Firstly & most importantly, I owe you a sincere apology! I can assure you that I'm not usually so volatile; more like a labrador, me. I accept your comments regarding perfection, as the Heljan Western does have it's design discrepancies against the prototype. Perhaps what I should have stated is that I'm a self-confessed perfectionist & I was happy with what is available today.
My Heljan Western that was used for the test was run on DC. Thanks to you, I am now well aware of the current draw & DCC Chipset problem. As I use my models for display only (usually), I was totally unaware of any potential problems of any sort. However, I have seen Heljan Class 47's where the chassis has become so hot & expanded that it's seriously cracked the bodyshell.
With what has been discussed on this forum, I will, in time, replace all of my Heljan Westerns with Dapol versions.
I've already cancelled my pre-order for the next batch of Heljan ones.
As a matter of interest, which Heljan Western have you got?
PM me off forum if you like.
Cheers,
Ian.