but that’s all I can fault it for really. Have you seen one of these in real life? The engine sound is incredible!
Great loco, I work with DRS and having worked on 68s for a while now I was really surprised how accurate Dapol managed to make this. Top marks and great model, might have to get a TPE livery one aswell though, this looks lush 🤣
I don't now why but the tiny emergency break glass fire alarm, was so impressive to me, that they included it, it looks prefect as well, I just wasn't expecting that much detail.
sometimes there is too much detail fitted to locos.
I think the detail is good for what you're paying for. That coupler height is comedic, though. Easy enough to fix, though. Sure is a great looking piece of kit.
I have the Dapol Class 68 as well. I have 68032 (I wanted a TPE one so I can use it with Accurascale Mark 5a coaches when they eventually release). Always thought the detail was brilliant. I bought mine factory fitted with DCC and I have had no problems with the performance. I can get incredible slow speed performance as well. I don't remember having problems with the couplings (I haven't used mine in a couple of months) but I do remember them always being better than those on the Hornby Railways Class 67 which I know has couplings that seem to sag quite a bit. The biggest problem I have with my Class 68 is one of the detail inaccuracies which I have on my model. The first half the 68s were actually built by Vossloh before Stadler bought them and they gave a little Vossloh logo on the front as well as Vossloh Makers plates and this has been correctly modelled by Dapol. The later builds of Class 68s lost the Vossloh logos on the front as they built by Stadler. I know that when I bought my 68 Dapol had tooled for this as they had made a plain Blue DRS logo without this logo and with Stadler makers plates, as on your model. But annoyingly my 68 which is a Stadler built loco has Stadler makers plates on the side but it still has the Vossloh logo on the front. Anyway very pleased to see a review of what I think is a brilliant loco shame to see you found some performance issues.
I have several of these Class 68’s and very happy with them. Also had the coupling hook flick off on occasion but converted to Kadee couplings a while back and just had to adjust the trip pin height to cater for the droopy nem pocket and don’t have issues anymore. Another great review Sam
Same my coupling flew in the air
A splendid "SPLENDID" nameplate! I may be in Canada, but that's a great looking locomotive. Love that silver on black roof detail... extremely sharp! Those wheels are awesome... "1ST Company" is the name of our mass-transit owners as well. BN switcher 912 @ 25:37 seems the odd locomotive.
John
Condolences to your nation, Long Live The King.
This reminds me of certain trix model. Those models are simply amazing…. Blows any models out of the water.
I painted the control panel in the cab and it shows up - so something could have been done. I have 5 now - the best diesel locos I have. No problems with couplngs and runs like a dream - slow speed excellent - but all mine are DCC, four of them running with sound - 2 TPE; 2 DRS and one Scotrail
Even though its shortcomings, great to see a great detailed, modern loco' being priced so well. Nice one Sam. 👍🏻
hey sam great video, I think dapols decoration is always good but it feels like they struggle with derailing problems let alone mechanism and couplings and this is coming from a bachmann fan
Love mine. Most of what I have is split equally between pre and post nationalisation steam, with a smallish group of diesel and electric but as these run close to where I live, I really fancied one. It’s absolutely brilliant, only using it on DC at the moment as well
Ahh excellent - sounds like a good reason to get one... and they are fantastic for the money! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I have 68002 “Intrepid” in the DRS compass livery, one of the crown jewels in my collection
Fantastic - I can't blame you - very detailed model this! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I just bought another one (68005 Defiant) alongside 3 Accurascale nuclear flask PFAs so now I have a full DRS nuclear train
Great value locomotive, some minor issues, would say though it’s ok. Great review, accurate details. Another excellent video.
The real full size class 68 run from Scarborough to York Sam, on the Trans Pennine Express service. TP built a maintenance centre in Scarborough costing 9 million but suffered complaints from residence from the noise from the locos during the night on testing before service. I live 3 miles from the Scarborough to York line and the dull droning noise from this engine can be heard, it's very strong. I hope the model is quieter HAHA. Love your reviews best wishes to you.
