southernelectric Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 I just ordered one of these from Kernow. I really wanted to own one of these again, as I had a BR blue Tri-ang/Hornby one as a kid. It seems Heljan are the only company making them these days. I would be interested to know from those who own one of these what they think of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted April 5, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 5, 2012 We have 11 - several with sound chips Excellent model of perhaps the most successful hydraulic - perhaps the best model Heljan have done Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doughnut Posted April 5, 2012 Share Posted April 5, 2012 Yes, top model, no complaints at all. Runs very smoothly on DCC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BR Blue Posted April 6, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 6, 2012 Yes, a very good model. Definitely one of Heljan's better models. Light years ahead of the old Tri-ang model. If you are used to looking at the old model you might think that the uncentred roof fan on the Heljan model looks odd but its prototypically correct. The Heljan model is a great runner too. I must get sound for mine. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Metr0Land Posted April 6, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 6, 2012 Yes I've had a green Hymek for some time and it's one of my best performing locos. Looks the part and lovely slow crawl in the goods yard area. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DY444 Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Agree with all of the above. Heljan's best model by a country mile in my opinion Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lokomotivfuhrer Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 I don't have cat. no. 3512 in particular, but the one I have in BR Blue pristine is an excellent runner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 It looks right and runs superbly, very quietly and more than enough power - quietly unless, like me, you fit sound! Mine was one of the first issue models and had brass wheels which needed frequent cleaning. All newer releases should have Heljan's newer style wheels which are much better in this respect. I bought and fitted a replacement set to mine. My only other comment would be to check the pickups as Heljan often don't set them up properly, so it is quite common, in my experience *, for the locomotive to pick up on only four or five out of eight wheels. Tweaking the pickups is dead easy as the bogie side frames simply pull off to reveal the contact strip, which can then be lightly teased into contact with the wheel backs. The heavy flywheels can disguise and compensate for this but it is still better to have all-wheel pickup! * I only possess one Hymek but i also have Heljan classes 15, 33 (x6), 47, 52, 53, 57 and 58, plus Lion and Kestrel. All had the pickup issues to a greater or lesser degree. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1030western musketeer Posted April 6, 2012 Share Posted April 6, 2012 Agree with whats been said. The Heljan hymek looks good,runs well and even better with added metal numbers. No complaints here. richard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D605Eagle Posted April 7, 2012 Share Posted April 7, 2012 I've started having a bit of an issue with my Hymek (one from the very first release with a black buffer beam) the plastic clip on top of the bogie tower keeps bursting off under load and allowing all the gears to unmesh. I think I'm going to need new sides to the bogie tower as its the plastic tabs on them that have become rounded. I have no idea why this has happened, and I've never heard of it happening to another Hymek or any other Heljan model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
southernelectric Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 Finally got around to testing my Heljan Hymek today, and I have to say I am not impressed I've been testing on a small oval layout and for no apparent reason it just keeps stopping. It gets going again if I give it quite a push before it gets going again. It's also noisy as hell. The build quality seems somewhat shoddy, the plastic parts on the bottom of the body weren't clipped in place properly and the cab roof at one end looks like the paint is wearing off already. Not good. I've been testing a Heljan Class 52 Western I bought at the same time as the Hymek and it doesn't exhibit any of these issues. It's certainly noisy compared to the Bachmann and Hornby locos I own, but not anywhere as noisy as the Hymek and it doesn't just stop for no reason either. So far it's been a big disappointment. My nephew's Hornby Thomas range Hymek model is better than this! I've emailed Kernow about this, hopefully I can get a replacement sorted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
