Heljan Class 27

[adb968008]

McRat No 3. arrived this am, courtesy of Rails...

 

and the window surrounds are black..

 

The handrails will be getting treatment shortly, as will the number..

 

plan is to “modernise” 27104 in to an ex-works blue 27048.. as it would have looked following its return to “domesticity” following its renumber back from 27104.

 

(flickr url not my image)

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2020 by adb968008

[Blobrick]

On 09/12/2018 at 21:55, Covkid said:

This is Robert Carroll's image of SYP D5380 at St Pancras.  Apart from the welded up gangway doors you can see the little Royal train blanking plate on where the gangway doors have been plated up. 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robertcwp/30786771112

 

Very interesting photo, l must admit the loco looks good in two tone livery, however l note with interest that the centre doors are plated over, does anyone know when this practice commenced on he class 27 ?  I ask as my Heljan D5403 in green with SYWP has its doors plated over. I would have thought that if the plating was done towards the end of 1966, then a FYWP would have been applied?. Therefore l wonder when the doors were plated over much earlier?

 

Bob C

[adb968008]

And an hour later..

i noticed on actual pictures of the real thing, that the “medium” sized dog logo is at different heights on each side..

 

yellowhand rails

 

Precision paints P148 Warning Panel yellow (dull) post 1985

Replica Railways Scottie dogs (bought circa 1991).

Railtec transfers numbers

But I found my rub on depot codes, after 30 years since I bought them, have dried to the transfer paper.. so I need to source some more.

 

Heljan numbers can be hard to move I used a cocktail stick, dipped in “sensational gel polish remover”..98% Acetone (my wifes nail varnish remover) and using a magnifying glass slowly rubbed the number, then used a scalpel to lift off the number.

Edited January 29, 2020 by adb968008

[w124bob]

Great minds think alike! I chose my renumber to 048 because it retained the standard size BR numbers was one of the few to be both dual braked and keep the droplight windows. It also had some nice weathering, the nose end door seams were starting to rust in places and paint wear thin and chip on the doors/body side. Following that 033 will get a renumber to 040.

[adb968008]

6 hours ago, w124bob said:

Great minds think alike! I chose my renumber to 048 because it retained the standard size BR numbers was one of the few to be both dual braked and keep the droplight windows. It also had some nice weathering, the nose end door seams were starting to rust in places and paint wear thin and chip on the doors/body side. Following that 033 will get a renumber to 040.

The small numbers and scottie was my rationale.

27104 with the black seals made it even easier.. it is afterall the same loco ! Just an earlier point in time.

 

27048 seemed to wander south west scotland down to Carlilse from the pictures ive seen online, at least thats where most images capture it.

[Scottish-Exile]

On 25/01/2020 at 14:14, Scottish-Exile said:

I've held off buying so far but will see if there's any at Model Rail Scotland where no doubt I'll succumb.

 

On 26/01/2020 at 00:21, turbos said:

Resistance is futile, they’re cracking ‘wee injuns’. A tough start to the year for my credit card with these, the new batch of Oxford ScotRail Mk3a coaches and Model Rail Scotland in a few weeks.

 

I actually decided that with other priorities looming, I would hold off buying the new batch of Class 27's and reckoned that if I ever did need some more, then there's always the secondary market.

 

So I went to Model Rail Scotland yesterday > Where Heljan had their own stand > with lots of these at an attractive show price of £109 > and a further little discount offered if I bought the four I was looking at > So ....

 

 

I succumbed

 

Brings my Heljan collection up to 22 x Class 26's and 10 x Class 27's

 

One can never have too many McRats

[brushman47544]

4 hours ago, Scottish-Exile said:

 

 

Interesting that 27104 is not amongst them. Is that by choice or didn’t Heljan have any? They appear to have sold out first in many shops, so I’m glad I got mine when it came out.

[adb968008]

9 hours ago, Scottish-Exile said:

 

 

I actually decided that with other priorities looming, I would hold off buying the new batch of Class 27's and reckoned that if I ever did need some more, then there's always the secondary market.

 

So I went to Model Rail Scotland yesterday > Where Heljan had their own stand > with lots of these at an attractive show price of £109 > and a further little discount offered if I bought the four I was looking at > So ....

 

 

I succumbed

 

Brings my Heljan collection up to 22 x Class 26's and 10 x Class 27's

 

One can never have too many McRats

i just knew you would.... ;-)

 

have you got any sly blue class 29’s to pretend to just overlap ?

Eagerly awaiting your shed pic...

Edited February 22, 2020 by adb968008

[Scottish-Exile]

7 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

Interesting that 27104 is not amongst them. Is that by choice or didn’t Heljan have any? They appear to have sold out first in many shops, so I’m glad I got mine when it came out.

 

27104 is top left, with 033 Haymarket top right, 030 Eastfield bottom left and 029 Inverness bottom right.

 

2 hours ago, adb968008 said:

have you got any sly blue class 29’s to pretend to just overlap ?

Eagerly awaiting your shed pic...

 

29's all withdrawn before I got into railways, although my first ever loco as a kid was the old Hornby version.

