Stevelewis Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 My Speedwhiskers Green version arrived this Morning from Arcadia, very impressed with it it is surely a contender for model of the year!! I sometimes feel that Heljan dont get the accolades they are due! Nothing had fallen off in transit! I have fitted a decoder this took me around 15 minutes from start to finish, the body came off the chassis very easily ( and was re-fitted easily also) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium brushman47544 Posted March 12, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 12, 2013 I have fitted a decoder this took me around 15 minutes from start to finish, the body came off the chassis very easily ( and was re-fitted easily also) That's good news - after the other posts I wondered if I should have got my retailer to do it for me... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevelewis Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 That's good news - after the other posts I wondered if I should have got my retailer to do it for me... It was very easy to do after reading some of the posts in other locations I was a little dubious, but really there was no problem, just remove 4 long screws, part the body sides from the chassis slightly with tiny flat screwdrivers ( or finger nails) slip some paper strips into the gaps to prevent the body going back into position, once its all done on both sides the chassis will drop out ( on to the piece of foam one has thoughtfully placed on the work bench./kitchen work surface depending on the location of SWMBO) . In common with many Heljan locos the pcb floats slightly on the chassis being held in place with a couple of rubber pieces, so the PCB tends to move downward as the decoder is inserted. Re-assembly is equally as simple. the whole job was much easier than with the Bachmann 4 CEPs . Just a thought I wonder if \Heljan has considered marketing unpowered 128s as these used to run in pairs quite often, I would think twice about buying a second powered one but would but an unpowered one if the price was favourable. I dont know maybe the cost of producing unpowered ones would not be beneficial in the long term to Heljan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southernman46 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Mine turned up today with the body displaced and cracked around the headcode boxes at one end - "What !! Mazac issues already" I thought............ Turns out that the headcode illumination perspex had become displaced & pushed out the body, cracking it at the headcode boxes, clearly this had occurred whilst Mrs Wong was hammering the body & chassis together. Heartstoppingly removed all the screws and removed the body, removed the remaining 1/2 of the perspex (no sign of the other half) and replaced the body - cracks closed (and invisible now), no paint damage, headcode box & corridor back in place - phew ! Glued a couple of underside fittings back in place - now THAT is a detailed underframe (IMHO)..............Happy Bunny - it's a lovely thing and I got to do some modelling too........... Well done Heljan - everything I was expecting when this was announced - looks the part towing a couple of blue Hornby B vans on the mid-morning Newbury - Southampton mail picking up at Whitchurch en route ......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecheesemiester Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 does anyone have any pictures of the speed wiskers version Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR(S) Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 does anyone have any pictures of the speed wiskers version If you mean the model, there are good pictures here: http://www.ehattons.com/48126/Heljan_8900_Class_128_DPU_W55993_in_BR_green_with_speed_whiskers__/StockDetail.aspx If you mean the real thing, see post #202 above Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR(S) Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Let's hope no-ones looks like this straight out of the box: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-diesels/6934622493/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian daniels Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Or looks like this one after the Post Office have finished with it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianews/5808796889/in/set-72157626627223211 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-gog Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Or looks like this one after the Post Office have finished with it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/brianews/5808796889/in/set-72157626627223211 That looks like the state of some of the mail and parcels they "deliver" to me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevelewis Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 For further info re performance etc, (apologies if this has already been mentioned) The 128 will work sarisfactorily with Kadees fitted ( No20 NEM Plugin) even down to R1 radius which exists in a part of one of the storage loops! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gronk the shunter Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Mine arrived this morning and it really is good. So good in fact I've almost forgiven Heljan for the 76! Nothing lose in box either. Regarding sound, did these sound just like any DMU? Is there a specific sound chip offered by anyone yet? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 13, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 13, 2013 Sound-wise they were very similar to the main fleets of diesel-mechanical units. The exact sound varied. The larger Gloucester-built class as represented by Heljan had Leyland (Albion) engines rather than the more commonly used BUT (AEC) units but otherwise standard diesel-mechanical transmission. In traffic they purred along and chuffed on the gear change just like most others of their generation but a well-attuned ear would have been able to tell the difference compared with a class 115/6/7/8 alongside which they ran daily. