RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 24, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 24, 2014 Dirty Boy weathering is among the best I have seen; I have numerous examples (though not Cromptons) in my own collection. What those images have done - apart from highlight the quality and realism of their weathering - is to suggest the laters green versions might in fact be in realistic shades after all. I have expressed my concerns before about the early images hinting at wrong shades and I still await delivery of D6530 here to see for myself but those images have given me cause for hope where all before have cast doubt. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 24, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 24, 2014 I picked up an early green one at Ally Pally over the weekend. Very nice model and after fitting a Zimo sound decoder it is even better. I now just need to weather the loco. It will be running on Star Lane at Tinkers Park in early August. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Don`t forget they were always likely to pick fault with it given the history... While forcefully advertising its cardinal virtue: availability. Per the proverb 'there's no such thing as bad publicity' if opposed by policy they would have done better to pretend it wasn't there... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
47423 Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 The roof panel replacing the silencer port is a separate fitting? Yes, its a plain panel that goes where the silencer should be, its glued down on the Construction one but loose on the Dutch one, no big issue, It can soon be glued down. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 25, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 25, 2014 (edited) D6530 (the catalogue-issue green SYP with the prototype rounded corners) has arrived. I have placed it alongside the earlier green FYE D6563 for colour comparison and find that the two are a very close match for green, a good match for off-white trim and a near enough match for the accident with the custard bowl on the ends. In fairness the earlier one has also been weathered and so will the new arrival be in due course but suffice to say I am happy with the livery representation though not completely with the roof and side grilles. In my opinion the older iteration looked better in those areas. I'm not an expert to know whether one is right and the other wrong. Now to set about removing those awful white borders to the headcode panels. Images compare the brand-new D6530 with the previous release of D6563 which carries my own weathering. D6530 has had both couplers fitted (though is shown here with one end "out-of-the-box") and will in due course also gain suitable weathering. Edited March 25, 2014 by Gwiwer 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Tried out my D6507 with Kadee 19s and all of the factory fitted bufferbeam detail left in place. The tigthest cuve being a Peco Small Y no problems arose with a Bachmann/TMC Mk 1 horse box or a Bachmann conflat (both fitted with NEM Kadees) and equally an old Airfix GMR conflat with NEM Kadees glued into its coupler mounts gave no problems. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 (edited) I do like those Dirty Boy weathered examples. Here is my straight out of the box D6570, side by side with D6585 with modified cab roof profiles (compare the edges in particular with Rick/gwiwer's photos earlier). The main (large) side grilles on the new version are a little too prominent but overall it does look better than the original. I particularly like the new bogie side frames, althugh the brake blocks are still not in line with the wheel treads. My D6570 is currently fitted with a TCS M1P decoder, after burning out a cheap Hattons one! I will try to get something a little beefier to replace the TCS one but I have run out of good quality 8-pin decoders (I usually like ESU ones for Heljan locos but Lenz are also ideally suited). Edited May 16, 2014 by SRman Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
owentherail Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I've just smashed the side grill off trying to remove body shell, can't get nails under it :-( I'm guessing etched grills on the way? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 28, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 28, 2014 (edited) Bother. The body is a clip-fit as are most Heljan bodies but unlike older releases it doesn't fall off in your hand. This one is a very tight fit indeed and clips over the curve of the frame section around the cab ends. It took me a good 10 minutes of persuasion using the point of a scalpel blade to gain first entry then plasticard shims to maintain the advantage until I could release the body. It then took a couple of attempts to get it back on. Edited March 28, 2014 by Gwiwer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed a/c Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Can I ask if the NEM pockets are at the correct height? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 29, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 29, 2014 The loop couplers still droop and need a slight trim of the vertical element to the bar in order to prevent accidental contact with items between the running rails. That includes just clipping the opposing running rail when running through points. Right height or not the outer ands of a coupler of any kind are likely to be lower than standard. But I'm used to that little annoyance from Heljan and the Xurons are the weapon of choice to circumcise the coupling bar. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
