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Heljan Beyer garratt


Hugh Flynn
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A bit more information on gongs from the LMR Section Appendix 1960

 

GONGS IN TUNNELS
Gongs are fixed in the undermentioned tunnel for the purpose of  warning Drivers that they are
approaching the distant signal.
If  a Driver does not hear the gong sound, he must give information of the failure at his first stopping
place, and the Station Master there must immediately wire the station nearest the gong. An  examination
of the gong must at once be made, and if  there is any failure of the apparatus, the Signal Engineer's Depart-
ment must be wired.

 

The one at Totley was on the down side:

 

30 yards before reaching outer distant signal  for Grindleford Station box.

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When the Beyer Garratt was first announced a preorder was placed for one LMS and two BR versions (I do like big toys!!) but at the end of last year I thought this was a bit ott so I cancelled the LMS and one of the BR versions. When the first LMS models were released with problem stories abounding I thought I had made the right decision in cancelling two of the locos.

 

As better reports started to appear on the forum and bearing in mind the number of pre-war private owner coal wagons that had been accumulated over the years I decided to bite the bullet and re-ordered the lightly weathered LMS version on Saturday which was delivered by Yodel on time this afternoon.

 

To be honest I was somewhat worried that I would end up with a Friday afternoon job but, upon opening the box, I was relieved to find that all was intact apart from one little black thingy whatnot loose in the box. The loco was placed on the analogue test track .....and off it went:

 

post-586-0-72205300-1394569720.jpg

 

What surprised me was how easy i was to get the loco and all wheels on the track - as long as the instructions that came with the loco were followed. Of all the larger locos I've bought this was the first one to show you photographically how to pick it up. After a few circuits of the test track it was time to fit a decoder - and that was a doddle. Turn the loco upside down (using the bubble wrap that came with the loco - my foam cradle was too short for this monster), unscrew the ashpan, locate the dcc plug, remove blanking plug, attach decoder, stick decoder on inside of ashpan, replace ashpan and screw down - all done and dusted in the time that it took to write this!! 

 

The loco was placed on the dcc track (after changing the loco address and setting the loco up on the Z21) ready to start light engine running:

 

post-586-0-85288700-1394569810.jpg

 

Looking up at the loco from ground level I think it's a fantastic looking piece of kit - it just oozes power:

 

post-586-0-07548500-1394569851.jpg

 

Really think that both Hattons and Heljan have done a fantastic job producing this model. Now looking forward to getting my BR version. In the meantime 4978 set of light engine to explore its new environment pausing to show itself off to the stock resting below before collecting its first coal train:

 

post-586-0-48539600-1394569882.jpg

 

Keith

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'...on opening the box, I was relieved to find that all was intact apart from one little black thingy whatnot loose in the box...' :

 

Any chance that that could be a dislodged footplate step ? I had one loose in my box but it was easy enough to re-thread it onto its hanger-rod under a corner of the front buffer beam. A spot of superglue and presto !

 

Tony

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Great looking Loco, Is there any DCC sound suppliers out there yet?

 

tks

 

George

 

The Hornby Magazine stand at Warley last year had one with a sound chip, but they didn't know what the chip was.

 

Adrian

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The Hornby Magazine stand at Warley last year had one with a sound chip, but they didn't know what the chip was.

 

Adrian

LAST YEAR?   The  Garratt was only  available  a few weeks  ago, or  was it something else  or  perhaps  a pre production model?

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Just having a quick flick through my copies of the 'Railway Memories' series, published by Bellcode, and thought it might be of interest to reproduce the dates an locations of the LMS Garratt pictures.

Vol 1 'York'

P29? (un-nembered pages in this volume). 'The 1841 Great North of England locomotive shed forming part of the York South MPD miraculously survived until 1963 albeit much rebuit ..... In LMS days a Stanier 8F and Beyer-Garratt 2-6-6-2 No. 7968 are seen stabled there between duties.'

Vol 5 'Return to York'
P18 'The huge 2-6-6-2 Beyer-Garrats of the LMS frequently reached York with coal and iron ore trains from the East Midlands until being replaced by 9F 2-10-0s in the 1950s. No. 47992 was still in LMS livery when approaching Chaloner's Whin Junction in 1949'. Looks like  a very long rake of 20ton mineral wagons.

 

Vol 15 'Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley'
P57 'Having just passed through Pontefract Baghill, Beyer-Garratt 2-6-6-2 No. 47993 hauls a northbound load of ore on its way from the East Midlands to the blast furnaces of the North East 1956.' looks like  a very long rake of 20ton mineral wagons.
 