Good morning Sam. I've just come across your channel. Many thanks for such a great review. I am just starting to look into model rail reading myself. For a long time I was wanting to go US model railroading specifically modern diesels. To me they just looked amazing over European locos. However despite the sheer daunting amount of info around I still found myself hesitant to jump in. Based more on wanting to get it right. It suddenly occured to me that living here in the UK and being able to see railways and operation right here was so much better. I was then slowly coming round to the idea of British modern freight rail roading. Having seen many time the class 66 and 67 locos running I've been more convinced than ever that I'm making the right choice. Now this absolute beauty the Class 68. I'm going N gauge myself with space and I just love the scale. I hope to learn a lot from your channel as my venture begins. Dapol is most certainly my loco of choice for quality and price. I'm definitely going DCC. I'd really appreciate any advice from your side for a complete newbie like myself.
I love my N gauge 68 in the Chiltern Railways livery. One of my favourite locos in the collection. It's an absolutely fantastic model. Waiting for the coaches to be released for it! I'm so glad to see your review and opinion on the 00 one. Dapol have generally great consistency for a reasonable price these days. Love what they do.
Ahh excellent - so the N gauge one is decent too? Got to love Dapol for their great value!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@samstrains The N gauge ones can indeed be found for good value money, especially if being sold at the Dapol stand at the International N gauge show this weekend…
Yeeeeeees SAM IS REVIEWING MODERN TRAIN STUFFS :) please do it more we would get bored of more steam locomotives
These models run fantastically well on DCC. I can get it to go at a scale 0.2mph reliably according to my speed measuring software.
Got two of these, by far one of the best ever locos Dapol has made, the quality, finish, detail, performance all of it. Just wish they were more consistent with their other locos.
Yeah I'd agree - definitely one of their better diesels... impressive stuff!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Oh looks great, hopefully i can get one as the tpe 68’s run through my town😀
Oh i’ve had a look at the prices! They are very expensive, do you think they will accept 13 pounds😂
Awesome!! Sounds like a great excuse to grab one.... but no, I doubt they'd be down for that, haha ;D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
We have a dapol class 68 and it's probably the strongest loco we have along with the accurascale class 92. They are the only two locos we have so far that will seperate from their magnetically coupled rake by holding the head of the rake and just driving away slowly. 😂. Dapol offer great value.
Had one of these for a year and a half now, and it's easily one of my favourite models. Had a look over where the detail is catching on the bogies of yours and not an issue with mine.
I agree that the clip on assembly of the models body/bogie chassis is not great (but I think that's true of a lot of modern tooled diesels/electrics) and the coupling hook on mine also droops at the rear(?) end. After I saw it getting caught on points and such I just cut half of the lower half of the hook off. Never had it ping off like yours did though.
Never the less, for the price compared to the (at the time) Bachmann LMS 10000/DP1 diesels this far outclassed either of them in pretty much every area and is a really great model, imo.
Cheers
Edit, of course the next time I run the thing, the front coupling hook pings off never to be seen again within 5 seconds. Ha
I haven't watched it yet but I know you'll love it. I have had mine for 4 years and never regretted it.
Absolutely - it's a cracking model for what it cost!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
So glad you got around to this one!
I can’t lie and don’t participate in the hobby. I do however enjoy this channel and your reviews. Just brilliant
Hi Sam, you didn't spot what I didn't spot, until putting mine alongside Brutus, now with new motor and running perfectly .....
Want to know what you missed?
Grabrails at the bottom of the windscreens each end - they're MISSING !!
There was an 'open return' option which I'd missed, receiving mine after the 31AUG22 deadline.
Check out the RMWEB / Dapol / Class 68 thread.
I'm putting the screws on Rails and Dapol to see if they'll at least send me replacement rails, and I'll glue them on myself.
A lovely locomotive ruined by Dapol's lack of QC, and ... well, I'll know if they do assist before I start throwing any mud!!
I hope they do - not my fault they stuffed up!!
Al.
Glad you finally got one ! I still think this is amongst the best in diesel models at the moment and I do have the Accurascale Deltic . It runs well out of the box . The decoration is superb . Agree on couplings but I have to say when it is coupled to whatever you are pulling it seldom uncouples . I have a DRS Compass one and TPE “Brutus” just waiting for the Accurascale Mk5s to run with it with it . As I said I think these are very good , they run well and do anything I need of them .
