Heljan OO Newton Chambers Car Transporter

[zr2498]

45 minutes ago, MikeParkin65 said:

Rails email today saying that these will also be available singularly for £67.95

Really good news as wanted to have a rake of 4 car carriers with a couple of MK 1 Maroons. I seem to recall up thread, that this was occasionally protypical.

As I ordered pack 2, it looks as though I will have to renumber one, as the singles are same as pack 2!

Edited October 9, 2023 by zr2498
Running number info

[E100]

It's a very wise move I think to sell these to compete with the EFE offering as anyone not wanting a multiple of 3 would have been forced into even paying over the odds or giving some £££ to EFE by which point they may as well have got the whole rake from them. These are around £15-20 dearer so I'm intrigued if the differences justify this to most modellers.

 

I'm going to keep my powder dry for now as they aren't critical but a nice to have for me and can easily see these ending up in the bargain bins.

[MikeParkin65]

2 hours ago, E100 said:

It's a very wise move I think to sell these to compete with the EFE offering as anyone not wanting a multiple of 3 would have been forced into even paying over the odds or giving some £££ to EFE by which point they may as well have got the whole rake from them. These are around £15-20 dearer so I'm intrigued if the differences justify this to most modellers.

 

I'm going to keep my powder dry for now as they aren't critical but a nice to have for me and can easily see these ending up in the bargain bins.

Will potentially impact on EFE sales as people looking to add a single vehicle to a 3 car set (as per @zr2498 above) wont be tempted to get an EFE now and risk it not matching in some respect (colour, ride height, shape etc).

 

Apart from the unfortunate use of the same running number as already released (but then have Heljan modelled every vehicle anyway?) this is a very savvy move.

 

Just got to hope Heljan have got the model 'right'. 

[brushman47544]

4 hours ago, zr2498 said:

Really good news as wanted to have a rake of 4 car carriers with a couple of MK 1 Maroons. I seem to recall up thread, that this was occasionally protypical.

As I ordered pack 2, it looks as though I will have to renumber one, as the singles are same as pack 2!

 

Since there are six differently numbered single packs, it looks like Heljan has split a certain number of both triple packs, so you should be able to avoid renumbering as long as you're not worried about mixing early and late versions. The only difference I can see is the TOPS code TCV and NCX - the ends for fitting the different air/vacuum pipes look the same pre-fitment.

Edited October 9, 2023 by brushman47544
addition

[Enterprisingwestern]

2 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

 

Since there are six differently numbered single packs, it looks like Heljan has split a certain number of both triple packs, so you should be able to avoid renumbering as long as you're not worried about mixing early and late versions. The only difference I can see is the TOPS code TCV and NCX - the ends for fitting the different air/vacuum pipes look the same pre-fitment.

 

I've gotten away with it by ordering a maroon one to go with the b/g ones!

 

Mike.

[Southernman46]

11 hours ago, MikeParkin65 said:

Rails email today saying that these will also be available singularly for £67.95

Anybody else feeling a bit "done-over" having invested £200 in a pack of 3 & literally just paid for it 2 days ago to see Heljan now doing singles ................................. very sharp practice if you ask me ........................... won't be pre-ordering any Heljan in future - I'll just wait for the single releases or the "flash" sales 

[cctransuk]

5 minutes ago, Southernman46 said:

Anybody else feeling a bit "done-over" having invested £200 in a pack of 3 & literally just paid for it 2 days ago to see Heljan now doing singles ................................. very sharp practice if you ask me ........................... won't be pre-ordering any Heljan in future - I'll just wait for the single releases or the "flash" sales 

 

Can't think why - you saved £1.29 on each one!

 

That's fear of missing out for you!

 

CJI.

[Southernman46]

3 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

Can't think why - you saved £1.29 on each one!

 

That's fear of missing out for you!

 

CJI.

No, it's called being prepared to support a manufacturer shoved back in your face.

