Jump to content
 

Heljan Beyer garratt


Hugh Flynn
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold
On 18/12/2019 at 16:10, stewartingram said:

I'd like to see some close up pics of the mechanism inside the new one as well as the valve gear on the outside. Having been on the rebuild of a couple of the originals, I think I know where the problems were!

 

Stewart

 
It’ll be useful to know whether or not history will repeat itself.Hopefully not.

  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Did you keep any Brian? I have one but it's never turned a wheel under power, having read of all the issues with them, I purchased a couple of Mashimas from Chris at High Level(very helpful bloke) for insurance, did you have issues with all of them?

 

Rgds...........Mike

Edited by ikks
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, ikks said:

Did you keep any Brian? I have one but it's never turned a wheel under power, having read of all the issues with them, I purchased a couple of Mashimas from Chris at High Level(very helpful bloke) for insurance, did you have issues with all of them?

 

Rgds...........Mike

Hi Mike, yes, I kept them all, only two or three are actually runners the last time I checked though.

I obviously had terrible running issues  with the rest and made countless trips to Liverpool to exchange defective models only to run them a few days later and end up with the same fault developing, which, was obviously very disappointing to say the least.

  • Thanks 1
  • Friendly/supportive 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Premium

Well, mine is awaiting dispatch from a retailer in Sheffield, however a friend's arrived from a retailer in Liverpool today, so having a play / run in. Very nice, very smooth, very quiet. 

IMG_20200107_132201.jpg

Edited by Dragonfly
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Mine arrived and is now running on my layout Windermere and Hincaster Junction.

There is some video here of it playing with a 33 wagon coal train. https://www.facebook.com/Windermere.Hincaster.Junction.a.00.Model.Railway/

I am delighted with it. its very quiet and smooth running and looks really good. It does not fit in with my West coast mainline layout historically but I am very tempted to add another. It seems really good value for money.

47988(1).jpg

47988.jpg

  • Like 6
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Like Merlin above, I've just taken delivery of 47993 from a retailer in Cheshire, and whilst it's only had a brief run the build quality appears better than the previous batch, of which I've got 2 (both of which are still on their original motors possibly due to pretty low usage and not wanting to tempt fate), and certainly looking at 47988. 

I certainly hope that (overall) history doesn't repeat itself, or else the photographic grey one may become the most appropriate one of the lot - the white elephant.

 

  • Agree 1
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Nock at the door at 10 past 6 and a man handed over me a decent sized package. 
 

And inside it I find this, will have to give her a run tomorrow.  But a qick 9v battery test Very impressed I like the working lamp ( easily impressed) 

B8C9B6B5-752F-42D1-B263-AE94AFAE9648.jpeg

18A774FE-9657-4D93-AAA6-6CF5B411713B.jpeg

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Just wondering I need to get a dcc chip  for this model I am normally a bit of a skinflint on dcc chips. As I only really use it for basic use ie stop go and double heading. But I was wondering if it’s worth lashing out on this one and spending a bit more on a dcc chip Would I see any benefits. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, daltonparva said:

I've noticed Heljan have managed to blacken the hand rails on these new ones, which saves me a job, but are still persisting with shiny running gear, which the big two manufacturers stopped doing donkey's yonks ago.

Indeed so on the handrails, and also the black bodywork looks a lot less "plastiky" than on the original models.

 

You're right about the running gear, but overall a big improvement OOB in appearance.

 

John.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I have now fitted the loksound 5 chip and speaker supplied by Howes of Oxford and sadly its a great disappointment. The loco still runs well and is probably a bit easier to control at very slow speed. But the sound is hopeless. Its so quiet that you have to be next to the loco to hear it chuff and the whistles are feeble in the extreme. I fitted the loksound 5 chip and speaker and discarded the Heljan installed speaker. Its a bit nerve racking installing it as the loco has to be separated into 3  parts then the boiler removed and I am not looking forward to having to do it again. I have a number of sound locos with Loksound 3.5, 4 Zimo and TTS chips all of which are fine but this is a total waste of almost £120. 

  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, I had 10 of the initial Heljan Garratts and enjoyed every one, mostly photographing them as many will know.

 

I sold all but two, and got very good prices, and not once got an engine failure or comeback, but mine never got any layout use so cannot claim knowledge there.

 

I thought the new models by Hattons/Heljan looked very similar, even the rods, and not having seen one in the flesh cannot comment on the finish, but today caved-in and bought one, tossing up between 47988 and 47993   I chose the later, even though the weathering look very basic on both.

 

here are the two  from Rails photos;

 

47988_garratt_portrait1_1abcd_r1632.jpg.3a789efa424f1b9c8cb76724a6937240.jpg

 

47993_garratt_portrait1_1abcd_r1580.jpg.88ce53adad3c0fe8d883b8fdb5439d41.jpg

 

Usual assembly issues appear... rods adrift under boiler, water cap loose on 47988  but rather nice to have the sand boxes factory-fitted.

 

AND WHAT BRILLIANT VALUE compared to costs from 2015 !!!!

 

I was inspired to buy another because they come up so well with extra weathering  as per my edited efforts;  example below, will remove if required.

 

47996_Garratt_shed_3a_r1500.jpg.e6f16471556653c978895be76c843172.jpg

 

Cheers and I hope Hattons, Ben Jones and Heljan do well out of this second run. Bravo!  :)

 

 

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, robmcg said:

Well, I had 10 of the initial Heljan Garratts and enjoyed every one, mostly photographing them as many will know.

 

I sold all but two, and got very good prices, and not once got an engine failure or comeback, but mine never got any layout use so cannot claim knowledge there.

 

I thought the new models by Hattons/Heljan looked very similar, even the rods, and not having seen one in the flesh cannot comment on the finish, but today caved-in and bought one, tossing up between 47988 and 47993   I chose the later, even though the weathering look very basic on both.

 

here are the two  from Rails photos;

 

47988_garratt_portrait1_1abcd_r1632.jpg.3a789efa424f1b9c8cb76724a6937240.jpg

 

47993_garratt_portrait1_1abcd_r1580.jpg.88ce53adad3c0fe8d883b8fdb5439d41.jpg

 

Usual assembly issues appear... rods adrift under boiler, water cap loose on 47988  but rather nice to have the sand boxes factory-fitted.

 

AND WHAT BRILLIANT VALUE compared to costs from 2015 !!!!

 

I was inspired to buy another because they come up so well with extra weathering  as per my edited efforts;  example below, will remove if required.

 

47996_Garratt_shed_3a_r1500.jpg.e6f16471556653c978895be76c843172.jpg

 

Cheers and I hope Hattons, Ben Jones and Heljan do well out of this second run. Bravo!  :)

 

 

 

Nice work. Do you have online gallery?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...