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HELJAN UNVEILS ‘OO’ GAUGE 25/3 AND ‘ETHEL’ FOR 2019


Andy Y
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I have just tried this with a loksound decoder and 19 and 20 control the lights but the no 2 end lights are permanently lit I can't turn it off? It's ok if move it back it works with function 0 but not when plugged into CN2? 

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9 minutes ago, pendlerail said:

I have just tried this with a loksound decoder and 19 and 20 control the lights but the no 2 end lights are permanently lit I can't turn it off? It's ok if move it back it works with function 0 but not when plugged into CN2? 

Don't know about loksound. On zimo  the lights are directional, that is one end is lit red on say F21 and it goes out if you change direction. Same for F22.

Richard

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I have just tried this with a loksound decoder and 19 and 20 control the lights but the no 2 end lights are permanently lit I can't turn it off? It's ok if move it back it works with function 0 but not when plugged into CN2? 

 

 

It is on all the time wether the function is on or not

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19 minutes ago, pendlerail said:

I have just tried this with a loksound decoder and 19 and 20 control the lights but the no 2 end lights are permanently lit I can't turn it off? It's ok if move it back it works with function 0 but not when plugged into CN2? 

 

 

It is on all the time wether the function is on or not

On the zimo F21 and F22 are controlling Function output 1 and Function output 2. Is that what your F19 and F20 control?

Richard

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22 minutes ago, csvt2004 said:

On the zimo F21 and F22 are controlling Function output 1 and Function output 2. Is that what your F19 and F20 control?

Richard

I think Biff normally has the cab lights set for those functions on F19.

 

Roy

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9 minutes ago, Roy Langridge said:

I think Biff normally has the cab lights set for those functions on F19.

 

Roy

I should say both decoders are set up differently. My sound project came from Digitrains.

Richard

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On 16/03/2021 at 15:25, Clive Mortimore said:

Today I have received a new Heljan type 2 Bo-Bo from John Dutfield's in Chelmsford. I have moaned on this thread concerning this model about what I considered wrong with the "engineering prototype", too flat a front, and cab doors windows not are deep enough. On opening the box these features remain, plus the cab door handrails do not look right, you couldn't be pear shaped like me and get in the cab as they bend inwards. I think if I can be ar$ed they can be sorted. It is very well finished and comes with four little bags of bits. Two of which I will not be using, the snow ploughs and the train heating boiler grill and foot step blanking plates, wrong for my period of modelling. The other two contain the tension lock couplings in one and more buffer beam additions in the other. I need to check what should and should not be on the buffer beam for a mid sixties loco as I feel Heljan have added stuff that weren't there, in my modelling period. Comparing the livery with other manufacturers and my own two tone green locos.....how many shades of Sherwood Green are there? None matched the Heljan version, or each other, so that is acceptable.  

 

I had a small fight to get the couplings on (why aren't they factory fitted?) owing to the pipe work already fitted. I ran it light engine in both directions, it runs very smoothly at all speeds. Its top scale speed is about 80 mph, which is about right for the class. I then ran it with a set of coaches. There is a big operational problem the couplings, they drop, which means they will not couple up to the coaches without human intervention. This is something I feel is important for one man operation on a largish train set. I have other Heljan locos that have a similar problem or it might be interference from the dangling buffer beam pipes, this will speed up my investigations as what it should have on the front. It negotiated the station throat OK. I drove it into platform six and ran round its train for its return journey to the fiddle yard. After getting coupled to a train it ran lovely and looked like a Sulzer Bo-Bo as it sped round the layout a few times.

 

It will be a good addition to my operating fleet despite my thoughts on its appearance.

A little brute force with the end of a steel rule has made the cab door handrails a lot better.

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So, as this topic has already been covered, I thought I'd throw my two pence worth in... my weathered br blue 25 finally arrived today. Wasn't aware of the issue prior to purchasing, only after, so it was just a case of give the benefit of doubt and wait for the thing to arrive. Not very good news really.

 

Opened the packaging to find all the detail bits rattling around in the plastic carton. Opened up and most of the bits fell on the table and the floor. Not a good start...

 

Got the loco out and unwrapped it and was immediately dissatisfied with the appearance. Poorly applied weathering and the glazing at one end is an absolute abortion. Paint chips around the windows. Totally disgusted with how they can actually send these out from the factory.

 

Anyway, exchange request to the supplier and a very disgruntled email sent to Heljan. Won't be having anything of the sort with the SLW release towards the end of the summer...

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Having looked over my 252 I've come to the conclusion the poor fit of the window glazing is down to fit of the wipers pushing the top of the glazing back into the cab. Once I'd looked on the inside top edge you can see how the wiper spigots interfere after being glued in place. The glazing on my 252 is very firmly secured, pity as I would liked to have at least one open cab window. I have also blanked out one tail light each end with a small piece of insulation tape, once I fit a decoder I'll configure it as a simple on/off. Headcode illumination was never bright on any loco I had contact with in the pre headlight era, so I've simply unplugged the connection. It should be remembered there are 8(not all working either) feeble 40 watt bulbs behind a dirty piece of glass and a black roller blind or rectangle of black sticky back plastic with two small opaque white dots. I love the way the buffer beam has been engineered , but noticed there's on brake block slightly touching a wheel. The cross brace with kink to avoid the NEM coupling is glued in out of line . Biggest issue were the body retaining screws at the fuel tank end, I could get them undone but the bogie has slightly less pivot arc because of the fuel tank than the other end. So they cannot be completely removed, not a real problem unless you want to test run the chassis. Renumbering is a doddle as I was surprised how easily 25252 came off with a tiny amount of Tcut on a cottonbud, cab hand rails can be made almost invisible by using black/polished steel Humbrol , they quickly lost most of the white paint as us cuddlier drivers squeezed our way through the door!

