Dapol site also hosted the 'BBC Doctor Who Experience' exhibition until 2003. In 2004 Dapol was awarded the 'UK Small Business of the Year' award. In 2007 Dapol was awarded the Model Rail magazine 'N-gauge Manufacturer of the Year' award. In 2010 Dapol were awarded the Model Rail magazine 'N-gauge manufacturer of the year', 'Best N gauge steam loco of the year' (Terrier), 'Best N-gauge Diesel locomotive of the year' (class 67), Best N-gauge Rolling Stock of the year (MK3 coach) making a clean sweep for all the awards for N gauge. In 2010, following the retirement of managing director George Smith, Dapol welcomed his replacement, Joel Bright, a director for the previous eight years and uncle of the current owner, Craig Boyle. Products N gauge 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. OO Gauge In 00 gauge, Dapol manufactures ready-to-run locomotives, wagons and kits. Kits are moulded in grey polystyrene and the range features buildings, road vehicles, wagons and locos. Some of the kits use moulds bought in 1993 from the Airfix company, some of which in turn originated with Kitmaster prior to being bought by Airfix in 1962. Others have come from the Lines Brothers Model-Land range. The first OO scale locomotives to be entirely originated by Dapol were the L&YR Pug 0-4-0ST, the Austerity 0-6-0ST and GWR County 4-6-0 generated in 1984/5. The next was the LB&SCR Terrier. This was shown in the 1988 catalogue having been announced at the 1987 Toy Fair. External links Dapol official website References Privately held companies of Wales Model railroad manufacturers Toy train manufacturers Welsh brands Model manufacturers of the United Kingdom