Heljan OO Newton Chambers Car Transporter

[AY Mod]

Newton Chambers Car Transporter joins HELJAN ‘OO’ Collection

 

HELJAN’s range of high-quality ‘OO’ gauge rolling stock will expand in early-2023 with the release of six coach packs featuring the stylish double-deck car transporters built by Newton Chambers for BR Eastern Region in 1960/61.

 

Visitors to the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition at the NEC this weekend will be the first to see factory-decorated samples of the new models.

 

Featuring a high specification and fine detail throughout, the vehicles will be offered in matching triple packs in BR Lined Maroon and BR ‘Motorail’ Blue/Grey covering their entire 25-year career. Close attention to detail means that vehicles will feature either the original or revised pattern of fibreglass roof lights plus vacuum brake/steam heat and dual brake/dual heating vehicles with the Electric Train Heat (ETH) and air brake equipment added to several car transporters towards the end of their life.

 

Fine details include separately fitted handbrake wheels, end door details, air pipes, etched train ferry lashing eyes, steam heat, vacuum brake and ETH equipment. NEM couplers and sprung buffers are fitted as standard. Suggested Retail Price (SRP) for the high-quality presentation packs is £229.00.

 

 

Originally designated as TCVs, the vehicles later became NVV (vacuum braked) and NVX (dual braked) under BR’s TOPS computer system. Unusually, they featured a hydraulically operated central well capable of storing two cars as well as four cars on the upper deck – a 50% increase in capacity over more conventional car carrying vehicles of the time.

 

When introduced in the early-1960s, the TCV car transporters were used between London, York and Edinburgh in sets of five or six vehicles with a handful of BR maroon Mk1 coaches, hauled by ex-LNER ‘Pacifics’ and later BR green ‘Deltics’, Class 40s, 45s, 46s or 47s. From the late-1960s onwards, they were painted in BR blue/grey and started to venture further afield on ‘Motorail’ services from London and northern England to the West of England, being hauled by Class 45s, 46s, 47s and ‘Westerns’. However, they were closely associated with the East Coast Main Line throughout their career.

 

#9620 EASTERN REGION CAR TRANSPORTER PACK 1: BR Lined Maroon E96288/289/290E

#9621 EASTERN REGION CAR TRANSPORTER PACK 2: BR Lined Maroon E96286/293/297E

#9622 EASTERN REGION CAR TRANSPORTER PACK 3: BR Lined Maroon E96287/291/294E

#9623 BR MOTORAIL PACK 1: BR Blue/Grey TCV E96290/297/298E

#9624 BR MOTORAIL PACK 2: BR Blue/Grey NVX E96291/294/299E

#9625 BR MOTORAIL PACK 3: BR Blue/Grey NVV E96288/289/293E WEATHERED

 

Factory decorated prototypes are now in the UK for review and we expect production to start in early-2023 with the first batch of car transporters due in shops in Spring 2023. Look out for further updates on all these new models here and on our Facebook page over the coming months!

[BMacdermott]

Congratulations to Heljan on this announcement!

 

These car transporters were only just outside High Polling in The 00 Wishlist Poll 2019.

 

Brian (on behalf of The 00 Poll Team)

[andythenorth]

Never knew I needed wanted these until I saw this 🙂

[69843]

Even though these only saw limited service, I can see these being extremely popular. Especially as you can make the train ready-to-run now with a set of Mk1s and the TCVs behind a suitable Pacific or diesel.

[davidw]

Oh dear more expense! How will I explain this to the wife!

[Michael Hodgson]

Oh yes please !  I've got a couple of kit-built ones (Southern Pride?)

Very expensive for 3 coaches, but if they're as good as the drawings they do look the business.

['CHARD]

Not forgetting their diagrammed use to and from Perth via Cowdenbeath and Kinross - W.V.Anderson's photo of a Brush Type 4 on Glenfarg bank hauling the down working is classic.

 

Are the end doors opening, or the roofs removable so I can install a vehicular load?  We know about the unhealthy obsession I have with cartrains....

[LNERandBR]

What's an example formation from the 80s? I presume there were passenger coaches then a number of these at the rear?

[Suzy Sulzer]

 .Nice to see new rolling stock announcement pre NEC show. Rather than a locomotive.

 

Hopefully were see another production run of ESSO Class A tanks. Also ESSO B variant too in oo. During 2023 

 

HINT HINT

 

 

Edited November 24, 2022 by Suzy Sulzer
typo

[61661]

24 minutes ago, 'CHARD said:

Not forgetting their diagrammed use to and from Perth via Cowdenbeath and Kinross - W.V.Anderson's photo of a Brush Type 4 on Glenfarg bank hauling the down working is classic.

 

Are the end doors opening, or the roofs removable so I can install a vehicular load?  We know about the unhealthy obsession I have with cartrains....

Just for you Chard, the roofs are easily removable - held in place by small but strong magnets. We will be demonstrating this feature at the NEC this weekend. Unfortunately for you, it won't be possible to put any cars in the centre well as that's where we've put all the weight. 

[61661]

50 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

Oh yes please !  I've got a couple of kit-built ones (Southern Pride?)

Very expensive for 3 coaches, but if they're as good as the drawings they do look the business.