 

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MP40058's weathering on his blue one is a dream compared to the Green 2531 D5244 I have just opened - see pics.

 

I bought a pristine 2533 D7661 and the weathered 2531 D5244 at the same time.   D7661 I fitted with an ESU v5 decoder from C & PR (highly recommend their Class 25 sounds by the way), but was awaiting delivery of a Zimo MX644D decoder from Digitrains with Paul Chetter sound file before opening D5244, as I wanted the best available decoder for that one, anticipating the weathering would be at least on a par with their 26s etc. I was already aware from the D7661 installation that Heljan have neglected to include a plug and leads to wire a speaker to the CN6 speake r socket with these locos. The ESU v5 has speaker leads whereas the Zimo decoder does not, but fortunately I had a spare plug and leads from a Class 27.

 

You can imagine my horror when I opened the box and looked at this loco. This is the one I was looking forward to as Heljan weathering has been acceptably good in the past. The “factory weathering” on this loco however appears to have been done by a 6 year old with a toothbrush or worse – it is frankly utterly appalling including fingerprints on the ends !!!!  I will be returning this by insured post tomorrow for full refund for the loco and my postage cost, and trust the supplier will pass on my disgust to Heljan.

 

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57 minutes ago, tlm said:

MP40058's weathering on his blue one is a dream compared to the Green 2531 D5244 I have just opened - see pics.

 

I bought a pristine 2533 D7661 and the weathered 2531 D5244 at the same time.   D7661 I fitted with an ESU v5 decoder from C & PR (highly recommend their Class 25 sounds by the way), but was awaiting delivery of a Zimo MX644D decoder from Digitrains with Paul Chetter sound file before opening D5244, as I wanted the best available decoder for that one, anticipating the weathering would be at least on a par with their 26s etc. I was already aware from the D7661 installation that Heljan have neglected to include a plug and leads to wire a speaker to the CN6 speake r socket with these locos. The ESU v5 has speaker leads whereas the Zimo decoder does not, but fortunately I had a spare plug and leads from a Class 27.

 

You can imagine my horror when I opened the box and looked at this loco. This is the one I was looking forward to as Heljan weathering has been acceptably good in the past. The “factory weathering” on this loco however appears to have been done by a 6 year old with a toothbrush or worse – it is frankly utterly appalling including fingerprints on the ends !!!!  I will be returning this by insured post tomorrow for full refund for the loco and my postage cost, and trust the supplier will pass on my disgust to Heljan.

 

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I need to add that when I saw the weathering on the now removed blue 25s, I said “looks like it had been done by a 3 year old”, later that evening, my three year old made me eat my words with his excellent weathering skills

Paul

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1 hour ago, tlm said:

MP40058's weathering on his blue one is a dream compared to the Green 2531 D5244 I have just opened - see pics.

 

I bought a pristine 2533 D7661 and the weathered 2531 D5244 at the same time.   D7661 I fitted with an ESU v5 decoder from C & PR (highly recommend their Class 25 sounds by the way), but was awaiting delivery of a Zimo MX644D decoder from Digitrains with Paul Chetter sound file before opening D5244, as I wanted the best available decoder for that one, anticipating the weathering would be at least on a par with their 26s etc. I was already aware from the D7661 installation that Heljan have neglected to include a plug and leads to wire a speaker to the CN6 speake r socket with these locos. The ESU v5 has speaker leads whereas the Zimo decoder does not, but fortunately I had a spare plug and leads from a Class 27.

 

You can imagine my horror when I opened the box and looked at this loco. This is the one I was looking forward to as Heljan weathering has been acceptably good in the past. The “factory weathering” on this loco however appears to have been done by a 6 year old with a toothbrush or worse – it is frankly utterly appalling including fingerprints on the ends !!!!  I will be returning this by insured post tomorrow for full refund for the loco and my postage cost, and trust the supplier will pass on my disgust to Heljan.

 

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The weathering examples I seen on here are unbelievably bad..........get ready for these to be sold off cheaply once the glut of returns hit Heljan........Ben you should show photos of better examples if you have them because no one will buy these at £150 a pop

 

Shocking bad examples of factory weathering!

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10 hours ago, ColinK said:

Has anyone tried removing the factory numbers yet?

If you scroll back up on P45 of this thread to my pic of 25191 with the cab door handrails bent closer to the door frames, this has been renumbered from 25093. I used fine wet and dry which had been used a lot  already, and I haven't yet varnished over where the old number was. T Cut will work, though I didn't have any to hand in the wee small hours when I was up because of Covid jab man flu! The originals  are very sturdily printed, though, acrylic thinners / marker pen didn't touch them!

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Does nobody else have "The Streak" playing in their mind everytime they see this thread ?    Don't look ETHEL ..........but it was tooooo late 

 

Maybe its just me !

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Honestly, in this day and age, a factory-weathered loco should resemble a machine that's been out getting dirty at work rather than coming back from a bog snorkeling event. 

 

Fortunately, solutions exist...;)

 

Davy.

 

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1 hour ago, Mad McCann said:

Honestly, in this day and age, a factory-weathered loco should resemble a machine that's been out getting dirty at work rather than coming back from a bog snorkeling event. 

 

Fortunately, solutions exist...;)

 

Davy.

 

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They look great. I’m slowly getting into weathering. Thing is you don’t need much to improve the appearance of a model, so I’m starting generally with light weathering on the roof and chassis, and will get more adventurous as I go on.

 

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