Heljan Westerns (new batch)

[vac_basher]

I believe the latest batch (Enterprise; Pathfinder; Fuliser; Firebrand) of Heljan Westerns are now in the country.

Has anybody had a chance to look one over yet? Are they the same moulding as the previous ones? What's the gloss finish like?

Hopefully there will be some photos on the retailers' sites soon....

[Garry D100]

Some pictures already up this morning.

http://www.modelfair.com/acatalog/Heljan_Class_52_Western.html

 

As far as I am aware there are no changes to the mouldings.

[vac_basher]

Oh! Old news then

Thanks.

[Garry D100]

Oh! Old news then

Thanks.

Not to everybody lol

[Pete Piszczek]

Is it my imagination, or does the desert sand look like it has a different hue above and below the solebar in some online photos?

 

She was very dirty during the half height era, it won't stop me, weathering hides many sins...

[vac_basher]

I'm quite tempted to go for one of these

However, I must admit, I'm not too familiar with these machines. I know there's an error with the roof on the cab ends, but what about the rest of the model? How accurate is it?

Also, were there any significant differences between the Swindon and Crewe built machines?

I'm considering going for D1001 and renumbering it as D1062 - would that be ok?

[Rugd1022]

I'm quite tempted to go for one of these

However, I must admit, I'm not too familiar with these machines. I know there's an error with the roof on the cab ends, but what about the rest of the model? How accurate is it?

Also, were there any significant differences between the Swindon and Crewe built machines?

I'm considering going for D1001 and renumbering it as D1062 - would that be ok?

 

Hi VB,

 

The only real external differences between each build were fairly minor.... Swindon built Wezzies generally had the cab front 'overhead warning flashes' positioned slightly lower down than the Crewe built ones when they were new, Swindon built D1000 - D1029, and Crewe built D1030 - D1073. From memory, I think the Crewe built batch had little brackets mounted below the cab side windows for drivers name cards (hardly ever used). Also, D1025 - D1029 of the Swindon batch were built without headboard clips on the cab fronts. You could easily renumber D1001 to D1062 as the cabside brackets aren't that noticable in 4mm scale anyway. If you're sticking with the maroon livery the oversided roof peak above the cab windows can be disguised (a bit) with some darker weathering on the underside.

 

HTH

 

Nidge

[vac_basher]

Thanks Nidge One further question, have Heljan done them as a Crewe or Swindon built machines?

 

For anybody else who's interested, there's a topic on the old RMweb, here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=9233&start=50&hilit=Heljan+western

[Rugd1022]

Thanks Nidge One further question, have Heljan done them as a Crewe or Swindon built machines?

 

For anybody else who's interested, there's a topic on the old RMweb, here: http://www.rmweb.co....=Heljan+western

 

The maroon D1001 model looks like it has the OHLE flashes in the right place for a Swindon one, but I'd say renumbering it to a Crewe built one is fine as in 4mm the difference isn't that noticable.... unless you're already aware of it, which you now are! Up to you but I'd say why not. Details like this are much more noticable in the larger scales!

 

Nidge

[paulbb]

It was a big disappointment when it came out for many reasons that people identified here and elsehwere. However Heljan never seem to go back and

re-work their mistakes; unlike Bachmann who have revisted their 37,45,47 classes and made them good models. I guess that Heljan feels there

is no financial incentive whilst people still buy them- so as a consumer I will vote with my wallet and avoid them 2nd time round as well.

[Geoff Endacott]

It was a big disappointment when it came out for many reasons that people identified here and elsehwere. However Heljan never seem to go back and

re-work their mistakes; unlike Bachmann who have revisted their 37,45,47 classes and made them good models. I guess that Heljan feels there

is no financial incentive whilst people still buy them- so as a consumer I will vote with my wallet and avoid them 2nd time round as well.

I agree. A list price of £99 is an awful lot to ask for something which is fundamentally the wrong shape.

 

I still hope that another manufacturer will do the job properly.

 

Geoff Endacott

[Trevor H]

I agree. A list price of £99 is an awful lot to ask for something which is fundamentally the wrong shape.

 

I still hope that another manufacturer will do the job properly.

 

Geoff Endacott

 

 

Agree the list price is a lot of money, especially when something Isn't right. Hopefully when Dapol release their class 22 It'll be right or as near correct as you can get it, but even then with the list price I can't see me ever purchasing more than one or two.

 

 

Thankfully I got my Westerns from an earlier batch (when they were been sold off cheap as nobody wanted them), perhaps the same may happen with this batch.

 

But with a small amount of work, (certainly a lot less than can ever be done with the Bach class 24/25). The Wessie can be made into a presentable model, compared to the previous manufactured models.

