Jump to content
 

HELJAN UNVEILS ‘OO’ GAUGE 25/3 AND ‘ETHEL’ FOR 2019


Andy Y
 Share

Recommended Posts

It will be incredible (in a bad way) if thats official, but if not and its some olivias mock up, what are they thinking? Are they trying to disuade customers from buying? The whole thing is bizarre.

Its fishy that no other retailer is showing those picks, so hopefully this is NOT the production version.

 

Anyway ive gone on about it enough. Lets wait and see what happens.

Link to post
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, The Ghost of IKB said:

It will be incredible (in a bad way) if thats official, but if not and its some olivias mock up, what are they thinking? Are they trying to disuade customers from buying? The whole thing is bizarre.

Its fishy that no other retailer is showing those picks, so hopefully this is NOT the production version.

 

Anyway ive gone on about it enough. Lets wait and see what happens.

Could well be. Olivias had photos up of both the 94XX and the recent sound fitted bubble cards days before any other retailler

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Goodness, this takes the negativity for a new model to new heights....

I've had a TMC despatch advice for the two-tone green TOPS one, I'm looking forward to it. I've an unweathered blue one ordered too (I've also ordered an SLW one).

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
23 minutes ago, Crisis Rail said:

That  - is  - horrendous.

 

Yep - I thought aspects of 33012 were bad. 25155 is so off that you can't really believe that it is real. Makes even some of the dodgy "weathered to a high standard" models on ebay that only look fit for a complete strip down look quite good.

Roy

Edited by Roy Langridge
Clarity
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

I've just had half a conversation with Ben about the images seen (until we got interrupted) and he's looking into it further. Initial comment is that it is not as approved for production with the factory. So, before piling in, can we please wait for a response?

  • Like 2
  • Agree 5
  • Thanks 7
  • Informative/Useful 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Class 158 productions said:

Thank you for the clarification, glad to hear that you are on the case. From those photos, the head codes that looked ‘pushed in’ and damaged, could this be from rough handling? Cheers 

Without seeing it in the flesh I couldn't say for sure. I don't want to speculate as I don't know the recent history of this specific model. 

Edited by 61661
  • Agree 2
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
13 hours ago, The Ghost of IKB said:

It will be incredible (in a bad way) if thats official, but if not and its some olivias mock up, what are they thinking? Are they trying to disuade customers from buying? The whole thing is bizarre.

Its fishy that no other retailer is showing those picks, so hopefully this is NOT the production version.

 

Anyway ive gone on about it enough. Lets wait and see what happens.


Why on earth does Olivia’s  display it in such a state on a website for all to see ? It truly beggars belief. Deeply

 upsetting for Ben who has worked so hard for this and other Heljan projects over the last three years. For the retailer I can only describe it as a spectacular own goal. Could someone perhaps persuade him to take it down from the website before any more damage is done ? Unfortunately he avoids this forum. Enough said.

  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Ian Hargrave said:


Why on earth does Olivia’s  display it in such a state on a website for all to see ? It truly beggars belief. Deeply

 upsetting for Ben who has worked so hard for this and other Heljan projects over the last three years. For the retailer I can only describe it as a spectacular own goal. Could someone perhaps persuade him to take it down from the website before any more damage is done ? Unfortunately he avoids this forum. Enough said.


What do you think Olivias have done to misrepresent the Heljan product? They look like well taken nicely lit photos to me. If that’s what the product out if the box looks like, that’s what it looks like.

 

Not much Olivias can do.

 

Guy

  • Like 2
  • Agree 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

I know I've laid into these models, but I still recognise they are for now leaps and bounds ahead of what is currently out there so are the defacto Rat on the market. That is a monumental let down by the factory on both of those weathered models, and something that I know will not sit easy with anyone at Heljan in the slightest. Some stern words with the factory and hopefully easily resolved for future releases.

 

As an aside, that is a similar gunk and slapdash application to the weathering done on the Kernow edition Dogfish, which I found a bit disappointing in the flesh and very at odds with the samples shown online. Ben, are you sure the factory is following instruction with the weathering spec?

  • Like 3
  • Agree 1
  • Funny 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, Ian Hargrave said:


Why on earth does Olivia’s  display it in such a state on a website for all to see ? 

 

If the photos of are of the actual models, as Ben acknowledges above, then Olivia's are doing the right thing.  I would be more concerned if they were showing an image which did not reflect reality.  I think it unfair to criticise Olivia's on this occasion. 

 

Best wishes 

 

Roddy 

  • Like 1
  • Agree 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
42 minutes ago, lyneux said:


What do you think Olivias have done to misrepresent the Heljan product? They look like well taken nicely lit photos to me. If that’s what the product out if the box looks like, that’s what it looks like.

 

Not much Olivias can do.

