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Heljan - OO - B-tank wagon


Gerald Henriksen
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Oops sorry I read the start of post about Mobil grey tanks but assumed the wagon were grey you mentioned and didn't click it was the red charringtons later in the post.

The train of twelve that split at Rugby could be nice small train to replicate in model form

I'm working on the possibility of getting some Mobil A tankers produced.

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Picked up 5 from East Somerset Models this morning. Must say I'm impressed. Not had a chance to run them yet, but I've toned down the wheels with my 'dirty mix' and fitted Kadees to two of them, but run out of #18s. As has been mentioned, the coupler height is correct, so why they give you stepped couplings with them is odd, though Ian at the shop said that you get the same with their new pannier. Must have a browse of Paul Bartlett's site for ideas on weathering. I'll be getting a couple of class A's when whey come in.

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If anybody wants to EM these I think the best way to do it would be just to take the wheels off the axle and replace them with Gibsons. The axle looks the same diameter but it's longer than standard. I've yet to try it myself but I'll let you know how it goes when I do.

 

Dave.

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Not needed on Cwmdimbath, but I've seen them in the shop displayed out of the box and I'm impressed.  I once had a train of 8 of the Airfix kit version of these, and once you'd filed away the seams on the tanks, at the top and ends, they were all right for those days and might still pass muster now, above the frame anyway.  But the Heljans looked right from several feet away before close examination, in a way that the best made Airfix/Dapol kit ones cannot equal.

 

I find this true of all Heljan models, and it is I think partly down to the finish, certainly has a lot to do with the way the windows are fitted on diesels, and perhaps some less definable quality of the plastic; they effortlessly look the part, and my experience of things that look effortless is usually that someone has put a massive amount of effort into making them look like that!

 

Now, please, O Lords of Danish Scaleness, a 16ton mineral with scale thickness sides, interior detail (I know there's not much but it's there), correct wheelbase, and working side brakes in 4mm so I can pin them down for incline working...

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I've had notification that the 'oo' Class 'A' tanks are in stock. I've looked at the photos on the Hattons site to see the 'A' class model in the flesh for the first time and am pleased to see that Heljan have produced them with the longer tank barrel compared to the 'B' tanks. First releases are 3 in Esso 1950s, 2 in 1980s TOPs HazChem and 1 Chipman weedkiller

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Not needed on Cwmdimbath, but I've seen them in the shop displayed out of the box and I'm impressed.  I once had a train of 8 of the Airfix kit version of these, and once you'd filed away the seams on the tanks, at the top and ends, they were all right for those days and might still pass muster now, above the frame anyway.  But the Heljans looked right from several feet away before close examination, in a way that the best made Airfix/Dapol kit ones cannot equal.

 

I find this true of all Heljan models, and it is I think partly down to the finish, certainly has a lot to do with the way the windows are fitted on diesels, and perhaps some less definable quality of the plastic; they effortlessly look the part, and my experience of things that look effortless is usually that someone has put a massive amount of effort into making them look like that!

 

Now, please, O Lords of Danish Scaleness, a 16ton mineral with scale thickness sides, interior detail (I know there's not much but it's there), correct wheelbase, and working side brakes in 4mm so I can pin them down for incline working...

 

And opening doors, at least at the side, like the old Airfix kit one.

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Hmmm.  Difficult to be 100% certain looking at the Hatton's photos, which are of a light coloured tank barrel against a white background; the actual end of the dome is not clearly defined.  The critiical point is the seam where the domed end piece meets the barrel proper, which I agree should be set back a few inches from the headstock.  And on the model it is, looking pretty much right to me.  But on PB's shot, it is difficult to make out, although the next shot but one in the sequence shows it fairly well.  I think, though am prepared to be corrected, that the dome of the end piece is, at it's centre point, level in the vertical plane with the headstock, but again, the angles and backgrounds of the photos, including the ones Clive has just posted while I am typing this edit, do not make it positively definitely beyond doubt absolutely clear on the prototype or the model; to be fair it is a difficult thing to be certain of without actually measuring them with a straight edge and a plumbline or spirit level.  The wagon would probably not comply with the required clearances if there was an actual overhang, as there would be the possibility of coming into contact with the next one if a severe change of gradient was encountered.  On some tanks, there was a flat across the end of the dome to preserve this clearance.  If this is so on the model, they've got it spot on,  If not, then hopefully they'll spot your comments and rectify it; the barrel is probably the easiest part to replace with a correct one!

 

Never mind the 1970s, the current Dapol and Hornby 16 ton/7 plank minerals are on a completely wrong chassis which is a whole scale foot too long; the most common wagon on the railway for anyone modelling pre about 1980.

Edited by The Johnster
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Why have Hattons suggested these are Era 7 - the wagon as produced looks like their original condition http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/essoatankwagonvb/e2654395f By era 7 they would have been looking decidely down at heel, even if adding the extra 4 to make a five figure TOPS number would have taken a while.