I was thinking it and Joe Eason came very close to writing it. 'His' Class 68 detailing is spot on. Both couplings work complete with sprung buffers interior lights, working horn complete with Ilkley Moor melody and he has got plenty of torque with 71,000lbf of tractive effort!🤣
Great review Sam, thanks!
I got the Chiltern railways livery of this model as my first dapol model. I'm very happy with the purchase. I just wish there were more metal parts on the outside. It feels slightly plastic in some places but for the price this is to be expected really
bought my chiltern model in 2017 for &123-72 heavy model and good runner
@@terencemartin3649 the consistent running is really what I love about the model! I haven't done any of the dropper wires yet and it still runs very consistently
I saw the Chiltern Railways one of these at Marylebone Station on Sunday as I was on my way to the P2 Loco Roadshow. The 68 was at the 'country' end (DVT at the other end) because (as informed by a train driver pub mate that evening) the 68s have a very powerful Caterpillar engine which makes a loud old school rumble. It was placed at that end to save passengers having to tolerate the noise as they disembarked and walked past it to the station exit.
To me that shouts, great, go get a decent DCC sound decoder for this model.
I’ll be seeing one of them soon
Very good I saw this locomotive before it's the Nova 3 the class 68 with the TPE coaches called the Nova 3 does the service between York and Scarborough plus it will soon do the service between Cleethorpes and Liverpool lime Street or Manchester Piccadilly via Sheffield
Youngest daughter is taking a class 68 Nova 3 Cleethorpes to Manchester then back tomorrow ,its not in service running as class 5 (empty coaching stock) .She signs 68/Nova 5 but its just run to keep her driver competency up to date till there in service later this year
What a stunner! Great review! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!!! :D
You had me at radius 1!
Dapol have been on fire this year. I'm modeling N scale so I can't really get stuff like this but man you are tempting me to sell all my earthly possessions and dedicate myself entirely to the way of the train
You can get stuff like this - Dapol's N gauge 68 is a brilliant model from personal experience. Would highly recommend.
They sure have - and I hear great things about their N gauge models all the time!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
@@SamsTrains based on what I've seen on hattons, they are certainly cheaper! I think a diesel like this tends to average around 100 to 120, pending if you want DCC fitted out of the box.. I'm probably going to get a class 66 from them
Saw this loco in Scarborough train station over the 6 weeks fantastic engine to see In person
Fantastic video I have got 68 031 Felix I personally don't let it run with any other stocks I have got Mark 5A Coaches on order so my 68 will mostly run with those Coaches
you need to send the body back to dapol and have the end grab rails fitted at each end. had the same with my splendid
Finally the class 68! Lovely video Sam!!!!
very helpful review and great quality work as always
thank you sam!
TransPennine used the Class 68s on push-pull trains on their Manchester-Huddersfield-Leeds line, with a driving trailer coach at the other end (which had a cab that actually looked quite like the 68 cab). I live near the Calder Valley line (Manchester-Halifax-Leeds) and TransPennine trains sometimes get diverted along the Calder Valley.
I took photos of 68 025 'Superb' storming through Hebden Bridge with a push-pull train in 2023.
However, the livery didn't look quite the same - very similar, but the blue round the cab (a sort of sky-blue on the model) seems a lot darker.
Also, it had had its name removed at some point, as did 'Splendid' and the other TP locos.
TransPennine stopped using their 68s in August 2023 and put them into storage.
One reason I heard was that there had been complaints about the noise of the locos !
Most of the NEM pockets seem to droop which is why these couplers are low. There should be some way to pit a shim under the coupler to bring it up to the right height.
Thanks for the video Sam good review once again.
I've acquired one of these recently. It has a slight droop to the coupling, but not as bad as Sam's version.
Also if you have bought the model recently Dapol are still adding the missing handrails.
I spotted a diesel locomotive today right here in Lancaster going through Lancaster Train Station (my home town and my home town's train station) and the locomotive was a brown locomotive.
This is one of dapol best OO gauge locomotives, I have had my DRS one which is 68003 Astute for quite a few years now and originally had it as a Christmas present, it’s one of my best diesels, good to see you finally review one of these.