[adb968008]

Theres was only 14 of the originally ?

 

They must have been a bit of a pain to use, as they needed a specialist loading ramp, and had a zsv wagon for the purpose.. 

 

https://www.departmentals.com/departmental/096042

 

Obviously they werent use as intended (international motorail), fitted with tie-downs, brake wheels, UIC registered etc but what was that original purpose ? London-Dover-Calais ?

Edited October 9, 2023 by adb968008

[cctransuk]

10 hours ago, Southernman46 said:

No, it's called being prepared to support a manufacturer shoved back in your face.

 

But why order three if you only wanted one?

 

If you've ordered a three pack, cancel or send it back, and order a single.

 

CJI.

[aureol40012]

Mine are arriving this afternoon, will post pictures if nobody else has.

[Great Waterton]

What's the difference between early and late BR Blue? 

[Southernman46]

35 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

 

But why order three if you only wanted one?

 

If you've ordered a three pack, cancel or send it back, and order a single.

 

CJI.

Read my post - the single announcement came only after my pre-ordered 3 pack had been charged for & despatched.

 

Never mind  🤦‍♂️

[adb968008]

23 hours ago, E100 said:

It's a very wise move I think to sell these to compete with the EFE offering as anyone not wanting a multiple of 3 would have been forced into even paying over the odds or giving some £££ to EFE by which point they may as well have got the whole rake from them. These are around £15-20 dearer so I'm intrigued if the differences justify this to most modellers.

 

I'm going to keep my powder dry for now as they aren't critical but a nice to have for me and can easily see these ending up in the bargain bins.

The roof comes off the Heljan one, had magnets. But the sample at Warley had nothing inside.

 

You could use it to hide valuables I suppose.

[E100]

3 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

The roof comes off the Heljan one, had magnets. But the sample at Warley had nothing inside.

 

You could use it to hide valuables I suppose.

 

The implementation on coaches you can see into makes some sense for putting in passengers / lighting but honestly this made no sense. Just seemed like a feature for the sake of it as the skylights don't reveal anything anyway. The only thing would be to add some extra weight which I sincerely hope these wouldn't require.

[Darius43]

Arrived yesterday.  Fitted the magnetic couplings.  They are a tight fit and may not be removable without damage.  Kept the regular tension locks at the free ends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[adb968008]

4 hours ago, Great Waterton said:

What's the difference between early and late BR Blue? 

Vac braked vs Air and Vac braked.

(1960’s-1980’s, vs 1980’s).

 

my plat 5 from 1988 only shows 2 left in service: 96294 and 96299 (both bounds green). As I only saw 1 of them that year, they werent working together. Also, shown as condemend: 96290,1,5.

 

My guess is 1988 the 2 were in service in name only.

 

going back to 1986 and 1987 stock books 96290,1,4,5,9  (5) were in service, all BN.
 

TCV btw… Two tier Car Van.

 

Heljan pack 9624 includes 96191,4 and 9 so that covers you for the final years…. Feasibly you can put a Blue, Large Logo, original Intercity or a Scotrail. 47 on. There is a picture out there of a Scotrail 47/7 on two of these in Edinburgh, though it may just be for the shunt.

 

Edited October 10, 2023 by adb968008

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

14 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Obviously they weren't use as intended (international motorail), fitted with tie-downs, brake wheels, UIC registered etc but what was that original purpose ? London-Dover-Calais ?

They were utilised as intended: the Motorail service was an ECML route project initially worked using converted bogie CCT's as the 'Anglo-Scottish Car Carrier'. (This idea may well have been one of the last 'visible' UK railway exports to Europe, thus the forward thinking of having the purpose built vehicles built ready for ferry traffic.)

[adb968008]

1 hour ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

They were utilised as intended: the Motorail service was an ECML route project initially worked using converted bogie CCT's as the 'Anglo-Scottish Car Carrier'. (This idea may well have been one of the last 'visible' UK railway exports to Europe, thus the forward thinking of having the purpose built vehicles built ready for ferry traffic.)