 

However 4021 is described as era 5 http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/essoatankwagonvb/e32cd852b

 

Heljan 1170 Pack of four 4-wheel A tanks in Nomix-Chipman weedkiller train livery would have been better described as era 7 http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/chipmanweedkiller not era 8 - they were a boring black by 1986

 

Paul

Edited by hmrspaul
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  • 2 weeks later...

I've had notification that the 'oo' Class 'A' tanks are in stock. I've looked at the photos on the Hattons site to see the 'A' class model in the flesh for the first time and am pleased to see that Heljan have produced them with the longer tank barrel compared to the 'B' tanks. First releases are 3 in Esso 1950s, 2 in 1980s TOPs HazChem and 1 Chipman weedkiller

 

Anybody have a definitive idea of when "hazchem" symbols came to be applied to these wagons please? Description of the wagons states "80s", but I've a sneaking suspicion it was earlier than this (oh for a photographic memory!)

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Anybody have a definitive idea of when "hazchem" symbols came to be applied to these wagons please? Description of the wagons states "80s", but I've a sneaking suspicion it was earlier than this (oh for a photographic memory!)

My recolection is of Hazchem markings being applied to road tankers before rail ones; I'd guess late 1970s for road and early 1980s for rail. Looking at a selection of photos on Paul Bartlett's site, it would seem that in 1979, very few vehicles were carrying them, but a year later, virtually all wagons had them.

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My recolection is of Hazchem markings being applied to road tankers before rail ones; I'd guess late 1970s for road and early 1980s for rail. Looking at a selection of photos on Paul Bartlett's site, it would seem that in 1979, very few vehicles were carrying them, but a year later, virtually all wagons had them.

Thank you! That was my recollection too, however reading volume one of Larkin's "Working Wagons", he speculates that they were introduced to rail tank wagons around 1976. it would be nice if this was the case as it's the period in which my layout is to be set!

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Thank you! That was my recollection too, however reading volume one of Larkin's "Working Wagons", he speculates that they were introduced to rail tank wagons around 1976. it would be nice if this was the case as it's the period in which my layout is to be set!

 

My recolection is of Hazchem markings being applied to road tankers before rail ones; I'd guess late 1970s for road and early 1980s for rail. Looking at a selection of photos on Paul Bartlett's site, it would seem that in 1979, very few vehicles were carrying them, but a year later, virtually all wagons had them.

 

I am not able to easily look for this on all my photos, but here is a late 1976 wagon http://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/paulbartlettsrailwaywagonphotographs/e4dbc0830 with hazchem, there are others in 1977. I wouldn't have many tank wagons before this date, they operated between private sidings so not so easy to photograph.

 

Paul

Edited by hmrspaul
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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

How about Hazchem on a loco?

 

attachicon.gif4 cropped.jpg

 

Phil

I've only just seen this.

 

Having tried to understand the requirements of HAzchem when we were transporting small quantities of pesticides in cars back in 1976-7 I think this was probably correct! Just not done. And that was just for the fuel in the loco tank (joke)! I don't know if the rules changed or were simply ignored by common sense.

 

Paul

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How about Hazchem on a loco?

It has been a while since I did my road Haulage CPC but I think the Hazchem plate on the loco is not required but also prohibited as the Hazchem plate should be secured only to the vessel containing the hazardous substance

4 cropped.jpg

 

Phil

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  • 3 months later...

Just a quick not to let people know that Steve at Railtec transfers has now produced a sheet of alternative numbers for UM Molasses tankers in OO to compliment his set of O gauge ones...... a good choice of numbers on a single sheet for both all red and blue/red versions.

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  • 1 year later...

Thinking about buying some of the United Molasses versions.

 

Some questions, those running to Menstrie was it a block train or were they run in a mixed or speedlink for any part of the journey?

 

Most photos seem to have 8 or so in a rake, was it a fixed formation or would 4 or 6 be prototypical?

 

Livery wise most photos are of well weathered wagons on the branch and early 90s, is the Heljan livery with the UM logo suitable for the mid 80s?

 

Thanks

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Looking at Paul Bartlett’s photo site it seems that the UM liveried tanks were withdrawn in 1981ish and were replaced by similar blue liveried vacuum braked tanks. These were then replaced in 1984 by air braked ex caustic soda tanks.

 

I had high hopes for a fleet of these Heljan tanks for my 1975 Alloa based layout and they are a pretty model. Unfortunately there are so many annoying faults that I have abandoned any thoughts of using them. I could just about cope with reworking the trenches that represent the weld lines on the tank, replacing the hugely overscale axleboxes and the clart on with making space for P4 wheels but resolving the excessive ride height finished off any enthusiasm and I decided to wait for the Oxford version or the long promised etched chassis for the Airfix/Dapol kit.

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Looking at Paul Bartlett’s photo site it seems that the UM liveried tanks were withdrawn in 1981ish and were replaced by similar blue liveried vacuum braked tanks. These were then replaced in 1984 by air braked ex caustic soda tanks.

 

 

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/unitedmolasses

 

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/davismolasses

 

https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/procormolasses

 

Paul

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