JSpencer Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 In these shots we will look at the etched grills. A key difference with the new 33/0 over the older other Heljan 33s. A review of the original 33/0 (and 33/1 and 33/2 for that matter) states that the fan was almost impossible to see below the moulded plastic fan grill. In fact it is not almost, you really cannot see these fans period. I can remember seeing 33s warming in the 1980s and those fans were clearly visable behind the grill. The new model with its etched fan grill is a vast improvement: A review of the original 33/0 also critisised the moulded side grills. The new model has etched side grills but all the bits of framing behind no longer stand out. Photos of the prototype show these very well. So here - I feel - the older 33/0 with its moulded side grills, actually looks better. The etched side grills on the new 33/0 is quite chunky. Finer etches might improve this. To show the detail behind the etched grills, I had to use a lot of light, otherwise the camera will not pick it up. Not a problem on the older moulded grills. Note on the new model the printed detail below the side grills on the new model while the older one has these as moulded features (which is more correct for me, if a little deep). Someone doing new grills and etches to replace those printed panels would enhance the new model further. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted March 14, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 14, 2014 (edited) I don't like the rather coarse etched side grilles on the new one at all, I think the moulded ones look much more convincing. The new roof grille/fan is a big improvement, however. My old 33/0s don't run on any layout that offers more than a momentary end-on viewpoint, so the roof profile isn't really an issue. On balance, I think I'll be sticking with what I have. John Edited March 14, 2014 by Dunsignalling Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted March 14, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 14, 2014 Here are a few quick pics of plain green D6577 - see what you think. IMHO it's a great improvement on previous efforts! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapford34102 Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 The green one certainly looks the part - very tempted<br /><br />Stu Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Thanks for the pics, looks superb! Best start saving up! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimbus Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 The green one certainly looks the part - very tempted<br /><br />Stu This is more like it. About the only minor niggle I can see is the demarcation between the green and roof grey, where it drops behind the cab doors. It should be an arc, maintaining the over-window green band width. On the prototype, this meant it overlapped onto the cantrail grille mesh covers at No2 end. I expect Heljan anticipated masking difficulties if they copied this exactly, and made a pragmatic adjustment. The radiator side meshes give scope for improvement without major body surgery & repainting, so I think this one might finally prise my wallet open. And I have a double-headed service in mind... The Nim. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSpencer Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 The early version of the new 33/0 is spot in my opinion. The later version still has roof issues albeit not the same issues. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigherb Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 My plain green came today. I'm impressed and runs superbly but not the quietest Heljan I have. It is a shame about the side grills, although there not as bad as I thought where going to be, they look better at normal viewing distances than in photos. I suppose it stems from the RX remit for etched grills. In reality the Cromptons grills are so fine they are almost invisible unless close up. Realistic etched see through grills would be so fine and fragile it would have been better to have the original moulded ones. Perhaps someone will do an etch in relief which will get rid of the overly thick frame. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Colin Posted March 16, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 16, 2014 My plain green came today. I'm impressed and runs superbly but not the quietest Heljan I have. It is a shame about the side grills, although there not as bad as I thought where going to be, they look better at normal viewing distances than in photos. I suppose it stems from the RX remit for etched grills. In reality the Cromptons grills are so fine they are almost invisible unless close up. Realistic etched see through grills would be so fine and fragile it would have been better to have the original moulded ones. Perhaps someone will do an etch in relief which will get rid of the overly thick frame. Now the basic shape is sorted, I can tolerate the grille - as you say, it's not really noticeable at normal viewing distance. Even if a better etched replacement becomes available, I think I'd be very reluctant to start mucking around with such a superb finish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 21C123 Posted March 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 17, 2014 Hi does anyone know what the difference is between D6507 and D6577 other than the number. I don't want to get caught again buying a glossy loco by mistake..... thanks Roger Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigherb Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Hi does anyone know what the difference is between D6507 and D6577 other than the number. I don't want to get caught again buying a glossy loco by mistake..... thanks Roger it just looks like alternative numbers, no mention of a gloss finish version on Howes website. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ady77014 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Any like tell my Heljan put on the factory detail on their models in such away I can't get the tension lock couplings in? I brought a '33' (mk1) some while ago and found I had to remove most of it to get the tensions in... ...which provide impossible to do with out damaging it. Then I found one of the tensions had a flaw in it. Its sat in my drawer untouched ever since... I thought maybe because it was a special edition it was just a one off, and had been interested in the new 33s, but looking at reviews in Model Rail and BRM it seems they now standard on the new 33s. And all the other products recently released. I had hoped of buying a new 33, a Hymek, and maybe their new parcels railcar at some point but if I have to go though that everytime I won't bother... