A fleet of weathered class 52 diesels

The Warship classes 42 and 43 appear here : http://yourmodelrailway.net/view_topic.php?id=13817&forum_id=51

Now it's the turn of the Westerns to parade for the camera.

All have been weathered to varying degrees and the Heljan ones fitted with Fox etched name and number plates over their Tampo-printed versions.  Most of those from Dapol came ready-fitted with etched plates and commissioned weathering.  

First the Heljan fleet.  Famous for their "baseball cap" misshapen cab window canopy this can be modified to look better when details are added such as fitting the wipers.  Some modellers have taken files to the bodywork but I'm not that assiduous!

D1067 Western Druid has all the details fitted and runs on Howes wheels which replaced the original Heljan brassy ones.  The new ones don't require cleaning every lap of the track!  They did require a fairly heavy weathering however achieved by applying a coat of Humbrol Rust Wash then brushing AIM Grimy Black weathering powder onto that while still wet.  This loco also has Heljan's own headcode panels fitted internally and a Bachmann crew.



D1023 Western Fusilier was the last member of the class in traffic and became a celebrity loco.  It was the only one to gain "domino" headcode panels in BR days (two white dots on a black panel where the numbers used to be ) and Heljan represent it in this form.  

I have also painted out the D on the number plate; around 1973 most of those locos which lasted that long had the D painted out by depot staff.  "D" for diesel and "E" for electric was no longer relevant as TOPS was replacing the old BR numbers - this class wasn't renumbered owing to their very short life and the cost of replacing cast plates.

This loco has later-style Heljan wheels which didn't need replacing.



D1007 Western Talisman has replacement wheels fitted.  The Heljan moulding omits what are known to aficionados as "Talisman clips".  This loco sadly ended its career by derailing at high speed through West Ealing with fatal consequences.  The cause was found to be the battery box cover being insecure and, having come loose, striking a point motor which caused the points to change beneath the train.  Survivors were fitted with a different and larger pattern of clip which of course this loco never carried ….. though all the Dapol ones do have the clips moulded despite them being a late modification to only some locos.



Broadside:



And with some detail of the wheels which as anyone who uses Howes sets will know arrive very shiny indeed.  This also shows the extent of bogie moulding on the Heljan locos including an absence of brake rodding.  That can be applied separately but as with their lamp irons the fitting is seriously oversized and I have not used them.



D1012 Western Firebrand was a second-hand purchase and arrived here in as-new condition.  It's accumulated some dirt since then.  Later-pattern wheels are fitted.



Broadside showing the effect of fitting the Fox name, number and works plates.



Firebrand and Talisman posed nose-to-nose showing the different levels of weathering applied



Moving on to the Dapol fleet here's D1042 Western Princess carrying Kernow MRC / Mercig Studios factory-applied weathering but with my additions of grille rust and oil staining.  The higher level of bogie detail including user-fitted brake rods can be appreciated.  Compare the battery box clips with those on the Heljan models.  These are "Talisman clips" which don't belong on locos in maroon livery.



D1030 Western Musketeer carries "Chromatic blue" over which debate still rages in some circles as to whether it was any different to standard rail blue. This one is just about out-of-the-box with only a wipe of black weathering powder along the roof line added.



Broadside showing again the high level of detail Dapol achieved and the quality of the weathering as supplied.  The nameplate is slightly adrift at the right-hand end but in order to prevent stray glue marks I'm going to leave it unless it comes right off.  Prising it off now to rectify might bend it.



D1056 Western Sultan.  The one Dapol loco I have which was not a Kernow MRC commission and therefore arrived pristine and requiring plates to be user-fitted is seen here with my own weathering applied and a slight seepage of nameplate adhesive.  In addition I had to replace Dapol's stick-on external headcodes with some spare internal ones in order to look better



D1068 Western Reliance completes the fleet and shows the level of applied detail on the front end with the commissioned locos.  The pipes and roof lifting rings all had to be user-fitted on the mainstream releases such as Sultan.  I have added some rust streaking to the front end and a little more general dirt.



The "inner" end is fitted with a standard coupler which ingeniously passes through a slot in the valence meaning the overall appearance is largely retained.  It seems it's not only me who manages to glue number plates on without first filing off all of the sprue link!



And ready for action!  



Both brands run and pull superbly with very little to choose between them.  The Dapol ones are a better representation and are easier to rail.  Heljan locos have the centre wheel set unpowered and unguarded meaning it is free to lift and not rail correctly when the others are placed on the track.  Westerns seldom ran in pairs though did work paired with other classes at times; both brands run happily paired up though different gearing and current draw means they don't run as happily in a mixed pairing.  

I present the Westerns of Penhayle Bay.

Once again Rick, Superb weathering. I also own 1030 and 1056, 1056 yet to be weathered. I thought the factory weathering on 1030 wasn't to bad compared to what factory weathering can be.

Connor

Great photos Rick.I remember watching them out of my bedroom window when i was a lad thundering past on their way from Paddington to the West Country.