Heljan GWR 1366 0-6-0 Pannier Tank

[Ian Hargrave]

I think his comment on appearance was pretty fair - Heljan have chickened out on various detail differences although on the 1366 the result is not as bad as the numerous resultant errors that creates on their 1361 if their own photos are any guide.

 

However one example of  'an engine for all men' comes with those over-emphasised weld seams on the pannier tanks as they varied from engine to engine and were virtually invisible on some of them while more noticeable on others and the arrangement and route of injector overflow pipes were all over the place varying from engine to engine and over the years on the same engine.

 

Edit to add PS - an official view indicates (in so far as a B&W picture can) that the tank fronts were the same colour as the smokebox door

 See my observations on the Kernow 1361 on "A Nod To Brent"

[Butler Henderson]

On the basis whatever may be wrong it is cute, and available in black , I bought one today at Doncaster. Got home, set up the Kato oval on the floor to test run it / run it in and the other gw loco I bought (an unboxed Worth Valley GNoSR Bachmann 57xx which is destined for a bit of amendment to its livery). Moved okay forwards, okay backwards then stopped dead. Checked the pickups to find all on one side where hardly contacting so decided to pop the baseplate off to easily bend out the pick ups - on removing the first of the two baseplates the real reason for it stopping dead appeared - one of the wires to the pick up contacts was not soldered in place. Given how relatively filthy the contact strip was I doubt it had ever been properly soldered in place - had to clean it with a fibre glass brush to get solder to fix to it and the loco  is now running okay.

Edited February 12, 2017 by Butler Henderson

[Butler Henderson]

There is a bit of unnecessary negativity in the Model Rail review IMO.

 

"unless No.1369 is to depict its preserved condition" could quite easily have been written as "No.1369 is offered in its preserved condition" (which its how it is marketed) while the criticism of cab roof ventilator seems to focus on Bachmanns offering on its 64xx being better yet how should a sliding piece of metal that is of very minimal thickness when reduced 76 times be portrayed. 

Edited February 13, 2017 by Butler Henderson

[7013]

It is always a shame when a loco like this is made and there are so many niggles, certainly enough to prevent me from parting with £124 at present. There have been lots of small but not insignificant problems on a number of locos, however it is always difficult to know what percentage of locos are faulty. Heljan steam locos do appear to be a little more expensive than some other manufacturers, and for that extra price it is not unreasonable to expect a decent product straight from the box, not one that needs to be dismantled and in essence repaired before it will work properly. One would hope that subsequent batches will have all the niggles ironed out and the loco will perform straight from the box.

[No Decorum]

It is always a shame when a loco like this is made and there are so many niggles, certainly enough to prevent me from parting with £124 at present. There have been lots of small but not insignificant problems on a number of locos, however it is always difficult to know what percentage of locos are faulty. Heljan steam locos do appear to be a little more expensive than some other manufacturers, and for that extra price it is not unreasonable to expect a decent product straight from the box, not one that needs to be dismantled and in essence repaired before it will work properly. One would hope that subsequent batches will have all the niggles ironed out and the loco will perform straight from the box.

I’d be inclined to agree with your assessment of Heljan. Their locomotives are more expensive than the competition and I would go so far as to say that they’re not as good as Hornby or Bachmann. On the other hand, thinking particularly of the Gresley O2s, they do have qualities of their own, such as weight and good running. Of course, if you happen to want a Gresley O2 RTR, it has to be Heljan.

 

I left my pannier to run in as instructed but when I returned, it had stalled. On a friend’s layout with dead frog points, the six-wheel saddle tank hestitated whereas the four-wheel Hornby Peckett sailed through with no hesitation.

 

I admit to having a soft spot for Heljan for taking the risk of producing Falcon and starting a whole series of oddballs. I wish Danish interest hadn’t shifted to 0 scale because there are still quite a fell few I still fancy.

[7013]

I’d be inclined to agree with your assessment of Heljan. Their locomotives are more expensive than the competition and I would go so far as to say that they’re not as good as Hornby or Bachmann. On the other hand, thinking particularly of the Gresley O2s, they do have qualities of their own, such as weight and good running. Of course, if you happen to want a Gresley O2 RTR, it has to be Heljan.

 

I left my pannier to run in as instructed but when I returned, it had stalled. On a friend’s layout with dead frog points, the six-wheel saddle tank hestitated whereas the four-wheel Hornby Peckett sailed through with no hesitation.

 

I admit to having a soft spot for Heljan for taking the risk of producing Falcon and starting a whole series of oddballs. I wish Danish interest hadn’t shifted to 0 scale because there are still quite a fell few I still fancy.

 

Heljan are to be commended for producing Lion and Falcon, saw the prototypes when new, never thought i would see them in model form, both splendid models. Recently I saw Gresley O2s at a huge discount which to me would indicate that they did not sell very well at the hugely inflated price they were released at. I agree with you, I do not believe Heljan are as good in many respects as Hornby or Bachmann, their steam locos could be really great and they are generally pretty good, but at their prices I would expect something at least as good if not better than Hornby or Bachmann which they are not in my opinion.

