Heljan Class 15

[craigwelsh]

I was surprised to see the Rails email announcing these. Not sure what Heljan have done with the cab height vs short bonnet height, they certainly seem flush in all the pictures i've seen.

[Pete Piszczek]

I succumbed to a GYSP one yesterday at my local shop.

 

Bodywise, I think my only adverse comment is that Heljan have made the top of the cab slightly proud of the top of the shorter bonnet end - it should be flush. Some extensive filing could correct this.

 

The cab doesn't seem to be seated particularly well in many photos I've seen on-line. Seems to aggravate the flushness aspect on the roof.

 

I rather fancy D8242. HHY, plus arrows.

[edcayton]

Was there a "normal" direction of travel for these (ie long or short nose leading), or did they have controls facing both ways?

 

Ed

[josh993]

Has anyone got a shot with the discs fitted?

[Baby Deltic]

Was there a "normal" direction of travel for these (ie long or short nose leading), or did they have controls facing both ways?

 

Ed

 

I don't think there was any particular direction of travel, although, like class 16's they were always double manned AFAIK because of visibility from the cab, for seeing signals, obstructions, etc. I have read that the poor visibility caused by having a 'hood' at each end was a major complaint of loco crews. It may have hastened their demise.

[Baby Deltic]

Just five more class 15's to get. This year my wallet is going to suffer a huge loss due to 9 different class 15's, about four different baby deltics and the Craven's DMU's coming out.

['CHARD]

Oh dear, now you've done it, Bob!

 

Dave.

As static scenics go, per square inch, not that much different from resin-to-plonk, mate!

 

:icon_thumbsup2:

[Guest Max Stafford]

A train heating unit for the price of a coaling tower, eh 'Chard...?

 

Dave.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I don't think there was any particular direction of travel, ...

All too often that summed up the real problem with class 15 (and 16, and 21, and 23...) Other defects would have been tolerable. The reliability of good old 'Thousand Horse' was the real killer for this class.

[Garry D100]

I like these a lot, but struggling to justify one of these for a North West/Welsh area layout.

I suppose I could get D8233 and do some pretend 70's and 80's specials.

 

Would be interested to see one with the discs and lights on.

[Horsetan]

.....Can anyone definitively confirm if the same chassis components have been used as on the Clayton?, in particular the wheels and gears.

 

Oh dear, are we all playing Drivetrain Russian Roulette again?

['CHARD]

Wahey! Time for another airing of The Danish quote! Nice touch

[00ERmissus]

Was literally just reading this thread, having been told by my retailer earlier in the month that I would have to wait until May for the first of the 2 that I have on order. when the doorbell rang. Mr Postman with, what my wife now calls, a 'highly suspicious' package. Indeed it was - D8200 in plain green! Out of the box and straight on to the metals. Sweet as a nut. How disappointing, nothing like the real thing at all. Serioulsy though, I'm well pleased with it as I have been with all my locos from Heljan ( I don't have a 17, they didn't operate in my area). I have D8215 on order. At last I now have something authentic for my forthcoming Buntingford branch. Can't wait for the Wickham rail car! Only criticism, as stated earlier by others, the cab roof is not flush with the short nose end but I can live with that. Oh yes and I paid a fair bit more than the K&S price of £75. I reckon they've sold out by now!

[Mallard60022]

Here you go Dave http://www.railbrit....e2.php?id=13456

 

Not only a 15 BUT an excellent coach in Engineers' livery too! Why did I not notice these things when it mattered?

36E

[edcayton]

All right, I give up! How do you get the ...... thing out of the box? I've got the clear plastic "bubble" out, but can't see how to get the carriage heating unit (is that a sort of kettle?) out of that. All suggestions welcome.

 

KS had a fair few in stock just now, but no plain green ones.

 

Ed

[Ian J.]

Just picked up a double arrows one, nice runner Also has decent lighting, though I do wonder if all the foward yellow lights should be on in forwards direction. I'm presuming two reds on the back are standard and OK

 

Quick question: when 'the four' were converted to CHUs, what was left of the drive mechanism, if anything? I'm just wondering if they were able to get around themselves or needed hauling?

[Baby Deltic]

Just picked up a double arrows one, nice runner Also has decent lighting, though I do wonder if all the foward yellow lights should be on in forwards direction. I'm presuming two reds on the back are standard and OK

 

Quick question: when 'the four' were converted to CHUs, what was left of the drive mechanism, if anything? I'm just wondering if they were able to get around themselves or needed hauling?

