All-new Heljan 47 in 00 gauge

[Ian J.]

The 25 has front cab window problems as well as cab door issues that are still yet to be sorted even though they were noticeable in the CAD. It will be interesting to see if these get fixed, bearing in mind the model looks like it's been tooled up quite extensively. That doesn't bode well for the 47 if any problems are noticed in CAD. I do hope Ben's influence can get the necessary culture change into place at Heljan so that more care is taken in the R&D part of any model's progression to shelves.

 

My error. See my post a few down from this.

Edited July 13, 2019 by Ian J.
Mea culpa

[classy52]

8 minutes ago, Ian J. said:

The 25 has front cab window problems as well as cab door issues that are still yet to be sorted even though they were noticeable in the CAD. It will be interesting to see if these get fixed, bearing in mind the model looks like it's been tooled up quite extensively. That doesn't bode well for the 47 if any problems are noticed in CAD. I do hope Ben's influence can get the necessary culture change into place at Heljan so that more care is taken in the R&D part of any model's progression to shelves.

 

Never owned a Heljan due to the era's they cover which atm isn't current day but if what you have stated is the case then they'll be digging their own grave on the 47 if they don't get it absolutely right considering the Bachmann and even the ViTrains renditions are pretty good, I mean we just won't buy them if the errors or issues are not corrected...secretly I was hoping the Irish guys would do this model but don't tell anyone ok 

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

1 hour ago, classy52 said:

 

Never owned a Heljan due to the era's they cover which atm isn't current day but if what you have stated is the case then they'll be digging their own grave on the 47 if they don't get it absolutely right considering the Bachmann and even the ViTrains renditions are pretty good, I mean we just won't buy them if the errors or issues are not corrected...secretly I was hoping the Irish guys would do this model but don't tell anyone ok 

 

I agree. I am going to keep all of my Bachmann and ViTrains versions anyway regardless of how the new Heljan 47 turns out. If the Heljan model is excellent, which I hope it is I will gladly buy some GBRf 47s and some West Coast 47s, if they were to be produce these modern versions. 

 

I just hope that the 47 is excellent by Heljan. Hattons are producing new 66s, Heljan new 47s, so out of what I perceive as "the main three" this just leaves the 37 for someone to announced as newly tooled model. Heljan have grabbed a very good opportunity and rightly so, especially with so many liveries that could be produced and because the 47s span over nearly 60 years. If this 47 is spot on I could definitely see people selling Bachmann 47s and replacing them, especially considering that the Bachmann actual retail price is not that far off of the price tag of a new Heljan 47, assuming that they will be £150/£160 each. 

 

The only thing that I would change is that personally I think Heljan should produce some modern 47s alongside some of the earlier versions, just because in potentially 2024/2025 by the time they get around to producing modern versions I imagine that most of the ones still active on the mainline will have been withdrawn and stored and thus this may lessen the demand. 

[Ian J.]

Mea Culpa:

 

I think I may be wrong about the 25.

 

I've just checked the CADs that are at the beginning of the thread for it (here) and there are no rivets around the windows, and the cab door window seems to be aligned properly.

 

The initial EPs from the tooling (here and here) show rivets round the cab front windows and cab door window not quite tall enough.

 

However, this post (here) shows a better cab door window, and no rivets around the cab front windows. So it looks like it might be getting fixed. This bodes better for the 45 and 47

 

Edited July 13, 2019 by Ian J.

[newbryford]

52 minutes ago, DRS Crewe On A Mission said:

 

 If this 47 is spot on I could definitely see people selling Bachmann 47s and replacing them,

 

Like the Bachmann 66, the 47 isn't a "bad" model.

I have a couple of Duffs and won't be selling them (or my ViTrains pair as I'm happy with those also) - in the same way that I won't be selling my 66s and replacing the fleet with Hattons.

 

However, if the 47 (and 66) are as good as they should be, then new purchases of the above two classes will not be Barwell bound.

 

Surprised that nobody has mentioned a future 57 if the 47 is a success from Heljan………………………..

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Roddy Angus]

50 minutes ago, Ian J. said:

 

Edited July 13, 2019 by Roddy Angus
Deleted due to incorrect posting, sorry. Roddy

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

3 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

Like the Bachmann 66, the 47 isn't a "bad" model.

I have a couple of Duffs and won't be selling them (or my ViTrains pair as I'm happy with those also) - in the same way that I won't be selling my 66s and replacing the fleet with Hattons.

 

However, if the 47 (and 66) are as good as they should be, then new purchases of the above two classes will not be Barwell bound.

 

Surprised that nobody has mentioned a future 57 if the 47 is a success from Heljan………………………..

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

Good point Mick. I have done a bit of both with the 47 and 66. I am keeping all of my Bachmann & ViTrains 47s but with my Bachmann 66s I have sold some of them and kept others. The ones I have sold have either been obsolete liveries or have been not so good runners. Coincidentally I bought a new DCC controller a couple of years ago and I need to change and upgrade to better decoders to support the functions of locos, so I thought rather than putting more money into old tooled models it would be better to sell them and get some money back and save money on new decoders. 

 

Have to say the detailing on the Hattons 66s is excellent and a significant improvement to the Bachmann model. Hopefully they will be good runners with improved DCC features too. 

[Clive Mortimore]

I have some Bachy 47s, they're OK, I have some Tubby Duffs, they are nice, some Lima Type 4 1/2s which look reasonable along with some lovely Vi Trains Bushes. 

