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Heljan announce re-tooled Class 86 in OO


Andy Y
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This is a really great model. Smooth and powerful running even at the slowest of speeds. A nice surprise was to find the buffer beam details pre-fitted. I'm looking forward to the release of the 86/220210609_125730.jpg.df586f69786fe402122a082566a66caf.jpg

 

1080318714_heljan86.gif.0753302b630a5142a3f736d74cfabfc1.gif.fddb6741feff1f8d486a292d33e8651e.gif

Edited by letterspider
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Well, we have an 86 down.

 

On fault finding with the top body off, I have power to the motor but no torque what so ever, even with the drive shafts disconnected its a smoker. Thankfully the V5 is OK, but testing with the blanking plug in on DC resulted in a dead blanking plug very rapidly.

 

Great...I wonder how the return will fare considering I've stripped the weathering off.

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32 minutes ago, Zunnan said:

Well, we have an 86 down.

 

On fault finding with the top body off, I have power to the motor but no torque what so ever, even with the drive shafts disconnected its a smoker. Thankfully the V5 is OK, but testing with the blanking plug in on DC resulted in a dead blanking plug very rapidly.

 

Great...I wonder how the return will fare considering I've stripped the weathering off.

 

Might be worth seeing if the retailer would be happy to just do a chassis swap.

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5 hours ago, Zunnan said:

Well, we have an 86 down.

 

On fault finding with the top body off, I have power to the motor but no torque what so ever, even with the drive shafts disconnected its a smoker. Thankfully the V5 is OK, but testing with the blanking plug in on DC resulted in a dead blanking plug very rapidly.

 

Great...I wonder how the return will fare considering I've stripped the weathering off.

Its should still be under warranty if you haven't modified the chassis in anyway, go back to your retailer, failing that Heljan

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It seems quite easy to modify the lighting arrangement on the 86/0.

I am using a Zimo MX638D with direction of loco movement changed in CV29.

On the PCB. Remove the plug from CN7 on fit into CN8. CN8 is the spare socket in the middle between those for the lights and pickups.

These are nearest the bulkhead of the cab moulding.

F0 the operates Head and Tail directionally.

F2 operates Head lights only (number 2 end).

F4 operates Tail lights only (number 2 end).

 

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'Railnuts' facebook page has a short video of one of my class 85's on a test run with the pan up on the tensioned OLE. This is the layout for Chester Cathedral which will be on display from mid July to September.

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9 minutes ago, dmu 156 said:

'Railnuts' facebook page has a short video of one of my class 85's on a test run with the pan up on the tensioned OLE. This is the layout for Chester Cathedral which will be on display from mid July to September.


It looks very impressive ... and I look forward to visiting Chester this summer to see the layout.

 

Meanwhile, Heljan have released this progress report on the thread linked below. The Class 86/4’s have had tooling approved and decorated samples are in preparation. Release date planned for Q2 of 2022.

 

So almost a year still to wait ... but gives me a chance to save up for the 5 I’ve pre-ordered! Useful to have a progress update to plan pre-orders and finances ... and maybe gives Heljan a chance to do a surprise release of the NSE liveried 86401 (subtle hint to Ben and co! :good:)

 

 

 

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On 22/05/2021 at 12:16, dmu 156 said:

Another option to improve the pantograph on the Heljan 86 is to use an etched base from PH Designs with a Sommerfeldt 968 pantograph [remove the short legs and insulators], swap the pan head for a Sommerfeldt 980]. The pantograph fits perfectly into the etched base. This is one of several Hornby 86s that I have modified.

20160811_180654.jpg

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20150724_181328.jpg

 

Nice pantograph setup there, not a million miles from what I did on my 81/82/83 builds in the past, though I wasn't aware of that etch kit and used 2x1mm plastic beam filed to shape. 

I'm happy to do that sort of work on kit builds and old models purchased cheaply on ebay.   Though I do think when you've spent over £150 on a brand new model, you shouldn't really have to do this.  It's not as if designing it to the right shape to begin with would have been any more difficult or costly. Plenty of the working prototypes are still in existance..

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Also, nice work on the cross-arm pan etch kit!

Funnily enough, it was actually me that sent all the dimensions to Mike Edge a while back - I had an opportunity to get up on the roof of 83012 while helping out at the ACLG and though I'd take the initiative to measure it up while up there.   Your soldering skills appear to be better than mine though, I did get one of the kits but didn't dare attempt it! :wacko:

 

On a constructive criticism note, you might want to bend the horns down a little more, they curve down to near vertical on the prototype. Also, that works drawing is wrong. The cross-arm pan on the 87s actually had an X shaped double bracing arrangement for the upper arms that cross in the middle. Look in the picture and you can see what I mean.  However the design with the single diagonal brace IS correct for the AL6s that were built with a cross arm pan, though later modified I beleive! Phew!  Who knew pantographs could be such a varied and involved topic! :rolleyes:

 

Class 87 Euston

 

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Thanks for the feedback, as you say pantograph types fitted to 86s and 87s is a varied and involved topic as depending on the date a photograph was taken you could see a different pantograph fitted to the same loc o. The images below shows an 87 fitted with a single arm crossbrace.

 

image.png.d5a58fb8ef9b503ba0ad93a76a76ed33.png

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I've just been looking through flickr again and you are right, both classes carried both types of cross arm!  I had assumed the 87s were all built indentical but, apparently not!

In the 70's and early 80's it looks like locos ran with whatever was available at the time, as you say.   From the mid-late 80s onwards things appear to have become more standardised, with all 87s and some 86s receiving the Brecknell Willis type, and the majority of the 86s retaining the Stone/Faively type.  Prior to that it appears almost random especially with the 86 fleet. Interesting and also confusing! :wacko: 

 

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For another example, here is 86 402, carrying the two different Stone/Faively varients, in 1986 and 1987 respectively.    Notice also the changes in the front end appearence over the same period.  The are also one or two pictures of the same loco in BR blue with the Brecknell Willis type fitted! :rolleyes:

 

86402, Euston 26.4.86

 

 

86402

 

Edited by NorthenElectric91
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It certainly looks that way, the works drawing picture of an 87 I have on file would be right in that sense. `The footprint of both the AEI crossarm and Stone-Faiverley are the same so it does seem logical they fitted what ever was available at time.

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  • 3 weeks later...

According to Kernow's facebook page Heljan have a newly developed Bracknell Willes  high speed pan for some of these forthcoming 86/4, 86/6 loco. But which loco get's which pan?

 

Edited by Carl BR
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