Heljan ES1 exclusive for Locomotion and Rails of Sheffield

[PhilJ W]

Mine arrived at 09.30 this morning. A visual inspection showed no problems so this evening it will be given a thorough running in on the SEERS test track.

[PhilJ W]

10 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Mine arrived at 09.30 this morning. A visual inspection showed no problems so this evening it will be given a thorough running in on the SEERS test track.

Successfully run on the test track, in both directions. Slightly faster in one direction but not a problem.

[Eddie the dog]

Hi,

Has anybody received theirs from Locomotion Models yet ?

Thanks.

[AY Mod]

8 minutes ago, Eddie the dog said:

Hi,

Has anybody received theirs from Locomotion Models yet ?

Thanks.

 

My understanding is that they're on the way but lagging behind for reasons out of their control.

[PaulRhB]

2 hours ago, Eddie the dog said:

Hi,

Has anybody received theirs from Locomotion Models yet ?

Thanks.

Locomotion said they were in Denmark being QC checked and should be here next week as they asked for invoices for the balance on Monday. 
 

Edited December 10, 2022 by PaulRhB

[stuarttrains]

Update, our batch was held up in customs and then delays in transport to site but they arrived at dinner time today and I will be packing tomorrow with the aim to dispatch on Monday or Tuesday 

[Eddie the dog]

Hi,

Thank you all for your kind replies, much appreciated.

[PhilJ W]

When I took mine to the test track on Thursday one of the members picked it up to examine it. He held it by one of the bonnets and I noticed the handrails bending. I quickly told him to pick it up by the cab. Fortunately there was no damage but the handrails do look very fragile.

[Ian Hargrave]

My card was plundered by a phone call from Shildon yesterday pm. On their way. Nice. 

[johndon]

My first impressions were of a rather nice model but a good look today has revealed a few issues unfortunately...

 

Things I've noticed so far:

 

One of the body to bogie mounted chains has a number of the links with glue on them so they don't hang properly.

Very difficult to get a photo but one of the guard irons is incorrectly fitted and angles forwards instead of being vertical.

Incorrectly fitted/damaged/unpainted/badly painted lamp irons at both ends of the loco:

 

 

 

Paint coming off the foot steps:

 

 

The pantograph is a definite weak point. If I let it find it's own position, it looks like this with the collector not straight. Whilst it possible to level it out, as soon as the pantograph goes down and comes back up, the collector sits at an odd angle again and the pantograph assembly leans in one direction.

 

 

Nothing insurmountable but not the best quality control apparently and a bit disappointing for £220...

 

John

 

 

Edited December 12, 2022 by johndon

[micklner]

Looks like it needs another coat of Red paint on the Buffer beams ?, the Buffer bodies look like a different paint shade,at a guess moulded plastic.

 

At that price it would go back if I owned one.

Edited December 12, 2022 by micklner

[GoingUnderground]

Regrettably, the pantograph is to the same poor standard as on the Olivias EM1 and EM2, purely for ornamentation and suitable only for running in a fixed position just below the contact wire as it just pulls to one side if run with the pan head touching the wire, or at least that's what mine does.. A lovely model let down by the pantograph. So get ready to lay 3rd rail if you want to look prototypical.

[johndon]

2 minutes ago, micklner said:

Looks like it needs another coat of Red paint on the Buffer beams ?, the Buffer bodies look like a different paint shade,at a guess moulded plastic.

 

At that price it would go back if I owned one.

 

I though it may have just been the light in my room but, yes, the buffer beams aren't the same colour red as the buffer housings...

[PhilJ W]

I've examined my example (plain LNER black). At one end the buffer beam and shanks match and at the other end there is only a slight difference though it must be said the paint on the buffer beams looks thicker than in the illustrations above. The pantograph looks OK but I haven't attempted to raise it.

[johndon]

Hats off to Rails, having sent them some photos of my model, they are arranging a return and a replacement.

 

John

[298]

On 12/12/2022 at 20:51, GoingUnderground said:

Regrettably, the pantograph is to the same poor standard as on the Olivias EM1 and EM2, purely for ornamentation and suitable only for running in a fixed position just below the contact wire as it just pulls to one side if run with the pan head touching the wire, or at least that's what mine does.. A lovely model let down by the pantograph. So get ready to lay 3rd rail if you want to look prototypical.

 

Would something like a Sommerfeldt 881 (TT) or maybe a N gauge pan fit onto a modified base? I can see why they've tried to copy the original but pans with the base pivot points close together never run very well (looking at you Hershey Cuba), and are an example of something that may be prototypical but looks daft if modelled that way.

Edited December 14, 2022 by 298

[Ian Hargrave]

I have just received my NE No.1.from Locomotion.The buffer beams are metal and match the buffer housing.It’s a sweet,solid little piece of metal which performs well at slow speed & glides along nicely . I’m now looking forward to the Accurascale NE wagons to run behind it.The panto is of necessity quite tiny and needs careful handling but it is at least representative and personally there’s nothing to quibble at here.

