Heljan OO Newton Chambers Car Transporter

[mardle]

Does anyone know when the revised position of the roof lights on the maroon vehicles was introduced ? Was the original position of the lights in the middle of the spaces between the roof ribs or towards the ends ?

 

 

[BluenGreyAnorak]

According to a post further back in the tread, only the first five vehicles that had 'offset' roof windows - E96286-90E. The remaining nine had the windows centred in the panel. Hope that helps.

[Flood]

Just arrived. Well I like the look of them...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hmrspaul]

On 10/10/2023 at 13:35, adb968008 said:

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.

 

A damaged one was extant at Thornton Junction in August 1991 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brnpccs/e257b4893   Was there a late use of them in Scotland?

 

Paul

[Flood]

2 hours ago, hmrspaul said:

A damaged one was extant at Thornton Junction in August 1991 https://PaulBartlett.zenfolio.com/brnpccs/e257b4893   Was there a late use of them in Scotland?

 

Paul

 

Rail Magazine states the last two, 96294 and 96299, as being withdrawn on 29th March 1988. On my hard drive there are two photos from Dennis Taylor's old fotopic site of 96299 at Springburn on 4th April 1988. There is also a photo of 96294 at Thornton Yard in 1989 on Flickr:

 

Copyright Julian Frost

 

I don't know the last time they were used on 1S77/1E42 between Kings Cross and Edinburgh.

 

Longworth states that 96291, 96294, 96295 and 96299 were due to be KDB977664-7 as S&T stores vans but this was subsequently cancelled and they were disposed of from September 1991 to January 1992.

[Flood]

Just for comparison purposes:

 

Heljan TCV with Bachmann Mk2F (the TCV has a higher buffer height but I haven't measured which is the more accurate):

 

Heljan TCV with Airfix Mk2D (pretty much the same buffer height):

Edited October 28, 2023 by Flood

[Waveydavey]

Any chance you could post a photo of the bogie upside down Flood so I can see what might be involved in a P4 conversion.

 

 

[spamcan61]

15 hours ago, Flood said:

Just for comparison purposes:

 

Heljan TCV with Bachmann Mk2F (the TCV has a higher buffer height but I haven't measured which is the more accurate):

 

Heljan TCV with Airfix Mk2D (pretty much the same buffer height):

Presumably the buffer height on the prototype will vary depending on suspension condition and load of the coaches/whatever concerned. I don't know how much that is, worst case, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's a mm or two in OO.

Edited October 29, 2023 by spamcan61

[Flood]

2 hours ago, Waveydavey said:

Any chance you could post a photo of the bogie upside down Flood so I can see what might be involved in a P4 conversion.

 

 

 

Underside of the bogie for starters:

 

 

 

Now the top of the bogie showing the brake shoe fitments:

 

The gap between the outer edge of the tread of a Heljan wheel and the inside of the side frame is approx 1mm for every wheel. The Heljan wheels are 0.111inches (2.8194mm) in depth.

[Enterprisingwestern]

3 minutes ago, Flood said:

 

Underside of the bogie for starters:

 

 

 

Now the top of the bogie showing the brake shoe fitments:

 

The gap between the outer edge of the tread of a Heljan wheel and the inside of the side frame is approx 1mm for every wheel. The Heljan wheels are 0.111inches (2.8194mm) in depth.

 

They look like they'll rub down nicely for us bodgers in EM!

 

Mike.

[Halvarras]

18 hours ago, Flood said:

 

Rail Magazine states the last two, 96294 and 96299, as being withdrawn on 29th March 1988. On my hard drive there are two photos from Dennis Taylor's old fotopic site of 96299 at Springburn on 4th April 1988. There is also a photo of 96294 at Thornton Yard in 1989 on Flickr:

 

Copyright Julian Frost

 

I don't know the last time they were used on 1S77/1E42 between Kings Cross and Edinburgh.

 

Longworth states that 96291, 96294, 96295 and 96299 were due to be KDB977664-7 as S&T stores vans but this was subsequently cancelled and they were disposed of from September 1991 to January 1992.

 

With their non-standard design and lack of side access I wonder why anyone would have considered these suitable as S&T stores vans? Perhaps they had roller shutter doors in mind - but with so many other vehicles available by then I still have to wonder why.......

[Waveydavey]

Thanks Flood,

 

Measuring a couple of sets of random OO & P4 wheels I get the overall width to be 1.8mm different so it looks like it’ll be tight, possibly needing a bit of filing, but definitely possible. And, of course, the brakes will need repositioning but that’s standard with P4 conversions.

 

Fingers crossed Heljan have specified 26mm long or at least 2mm diameter axles.

