Hunslet class 05

[Porcy Mane]

Has anyone got one with a proprietary coupling (NEM pocket plus tension-lock) or is this the first RTR model to be supplied with ONLY a screw coupling? Just wondered if the couplers are missing from mine

 Mine was delivered by Mr & Mrs Yodel a couple of hours ago. Like others, mine came with the couplers in bag sellotaped to the inside the clear packaging. BUT read on...

 

Nice front end with etched mesh fitted behind Radiator slats. Very nice. Cast Hunslet Plate is plastic and part of moulding.

All four of the upright grabs were bent and a couple of lamp brackets were damaged. I was expecting this as they are plastic and acrylic mouldings and very delicate. No problem though as I'd ordered spare sprues and from a personal point of view, I'd rather have fine and delicate as opposed to over scale and sturdy.

 

Here's the BUT. Mine was missing the front steps. Parts 91 & 92. Pleased I bought the spare sprues...

 

With the cab being moulded in clear acrylic, it gives the impression the cab sides are made from sheet steel.

 

Initial impressions are good effort from Heljan but inspection could be improved.

 

P

[Mark Dickerson]

Sorry you've lost me here! The wheels look like they were moulded specially for his model and they look much like the real ones to me. If this was a kit for the same money.most likely it wouldn't have any wheels at all -  I think its cheering how prices are still this low compared to Continental models. Now to get mine run in :-)

 

- Richard.

Forgive me. Later pictures have a better finish on the wheel rims, presumably the flash on some of the vendor shots. But still - visible steel axle and rims. The paint/staining finish is disappointing. Isn't it? Compare with e.g. a Hornby J15.

[spackz]

Certainly looking good, does anyone know when the other batch are due, specifically the plain green one?

[Les1952]

I have been giving serious consideration to buying one of these for No Place.

 

Given the comments on missing bits I think I'll buy it over the counter at a model shop......

 

Les

Edited July 18, 2015 by Les1952

[Grasslands]

My BR Blue one arrived on Friday.

 

What a lovely model:

[47137]

Forgive me. Later pictures have a better finish on the wheel rims, presumably the flash on some of the vendor shots. But still - visible steel axle and rims. The paint/staining finish is disappointing. Isn't it? Compare with e.g. a Hornby J15.

I don't have a J15, but the photos online suggest its wheel tyres are thinner (and the plastic inserts correspondingly larger) so I suppose the shininess of the sides of the tyres is less obvious.

 

Perhaps a chemical blackening process would help on the Heljan tyres. I'm looking at DIY cold blackening:

Blackening uses a chemical compound that clings to the surface of machined metal (in all the nooks and crannies). It creates a porous base that bonds chemically with the workpiece surface. In cold blackening, that chemical compound is copper/selenium (CuSe).

 

A while ago I had some Tillig flexi track  which was chemically coloured (I don't know the process), a dark brown colour. This was nickel-silver rail. The coating was electrically conductive but you could not solder to it. I restored the shininess of the running surfaces with very fine wet and dry paper, used wet.

 

It's work remembering, shunter wheels can get shiny from oil deposits, but the low speeds won't allow the built up of the bulk brake dust seen on main line diesels.  So some semi-gloss, very dark grey paint may give a suitable effect.

 

To be honest, I'm happy with the wheels and indeed the whole model - I just found all the sand pipes.

 

Edit: Carr's do a range of metal blacking products.

 

- Richard.

Edited July 19, 2015 by 47137

[47348scrh]

I wasn't going to get one of these, but they look great. Does anyone know if the other body style is being produced as a blue one as 05001/97803 would be my choice.

[Mark Dickerson]

I don't have a J15, but the photos online suggest its wheel tyres are thinner (and the plastic inserts correspondingly larger) so I suppose the shininess of the sides of the tyres is less obvious.

 

Perhaps a chemical blackening process would help on the Heljan tyres. I'm looking at DIY cold blackening:

 

[snippety]

 

Edit: Carr's do a range of metal blacking products.

 

- Richard.

Yes, I've a couple of jars of Carr's but tend to paint wheels instead, which has done well so far. I admit I'm being Johnny Precious Perfectionist, but I'm surprised with the non-blackened axles.

Edited July 19, 2015 by Mark Dickerson

[No Decorum]

I wasn't going to get one of these, but they look great. Does anyone know if the other body style is being produced as a blue one as 05001/97803 would be my choice.

According to Hatton's, three will be in BR green and one in Bulmers green. So, unfortunately, no blue one. 