Its the ferry traffic i’m trying to find out about…

 

you dont build a boat train, with out a boat in mind, even if the boat sailed without the train. Surely these werent supposed to goto the Hebrides, besides the hebrides was  “international” ?

 

 

Edited October 10, 2023 by adb968008

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Just now, adb968008 said:

Its the ferry traffic i’m trying to find out about…

TTBoMK, never happened.

[adb968008]

20 minutes ago, 34theletterbetweenB&D said:

TTBoMK, never happened.

Yes agreed..

 

but they must have had something in mind, otherwise why build them ? Other GUVs were available, oodles of mk1’s could be cut down to chassis and converted like others. 
Reading the book, they were artificial anyway.. they were just motorail wagons bodied in fibreglass…in theory they should last for decades with little to rot.

 

I model HO as well as OO so i’m trying to get an Idea what I might pretend to be on the front, if it wasnt British…was it Calais, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Stavanger they had in mind, and presumably there would be an onward destination, otherwise why load the wagon on the boat, just to offload the car at the dockside on the other side ?

 

Which begs a further question.. what about the passengers ?

 

its surprising these lasted so long anyway, the MA Parkin book indicates the lower deck was taken out of use making them no better than a GUV, and they required a special raised ramp to load cars from platforms in the first instance, restricting where they could be used.

 

so yes the ER got them, but why did the ER need UIC registered, tiedown and brake fitted car carriers for a London to Edinburgh service ?.. There must have been an original intention that failed to materialise that dumped them there.

Edited October 10, 2023 by adb968008

[NBL]

15 hours ago, Southernman46 said:

No, it's called being prepared to support a manufacturer shoved back in your face.

It's completely obvious that Heljan were just waiting for you to pay for your triple pack before announcing the singles.

 

Nothing to do with EFE versions being available as single vehicles.

[Enterprisingwestern]

12 minutes ago, NBL said:

It's completely obvious that Heljan were just waiting for you to pay for your triple pack before announcing the singles.

 

Nothing to do with EFE versions being available as single vehicles.

 

Perhaps the triple packs aren't selling as well as hoped?

 

Mike.

[cctransuk]

43 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Yes agreed..

 

but they must have had something in mind, otherwise why build them ? Other GUVs were available, oodles of mk1’s could be cut down to chassis and converted like others. 
Reading the book, they were artificial anyway.. they were just motorail wagons bodied in fibreglass…in theory they should last for decades with little to rot.

 

I model HO as well as OO so i’m trying to get an Idea what I might pretend to be on the front, if it wasnt British…was it Calais, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Hamburg, Stavanger they had in mind, and presumably there would be an onward destination, otherwise why load the wagon on the boat, just to offload the car at the dockside on the other side ?

 

Which begs a further question.. what about the passengers ?

 

its surprising these lasted so long anyway, the MA Parkin book indicates the lower deck was taken out of use making them no better than a GUV, and they required a special raised ramp to load cars from platforms in the first instance, restricting where they could be used.

 

so yes the ER got them, but why did the ER need UIC registered, tiedown and brake fitted car carriers for a London to Edinburgh service ?.. There must have been an original intention that failed to materialise that dumped them there.

 

The Newton Chambers vans were simply a version of the earlier, internationally-registered TIERWAG, (which was intended for the international transport of new cars), with a fibreglass body to protect the cars.

 

Tri-ang produced a remarkably accurate model of the TIERWAG, as their double-deck car transporter; I detailed one, years ago.

 

CJI.

[Porcy Mane]

2 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

(which was intended for the international transport of new cars)

 

"Which were used".   Specially importing Fiats direct from inside their "Italian Job" factory in Turin.

 

4 minutes ago, cctransuk said:

Tri-ang produced a remarkably accurate model of the TIERWAG

 

 

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.

 

Although I suppose it depends on how one defines accuracy.