RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 9, 2013 Gaugemaster had these on display today. I was very tempted despite I have no real use for one. They do look superb. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Wonder when she went blue? Flikr has her blue in 75 but the latest green I can find is 67. Any advance folks? Phil W55991 (not 55591) was the first of the gangwayed cars to appear in Rail Blue and it must have been earlier than 1967 because it was the WR interpretation of Corporate Image (Rail blue sides and ends, yellow gangway blanking panel, and buffer beams painted a dark - almost maroon - red. It also had white roof domes. Sadly, the picture I loaned to Howes has no date on it. I would have thought 1965 or 1966 at the latest. At what date it went blue with full yellow ends I don't know. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BromsMods Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 A couple of initial observations on the model. As others have commented, very disappointed to find numerous parts falling off, both within the packaging during transportation and whilst trying to fit a decoder. Seems to be a good runner, though, but it won't negotiate very tight curves. In addition, some of the finely detailed components will have to be removed in order to accomodate the couplings. On DC white marker lights are directional but cab lights are on continously both ends. On DCC white marker lights are directional (no tail lights) and cab lights are operated by F1 and F2. Getting the body off and on is no easy task, though!! More comments on our DCC installation guide which should be up later today, if I can ever get the body back on!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jim s-w Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Hi John For the period depicted they wouldnt have had tail lights or those that did were not permitted to use them. Cheers Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold uk_pm Posted March 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 9, 2013 What a superb model. It really looks the part, and the detail on it is amazing (and includes the finest separately-fitted handrails I have yet seen on a ready-to-run model). The underframe detail too is terrific; a step-up (in my opinion) from that on Bachmann's excellent DMUs. The mechanism is standard Heljan fare: very heavy and very reliable. But it has a solid chassis which protrudes up into the body, and so will disappoint those who hoped to be able to use it for other purposes. If I have a criticism, it is that no space is specifically provided for a speaker. However, I have managed to equip my 128 with sound by using a couple of small, 20 mm high bass speakers. This wonderfully quirky model deserves to do well, and I, for one, hope it is the first of many DMUs from Heljan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR(S) Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 However, I have managed to equip my 128 with sound by using a couple of small, 20 mm high bass speakers. Would it be possible for you to post a picture showing how you have done this please? I would like to add sound to a Royal Mail one when released. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted March 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 9, 2013 I'm not going to kid myself that these ever ran on the Somerset & Dorset, because I know that this just isn't true. However, I'm sure I've seen something somewhere that they appeared at Callow Lane from time to time, on a parcels working from Temple Meads, just looking for the photographic evidence now... (Hopefully a straightforward conversion to P4 or EM, for those who need to do this?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed a/c Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 It looks to be a very nice piece of kit, hopefully I will be able to pick one up soon. Didn't take uk_pm long to get it sound chipped and weathered !! Looks great. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BromsMods Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Hi John For the period depicted they wouldnt have had tail lights or those that did were not permitted to use them. Cheers Jim Hi Jim Thanks for that. However, I only added that comment in brackets in case there were some who expected them!! Regards John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I'm not going to kid myself that these ever ran on the Somerset & Dorset, because I know that this just isn't true.Wrong!! (.... in my parallel universe, anyway). Perfect for the Highworth branch, with perhaps a Siphon in tow. Regards, John Isherwood. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BECMAYE Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I got the blue and full yellow end 128 today. It is a lovely model and I had no loose parts. I managed to get inside mine to put in a chip without too much trouble. There are 4 screws and then you can gently prise the body off, it is tight fit but if you 'push' against the solid metal frame and not the fitted detail it is ok. It runs very smoothly and I am impressed with detail on the underframe and the ends. Another nice touch is a sheet containing a brief history and details for the class. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibber25 Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 A couple of initial observations on the model. As others have commented, very disappointed to find numerous parts falling off, both within the packaging during transportation and whilst trying to fit a decoder. Seems to be a good runner, though, but it won't negotiate very tight curves. In addition, some of the finely detailed components will have to be removed in order to accomodate the couplings. On DC white marker lights are directional but cab lights are on continously both ends. On DCC white marker lights are directional (no tail lights) and cab lights are operated by F1 and F2. Getting the body off and on is no easy task, though!! More comments on our DCC installation guide which should be up later today, if I can ever get the body back on!!! Despite my frustrations with brake gear falling off the Dapol Western (two bits fell off my STEAM l/e, too, as well all the bits off the review sample). Nothing has so far fallen off the Heljan 128 and it comes with all the bits fitted. I have had it running with a considerable load and the coupling has been fitted - and operates fine on 2ft radius - without removing any of the details or pipes. CHRIS LEIGH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted March 9, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 9, 2013 £94 for mine from Cheltenham Model Centre at the Northampton show today. Superb running on DC but will be chipped for the new layout. And sound?? Cheers, Mick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerekEm8 Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Further variations on what they were worked with 55991 Paddington 140583 55992,L417 Paddington 150582 55990,55992 Man Vic 55993 heading a service train Man Vic 150685 55994 in an empty NPCS train headed by 25078 at Man Vic 010685 HTH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby (John) Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 And sound?? Cheers, Mick Most likely.......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Great photos of Robert's in post #175. In that second last photo, how do we know it wasn't the DPU that was hauling the class 40?? That one is actually one of the LMR batch with no gangways and central headcodes fitted. The first photo has me intrigued as to the livery of 55992 as well as showing such an odd formation. The colour is obviously quite different to the green of the rest of the train, there is no lining and also no yellow panel. I would have guessed early BR blue but the apparent lack of yellow makes me question that. Any ideas, anyone? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jim s-w Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 It might be green, there were 2 types of green livery applied to DMUs in the early days, the lighter one was unlined. Someone will need to confirm that class 128s carried this version but class 116 definately did. Cheers Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cctransuk Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 The first photo has me intrigued as to the livery of 55992 as well as showing such an odd formation. The colour is obviously quite different to the green of the rest of the train, there is no lining and also no yellow panel. I would have guessed early BR blue but the apparent lack of yellow makes me question that. Any ideas, anyone?(Dirty) yellow gangway cover? The double arrow backs this up. Regards, John Isherwood. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold uk_pm Posted March 9, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 9, 2013 Would it be possible for you to post a picture showing how you have done this please? I would like to add sound to a Royal Mail one when released. Sure. The speaker needed to be butchered slightly to fit it in, but the end result works well (you can see it in action here: ). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 It might be green, there were 2 types of green livery applied to DMUs in the early days, the lighter one was unlined. Someone will need to confirm that class 128s carried this version but class 116 definately did. Cheers Jim As far as I know, the Gloucester units were too late to carry that earlier lighter green. (Dirty) yellow gangway cover?The double arrow backs this up.Regards,John Isherwood. This seems more likely. I hadn't spotted the BR arrows, probably due to the small screen size of the tablet I'm using right now! Thanks for the suggestions, Jim and John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gridwatcher Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 And sound?? Cheers, Mick Mick Bryan R is working on a DMU file that will make the best of the racket, early indications sound 'promising' Speakers will go in. S Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnd Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Out of interest, thinking of buying a green one. who has fitted which DCC decoder to one of them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
47164 Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Thanks to all for the reviews, its great to see really positive messages, I am now encouraged to buy one, having seen them on sale yesterday at a toy fair for a good price ,but not having read the web i held off. (interesting to see that Hattons have not yet updated their site to say if they had their delivery). Thanks to all for the reviews, its great to see really positive messages, I am now encouraged to buy one, having seen them on sale yesterday at a toy fair for a good price ,but not having read the web i held off. (interesting to see that Hattons have not yet updated their site to say if they had their delivery). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BromsMods Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Out of interest, thinking of buying a green one. who has fitted which DCC decoder to one of them. See https://clarahost.clara.net/www.bromsgrovemodels.co.uk/helcl128dccinstr.htm for one possibility Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 10, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 10, 2013 It might be green, there were 2 types of green livery applied to DMUs in the early days, the lighter one was unlined. Someone will need to confirm that class 128s carried this version but class 116 definately did. Cheers Jim The WR Goucester DPUs were all delivered in lined dark green livery (must find that transparency) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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