[Clive Mortimore]

According to Hatton's, three will be in BR green and one in Bulmers green. So, unfortunately, no blue one. 

The next ones that Heljan are doing are the first batch of class 2/15. In BR service these were always green. The class 2/15 differed from the class 2/15A by having the larger driving wheels and the big cabs.  I believe one of the presevered locos is now in BR blue livery.

 

The only BR blue loco was a 2/15A D2554/05001/97803, where it had been in exlie on the Isle of White. The 2/15A had the lower height cab and smaller wheels. D2554 was the only true class 05, the 2/15s were all withdrawn by the time the TOPS classes came into being, let alone the numbering sysytem.

 

If they were steam locos they would have been put in sperate classes in the Ian Allan ABCs, having differing size driving wheels. Think Saint, Hall and Grange, what is the main mechcanical difference between these, driving wheel diameter. And the cab on the Saint.

[bigherb]

After reading this post. Am I correct in thinking,all the locos in green, with wasp stripes, late crest, should be carrying red rods then. The one I saw last night was D2600, Green, Wasp stripes, late crest. no red rods, looked a little odd with out.

Modern Locomotives Illustrates has a colour picture of D2607 green with wasps plain rods red fly cranks.

[Izzy]

I don't know if it's been mentioned - I might have missed it - but British Rail Fleet Survey No 7, Diesel Shunters ( ISBN 0 7110 1449 3 /1984) if you can locate a copy somewhere has several shots of these, both versions and all three cabs, although the diagram type line drawings of both types only show two cabs, and not the larger/extra window cab of the Heljan model. There is a shot of 05-001 on the IOW, but they are also of the early type around the GE area. The drawings do help illustrate the larger type cab on the later ones, both in height and length, and that the chassis was lengthened by 7" at the rear for this, giving a more balanced overhang front/rear.

 

There are also details of the smaller (DY1) 0-4-0 type which seems just like a smaller version of the early 05's - only 3 were built, all tramway skirt fitted for the GE area.

 

Izzy

[Gilbert]

Anyone done a decoder fit yet?

Chris

[Porcy Mane]

Anyone done a decoder fit yet?

Chris

 Looks easy enough as per the instruction sheet. Might need a bit more insulation on the inside of the recess to be on the safe side.

P

[47137]

 Looks easy enough as per the instruction sheet. Might need a bit more insulation on the inside of the recess to be on the safe side.

Hlt05Medelling-024-Editsm.jpg

P

There must be something akin to madness to buy a brand new model, which is available with a decoder fitted, and proceed to take it to pieces. But thanks ever so much for posting the photo!

 

- Richard.

[FelixM]

There are also details of the smaller (DY1) 0-4-0 type which seems just like a smaller version of the early 05's - only 3 were built, all tramway skirt fitted for the GE area.

00 gauge Model here: http://silverfoxmodels.co.uk/d2950-hunslet-0-4-0-docks-shunter/

[Gilbert]

There must be something akin to madness to buy a brand new model, which is available with a decoder fitted, and proceed to take it to pieces. But thanks ever so much for posting the photo!

 

- Richard.

I didn't know it was - how dull am I - busy week...anyway I have a DCC unfitted D2600 that runs beautifully on DC

Chris

[Clive Mortimore]

There must be something akin to madness to buy a brand new model, which is available with a decoder fitted, and proceed to take it to pieces. But thanks ever so much for posting the photo!

 

- Richard.

The Howes site does not list them with a chip fitter but fitted with a 6 pin DCC interface. I used to call them sockets.

[Porcy Mane]

The Howes site does not list them with a chip fitter.

 

You can't get better than my quick chip fitter. (But not sure if he's a boy to trust!)

 

P

[47137]

The Howes site does not list them with a chip fitter but fitted with a 6 pin DCC interface. I used to call them sockets.

Yes. I guess, the people offering DCC-ready models have done the work for you.

 

- Richard.

[Clive Mortimore]

Ran my loco down our club tonight. It ran smoothly at all speeds. It handled a train at a consatnt speed despite the unintended gradients on the test track. Infact the train it was haulling has proved difficult for some "modern" steam outline models on the same track.

 

 

Edited July 22, 2015 by Mod4

[gridwatcher]

There must be something akin to madness to buy a brand new model, which is available with a decoder fitted, and proceed to take it to pieces. But thanks ever so much for posting the photo!

 

- Richard.

