All-new Heljan 47 in 00 gauge

[russellwar]

https://railsofsheffield.com/products/class-47-596-aldeburgh-festival-network-southeast-late-dcc-sound
 

some pics

[SouthernBlue80s]

1 hour ago, russellwar said:

https://railsofsheffield.com/products/class-47-596-aldeburgh-festival-network-southeast-late-dcc-sound
 

some pics

 

 

One thing I have noticed is that 47s with dominoes have lights at one end and a true domino effect at the other. I can only see lights on the pics but perhaps just one end is shown in the photographs

[BR(S)]

16 hours ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

 

 

One thing I have noticed is that 47s with dominoes have lights at one end and a true domino effect at the other. I can only see lights on the pics but perhaps just one end is shown in the photographs

 

As you say, only the non-fan end is shown in the pictures.

[Hal Nail]

19 hours ago, SouthernBlue80s said:

One thing I have noticed is that 47s with dominoes have lights at one end and a true domino effect at the other.

Dominoes were the original glass headcode with a black sticker on the back with two white dots on. Same at each end.

 

Plated over headcodes were generally different at each end - due to equipment at the No. 2 end and a shortage of space, they made the marker lights stick out.

Edited November 23, 2023 by Hal Nail

[JohnC]

I saw the 47s at Warley last year and thought they looked really good. Manufacturers must get really frustrated when people on this forum knock the loco before it has even been on the shelves.

I thought the new Heljan 47 was superior to the Bachmann one and intend buying a couple.

[Hal Nail]

10 minutes ago, JohnC said:

Manufacturers must get really frustrated when people on this forum knock the loco before it has even been on the shelves.

Even Heljan have made changes to models in response to comments at cad stage and some manufacturers openly welcome feedback. Yes some comments are ridiculous but since when have train spotters been socially adept?

[Ian Hargrave]

1 minute ago, Hal Nail said:

Even Heljan have made changes to models in response to comments at cad stage and some manufacturers openly welcome feedback. Yes some comments are ridiculous but since when have train spotters been socially adept?

And that is arguably the most perceptive comment I have read here for some time.

[97406]

I must say the Rails one looks quite appealing. I can be nit picky about the bufferbeams and other details but I'm keen to see the real thing.

[Mophead45143]

2 hours ago, JohnC said:

I thought the new Heljan 47 was superior to the Bachmann one and intend buying a couple.

 

Not sure where you got that idea from?!!!

[MikeParkin65]

On 22/11/2023 at 19:57, russellwar said:

https://railsofsheffield.com/products/class-47-596-aldeburgh-festival-network-southeast-late-dcc-sound
 

some pics

Thanks for the link. As per the examples shown at Warley last year this example seems to sit too low on the bogies. Compare to the helpfully provided prototype photo.  

[adb968008]

The new Heljan 47 is looking very good, a lot of under frame detail and interior detail.. this is definitely a step up in standard on Heljan last 47. I’ve tried to get head on to show it’s much slimmed down as well

 

47596 spent a summer in Lancashire operating parcels from Crewe, so it got around.

 

also note the class 48 sample..

 

Class 47s start arriving soon.

[No Decorum]

50 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

The new Heljan 47 is looking very good, a lot of under frame detail and interior detail.. this is definitely a step up in standard on Heljan last 47. I’ve tried to get head on to show it’s much slimmed down as well

 

47596 spent a summer in Lancashire operating parcels from Crewe, so it got around.

 

also note the class 48 sample..

 

Class 47s start arriving soon.

News of the 48 at last! Many thanks. I confess that I haven’t found any detail about the roof, which is, I think, where the main difference lay. I hope it’s accurate.

[IRC]

Well now, that’s looking pretty good to my untrained eyes. Is it a worthy adversary to the Bachmann version? Who knows, but first impressions are promising.

There’s several liveries that interest me that Bachmann have not done yet, so I’m watching with interest!

[Halvarras]

2 hours ago, adb968008 said:

 

47596 spent a summer in Lancashire operating parcels from Crewe, so it got around.

