Jump to content
 

Heljan 128

beast66606

By beast66606,
in Heljan

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold
Phil Bullock

Phil Bullock

Posted
  • RMweb Gold
Posted

Flikr is your friend Nick

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/invader1009/15138233818/in/photolist-aDNCGE-p4Hpvm-fv16YS-9wvsAL-emRwG6-k8SH6t-kMKXri-ikLm2Q-2K6Zz7-6B1ya3-osvFUx-iZ5fAw-mUKnYp-aDNA4J-p7eLws-eZEWe2-kvL7Rq-aDNCLu-kvJJRV-rZieCf-aDNA7W-rdJESm-9rvZag-eq5scM-6w3W8h-ehCv92-nwQjy2-j5PfHD-bfJUJn-nrwxG9-kMHJuE-kvJoGX-ohjFyA-9gtFRA-8DeFvP-paioRH-nmtBxx-kkW1wb-4pUvyU-fc4VDM-nfCDLq-dPzAx3-pfPiNr-6P7qd5-ehUbvL-cq9nk1-bjMrgF-bhr7GB-6SnuCR-aK88Pi

 

The Heljan model is cracking and will pull the side of a house down

 

Cheers

 

Phil

Link to post
Share on other sites
SRman

SRman

Posted
Posted

 

It'll probably also pull the side out of the next-door house at the same time!

 

Gwiwer tried his out and it hauled 36 coaches, notwithstanding his layout has some stiff gradients and tightish curves.

 

They are nice models, and as usual for Heljan, extremely smooth and quiet too.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Swindon 123

Swindon 123

Posted
Posted

Or even 2.

23218733926_505450ece9_b.jpgCH-260.  (CH-0-) by Paul James, on Flickr

 

And pull the whole street down.  :O

 

Paul J.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 months later...
HeavyDuty

HeavyDuty

Posted
Posted

It took a few years, but the combination of blowout pricing from a certain Merseyside retailer and rereading mudmagnet's "Acacia Avenue" thread enticed me into ordering a couple of blue 128s.

 

If I do something with these beyond just running them on the club layout a few times each year it would need to be a very limited project. I'm considering a small exhibition plank similar to the 7mm Oldham King Street (not Oldham King Street Parcels) forming a small parcels terminal with a shunter plucking off and moving tail traffic.

 

To this end, I'd probably be going with Kadees for ease of shunting. Has anyone had success using Kadees in these, either in the NEM pockets or in body mounted draft gear? NEM Kadees are difficult to find here, and I'd hate to spend full retail on a package to find out they don't work well - especially when I have 158s on the bench.

 

Thanks!

Link to post
Share on other sites
HeavyDuty

HeavyDuty

Posted
Posted

I haven't done it on the 128 as a 128, because I am pillaging the excellent drive for another purpose. But with that said, if you were to unclip the not very good version of the NEM pockets from the bogies, then there is ample clearance, and a good solid casting behind the bufferbeam on which to bodymount Kadee 158s.

Thanks for that - I haven't rolled my first one turtle to take a good look yet, my foam modeling cradle went amiss. I also need to check the chassis height at the bufferbeam. I'll report back with what I find.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • RMweb Premium
ColinK

ColinK

Posted
  • RMweb Premium
Posted

Do you recall which number Kadees you used?

 

I have all the different length of NEM Kadees, started with the shortest to see if they would go round the tightest reverse curve on my layout without buffer locking with a parcels van when pushing and pulling. They didn't so changed to a longer Kadee and tried again. Ended up with a no 19 coupler. 

Link to post
Share on other sites
HeavyDuty

HeavyDuty

Posted
Posted

I have all the different length of NEM Kadees, started with the shortest to see if they would go round the tightest reverse curve on my layout without buffer locking with a parcels van when pushing and pulling. They didn't so changed to a longer Kadee and tried again. Ended up with a no 19 coupler.

 

Perfect - thaks!

Link to post
Share on other sites
HeavyDuty

HeavyDuty

Posted
Posted

My second DPU arrived today in semi-kit format - its M59990 in blue with domino dots. All four sandboxes very neatly detached themselves. I think I read somewhere here in the thread that certain 128s had sandboxes removed later in life, so off to find photos before I reattach them!

 

Kadee 19s ordered, too.

Link to post
Share on other sites
HeavyDuty

HeavyDuty

Posted
Posted

My pair of bargain blue M55990s arrived from Hattons yesterday, only a few in-transit dislodgings of sandboxes and both fuel tank drums. The latter quickly glued back in place, but I wasn't convinced that all the GRCW DPU/128s had sandboxes, so I've started pulling together a dated list of details.

 

Still a work in progress, but preliminary findings show that the LMR quartet were never fitted with sandboxes (range of photos from new to withdrawn)

 

Of the WR sextet, I think most had sandboxes from new (or almost new) but the latest dated photo of one still with sandboxes is 55993 in May 1979.

 

So don't be too hasty to stick the dislodged sandboxes back on, especially on LMR, Red Star or Post Office Red ones!

Is your list something you can share here?

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...
  • 1 month later...
  • RMweb Gold
Geep7

Geep7

Posted
  • RMweb Gold
Posted

Finally couldn't resist and have ordered the Early Blue version from Hattons. However, it's got me thinking. My layout is set in 1969, so when would the 128's have received full yellow ends? Especially W55991, which the Heljan model is. I'm not above renumbering or repainting the end's, but I quite like the early Blue livery.

Link to post
Share on other sites
34theletterbetweenB&D

34theletterbetweenB&D

Posted
Posted

Hi I wondering if anyone could help. I'm thinking of purchasing a 128 but I need to know whether they run on Hornby radius 1 curves. Please could anyone advise me? Thanks.