owentherail Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Bother. The body is a clip-fit as are most Heljan bodies but unlike older releases it doesn't fall off in your hand. This one is a very tight fit indeed and clips over the curve of the frame section around the cab ends. It took me a good 10 minutes of persuasion using the point of a scalpel blade to gain first entry then plasticard shims to maintain the advantage until I could release the body. It then took a couple of attempts to get it back on. They don't make it any easier do they!!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 (edited) Re the NEM socket height the Kadee 19s come out spot on in my example, however yesterday I spent the best part of an hour fiddling with a Bachmann 03 chassis as it had serious NEM droop, the problem transpired to be the NEM socket part was too loose in the mount into which it slides vertically and a different NEM socket part was less loose. Problems with NEM mounts are not just whether the height is right in the first place but also how good the interference fit is between the parts. Its useful to have a thin strip of brass to hand that can be slid between the coupling and the internal base of the NEM mount and which can also be bent upwards if neccessary to counteract any NEM droop Edited March 29, 2014 by Butler Henderson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed a/c Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Thanks for the info. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapford34102 Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Treated myself to a green one and like it, mostly, but having a quick compare between it and the Mk1 have come up with a number of "why's" that are probably not worth pursuing. One question though, anyone popped the headcode out yet ?<br />Stu Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 30, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 30, 2014 (edited) anyone popped the headcode out yet Yes. If you prefer to not risk chipping or breaking the "glass" panel it's best done from the inside. Remove the body (not that easy in itself), then remove the cab mouldings (they're not glued - quite easy) then press something suitable into one of the two holes used to allow the lighting through the back panel. Make sure you have a hand over the outside to catch the glass as you do this!!! The fitted headcodes are vinyl and stuck on the inside of the glass. If you want to change them they peel off readily. The new 33s don't come with a selection of alternatives on a sheet of thin card as the old ones did but I saved the spares from the old ones. The new D6530 has had its two white-border headcodes replaced with 68 and double white blanks and it all goes back together very snugly. Pictures here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/6296-penhayle-bay/?p=1396014 Edited March 30, 2014 by Gwiwer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 That's useful info, Rick. I intend to change the headcodes on mine too, in the very near future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John M Upton Posted April 26, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 26, 2014 I am having terrible trouble trying to get the body back on mine (D6507). Lining up the body shell so that the indentations in the chassis block match the body side windows doesn't work, indeed looking at pictures, the body seems to be actually on the wrong way around. Either that or I am going crazy... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted April 27, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 27, 2014 They only fit the right way round John but they are very tight as well. It took me quite a time to get the body back onto D6530 and at times I was using so much persuasion that I feared for its safety. Persistence paid off and eventually it just snapped back into place. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
class37418stag Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Hello everyone Heljan twin class 33 has cancelled ? Why Because I want but that Rail express limited edition of Heljan twin class 33 have different livery Thank you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium brushman47544 Posted May 16, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 16, 2014 Hello everyone Heljan twin class 33 has cancelled ? Why Because I want but that Rail express limited edition of Heljan twin class 33 have different livery Thank you I would seem that Rail Exclusive (not Rail Express magazine) hand Heljan had some sort of falling out, so Heljan went ahead and released a new version of the 33/0 presumably based on improvements already made to the tooling. I wouldn't be too concerned about liveries; I expect Heljan will produce other liveries in due course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSpencer Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Bother. The body is a clip-fit as are most Heljan bodies but unlike older releases it doesn't fall off in your hand. This one is a very tight fit indeed and clips over the curve of the frame section around the cab ends. It took me a good 10 minutes of persuasion using the point of a scalpel blade to gain first entry then plasticard shims to maintain the advantage until I could release the body. It then took a couple of attempts to get it back on. How many clips are there? Reading the above, I get the impression that 2 of the clips are on the cab fronts. Is this correct? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold pheaton Posted May 19, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 19, 2014 no clips on the cab fronts its 4 clips, two either side as per heljans useual... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 D6530 apparently suffered from a creased body side following a derailment at Gravesend West so the Heljan model is presumably only accurate until the date of that derailment (when?). Seems strange that the main production run has the unique livery one while the typical version is a limited edition (ModelRail) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted April 4, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 4, 2015 I have just been fitting a DCC chip to my example and it is a pig of a job, it is worse than the Bachmann 4CEP in that the body is very tight and I found it took a lot of nerve to both get the body off and then back on again as the force required felt perilously close to being enough to break the thing. Why-oh-why can't more models be provided with easy fit DCC sockets like the Bachmann 350? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now