Dapol Class 122 DMU Cat no:4D-015-033D (Regional Railways)

Dapol Class 122 DMU (Regional Railways)

 

In late 2017 Dapol released it’s OO scale model of the British Railways class 122 DMU. The class 122 along with the similar class 121 DMU are often referred to as ‘Bubble Cars’. The class 122 were built by Glouster RC&W, the class 121 were built by Pressed Steel. Dapol are also releasing the class 121 DMU. In May 2017 the last of the class 121’s were withdrawn from service ending 57 years service on the UK network. A number of both classes have been preserved & can be found on various UK heritage railway lines.

The Model

The Dapol class 122 model comes in Dapol’s now standard blue stout card box with foam inserts & protective plastic ice packaging. A bag of extra buffer beam detail bits & a speedo cable are supplied for the modeller to fit. The version seen in this article is the DCC fitted version (DCC decoder / chip fitted at the factory) & also comes with a separate blanking plug for those wanting to convert the model back to traditional analogue control. The blanking plug i noted that it has switches fitted on it for setting the cab lights on / off etc.

The model is fitted with a sealed 5 pole can type motor with twin flywheels with drive shafts to both bogies. All wheel axles on this model are driven & have all wheel power pick ups. No traction tyres are fitted though not this model really needs them as it is well weighted to give excellent traction.

The motor sits centrally & is located under the passenger compartment floor, though the floor is raised slightly to allow for space for the motor, PCB, etc. The decoder socket is a 21 pin type & Dapol recommend fitting a 21MTC type 21 pin decoder with 5 or 6 functions, this allows for full use of all the lighting on this model.

The model has four switches located on the chassis access by removing the body (body held in place four clips), these can set the lighting to various settings such as driving end lamps on or off,  van end lamps on or off, carriage lighting on or off. Full details are supplied on the models paperwork. There is also a speaker mount & speaker connections on the PCB board are also provided. Dapol suggest a round 8 Ohm 20mm or similar, though Dapol sell the speaker as a spare (Part no: 110100).

 

Other details

The model has flush glazing, sprung buffers, fine printed details, under floor separate chassis details, fine scale profile wheels. Separate fitted hand rails, horns, exhaust pipes, windscreen wipers, full interior & interior cab details, lamp irons. Removable NEM sockets with narrow tension lock couplings, though as i’m not hauling any thing have removed them & fitted the full bufferbeam details. The roof features details such as the vents, ribs & blanked off destination box.

The lighting has directional bi-coloured head & tail lights as well as on this version a high intensity single headlight as well. Independent operated interior cab lighting as well passenger compartment lighting. All that’s need is to fit some passengers & crew!!

 

 

Running

After performing an hours running in, the model is very smooth & quiet runner. On the layouts incline a 4% grade down to the lower level fiddle yard it had no problems at all, climbs very well indeed. If hauling anything in real life would be no more than a trailer car or possibly a van. On the Scottish region where some 122’s converted into parcels cars, may well have worked with a couple of vans. Model Rail magazine in the interest to find out how much one of these models could pull, report theirs pulled nine cars up a 1-in-30 with no problems!!

So in the next section below we’ll take a look in photo’s at the details close up on this model as well as a video showing the model in action.

 

Photo’s & video

 

Dapol class 122 in BR Regional Railways Livery

Bufferbeam extra detail parts fitted (Full instructions supplied by Dapol as to what bit goes where)

Bogie cab steps & speedo cable (Speedo Cable supplied for fitting by the modeller)

Two photo’s above – Under chassis details

Bogie details

Guards van end cab with external exhaust pipes

Class 122 roof details

Guards compartment window with window grille

Guards door details

Driving cab passenger compartment end details

No smoking window label (printed on the inside of the glazing)

Passenger door & body side details

Some of the driving cab desk details

Cab roof destination box (blanked off on this version)

The Lighting

 

Headlights plus central high intensity head light

Tail lights

Cab interior light on the exhaust pipes end (Note cab driving desk details)

Cab interior lighting at the passenger compartment end

Photos above & below: Passenger compartment (Note the slight raised floor to allow for the motor / PCB etc)

video of the Dapol Class 122 Regional Railways model

To finish off we take a look at the model in action in this video.

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