Heljan announce O gauge 73/1 and 27

[paulbb]

It would be great if they did the ealier Scottish ones D5347-D5369 with their recess for the tablet catcher , and of course a version of it  minus the yellow warning panel (as delivered)

[47606odin]

Well a rather nice looking glimpse of a bit of a 73 from Heljan today on Facebook 

[Hal Nail]

On 23/09/2021 at 10:45, 47606odin said:

Well a rather nice looking glimpse of a bit of a 73 from Heljan today on Facebook 

 

http://www.tower-models.com/towermodels/ogauge/Heljan/locos/class73/index.htm

 

Front on view here I hadn't seen before. I'm sure when I checked before prices were c£550 and its now £630+ everywhere. Not a complaint, it is what it is, but I wish my savings were going up at that rate! 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Hal Nail

[47606odin]

On 03/10/2021 at 18:04, Hal Nail said:

 

http://www.tower-models.com/towermodels/ogauge/Heljan/locos/class73/index.htm

 

Front on view here I hadn't seen before. I'm sure when I checked before prices were c£550 and its now £630+ everywhere. Not a complaint, it is what it is, but I wish my savings were going up at that rate! 

I have reduce the number of my pre orders currently due to the pricing, but it does look excellent and I think looks right to me, although I don’t like the little notch above the route indicator. Not sure what it’s for. There’s lots of choice, and higher end pricing, so I am hoping the main liveries will hang around a bit to let me pick up a couple more in time once I save up. The expensive addition is the sound, but I’m still looking at getting 4 in the long run

 

[Hal Nail]

7 hours ago, 47606odin said:

I’m still looking at getting 4 in the long run

 

I'm well aware everyone's recognition/perception varies but I tend to focus on the face and this certainly ticks the boxes for me. Growing up in Southampton, these were towards the exotic end of the traction spectrum so I'd like one, probably in early blue as I dont think full yellow ends do them any favours visually!

 

That exotic traction spectrum in full:

 

VEP...................33,47,47(namer).............73, 74, 07

Edited October 5, 2021 by Hal Nail

[47606odin]

3 hours ago, Hal Nail said:

I'm well aware everyone's recognition/perception varies but I tend to focus on the face and this certainly ticks the boxes for me. Growing up in Southampton, these were towards the exotic end of the traction spectrum so I'd like one, probably in early blue as I dont think full yellow ends do them any favours visually!

 

That exotic traction spectrum in full:

 

VEP...................33,47,47(namer).............73, 74, 07

I’d  replace VEP with Jaffa cake CEP

[61661]

On 05/10/2021 at 00:30, 47606odin said:

I don’t like the little notch above the route indicator.

Good morning,

It's worth saying before this becomes 'a thing', we don't know why that little notch is there either. It's not on the CAD and we didn't ask for it. It has been raised in our report and will be corrected on future samples. 

 

Hope this helps

 

Ben

[47606odin]

1 hour ago, 61661 said:

Good morning,

It's worth saying before this becomes 'a thing', we don't know why that little notch is there either. It's not on the CAD and we didn't ask for it. It has been raised in our report and will be corrected on future samples. 

 

Hope this helps

 

Ben

brilliant, thanks

[Roy Langridge]

It looks to have the dimples on the roof which Dapol were unjustly criticised for, and indicate that the cab roof profile is spot on.

 

Shame I don't do 0 gauge as I love the 73s (hence looking at the thread).

 

Roy

[47606odin]

45 minutes ago, Roy Langridge said:

It looks to have the dimples on the roof which Dapol were unjustly criticised for, and indicate that the cab roof profile is spot on.

 

Shame I don't do 0 gauge as I love the 73s (hence looking at the thread).

 

Roy

 He flatter areas on the roof dome are what I was worried would be wrong, but I think to my eye look right and am very happy with what I see

[Phil Parker]

Photos of the latest 73 sample on show last weekend.

 

[Hal Nail]

On 03/10/2021 at 11:04, Hal Nail said:

I'm sure when I checked before prices were c£550 and its now £630+ everywhere. Not a complaint, it is what it is, but I wish my savings were going up at that rate! 

 

Up again to £662 now.

More than aware this is world economics but unfortunately, I think I'm going to put the heating on instead.

[47606odin]

And this is why I’ve slimmed my requirement to 2.

[Maybachmd655]

Cancelled all my Heljan pre orders.  Been waiting 2 years for a 117.   Now nearly £300.00 a coach, plus 2 chips for DCC.   Have to be realistic.  See what I can afford when it comes out and also hope they get reduced in time.  Most of what I buy either on pre-order or as soon as it comes out seems to end up as a bargain somewhere.

 

Simon

[CME and Bottlewasher]

Cracking looking pre-pro sample, but at the new price point? Needs second thoughts from my POV.

[Hal Nail]

10 minutes ago, CME and Bottlewasher said:

Cracking looking pre-pro sample, but at the new price point? Needs second thoughts from my POV.

I have a total limit i'm getting close to. There is a double whammy in that kit prices have rocketed up towards the equivalent r-t-r and made up kits just aren't selling now, so my largely self sufficient way of modelling needs a rethink. The 73, which isn't entirely typical for Bodmin in 1957, probably wont happen and I might sell my 33 as well (when i get round to replacing the gears).  

