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Heljan new announcements and updates from Gauge O Guildex Telford


Andy Y

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You could always perfect your track laying! :declare:

 

Mmm......just a thought... Dapol mentioned such when they were asked about compensation on their new rolling stock....they mentioned that such would be too expensive, but Lionheart have nice compensation on their wagons @ £40.00 ea.....There is also the issue that, even when well built and settled etc. laying perfect track, or perfectly laid track, soon becomes less so when used in the garden (still the domain of main modellers of 7mm/1ft) over time. :scratchhead: ;) :yes:

 

I have also heard, through a friend of mine, that Dapol are still keen (and see a market for) to produce a 7mm scale Western! :secret: ;)

 

ATVB

 

CME

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The AC Cars railbus will be ideal, it was the smallest of the BR designs and ideal for micro-layouts. They ran in Scotland (I remember riding on the Beith branchline) as well as Western region. Great!

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Hi All,

 

I think the class 60 will cause Heljan major headaches. All there 0 gauge locos follow the same format. A large cast metal chassis which protrudes deep into the body. Two large can motors with brass flywheels on each one placed over the inner axles. What I'm getting at is a class 60 has 4 very large open grilles at the exact position these items are. I think that they will have to develope a new formula for this one. A self contained motorized power bogie may have to be the way forward.

 

Vin

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Hi All,

 

I think the class 60 will cause Heljan major headaches. All there 0 gauge locos follow the same format. A large cast metal chassis which protrudes deep into the body. Two large can motors with brass flywheels on each one placed over the inner axles. What I'm getting at is a class 60 has 4 very large open grilles at the exact position these items are. I think that they will have to develope a new formula for this one. A self contained motorized power bogie may have to be the way forward.

 

Vin

 

I would much rather see them develop a horizontal drive. I model US outline O scale and have had nothing but trouble with twin motored locomotives, to the point that I usually pull one motor out if rewiring them in series doesn't work. My best runners have traditional single horizontal motors powering the trucks via worm gears.

 

IMO, twin motors is a legacy from three rail that deserves to fade away.

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IMO, twin motors is a legacy from three rail that deserves to fade away.

 

Twin motors might be useful if you want to pull 12 mk 1's at speed round a 200 ft garden circuit, but for many of us one motor is fine.

 

The Heljan 33, for example, is twin motor - but to pull half a dozen wagons 10ft on my mini layout at shunting speed one is plenty. It's a pity they don't do them in "single or twin motor options" as I'm basically paying for a motor I don't need or want, and will most likely end up removing one of them to test the current draw to see whether I can get away with a OO sound chip rather than paying nearly twice as much for an O gauge heavy duty version.

 

I've got the Bachmann 122 which seems to run quite happily with a OO sound chip; I've wired in an 8 pin socket for the chip and it works perfectly. Ok so I still need to paint and glaze it and install an interior but hey, that's another story...

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Hi All,

 

Some really interesting and valid points of view.

 

If Heljan used motors that were more efficeint - and matched - then we could all use 'oo' decoders (sound or otherwise), whilst Heljan locos, if the gearbox doesnt fail, seem to run well, their motors require a lot of juice which then takes them, decoder wise, into the realms of G45, G1 & G3 and the costs of the decoders rise accordingly....

 

At the present time, there is another element to the 'competition' between RTR manufacturers and that is 'desire' vs the 'ability to pay' for such (in the current economic climate), ie competition for 'scarce resources' such as 'cash/disposable income'.

 

Of late, as layout completion, edges closer, I too have considered, removing a motor from each of my/our twin motor Heljans, 3-4 coaches, a few wagons etc. hardly seem to warrant twin motors on what is to be, by and large, a flat layout with no inclines (we have just remodled - ripped out - one complete aspect of the layout so as to remove a very noticable incline, which will save on complexity and costs - thus cutting our cloth to suit!). Dapol are to use their 'reliable' motor (oo) in both the 08 and 'Terrier'.

 

I have also pondered, and looked on in envy, at the 'American system' of horozontal motors with flexi drives (also used by some modellers of the NG) etc. - to my mind if a RTR manufacturer was of the mind to supply locos with such, then the system could be cheaper than the current Heljan system?? (easier to maintain too??).....

 

Models such as the AC railcar could inspire many, several WR branches spring to mind - superb!

 

According to Mr. Merv. King, although we are out of the so called 'double-dip recession', things could still be challenging for many years yet (IMHO especially if we carry on with the current economic/business model for capitalism....a little bit of politics there...where's Ben Elton when you need him LOL!!) with this in mind manufacturers of 7mm scale RTR (and potential manufacturers) will have to work within such economic frameworks.

 

IMHO, sales of the Dapol 08/Terrier and the Heljan Cl31 will be the benchmark for economic forecasts/sales for the next year or two...

 

ATVB

 

CME

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  • 1 month later...

The AC Cars railbus will be ideal, it was the smallest of the BR designs and ideal for micro-layouts. They ran in Scotland (I remember riding on the Beith branchline) as well as Western region. Great!

I'll have one, if they are not too expensive; though the Dapol entry into 'O' might hit their sales figures for diesels soon.

(Also would consider other SUDs, including parcels.)

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  • 1 year later...

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