It sure is awesome - and so glad to see one without any sign of motor issues... this one's run faultlessly for quite a while now. Fab that you're happy with yours too! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Excellent review as always Sam. Shall I re-send the email with the video suggestion?
Thank you! And yes please - I'm always looking for new ideas! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
I have 'Destroyer' in TPE livery as she was the first class 68 I worked alone as her conductor. However my model runs fantastically on DCC and I've not had any problems with her. I'm just waiting for the Mk5A carriages to go with her next!
Well what can I say?
Splendid remains, erm, splendid!
Together with Brutus, a motor change had been required - Splendid on her 2nd, Brutus the older locomotive on her 3rd motor!
I do notice generally with Dapol locomotives that they 'warm up' - they speed up slightly after a 'couple of loops' and the 68's can reach a reasonable turn of speed.
Al.
This locomotive looks awesome! Usually European locomotives don't catch my eye but this engine is one that intrigues me. Such an interesting looking locomotive, and it reminds me of the ACS-64 if it was a diesel.
You need to take a look at the Bachmann class 90. Probably one of the best models made in the last few years. 5 stars in everything (except maybe the price)
Accurascale have got a Transpennine full coach set coming in September for the Class 68. It’s got lights and everything else you now expect from Accurascale. I’ve had mine on pre-order, to go with my Dapol Class 68, for a good while now.
That's awesome - might have to look into that now! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
People will finally have something to run with the Dapol TPE Class 68 when the Accurascale Mark 5A coaches arrive in November
I have one in the same livery. I bought it because Accurascale is doing the TPE Mk5 coach set something that you might like
I like the unique shape it has along with the livery
Hi Sam Nice review not bad for the money, All the best Brian 😃
Will you be doing an updated version of your 'getting started' video from 4 years ago?
I suspect the cost would have jumped dramatically since then...not a cheap hobby for newbies or youngsters to get into I suspect. Do you have advice on cutting costs or cheap ways to get started?
I have just been and looked at my five 68s and not one of them has the coupling that low. They have a shroud around them that keeps it up. Yours does not seem to have that shroud, does it?. I love them. Never had an issue or a derailment. Also with that coupling I run it with Hornby and Bachmann stock. I do not run Hornby and Bachmann mixed. Different heights on the couplings give me no end of issues.
Hi Sam, have you ever thought about getting some Australian locomotives in your collection? Australian Rail Models (owned by Hornby) releasing the famous 3801 and I would love to see a detailed review on it with your format.
Dapple made an error with this & felix - missing cab rails on the windscreen! They did offer to update the body shells if you returned them.
‘Dapple’ - Speech-to-text?
I have the same livery but different loco I think during the first batch and I have been really pleased with mine.
Lovely video sam
The finger on the front waiting for it to slip is going to be less reliable for testing "torque" as the heavier weight will press the wheels tighter to the track, meaning it needs more power to get the wheels to spin. A proper torque measuring tool would be more beneficial. That could be the reason for a poor crawl as well. Admittedly this one was lacking at very slow speeds, but the slow speed is enough to do controlled coupling and these locos are not really designed as shunters. I totally agree on the coupling though. Even on the low cost end, couplings should work
I love the TPE livery on the 68s..
There are some great 68 liveries... was looking at some the other day!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
Fantastic locomotive with fantastic livery. Looks like Syd Mead took a '80s VCR and filled it up with diesel while some vaporwave enthusiast spraypainted it with Fiji bottled water. N scale pls!
If you compare your model with previous releases you will notice your model has handrails missing on both ends ( below windscreen ). I believe these were missed due to an error on production line. Dapol are asking people to remove the bodies and return them so handrails can be fitted free of charge. Not very good for people who may have health issues or lack confidence in working on locos.