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doughnut Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Is anyone planning to sell sound chips for these; ie does an Albion Engined unit still exist to record??? And just out of interest, (I think someone has already asked this) why are the known called Scooby-Doo? I know there are pics with that name fingered into the gangway dust, but is there another reason? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 does anyone have any pictures of the speed wiskers version Nice innit? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecheesemiester Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 looks amazing. also why was the 76 that bad, it looked alright to me. i have a dilemma.i dont have much money so i have to choose between the railcar and this. does anyone have any advice? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-gog Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Nice innit? P1000470.JPG P1000471.JPG P1000474.JPG P1000476.JPG P1000477.JPG Anyone got a scale T-key for that scale lock? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Fisher Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I guess Heljan could do unpowered ones but it would require a new chassis mount block what with it bring a die cast chassis block and unpowered....Maybe hopefully fingers crossed possible if they consider units of more than two cars in the future? I would suppose an unpowered version as is wouldnt be that much cheaper? Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the penguin of doom Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I saw one of these in the flesh this morning and I have to say that despite my earlier comments on Heljan products, this one looks absolutely smashing. A really nice job. Cheers. Sean. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Nice innit? Superb - except that I noticed when 'playing' with mine that the running number, etc. certainly isn't Gill Sans Medium as it should be. The characters are 'raked' to the right, and the figure 1 has a serif at the top. Surely Heljan can afford a pukka Gill Sans Medium font? I'd have let them use mine - for a modest consideration! Regards, John Isherwood, Cambridge Custom Transfers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Is anyone planning to sell sound chips for these; ie does an Albion Engined unit still exist to record??? And just out of interest, (I think someone has already asked this) why are the known called Scooby-Doo? I know there are pics with that name fingered into the gangway dust, but is there another reason? I think it might be my fault. W55991 ran with its Scooby-Doo name in the gangway dirt for quite a long time and I used the name in an article in (I think) Motive Power Monthly. I guess someone at Southall or Reading coined the name and it seems to have stuck. I believe Scooby-Doo was a cartoon character but I've really no idea why it came to be applied to these cars. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 I guess Heljan could do unpowered ones but it would require a new chassis mount block what with it bring a die cast chassis block and unpowered....Maybe hopefully fingers crossed possible if they consider units of more than two cars in the future? I would suppose an unpowered version as is wouldnt be that much cheaper? Ian The two in the London area seldom ran together as they had separate diagrams. If an extra vehicle was needed they tended to add a DMU car or two, as that could enable driving from either end, whereas if you used a BG or whatever, you had to run round. I'm thinking I'll run a detailed Lima 117 car with mine if I need to. In the Rail blue era it seemed more usual to run two 128s coupled together - but more usually the ones on the LM. In all my pictures of 55991/2 from green through to PO red, none show them coupled together. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted March 13, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 13, 2013 I'm going to wait for the 'Red Stripe' livery. I hope I don't have to wait too long. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the-gog Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 P1000476.JPG Superb - except that I noticed when 'playing' with mine that the running number, etc. certainly isn't Gill Sans Medium as it should be. The characters are 'raked' to the right, and the figure 1 has a serif at the top. Surely Heljan can afford a pukka Gill Sans Medium font? I'd have let them use mine - for a modest consideration! Regards, John Isherwood, Cambridge Custom Transfers. It looks like they've used Adobe Myriad Pro. Oh dear. That's a fail. Input 55993 as the sample text on http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/adobe/myriad/ and draw your own conclusions. RWJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 13, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 13, 2013 About 50 years ago, the late David Jenkinson, in the course of his seminal "Is your mutton dressed as lamb?" article in RM, made us aware that fonts are of-their-era. Getting this right is important. But, for two pins, I'd still buy one of these - they look that good! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
10800 Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 The characters are 'raked' to the right, Just out of interest John, I see what you mean with respect to the '5' but is it apparent on any of the others? What I'm noticing is that the number is not quite horizontal ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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