[SDJR7F88]

A friend of mine has just picked one of these models up, and kindly asked if I could do a review for him. After reading some of the issues this model has, and this being his second model, I was a bit worried, but after popping it on the track I was presently surprised. Really is a lovely little model, smooth straight from the box too. It's go me looking at the BR versions now I must say...

Anyway here's my review, hope it's of interest

(p.s, still can't seem to get the links working correctly for videos) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1qBFhHL1XA

Edited February 24, 2017 by SDJR7F88

[Ian Hargrave]

Heljan are to be commended for producing Lion and Falcon, saw the prototypes when new, never thought i would see them in model form, both splendid models. Recently I saw Gresley O2s at a huge discount which to me would indicate that they did not sell very well at the hugely inflated price they were released at. I agree with you, I do not believe Heljan are as good in many respects as Hornby or Bachmann, their steam locos could be really great and they are generally pretty good, but at their prices I would expect something at least as good if not better than Hornby or Bachmann which they are not in my opinion.

Just a word on the running capabilities of the O2. The running and haulage capabilities are simply superb...if of course you can get one out of the box in fine fettle.If you do see one at a knock down price then it's worth a go.

 

With regard to this latest Pannier,for my needs I would have little use for one.Besides which I am unprepared to pay the price for something that for me does not stand out from the crowd.IMHO the Bachmann 64XX does and is priced realistically.

No if in a few months the price on these does drop,then I might buy...only might.I remain unimpressed.

 

Good to see you back posting on the forum .Stick around.

Edited February 25, 2017 by Ian Hargrave

[Clearwater]

On the renumbering theme, I'm planning to renumber my BR back 1368 to 1369 as the latter spent a few weeks in the West Midlands in the early 60s. On taking the four screws off the bottom, the cab unit slid out easily. That unit itself is pretty firmly glued together and I couldn't obviously see a way to either prise it apart nor whether the plates, which sit slightly proud, are a plug in (as the DJM 14xx are supposed to be).

 

Therefore with a deep breath I shaved a few layers with a scalpel. Interestingly, although I've not gone all the way through, you can see a lighter patch. Will attach plates tomorrow and post a pic

 

David

[81C]

On the renumbering theme, I'm planning to renumber my BR back 1368 to 1369 as the latter spent a few weeks in the West Midlands in the early 60s. On taking the four screws off the bottom, the cab unit slid out easily. That unit itself is pretty firmly glued together and I couldn't obviously see a way to either prise it apart nor whether the plates, which sit slightly proud, are a plug in (as the DJM 14xx are supposed to be).

 

Therefore with a deep breath I shaved a few layers with a scalpel. Interestingly, although I've not gone all the way through, you can see a lighter patch. Will attach plates tomorrow and post a pic

 

David

I'll wait with interest to see how your plates work out, my one is sitting in a box with the cab off waiting for me to pluck up courage and cut the base out without wrecking it to put some in footplate crew,

[Dunsignalling]

Got mine yesterday. Super little runner once a couple of drops of oil were added by my dealer.

 

Only feature that does jar a bit are the buffers, which look fairly horrible IMO and will get replaced.

 

John

Edited March 2, 2017 by Dunsignalling

[Clearwater]

@81C - see below. As ever, looks better without the cruel glare of the camera!

 

David

[KymN]

Mine arrived with the dome detached. I have recently moved house and have not had the opportunity to run it.  I hope the detached dome is not a portent of other issues.

[dibber25]

There is a bit of unnecessary negativity in the Model Rail review IMO.

 

"unless No.1369 is to depict its preserved condition" could quite easily have been written as "No.1369 is offered in its preserved condition" (which its how it is marketed) while the criticism of cab roof ventilator seems to focus on Bachmanns offering on its 64xx being better yet how should a sliding piece of metal that is of very minimal thickness when reduced 76 times be portrayed. 

I don't feel that my colleague's negativity was unnecessary. You ask how the roof ventilator should be portrayed. Well, the reviewer was able to compare the two side by side and to make a judgement that one was better than the other. We make such judgements all the time, particularly when there are other comparable models close at hand (the Hornby Peckett) or in recent memory (the Bachmann 64XX). In such circumstances, and when there is a substantial difference in price, a degree of negativity is unavoidable. (CJL)

[jjb1970]

While the MR review was quite negative about some aspects of the model it was a fair and balanced review I thought and certainly wasn't a hatchet job. Would the review put me off buying the model? Not if it was a locomotive I wanted, but I appreciate an honest review. Personally I don't think this is a bad model, it is a perfectly decent model IMO but I think it is fair to highlight that in some aspects it is more basic and less finely detailed than other models which are quite a bit cheaper.

[Oldddudders]

I haven't read the MR review, but do have before me the review in another leading monthly mag. This mentions "identifiable faults", including the angle of the outside cylinders, but concludes that at a typical discounted price of £130 it compares well with the DJH and CSP kit options, by simply being cheaper, and being the only RTR 1366 show in town to date.