 

Cheers

 

David

Edited October 30, 2023 by Waveydavey

[Clagsniffer]

I’ve just taken delivery of four of these and have to say I really like them. I particularly like the packaging of the triple pack.

 

I plan on running these with 3 MK1 blue and grey coaches. What would be an acceptable general formation? All SK’s? BSK and 2 SK’s?

 

Thanks.

[BluenGreyAnorak]

A typical coach formation was BSO, FK, RU, FO. I dropped the FO from my compressed formation of 3 Mk1's, and swapped the BSO for a BSK, as I don't think the former is available RTR.

[adb968008]

2 hours ago, BluenGreyAnorak said:

A typical coach formation was BSO, FK, RU, FO. I dropped the FO from my compressed formation of 3 Mk1's, and swapped the BSO for a BSK, as I don't think the former is available RTR.

Hornby recently made the BSO mk1, nice but the shape profile of Hornbys mk1 stands out from Bachmanns (oddly Hornbys profile fits Mainline and Replica quite well).

https://www.hattons.co.uk/236431/hornby_r4777_mk1_bso_brake_second_open_w9353_in_br_blue_and_grey/stockdetail

 

 

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by adb968008

[Flood]

9 hours ago, Waveydavey said:

Thanks Flood,

 

Measuring a couple of sets of random OO & P4 wheels I get the overall width to be 1.8mm different so it looks like it’ll be tight, possibly needing a bit of filing, but definitely possible. And, of course, the brakes will need repositioning but that’s standard with P4 conversions.

 

Fingers crossed Heljan have specified 26mm long or at least 2mm diameter axles.

 

Cheers

 

David

 

Axle diameter 0.077" (my verniers are imperial!) that's 1.9558mm, length 1.020" that's 25.908mm

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, Flood said:

 

Axle diameter 0.077" (my verniers are imperial!) that's 1.9558mm, length 1.020" that's 25.908mm

 

A warning to anyone using the existing axles and wheels to re-gauge, be careful when dismantling them, the axles bend, don't ask me how I know! Although a direct swap with a Gibson axle restores parity.

 

Mike.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Just in case anybody hasn't worked it out yet, to remove the coupling assembly, unclip the roof, remove the four very small screws in the base and the floor and 2 weights will fall out revealing the couplings.

 

Mike.

[No Decorum]

10 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Just in case anybody hasn't worked it out yet, to remove the coupling assembly, unclip the roof, remove the four very small screws in the base and the floor and 2 weights will fall out revealing the couplings.

 

Mike.

Now we know why the roofs are removable.

[BluenGreyAnorak]

15 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Hornby recently made the BSO mk1, nice but the shape profile of Hornbys mk1 stands out from Bachmanns 

 

Ah, didn't realise that. Still, all of my coaching stock is Bachmann and I'm not keen to mix in Hornby's offerings for that exact reason.

[Flood]

As already posted on the Aberdeen Kirkhill thread, my friend Glenn has been busy weathering my TCVs.

 

 

 

 

[Michael Hodgson]

4 hours ago, Flood said:

 

 

 

The weathering of the joins between panels is very effective.

[Phil Bullock]

Just done rail lamp on mine. Lovely models! 

 

 

With the removable roof wiring was a doddle. Pick ups easy too … I just reversed the bogie at one end so the insulated wheels are on opposite sides on each bogie and arranged pick ups off the axles. 
 

 

Just hope that wiring doesn’t confuse my reversing loop power switching set up!  Some light weathering to follow….

Edited December 1, 2023 by Phil Bullock

[cctransuk]

l am now well into building a pair of Newton Chambers car transporters from Southern Pride kits. If anyone else has these kits, unstarted, don't be put off building them - they are superb!

 

Having said that - the between-bogies well etch is 3.5mm. too deep, but I knew this and the surplus surrendered to the skrawker and bending bars with no fight whatsoever!

 

Apart from that glitch, the etches are a sensible thickness; everything fits exactly where it should; and the bogies are superbly well designed, being square, substantial and free-running. (Just fit the wheels before soldering the end beams in place)!

 

I now have a pair of rolling chassis - photos later - and I look forward to getting on with the bodies.

 

John Isherwood.

[montyburns56]

Rails have these in a Flash sale £169.95 for a triple pack

 

https://railsofsheffield.com/collections/Heljan-oo-gauge-newton-chambers-car-transporter-triple-packs?_kx=XWBkhjWquBOAgjDRUFoeGmghza-PPqAKzIb3pca0PyfqnSFePN1n7xZw98DdvMB7.RXkVMS&utm_campaign=New Rails FLASH SALES&utm_id=01HM179AAGA281ZX82QXZE4060&utm_medium=campaign&utm_source=Klaviyo