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Heljan Class 05 - First steps in O gauge


Ben C
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Evening all,

 

I was wandering what peoples opinions are of the Heljan 05? Are they reliable slow speed runners?

 

I am currently laying track on my 8x8 oo gauge roundy roundy. I've been thinking quite a lot recently that in a year or so when the oo gauge layout is getting towards complete I would build another shelf above it for a small O gauge layout as I'm being drawn to the physical size of O more and more.

My dilemma is that the Heljan 05 is currently reduced to £175! For that price I'm tempted to pick one up now and a couple of lengths of track. Even if I just set it up as a simple shuttle so it can trundle back and forth while I work on the oo gauge main layout. 

It does seem a bit of a bargain. Does anybody have any experience of them, good or bad?

 

Cheers,

Ben

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I'm sure they will be available 2nd hand in a year: a lot of people buy a small loco to start a project then for whatever reasons, lose impetus and sell them again. Admittedly anyone who paid the original price might want more than £175!

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58 minutes ago, commsbloke said:

I have one and it runs beautifully but then I only have  yard of track.
So the 05 isn't run in yet but I am already very impressed.

 

Good to hear. Though not doing anything to put me off taking the plunge!

 

22 minutes ago, Hal Nail said:

I'm sure they will be available 2nd hand in a year: a lot of people buy a small loco to start a project then for whatever reasons, lose impetus and sell them again. Admittedly anyone who paid the original price might want more than £175!

 

Very true, 2nd hand may be an option. Though I think at £175 second hand prices aren't likely to be much lower, if at all, and it's always nice to have shiny new things!

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6 hours ago, Ben C said:

Just having another thought, does anybody know if a Hornby HM2000 controller would be able to cope with this loco and a few wagons at low speed, as I have one spare.

In a nutshell yes it will I even run my Heljan class 37 diesels up and down a few yards of track with mine. I have never had it cut out on me yet.

Edited by markjj
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1 hour ago, markjj said:

In a nutshell yes it will I even run my Heljan class 37 diesels up and down a few yards of track with mine. I have never had it cut out on me yet.

 

Thanks. In which case a few lengths of track and something like a Heathcote simple shuttle would get something moving for minimal outlay.

 

In the not too distant future I'll be buying a Digikiejs DR5000 for my oo gauge main layout with a view to automating parts of it eventually. That'll leave the Sprog 3 I'm using currently spare, at which point I can use the O gauge plank to start practicing with simple automation before i try doing it on a twin track mainline with storage yard!

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Well, bullet has been bitten. I now have my first bit of O gauge on the way. Have ordered a couple of Peco buffers as well. Unfortunately they only had track in 12 yard packs and I only need a few for now so will order that elsewhere. Just need to build a shelf to put it on now!

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I was "playing" with mine the other day with my in-progress Slater's vanwide and found that the gap in the coupling hook was a little tight.
I opened this up slightly with a nail emery board. 
Has anyone else found this with Heljan coupling hooks? 

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4 minutes ago, commsbloke said:

I . . . . .  found that the gap in the coupling hook was a little tight.
I opened this up slightly with a nail emery board. 
Has anyone else found this with Heljan coupling hooks? 

 

Indeed, it does seem to be a common feature of all Heljan O gauge locos.

 

I hadn't thought of the emery board idea, so thanks for that. However, I'm fitting my stock with Digham couplings so the Heljan hook gets removed on my own layout. The club keeps the Heljan coupling so the emery board idea will suit there.

 

I've fitted DCC sound to my Class 05 using a Zimo MX645 decoder. I removed the (Heljan) supplied round speaker enclosure and fitted a Sugar Cube speaker instead. The difference in sound level is noticeable. Go for the Sugar Cube with the deepest measurement that will fit - I think it is 11mm. I'd also suggest fitting one of the new super capacitors for the stay alive. They're a tad expensive but you should never need to use the hand of God to give the loco some encouragement to move. They're ideal for short wheel base locos.

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It's a big heavy brute of a loco, like the original.  Lots of scope for weathering.  Runs well and easy conversion to DCC.

image.jpeg.eaafe70ad5b072736f68b7e2c3c9e231.jpeg

Dava

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Just fitted sound to mine. Used a Zimo 21 pin decoder, sugar cube speaker and a rectangular stay alive.

No room under the bonnet for the stay alive so I fitted it into the cab with the speaker.

great runner.

Hardest part was soldering the speaker wires to the PCB board as the contacts are tiny.

Dougal

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