[CME and Bottlewasher]

On 29/09/2022 at 17:19, Hal Nail said:

I have a total limit i'm getting close to. There is a double whammy in that kit prices have rocketed up towards the equivalent r-t-r and made up kits just aren't selling now, so my largely self sufficient way of modelling needs a rethink. The 73, which isn't entirely typical for Bodmin in 1957, probably wont happen and I might sell my 33 as well (when i get round to replacing the gears).  

Things are changing dramatically - much of which could be avoided if there was the will, dare I say, a political will. Not sure where all of this - great reset - will end up.

 

I'm also finding in other walks of life that the quality of products out of China is a real Russian Roulette issue in terms of quality and safety. At long last UK companies are slowly withdrawing to manufacture elsewhere.

 

I'm having to rethink my modelling too. I'm also trying to rehabilitate from Cov SARS2 Alpha from back in March 2020, that's taken its toll and some are even worse off. I'm having to relearn things, my memory has been affected. I'm a long way from being out of the woods and it's slow progress.

 

I think for many they will realise that cheap debt and shiny new things were like fools gold (the interest on savings was deliberately surpressed). Real, austerity could come to the fore again. What concerns me in the 21st century is forced obsolescence and the longevity of products due to 'green' issues. Eg a well treated wooden fence post would last 10-20 years, nowadays? Even if pre treated some builders report post failure in 3 years. In the 20th century, austerity was offset with make, do and mend (or make do, and, mend), many things can't be mended now, consumerism is king.

 

 

[Godfrey Glyn]

Re price increases, there was a mention in a report on the BBC News whilst interviewing a manufacturer who said that even before last week's Trussian induced currency fall the pound had dropped by 15% against the dollar this year. I do feel some sympathy for our model railway firms trying to cope with this degree of exchange rate volatility. The 73 looks fantastic but sadly, I suspect like a lot of us, I will be unable to justify the outlay.

all the best in difficult times

 

Godfrey

[Peter749]

On Heljan's Facebook page are pictures of the first Factory Decorated Samples of the Class 73/1

 

https://www.facebook.com/heljanas

 

Don't like the not very straight handrails on some locos

[SouthernMafia]

The 73s aren't too far away, suggestions of end of October early November. Made me think about which one(s) I might like, between NSE and Dutch. Unfortunately the livery sample for NSE has a minor error, which is causing some other issues. The lower grey band is too far up the bodyside, it should be in line with the top of the kick plates. This means the red line is also too far up, which in turn makes the white gap between the red line and blue too small, and this is causing the Network SouthEast logo to also be too small, which is noticeable.

The point on the cab ends may also be too pointy.

Hopefully corrected on the finished models.

Dutch looks pretty spot on, so will probably have that and wait to see how the NSE livery is finished.

 

Pic courtesy KMRC

 

Pic courtesy Richard Jones/Flickr

[Hal Nail]

7 hours ago, SouthernMafia said:

wait to see how the NSE livery is finished.

Given these are a bit niche, at a price that seemingly reflects that, and NSE livery hasn't traditional flown off the shelves, I can't imagine that policy is going to bite you!

 

I want an early blue one but I think discounts are inevitable so going to wait, even if I have to repaint one of the less popular liveries.

[SouthernMafia]

I suspect you're right and some discounting will be welcome, but equally would like to support Heljan in what is a great looking model, but only if the livery is right!

Further interrogation of Flickr reveals the point is definitely wrong, I think the yellow extends round the bodyside a bit too far, and the vertex of the point is in the wrong place - it should be in the middle of the white gap, not in line with the blue/white transition.

Unfortunately the cant rail is also wrong, being orange instead of red, easy enough to correct this though if remains the case in production.

[admiles]

1 hour ago, SouthernMafia said:

I suspect you're right and some discounting will be welcome, but equally would like to support Heljan in what is a great looking model, but only if the livery is right!

Further interrogation of Flickr reveals the point is definitely wrong, I think the yellow extends round the bodyside a bit too far, and the vertex of the point is in the wrong place - it should be in the middle of the white gap, not in line with the blue/white transition.

Unfortunately the cant rail is also wrong, being orange instead of red, easy enough to correct this though if remains the case in production.

 

Shame I really wanted an NSE 73 but if the livery striping is that far out I'm out. In fairness to Heljan some NSE 73s did have orange cantrail stripes.....just not 73126.

[SouthernMafia]

Heljan appear to have captured the wrong prototype loco - I didn't know this other than the NSE branding and placement, but the livery details between 73109/126 are different to 73129/136.

Heljan have modelled 129/136s livery (almost correctly) and then numbered it 73126. The bit wrong for 73129 is the top white band is the thin version as on 73126. So it's a bit of a hybrid, but actually the model now has potential for a renumber to 73129/136, which is something I was considering anyway. 

 

 

 

Edited September 1, 2023 by SouthernMafia

[admiles]

1 hour ago, SouthernMafia said:

Heljan appear to have captured the wrong prototype loco - I didn't know this other than the NSE branding and placement, but the livery details between 73109/126 are different to 73129/136.

Heljan have modelled 129/136s livery (almost correctly) and then numbered it 73126. The bit wrong for 73129 is the top white band is the thin version as on 73126. So it's a bit of a hybrid, but actually the model now has potential for a renumber to 73129/136, which is something I was considering anyway. 

 

 

 

Bit of a pig successfully getting the printed nameplate and crests off though if you do attempt to renumber.