Dapol Sentinel.

[Broithe]

I just found myself with a hundred quid I wasn't expecting and so, rather than waste it on food or heat, I decided to splurge some of it on a GSR(I) Sentinel - at last. I clicked the OK button at 1:30 on Friday afternoon and the postman handed it to me at 9:30 on Saturday morning. Top marks to Kernow for service!

 

It's a nicely finished little thing, although I'll do something to camouflage the bit of circuitry that's visible through the windows. It's taken a good bit of running in and is a lot quieter now, but it was fairly noisy to start with. I found that a spot of oil into the sintered bushes on the motor made quite a difference. It's nicely low-geared.

 

The body comes off nice and easily, although there is little to deal with inside.

 

Edited April 29, 2012 by Broithe

[Garfield]

The Sentinels were interesting little locos and the Dapol model really captures the feel of the prototype. Have you tried testing how much it can haul?

[Broithe]

I'm still playing at running it in. I only have a metre test track here. It'll probably have a good run tomorrow or the next day. I'll see what it'll pull on the flat and up a 1:40. It shouldn't be too bad, it's a fair weight, especially considering the size - they've pretty well filled all the spare space with metal - and it's quite low-geared.

[heirflick]

I just found myself with a hundred quid I wasn't expecting and so, rather than waste it on food or heat, I decided to splurge some of it on a GSR(I) Sentinel -

 

thats the sign of a true modeller...starve and freeze to death for the hobby!!!

she looks a little beauty. is she dcc ready/fitted ? no dought she will get a belt of weathering!

[Broithe]

I just found myself with a hundred quid I wasn't expecting and so, rather than waste it on food or heat, I decided to splurge some of it on a GSR(I) Sentinel -

 

thats the sign of a true modeller...starve and freeze to death for the hobby!!!

she looks a little beauty. is she dcc ready/fitted ? no dought she will get a belt of weathering!

 

8-pin socket. You can just see the side of the blanking plug through the window in the picture above.

 

I've already dropped it..! That's a start...

 

It seems to have a tractive effort of between 15 & 20 grams - as near as I can tell with the kitchen scales held on edge.

[heirflick]

[

]My best work has been spread over many fields..

 

 

including the floor it seems!! was there any damage? i have visions of the buffers flying off or cracked body:(

[Broithe]

[

]My best work has been spread over many fields..

 

 

including the floor it seems!! was there any damage? i have visions of the buffers flying off or cracked body:(

 

No real damage - just a small dent on the edge of the roof, just in front of the chimney, in just the sort of place that there might be one! The start of my 'weathering'...

[heirflick]

be gentle with her in future...and go easy on the weathering! keep us posted

[skinner75]

I got one of them too, and dropped it straight out of the box! Chipped off half of one of the buffers, but have glued the piece back on.

I popped an 8pin DCC chip into it, and it works a treat

[heirflick]

jesus lads, you two shouldnt be let out!! bty what price is she?

[WRENNEIRE]

jesus lads, you two shouldnt be let out!! bty what price is she?

With postage works out at about €100

[Broithe]

It was £75 inc p&p for me.

 

Right. I've given it a little bit of a run today and, so that we're all using the same units, I used Cravens as the test loads. On the flat it was still quite happy with five behind it, even with the whole train on a radius 2 curve - I didn't think it was worth finding the limit, as it'll never need to do that in 'real' life. On the 1:40 slope, it started to slip when the fifth coach was added, but it would even start from stationary with four coaches, all on the slope, without slipping - we don't have any sloping curved track. But that sort of perfomance'll do for me, I think.

 

I suspect there's maybe the odd bit of oil on the wheels and the track is in a fairly dusty location - even so, it's better than I expected.

[BosKonay]

Impressive haulage for such a tiny little thing!

[heirflick]

broithe , stick up a few pics of her in action please:)

[Tarabuses]

I got one of them too, and dropped it straight out of the box! Chipped off half of one of the buffers, but have glued the piece back on.

I popped an 8pin DCC chip into it, and it works a treat

 

What is it with this model? Mine ended up on the floor too!

[heirflick]

tony, are you sure its the model?. the lesson here is dont open any boxes after been out the night before!

[BosKonay]

[Tarabuses]

tony, are you sure its the model?. the lesson here is dont open any boxes after been out the night before!

 

There should be a warning on the box.

[waffles]

There should be a warning on the box.

 

practice holding the loco by using a real live baby ,once you have the hang of that then try opening the box and removing the loco.

