Dapol - 2F-034-031 - Wagon, 20-Ton, Mineral - Painted/Lettered - 1974

Specific Item Information: The 21 Ton Steel Hopper was based on the LNER design and was used from 1948 to the early 1980's as the standard BR coal hopper. Over 25,000 were built between 1949 and 1969 and due to their long service and rough work were constantly being rebuilt and remodelled. Variations between wagons are therefore very common with some wagons having fewer ribs, different types of brakes and an overall simpler body design with welded rather than riveted seams, as used in the earlier examples. The 21 Ton Steel Hopper was designated HTV under the TOPS nomenclature.

Road Name History: Some items are designed to have their owner add whatever company marking they choose, usually in the form of decals or dry-transfers. These items are painted in a generic prototypical fashion but with all company affiliation deliberately left off.
These items can be lettered or numbered, but without any company name on it.

Brand/Importer Information: Dapol Ltd is a Welsh model railway manufacturer based in Chirk, Wales. The factory where design and manufacturing take place is just over the border in England. The company is known for its model railway products in N gauge and OO gauge. Dapol's name is a play on its founders David and Pauline Boyle's names. He owned a model concern Highfield Birds & Models. In 1981 he first tried to buy the Airfix and Mainline ranges. The Dapol brand name was first used in a Railway Modeller advert of September 1983. The first Dapol wagons (for OO) were announced to become available on 20 November 1983. From 1 March 1984 ex Airfix railway kits became available.

Dapol manufactures a growing range of N gauge locomotives, coaches and wagons, and is the main competitor of Graham Farish in the British 'ready-to-run' market. Continuous improvement in model specifications has led to the introduction of 40:1 gearing in locomotive drive mechanisms, NEM couplings on all stock, and LED lighting strips for coaching stock (yellow for 'older' coaches, to represent incandescent illumination, and white for more modern coaches and EMUs to represent fluorescent fittings).