Heljan Class 16

['CHARD]

Many of the Pilot Scheme diesels spent their entire lives in the steam-era but I'll bet the majority of purchasers are buying them to put on their modern image trains. I wouldnt like to be the person to suggest they put the kettle on...

 

The Real Modern Image Army are rolling around thanks to that!

 

(That's unless these purchasers are modelling the real Modern Image: 1967! Then the Deathmasks just sneak in!)

[Oldddudders]

Seven B&W photos in David Clough's all-round excellent 'Diesel Pioneers' (Ian Allan 2005) including the photo of D8408 with a Leyton-Brighton special crossing the Ouse Viaduct in May 1960.

I wonder why you mentioned that one.....!

[10800]

LOL - a useful photo for several reasons!

[D605Eagle]

 

There is a super piece of very clear 35mm footage (albeit short) on the DVD ‘Diesel & Electric 1 & 2’ narrated by John Huntley. As he says himself, it’s difficult to find a good photo of this beast, let alone some actual film of one. It’s hauling a short freight train along the Kensington Olympia line, I think. As I am in the process of starting my Buntingford branch project, this news is right up my strasse, yet again, great news Heljan!

Thats not the one. Theres some colour incab footage with run bys at the start. I've got it somewhere, I'll have a root and see if I can find it out. If you go on the transition liveries special interest page on here, theres links to colour pictures of all the class members.

['CHARD]

A ready-to-run NBL Type 1; I'll go to the foot of our stairs.....

 

Fair play; I wouldn't rely on the real thing getting there mate!

[00ERmissus]

Thats not the one. Theres some colour incab footage with run bys at the start. I've got it somewhere, I'll have a root and see if I can find it out. If you go on the transition liveries special interest page on here, theres links to colour pictures of all the class members.

 

That would be great, thanks! Meanwhile I'll take a look at the transition liveries page. Just out of interest, did any of them make it to blue livery or were they all extinct by then?

[Darth Vader]

 

Green Diesel Days - Derek Huntriss p.69 there's a good colour rear 3/4 shot of D8406 coupled up to the front bonnet of another unidentified 16.

 

 

 

My favourite branch line! BTW, opposite the above photo of D8406 is a colour shot of D8236 at Liverpool St. on 6th October 1962 with the RCTS railtour which was photographed later in the day at Mardock and reproduced in Peter Paye's book.

 

Sixties Diesel & Electric Days Remembered vol 2 - pages 45 & 52 have full page colour photo's

[Darth Vader]

Seriously underwhelmed by yet another model of a useless pilot scheme mobile scrapheap. You can't help but wonder at the commercial case for such a limited interest model when there remain a fleet of potentially wider interest dmus which haven't been modelled yet - the Swindon Cross Country units, for example, which ran pretty much all over the country, and the Derby Suburban units which ran on the Western, Eastern and Midland regions and which ran in a range of liveries would I'm sure become good steady sellers, and help bankroll other esoterica.

 

Very odd choice although well within the Danes seeming obsessive compulsive desire to model British freak diesels.

It's always a bad day when a new announcemnt is made and it's no what you had hoped for.

But to be fair Heljan are moving towards DMU production - have they not announded 5 first generation DMU's.

4 of the railbuses and a parcels DMU. There was also the plan to do the Blue Pullman before Bachmann spoilt the party.

To me this points to Heljan doing more DMU's in the future. It just becomes a waiting game. Can be frustrating.

[dave flint]

Just out of interest, will Heljan be able to make economies of scale out of this, buy using a common mechanism with the 15 - ie regarding bogie wheelbase and pivots ? I know the body and bogie frames are different, but what about the mechanism ?

 

FWIW (not much) I'll be buying one of these (as well owning the other "oddballs") precisely because I didn't see these running/in service.

[Baby Deltic]

Just out of interest, will Heljan be able to make economies of scale out of this, buy using a common mechanism with the 15 - ie regarding bogie wheelbase and pivots ? I know the body and bogie frames are different, but what about the mechanism ?

 

FWIW (not much) I'll be buying one of these (as well owning the other "oddballs") precisely because I didn't see these running/in service.

 

There's a fair amount of difference. The class 16's have 3' 6" spoked wheels. The 15's have 3' wheels. If the wheel centres and bogie pivot centres are the same, it might be do-able.

[phil gollin]

.

 

Merely to note that whilst all the mainline diesel classes MIGHT now be "complete" (?) - there are STILL some mainline DCElectric locos to be done RTR.

 

.