Sound my boy, sound!!! It is engineered to take it and Bryan from Howes will have a nice sound file all ready once the real 05 is healthy enough to record

[Swindon 123]

After reading this post. Am I correct in thinking,all the locos in green, with wasp stripes, late crest, should be carrying red rods then. The one I saw last night was D2600, Green, Wasp stripes, late crest. no red rods, looked a little odd with out.

The question of liveries for this model took a lot of resolving. Some of the original numbers Heljan first proposed where altered, simply because of the lack of photographic evidence. The liveries and numbers chosen for the models was based on the available photos, colour if possible, and should be accurate for the loco on the day of the photo. [barring any production errors]. Like all locos when you go into detail it is amazing how many differences there could be between locos of the same class over their lifetimes. When built they appeared to have unpainted coupling rods, as did quite a few shunter classes. However it appears that most where painted red when the locos received wasp stripes, but some slipped through without doubt. The other problem was that except when new, the chassis got very dirty and oily very quickly, and that shows in the photos where in a lot of cases it was impossible to tell what colour the rods where. From the photos posted here it looks to be a very good model, I haven't seen one myself yet, the model that is. As the cab seems to be easily removable, I thought you might be interested in some cab internal shots of D2578. When restored the loco was stripped down to metal so as to get the restored livery as accurate as possible, so if you follow them when painting your model you should have an accurate representation, barring any local embellishments. As a general rule the cab was green below the desk and cream above it, with the cab door being green all the way up. On D2578 when it was in all over green, the internal electrical ducting was the same colour as the walls and later painted orange, as in the photos below. The only part of the cab we where not sure about was the top of the cab desk, which appeared to be a replacement and could have been painted black. We decided to restore it in cream based on the meagre evidence we could find. Here are the photos, starting with the LH drivers seat and desk and working round clockwise.

LH drivers seat, followed by the drivers controls.

 

Central instrument panel.

 

Below the photo above. The cracked handles either side of the center, sticking out from beneath the desk is the vacuum brake handle. The two big foot pedals that can also be seen are the emergency clutch pedals for disconnecting the drive from to the gearbox. The loco can be driven like an old lorry with a double de-clutch gearbox. Most people find it too difficult to use, but I like to use it for slow speed shunting manoeuvres as it gives you two hands for the throttle and brake. They are a very difficult loco to drive and where disliked by most BR drivers who had to use them.

The middle cab window above the instrument panel. Unlike the North Eastern batch which had a different design of window surround, this could be opened for ventilation. On the NE. batch the top half of the cab door window slid open for cab ventilation.

 

RH drivers controls.

 

RH cab door, which was all over green.

 

In the RH rear corner of the cab housed the cooker with its switch above.

Close up of the cooker.

 

The cab rear. I think the two prominent fire extinguishers where added by Bulmers. More modern ones are now used but the Bulmers ones have been retained.

 

Two photos of the bench seat across the back of the cab.

 

Finally the hand brake column, which was all over green, even the bracket holding it to the cab rear.

 

  

Sound my boy, sound!!! It is engineered to take it and Bryan from Howes will have a nice sound file all ready once the real 05 is healthy enough to record

That is going to be an interesting exercise as the gear change is very prominent on these locos, that's as long as you don't crunch the gears. Although a Gardner engined loco, they sound more "agricultural" than an 03/04 as the silencer is a lot smaller.

 

Going back to the driving cab and the emergency clutch pedal, below are some photos of the clutch, which is a large, easily 3ft diameter, multi plate type, taking the drive from the engine to a Hunslet constant mesh, 4 speed gearbox and then an F&R gearbox. Photos taken whilst trying to dismantle the clutch and drive shaft to fix a bent location pin that was causing uneven clutch take-up and wear.

 

 

 

 

The offending bent pin. It proved to be impossible to remove the clutch and the pin was repaired in situ.

 

 

 

Hope you all find the photos useful.

 

Paul J.

[Porcy Mane]

_{If only Mr Plumb had angled his camera down a little more.
 
http://plumbloco.smugmug.com/Trains/Former-LNER-Lines/i-hscB4Rj/A
 
Seems like there was also some variation to the wasp stripes at the radiator end to those that had it applied from new.}

 

_P

[paulbb]

Are there any dates for the release of the earlier Scottish batch ?  The very first batch that went to the ER (east Anglia) and migrated to the North West (Liverpool area) had smaller driving wheels (3'4") and cabs than the NER and Scr  ones -have Heljan said they were doing those?