[PaulRhB]

Very nice too and yes the pantograph isn’t going to work for a living, it falls over, but it could be secured just under the wires with clear fishing line. Very smooth although a little noisy in the gear train while running in but in a charming way that sounds quite good actually 😄  I’ll definitely add a little bit of tramway overhead so it can drop off wagons on my shunting micro. 
 

Edited December 14, 2022 by PaulRhB

[Eddie the dog]

I received  mine from Locomotion a couple of days ago and must admit it’s a tricky one !

Can’t decide whether to return for a replacement or not.

Heljan are to be applauded for making such an intricate model but for the price I think that

rather unrealistically people expect perfection.

My particular example had four lamp irons fitted at angles which I have managed to straighten and

chipped paintwork (most of which is only visible when photographed with a digital camera) which

should be easy to touch-up.

The chains are fitted at different lengths or possibly have links glued as one poster suggested but

most frustrating of all is that one of the cab steps, which seems to be made up of six separate parts,

is twisted.

It’s still a lovely model which I count myself very lucky to own, but those steps !

btw. Any tips on how to raise the pantograph please ?

[PaulRhB]

27 minutes ago, Eddie the dog said:

Any tips on how to raise the pantograph please ?

It just pulls up, theres a semi open clip, arrowed in blue, and it pops into that. 
 

[amdaley]

I got one of these from Locomotion Models & it arrived today.

The lamp irons on mine were at various angles but easy enough to fix.

One of the lamp irons needs to be touched up in black as the brass was showing.

I also have a smudge on the inside of the glass in one of the doors & a slight scratch on the outside of the same glass.

 

Other have mentioned the pantograph being not entirely straight.

I have run it in on a rolling road & it seems smooth enough.

At £220 it should be shouldn't it ? 

 

The smudge & scratch on one of the entrance doors glass is a disappointment though.

I'm not going to send it back because of the hassle, not living in the UK.

 

Has anyone tried to fit a decoder in one of these yet ?

The four screws seem a bit awkward to get at because of the bogies getting in the way ? 

 

[PhilJ W]

3 hours ago, amdaley said:

I got one of these from Locomotion Models & it arrived today.

The lamp irons on mine were at various angles but easy enough to fix.

One of the lamp irons needs to be touched up in black as the brass was showing.

I also have a smudge on the inside of the glass in one of the doors & a slight scratch on the outside of the same glass.

 

Other have mentioned the pantograph being not entirely straight.

I have run it in on a rolling road & it seems smooth enough.

At £220 it should be shouldn't it ? 

 

The smudge & scratch on one of the entrance doors glass is a disappointment though.

I'm not going to send it back because of the hassle, not living in the UK.

 

Has anyone tried to fit a decoder in one of these yet ?

The four screws seem a bit awkward to get at because of the bogies getting in the way ? 

 

The instructions should tell you how to remove the body to fit a decoder.  

[Porcy Mane]

4 hours ago, amdaley said:

Has anyone tried to fit a decoder in one of these yet ?

The four screws seem a bit awkward to get at because of the bogies getting in the way ? 

 

 

Heljans user manual is a bit vague on this. Looks like it was written early doors after EP's were examined. As a for instance; it talks about installation of a sugar cube speaker, but a speaker is fitted as standard. I'll probably be sticking a servo in it's place.

 

Access to the screws is made easier by "popping off" the collector shoe beams. They are not glued and have substantial spigots that enter the axle boxes. Good thing about this design, is that the beams can be replaced the correct way round with the collector shoe to the front. The cable runs will then need correcting though. One of my 4 "cables" were damaged & distorted so I have to make a replacement anyway. 

 

Beware the two bits of painted brass that constitute the upper flange of the solebars/frame girders. They are sandwiched between body and chassis and located on spigots. No glue used  (Hurrah!), so will probably fall off when upper body is removed from chassis.

 

The bogie is pivoted approximately above the inner axle so un-prototypically can be moved out of the way giving improved access to the cross-heads.

 

 

On DC, my example ran like a dog at low speed. Fitting of a Zimo MX18N transformed low speed performance. Probably not necessary but I disconnected the speaker as the non sound decoder can use the speaker connections for other purposes.  I had to make a few CV adjustments to get the cab light operating. I also dimmed all lights to a more suitable level and programmed the lighting for soft start.

 

The serious tools are coming out for the next bit of the strip down.

 

P

Edited December 16, 2022 by Porcy Mane

[Porcy Mane]

 

Should anyone be interested in what's under the bonnet(s) of Heljans ES1.

 

[johndon]

9 minutes ago, Porcy Mane said:

 

Should anyone be interested in what's under the bonnet(s) of Heljans ES1.

 

 

Didn't take you long...