Heljan Class 14s for Hattons

[Pennine MC]

...(unless they had a coat of paint while up at Hull).

 

Aye, it was the next job on the list at Dairycoates, Mike, after polishing the buffers of the local 37s

 

again I shall wait & see before leaping out of my pram.

 

Ditto. It may not be a perfect representation of a class I recall from very early spotting days, but even at 115 quid it's the cheapest one I'm likely to get

[cahoon_danny]

Mine arrived this morning minutes before i left to attend the Churnet Valley's gala! However iv now had it out the box on my return.

The model is very good, except mine does seem to have a bit of a gap between the bottom of the cab and the frames. Someone mentioned the lights earlier, i dont own one but im afraid it looks alot like the clayton! Its one bright light in the centre of the headcode box, but as i said i dont have a 17 so it may not be quite as bright. I was impressed by the head and tail lights though.

I think the pickups are going to be a big problem area for this model. Not the look of them, the way they contribute to the running of the model. Mine had trouble initially, it has a strange amount of sidewards play with the wheelsets which the pickups dont keep to. Problem was solved by tapping the loco sideways but i dont wish to do this everytime it runs so will have to get it to a proper layout for some running in!!

[StaffsOatcake]

Mine arrived this morning minutes before i left to attend the Churnet Valley's gala! However iv now had it out the box on my return.

The model is very good, except mine does seem to have a bit of a gap between the bottom of the cab and the frames. Someone mentioned the lights earlier, i dont own one but im afraid it looks alot like the clayton! Its one bright light in the centre of the headcode box, but as i said i dont have a 17 so it may not be quite as bright. I was impressed by the head and tail lights though.

I think the pickups are going to be a big problem area for this model. Not the look of them, the way they contribute to the running of the model. Mine had trouble initially, it has a strange amount of sidewards play with the wheelsets which the pickups dont keep to. Problem was solved by tapping the loco sideways but i dont wish to do this everytime it runs so will have to get it to a proper layout for some running in!!

 

 

Dimmed down the light in my one operational 17 (the other two are with Hattons getting the chassis replaced) with a spot of Warm yellow emulsion from Homebase carefully droppped on the bright white LED (why they didn't use yellow ones I don't know).

[rorz101uk]

hey lads, my misus has brought one for me to open on the 14th of feb! has anyone took the body off and how much room is there for a sound chip!

[Brian Kirby]

Here we are chaps, here's the British home grown version, the Dave Alexander kit. Still not finished !

 

Note the correct relationship between the side window and the rainstrip. Also we can see the correct front end arrangement, the bonnets virtually overhang the buffer beams, the shunter or crew member puts his tootsies into the slot under the bonnet, the footplate overhang is tiny.

 

 

Another pic looking down, no sign of a great big footplate sticking out.

Whitemetal kits are notoriously variable in size and dimensions, but at least this kit from nearly 20 years ago got it right. The faults on the Heljan can all be corrected using the most basic tools and new transfers, but you have just paid ??115. I've decided not to buy one, i'm a happy bunny.

 

Cheers, Brian.

(BTW, the kit wasn't without it's faults, i spent ages lowering the body on to the chassis, also the axle bearings were too low down, making it too tall. All o.k. now.)

[Pete Piszczek]

Etched part wishlist:

 

An etch for a shorter window frame would be a useful part. The foot holds on the side of the bonnet are needed too. Throw in a Swindon works builders plate as well.

 

Of course etches for the front and back windows wouldn't hurt either, then you could sell a complete set of laser cut glass...

 

Does it have the small diameter Class 17 motor inside?

[craigwelsh]

Flip this picture at Cardiff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:D9517_-_cardiff_-_aug_1967.jpg and compare with the one by JZ. It does show up the nose and the window issue Brian mentions. My feeling is that the door and window are too high (the window bottom perhaps being in the right place as it does look a bit square). An etched frame could probably deal with the window but not the door.

 

When people replace the number i'd do the roundel too as it seems to be the normal Heljan effort with limited colours making it quite basic. Stick a shed plate on it in some cases as well as the large builders plate.

 

Are the cab steps a separate piece as they seem to be pushed in on the example above? edit: sorry missed that they were broken.

 

Its certainly the best RTR class 14 currently around .

[Pennine MC]

Here we are chaps, here's the British home grown version, the Dave Alexander kit. Still not finished !

