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Heljan Beyer garratt


Hugh Flynn
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I am totally a child at Christmas now, waiting for MY present via courier here in NZ., 6 days after despatch... (often it's double that, but sometimes ....)

 

I even have in mind a photo angle for this model, based around the fireman leaning out of cab, as so often they seem to have been when in service!

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No sooner wished, than granted! A parcel thrown at my back door not 90 minutes ago,

 

I have photographed the parcel and un-wrapping to assure those who are wavering, about Hattons' pavckaging, and the model.

 

It's a two-hand lift to move the engine about safely... I managed to get the front section fallen on its side because of ineptitude but no apparent damage. All bits look ok but haven't run it or inspected it thoroughly yet, of joy!

 

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  • RMweb Gold

No sooner wished, than granted! A parcel thrown at my back door not 90 minutes ago,

 

I have photographed the parcel and un-wrapping to assure those who are wavering, about Hattons' pavckaging, and the model.

 

It's a two-hand lift to move the engine about safely... I managed to get the front section fallen on its side because of ineptitude but no apparent damage. All bits look ok but haven't run it or inspected it thoroughly yet, of joy!

 

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Typical DoG has to get in on the act ;)

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Indeed the Duke has been well-and-truly overshadowed. (There's a spamcan pic in the computer just started too... 34086, coming along ...)

 

but meanwhile,

 

YES!!!

 

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Edited by robmcg
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######. My mate pre ordered one of these 2 years ago. I suppose it's about to arrive on his door step.

Why is the worlds biggest Garrat fan grumpy? Because he asked me to convert it to EM, and I said I would.

Well, when I say EM, I mean origional EM, 18mm to run on a model of Wellingborough London road bult from the map.

T :-(

Edited by black5f
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I received mine on Tuesday. The model is superb and arrived in Australia with no damage.

The pony truck brakes are made from a flexible type of engineering plastic, so they can take quite a bit of rough treatment.

When I went to put the tension lock couplers in the spares box, I noticed that they were cranked. (sound of alarm bells ringing)

So my only criticism is that the NEM pockets are the wrong height.

This is an issue for me as I don’t use tension lock coupler, as I prefer the Kadee coupler.

This seems to hark back to the bad old days of Bachmann where the model is supplied with a cranked tension lock coupler to bring the tension lock coupler back to the correct height.

I would have thought that a European manufacturer such as Heljan, who are familiar with the NEM pocket would have pointed out this error at the design stage.  This has taken the shine off the model as I now have to modify the locomotive to fit Kadee couplers, with the now added risk of breaking some of the fine detail.

Edited by Darth Vader
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inspired by photo by F R Hebron p11 Irwell's Book of the LM Garratts...

 

a quick version without scenery, no doubt more photos by me to follow. It is a lovely lovely model...

 

Congratulations Hattons, congratulations Heljan.

 

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Edited by robmcg
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Did they really? More information,please,including sources..Thanks.

Ian,

 

I remember either reading it or possibly hearing this from Bob Essery once. They regularly worked to Washwood Heath from Toton but occasionally worked through.

If it is written down I have no idea where now!

 

Tony

 

Edit typo

Edited by Rail-Online
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Did they really? More information,please,including sources..Thanks.

Don't know about them getting to STJ, but I have a photo's of them at Gloucester and they are rumoured to have gone as far south as Westerleigh.

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Hi JZ,

What was at Westerleigh? If it was an exchange yard I have never heard of it.

 

Tony

Westerleigh Sidings. Around a dozen sidings on both the up and down sides. Many Brum - Bristol freights would start or terminate there. Four boxes. Closed 1965.

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Thanks,gents,for that information on Garratt wanderings.Now what we really need are early 50's copies of Trains illustrated's "Motive Power Miscellany"...always a mine of up-to-date information on loco workings.I was under the mistaken impression that Washwood Heath was the limit of their operations.One class of engines I never saw....they became extinct when I was 14 or thereabouts.Derby and the Midland mainline were exotic territory for a Valleys boy.Temple Meads and Shrewsbury were the spotting frontiers.

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I wonder when the first one will end up on eBay.....

 

There was one for sale but it was later removed because of some problem with the photo's used in the listing.

I think it was going for £249 or something like that. 

 

I received mine on Tuesday. The model is superb and arrived in Australia with no damage.

The pony truck brakes are made from a flexible type of engineering plastic, so they can take quite a bit of rough treatment.

When I went to put the tension lock couplers in the spares box, I noticed that they were cranked. (sound of alarm bells ringing)

So my only criticism is that the NEM pockets are the wrong height.

This is an issue for me as I don’t use tension lock coupler, as I prefer the Kadee coupler.

This seems to hark back to the bad old days of Bachmann where the model is supplied with a cranked tension lock coupler to bring the tension lock coupler back to the correct height.

I would have thought that a European manufacturer such as Heljan, who are familiar with the NEM pocket would have pointed out this error at the design stage.  This has taken the shine off the model as I now have to modify the locomotive to fit Kadee couplers, with the now added risk of breaking some of the fine detail.

 

Are the coupler pockets low or high ?

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If the pockets are high in similar degree to the 'Bachmann error', that is roughly 2mm overheight; screwing one of the NEM fitting Kadees directly to the underside of the pocket may be the simplest solution.

To do this would require cutting way one of the supports for the brakes on the pony truck.

My solution was to use a #146 shank and file the end until it fits in the NEM pocket.

I added a some packing to make it a tight interference fit,

Once the aliginment and hieght were correct, a dab of Araldite to hold the coupler in place.

Will find out tomorrow whether it works, after the glue has hardened fully.

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A fellow bear buddy used to fire them, I'll ask him what his routes were. I keep telling him to write it all down.

They used to get stuck a lot, Midland policy endured, add wagons till it wouldn't move then take one off.

He has a story about getting stuck across the level crossing at Wellingborough London Road.

T

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Can anything be done with the huge clump of wires hanging down underneath the Loco? Ruins the whole effect.

You could devise tape or trunking to reduce the size of the offence, but otherwise I cannot see any way to make wiring invisible there. The main thing about this engine to me is the beautiful standard of modelling generally, (those chain couplings need to go!) and that because I have just one useful hand I have great difficulty moving it... lifting it bit-by-bit onto a breadboard or book in order to do anything with it. Turning it upside down will need two hands or a very complex soft roll onto strategically-placed material!

 

In the meantime I will adapt pictures of it.

 

My modest reading about the class gives geographical limits of Cricklewood or West Hampstead, also seen a few times in 1956 at Harrow and Wealdstone, ...Rowsley, York, Peterborough and various other points east of the Midland main line which others might suggest. But I'm only quoting Irwell's book here.

Edited by robmcg
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