Vol 21 'Rotherham, Mexborough and Wath':
P52 '... in the late 1940's, Toton Garratt 7989 has charge of an Up mineral train at Canklow' with a long rake of 16 or 20 ton steel mineral wagons (like the Dapol kits).
P53 'Begrimed Garratt No. 47984, this one from Hasland depot, heads a southbound coal train past the old Midland Railway wooden signals at Cranklow, some time between 1948 and 1950.' again with similar wagons.

This volume also has a photo of the LNER Garratt 69999 'Allocated to Mexborough shed ... on one of its visits to Gorton works Manchester.'

I have had a very quick look the volumes (I have them all), and these were the only captions (and pictures) I could find. It does give the impression that the Garratt's tended to stick to the old LMS lines from the East Midlands up to York. Their being stabled in York might suggest that the Garrats changed for other motive power when the trains went north of York, but this is only my guess.

They are a lovely set of books, well worth grabbing the odd copy. I hope there is no problem my reproducing parts of the captions. If you wish to see the pictures, the volumes are often on Ebay, or may still be available from the usual transport book suppliers.

Anyway, I hope that gives some more information about sightings of the Garratts in Yorkshire in the early BR days.

Jamie

Edited by Jamiel
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An interesting issue is going to be what sound project will be appropriate? I would like an Aussie AD60 sound chip, not proto typical but awesome sound.

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 I hope you don't mind that I just re-did a couple of colours and background things,

 

Hi Rob,

 

No I don't mind. I even appreciate it, you did a good job. And I feel a bit abashed by all the praise my review gets. But thank you all for the appreciation and encouragement.

Edited by Garrattfan
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I also did a couple of snaps on the desk in the office yesterday; if I needed one I'd have to sort those loose wires out and work on the finish but overall I think it's a grand beast.

 

Garratt1.jpg

Garratt2.jpg

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I also did a couple of snaps on the desk in the office yesterday; if I needed one I'd have to sort those loose wires out and work on the finish but overall I think it's a grand beast.

 

Garratt1.jpg

Garratt2.jpg

It's very impressive Andy - excellent pictures as always. There are one or two points to note - that turned-up buffer for one, and it's securely glued in, not knocked in transit. As you noted, the wires dangling down underneath are a bit obtrusive, but, overall, it looks outstanding value for money.

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I have to say, the Garratt was completely OFF my radar untill this damn thread here on RMweb..!!

 

And especially again those damn (good) pictures Rob keeps posting.

 

And now ANDY throws in some more damn (good) pictures .

 

OK OK........I admit defeat....but how can anyone possibly resist the temptation having seen the pictures and read the reviews on RMweb.

 

This thread has been better than any advertising that Heljan or Hattons could have done on this loco.

 

Bob

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Unfortunately my attempt to download an iPhone video has failed completely [and annoyingly]. Consequently, you'll have to take my word for the fact that my Garratt comfortably lifted a rake of 81 r-t-r coal wagons this evening. 100 would be easily within its grasp. The only difficulty experienced was the occasional popping out of couplings from their pockets because of the weight of the draw. Absolutely no wheel slip.

 

Tony

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I'm curious about the connection between cab and adjacent tender connection, mine seems to have quite limited movement here, but can sit a little wider, as it were, and it's a bit 'notchy' in rotating sufficiently for maybe 18" radius curves...I'm unsure about the mechanics of the arrangement with magnets and don't have much dexterity nor a suitable layout to test it.  I'm curious though. All factory and review photos show this connection to be quite prototypically close, mine will happily sit close or a bit wider. Is it a pin in an oblong recess, with magnets?

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With reference to the  pulling  power of  the  Heljan garratt,  I was wondering  if  anyone   with  the  space & rolling stock   might  try to compare   the pulling  power of a couple  of            0-6-0s ?  ( just to  see!!)

It’s interesting to note that from mid 1950s on BR tended to run 2 sharply timed 30 wagon trains in preference to one very slow 60 wagon train. Of course I am looking to justify this from a modelling point of view. Like many modellers I don’t have room for 80 wagon length trains.

 

As I recall the LNER P2s could pull 100 wagon trains but they did not have loops long enough to put such trains in. This surely applies to other regions?

On relative pulling power, John Jennison et al, in the Pictorial Supplement to LMS locomotive profile No 5.

 

“Finally, it is worth  comparing the haulage powers when engines were working mineral trains……………..Class 5 62 13t mineral wagons, A Class 4f 0-6-0 could take 56, a Class 8f was allowed 82 and a Garrett could pull a hundred!”

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