[JSpencer]

This is a very niche item, I will be amazed if the entire run reaches 1500.

[Colin]

My first purchase was a bit of a disaster - it started off running smoothly enough, then developed a noticeable "stutter", finally expiring with a grating noise as the gears de-meshed. The shop investigated the returned loco, to find that the keeper plate had been badly fitted with several cross threaded/overtightened screws and consequent serious distortion of the plastic. The replacement loco seems OK, runs smoothly and quietly enough, but my natural pessimism means that I am less than full of confidence - at the price charged, I have to say that I am very unimpressed with the build quality. OK, maybe I just got a bad'un, I'll just have to see how things go. Shame, it looks absolutely terrific apart from the buffers!

[cctransuk]

Third time lucky for me - after a trial run on the Kernow test track, I now have a much quieter, smoother 1367.

 

There has been some comment here concerning the somewhat 'underfed' buffers; I have just finished fitting a set of Slaters sprung Collett parallel loco buffers.

 

Not the easiest of tasks as, once the original buffers had been 'waggled' off, it was necessary to open out the holes in the mazak bufferbeam / running plate casting.

 

In addition, the buffer bases are cast onto the face of the bufferbeam, and need to be removed, so I unscrewed the cab moulding to facilitate better access to the rear bufferbeam.

 

Some VERY careful work with a tapered square needle file ensued, taking care to preserve the adjacent cast rivet detail and the plastic vacuum and steam pipes. I only lost one steam pipe, which was replaced with a suitable casting.

 

The new buffers have been fitted and primed; a topcoat of red will follow tomorrow.

 

The transformation is very marked - the front and rear ends of the loco now have a rugged, purposeful look - in stark contrast to the weedy and ill-formed buffers fitted by Heljan. Photos will follow on completion.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[TerrySVR]

Had problem with one of these worked perfectly, then wouldn't work at all. After phoning Hattons set CV8 to 8 so far so good.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Terry

[BRIAN T]

My first purchase was a bit of a disaster - it started off running smoothly enough, then developed a noticeable "stutter", finally expiring with a grating noise as the gears de-meshed. The shop investigated the returned loco, to find that the keeper plate had been badly fitted with several cross threaded/overtightened screws and consequent serious distortion of the plastic. The replacement loco seems OK, runs smoothly and quietly enough, but my natural pessimism means that I am less than full of confidence - at the price charged, I have to say that I am very unimpressed with the build quality. OK, maybe I just got a bad'un, I'll just have to see how things go. Shame, it looks absolutely terrific apart from the buffers!

Hi I would not say you have just got a bad one....in fact mine was exactly the same,I think they all are potentially bad ones.

Don't get me (too wrong) about this ,Heljan are to be applauded for all their range of locos I never thought I would see in ready to run form,but,after dismantling mine to rectify ,( I know ,I know it should have gone back to the retailer), the tolerances for the worm and plastic gear meshing is so hit and miss ,even with the badly fitting keeper plate ,replaced correctly may not fix it ,I had to pack the motor in its enclosure with a little insulation tape just to increase the meshing when all tightened up.

If yours is working fine ...that's great but I am not convinced of the models longevity in the long run, improved design ( a little more thought) more than quality control and I would be more confident......oh and pick ups thicker than metal foil would help,( Hornby learnt from that when they changed back to the older design of pickups on later batches of the 72xx tanks .

[81C]

After scratching my head trying to get crew into the cab I popped the doors out they will be glued in the open position and Tom and Dick can now be shoved inside with a dab of superglue and then go off shed to shunt the Dairy sidings. 

[NCB]

Mine bought early February still running OK. Possibly the best running OO steam locomotive I've come across.

[SDJR7F88]

Ideas for a future livery for the model maybe... As carried by 1369 yesterday on her last day of service at the South Devon Railway ( 9th May 2017 ).

As my video proves, it's not Photoshop!   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpquEPAtvLE

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2017 by SDJR7F88

[gooey_lewy]

Hi John

 

Did you manage to finish this at all?

 

Regards

 

Lewis

 

Third time lucky for me - after a trial run on the Kernow test track, I now have a much quieter, smoother 1367.

 

There has been some comment here concerning the somewhat 'underfed' buffers; I have just finished fitting a set of Slaters sprung Collett parallel loco buffers.

 

Not the easiest of tasks as, once the original buffers had been 'waggled' off, it was necessary to open out the holes in the mazak bufferbeam / running plate casting.

 

In addition, the buffer bases are cast onto the face of the bufferbeam, and need to be removed, so I unscrewed the cab moulding to facilitate better access to the rear bufferbeam.

 

Some VERY careful work with a tapered square needle file ensued, taking care to preserve the adjacent cast rivet detail and the plastic vacuum and steam pipes. I only lost one steam pipe, which was replaced with a suitable casting.

 

The new buffers have been fitted and primed; a topcoat of red will follow tomorrow.

 

The transformation is very marked - the front and rear ends of the loco now have a rugged, purposeful look - in stark contrast to the weedy and ill-formed buffers fitted by Heljan. Photos will follow on completion.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.