Heljan Lion

[ngresley]

http://www.heljan.dk/faste_filer/modul. ... ikelid=260

First view of the body shell (linke courtesy of MRE). Says "there are some corrections to be made" - are they going to get this one right?

[Metadyneman]

Pricing it at under £100 would be a start

[bobby55016]

Pricing it at under £100 would be a start

it's a limited edition. so theirs develpment costs. Deltic prototype, Kestral, and Falcon wern't priced at under £100. so it seams fair to me

[Metadyneman]

I did say that with tongue in cheek.

I am concerned though that all these limited editions are going to flood the market and will end up not selling simply because they are too expensive for us as consumers to buy all at once. Most are set to appear on our shelves within the next 3 years or so and at over £100 a piece I feel the bubble may burst and people just won't be able to afford so many different limited editions all at once. You only have to see how many Kestrels' and Falcon's there are still about and Heljan is about to release another batch of Falcon's

[Bigmet]

It's wait and see on that front. Something I was told last year by a retailer may well account for the numerous productions of diesel prototypes and the small classes that were the failures of the BR pilot scheme; and also the moves into the 25kV electric types. What the retailer said was that where the OO market definitely was showing signs of saturation was in the class 37 and 47 department; both having duplicate models to a decent standard, following the vast heap churned out by Lima. By now most of those interested have had the chance to acquire pretty much every livery and variant that has run, and there must be a limit where even the most ardent Tractorman or Duffer says 'enough'. Both the RTR manufacturers and some retailers are poking about for a genre that will generate the same sort of sales in post-steam traction. It is either that or another round of 'better then before ' models, and those too at a higher price than previously, because the 'better' aspect would require more of the labour intensive and thus expensive stuff, tooling refinement, applied detail, superior paint finish. I think there is considerable doubt that enough people would replace their Heljan, Bachmann and Vi collections for further improved models, at a higher price.

Personally, I think a few competing versions of some OO 'could be better' diesels (30/31 tops my list, go on Bachmann do the job on it) might be a better idea, but then I am not in this business...

[Phipps]

Some very good points made there,Bigmet.......

[Phipps]

........I have been meaning to add to the above that it may well be I will do "Lion" in kit-form.Having got away with my Deltic kit,I gather that there's a Lion kit on the market that should fit just nicely onto a Hornby 47 chassis.
I'm sure the Heljan RTR is extremely nice,but I'll be just as happy with a RTR Kestrel & make the ghost in kit-form.

[Metadyneman]

I am being tempted slowly by Lion. It's a lovely looking beast and would look good running round my garden line. There is also a lot of other stuff I have earmarked first though.. like the Hornby 4-VEP. All seems to have gone quiet on this, I know it's off topic but does anyone know if there has been any updates from Hornby on the 4-VEP?

[Phipps]

Well,I've been in touch with the guy(Chris Meachen at Golden Arrow) who can do this & the 9F tender for £45.
With the likelyhood of me treating myself to Heljan's Kestrel before the year's out,I'll stick to the 3 prototypes when you include DP1 & leave it at that.Distracting myself from the main aim otherwise

[RubyRubyRuby]

I can't the Lion selling very well , only one livery . thay would done better to produce class 07
or SR/BR class 70 Electric or class 74 elctro diesel.

[Bigmet]

Lion is probably the last possible variant exploitation of the class 47 mechanism available to Heljan. Never forget with Heljan that it is still a family owned outfit, and the family trade is making injection moulding tools. For the typical model making company that is usually the high cost investment in plastic model making, because toolmakers command high pay rates; but if the owners are doing it for themselves that bill effectively disappears as they will be paid out of the trading worth of the company. So they can afford to do what will undoubtedly be a low volume run.

Their next product line of this type appears to be the various BR railbus types. Same pattern of behaviour, several different bodies on what will probably be the same basic motorised chassis.

That said, I am pretty sure they will steadily take on all the remaining BR Bo-Bo types for which there are no RTR models. They are well into the minor stuff now, classes 35, 17, 15, 23, so if their retail partner in the UK tells them there is a market for other Bo-Bo types they will likely press on. Don't forget there are classes 16, 21 and 29 though, before anything south of the Thames can be looked at.

[Metadyneman]

Don't forget there are classes 16, 21 and 29 though, before anything south of the Thames can be looked at.

Wouldn't count your chickens on that one to be honest. I reckon a Class 71 electric or 74 electro diesel will happen sooner than you are intimating.. especially with the SR EMU interest that is getting attention at the moment. The Bachmann 4-CEP has been a success and so I think will their 2-EPB and the Hornby 4-VEP. There are not many Hornby Class 73's on the shelves at the moment and a 71 or 74 would probably sell more than a class 29!

[Phipps]

Well I haven't seen any signs of my kit yet
The guy was heading off to an Expo NG show when I paid him,but no kit yet.
No email replies either has got me a bit concerned

[Splop.]

Completely wrong period for me, but I might just buy one anyway.

I do live right next door to where it was built after all.

[47164]

Although the Lion may not be everyones '' cup of tea''

Has anyone compared the pre-production photo in the latest Model Rail to prototype photos ? as the results do look very encouraging particulary the ''face'', and the bogie/body ride height.(Vi trans take note re the class 47).or did anyone view the model close up at Warley ?

I do hope that manufacturing processes can maintain the details, ie buffers etc, and that the bogies in particular are not molded in a fowl white gloss plastic,that could ruin the overall look of the loco, Heljan could well have excelled themselves here.... but we do probally need to hold our breath a little while longer.

Regards & Happy New Year to you all.