47484 Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 Finally got around to testing my Heljan Hymek today, and I have to say I am not impressed I've been testing on a small oval layout and for no apparent reason it just keeps stopping. It gets going again if I give it quite a push before it gets going again. It's also noisy as hell. The build quality seems somewhat shoddy, the plastic parts on the bottom of the body weren't clipped in place properly and the cab roof at one end looks like the paint is wearing off already. Not good. I've been testing a Heljan Class 52 Western I bought at the same time as the Hymek and it doesn't exhibit any of these issues. It's certainly noisy compared to the Bachmann and Hornby locos I own, but not anywhere as noisy as the Hymek and it doesn't just stop for no reason either. So far it's been a big disappointment. My nephew's Hornby Thomas range Hymek model is better than this! I've emailed Kernow about this, hopefully I can get a replacement sorted. I bought 2 Heljan models at the York Model Show back in March 2013, a class 31 and class 35. I gave them both a "run in" when I first got them, and they worked fine. Since then theyve been instorage, but they came out this past weekend for a play. The 31 is still running fine but the 35 seems very noisy, and in one direction suddenly stops, although the motor is still running. I wondered if this was a lubrication problem, but Ive just realised that niether of the models came with any maintenance sheets. Is this normal with Heljan.? I'd appreciate any tips on where I could download the sheets, and I'm interested as to whether this was the same problem that southernelectric had.? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 Well the 31 is by Hornby, so it'll be on their website. The 35, try e-mailing Howes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossdp Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Some Heljan models I have had, the cup where the drive shaft fits the end of the small steel shaft with the worm has come loose or split. It can be glued back to the shaft. This causes the motor to rotate but not drive the wheels. It could happen at one or both ends. If the cup is still gripping a bit, the problem may only show up under load. Have to be careful not to burn the motor out if it is trying to drive one end only while trying to push the other end with half the driving wheels locked. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linners Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 For those who might be interested, Heljan are producing some more 00-gauge Hymeks. I have been trying to locate a 00-gauge green Hymek (with small yellow panel) for a while now, but was unsure when they would be available. I contacted Heljan, as I couldn't find any info on their website, and had a very prompt reply stating "Yes, they will be coming in November (late) / early December!". I just thought that this may be of use to anyone else who is trying to get hold of a Hymel loco. Regards, Linners Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ColinK Posted November 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 17, 2014 Hi, I've a Heljan blue Hymek fitted with DCC sound by Howes. Runs well and sounds good. One complaint though, the couplings at both ends droop to such a extent that the dropper on the tension lock coupler catches on the rails when going over points, resulting in the loco coming to an abrupt halt. Anyone know a easy solution? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linners Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Hi, I've a Heljan blue Hymek fitted with DCC sound by Howes. Runs well and sounds good. One complaint though, the couplings at both ends droop to such a extent that the dropper on the tension lock coupler catches on the rails when going over points, resulting in the loco coming to an abrupt halt. Anyone know a easy solution? Hi Colin, I have heard of similar issues and I think that I read, possibly on this forum, that a shim of Plastikard located beneath the coupling but extending into the coupling housing can help to prevent this. Sorry I can't recall the actual post but try searching the thread for Heljan coupling and Heljan Hymek... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted November 18, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 18, 2014 Or replace it with a wire coupling loop. You can have super detailing at both ends then - looks so much better Cheers Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffers Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I replaced the Heljan coupling with a small Hornby coupling and it improved it quite a lot with only a hint of a droop left. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railroadbill Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I had the same problem wth the couplings on Heljan 47s (some years ago now) and the shim of plasticard trick worked well. I've also seen advice to use Bachmann cranked tension lock couplings. I used the tension lock couplings because some of my blue diesel link runs on a friend's layout from time to time and he uses the tension lock set up and most of my rolling stock is the same. Oddly, my Hymeks couplings were ok. However, when I got a Heljan baby deltic it came with the buffer beam detail fitted and not the couplings and I thought it looked so much better that I didn't use them. I did find that the scale screw link coupling fitted over the coupling hook of a van with the tension lock coupling removed and worked very well (although my layout does have 30" min radius curves). So since then I've slowly started to add buffer beam hoses etc to diesels and not use tension locks. As Phil says above, super detailing on each end does look much more realistic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ColinK Posted November 18, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 18, 2014 Many thanks for all your answers on solving the drooping couplings. Most of my Heljan locos have drooping couplings (the Hymek droops the most) so I should be able to cure them all now. Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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