 

 

While we're in comparison mode, I think the cabside window on the Alexander kit is pants, by comparison for instance to the Constructeon one

 

I've decided not to buy one, i'm a happy bunny.

 

 

Good for you

[Brian Kirby]

I agree Ian, looking at my pic, the whitemetal side window is pants and will have to go. It's a bit too curvy on the corners. I was going to cut out the uprights anyway to flushglaze, then paint or draw the uprights back on.

Luckily, i haven't painted the thing yet. I'm still doing all those blinking handrails everywhere ! Cutting the glazing to fit inside the front and back windows is going to be fun too.

Cheers, Brian.

[craigwelsh]

Does anyone know if the plans for these survived at the NRM/STEAM etc? Might try and get some copies.

[The Stationmaster]

While we're in comparison mode, I think the cabside window on the Alexander kit is pants, by comparison for instance to the Constructeon one

 

 

And it looks as if the whole top part of the vertical area of the cabside is too deep. There is a relatively small distance between the top of the window frame and the point where the roof begins to curve and the casting looks rather odd in that respect. And it might be a misleading angle in the pic, or the shape of the cab side window, but the relationship bewteen the top of the dorr opening and the window frame also looks a bit 'off'.

 

But as always photos don't necessarily give an accurate picture

[craigwelsh]

I'd say on the Dave Alexander the rainstrip is off, it should be on the transition from 'vertical' to roof (I think the sides slope in a bit from the bottom of the window on the prototype).

 

The door on that kit looks far too inset but it does look to be at the right height.

 

A fold up etched cab with laser cut glazing and nickel silver window frames mind...

[Kenton]

Its certainly the best RTR class 14 currently around .

... and that will probably be good enough for the vast majority.

 

BTW I keep looking at the steps in the photo are they really squint or is it just the camera or my tired eyes?

[bubbles2]

As already mentioned the gap between the top of the cab windows and the cab roof rainstrip does appear to be too small, looking at the pictures in Strathwoods new book 'Looking back at Western Region hydraulics' the rainstrip does appear to rise slightly to the middle but interestingly the two pictures on page 70 showing four locos at Swindon, three of these seem to have an additional strip between the rainstrip and cab windows, the numbers of the locos with this are D9507,D9502 and possibly D9504 (difficult to read the number on the last one).

[cctransuk]

My model hasn't arrived yet so my comments will necessarily rely on the photos posted here.

 

Looking at the photos in Brian Haresnape's "British Rail Fleet Survey - 2 - Western Region Diesel-Hydraulics", the silver cab window frame does look slightly heavy on the model, resulting in a slightly reduced gap between it and the rainstrip. I can live with this, though.

 

Also from the above photos, there seems to be some variation in the prototype of the acuteness of the transition between the cabside and the roof. Most seem to be somewhat rounded, but the photo of D9524 just prior to completion shows a distinct angle, which could be mistaken for a second rainstrip in some lights / angles.

 

Having seen the prototypes ex-works at Swindon the shade of grey-green used by Heljan for the cabs looks spot-on in the photos posted here.

 

In some of the photos of the model the yellow looks a little too rich. I remember being struck on seeing the prototypes, (and the bufferbeams of the maroon Westerns and Warships), how acid / lemon was the shade of yellow used.

 

Again from the photos in "British Rail Fleet Survey - 2 - Western Region Diesel-Hydraulics", the footplate overhang over the bufferbeams is clearly substantial. Three tapered supporting brackets of channel section steel were provided to support the overhang.

 

Whatever, I await my model with anticipation. Apart from the coupling holes in the bufferbeams, the shiny pick-ups and the insignia, I can't see that I'll need to alter too much.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

['CHARD]

Admittedly the pickups are a bit intrusive, but some blackening agent may be of assistance here. A decent weathering job will minimise the jarring impact of the green if it's a issue for anyone.

 

Dave.

 

I was going to mention weathering too - says he who still hasn't touched a single one of his Claytons inappropriately yet!

 

I guess I should wait until mine lands (tomorrow possibly) before commenting, but I imagine there will be some obvious work-arounds for the pick-ups, that may suit certain types of layout to greater or lesser extents. I have in mind some form of sheathing (the sort covering the PCBs on my Bachy 24 chassis) which will both hide them and push them gently closer to the back face of the wheels....

 

 

[Guest Max Stafford]

A bit of heat shrink tube from Maplins (other electonics suppliers are available...! ) over the exposed length might well do the job 'Chard. Thanks for the hint. I hadn't considered this option despite being a hardened user on kit-builds.