 

The CHU's were converted at Colchester Depot. AFAIK, the traction motors were removed, and the main generator's output used solely for ETH. I also believe there were a lot of problems locating traction motors for D8233 because of this. IIRC the traction motors are the same as used on the Met-Vic 'A' class loco's in Ireland, and spare motors were sourced from there.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I have now got the cab roof down flush with the short bonnet top; it stood all of 0.5mm higher, and there was a same size gap at the bottom of the cab side, above the solebar, running plate, or whatever it is called. Once the body is off the chassis the cab could easily be worked free from the inside. Took a little bit off the bottom of the cab interior moulding (the visible part of which I am going to paint dark) , and thinned the pegs on the bottom of the cab sides, also cleaned up where it lands on the footplate, all neat and tidy now. Actually, after a short break took another look and wasn't quite satisfied, there is a raised edge inside the rear of the cab roof, scraped that off, now it sits truly flush. A little filler in the gap on top to blend them together at some point I think, if photographs show no panel join in the real thing.

 

The chassis was very tight in the body (whip the fuel tank off, undo the two crosshead screws, gently, very gently, work round the underside to get the mech out). Very neat internal layout, bags of space for a decoder under the fan end. Alternatively a large oval speaker at the fan end, decoder at the cab end with a bit of modification of the cab interior insert. The body green is rather bright, dirt will fix that though. The NEM pocket isn't, strictly by the rules, since it is positioned getting on for 2mm overheight, ( just like a Bach 16T mineral in other words). Lighting effect good on DC, should be excellent once decoder fitted. Good news on the decoder socket location too, clear void underneath it, no metal for long plug pins to short on. The motor is a 30mm long 12mm diameter round can type, no flywheels.

 

Have only run it on test with DC at the so far, smooth, quiet, very controllable. Bags of traction, good for 40 grams force, and that is likely to improve after more running has polished the tyres up. Started and pulled smoothly the 20 coaches the force measurement predicts ( Bach mk1 and Hornby Pullmans) on a level track circuit including a 30 inch minimum radius curve. Hasn't got warm or anything after getting on for an hour on the move, so there is no indication of any mechanism troubles.

[Brian Kirby]

Well i've bought two and i'm very pleased, both run beautifully and the shape and livery look good. It makes a nice change, since i have criticised other products before, well just a little bit. Still got to put the bits on mine, i like to put a thin wire bar coupling + cosmetic screw coupling on the front (to make it pretty)and a Bachmann coupling on the back for double-heading and auto-uncoupling. As PMP Paul suggested, when used in pairs, the short bonnet tended to usually lead, so that will be "the front" for me.

I think the bogie sideframes could benefit from a splodge of black paint and then weathered, to bring out the detail.

Cheers, Brian. (96.5% happy with this model )

[reevesthecat]

Hi

just picked mine up from tower models blackpool for 79.99 bargain!!

mark

[bluex5]

Received my D8200, very impressed. Perfect runner straight out of the box. Not detailed or DCC'd it yet. Only thing that I dislike is the moulded headcode discs, seriously considering using some Shawplan ones out of my spares box. The lighting is so good it deserves decent discs!

[Ian J.]

Having got mine the other day, I'm sufficiently impressed with it that I might get another, clean up the short nose end of the cab roof so that it's a fully flush fit, then repaint into fictional BR Blue with full yellow ends and a proper TOPS number...

[spackz]

Does anyone know how easy it would be to rub off the last digit of the running number so I can get another two 15's and renumber them, any methods/solvents recommended?

 

Regards Paul

[bluex5]

Does anyone know how easy it would be to rub off the last digit of the running number so I can get another two 15's and renumber them, any methods/solvents recommended?

 

Regards Paul

 

T-Cut usually does the job. Probably best off removing the full number though as those in transfer sets rarely match perfectly the originals.

[Pennine MC]

T-Cut usually does the job. Probably best off removing the full number though as those in transfer sets rarely match perfectly the originals.

 

Be careful though - there's a fair bit of evidence that Heljan's numbering doesnt necessarily respond to the usual methods and is sturdier than their base livery paints. It might be worth trying a small piece of very fine wet and dry, folded so that just the numbers are targeted