Hi Sam I have two in n gaged I have not looked at in has much detail as you but it amazes me how the n gage seams a lot better than in oo you would think that a bigger model would look a lot better I have no problems with couplings it makes me scratching My head both mine runs really well
This goes fantastic with Accurascale's TransPennine Express Mk5a Coach Pack
The irl class class 68 is even more beautiful in person
Very enjoyable vid Sam as usual. I do think you were a tad harsh on the final score but at the end of the day it’s your opinion based on your experience. I have one of the DRS compass liveried ones and it’s a fantastic loco in my opinion. I’ve fitted it with sound and a large basey speaker and I did a video on this which you can check out if you’d like to. The coupling issue is famous for the 68s however is easily solvable by cutting off the bottom of the hook. Shouldn’t need to do it really but atleast it’s easily solvable. Best thing I would say about these locos indeed is the price especially in this day and age. I bought mine second hand for £130 DCC fitted which is an amazing bargain. The new ones are also very well priced and it just shows and unreasonable the prices from the likes of Hornby and Bachmann are. Dapol really are good at showing how easy it is to produce a high quality model at a reasonable price. All the best to you bud and look forward to the next one 👍
Really good Review Sam! Dapol seems to have done a great job on this model, I'll certainly be picking this up.
Thanks Albert... glad to hear that! :D
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
"the body removal also relies on the use of clips and not screws,again i think that screws are just more long lasting quality solution.
However the chassis comes off reasonably easily once you've disengaged those screws"
Yes Sam i know you want there to be screws but you cliped up that one up a little.
Haha self-ejecting coupling, it'd be fun action feature for like a catapult based "canon" for military vagon but as it is the droop is a problem.
Right the body detail being lacking from up close is fine you are unlikely to look at it from close if you are using it right? looks like overall good deal, if you have spare couplings anyways
Best reviews on UA-cam.
Hey Sam have you heard about the Queen? She has passed away unfortunately 😔
I have two of these in N gauge as they're my absolute favourite diesel in real life. So really excited to see you reviewing this!
I have two of these and I really like them. I have pre-ordered the coaches from Accurascale
I love BN ho scale engine in the background. 👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
Question for Sam: Are you ever gonna plan on touching the diesel/Electric locomotives from the US?
Very neat model, I thought it was a acs-64 when I I first saw the thumbnail lol
I have one in DRS compass livery but due to some family shit it’s missing it’s front buffers, missing nameplates and accessories
Still amazing non the less
Hi sam thanks for covering the 68 I have mine four years now and paid less than 100 pounds for it, no problems with coupling as my one is higher up also the details are not catching the bogies, torque is not an issue as I have no gradients and dont pull unusually long trains ,very happy with it 👍
Another good video. In the future if you are looking for a US diesel locomotive the EMD SD40-2 was a largely popular locomotive in the US and Canada with 1000s produced form 1972 to the mid 1980s with many still in used and others that have been rebuilt. The older Athearn Blue box model from the 80s are good, however the detailing is lacking compared to todays models but solid runners and easy to work on. Still possible to get New old stock Blue box Athearns.. Blue box because the came in a blue box. There are more modern models of the locomotive also available. Just a idea.
35:56 I see two re-reviews and a a certain recent hornby loco there Sam ;)
So when are Dapol gonna do the 88s? Same loco shape, slightly different vents plus a pantograph.
I have 007 Valiant in ScotRail livery (1st batch, so doesn't have the brake discs) and 032 Destroyer in TPE (3rd batch, because I couldn't get Brutus from the 2nd batch). Just waiting on the mk5as, now due december. These 68s are my 3rd most powerful locos, after the hornby 60s at #2 and the accurascale deltics at #1 (discounting my hornby 50 with traction tyres, which is cheating). Not bad for a Bo-Bo.
One thing I really appreciate with these 68s is that they supply the nameplates separately, not on a sprue as Bachmann usually does, so you don't need to mess about with cutting them off and bending them. Still, they're not the cleanest so could do with a light filing on the edges where they were attached.
And another thing I'm super impressed with is the halo lights. How do you get a ring of light around a central light on something this small? Don't think they work on DC though.
I forgot the couplings droop. I bent the tension locks upwards on mine, so the ends line up correctly. Very carefully done, but not easy to do. Never seen the issue of detail being in the way of the bogies though.
I was very surprised last night at my new hornby super detailed 67. It crawls really really slowly using a panel mounted gaugemaster controller, but it also flies along very quickly at 100% on a handheld gaugemaster controller (DC only, don't have any spare chips for it atm).
