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Lynton & Barnstaple OO9 Loco from Heljan


Mike Bellamy
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I have picked up from another forum that the latest issue of Railway Modeller being delivered to subscribers has details of a ready to run OO9 loco from Heljan based on the Lynton and Barnstaple 2-6-2 Exe, Tor and Yeo. There is also speculation that Heljan didn't produce the chassis?

 

Anyone got any more information

 

Mike

Edited by Mike Bellamy
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Seems odd as Heljan make their own chassis usually, why sub contract? The rumour comes from someone who's had accurate info before but it would seem ineffective on cost as it'd mean a totally new chassis anyway.

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Such a model, along with the recently announced Peco items - should see a huge surge in British narrow gauge modelling, if I didn't have so much on the go, I might be tempted!

Just be sure though, NG modellers;

If you want one, get your order in or lose out!

Remember the aborted Roco project?

Cheers,

John E.

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If you want one, get your order in or lose out!

Remember the aborted Roco project?.

Well when someone lists them I'm sure they will, can't pre order the Peco stuff yet that I've seen or I'd have got some on order.
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So Heljan do the moulding and buy in the chassis from their normal supplier? I suppose managing to keep some production at home puts them one up on many others, who have to farm out the whole production, for their local job market. I just assumed they were set up like Hornby & Bachmann.

A brave move and hopefully one that will introduce a few more to 009.

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Heljan are rather different. Their beginnings were in plastic injection moulding - kits mainly - produced in Denmark; and to get powered models they partnered with the Chinese supplier mentioned for the powered chassis. At one time these chassis were sent to Denmark to be clothed with finished body shells and other detail components, and the boxes said 'Made in Denmark'. But of late the loco boxes carry the legend 'Made in China'. Quite what the production mix is now, and where the various steps in the manufacturing process are performed, who knows? From the conversation I had with the guys on the stand at Warley, it sounded as though the process up to completion of the injection moulding tooling is still all in Denmark.

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Shame about the prototype selection (personally the L&B is of little interest) but all credit to Heljan for filling the big void. The chosen loco is far from being universal and also of little use to others who might wish to break it up to bash some other loco. As a 2-6-2 it is possibly the most difficult chassis to keep on track so it will be more than interesting to see how well this jump into the unknown turns out. The pricing will also be interesting, possibly being more European that we are content with in the UK?

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I was going to build the Backwoods kit to replace my inside framed Minitrix chassis Manning and Wardle locos but this announcement will mean an easier way to get outside framed versions.

I relly look forward to this model. Can do with five of them if I am to do the replica one built by the Ffestiniog.

 

Ian

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I have to agree on this, though maybe it's just personal taste.

 

Maybe an 0-4-0 Alice or Pixie class would have been too much of a challenge engineering wise...

 

Paul A.

Guys why say shame about any model, surely something is better than nothing? It was going to have to be a prototype that appealed beyond the traditional NG modeller to be viable as a first step. Look how long it took for industrials to become a subject of rtr OO models, apart from the J94 it's only been the last couple of years.

Look at the positive that this might lead one day to a quarry Hunslet or your own personal favourite. The main problem with NG is that the range of interest is much more diverse than SG modelling, if Peco hadn't done the wagons would we even see the 2-6-2 now?

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If you go for small 'industrial' narrow gauge, there are a number of more common types that could be seen anywhere, both steam and IC, but virtually all of the public, general carrier narrow gauge lines had their own specific stock. Perhaps the only 'missed boat' is that 2013 is the 150th Anniversary of steam on the Ffestiniog so an England would have been a good alternative (perhaps simpler too) though almost as line specific as the L&B Manning Wardles (though some did on occasions run on both the the old WHR & Rheidol in the early 20th Century).

While the chassis may be useful, it is likely to be expensive. Still, you might be able to sell the spare body!

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This is great news for 009 builders or anyone contemplating narrow gauge modelling. My interest in NG trains was sparked by seeing Henry Holdsworth's Lynbridge layout in RM. That layout was 32' x 16' in 16mm scale and I simply never had room for something similar. However, in 4mm scale this works out at 8' x 4' so I could do it now with rtr stock. Trouble is all my stuff is for 0 gauge and I just can't face to prospect of selling up and starting again. Looking forward to seeing these models when they appear though.

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In my opinion the most reliable locos we have run on Bourne Valley have been the Minitrix 2-6-2 chassis under our Manning and Wardle white metal bodies so if Heljan can do a chassis anything like the Minitrix ones then they will be fine runners and will make a change from the usual Welsh narrow gauge.. OK I am biased towards the South!

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