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I take your point but 18000 is a Rails product. Any decision to rerun it will be theirs, not Heljan's.

Pantograph is the Faiveley type, as shown on the sample with the incorrect roof colour. Don't recall seeing any photos of Parcels/Res 86/4s with the BW high-speed type, but I haven't done an exhaustive survey. In this batch of 86/4s only IC Exec 86404 and Caley Sleeper 86401 have the BW type. All the others are Faiveley.

The roof of the Res 86/4 has been corrected in response to the feedback received after we showed the first deco sample. Assuming there's demand for a second run of 86/4s, NSE 86401 is top of the list. Lots of liveries on these locos and we couldn't cover them all in one batch. Also, we wanted to include 86401 in Caley Sleeper livery and doing the same loco twice in the same batch might have caused a few comments.

Thanks for your support. Glad you are pleased with the 86s. Unless I'm mistaken, LSL only has one Class 86 and it's an 86/1, which we can't do because it has Class 87 bogies.

We're really sorry about the lack of updates. It's hugely frustrating for us too. However, I received a photo from the factory of some painted bodies earlier this week, so something *is* happening at last. We are promised new samples soon, so will update via the website as soon as we have them. The factory producing the Peaks has been flat out getting 18000 and the NER Autocars ready for Rails, and the Peaks are next in the queue.

Good morning, It's worth saying before this becomes 'a thing', we don't know why that little notch is there either. It's not on the CAD and we didn't ask for it. It has been raised in our report and will be corrected on future samples. Hope this helps Ben

Somewhat disappointed to see that your first assumption is a lack of research on our part or that we've just added this feature 'for a laugh'. The real railcars have a red electric light in the position modelled - a quick look in the cab of No.22 at Didcot will confirm that the driver has the option of using it. However, it appears that GWR/WR drivers didn't trust electricity so usually ran with an oil tail lamp at the back - a practice that continued well into BR days with the first generation DMUs.

I've been promised an update from the factory 'shortly'. Unfortunately I can't quantify the exact timescale of that, but as soon as I have any new information or new samples we'll update everyone via www.Heljan.co.uk and our Facebook page.

Afternoon All, Been busy with other projects this week, so haven't had time to get too deeply into all the various discussions. However, there seems to be some uncertainty about the spec of our new OO Class 47, so here are the headlines... - Factory fitted twin speakers with sound-fitted option on all versions - Separately switchable headcode panel, cab, tail and engine room lights - Twin flywheels and powerful motor - Floating centre axle (as per the old model) and outer axles powered, an arrangement renowned for its smooth running qualities - accurate ride height on bogies - 7x boiler roof panel options (Spanner, Clayton and Stones with plated versions of each) - 9x main body/end combinations initially with more planned for later batches - Original or Serck radiator roof sections with more recent fixed rad grille designs planned - Class 47 and Class 48 body/roof variants - Locos with Res TDM control cables (both standard and crash repair ends) - Original headcode panels, 2x plated headcode panel inserts and crash repair end designs - Original or cutaway bufferbeam cowling options for all the above - 3x underframe tank options with more planned (with/without water tanks and with long range tanks) - Cab front mounted or bufferbeam mounted ETH parts - Pantograph or single arm wipers - Round or rectangular buffers - NRN aerials fitted as appropriate - Intricately layered bogie detail scaled down from our O gauge model - Highly detailed deco with individual elements for specific locos (formal and informal) where appropriate - Plus all the other features that customers expect today - wire handrails, LED lighting, 21-pin DCC interface, speaker connection wires, etc. - Suggested retail price for a DCC Ready model is £219.00. To give some indication of the options that will be available we're currently up to 36 different CAD versions with countless others possible just on the tooling options we have now. There will of course be others in due course, such as a Scottish 47/7. Don't forget that Heljan released its first OO Class 47s in 2001 and the model sold tens of thousands over the following 15 years, being available alongside Bachmann's 47 for most of that time without detriment to either model. Our old tooling was worn out, so we decided to replace it with a model fit for the 2020s. Our friends in Barwell have clearly come to the same conclusion and customers will have their preferences, as they did for a long time with the previous iterations. The latest OO Class 47 samples are en route to the UK now, so we'll have more information and photos for you soon, once we've checked them out. I also hope to have some good news on the Peaks shortly as well. We're as frustrated as you that these aren't out yet as most of the development work has been completed for a long time. In terms of spec, these will be similar to the Class 47 and the detail options mean we can almost customise them down to individual locos so it's a significant step forward from earlier models. Hope this helps Ben

We haven't. The O gauge Class 120 DMU project was shelved several years ago. It's before my time with the company but original source material was in very short supply and without any extant vehicles to measure and photograph (apart from one unrestored intermediate trailer) it was decided to focus on other projects, such as the BRCW Class 104 in OO.