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigherb Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I had hoped of buying a new 33, a Hymek, and maybe their new parcels railcar at some point but if I have to go though that everytime I won't bother... Just snip the pipes off at buffer beam level with a pair of side cutters. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mardle Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 It seems that the headcodes on D6577 are for the up and down Cliffe - Uddingstone cement trains from the 1960s!! Let us hope that someone produces an accurate wagon sometime soon - the old Triang ones are almost impossible to convert to a reasonable representation. I would love to run a complete train on "Biggleswade". Geoff Hodson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigherb Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Let us hope that someone produces an accurate wagon sometime soon - the old Triang ones are almost impossible to convert to a reasonable representation. I would love to run a complete train on "Biggleswade". Geoff Hodson Yes I had hoped Hornby would do an updated version, they have visited their Tri-ang back catalogue in the past. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 17, 2014 (edited) Green SYP (ith rounded corners) is advised by Kernow as in the mail so expected here within the week. From the first I had reservations about this release. The grille looks wrong and seriously coarse. There is still the white outline around the headcode numerals which should not be there but it appears we cannot get in to correct this on the new releases - as indeed was the case on the more recent releases as well where you are stuck with the headcode Heljan provides short of considering a risky internal safari. All the images I have seen thus far suggest the shade of green is awry and the off-white trim is closer to white than the creamy shade it should be. I am prepared to be convinced this is a trick of the photography and caused by the lighting so I shall judge for myself when the model arrives. I have four earlier Cromptons of which the earliest still has the brassy wheels though runs superbly when these are kept spotless. All the others likewise are faultless performers and the marginal issue with the roof has never bothered me. I sincerely hope not to be disappointed with the latest version. Watch this space ..... Edited March 17, 2014 by Gwiwer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ady77014 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Just snip the pipes off at buffer beam level with a pair of side cutters. So I have to pay 100 pounds for a engine I have to cut bits off before I can use it. That doesn't make sense... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 So I have to pay 100 pounds for a engine I have to cut bits off before I can use it. That doesn't make sense... Only if you want to use it with a coupler that's nothing like the real thing on curves that are nothing like the real thing. Compromises are necessary to make models that work on a trainset and still look like the real thing. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 ...Or they could just supply the parts in the box, along with the couplings, so people can detail them if they want? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidH Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 And then you'll just get people saying "Why can't they fix the parts? I'm not paying £100 for a model that I have to finish myself" ... you can't please all of the people ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj_crisp Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 It's a no win situation! However the new 33s are anything like the older ones it's easy to pop the details off the buffer beams. The old details were so brittle they seemed to brake themselves in my case... Vitrains get critised for all the bits to fit yet I like them for that reason.... stripped and ready for improving! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Ian Hargrave Posted March 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 17, 2014 (edited) I appreciate what you mean....but some of us lack the eyesight and dexterity to fit the"bits".....sorry.....and are delighted that Heljan has done it for us.Not going to put a "disagree" icon on posting. Edited March 17, 2014 by Ian Hargrave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I appreciate what you mean....but some of us lack the eyesight and dexterity to fit the"bits".....sorry.....and are delighted that Heljan has done it for us.Not going to put a "disagree" icon on posting. Sorry, I should have considered that! Now where is that 'Head bang on wall' emoticon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gridwatcher Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Any like tell my Heljan put on the factory detail on their models in such away I can't get the tension lock couplings in? I brought a '33' (mk1) some while ago and found I had to remove most of it to get the tensions in... ...which provide impossible to do with out damaging it. Then I found one of the tensions had a flaw in it. Its sat in my drawer untouched ever since... I thought maybe because it was a special edition it was just a one off, and had been interested in the new 33s, but looking at reviews in Model Rail and BRM it seems they now standard on the new 33s. And all the other products recently released. I had hoped of buying a new 33, a Hymek, and maybe their new parcels railcar at some point but if I have to go though that everytime I won't bother... Eh? You cannot have both. If you want Tension locks pipework on the whole is a no no. Takes seconds to remove. As it happens I think this is a big plus but I will change the screw link for a more workable but slightly less scale part (from Smiths) You cannot please all the people Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 18, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 18, 2014 Many a loco now arrives with pipework ready-fitted. Personally I find that is a great bonus and only need to clip off the lower half of those pipes in order to fit couplers. It's a 10-second job and the inner ends remain on the buffer beam adding a touch of detail. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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