Heljan Beyer garratt

[250BOB]

At last...!!!!

 

Into the loft this evening, fitted the Lenz Standard decoder.................re addressed it to 7996.....and set it off on my private owner coal train.

 

I need a bigger rake..!!!!

 

It runs like an absolute dream.....I couldnt be happier......thankyou Heljan......thankyou Hattons......for £200, a job well done.

 

Here it is........

 

[Ian Hargrave]

I am so pleased to hear the good news.I realise it has cost you sleepless nights.All's well that ends well.Your faith is justified.

[The Stationmaster]

Good news, loco is healthy, runs really well.

 

Ditto others on comments about sand pipes etc. not too hard to correct. We now know 2 of these Garrett's are in France.

 

My French rail friends looked at it and said "what an odd loco..." One said "looks too big and awkward to be practical on a layout". Maybe but I did not buy it to fill a motive power gap.

Probably didn't look enough like a French Garratt to keep them amused

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/27862259@N02/7810805608/

[robmcg]

At last...!!!!

 

Into the loft this evening, fitted the Lenz Standard decoder.................re addressed it to 7996.....and set it off on my private owner coal train.

 

I need a bigger rake..!!!!

 

It runs like an absolute dream.....I couldnt be happier......thankyou Heljan......thankyou Hattons......for £200, a job well done.

 

........

Thank you very much for the video, nice lighting, and it gives me an excellent idea of what to do when I receive my two weathered version later this week hopefully, 47996 and 47981.

 

I am surprised by other people in this thread in France getting such poor delivery standards... damaged parcels and so on. Are there no options for safer delivery? Is France not a civilised country? Such as 'signed-for' registered delivery? That is what I request from Hattons-Royal Mail-NZ Post £14.50 air to NZ and it is described as priority registered parcel post and nothing broken or crushed ... at worst a very slight ripple in a corner of a box. Mind you, it's slow at the moment, 5 days from Liverpool and still no sign of it, probably relegated in air priority by Games competitors' luggage...

 

edit; 47981 is now in Auckland. Usually 24-48hrs away. Pass me the pills!

Edited August 6, 2014 by robmcg

[Monjac]

I only have a problem with one bored and disinterested postman. All the rest are fine. I presume my expat compatriot has a similar one off situation.

Reference signed for mail, Hattons required me to use this service because of the value of the engine. However, when it arrived I was not asked for a signature. 9 out of 10 cases I am never asked to sign.

Out of interest La Poste delivers on bank holidays except MayDay.which always surprises me.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately I have received one of the duff Garratts .

Front light not working. Locking bogies. Frequent derailement over sound and well tested medium and long radius peco points . Whilst it is a superb model, I did want a heavily weathered engine. I appreciate I could weather it or pay someone else , but you immediately depreciate the resale value .But as usual no problems with  Hattons re returning it.

I am however a little disappointed.

[toboldlygo]

What size should the bunker-side numbers be in 00?

[JSpencer]

I only have a problem with one bored and disinterested postman. All the rest are fine. I presume my expat compatriot has a similar one off situation.

Reference signed for mail, Hattons required me to use this service because of the value of the engine. However, when it arrived I was not asked for a signature. 9 out of 10 cases I am never asked to sign.

Out of interest La Poste delivers on bank holidays except MayDay.which always surprises me.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I live in a town fall of dis-interested postal people who purposely sabotage the machines for buying stamps. Registered signed for means nothing to them. Fortunately Parcel Force parcels do not pass through them.

I have not tested my Garrett through points yet nor compared its strength against a Bachmann 9F.

[Monjac]

Beautiful model. Just such a pity that it did not work properly.

[ozzyo]

What size should the bunker-side numbers be in 00?

 

In the real world 8" (2.66mm) or 10" (3.33mm), as these locos were out-shopped from Crewe, I'd be inclined to go with the 8" numbers, Coachman would be the best man to say on this.

 

If you look at post #1299 you can see that the numbers look a bit on the large size in both hight and width and also a bit on the yellow side. I think that these locos would have had white numbers rather than the "cream" ones. Or was it black locos had cream numbers and green locos had white?

 

OzzyO.

[coachmann]

The Garratts carried the London Midland Region's standard size numerals as used everything from Fowler 2-6-4T's to 8F's etc. They were yellowish in the 1950's while the ex L&Y locos got larger numerals of Eastern Region size in pale cream. It is possible cream became the standard colour by the later 1950's. The only time I saw white insignia, which may have been handpainted,  was on locos that had been given the full 'British Railways' title shortly after nationalisation. These are but personal observations.

Edited August 6, 2014 by coachmann

[toboldlygo]

The Garratts carried the London Midland Region's standard size numerals as used everything from Fowler 2-6-4T's to 8F's etc. They were yellowish in the 1950's while the ex L&Y locos got larger numerals of Eastern Region size in pale cream. It is possible cream became the standard colour by the later 1950's. The only time I saw white insignia, which may have been handpainted,  was on locos that had been given the full 'British Railways' title shortly after nationalisation. These are but personal observations.

