cromptonnut Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Anyone got a VAA yet ? Are they any good - I remember some concerns about the roof profile ? In the post from Hattons, hopefully due tomorrow Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugsley Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Could you post some pics when it arrives, please, including the all important end shot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I'll see what I can do, if someone hasn't beaten me to it. Assuming, of course, it does arrive tomorrow... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 47107 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 These might give some idea. https://railsofsheffield.com/railfreight-vaa-box-van-early-bauxite-1040-JJJA24926.aspx Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltic17 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 One other comment to add (since my earlier post) - I could be wrong but the VAA vans seem a little high to me, especially when placed alongside other engines/stock etc and comparing related photos on Flickr - possibly the roof profile is causing it to be too high in the middle?....maybe I will have to put weights in all of them to flatten the springing and hence lower the van!!!!! - anyway I will be interested to hear what others think. For those interested I was talking to Railtec transfers earlier and they are hopefully going to produce some transfers to allow modellers to renumber their VAA vans if required. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gridwatcher Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Agree the roof curve looks a little over done? Think I'll get opens.....! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Royal Fail lived up to their name yesterday but it seems that the parcel is now at my local delivery office and out for today's drop so watch this space. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Hattons parcel arrived and got lost in the post room for an hour but I have now retrieved it and, having fought my way through the epic packaging, I now provide you with a square "end on" view of said wagon. Apologies for flash but we don't have good lighting where I am, and didn't want it to be too obvious I was playing with my toys again. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltic17 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) One other thing I discovered earlier today was that there are some actual photos of the recent wagons and the ones that have not arrived yet on Howes Models site. I presume they have got some photos in China before their boat trip. The only other pictures I have seen are mock prints on the Heljan webpages. www.howesmodels.co.uk/category/Heljan%20'O'%20Locomotives%20and%20Rolling%20Stock If you don't get to the right page straight away click on Products,Model Railway,HeljanUK,Locomotives & Rolling Stock and you are there! Also I am aware Railtec now have their transfers out for the VAA for those interested. I have no connection with them but have always been pleased with their transfers that I have used. www.railtec-models.com/showitem.php?id=1708 Hope you find these links useful. Edited January 21, 2015 by deltic17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian daniels Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) The pictures on the Howes website are generally pre-production models that they have in the shop and they have taken the pictures themselves! Funny why the link above does not throw up the pictures though? Edited January 21, 2015 by brian daniels Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltic17 Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 The pictures on the Howes website are generally pre-production models that they have in the shop and they have taken the pictures themselves! Funny why the link above does not throw up the pictures though? Thanks Brian for clarifying - I couldn't understand why the link to the Howes models page didn't fully work! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugsley Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Thanks for the photo, cromptonnut. I think they might be a little bit too rounded, looking at this pic: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dan700/6631618809 But then, looking at this one: https://www.flickr.com/photos/15038/7943658094 perhaps not. The overly thick strapping on the end doesn't help the comparison, though. I'm definitely going to see if I can get one in my mitts on Sunday, though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugsley Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 There are a couple of good pictures in the Wagonload book by Paul Shannon (in the Rail Freight Since 1968 series) of the ends of these wagons, on pages 55 an 57 (I can't post them here for obvious reasons. Comparing these to the picture above, the roof might be curved a little too much, but not excessively so, but it does look as if the areas above the doors, between them and the roof, are a bit too deep. That might be why the wagon is a bit taller than it should be - it's probably only 1-1.5mm, just a bit difficult to correct. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 out of interest, how does wagon height vary between fully loaded & empty ? does worn suspension also affect height ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigboystoys Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Picked up a couple of the vans and a Newspapers BG at Bristol. Not bad..... But.... Brake handles and discs fallen off VAA's, wonky wheel sets on VAA's, bit of the under frame broken off the BG, sprung corridor springing gear bouncing around the inside of the BG........ Not a major problem to rectify...but annoying when you've shelled out the thick end of 400 quid... ! ...and... the icing on the cake.... the fixed brackets that sit around the wheels on the VAA's actually physically foul the wheel sets due to excessive sloppy side play !!! Unbelievable really...have the Heljan engineers not heard of performing tolerance stack analysis during the DFM phase of a product .....?? Again, not too much of a brain stretcher to rectify... But why should we have to when Hornby railroad items for a fiver offer better build quality... This is why there's not a vast amount of Heljan on Courtover Town... At least if we build it...there's only ourselves to blame :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobster Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I think that if I buy from a show (Face to Face with cash) I will check the items first, but not easy to do if buying online etc - Yes these things are easily rectified, but as said before, we should not have too do that considering the price - These are basically faulty/damaged goods that should be sold as such. We seem to accept poor quality control nowadays (me Included) because we can't be bothered to send them back, a difficult dilemma when you want the items and can't build your own. Cheers, Bob. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltic17 Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I have to agree with the recent postings above - there are too many bits falling off these models for the money we are paying! Production needs to be tightened up. I had to smile the other day - Tower Models had posted some latest VAA pictures on their site (one for each livery) and in 2 of the liveries the brake gear/handles have already fallen off pre photograph and it obviously hasn't been noticed. I bought a few VAA's myself and I had to reattach approx 75% of the said brake gear/handles as just found them laid in the bottom of the box. I don't think the new packaging for the BG's/GUV's/wagons help - for example the original MK1's had the traditional foam packaging whereas the latest BG is in the new plastic version....even Skytrex locos/coaches/wagons had foam packaging for protection! On locos too I have recently had various front handrails drop off class 40's and found loose handrails on the side of class 31's which have now been sorted but someone needs to mention these problems to HJ.....I had no experience of things like that on the earlier locos.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I've just had a delivery in and had a quick look at them and they are very impressive. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I've just had a delivery in and had a quick look at them and they are very impressive.image.jpg Looking very good so far Steve. still want to see some in the flesh before I commit though! JF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phill Dyson (onslaught832) Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 I've just had a delivery in and had a quick look at them and they are very impressive.image.jpg Looks very nice indeed Steve, can't really see an excuse for running them down my branch though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Here's the waste oil one, not as colourful but great for depots and stabling points 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CME and Bottlewasher Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 (edited) I've just had a delivery in and had a quick look at them and they are very impressive.image.jpg Looks nice Steve, I wonder how they will compare to the Lionheart ones? Looks very nice indeed Steve, can't really see an excuse for running them down my branch though I think that I may be able to - for the RAF branch? Here's the waste oil one, not as colourful but great for depots and stabling points image.jpg Would the waste oil versions be used by customers of BR or were they just for use by BR? ATVB CME Edited February 17, 2015 by CME and Bottlewasher Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I think they would be used for BR depots, although I could be wrong. I'm sure the lionheart tanks will be very nice. If there other wagons are anything to go by. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Fitness Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Hmm. It's going to be a very expensive month now. Had to get 2 new batteries for the bus, just found 2 genuine Bolton Transport roller blinds also for my bus (they have to be bought, won't get another chance!), Dapol have tempted me with their £20 bargain wagons and I've just signed up for some of these tank wagons....Oh! my aching bank account JF Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted February 17, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 17, 2015 (edited) I've just had a delivery in and had a quick look at them and they are very impressive.image.jpg I've just got mine and I have to say at first glance I'm not disappointed - springing is prolific - a bit odd but it all seems to run and I'm not sure where I'm going to fit my Spratt & Winkle couplings due to all the detail but that's my problem. I'm taking mine to Missenden for weathering under supervision! Chris Edited February 17, 2015 by Gilbert 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now