"We're small, flexible and sexy!"

1220 Views 4 Replies 5 Participants Last post by ozwarrior, Jul 18, 2007

Gary

Discussion Starter · Jul 18, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

There is a very interesting interview with Dapol's managing director George Smith in the latest edition of Model Rail. For those interesting in quality control it is required reading with almost 2 pages devoted to this aspect of making sure Dapol get it right for their customers.

And there is a page devoted to the design process and thinking that goes into Dapol products.

George Smith's financial background comes out throughout the interview and there is an emphasis on the commercial side of a new product. Dapols time to market for new products is considerably less than those of competitors and it does mean that their R & D costs are lower as a result. This makes it possible to produce models that other manufacturers see as not commercially viable.

A very good read.

Is Dapol sexy?

Happy modelling
Gary

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alastairq

· #2 · Jul 18, 2007

I detected in the above article what might have been a subtle dig at the main manufacturers...leastwise, the one not owned by a Hong Kong company......concerning their quality control......especially in view of what has recently been noted on this forum?

Does beg the question...the larger the company,the more likleyhood of someone taking their eye off the ball?

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Gwent rail

· #3 · Jul 18, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

Dapol certainly produce a good quality wagon for us OO gauge modellers and must be a Godsend for the N gaugers.

But (and it is a big but) as a user of Kadee couplings, their couplings are a nightmare!

Anyone out there converted a Dapol wagon to Kadee

(or anything else for that matter)
Did you manage without hacking off the whole damned thing

If so suggestions would be welcome and I can start buying Dapol again!

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goedel

· #4 · Jul 18, 2007 (Edited by Moderator)

QUOTE (Gary @ 18 Jul 2007, 12:05) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>There is a very interesting interview with Dapol's managing director George Smith in the latest edition of Model Rail. And there is a page devoted to the design process and thinking that goes into Dapol products. George Smith's financial background comes out throughout the interview and there is an emphasis on the commercial side of a new product. Dapols time to market for new products is considerably less than those of competitors and it does mean that their R & D costs are lower as a result. This makes it possible to produce models that other manufacturers see as not commercially viable.
Is Dapol sexy?

I like Dapol, they seem to care about their customers and were very friendly when I was after a test NEM buckeye coupler to replace a Rapido with on the front of a locomotive. (This is even though I have never bought a Dapol model...) They sent a pair out straight away for free, and they actually show pictures of their model designs well before manufacture begins and ask the customers to raise any issues regarding accuracy/prototype detail - and then they actually make the changes suggested by the customers!! If only the big companies listened and then followed with action...people would be coming back for more ASAP. Their attitude towards customers is far better than that of many others, perhaps this is a luxury of being quite small??

However, their 'award winning' close coupling system is still rather crude and resembles older Arnold or Roco designs. The latest Minitrix and Roco coaches have a more compact design, although of course this only matters on more open wagons like the spline one; if the mechanism is inside a coach it doesn't matter quite so much how big it is!!

I'm looking forward to seeing their hooded-steel-carrier bogie wagon which might look at home in a rake of European ones by Roco (very hard to find)...

Goedel

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ozwarrior

· #5 · Jul 18, 2007

There's nothing like competition to get the opposition off their butts so more power to Dapol, particularly in N.
Are they sexy? I don't know as I haven't seen pics of their staff!

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