You do realize the cab window hand rails are missing which is a major fault with the model, Dapol are fitting them for free if you send your model to them but what you get back may not be the one you sent which has been reported on forums thus another issue especially when the model you get back has scratches or other things wrong with it.
A top model but I think the fit & finish is starting to show its age.
Love these, nice video as always
Thank you!! :D
You could say that the 68 was Splendid! 😂
Overall an absolutely Splendid locomotive - no pun!
I have an earlier TPE, and YES, I've had to change the motor and cradle, as it had uncoupled, caught up with the rear, derailed and burnt out - wheels not spinning.
So whilst not totally pleased, I do agree with virtually all of the comments.
Love the livery, smooth running - runs for hours without fault - and the overall look.
The higher weight will obviously affect the lack of wheelspin, so not totally a fair comment there, but I suppose not fully unfounded.
In my collection, definitely one of my favourites, and very reliable - once coupled properly.
Al.
There's a Splendid 'special' on at Rails, so just couldn't resist ... had to!!
Love my Brutus, and have A/S coach set coming soon, so would be rude not to take up the offer ... relative bargain.
Al.
Hi Sam, I think I'll call you the Agent of Doom !!
Just as I was singing the praises, and saying how much I loved my '68', after having been away for a couple of weeks, I coupled up, and found mine reluctant to move - this with its replacement motor of 18 months - I burnt out the 1st one when it derailed - collision / coupling height issue - when I wasn't present and as you reliably observed, didn't have the torque to spin the wheels, so stalled and burnt out - motor and cradle replaced.
This one is the replacement motor, of 18 months as indicated .. and running slowly. It has had perhaps 30-40 hours' use, so I've had some quite reasonable use out of it, but would expect more.
I will investigate, but suspect the motor has died or is ready to.
Al.
It's SPLENDID you've reviewed one and mine is amazing and love it reasonable great runner and the option of the different lighting settings on DCC thanks again for the video
You should look into getting the 5 MK5a coaches that go with this loco. See these consists all the time in Manchester
Nice one. I see these every day. I like Brutus.
I'm really envious of that Gaugemaster you've got there. I'm still using the trusty MRC 800 Tripak, which (I think) is a product of the 1980s.
i have one aswell, not used for a few years, better than the junk hornby supply with their train sets.
@@perthdave100 Agreed. She's served me well, but I've been having some weird issues with her recently, probably because of age. The problem is that I built that thing into my scenery, so getting it out is one problem, and fitting a new one in it's place is gonna be interesting as well.
9:31 interesting going back in time. Great review none the less
haha I know I know... should've been 2013 and 2017!!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
So amazing diesel engine review!
Thanks a lot Justin! :D
I absolutely love the is loco
I love how loud they are 😂😂
I do too Ben... though the loud noise is one area where this model is inaccurate... very quiet this one!
Thanks for watching, Sam :)
The engine is heavy so it will grip the rails - the wheels not turning is good - it's gripping! If the wheels spin easily then it will have low puling power due to slipping. Grip isn't torque.
If you put a brick wall in front of a high torque engine, it will spin its wheels! It won't just sit there and not spin is wheels. Nothing to do with grip.
@@dennisneo1608 That's not the case. A motor that stalls may have way more torque than one that doesn't but cannot overcome friction (due to weight and coefficients of friction of the materials involved) , whereas a low torque motor in an engine with low weight and/or low friction may easily spin it's wheels. Sam's tractive effort test is a much better indicator an engines pulling power - the maximum tractive effort is when the load *either* causes the motor stall *or* when the engine slips. The same motor in a heavy engine will pull more than the same motor in a lightweight engine. That's why people add weights to engines to get better pulling power (grip) - in the case of this review the manufacturer has already added that weight, specifically to stop slipping and increase tractive effort.
Wrong!
@@dennisneo1608 correct 😁
I get what you're saying, but with an appropriate mechanism, a model should be able to overcome its adhesion when is it being held still, just like a real locomotive would be able to. I think that the motor is just a little weak. Plus, the lack of proper bearings and the double pickups will be sapping away effective torque at lower speeds hence the inability to crawl.
I like the livery on this locomotive, and I'm surprised it looks good with 'heritage' coaches