 

I use to have a video where the cameraman was positioned on a curve and was looking head on at this two tone green loco and as it approached it didn't look like a Bachmann or a Heljan, or a Lima or even a Vi trains but a Hornby D15xx................so I am still keeping them. 

 

I have an MKT loco which out hauls all the others, my own part built plastic card one, a Great British Locomotive model (now powered) and in its box waiting a soldering iron is a Modern Outline Kit.

 

If the new Heljan model looks like the loco in the video then I will be happy.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

2 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

 ...looking head on at this two tone green loco and as it approached it didn't look like a Bachmann or a Heljan, or a Lima or even a Vi trains but a Hornby D15xx...

There was a lot to like in the Hornby Brush 4, the body shape (with the huge paint guides carefully removed) is good. Am I alone in suspecting that it does help designers and toolmakers that they have actually seen the subject frequently?

2 hours ago, Clive Mortimore said:

...I have an MKT loco which out hauls all the others...

Always plenty of white metal in the dear late Colin's Modern Kraction Tits...

[Foden]

This is surprising, but very welcome news to me.

 

I agree the previous Heljan 47 was noticeably flawed (tubby) to my eyes also. However at the time of its release it really represented a step up in quality and detail of modern image RTR locos, and really got the ball rolling again with my return to the hobby, after having been disillusioned with the quality of foreign outline offerings compared to uk outline, in modern image atleast. So I’ll probably always look back fondly on it.

 

Moving on I currently have several Bachmann 47s, and a couple of Vi 47s that when weathered sit very well with each other. They have their small differences, but when viewed from a few feet away on passing trains they both capture the look and feel of the original perfectly well enough for me, and although I’m aware, I never look and feel like I’m looking at two different manufacturers offerings as it were.

 

If the Heljan 47 is as good as I’m sure it will be I suspect it will fit in just the same. There will be no sale of previous models, and I will probably still go on to purchase both Heljan and Bachmann 47s as the releases suit me, it’s nothing but good news to me.

 

I’m the sort of modeller who likes detail and good performance in a loco, but I’m not a stickler for absolute mm perfect accuracy, I should think there are many modellers like me.

 

To that end I expect this will sell very well indeed.

[dj_crisp]

All this 47 talk has made me dig out my vitrains project. I'm just hoping Heljan buy a set of Shawplan frames and make sure theirs match....

 

 

My entertainment in the hotel this evening.... sticking frames on a 47. It's amazing how much filing is needed.

 

I have plans for a few more Duffs so I'm rather looking forward to seeing Heljans efforts!

 

Cheers 

Will 

[dj_crisp]

To be fair that could be said about any mainstream manufacturer. They all have good and bad points.

 

Personally I'm rather looking forward to Heljans version... Let's wait and see

[Krieghoff]

The Class 47 looks like the making of an excellent model and a better offering than current manufacturers. I have just ordered a class 07 shunter which looks fantastic and I think Heljan are now starting to produce some potentially excellent models.

 

Im looking forward to seeing them in circa 2021

[Colin]

On 13/07/2019 at 15:52, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

 

Always plenty of white metal in the dear late Colin's Modern Kraction Tits...

It's just that so much of it was usually in the wrong place..

 

 

 

[No Decorum]

5 hours ago, D1051 said:

Easy done mate.Maybe the Admins might think about braking up "trade & products" zone into various gauges ? i.e Heljan 009 Heljan 00 & Heljan o for example 

A very good idea. Too often I’ve been excited by an announcement which turns out not to be in my scale. Bachmann does it well, with different brands for 00 and N.

[mdvle]

Alternately, perhaps just a more consistent subject heading for those manufactures with multiple scale offerings.  For example,

• OO gauge - Class 47
• O gauge - Class 47

so the first thing one sees when scanning the subject headings is the relevant size.

[MGR Hooper!]

16 hours ago, D1051 said:

Easy done mate.Maybe the Admins might think about braking up "trade & products" zone into various gauges ? i.e Heljan 009 Heljan 00 & Heljan o for example 

If people just had more appropriate thread titles, everything would've been easier. I can't understand how so many people come up with such vague thread titles sometimes. Just requires a bit of common sense.

[truffy]

And an ‘ignore thread’ option that actually works. That would be trés spiffy. 

[Ouroborus]

Top of page, middle button - "Ignore This Topic".  Although if you didn't read '00 gauge' in the thread title, no guarantee that you'd read this either.

[Hilux5972]

Deleted

Edited September 2, 2019 by Hilux5972

[MGR Hooper!]

del

 

 

Edited September 2, 2019 by MGR Hooper!

[truffy]

3 minutes ago, Hilux5972 said:

Click the forum read button then. 

But how am I to know whether or not the forum contains relevant unread threads without going into it?

[Hilux5972]

Deleted

Edited September 2, 2019 by Hilux5972

[MGR Hooper!]

@61661 I'm not too sure about the nose, it looks to be protruding almost twice the amount it should be. Can you please check it out again. It's a make or break situation....I've not found a single pic showing it protruding so much. I just spent the last 30 mins checking pics online.

[brushman47544]

5 hours ago, truffy said:

And an ‘ignore thread’ option that actually works. That would be trés spiffy. 

 

Yes, but I may not want to completely ignore a thread. There are some that I look at on almost every visit to RMWeb, and others that I read only when I have plenty of time.

 

Better thread titles might be a start, but when you get, for example, people posting questions about a prototype in the forum covering the manufacturer of the model, that's probably not always going to work. And what one would prefer, someone else would be against.

 

A mandatory scale/gauge (drop down list?) field for thread titles in the Trade and Products Zone might help though.

Edited September 2, 2019 by brushman47544
typos