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Brian's 7mm Diesel Workbench, Belated up-date!


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Don't worry Steve F I do keep on, and on, and on at them about the 37!

 

Steve I use ZAP Superglue, thin mostly but their thick at times. I glue windows in with kristal Clear that I dilute with a bit of water and put round the windows with a small brush.

 

Hope the Clayton build goes ok.

 

Wish it was my layout CME but it's 1 hour and a 15 minute drive from me so don't get down there too often. Mind you if I went too often the owner would not get on with the trackwork as we play trains all day! The Heljan Western and Deltic sound great going round this layout.

 

Just put some pick-ups on the other bogie of the Thumper trailer coach so hopefully the lights won't flicker now, better do the driving trailer now. I thought I might get away with just one bogie with pick-ups but on the layout yesterday they kept going out now and again.

 

I am going to put an old XL 3.5 I have into the 40 with a Visiton 71mm rectangular speaker, should liven it up!

 

I will have these models on the Rail Express stand at Warley with my DCC controller.

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All these people that say BR Blue is boring just don't get it do they Rod   :beee:  I can't wait to get some weathering on it. I am just making some seats up to put enough in the power car for starters for Warley.

 

My mate who's layout we borrowed has a blue/grey set so we did double head them, be rude not to. Unfortunatly they would not couple up as his has the cast buckeye as opposed to my Kadee. But his was just a tad bit faster so stayed buffered up.

Edited by brian daniels
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I sincerely hope you don't let them forget about poor old Falcon too?

Jeff, Brian, do you honestly think that it's likely? It was one – a single – loco. How many sales do you think it would achieve?

 

Before that there are plenty of Type 1 locos that would be much bigger sellers; the Class 15 for starters. Plus many more that are not yet in the Type 2 line-up, like a decent Class 31. Both of those would outsell a Falcon many, many times over.

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Jeff, Brian, do you honestly think that it's likely? It was one – a single – loco. How many sales do you think it would achieve?

 

Before that there are plenty of Type 1 locos that would be much bigger sellers; the Class 15 for starters. Plus many more that are not yet in the Type 2 line-up, like a decent Class 31. Both of those would outsell a Falcon many, many times over.

That's what Heljan said  before doing it as a limited edition in 4mm after loads of pressure.

The first 1000 sold out so fast my local model shop didn't even get ONE.

They are now well into seling out the second run of 1000. They still change hands on ebay at more than new prices.

 

I reckon a 7mm model would go quick, it's a one-off, people love them, something DIFFERENT on their layout. I can go to my local lineside any day, to see class 66's etc, but don't bother now. Yet when the Western came last week, I spent three hours there, waiting. Something different.

I once went all the way to the Isle of Wight to get and photograph the solitary class 05 allocated there. The Mrs was NOT amused.

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I understand, but you're comparing 4mm to 7mm and RTR to kits.

 

Plus we have a more basic problem with numbers. There are 100 or more 4mm modellers to every 7mm modeller. Even if all those 2000 Heljan's sold, once converted to 7mm sales we're only talking 20 at best. Would those 20 sales cover the costs of tooling, moulding and time on research? Probably not.

 

Anyway, back to the Thumper!

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I understand, but you're comparing 4mm to 7mm and RTR to kits.

 

Plus we have a more basic problem with numbers. There are 100 or more 4mm modellers to every 7mm modeller. Even if all those 2000 Heljan's sold, once converted to 7mm sales we're only talking 20 at best. Would those 20 sales cover the costs of tooling, moulding and time on research? Probably not.

 

Anyway, back to the Thumper!

 

Hello all,

 

I don't think that JeffP mentioned kits. 

 

The run of the Westerns (in 7mm) has sold out, Ok there's 74 in the class, not just one like Falcon. Modellers do like one off's. Two things about Falcon that it has going for it, approx. four different livery's and it lasted a good number of years (1961 - 1975), used on more than one region. If they did all of the different livery's some people may buy more than one.

 

I'm not sure about your 100;1ratio of 4mm to 7mm modellers. We have about 50 member in our club and two of them are 7mm modellers. Then the guild has over 5,000 members so if only 1in 10 bought a Falcon that's half of the production run sold.

 

OzzyO.

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Sorry to hijack but my two pence worth,

I think once they have covered all the main types in say 5 years now that Dapol and DJM are going into RTR 7mm Heljan might just look at doing it, I would have one, I think once announced there would be modellers who would just have one because they can.

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Well, if we restrict ourselves to RTR (a kit is far more likely, in my opinion) then it's even less feasible unless, as you say Steve, that all prototypes have been covered – which is a LONG way off for Heljan. And then what's to say they wouldn't move into industrials, for example, which are also highly sought after and offer a bigger margin.

 

Anyway, this is pure speculation. Personally, I'd much prefer Lion or Kestral – both much more attractive as models and uniqueness.

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Anyway, this is pure speculation. Personally, I'd much prefer Lion or Kestral – both much more attractive as models and uniqueness.

 

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

Falcon was better looking than either, plus it was USEFUL, not just a prototype, but worked hard for a living all it's life.

 

It also carried FOUR different liveries and THREE different style of  nameplates!

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Well it surprised me that Heljan even considered the 7mm AC cars Railbus but there will be many out there that will use this as a way into 7mm . That and a Dapol 08 would make a good micro layout. So you can never say never in this hobby. Even a few years ago who would have thought that we would have had 8 mainstream 7mm diesels as RTR with another similar number to come. They are not without their faults but compared to a JLTRT kit they are better value and that's not to decry JLTRT whose products are excellent.

 

So I reckon there is more potential out there particularly for smaller prototypes - class 15, class 23, class 21/22, class 03/04 and if Heljan want to keep cash flowing they will have to keep developing. How long before Hornby or Bachmann dip a toe in the water,

 

Paul R

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I agree

I think the Heljan are great value for money jltrt do great kits but you can't argue with good quality RTR

I wondered wether the 4mm boys might dip a toe, for my money it would be Bachmann.

Now Dapol and DJmodels are getting in to it.

There's plenty of prototypes to go round.

Brian,

I want to change the steam and vac pipes on my western to cast ones any recommendations ?

Cheers

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Well the best pipework is from JLTRT. I have a dwindling stock of these bits but I think you should be able to buy some from Laurie.

 

I am painting the interiors of the Thumper at the moment and boy is it tedious  :jester:  Made a few more luggage racks to get the power car at least finished. Still got one or two windows to add when the inside is painted. I have weathered the underframes now whilst they are separate from the bodies. DCC is re-installed and TCS function only chips added to the TSO and driving trailer. All the interior lights now work off F5 as all 3 chips are still set to address 03.

 

Should have it looking half decent at Warley.

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