I know I'm biased, but they are even better than the livery artwork. The samples received this week have a real 'wow' factor. 

[Darius43]

Very nice - I have several Southern Pride kits in the stash as well as a couple of built examples.  I’ll stick with those as something for my retirement next year.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[stovepipe]

Excellent choice. I was wondering why a number of Southern Pride kits were finding their way onto ebay....

[Steamport Southport]

Strange they are in packs of three. Seems a common number now.

 

I was under the impression they usually worked in 4 or 8 car sets. In later years there was 5 with one being a spare.

 

 

 

Jason

[wombatofludham]

Interesting announcement, whilst not for me they are very distinctive and even starred in a BTF or two.  As for price, it works out at about £70 per vehicle which given their uniqueness and relatively narrow geographical range which I suspect may affect sales numbers isn't a bad price really.

It's nice to see some of the more oddball non passenger stock being announced, gives me hope for a Class 310 unit at some time (not so subtle hint there, @61661)

[64F]

8 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

Strange they are in packs of three. Seems a common number now.

 

I was under the impression they usually worked in 4 or 8 car sets. In later years there was 5 with one being a spare.

 

 

 

Jason

Searching for pics of the "Anglo Scottish Car Carrier" suggests six (plus four mk1 carriages) was standard in the 1960s.

 

Nice announcement, and by present standards the price seems pretty reasonable especially for a somewhat niche prototype with few livery choices.

 

 

 

[Phil Bullock]

Wonderful news ….. had been hoping someone would take these on . Early 70s they were on the Stirling - NA circuit which had two coaching sets allocated, worked alternate days given the journey times involved.

 

One set had car carriers, the other flats. 
 

Two packs for us please…. Shame the blue/grey ones are all TOPs branded but we can soon fix that….

[61661]

16 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

Strange they are in packs of three. Seems a common number now.

 

I was under the impression they usually worked in 4 or 8 car sets. In later years there was 5 with one being a spare.

 

 

 

Jason

In the maroon years they often worked in sixes with 4 Mk1 day coaches. Haven't seen eight together in any of the research we've done. The number used in each train steadily dwindled to two or three during the blue/grey period, so packs of three makes most sense. 

[37114]

Great to see, although now sold I loved the 4mm one I had. I thought they were an Eastern Region only wagon then found a photo of a solitary one at Newton Abbot and then4 at Bristol behind a Warship.

 

I will hold off searching for a Westdale 7mm one now in the hope that Heljan upscale it to 7mm in the future.

[Din]

24 minutes ago, Steamport Southport said:

Strange they are in packs of three. Seems a common number now.

 

I was under the impression they usually worked in 4 or 8 car sets. In later years there was 5 with one being a spare.

 

 

 

Jason

 

It's like when the sell Ham in a pack of ten but cobs/rolls etc in a pack of six.

 

Gotta buy more.

[61661]

5 minutes ago, Phil Bullock said:

 Shame the blue/grey ones are all TOPs branded but we can soon fix that….

Not quite - pack #9623 is in the early version of blue/grey (with blue roofs and brown bogies) applied in the late-1960s retaining the 'TCV' code. The other packs are branded NVV (vac brake/steam heat) and NVX (dual heat/dual brake) for the 1970s/80s. 

[Phil Bullock]

1 minute ago, 64F said:

Searching for pics of the "Anglo Scottish Car Carrier" suggests six (plus four mk1 carriages) was standard in the 1960s.

 

Nice announcement, and by present standards the price seems pretty reasonable especially for a somewhat niche prototype with few livery choices.

 

 

 

A general formula for motorail trains seems to be one compartment per car … plus a catering vehicle and brake.

 

Although these were built to carry six cars IIRC they were limited to four after an incident involving a staff member being trapped under the lower deck when it was lowered. 
 

Coaching stock was often first class too so MK1 FK and BFK …. The latter Not made yet (hint hint) but an option for a cut and shut from other coaches.

 

So with 4 cars per TCV and 7 compartments in an FK a ratio of 2:1 is about right for prototypical trains… some long formations ran, loading up to 16 vehicles. Fiddle yard loops on the new layout have been designed to accommodate them…. We wait to see if the motive power can cope! 

[Phil Bullock]

3 minutes ago, 61661 said:

Not quite - pack #9623 is in the early version of blue/grey (with blue roofs and brown bogies) applied in the late-1960s retaining the 'TCV' code. The other packs are branded NVV (vac brake/steam heat) and NVX (dual heat/dual brake) for the 1970s/80s. 

Oh thanks Ben … missed that! That pre TOPs blue period sometimes gets missed. So duplicate packs and renumbered then.. 

Edited November 24, 2022 by Phil Bullock

[MikeParkin65]

1 minute ago, 61661 said:

In the maroon years they often worked in sixes with 4 Mk1 day coaches. Haven't seen eight together in any of the research we've done. The number used in each train steadily dwindled to two or three during the blue/grey period, so packs of three makes most sense. 

Fair price for 3. I reckon most of us here dont run full length trains so happy to buy 3 and run something representative. 

[eastwestdivide]

Some formations from 1980s overnight trains including these with rakes of Mk3 sleepers over on this thread 

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/16907-mk3-sleeper-trains-bluegrey-livery/

 

Edited November 24, 2022 by eastwestdivide