Heljan Class 15

[Fen End Pit]

I've put some pictures showing the amount you need to take off the sandboxes on my blog.

 

Getting the file out now to do the other end

 

David

[D605Eagle]

If you need any particular photos of the real thing, just give me a shout, I'll be working on it on Saturday (It has no cab or nose on at the moment, so body shots are a bit of a no no!

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Mr Eagle,

 

My rather vague memories of this type are that there was often a wash mark on the bonnet sides immediately to the rear of the cooling group side intakes (i.e. toward the cab), probably dried off coolant overflow. Any opinion on that? Am I misremembering? (feel free to tell me I am barking) and any other characteristic in service marks/leaks/dirt traps?

[SteveB]

Well, may have been the first to put paws on one, but now looking set to be the last to add the detailing parts. By which time I will have read of all the trials involved, and be able to do it in under 4 minutes, blindfolded whilst single-handedly finding justification to run one along Shropshire's eastern coast. Given the seemingly incorrect cab roof height, perhaps it's a new hitherto undiscovered sub-class built especially for the area?

 

Mind you, If I stopped trying to turn the Wills Engine Shed kit into a large 2 storey mill & warehouse, I may get round to seeing if it works for more than 6 inches as well...

 

Steve

[Guest Max Stafford]

You're the lucky ones then, because they certainly didn't operate on the Waverley Route. However, Class 22s and 43s were regularly given mileage accumulation runs over it, a sauce has advised.

 

What? You mean you missed the photo on page 81 of the Robotham colour album of D8215 shunting Newcastleton yard in April 1966 during a little publicised trial by the ScR when seeking a replacement for a rather unreliable centre-cab type 1 ordered in 1961 after a successful test of D8200...?

 

Dave.

[D605Eagle]

Mr Eagle,

 

My rather vague memories of this type are that there was often a wash mark on the bonnet sides immediately to the rear of the cooling group side intakes (i.e. toward the cab), probably dried off coolant overflow. Any opinion on that? Am I misremembering? (feel free to tell me I am barking) and any other characteristic in service marks/leaks/dirt traps?

Yes your right, there is a coolant filler on the top of the header tank imediately to the rear of the cooler group that has a pressure releaf valve built into it. In the early phase of their lives the cooler group had some very bad air traps in it that lead to often occuring overheating. Couldn't tell you about any others though. When BR modified the locos and fitted cast iron heads with different pistons they also fitted breathers which effectively stopped the overheating problems and actually turned them into very reliable locos. D8243 worked as a carridge heater unit for nearly 20 years with little or no maintenance. It was only withdrawn because some idiot ran it up after the winter of 1989 without filling it with coolant and buggered the engine.

Jim

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Thanks for that, always a relief to learn that the little grey cells aren't totally past it.

 

[Tangent] The 'idiot who buggered the engine' was probably somebody like me. Worked on an operation that had some seasonal climatic protection: told one morning that since frost was forecast it was time to switch it on, and as I was younger than everyone else, I could climb up on the roof. Told where to find the instructions, took them, followed them to the letter, it started and ran normally; and expired in a cloud of blue smoke four hours later. Inquest followed: the maintenance fitter who looked after it had retired that summer, and no one had been detailed to replace the oil in the pump sump... Quite Easily Done as we used to say at school. [/Tangent]

[LNERGE]

I've been looking for a typical arrangement of headcode discs but can't seem to make my mind up. My sectional appendixies on give special arrangements to and from the southern region and direct me to the general appendix for the complete list. Does anyone have this list from the general appendix?

 

I've tried looking through this..

 

http://grahame910.fotopic.net/c1784737_1.html

 

but of course it doesn't tell me where they'd been..

[D605Eagle]

I've been looking for a typical arrangement of headcode discs but can't seem to make my mind up. My sectional appendixies on give special arrangements to and from the southern region and direct me to the general appendix for the complete list. Does anyone have this list from the general appendix?

 

I've tried looking through this..

 

http://grahame910.fotopic.net/c1784737_1.html

 

but of course it doesn't tell me where they'd been..

