Questions concerning Dapol Track Cleaner Wagons - B800

[Brew Man]

Good morning all

although I already have Sharge track cleaner, I saw a Dapol at a seemingly good price and thought I'd get it if only for the vacuum cleaner facility, which I've heard is very good. However, the unit came with a couple of bits missing, namely the vacuum fan and the cleaning fluid tank brass weight. Undeterred I have ordered the accessory pack which contains both of those parts along with others. Given that the fluid tank brass weight is missing I decided to pour a small amount of IPA into the tank just to see the result, and the fluid came out almost as quickly as it went in and didn't go anywhere near the cleaning pad.

So, a question for anyone who owns one of these: would that be considered normal behaviour? I'm curious to see how the addition of the weight would make so much difference. Or is there a missing seal or some such that will render the cleaning unit inoperable even with the weight? As I said, I do have a Sharge for that so I'm not overly bothered. It will still be worth having if only for the vacuum and abrasive/polishing pads. It would be nice though if possible to get it fully functional. It also came with a decoder fitted, so that's another plus.

Thanks for any help/advice given.

[Yelrow]

Brew man, hi, as a track cleaner, these are awful. Forget fluid. However, as a vacuum, absolutely superb. I have a DC one, and a DCC one. Pick up every particle of dust/ dirt/ track pins. I have been looking for a secondhand sharge, but as yet, not found one.

[Brew Man]

Thanks, Yelrow, that's more or less what I've heard. Probably just use it as a vacuum cleaner then. Mind you, I could run it in conjunction with the Sharge. Sharge in front cleaning with the Dapol behind polishing.

[ModelerXYZ]

I have one. Its a pretty useless track cleaner, but as Yelrow said, it does work well as a vacuum cleaner. Mine usually decorates a siding, it rarely makes it out of there, whereas my Sharge comes out when the track needs a clean.

XYZ

[Yelrow]

New sharge is £105 , now, and secondhand ones are like hens teeth. Search goes on.

[96RAF]

Dapol has a wizzy disk polisher which is pretty slick at moving the points as it goes over them causing 50/50 derails according the direction of point and direction of rotation. Use it as a hoover nothing else, and be aware you are warned not to run it flat out by the instructions.

[Brew Man]

New sharge is £105 , now, and secondhand ones are like hens teeth. Search goes on.

 

 

That's really testament to how good they are, people don't sell them on. The only problem I have with mine is that it frequently derails, especially if it's being pushed. I try to avoid that though.