 

Dave.

[Brian Kirby]

I've also been looking at Fleet Survey 2 and the small drawing provided does suggest that the bottom of the bonnet is either dead in line with the bufferbeams or else sticks out slightly beyond the buffer beams. The cantilevered footplate tread is actually tucked under the bonnet. It's all a bit border line, i wouldn't worry too much, it is a very odd arrangement.

 

I think that we can all agree that whatever's provided, be it a kit or RTR, there are always going to be minor details that may questioned. On this occasion we can see there are minor faults with both the RTR and the whitemetal kit. None of the faults are terribly serious and both products will produce a decent model. Part of the fun for us "tweakers" is to try and make the model even better.

 

I may even reconsider and buy a Heljan "Teddy Bear", to apply my high-handed correction theories. My main worry was that with both kit and RTR side-by-side, i would be forever comparing the two. Don't be put off buying the Heljan, it will make a decent model. The next test is to see what the pulling power is like.

Cheers, Brian.

[Captain Kernow]

I've been reading this thread with the greatest interest, ever since a change of credit card details has stalled my order...

 

 

[public wailing and gnashing of teeth]

I'll admit to being very irritated by the hole in the buffer beam, even though we all know why it has to be there. Given that other manufacturers have supplied alternative parts to cover this sort of thing, I can't help but be a bit disappointed that this is the case here. Notwithstanding talk of plugging it with plasticard and matching the paint etc., this is actually not such a straightforward task to get absolutely right, ie. so good, that you'd never know there had been a hole there in the first place. Having the buffers in situ will make it harder to smooth the joint off, and a complete re-spray will be necessary (not in itself the most onerous of tasks, but just one more thing that I feel I'd have to do, in order to get this R-T-R model to exhibition readiness.

 

My plan was to convert my existing OO one (ex-Constructeon kit) to P4, and use the Hattons/Heljan one for OO use. I even bought some Gibbo P4 wheels...

 

Now I'm just not sure whether to proceed with the purchase, current opinion at Kernow Towers is a 55% majority in favour...

[/public wailing and gnashing of teeth]

 

 

Apart from that, the job's a good 'un!

[cctransuk]

Can anyone point me at a list of the allocations of the D95xx class from new, please?

 

Many thanks in anticipation.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

['CHARD]

Can anyone point me at a list of the allocations of the D95xx class from new, please?

 

Many thanks in anticipation.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

I've actually got the Harris in front of me John. I don't know of a web-based equivalent source for this, but if you have any specific queries I'll look them up gladly.

[craigwelsh]

What do you get in the detailing bag by the way? Presumably all the brake gear as well as the usual pipes?

 

Its a pity there aren't replacement buffer beams on this when the Westerns and Falcons had all the extra skirting. I'd agree with Captain K that filling in a hole and filing exactly flush is quite a process especially on an expensive bit of RTR.

 

The Bachmann N gauge shots seem to have a more pleasing cab window and bonnet area too..

[F-UnitMad]

In response to a request from a member of this group :-

 

 

Now available from Cambridge Custom Transfers, waterslide transfer Sheet BL90 - Numbering for BR Type 1 Diesel Hydraulic D95xx locomotives. Numbers for all fifty-six members of the class; six transfers of each number are provided to allow for application errors.

 

See http://www.cctrans.freeserve.co.uk/products.htm for ordering details.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood,

Cambridge Custom Transfers.

Whilst not quibbling with the asking price, 18GBP for the 7mm set is a tad too much for me when I'm only making one engine, so only want one pair of numbers, not enough for all 56..!!! Sorry!!

[Kenton]

Can anyone point me at a list of the allocations of the D95xx class from new, please?

 

Many thanks in anticipation.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

 

It was posted way back at the start of this thread - and on F-United's Class 14 O Gauge build thread

but as you missed it - http://www.steamsheds.co.uk/class_14/allocations.html

 

(Note to self must update this page with the post BR info kindly supplied to me

[cctransuk]

I've actually got the Harris in front of me John. I don't know of a web-based equivalent source for this, but if you have any specific queries I'll look them up gladly.

 

I was looking for allocations from new in the Bath / Bristol region.

 

This might not be unconnected with my 'parallel universe' theory that at least one D95xx was tried out on the S&D Highbridge Branch. (In that universe, the S&D was NOT closed as it was in our unfortunate reality)!

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.