 

 

 

 

Trevor

[BR Blue]

Agree the list price is a lot of money, especially when something Isn't right. Hopefully when Dapol release their class 22 It'll be right or as near correct as you can get it, but even then with the list price I can't see me ever purchasing more than one or two.

 

 

Thankfully I got my Westerns from an earlier batch (when they were been sold off cheap as nobody wanted them), perhaps the same may happen with this batch.

 

But with a small amount of work, (certainly a lot less than can ever be done with the Bach class 24/25). The Wessie can be made into a presentable model, compared to the previous manufactured models.

 

 

 

 

Trevor

 

Very nice Trevor, that does look good. Despite it failings the Heljan Western is probably the best version out there. Almost tempted to give it a go but will wait to see if the price drops. For that money Heljan really need to follow Bachmann's example and improve their models when they do not get it right. As when the do it right they produce some good models eg 35, 33/1. The Western is one of their models like the 47 and the 33/0 that I have avoided.

[BromsMods]

Some people clearly haven't looked around to see what the actual retail price is that these models are being offered at in various outlets!!

[JZ]

Has anyone got hold of one yet ? I ask to find out whether they have fitted the new type wheels. If they have, we may get them as spares for our older ones.

[Geoff Endacott]

Some people clearly haven't looked around to see what the actual retail price is that these models are being offered at in various outlets!!

I have looked at the prices being asked and know that £99 is just the list price. However, my point remains the same. The entire front end of the model is fundamentally the wrong shape. £50 would still be too much to pay.

 

Geoff Endacott

[Barry Ten]

Does anyone know the significance of the gloss maroon, as opposed to matte/eggshell maroon version?

[Danemouth]

Hattons have them in stock @ £79 e.g.

 

http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?SID=31971

 

Dave

[brian daniels]

Does anyone know the significance of the gloss maroon, as opposed to matte/eggshell maroon version?

 

Nothing special just trying to do something different.

[Barry Ten]

Nothing special just trying to something different.

 

Thanks, Brian. I wondered it if reflected a different paint treatment applied to the maroon Westerns.

 

As a kid I remember that the Maroon one in the Lima catalog looked almost purple; I was most disappointed

to find out that there were never any purple ones in real life...

[S.A.C Martin]

£50 would still be too much to pay.

 

Geoff Endacott

 

I disagree - it's a better runner than the Hornby or Lima Westerns, and THAT is worth paying for. My pancake motor Western Champion is a horrendous runner, will be getting rid of that if they have a maroon example amongst the new releases.

 

EDIT:

 

Lo and behold:

 

Hattons have them in stock @ £79 e.g.

 

http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?SID=31971

 

Dave

 

Thanks for the heads up Dave - smashing!

[Geoff Endacott]

I disagree - it's a better runner than the Hornby or Lima Westerns, and THAT is worth paying for. My pancake motor Western Champion is a horrendous runner, will be getting rid of that if they have a maroon example amongst the new releases.

It might run better than two other models which are also the wrong shape, but it is still the wrong shape.

 

Geoff Endacott

[bluex5]

It's wrong but not wrong enough to stop me buying a couple, especially when one was only £39 (Western Champion). Other issues with it are the useless brake gear (which even Lima had a go at, and still got it to go round train set curves) and general poor quality of the rest of the accesory pack. I think the front end sins look far more noticeable on locos with FYP because the eye is drawn to the "peak" of the cab. I can't see another manufacturer having a crack at a definitive D1000 anytime soon so I'll live with the shape faults, enjoy the good chassis and lights and wait for the next batch of sub £50 ones to appear

[S.A.C Martin]

It might run better than two other models which are also the wrong shape, but it is still the wrong shape.

 

Geoff Endacott

 

No, it's not all entirely wrong, otherwise it wouldn't pass for a Western in the uninitiated hands.

 

I've seen the fixes to the front of the cab, and while they make it look more convincing, it's still relatively minor shape issues in comparisons to the older Lima and Hornby models. Let's face it - you want a model with shape issues, try a County Class from Hornby - and I have one of those and all!

 

I'll vote with my wallet and buy one, you're entitled to hold off by all means. But the model isn't so glaringly wrong overall that it won't sell, if anything this second batch has proved that.

[Barry Ten]

It's wrong but not wrong enough to stop me buying a couple, especially when one was only £39 (Western Champion). Other issues with it are the useless brake gear (which even Lima had a go at, and still got it to go round train set curves)

 

 

To be fair, Lima only got it to go around curves by modeling an undersized front fairing; I suspect that they'd have run into the same clearance issues as Heljan if they'd not done so.