cravensdmufan

Meanwhile, 6 years later..... Now having the same problem with my Bachmann Class 85, so it's out with the soldering iron this afternoon. I'm more confident with the iron nowadays!

Scam number according to whocalledme? website 02086386201 who called me? | who-called.co.uk

Hornby OO Gauge R3580 Class 87 87035 'Robert Burns' - BR Blue 5055288637078 | eBay Hornby R3580 British Rail Class 87 #87035 | Crewe Heritage Centre (crewehc.co.uk)

Yes, I had a quick trawl through some other shops' websites last night and many, including Gaugemaster who I thought were Heljan's distributors, are showing them still as pre-orders. Mine is ordered through Derails. Fingers crossed for delivery this coming week!

Very useful review and great photos, thanks for posting. Still waiting for mine, and heard nothing grrrrr.... Mine is pre-ordered from a smaller shop. Seems like the box shifters get things in and out very fast. Seeing all these great photos from you guys I'd making me even more impatient! Only been waiting 20 odd years for a really good 86 so I suppose a few more days is okay!

Now I'm getting worried. I've heard absolutely nothing about my pre-order from a smaller shop. I hope they get their allocation and are able to supply me. If everywhere else sells out I shall be very cross!

Totally agree. I reckon if they'd have done an upgrade on it to include a centre motor driving all wheels and a decent pantograph it would still have sold well. It would certainly have satisfied me!

Well, now that is strange....we've been told for years that electric locos don't sell!

Nice photo. And D200 too, like icing on the cake!

So, fellow AC electric enthusiasts, Heljan have done us proud and given us a fantastic Class 86 with /2, /4 and /6 variants to follow. Just an 81 now to complete the most long lived classes – c'mon Bachmann, you have your wonderful 85 as a good base already - know it makes sense! At long last, after all these years maybe we will hear less of that old groan that electric locos “won't sell”; I have personally heard a former model magazine editor trot that out in front of manufacturer's representatives on more than one occasion. Thanks again Heljan (and Hornby and Bachmann too actually).

Many thanks for the review and photos. Looks absolutely brilliant. Can't wait to get mine.

Some great photos, thanks for posting them folks; keep them coming! I'm still awaiting my loco - not even got a confirmation that's in stock yet, despite deposit paid! I will have to try and contain my excitement for a few more days yet I guess!

New Heljan 86 looks fabulous - but didn't Hornby do a great job 40 years ago?! You did an excellent job detailing yours.

Thanks for the tutorial Richard, very useful indeed. Loco looks and sounds great - plus really easy sound installation. A real winner here I think.

Great! Really looking forward to your photos.

My vote would be for the BR Class 85 Bo-Bo 25kv electric loco.

Hi Bif, I purchased one of your new Class 121/117 chips from Charlie a few months ago, and I would like to try a couple of different horns as per above; before I change these CV's do I need to set an index CV first like you do when adjusting lights etc? Thanks. Vivian.

I have been enjoying this thread - I well remember blue/grey Gresley buffet cars in the 70's - travelled in them many times on BR's wonderful Merrymaker excursions from stations on the GE section. I was in my early teens and unfortunately didn't have a camera in those days to capture them on film. My layout is set between 1985-1995 but I just had to have Hornby's lovely model, and here it is abandoned at the end of a siding - awaiting preservation!

Yes, it's a good idea to keep an eye open for them. I was very lucky to win one on the 'bay for £110 with sound removed. I treated it to black window surrounds.

Yes, and considering that photo is printed at least 3x the size of the model I reckon it looks absolutely brilliant. The modern digital lens is unforgiving, and faults normally jump out at you, particularly when enlarged such as this. So all very good.

This morning I collected my saved copy of Hornby Magazine from my local newsagents. Needless to say I went straight to the Heljan 86 review - and all I can say is wow! The close up photo over pages 114 and 115 is simply stunning. I haven't looked forward to a model release as much as this one for a long time- very excited!

Yes, the only Bachmann 101 in NSE livery to date has been 32-290DS, "with fitted passenger figures and DCC sound".

That colour shade certainly looks very good indeed.

I've looked at the HM video a good few times now, and have just pre-ordered 86 036 (8655), even though my layout is set late 1980s-early 1990s. Been waiting years to get a decent 86, and I love the look of this Heljan one, so I will run it until the 86/2s and 86/4s come along.

Yes, to read the full article but the YT video is excellent. I kept pausing it on full screen and it's good and clear and the model looks very good indeed.