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Heljan 128


beast66606

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Pheaton,

 

Thanks for posting those detailed photos!

 

- Rivets are moulded onto the marker light panel but not the corridor connector replacement panel.

- Number of rivets vertically is wrong on the marker light panel (see post 492).

- The prominent creases that run vertically to the left and right of where the corridor connector used to be appear to be missing. This could just be the angle that your photo is shot from? Having just taken the corridor connector off my gangwayed WR I can confirm they exist on that version of the moulding albeit not as pronounced as the prototype photo suggests.

 

I still think the rivets look too big on the marker light panel. I'll draw up an etched version of this panel when I have a chance.

 

Guy

Guy

No worries :)

 

Now.....call me synical but....im inclined to believe that 995 is actually correct in that it does not feature a prominent crease for the gangway door

 

look at this phot

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55595938@N06/6709970621

 

Its a poor phot i grant you but its crease is nowhere near as prominent as say 993

 

i wonder if it had a fully flush front as a result of accident damage....

 

Its interesting as there are quite a few variants of the 128, note how 995 only features a headcode box "scar" on one side the other side being flush, it would seem looking at phots some units had the scar both sides.....also some units featured small silencers on the exhausts as well....also some units had a welded gangway cover as apposed to a riveted one hence the "cosmetic rivets" on the centre gangway cover.

 

All in all i like it even if there are issues its a very interesting model.....now if only Bachmann would do the parcels version of the 108.......

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Can I check what the SP date means, from someone in the know? The Rail blue small yellow panel version has an SP date of 9.60 which - if my interpretation is correct - would be a 'green' date, not Rail blue.

CHRIS LEIGH

"Shopping Proposal" I think, painted in advance of the date, obviously, so yes, pure pants on anything other than green!

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Correct Ian

 

SP (as seen on many units in the blue era especially) meant "Shopping Proposal" and was the date expressed numerically as month / year when the vehicle / unit was expected into works for a heavy overhaul.  That usually coincided with a repaint, at the least a clean and varnish, but the letters never meant (despite what many spotters would have you believe) "Scheduled Paint".

 

The two events were more or less synonymous.  Anything going in for a classified overhaul on or around its SP date would come out looking almost like new.  While I can't comment on the regime for the parcel cars the average SR EMU would have an SP around every 3 - 4 years alternating between a heavy C1 overhaul and an intermediate C6.  The former involved a strip back to metal and full repaint, the latter only a clean and varnish.  The external appearance was much the same upon release.   Other overhauls classified C2 through to C7 also existed. IIRC C7 only occurred on the Waterloo & City Line stock though C3 was a common intermediate level.

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Thanks, that's more or less what I thought. On Rail blue/SYP (probably done in 1965) an SP of 1970 would be more likely, so I guess it's a slip of a digit. Mind you, hardly visible unless you look through a magnifier. I like the idea of a 'strip back to metal' - I wonder if that happened much with DMUs. I recall seeing the chocolate and cream W55020 at Reading after after someone had put a sizeable dent into one side. You could check exactly what liveries it had carried since it was built, just by looking at the different layers of paint revealed - right back to dark green!

CHRIS LEIGH

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PHeaton said "All in all i like it even if there are issues its a very interesting model.....now if only Bachmann would do the parcels version of the 108......."

 

Hi, you will find it was the Derby Heavyweight 114's that where converted for Parcels duties....these are the longer relatives of the 108, I have 3 of the Craftsman Kits "to convert the Lima 117's" in my production line for these units.

 

Hope this helps

 

Craig.

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Lovely model, unfortunately Hattons' packaging strikes again!

Has anyone else experienced this problem with the underside detail?

attachicon.gifWP_20140226_001.jpg

I didn't have that problem, but one of the exhaust pipes had become unattached from its top mounting point. A bit of superglue will solve that, but I don't want to do it unti I've finished fiddling around inside (DCC chip and speaker, etc.).

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This morning I decided to compare the RM red by Heljan and the RM red by Bachmann with their 1980s TPO coaches. The Heljan one is closeset to RM red according to my Mk1 eyeball, and Bachmann's is just ever so slightly biased towards magenta. For some reason, I can't get it to attach to my post, but it's here on my Dropbox:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/itr8ipozwf6kmd2/1IPmXj04lE

 

RWJ

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I don't think it is Hattons packaging. The pieces that fell off are they from the bogie? If so another member had the same problem. 

