Heljan Class 33

The Heljan 33 is DCC ready, with a NEM socket. I have just fitted a Lenz Gold to my plain blue one and it runs beautifully, though it took a little bit of pressure to get the body back on the chassis as the Gold decoder sits a little high.

Ian J.

So it might have bent the roof up to a more realistic profile? :-)

ROB

:-D unfortunately not! :-( ;-)

Ian J.

Speaking of the roof - although of a slightly different aspect - I rather like the green 33.

However the roof seems fearsomely bright. Although I don't doubt this is prototypical I'd rather like something a little more restrained. So two questions:

(i) Was there ever a livery variation whereby a green 33 had a black/dark grey/green roof?

(ii) If not, do Heljan supply any of their models in "weathered" form, eg with a nice dirty black roof?

Colin Boocock's book "Railway Liveries (BR Traction 1948-1995) has a picture of a Class 33 in green livery and a light grey roof can be clearly seen. After a few months use, I expect this weathered down to the battleship grey effect also seen on the photo.

Some of the roof panels were made of fibreglass and after the paint had been eroded off the roof, the creamy-yellow colour of the fibreglass showed through. It was especially noticeable on the curved sections above the gutters.