['CHARD]

That would be great, thanks! Meanwhile I'll take a look at the transition liveries page. Just out of interest, did any of them make it to blue livery or were they all extinct by then?

 

No, they went to meet their maker in a mix of GSYP and GFYE.

[Michael Delamar]

there is brief footage of them running in diesels and electrics on 35mm 1, and btf forward to first principles

[Roy P]

 

.....I'll be buying one of these precisely because I didn't see these running/in service.

 

 

And that pretty much sums up my whole reason for buying anything at all.

Happy to think I'm not alone. Thanks Dave.

RP

[Baby Deltic]

 

 

And that pretty much sums up my whole reason for buying anything at all.

Happy to think I'm not alone. Thanks Dave.

RP

 

Indeed. That's also one reason I buy anything.

[wombatofludham]

It's always a bad day when a new announcemnt is made and it's no what you had hoped for.

But to be fair Heljan are moving towards DMU production - have they not announded 5 first generation DMU's.

4 of the railbuses and a parcels DMU. There was also the plan to do the Blue Pullman before Bachmann spoilt the party.

To me this points to Heljan doing more DMU's in the future. It just becomes a waiting game. Can be frustrating.

I've come down off the summit of High Dudgeon since I reacted to the news - clearly Heljan are satisfying some sort of need, those that want one will be happy and it will save me some money as I doubt any of them ever reached north of Stafford, well, other than as a line of condemned stock. However, I do have a gut feeling Heljan might not be very interested in 64ft long DMUs, I don't know why, but from their point of view a DPU is virtually a loco in terms of concept and unit pricing, and railbuses are self contained vehicles. Apart from the Bubble Cars and the Class 114 two car sets, most common 64ft underframe DMU classes need three or more vehicles and I can't help thinking that at typical Heljan prices, which do seem to be higher than their competitors, it might be a bit steep for many, something I'm sure Heljan will be weighing up in deciding whether to branch out.

 

That said, we are getting used to three-figure multiple units, so perhaps it's less of an issue than it once was.

[Michael Delamar]

some nice shots here....

 

http://www.railphotoprints.co.uk/index/gallery/DieselLocomotives/Class16

['CHARD]

I'm growing to like these hapless many-louvred pieces of heavy metal.

[Michael Delamar]

all those handrails on the fronts look like theyd be a bit tricky

[Oldddudders]

I'm growing to like these hapless many-louvred pieces of heavy metal.

Wot's not to like? These are British railways' diesel heritage, purchased in a desperate desire to get the costs of the industry down by eliminating steam. The fact that there were some lemons and some turkeys does not lessen their historical significance - and sure as eggs is eggs will not hamper their performance in model form! They were what we saw, and that makes them a bit precious, actually.

[D605Eagle]

 

That would be great, thanks! Meanwhile I'll take a look at the transition liveries page. Just out of interest, did any of them make it to blue livery or were they all extinct by then?

I think it was Modern Traction Classic Archive volume 4. I need to dig out my VCR and watch it to be sure! I'll get back to you....

[D605Eagle]

 

There's a fair amount of difference. The class 16's have 3' 6" spoked wheels. The 15's have 3' wheels. If the wheel centres and bogie pivot centres are the same, it might be do-able.

The wheel base is different as is the engines length I doubt theres anything they can carry over.

[BrushVeteran]

The wheel base is different as is the engines length I doubt theres anything they can carry over.

Yes it will be a completely new chassis with relatively nothing else being compatible apart from the motor and circuit board. I think it will be quite a stunner when it is released, as was the Class 15. It is already coming together quite well.

[EddieB]

 

Green Diesel Days - Derek Huntriss p.69 there's a good colour rear 3/4 shot of D8406 coupled up to the front bonnet of another unidentified 16.

 

 

 

My favourite branch line! BTW, opposite the above photo of D8406 is a colour shot of D8236 at Liverpool St. on 6th October 1962 with the RCTS railtour which was photographed later in the day at Mardock and reproduced in Peter Paye's book.

 

So, how long will you have to wait for Heljan to bring out Wickham Central Railway of Peru railcar twins, as trialled on the Buntingford branch?

[D605Eagle]

Yes it will be a completely new chassis with relatively nothing else being compatible apart from the motor and circuit board. I think it will be quite a stunner when it is released, as was the Class 15. It is already coming together quite well.

I wonder how they make the casting tools for the body of models now? If they are made by hand still I pity the guy who has to make all those lovres! Its kind of hard to believe these locos managed to suffer from overheating with all that ventilation!