uk_pm

A short video of these coaches in action on my layout at night. Here two trains are captured; both are formed of coaches with pre-installed lights. The second train is the Accurascale rake - and it really captures the look of the prototype in my view. Thanks Accurascale; another winner.

I've just received my BR blue 47 137, and it looks like a 47 to me. I can't wait to get it on the layout and put it through its paces. I'm sure it will have the superb mechanism I have come to expect from Heljan, and I am looking forward to hearing what they have done with their first sound-equipped loco. It will also be interesting to set it beside the new Bachmann 47 - which failed almost immediately after I put it on the layout, and has not worked since (and which I should obviously have boxed up and sent back, but I have just not got round to it).

I've not checked, but I expect that if you look carefully enough there is a perfectly-modelled removable panel, behind which you'll find the cistern. You can pop the stay-alive in there, and no-one will notice (you may have to remove some of the spare OO-gauge toilet rolls that will also be there!)

Love the taillamp! Is it a tiny LED wired into the lighting circuit, or an internal LED with a fibre-optic? Either way, it looks great.

These coaches are great! They capture the character of the prototype perfectly. They are well designed and easy to work with. I have lightly weathered the underframe and the roof, but I can't bring myself to cover the lovely blue/grey paintwork with muck and grime. There is a very passable interpretation of the interior detail - enough to recreate the essence of the prototype - and the lighting is excellent. Time has not yet permitted me to weather all 9 (or populate their interiors). The full rake will look great, I'm sure. Thanks Accurascale! PM PS: Apologies for lack of taillight. Fresh supplies are on order!

Very nice. You've certainly captured the shape. Good luck with this - which I shall watch with interest (and probably awe!)

56 120 powers through Doncaster. I think Large Logo is my favourite livery.

I'm slowly bringing my fleet into service. They really are lovely models. Here are the Romanian and Doncaster front ends for comparison (I prefer the Romanian).

I've finally managed to bring 37 001 into service - and what a superb model she is. At last: a 37 that looks like a 37. Thank you Accurascale. Here she is in action on my layout...

Here's three more shots of this inspiring loco at Doncaster. Thanks Cavalex!

... and here is 56 008 doing what she was built for; powering through Doncaster with an empty MGR.

They still have them at Trains4U; I ordered (a second) one on Wednesday and it arrived today.

On the basis that a picture is worth a thousand words (and I cannot add more superlatives than have been used already), I leave this here. 56 120 sits in the centre road at Doncaster, fresh from a proving run across the Pennines

It looks absolutely superb. You are right about the weathering; but it's ok to look ex-works when it is ex-works, surely? Thanks for sharing the pictures.

My goodness me this is a good model. The shape is spot on, everything is where it should be (I cannot comment on NSE livery, but the BR blue is perfect), the grilles and mesh are works of art, as are the cabs, and the bogies are in a different league to anything I have seen before. I want to install some third rail, just so I can see the arcing pick-up shoes. Anyway, on the basis that a picture is worth a thousand words, feast your eyes on this beauty (and, because no one else has yet said it; thank you Heljan for taking us to a different league. Long may it continue). PM

I haven't been able to get hold of Zimo XL decoders for more than a year now. I have gone to Charlie at DC Kits for this one - which will have LegomanBiffo's sound installed. He does great sound decoders - but I think the Zimo decoders (and their operation) are far superior. The 58 has plug-and-play, however and I am not sure that Zimo currently make a compatible decoder. That doesn't mean you can't install a Zimo decoder, merely that you have to hard wire it in (as you have always had to previously).

It's the original rail freight livery.

I think the yellow is spot on. It's quite matt and looks good now the body is lightly weathered. There is a livery error on the Railfreight model; the grey of the can roof doesn't come down far enough (so the black band surrounding the cab side windows is slightly too wide) - but that is easily remedied.

Just taken delivery of a pair. Absolutely lovely model (a contender for their best O gauge diesel I would think (at least in terms of capturing the essence of the prototype)). Weathering is in progress - although I have not yet received the decoder I ordered, so I can't yet progress to running in. I will post some pictures when I can. But I wanted to acknowledge their release and quality. Thank you Heljan!

Thank you.

Thank you.

These locomotives are looking - and sending - absolutely first rate; how exciting. The latest update includes a tantalising picture of 31 018 in BR blue, but I cannot find this model for sale. Can anyone point me in the right direction, please? PM

Is it? Dictionary.com defines statement as "something that someone says or writes officially, or an action done to express an opinion".

I recall reading somewhere that when double-heading in DCC back-EMF can cause issues. Have you tried turning it off in one, or both, locos?