Diesel headcode disc displays say what type of train is been pulled, they don't give any other information.

Check this site out for an explanation.

clicky!

[wiggoforgold]

Got mine yesterday. GSYP D8233.

Test run only so far; Running is good, but not as good as the Hornby 31 or Bachmann 24. I'ts still better than anything else though!

One thing I found, which others may have noticed already. I first ran it using a Gaugemaster HH. It was noisy and jerky and I thought i'd got a dud. I then ran it on a Gaugemaster Model 100 which was much better. I think it doesn't like feedback controllers.

I've put my own couplings (DG) on it, and I'm just experimenting with coupling height/fixing.

I'll do a bit of mild weathering later. Getting the body off seems to be a bit of an issue; It would be nice to get into the cab to tone down the interior and add a crew, but I'm a bit reluctant to pull it apart. I would like to check the lubrication, but there seems to be no way of doing that without removing the body. Any thoughts?

[johnb]

I bought mine, Green FYP D8229, at Ally Pally first thing on Saturday morning. Fitted Kadee #17 couplers and put it straight on West London Parcels where it ran splendidly all weekend. It can creep along beautifully even straight out of the box.

I was using a Gaugemaster W hand held which is my usual DC controller.

[Bernard Lamb]

Musing about a possible use for one of these I have been doing a bit of reading up on the subject. It needs a pair of steam type shed code plates and OHE flashes came in before the SYP. Can any one give me chapter and verse on the situation re numbers on the ends? First you see 'em, well not quite at first, then you don't and then they stage a comeback. HELP!

Bernard

[ScRSG]

It's not universally known that D8200 was extensively tested in the Stirling and Alloa area in 1961. Although quite successful, the ScR decided not to order class 15 in any numbers due to a much improved centre-cab development being offered which promised increased reliability...!

 

Dave.

 

Can you give any further details on where you learned this momentous fact and if any photies were taken?

[Guest Phil]

Can you give any further details on where you learned this momentous fact and if any photies were taken?

 

I'd say it was probably tucked away in the shed all day and only came out at night when all the schoolboys had gone to bed, which is the reason why it didn't make the railway Observer.

 

What is probably even more unknown is that it piloted a V2 up the ECML on empty fish vans for Aberdeen.

[Pennine MC]

 

What is probably even more unknown is that it piloted a V2 up the ECML on empty fish vans for Aberdeen.

 

Nonsense. Utter nonsense.

 

It was a B17

[wiggoforgold]

the bogie side frames pull off laterally, and the keeper plate has four lugs on it that need gently prising open, this will then let the keeper plate off.

OK

I looked at the blog and got the cab off.

I can see how the bogie sides come off, but on mine there's a stretcher bar at the back which is glued to both sideframes: I could cut this to remove the bogie sides, but is there a better way?

[neal]

They're self colored plastic. I too cant get my sandboxes to fit as they foul the bufferbeam, RM mentioned it in their review too. I will likely modify mine so they fit but it looks like a fair bit of thinnings required. Got any pictures bec of yours on second radii? I'm intrigued as to how yours fitted.

 

 

I chipped and detailed D8219 this morning.

 

As others have suggested, unless you need to get into the cab, there is no need to remove this. Indeed, removing the two screws under the tanks allows the body to lift off easily, with gentle easing with thin strips of plasticard and wooden splints at the fixing locations (start at the short nose end).

 

Make sure to lift the body squarely to prevent risk of damaging the light housings at each end. Also be careful of the handrails which are plastic and only fixed at three locations down the 'long' bonnet.

 

Curiously, the rebates at the ends of the chassis to clear the buffer springs are not necessary, as the buffer shafts retract flush with the back of the bufferbeam.

 

Decoder fitting was easy, and being a cheapskate I chanced a Hornby decoder having found the model smooth on DC. This works perfectly, and whilst a little growly at low speeds, the loco has the same pleasing hum as the 17 when at speed.

