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Heljan to release another run of o gauge class 31 & Deltic


birdseyecircus
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I really fancy a 31, it seems to look right, but is it worth me saving up for one? I'm recently new to Heljan and 'O' gauge diesels, so i know no details on its possible failings from its original release.  :slow:

 

The original 31 was a generally good model - with no major issues etc

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The 31 was a good model the Deltic was utter cr.p I hope they are going to remodel it so it looks right this time please please Ben get this right!

Oh no it looks like a re run of the original bag of spanners just read towers website. I am a Delticfan but I’ll pass on this one what waste of a re release.

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Oh no it looks like a re run of the original bag of spanners just read towers website. I am a Delticfan but I’ll pass on this one what waste of a re release.

Hopefully Accurascale will up scale the 4mm version....

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The 31 was a good model the Deltic was utter cr.p I hope they are going to remodel it so it looks right this time please please Ben get this right!

 

I wouldn't personally quite describe the Deltic as you put it.

 

Like many HJ diesels there are a few niggles but with a bit of work I personally think they can be turned into excellent models.

On mine I have narrowed the fuel tanks (lots of early HJ's had this problem), plated over the headcode box, removed the sanders etc and repainted the ends, made the bogies 'cast' and then added Pete Harvey bits, added eth and made the front glazing more flush. This has created a 1980/81 version of 55017 (I've even removed the front footstep on one end as per the original). 

I sometimes think the window frames are a fraction thick on the front but I filed them back a bit and in blue they don't show much in any case. The bodyside grille not at the correct height is bit of an issue too especially in green livery. The HJ 55's all run well. OK for £500 or so maybe they should have done better in a few places but I am pretty happy with mine. Certainly a lot cheaper overall than some RTR models which also have a few little issues too. If you look at kits they also come out quite expensive relatively.

Edited by deltic17
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I wouldn't personally quite describe the Deltic as you put it.

 

Like many HJ diesels there are a few niggles but with a bit of work I personally think they can be turned into excellent models.

On mine I have narrowed the fuel tanks (lots of early HJ's had this problem), plated over the headcode box, removed the sanders etc and repainted the ends, made the bogies 'cast' and then added Pete Harvey bits, added eth and made the front glazing more flush. This has created a 1980/81 version of 55017 (I've even removed the front footstep on one end as per the original). 

I sometimes think the window frames are a fraction thick on the front but I filed them back a bit and in blue they don't show much in any case. The bodyside grille not at the correct height is bit of an issue too especially in green livery. The HJ 55's all run well. OK for £500 or so maybe they should have done better in a few places but I am pretty happy with mine. Certainly a lot cheaper overall than some RTR models which also have a few little issues too. If you look at kits they also come out quite expensive relatively.

I get where you’re coming from, I’ve seen a blue 55021 on here that looked ok but for me at that money I don’t really want to be doing that much extra work to make it look ok. The depth of the roof grilles irritated me and nose shape so I think I’ll hold out for something else. They do such a good job of others as well like the 31, 25/3 and 45.

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Re the new Deltics

 

One livery I would think would be popular would be the green with full yellow ends as this was not produced previously.

 

Just looking at what is currently scheduled to be produced there is only going to be one version of this as D9001 St Paddy and it is weathered...??

 

Surely it would have made sense, in addition, to produce a clean version of this and to make it unnumbered.

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  • 9 months later...
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20 hours ago, delticfan said:

When is the release date for the 31? My understanding is Class 03 December, Class 50 December, Class 35 Early 2020, Class 31 ??, haven’t a clue about the rest.

Tower "latest news" 16 Oct has all the Heljan release dates. Nov 2020 for the 31.

Edited by Hal Nail
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  • 4 weeks later...
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Just seen a photo of one of these latest Deltics on Hattons site. IMHO what a mess they have made of the weathered version of D9001 on the nose ends. Far too much dirt has been added - do they not look at photographs? Generally weathered locos still had fairly clean yellow ends apart from the odd Gateshead 37 say! 

Not that I personally wanted one but they really should have done a clean version of green with full yellow ends as that was the one livery that hadn't been done before allowing modellers to accurately weather it themselves.

 

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Yes it looks rather crude to me too. Deltics did get very dirty as they were BR's mileage champions, doing around 800 per day or more. I recall 55014 on the northbound Hull Executive had a full coating of greenfly when I went from KX in August 81 with only the windscreens kept clean by the wipers.

I had an e-mail from Rails also showing 3 clean versions, 2 green (NYP and SWP) and a blue FYP on, so don't worry.

 

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  • 11 months later...

Hi

Just completed the transplant of an ESU Loksound XL from my older Heljan 31 (which is now a free runner with no motors) into the new one that’s just out. All is well and the loco runs very nicely.

 

I’ve noticed that Heljan have now doubled-up the functionality of the LED that illuminates the headcode display, so that it now lights the cab as well. Really helpful: not. 
 

I was initially looking for a switch somewhere under the loco that could possibly turn the cab lights off, as you’d clearly not want them on at night but there doesn’t appear to be one, so I’m now wondering if I can turn down the brightness of said LED?

 

So does anyone know the CV number for adjusting cab lighting brightness downwards, as I don’t have the ESU manual and the website appears to be all in Deutsch!

 

Rather do that than cover the LED in black electrical tape!

 

Thanks in advance 

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51 minutes ago, steveb860 said:

I have had notification from Hattons today that 3105 BR Blue class 31 has been cancelled from production. Anyone else had similar notifications? Does it only affect the Blue version? 

 

That sounds odd - it was sold out at Heljan some time ago I understand (i.e. sold out in terms of pre-order supplies to retailers) and because of a large number of returns due to the locos shifting in the packaging and causing damage to buffer-beams and other delicate areas (the plinth spec was not what Heljan had specified to their factory apparently and securing bolts have been pulling through the plinth and allowing the loco to move in transit), the blue version is now sold out everywhere I have looked. This applies to the non-refurbished version (3105), not the refurbished version pictured above. Hope that helps. 

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46 minutes ago, philiprporter said:

That sounds odd - it was sold out at Heljan some time ago I understand (i.e. sold out in terms of pre-order supplies to retailers) and because of a large number of returns due to the locos shifting in the packaging and causing damage to buffer-beams and other delicate areas (the plinth spec was not what Heljan had specified to their factory apparently and securing bolts have been pulling through the plinth and allowing the loco to move in transit), the blue version is now sold out everywhere I have looked. This applies to the non-refurbished version (3105), not the refurbished version pictured above. Hope that helps. 

Definitely said production cancelled. Perhaps they meant to say sold out on pre order. Managed to pre order one elsewhere. 

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On 04/11/2020 at 16:20, steveb860 said:

I have had notification from Hattons today that 3105 BR Blue class 31 has been cancelled from production. Anyone else had similar notifications? Does it only affect the Blue version? 

 

Production most definitely not cancelled as many folk now have them sitting on their layouts. That to me translates into "we missed the boat again for getting stock of these." Hattons seem to be doing this quite often with various products these days. 

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