There are the four sandboxes that have fallen off, but that always happens. In the middle of the tray are all of the underside detail bits. They are glued on to the underside with small pegs fit into accommodating holes. Most of the pegs are still in the holes and have snapped clean off the detail bits. There is nothing left on one side of the undercarriage.

I stopped using Hattons a couple of years ago because of this problem, I was sending more items back damaged than I was receiving in good condition. They insist on placing the train box in the bottom of the cardboard delivery box with a few air bags stuffed onto to stop the item moving. There is nothing to protect the train box from an impact on the side or the base.

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It's clear not much glue has been used, but most of the pieces have lost their pegs, snapped off and stuck in the holes in the base. It has clearly suffered a shock somewhere on route, either from the manufacturer or from the retailer.

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It's clear not much glue has been used, but most of the pieces have lost their pegs, snapped off and stuck in the holes in the base. It has clearly suffered a shock somewhere on route, either from the manufacturer or from the retailer.

Mine will have to go back to Rails with the same issues. Sand boxes and bits in the tray, some snapped. Looks like transport from further away and not from the UK end that has been the issue. Perhaps the container was dropped from a great height, or we could blame global warming for rough seas! 

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I am going goggled eyed! can someone please advise which exhaust pipe in the picture is wrong. As we look at it the left one's locating point has broke near the bottom leaving the pip exposed. Yet it looks right. If I move the base across to the broken pip it does not look right.

 

The right hand side one looks wonky despite it being fixed in place at the top and bottom!

 

Paul

 

attachicon.gifDSC_0075 (Copy).JPG

After contacting Howes a  set of the correct replacement exhausts arrived today.

 

Paul

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I found the Royal Mail one irresistible. Fortunately, mine came pretty much intact this time. My BR Blue one needed quite a bit of TLC, especially the roof vents, many of which had broken off.

 

I'm not sure any ever made it to Waverley, but who cares when a model is this good?

 

A bit of light weathering and it really scrubs up very nicely indeed. The buffer beam detail is exquisite. I'm not entirely convinced by the printed rivets and will probably do something about them, but from normal viewing distances they're not obvious.

 

post-7247-0-41108600-1393614275.jpg

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I found the Royal Mail one irresistible. Fortunately, mine came pretty much intact this time. My BR Blue one needed quite a bit of TLC, especially the roof vents, many of which had broken off.

 

I'm not sure any ever made it to Waverley, but who cares when a model is this good?

 

A bit of light weathering and it really scrubs up very nicely indeed. The buffer beam detail is exquisite. I'm not entirely convinced by the printed rivets and will probably do something about them, but from normal viewing distances they're not obvious.

 

attachicon.gifpost-7247-0-27665100-1393610914_thumb.jpg

Fantastic Picture.........aaah if only these images could still be created in real life these days

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I found the Royal Mail one irresistible. Fortunately, mine came pretty much intact this time. My BR Blue one needed quite a bit of TLC, especially the roof vents, many of which had broken off.

 

I'm not sure any ever made it to Waverley, but who cares when a model is this good?

 

A bit of light weathering and it really scrubs up very nicely indeed. The buffer beam detail is exquisite. I'm not entirely convinced by the printed rivets and will probably do something about them, but from normal viewing distances they're not obvious.

 

attachicon.gifpost-7247-0-27665100-1393610914_thumb.jpg

B****y marvellous. This is why people get into railway modelling. Take a look on BBC iPlayer for a BBC4 programme called "Brushing up on.... minuature Britain." Railway modelling features, apparently.

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My RM version arrived a couple of days back from Hattons, but due to work commitments I have not had the chance to open it until today.

 

After some trepidation after reading of some that have managed to undress themselves in the box, I'm happy to report that this one is intact.

 

Very pleased with it at the moment. The rivets will be addressed at some point in the future along with a spot of weathering.

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Lovely model, unfortunately Hattons' packaging strikes again!

Has anyone else experienced this problem with the underside detail?

attachicon.gifWP_20140226_001.jpg

My blue one arrived with various bits detached but I decided to keep it and fix the bits back on myself. It runs perfectly well.

 

I'm not sure it's the packaging.  It seems to be poor design in that the mountings are too brittle.  I shall find a more durable way of fixing the items back on.

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