Not at this stage unfortunately. Tooling is fixed and we’re moving through the deco stage. So far I’ve received messages asking for them to be printed cables(!), separate cables and saying they’re OK as they are, so it’s obviously a subjective thing. We can’t please everyone! However, given the feedback we’ll investigate whether it’s possible/practical to have separate cables on future releases. Ben

Emphatically not. They were on some of the first run of Heljan 86s but we’ve moved beyond that now. Unfortunately the raised details are not obvious in the heavily compressed photos on Facebook. We’ve tooled two different bodies to cater for MW/TDM and TDM only locos, which covers most requirements except the very early conversions with MW cables and no headlights. As always, happy to clarify such things as they arise. Hope this helps. Ben

Thanks for the query. I should admit from the outset that I'm far from being a DCC expert - I rely on Heljan's Danish expert for technical advice and specifications. Here's what I know. Because they have more than the usual number of lighting functions, the GWR Railcars were designed to take an ESU decoder and the lighting functions are configured on that basis. Of course it is possible to use other brands of 21-pin decoders but the functions need to be remapped. In an ideal world we would have included instructions for that procedure but as each brand and control system is different, there are potentially 100s of combinations of instructions. With so many lighting functions it was impossible to devise a solution that worked with all decoders, so we chose the most commonly used brand (certainly for DCC sound) and matched the function to theirs. It's not ideal for everyone, but it is probably the most practical solution in the circumstances. The O gauge Railcars released earlier this year have exactly the same lighting functions, 21-pin interface and electronics, but we haven't received any queries about those so far! Make of that what you will. We recommend that anyone who chooses to fit a non-ESU decoder and does not know how to remap the functions themselves should contact a professional DCC fitting provider. At the time the models were designed, there were no supply issues on ESU decoders. However, getting into the reasons behind that would start a very different argument and I think we've all had enough of that already! Hope this helps Ben

Apologies for this. Unfortunately advert copy for Railway Modeller has to be submitted two months before the mag is published, and a lot can happen in that time. Perhaps naively given the current circumstances, when the copy went in we expected Lyn to have arrived by now. We are assured that the production models are now on their way, but it will be around 6-8 weeks before they land in the UK.

We are promised new samples soon. Unfortunately the factory handling this project has been badly affected by Coronavirus, not just with lockdowns but also with subsequent staff shortages. Apologies for the delay - we are extremely frustrated by the situation but there's very little we can do at the moment. Once we have the next set of samples we'll have a better idea of the timescales.

Morning All, I might be able to add some clarity here. 18000 was delivered with whistles, but lost them during a works visit in favour of horns tucked under the bufferbeams. One of the differences between the black and green locos on our new model for Rails is that the black loco has the whistles fitted on the cab roof and the green locos just have a short stub, as per the real loco. Heljan wasn't involved in developing the sound files, that was done by Rails and its sound specialist, but we did advise that a whistle sound function should be included, given that the black loco has them. Even now, locos/units in Switzerland (where 18000 was built) and across mainland Europe have whistles rather than (or as well as) horns, operated by compressed air. Hope this helps Ben

Hello All, The OO railcar motor is set low in the chassis between the bogies, driving all four axles. The luggage van area contains the 21-pin decoder interface and open space where a speaker can be fitted. Hope this helps Ben

Just in case Oliver is busy, I can assist with this. The tail, cab and engine room lights are all separately switchable, both in DC mode using the microswitches under the body and in DCC mode using a six-function decoder. Hope this helps Ben

Apologies for the radio silence on the Peaks. It's simply because we haven't had any updates from the factory, so there's been nothing new to say. A combination of Covid, Christmas, Chinese New Year and a backlog at the factory due to many production line staff not returning after lockdown has slowed everything down (and not just for Heljan). However, I have been assured that the next batch of Class 45 samples is expected to arrive for review next month, so hopefully we'll have something new to say then. Thanks for your patience. Ben

Me too. I've contacted eBay and reported it.

Interesting. The photo is one of mine, showing one of the first decorated samples we received last year (hence the damaged paintwork, which has been cured on subsequent production). Whoever is 'selling' this has pinched the photo from our Facebook page to try and make it look as though they have them earlier than everyone else. I'd be very wary of buying from this seller. Always buy new stock from a recognised retailer and a Heljan official stockist if you can!

Unfortunately the height is part of the compromise required to make it functional and robust. We've pushed it down as far as we can, but any lower and the sprung parts foul against the roof. We asked around before retooling the pan and the consensus was that modellers would prefer it to be functional and sprung to allow operation on OLE, rather than a super-fine and delicate 'poseable' pan. However, if you want to see how much finer, smaller and lower this new pan actually is, take a look at the original Heljan Class 86s. Hope this helps Ben

I get the point you're making but we have no influence on the content or comments made, despite our logo being on it. As a former editor of two model railway mags and a reviewer of 100s of models over the years I would (and have been forced to, on occasions) strongly resist any manufacturer influence on reviews. Now that I'm on the other side of the fence, I don't see any need to change that view and I/we respect the right of all editorial teams to review Heljan models without any input or pressure.

They are packed in cartons in the warehouse awaiting shipment. I don't have any production models to photograph - at least not until my samples arrive next week.

Apologies for this. Hopefully KMRC will be able to swap it promptly for you. As mentioned earlier in this thread, we've sent all the evidence regarding inadequate QC to the factory and they have agreed to 'up their game' on future batches of Class 25s. We have also agreed an action plan to improve certain parts, notably the headcode glazing, to eliminate problems such as this. With regard to the presence of bufferbeam details on the ETHELs, we felt that there was a lower chance of confusion/problems if we instructed the factory to make them as per the powered Class 25s. We are certain that customers buying these somewhat niche models are more than capable of removing the pipes if required to enable them to be coupled between loco and train. Leaving them off would have made a negligible difference to the overall production cost and end price. Same applies to the ploughs - they are included in all Class 25 detail packs as standard and if you don't need them for this loco they might come in handy for something else. I don't know about anyone else, but I have a bits box full of unused parts from various RTR locos! Ben