Heljan announce re-tooled Class 86 in OO

[adb968008]

14 hours ago, royaloak said:

I have just sorted out some slides and there is one of 86219 still with the square handle recess on 8th August 1981 so it begs the question when were they changed

one for thought, but the original Hornby class 86 release, 86219 Phoenix in Blue, was accidentally released without any doors handles, in 1981, it was like that for 3 releases, 86243 (1984/5) and 86246 (1986/7) but had 1 handle by 86401 (1988).

As for the real thing, earliest Ive found on the net was 1983 with two door handles.

 

maybe perhaps the actual doors were being changed during tooling period, and hence an oversight in that first release ?

 

New doors were added giving two door handles, so the door could be opened from track level as well as platform level.

Edited November 27, 2019 by adb968008

[Francis deWeck]

On 25/11/2019 at 09:03, 61661 said:

Good Morning,

Just wanted to catch up with a few comments here after the Warley weekend. I fear people are reading rather too much into our choices on the 86s. We've never made any secret of the fact that we plan to work our way through the various sub-classes. However, we/I were keen to produce some of the missing versions that have never been properly covered in RTR, notably the original AL6 and now the 86/4s, rather than simply doing new models of subjects we covered in the first batch. We will get to the 86/2s in due course, but it's not possible (or desirable) to suddenly flood the market with dozens of models covering all possible variants/liveries/periods, especially on a class with a history as complex as the 86s. The 86/4 is a big step towards an 86/2, and design work is in progress. Using bits of artwork and existing parts we can also, at some point, add an MW fitted 86/0 and an 86/3 to the range if there is demand. However, the huge quantity of liveries and variations on the 86/4 and 86/6 should keep us occupied for some time yet. 

With regard to the pantograph, that is the final version, and far from being 'chunky' it is probably around 50% of the size of the old one. Designing a pan in this scale involves some compromises, balancing finesse against robustness. From expensive personal experience, I know that there are some superbly fine pans out there on HO models, but they are so easily damaged.

 

In terms of other improvements, the 86 has LED lighting, a 21-pin DCC interface, improved body shape and grilles. There will also be a process of evolution, with more improvements and upgrades planned for the 86/4. 

 

Ben

Thank you for your updates so far. With respect to the Pantographs, are spares being made available as complete units and how are the pantographs being secured to the roof to make them replaceable?

[61661]

20 hours ago, Francis deWeck said:

Thank you for your updates so far. With respect to the Pantographs, are spares being made available as complete units and how are the pantographs being secured to the roof to make them replaceable?

I have asked for a run-on of new pantographs to be sold as spares. The legs of the pan base are glued firmly into the insulators.

[MGR Hooper!]

1 hour ago, 61661 said:

I have asked for a run-on of new pantographs to be sold as spares. The legs of the pan base are glued firmly into the insulators.

 

I'll be getting a few for my Hornby Class 86s

[Wolf27]

7 hours ago, 61661 said:

I have asked for a run-on of new pantographs to be sold as spares. The legs of the pan base are glued firmly into the insulators.

Better make plenty Ben as they will be some demand for these. Will the other spares/sprues be available as previously?

 

cheers

 

Shane

[Wagonmaster]

44 minutes ago, Wolf27 said:

Better make plenty Ben as they will be some demand for these. Will the other spares/sprues be available as previously?

 

cheers

 

Shane

 

I'd second that Ben. We AC modellers will be looking to change all our HO scale Sommerfeldt pans to a correct 4mm scale Stone-Faiveley.

 

As has been mentioned, some 86's were built with cross arm pans. Any plans for these variants? 

 

Cheers

 

Steve

Edited November 28, 2019 by Wagpnmaster
Spelling

[Francis deWeck]

11 hours ago, 61661 said:

I have asked for a run-on of new pantographs to be sold as spares. The legs of the pan base are glued firmly into the insulators.

That's good to know that there will be spares (I hope in good quantities). I don't wish to be a nay-sayer , however, I don't quite figure how a replacement can be installed if the unit is firmly fixed as described. I appreciate that providing for some method of detachment from the roof would make the production costs rise, but accidents do happen with OLE even given the best of circumstances, vide. West Coast on the 27th. inst. It seems to me that perhaps the insulators ought to be designed so they can be replaced, thus allowing a replacement pantograph to be installed.

[61661]

21 hours ago, Wolf27 said:

Better make plenty Ben as they will be some demand for these. Will the other spares/sprues be available as previously?

 

cheers

 

Shane

As usual, all other parts on sprues will also be produced as a run-on to provide a pool of spares. 

 

We have no plans to produce a cross-arm pan at the moment. We are looking at a Brecknell-Willis single arm pan for some of the later 86/4s though. 

[Wagonmaster]

A Brecknell-Willis as a spare part is good too.

[royaloak]

20 hours ago, Francis deWeck said:

 I don't quite figure how a replacement can be installed if the unit is firmly fixed as described. I appreciate that providing for some method of detachment from the roof would make the production costs rise,

The panto is firmly stuck to the insulators, then the insulators are stuck to the roof

[Francis deWeck]

4 hours ago, royaloak said:

The panto is firmly stuck to the insulators, then the insulators are stuck to the roof

Yep, so replacing the insulators...............I'm having enough fun replacing Bachmann Class 85 pans, which became worn/damaged.