 

I have a bit of a soft spot for this one since as D1933 it was one of the first Brush Type 4s I saw but the first one I was able to inspect closely while it was held at Truro's Platform 3 on the up 'Perishables' in 1968 (3A97, a good one to catch these on that year amongst all the usual hydraulics). I noticed from the works plate that it was only two years old but had already acquired full yellow ends.

 

Three years later I took a b&w Instamatic photo of 1704 in the same spot, newly ex-works after conversion from a Class 48 at Crewe. This was quite likely the first ex-Class 48 to reach Penzance (there was a vanishingly small chance they'd have made it there before conversion!)

 

[stewartingram]

3 hours ago, No Decorum said:

News of the 48 at last! Many thanks. I confess that I haven’t found any detail about the roof, which is, I think, where the main difference lay. I hope it’s accurate.

 

3 hours ago, No Decorum said:

 

Model Rail has a close up pic of the roof in the new issue.

[adb968008]

1 hour ago, IRC said:

Well now, that’s looking pretty good to my untrained eyes. Is it a worthy adversary to the Bachmann version? Who knows, but first impressions are promising.

 

I think I’m convinced at this point to buy one at this point. The sound project is very good for those on DCC. 
 

The proportions are much better and it’s a definite step up on older Heljan locos.

 

 

Just park this cheeky 57 here too (but it’s the old 57 tooling).

 

[owentherail]

When I had seen the portabrook livery coming I thought ..... at last...... then realised it was the Heljan and not Bachmann.... never mind. 

[Wayne 56089]

Tinsley rose is wrong on 214!
 

And I’m still not convinced by the size of the head code panel, to me the front end just looks off.

[Alan Oliver]

Didn’t notice that until you said, the Tinsley plaque is the wrong style and upside down. Once seen can never unsee.

[Wayne 56089]

2 minutes ago, Alan Oliver said:

Didn’t notice that until you said, the Tinsley plaque is the wrong style and upside down. Once seen can never unsee.

 

it’s not even close 

[adb968008]

6 hours ago, No Decorum said:

News of the 48 at last! Many thanks. I confess that I haven’t found any detail about the roof, which is, I think, where the main difference lay. I hope it’s accurate.

Ben will correct me if i’m wrong but I recalled him saying something like 14 different roof types inc different boiler types and blanking.

[NickL2008]

I do like the new Heljan 47, it is still let down by the flat looking Headlight, the soundfile sounds good on it too, heres my take on it, I did look at it carefully as well. It certainly is better than the previous tubbyduff. Pity the 57s, havnt been retooled as well 

 

NL

[Roy Langridge]

3 hours ago, Wayne 56089 said:

Tinsley rose is wrong on 214!
 

And I’m still not convinced by the size of the head code panel, to me the front end just looks off.

The front footsteps are not spaced far enough apart for most 47s, giving a pinched look.
 

Most obvious in @adb968008’s photo of 47596 where they should be above the ETS sockets and near the lamp brackets:

 

 

They are closer together on some 47s, but I would argue not many. 
 

Jury still out for me. 
 

Roy

[Hal Nail]

11 hours ago, Wayne 56089 said:

to me the front end just looks off.

 

Is there enough side to side bowing going on across the front (a recurring Heljan issue) - all looks a little bit too one dimensional and from any sort of angle that shows up on 47s. Look at the handrail in the photo of the loco on rollers above compared to how this wraps round the curving front. Highlighting the handrail to illustrate the point but its the flattish plane of the cab windows that impacts the appearance (is the same issue on the 2nd attempt 7mm version). There is curve in the model but im suggesting not enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Hal Nail

[jjb1970]

Overall, it looks excellent to me, many more positives than negatives and it catches the 47 very well to my eyes. The latest Bachmann still looks better IMO but that's an outstanding model and the Heljan model looks very good. I still think whether or not I buy will largely be determined by price relative to  Bachmann and if they offer options not done by Bachmann. The 48 is a must have for me.