[heirflick]

 

thats a mighty big load for a small engine-looks the part doing it too! must get one of them!

[richrua]

I got one of these today. A result of a beer and a browse through model rail magazine! Sort of couldn't resist. Lovely little thing really. Any pics anywhere of the prototype in operation?

[Riversuir226]

Theres a pic of one in the Great Southern Railway book that came out a few years back.

[richrua]

Thanks

[Broithe]

I see from October's Model Rail that the GSR Sentinel has sold out and there are only about 60 NCB ones left now, I believe.

[DJ Dangerous]

I'm a little confused by the Sentinels.

There were five variants?

Y1/1, Y1/2, Y1/3, Y1/4 and a Y3?

Which variant did the GSR have, and how did it / they end up with the GSR?

[David Holman]

The Green Bible says they were standard Sentinel products - makers numbers 6846/7. Built in 1927. Allocated to Cork and Tralee, one was tried out on the Castleisland branch, but by 1931 both were at Tralee before moving to Limerick in 1932. Here they worked the Market siding until this closed in 1940. Apparantly, they then lay out of use until withdrawn in 1948. They were numbered 280 and 281.

 Have often wondered about a 7mm version as there are at least two rtr models. Moving the wheels out to 36.75mm gauge has been tried in the Chatham Club's SMR version, which has run trials on Northport Quay, but it doesn't fit either of my timescales.

[DJ Dangerous]

3 hours ago, David Holman said:

The Green Bible says they were standard Sentinel products - makers numbers 6846/7. Built in 1927. Allocated to Cork and Tralee, one was tried out on the Castleisland branch, but by 1931 both were at Tralee before moving to Limerick in 1932. Here they worked the Market siding until this closed in 1940. Apparantly, they then lay out of use until withdrawn in 1948. They were numbered 280 and 281.

 Have often wondered about a 7mm version as there are at least two rtr models. Moving the wheels out to 36.75mm gauge has been tried in the Chatham Club's SMR version, which has run trials on Northport Quay, but it doesn't fit either of my timescales.

 

I garnered something similar from Wikipedia's various pages, but we all know that Wikipedia may not always be the most reliable, so thank you for that.

They were the GSR 280 class / CIE M1 class?

Also wondering about a 7mm model as there are several available, almost always top of the "Offers" piles, but I'm not sure which of the UK models is or isn't close enough to the Irish models.

[David Holman]

Me neither, but do know the model runs well, is cheaper than many 00 locos and could form the basis of a nice shunting layout.

 Correct 're class nomenclature.

Edited February 26, 2024 by David Holman

[Galteemore]

Walsworth Models will make you an Irish O sentinel in brass for the price of a Dapol - or even less I think …..£154 built to your spec……and I have discussed the Irish variant with him so  it’s possible to get an accurate one:  https://www.walsworthmodelservices.co.uk/product-page/sentinel-y1-3

Edited February 26, 2024 by Galteemore

[airfixfan]

Article in current Railway Bylines

[Westcorkrailway]

15 hours ago, David Holman said:

 Built in 1927. Allocated to Cork and Tralee,

They must have been south of the river lee at least once....

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, Westcorkrailway said:

They must have been south of the river lee at least once....

I think they did little in Cork, prob only shunting in Glanmire Road. But Albert Quay transfers are certainly a possibility, as might be shunting within the CBSCR terminus.

[Westcorkrailway]

11 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

I think they did little in Cork, prob only shunting in Glanmire Road. But Albert Quay transfers are certainly a possibility, as might be shunting within the CBSCR terminus.

Oh that’s all…or even trialing it in Albert quay. Whatever the case, like the Clayton railcars on the west cork. A very short lived experiment! 

[airfixfan]

Trailed in Cork and Tralee ended up by 1928 on the Limerick Market Branch

[jhb171achill]

25 minutes ago, airfixfan said:

Trailed in Cork and Tralee ended up by 1928 on the Limerick Market Branch

When they say "Cork", that triggers something in the back of my mind to the effect that it was not IN Cork, as such, that one of these things was tried out, but on the Fermoy - Mitchelstown branch in COUNTY Cork. Must check that.

 

6 hours ago, Westcorkrailway said:

Oh that’s all…or even trialing it in Albert quay. Whatever the case, like the Clayton railcars on the west cork. A very short lived experiment! 

Never heard of a Clayton going onto the CBSCR - I wouln't have thought that it would be seen as remotely suitable.