[MGR Hooper!]

12 hours ago, 61661 said:

As usual, all other parts on sprues will also be produced as a run-on to provide a pool of spares. 

 

We have no plans to produce a cross-arm pan at the moment. We are looking at a Brecknell-Willis single arm pan for some of the later 86/4s though. 

 

I'll take a few Brecknell-Willis pantographs as spares too. ONLY IF they look like the real thing and don't have an incorrect lower arm.

[petemster]

.

 

Any news on this loco?

 

From a reading of previous posts it seems there might be a a bit of a demand

for the pantograph - as a much-needed replacement for existing models.

Maybe Heljan could give the panto priority and produce it before the loco 

and see how many sell - which might tell them how many to produce as actual spares.

[adb968008]

On 03/06/2020 at 09:39, petemster said:

.

 

Any news on this loco?

 

From a reading of previous posts it seems there might be a a bit of a demand

for the pantograph - as a much-needed replacement for existing models.

Maybe Heljan could give the panto priority and produce it before the loco 

and see how many sell - which might tell them how many to produce as actual spares.

why on earth do that ?

if they turn out a lovely bunch of pantographs, many will fix their old ones lovingly, and decide maybe not to buy the new one as the older one always sets the benchmark...

 

Therefore the older ones should look old and knarly... so its an easy choice to buy new... then after the excitement wears off a but, that few spare quid could be used to touch up the old.

 

But a decent pantograph is OO is a much needed accessory

 

[Carl BR]

On 30/11/2019 at 02:55, MGR Hooper! said:

 

I'll take a few Brecknell-Willis pantographs as spares too. ONLY IF they look like the real thing and don't have an incorrect lower arm.

The idea of a working BW pan without the extra lower arm would be great but to model a working one in 4mm will be very difficult as the real thing has a chain running up the inside of the lower arm up to the elbow. 

Accurascale are trying to achieve this with the Cl92 project and fingers cross they succeed but only time will tell.

For me the Bachmann Cl 90 offering is a good working representation of a BW Pantograph with a good degree of rigidity to happily run up against the catenary on my layout.

[wombatofludham]

Heljan's Faceache feed has uploaded pre production decorated examples for us to drool over...
 

 

[MGR Hooper!]

From the Hatton's website...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ThaneofFife]

very good.  but looking forward to executive livery 86/4.

[LMS_LNER_SR_GWR_fan2004]

Hmmm I may need to backdate my eras slightly so I can have one of these! It’d be nice to get the older models and see how much they have improved! (I’m not fussed about the issues I just want a detailed 86 in the liveries the original batch had)

[Wagonmaster]

Certainly looking very good. For my era E3114 is the one. 

 

Pity the photographs don't show the pantograph raised, I would have liked a closer  look at it. The numbers and 'Ferret and Dartboard' crest appear to be printed. I'm hoping that etched versions are either supplied or commercially available ones will fit directly on top. The aluminium cast numbers and crest were a feature of the AL1-AL6's.

 

And now for the elephant in the room. What do we think of the colour? The earlier versions are definitely a different shade to the later Rail Blue ones, which is good. To my eyes and memory, I would say the earlier ones could do with being a tad lighter in shade.

 

Looking forward to their release though.

 

 

[GordonC]

8 minutes ago, Wagpnmaster said:

Certainly looking very good. For my era E3114 is the one. 

 

Pity the photographs don't show the pantograph raised, I would have liked a closer  look at it. The numbers and 'Ferret and Dartboard' crest appear to be printed. I'm hoping that etched versions are either supplied or commercially available ones will fit directly on top. The aluminium cast numbers and crest were a feature of the AL1-AL6's.

 

And now for the elephant in the room. What do we think of the colour? The earlier versions are definitely a different shade to the later Rail Blue ones, which is good. To my eyes and memory, I would say the earlier ones could do with being a tad lighter in shade.

 

Looking forward to their release though.

 

 

 

I would agree with that, to me the electric blue livery looks a little dark and I'd really be expecting closer to this shade

 

 

 

[stovepipe]

The AL6 weren't ever painted in electric blue, they were rail blue from the start. The application of rail blue in the early days was less sophisticated than later on, and often looks different than later iterations, but the effect is also accentuated by the small yellow panels compared to the full yellow ends.

[Legend]

These do look seriously nice . I quite fancy full yellow ends but lion on wheel symbol . 

[GordonC]

Is this not electric blue?

 

https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p366027746/h428ee7c#h428ee7c

 

https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p366027746/h428ee7c#hcddf21a4

 

 

Edited August 20, 2020 by GordonC
added extra photo

[VXDH92]

Great to see Heljan putting a lot of work into the retooling. 

 

I am sadly not convinced by the pantograph, especially in the 'down position where it still sits way too high. Better than the first batch of Heljan 86s, but far from correct IMO.

 

Hopefully when they do Brecknell Willis versions, they will look a bit better