 The mechanism alone (body, bufferbeams, bogie frames removed) will run on first radius, just. A bump in the track, or a slightly doglegged rail joint or a gradient on this curve will see it derail, not helped by Heljan using a far finer flange than was ever thought of when this very small radius was standardised (in the 1950s?). So for it to work at all, you need the curve laid flat and made up of track pieces all in good as new condition.

 

If your mechanism proves 'tight' when on the curve - there is inevitable variability from one model to another -  then stripping it down to file a little more clearance for the bogies to swing inside the extremely meaty chassis casting may be necessary. With the body removed it is very easy to see where the gear towers make contact inside the chassis casting.

 

What it will be like with the bogie frames, bufferbeams and body on, I cannot say. it may just sail round, but more likely some of the detail will foul somewhere. If you have proved that the stripped mechanism runs on first radius, you can then check with the added external parts, knowing that any problem is then due to these. You will have to be prepared to remove or adjust any fouling parts as required.

 

In short, unless you are very lucky, it will take work. If you go ahead with the purchase, try it as it comes out of the box. If it goes that's great; if not you need to get down to work as described.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • RMweb Premium
PhilJ W

PhilJ W

Posted
  • RMweb Premium
Posted

Finally couldn't resist and have ordered the Early Blue version from Hattons. However, it's got me thinking. My layout is set in 1969, so when would the 128's have received full yellow ends? Especially W55991, which the Heljan model is. I'm not above renumbering or repainting the end's, but I quite like the early Blue livery.

A photograph of one in blue with full yellow ends was posted on Facebook a few days ago. Not sure of the number but it was one of the corridor ones with the corridor removed and plated over. The photograph was taken at Welshpool with it on an engineers train and there is apparently a picture of one hauling a couple of Dogfish wagons.

Link to post
Share on other sites
muddys-blues

muddys-blues

Posted
Posted

A photograph of one in blue with full yellow ends was posted on Facebook a few days ago. Not sure of the number but it was one of the corridor ones with the corridor removed and plated over. The photograph was taken at Welshpool with it on an engineers train and there is apparently a picture of one hauling a couple of Dogfish wagons.

 

Like this one ..... copyright Mr.B .. www.6lda.28com

 

post-8721-0-73227600-1496311786.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • RMweb Premium
PhilJ W

PhilJ W

Posted
  • RMweb Premium
Posted

 

A photograph of one in blue with full yellow ends was posted on Facebook a few days ago. Not sure of the number but it was one of the corridor ones with the corridor removed and plated over. The photograph was taken at Welshpool with it on an engineers train and there is apparently a picture of one hauling a couple of Dogfish wagons.

 

Like this one ..... copyright Mr.B .. www.6lda.28com

 

attachicon.gif55995.jpg with 2 x dog fish.jpg

 

Looks as if its the same one. Another one for the 'prototype for everything' lists, all it needs is a 'Shark' bobbing along at the rear.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • RMweb Gold
Robert Shrives

Robert Shrives

Posted
  • RMweb Gold
Posted

Hi 

IIRC this fine combo worked off Minffordd Quarry with some level crossing based loading when Bont y Bermo was shut to all but light(ish) dmus... I do not recall a shark but a railcar fullish of lucky( not) lads with shovels.

 

Have this using an N  gauge 3D print on a Dapol chassis pulling two dogfish.

picture brings back a few memories

 

Robert    

Link to post
Share on other sites
stadman

stadman

Posted
Posted

Looks as if its the same one. Another one for the 'prototype for everything' lists, all it needs is a 'Shark' bobbing along at the rear.

 

 

 

A photograph of one in blue with full yellow ends was posted on Facebook a few days ago. Not sure of the number but it was one of the corridor ones with the corridor removed and plated over. The photograph was taken at Welshpool with it on an engineers train and there is apparently a picture of one hauling a couple of Dogfish wagons.

 

Like this one ..... copyright Mr.B .. www.6lda.28com

 

attachicon.gif55995.jpg with 2 x dog fish.jpg

 

Wasn't this because of an issue with Barmouth Viaduct? (or similar) Prevented loco's from working over it hence emu's hauling ballast wagons.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • RMweb Gold
stovepipe

stovepipe

Posted
  • RMweb Gold
Posted

Finally couldn't resist and have ordered the Early Blue version from Hattons. However, it's got me thinking. My layout is set in 1969, so when would the 128's have received full yellow ends? Especially W55991, which the Heljan model is. I'm not above renumbering or repainting the end's, but I quite like the early Blue livery.

I have this one too, for my eventual WR transition-era layout. I reckon it's suitable for the 1967-1971 period, but photos from this era are very far and few between making it difficult to determine exactly when the full yellow ends were applied.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 months later...
w124bob

w124bob

Posted
Posted

Doing some research prior to weathering my new 128 I've spotted a minor detail difference, 989 and 990 both had a slightly different exhaust stacks. Both sport vertical pipes rather than the curve type at gutter level, 989 as early as 1964 with 990 showing the curve type in early 70's but straight by 1978. My own new purchase had the usual collection of bits in the bottom of the plastic box, one cab step, 2 sand boxes (3rd missing completely)and one buffer beam fell off soon afterwards. Not bothered as the 4th sandbox was removed easily as per the real thing, I would agree about the slightly 2 dimensional look of the bogies but going to have some fun weathering that underframe detail. Finally I'm really impressed by the running, it's very near Kato US quality. One thing I have done is disconnect all of the lighting connections as I am personally not a fan of lights in models, for the pre high intensity headlight era BR used 40watt bulbs at 110 volts shining througn usual filthy lens and in daylight it was hardly noticeable if they were lite. See here for the exhausts

http://railcar.co.uk/type/class-128/?images=vehicle

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...