 

The fittings are a little fiddly. Don't go mad opening the holes for the indicator disks as these are only slightly too small - a coat of paint I would suggest. Some were a nice interference fit without any opening up.

 

There weren't however any green closed discs with the locomotive (as required for the top light to small yellow panel models). If anyone who has the plain green model has spares, I would happily trade a couple for some white open ones.

 

The NEM socket needs to be removed if you fit all the details with the 3 link coupling swinging free. This can be removed without taking the relevant bogie apart by easing the socket downwards. I managed to do this without damaging the two vein springs which keep it straight, so in theory it could be replaced in future. I detailed the short end, and set this as 'forward' on the decoder,although this is not the default with the chip installed correctly.

 

The bogie frames appear to be tied with a cross bar at the rear end which is glued, so some surgery would be required to remove these. The plastic for the frames (and sandboxes) is excellent, and has a matt finish giving the impression that indeed it is painted. This is much better than the smooth shiny stuff found on older 33's and Hymeks.

 

Unfortunately the bosses onto which the sandbox mouldings fix almost touch the back of the bufferbeam, therefore these would need to be removed and the boxes halved in depth (or notched to fit over the frame ends) if they are to be fixed. I passed on this one.

 

Now it's running in, and I must say I love this little model. The lights are bright with no bleed evident, and my example has a flawless finish.

 

I have watched the parallel thread for the new 86, and whilst I am yet to see one in the flesh, it looks a nice model, my mouse hovered over the Freightliner one before I decided on buying the 15. I know some have been disappointed with some issues on the 86, and whilst there appear to be a few problems with the paint finish, I would still applaud Heljan for releasing 3 new OO loco releases in a matter of a few weeks, two of which would be considered 'specialist' or 'not viable' just a few years ago.

 

I think the 86 may attract more criticism as many more modellers will have seen them in service, and far more photographs are available with which to compare to specific prototypes. If the 15's were still all in service, I guess a similar debate could have arisen over this model.

 

Looking forward to the Railcars and Lion. Was it Heljan who were going to do the Leader for somebody?

 

N

[paulbb]

Heljan will be doing the DHP1 the 'hydraulic clayton' (the mind boggles!) after doing Lion and my Danish consultant

Mr Rummourmonger heartliy agrees

[Baby Deltic]

Heljan will be doing the DHP1 the 'hydraulic clayton' (the mind boggles!) after doing Lion and my Danish consultant

Mr Rummourmonger heartliy agrees

 

DHP1, the four engined 'Super Clayton' that never went anywhere or did anything.

[DelticBlade]

Having had to change email accounts and re-register I have not posted about these splendid engines.

Having ordered the 'preserved' version, I bought the other SYWP version last weekend at Alexander Palace.

What a super runner it is, and that is just running 8219 in on DC. It is just a question of buying a Silver Decoder now.

[neal]

Heljan will be doing the DHP1 the 'hydraulic clayton' (the mind boggles!) after doing Lion and my Danish consultant

Mr Rummourmonger heartliy agrees

 

Knew I'd read it somewhere, Herr Rümormüngerr (the correct spelling I am advised) appears to have moved to East Sussex and jumped ship to a Welsh manufacturer!

 

http://www.loconotion.co.uk/page_1227896732286.html

 

Could be a prototype too far though. I wonder how many have been pre-ordered? If I was confident this would pass 'critical mass', I would take a punt, however the forum feedback might cast some doubt on the viability of commissioning a model in this way.

 

Anyway, class 15 - cracking model!

 

N

['CHARD]

Heljan will be doing the DHP1 the 'hydraulic clayton' (the mind boggles!) after doing Lion and my Danish consultant

Mr Rummourmonger heartliy agrees

Isn't this information one day late???

[45568]

Has anyone been supplied with green half discs? My all green D8200 has only white discs, full and half.

Cheers, Peter C.

[neal]

I don't understand why you would need white half discs - sounds like a boo-boo!

 

Time to get the paints out I guess.

 

N

[Alco]

Cracking! Cracking!! No...........I hope not.

What a cracker

 

Anyway, class 15 - cracking model!

 

N