Which one to get?

[1936ace]

Hi all,
My Nicole said today that can have a new loco for my birthday in June. Not wanting to miss the opportunity I quickly jumped on the net. I have a big wish list( well one can dream can't i) being 17,22,23,31,33,35,52,25,50
I know most are way off but of the ones available which is the best to get.
Do I grab a 22 now or wait for the newly mentioned weathered disc versions
Suggestions anyone
Bart

[NeMo]

My Nicole said today that can have a new loco for my birthday in June. Not wanting to miss the opportunity I quickly jumped on the net. I have a big wish list( well one can dream can't i) being 17,22,23,31,33,35,52,25,50
I know most are way off but of the ones available which is the best to get.
Do I grab a 22 now or wait for the newly mentioned weathered disc versions
Suggestions anyone

Lucky you! Nicole sounds like a good 'un.

Anyway, weathered disc Dapol 22 or not will surely depend upon the era you model; the weathered route indicator disc ones will be essential for late 50s settings. Class 22s produced from 1960 onwards had headcodes fitted from the start, and retro-fitting headcodes on ones produced with route indicator discs began at about the same time. You could see both side-by-side at least as late as 1964, but I don't have any pictures of any in BR blue with discs, so if you're modelling the late 60s/early 70s you probably want one with headcode boxes.

A lot will also depend on where you're modelling; I'm not sure Class 17s and diesel-hydraulics ever ran side by side (though to be fair, that's not going to stop me buying one of them once they're available!). Of the models you list, in my opinion (for what it's worth!) the Class 52 'Western' is probably the best model produced in the last 12 months; the one I have is distinctly quieter than my Class 22, with the 'Hymek' somewhere between the two, though it is (very marginally) cruder in appearance.

Since you aren't likely to see new or updated models of classes 17, 23, 25, 33 or 50 any time soon, you may want to leave them for Santa Claus. That leaves the 22, 35 and 52, which are all excellent, though as I say, the 35 is a few years old now and doesn't have quite the delicacy of the later models. To be fair, the real Hymeks are much boxy-looking machines anyway without as much detail as the 22s or 52s.

If you're modelling a branch line, then the 22 is the pick of the bunch. It's ideal for short freight trains including tootling two or three milk tanks down a branch line, Hemyock-style. 'Hymeks' weren't really branch line engines but otherwise did pretty much everything, albeit not over the entire Western Region (they weren't much seen in Cornwall for example). 'Westerns' are obviously mainline engines, though in Cornwall that could still be a single track line, and they did do a lot of freight work, especially in their BR blue days. They also ran across a very wide range, at times regularly to Crewe and sometimes even farther.

Of course you can pick up the old Farish 25s and 50s very cheaply, and both are good runners. They'd also be excellent test-beds for weathering and/or detailing; unless you go nightmarishly wrong, any changes you make will improve them!

Cheers, NeMo

[1936ace]

Thanks mate,
I'm sort of running 67ish to 78ish br blue
Looks like I'm torn between the 22 and 52.
On the layout I'm building is a western mainline single line and a branch both very long, so I guess both the 52 and 22 fit in well.
I've always liked the 52 even owned a old farish one but I like the stocky little 22.
Was wondering if one was better then the other quality wise.
Would it be wrong to hint at both
Bart

[NeMo]

Was wondering if one was better then the other quality wise.

They're both excellent. I'm sure there are threads here on the forum about both. I like the 'Western' the more on principle, but the 22 is still very nice indeed.

Cheers, NeMo

[Newportnobby]

Was wondering if one was better then the other quality wise.
Would it be wrong to hint at both
Bart

Following Nemo's excellent reply, I would just add I have a green Dapol Western and green class 22 and consider them both to be great lookers/runners.
As you are running blue diesels you could chance your arm asking for both (possibly risky ) or how about requesting the Dapol Class 22/milk tanker set. I believe the milk tanks are not weathered particularly well but the job they've done on the class 22 is just superb.

[oreamnos]

You'll get as many opinions here as members!

Between the 22 and the 52, I've got examples of both (and have had to return examples of both to the retailer for problems, too!) and and have to say I like the 22 better by far.  I'm personally not a fan of discs as they are too fiddly for me, so the current 22 with split headcode boxes gets my vote.

Matt