 

I'm currently down in Swansea on a six month assignment and most of my stock is packed away following an aborted house move that fell through in December. Will be back home in the summer and now that we're staying put, I have permission to knock the wall down dividing the two single bedrooms into a large railway room. Got plenty of inspiration yesterday as to what I want to build as a proper continuous run layout. Needless to say it will have a very Scottish feel to it

[Daddyman]

Can anyone confirm if this is retooled in any way? I've read so on the web, but none of you seem to be mentioning it here! The radii of windscreen corners look like they're possibly different. If they are retooled can anyone post side-by-side photos please - preferably head on. 

 

Also if these new locos come with ploughs, is it the correct variety from the 47s, or the incorrect ones from the 33s? 

 

Thanks! 

[Max Legroom]

18 hours ago, Daddyman said:

Can anyone confirm if this is retooled in any way? I've read so on the web, but none of you seem to be mentioning it here! The radii of windscreen corners look like they're possibly different. If they are retooled can anyone post side-by-side photos please - preferably head on. 

 

Also if these new locos come with ploughs, is it the correct variety from the 47s, or the incorrect ones from the 33s? 

 

Thanks! 

The bodyside windows are slightly higher than the earlier version. Also, the headcode panel is larger.

[Daddyman]

2 hours ago, Max Legroom said:

The bodyside windows are slightly higher than the earlier version. Also, the headcode panel is larger.

Thanks. No changes to the model's weakest features - the windscreens and bogies? 

[Max Legroom]

Sadly no and the ploughs are from the 33.

[Daddyman]

Oh, well, saves me some money. Thanks for your replies. 

[Crisis Rail]

15 hours ago, Daddyman said:

Thanks. No changes to the model's weakest features - the windscreens and bogies? 

 

Some people are never happy.

[iak]

What ever happened to modelling?

 

[woodenhead]

On 22/02/2020 at 09:49, Scottish-Exile said:

Brings my Heljan collection up to 22 x Class 26's and 10 x Class 27's

 

One can never have too many McRats

A good dose of Panniers will solve your rat infestation.

[Max Legroom]

I've just bought a third 27 and I think they are pretty good models. Sure, the windscreens and bogies aren't perfect but they can be improved and the class 33 plough can be trimmed to look OK (or replaced). In the end I guess it's down to the individual whether to buy or not.  

[Daddyman]

8 hours ago, Crisis Rail said:

 

Some people are never happy.

[response deleted - can't be bothered]

 

Edited March 6, 2020 by Daddyman

[Crisis Rail]

1 hour ago, Max Legroom said:

I've just bought a third 27 and I think they are pretty good models. Sure, the windscreens and bogies aren't perfect but they can be improved and the class 33 plough can be trimmed to look OK (or replaced). In the end I guess it's down to the individual whether to buy or not.  

 

Got two  - more than happy - we've waited long enough for them.

[Opelsi]

Got my 27104 running in right now.

 

Lovely looking model though got a slight hum to it. Hopefully it will bed in and a lube should fettle it.

 

Wondering if we might see the Class 27/2 incarnation from Heljan at some point?

[turbos]

Got 2 (029 and 033) from Rails a wee while back when they arrived on these shores, which gives me a grand total of 6ish Class 27. 4 Heljan, 1 Heljan chassis and Lima body currently on my workbench being 27/2ised and a Lima 27 that I modified from a 33 with a Craftsman kit back in the 1980s when that was all that was available for a 27. I may get some more later this year.

 

Brian.

[Opelsi]

The hum did settle down,

 

Lenz Gold decoder will be fitted this morning!

[SHerr]

I have a couple of questions re the weathered green fye model (27001) if anyone can help please.

 

These seem to share the same dodgy front end weathering with large streaks etc of some class 25’s, is it possible to remove/tone down with thinners or similar? The sides seem ok but fronts don’t look up to scratch.

 

Also, I would want it re-numbering to one of the pre-tops numbered locos that carried fye. I’ve (a long time ago) struggled to remove Heljan numbers but had success using the Sharpie pen method more recently on a class 47. Has anyone renumbered a weathered Heljan loco and does it remove the weathering as well? (or more to the point can it be blended back in?)

 

Many Thanks

[BrushVeteran]

2 hours ago, SHerr said:

I have a couple of questions re the weathered green fye model (27001) if anyone can help please.

 

These seem to share the same dodgy front end weathering with large streaks etc of some class 25’s, is it possible to remove/tone down with thinners or similar? The sides seem ok but fronts don’t look up to scratch.

 

Also, I would want it re-numbering to one of the pre-tops numbered locos that carried fye. I’ve (a long time ago) struggled to remove Heljan numbers but had success using the Sharpie pen method more recently on a class 47. Has anyone renumbered a weathered Heljan loco and does it remove the weathering as well? (or more to the point can it be blended back in?)

 

Many Thanks

A cotton bud dipped into meths and rubbed gently over the required area will remove the weathering but don't rub too hard or you will go through to the base coat.

I completely and successfully removed all the weathering off a blue syp Hymek D7051 some years ago, just take your time.

If you renumber a Heljan loco you will undoubtedly remove part of the weathering as that is the final process in the factory finish.