 

Mark 1 eyeball usually does the trick, I'll see what size matches the closest when the donor/victim arrives.. well I've got to correct the crests anyhow so I thought to myself I might as well renumber as well

[ozzyo]

The Garratts carried the London Midland Region's standard size numerals as used everything from Fowler 2-6-4T's to 8F's etc. They were yellowish in the 1950's while the ex L&Y locos got larger numerals of Eastern Region size in pale cream. It is possible cream became the standard colour by the later 1950's. The only time I saw white insignia, which may have been handpainted,  was on locos that had been given the full 'British Railways' title shortly after nationalisation. These are but personal observations.

 

Thanks Larry, I can only just remember the last days of steam but all of the locos only looked to have a cream look to the numbers, I don't remember seeing any locos around that time having any "yellow" numbers. These three close up of the cabs are what I remember,

 

Cream?

 

Cream?

 

White?

 

I'm not saying that your wrong as you can remember back to another time.

 

Maybe the cream had a bit more yellow in it in the earlier days?

 

OzzyO.

[coachmann]

Maybe the cream had a bit more yellow in it in the earlier days?

 

OzzyO.

I have often pondered about why  L&Y 0-6-0's cabside numbers stood out lighter than other locos (apart from some E.Region and Scottish Region locos). The early Peter Chatham (PC Models) transfer sheets had both yellow and cream numbers, so there must have been something in it.

[Brian Hawkins]

Hi all, just found this on Howes website

 

 

LMS/BR Beyer Garratt sound decoder and speaker

£117.50

Add to basket

Manufacturer: ESU

Part number: SS143

Click images to view full size

 

 

Below is a list of the Function keys and their assignments applicable to this model.

F0. Lights on/off

F1. Sound on/off

F2. Long whistle

F3. Short whistle

F4. Buffering up

F5. Coupling up

F6. Injectors

F7. Drain cocks

F8. Safety valve

F9. Guards whistle

F10. Door slam

F11. Wheel/track ‘groan’

F12. Buffer ‘clash’ on wagons

F13. Shunting mode. Press once the loco goes slowly, press it again and you are back to normal control.

F14. Acceleration/Deceleration over ride. Press once to over ride, press again to return to preset settings.

F15. Aux 1

Edited August 6, 2014 by Brian Hawkins

[Brian Hawkins]

Found this YouTube clip showing pictures of Beyer Garrats, a scratch built 'O' gauge Garratt and a 21 second colour film of a BG in action, hope it's of some interest.

 

[jonny777]

Here is a photo of 47996

 

http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/mrwo1043.htm

[robmcg]

Mark 1 eyeball usually does the trick, I'll see what size matches the closest when the donor/victim arrives.. well I've got to correct the crests anyhow so I thought to myself I might as well renumber as well

I very much look forward to you wreaking your magic on one of these engines.

 

Best,

 

Rob

[Nelson Jackson]

Found this YouTube clip showing pictures of Beyer Garrats, a scratch built 'O' gauge Garratt and a 21 second colour film of a BG in action, hope it's of some interest.

 

Thank you Brian for finding this and sharing this, what a great video, the end clip is absolutely wonderful, I wish I could have witnessed it back then, the driver is full of enthusiasm, the O gauge locos are beast as well! Edited August 6, 2014 by Nelson Jackson

[toboldlygo]

I very much look forward to you wreaking your magic on one of these engines.

 

Best,

 

Rob

 

The only things that are worrying me, is whether it arrives in bits, that it runs and whether or not it fits in my spray booth!!

[Ive595]

Sorry to have to report my replacement garratt also started to show signs of the front motor stopping, much like my first. It is now on its way back.

I still have one on its way which will be run for a minimum of 2 hours before expressing any satisfaction.

 

If these start appearing on eBay in the future I would be very careful, no that's wrong I would definitely not be buying one unless I have a cast iron guarantee that it is fully working and has been run for some time.

 

Ivan

[robmcg]

47981 arrived, first photos, one buffer missing, handrails on far side rather bent, yet to test run...no sign of buffer in packaging, Will probably take a buffer from an old wagon. If it runs ok. Patchy weathering. Not too worried but ...

 

note; photos un-retouched except for background. Top photo is two joined, for focus front-rear.

 

Edited August 7, 2014 by robmcg

[robmcg]

my model in the above post has had impact damage to the front, not by me, the photo shows the missing buffer head, split buffer beam, bent step, somewhat annoying, have emailed Hattons for advice.

 

 

Edited August 7, 2014 by robmcg

[micklner]

Heljan and or  Hattons Quality control ?? and people moan about Hornby . Hattons must have a big pile by now !!

[Brian Hawkins]

On the subject of quality control, I have just noticed this morning that my 266209 has suffered a very noticeable dent on one side of the water tank, the lighting in my railway room is not very good and I've been running in the latest BG's very late at night so this fault was hard to find, however, bright sunshine bursting into the room this morning picked it up, another one heading back to Hattons.

I would be very interested to know exactly how many BG's have been returned because of various faults since their release.

Rob, you must be very disappointed with your 47981, we all know how very much you were looking forward to receiving this model, hope it all works out well in the end for you.

[toboldlygo]

my model in the above post has had impact damage to the front, not by me, the photo shows the missing buffer head, split buffer beam, bent step, somewhat annoying, have emailed Hattons for advice.

 

 

47981_portrait_new_buffer_missing_r800.jpg

47981_portrait_new_buffer_missing_impact_damage_r800.jpg

 

Ouch, looks like it's been dropped in transit from a great height