 

Guy


There no suggestion or implication that there is misrepresentation in the post.Nor was it intended.But in that state would not the better course of action have been to have withdrawn the model and any similar and contacted Heljan via Ben. He presumably expects to receive income from sale of such . Yet on display is a product which appears not fit for purpose. Curious.

Link to post
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, Zunnan said:

Ben, are you sure the factory is following instruction with the weathering spec?

 

So just exactly how do you specify what a good weathering job looks like in words? It's so subjective. I'm sure the weathered sample they signed off probably looked superb. But it's really hard to say what is good and what is bad using words alone. Words are what contracts are written with unfortunately. 

 

Visible brush strokes though... that's terrible. I do feel sorry for them but surely this is the factory's fault not Olivia's?

 

Guy

  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, Zunnan said:

I know I've laid into these models, but I still recognise they are for now leaps and bounds ahead of what is currently out there so are the defacto Rat on the market. That is a monumental let down by the factory on both of those weathered models, and something that I know will not sit easy with anyone at Heljan in the slightest. Some stern words with the factory and hopefully easily resolved for future releases.

 

As an aside, that is a similar gunk and slapdash application to the weathering done on the Kernow edition Dogfish, which I found a bit disappointing in the flesh and very at odds with the samples shown online. Ben, are you sure the factory is following instruction with the weathering spec?

Thanks Zunnan,

It is a let down - anyone who knows me will confirm that I'm usually pretty laid back, but I'm furious about this. Since I joined Heljan I've used professional modellers to supply high quality weathered control samples for the suppliers to copy and the results have generally been excellent (LLB 37116, faded blue 33012 etc) and well received by customers. Although we don't yet know the extent of the problem, in this case the factory has not supplied what we asked for and the production models shown in Olivia's photos do not match the quality of the samples we approved.

The 25s come out of a different factory to the Dogfish and as the wagons you mention were before my time with Heljan I can't say what the process was at that time.

 

Ben

 

  • Like 2
  • Agree 1
  • Friendly/supportive 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, 61661 said:

Thanks Zunnan,

It is a let down - anyone who knows me will confirm that I'm usually pretty laid back, but I'm furious about this. Since I joined Heljan I've used professional modellers to supply high quality weathered control samples for the suppliers to copy and the results have generally been excellent (LLB 37116, faded blue 33012 etc) and well received by customers. Although we don't yet know the extent of the problem, in this case the factory has not supplied what we asked for and the production models shown in Olivia's photos do not match the quality of the samples we approved.

The 25s come out of a different factory to the Dogfish and as the wagons you mention were before my time with Heljan I can't say what the process was at that time.

 

Ben

 

 

I completely sympathise Ben, truly galling to see all of your Hard work, and that of everyone in the process up to the point of weathering, to see it spoiled from that point forward. 

 

All being well these may be the only ones, and even if not, the issue can be resolved before too long. 

 

Paul. 

  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Paul_sterling said:

 

 

All being well these may be the only ones, and even if not, the issue can be resolved before too long. 

 

I think its unlikely that these are the only two rogue examples. Theres lots of things that can be said about olivias, but i think its not feasible that they picked the only 2 bad ones out of their allocation and chose to put them on the web site. Heljan have been screwed over by the factory and should pull them (the weathered locos) out of the market before their reputation is damaged too much.

Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Ian Hargrave said:


Why on earth does Olivia’s  display it in such a state on a website for all to see ? It truly beggars belief. Deeply

 upsetting for Ben who has worked so hard for this and other Heljan projects over the last three years. For the retailer I can only describe it as a spectacular own goal. Could someone perhaps persuade him to take it down from the website before any more damage is done ? Unfortunately he avoids this forum. Enough said.

 

I have to echo your question Ian, simply because Olivia's are trying to sell these models. Obviously preordered is an issue, but if I walked into Olivias and saw one of those I would be instantly dissuaded and my wallet would be safe in my pocket. Apart from the weathering application my concern is about the cab front handrail and more importantly the cab door handrails.  They should have a curve at top and bottom but be vertical parallel to the bodysides.  The examples shown on here are not straight. 

 

The class 25 has been my favourite class iof BR diesel and I have waited a long long time until someone improved on the Bachmann version's dodgy cabs and underframe.  I was hoping Heljan, then Bachmann then SLW might finally produce the perfect class 25. Unless Ben can reassure us that these first runs are not what Heljan intended to produce, then my choices are more limited. 

  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, The Ghost of IKB said:

I think its unlikely that these are the only two rogue examples. Theres lots of things that can be said about olivias, but i think its not feasible that they picked the only 2 bad ones out of their allocation and chose to put them on the web site. Heljan have been screwed over by the factory and should pull them (the weathered locos) out of the market before their reputation is damaged too much.

 

I agree, though it was an attempt on my part to avoid disaster-ising until its known for sure. 

 

Paul. 

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...