Lodekka

Now got the CL40 box from a friend... Thanks Ray. CL45 fits perfectly and is quite snug. Will probably trim just a little of the foam at the ends to protect fine details and make removal/replacement that bit easier. Otherwise much much better than original packaging which is now going in the loft. I sense a small market for original Heljan packaging in these sort of cases... Perhaps try to speak with them at Telford Now looking forward to the 05's and the DMU's...

I agree with all of this (although I was lucky as I collected my loco from the Tower stand at Doncaster and it therefore avoided the rough handling), this aside, my main gripe is when the loco is used at shows or periodically taken around to other places I cannot see many will bolt it back in... The foam was good in the old boxes and maybe just needed a small trim to ease access, but in the new style packaging with nothing at each end of the box, damage is almost inevitable unless you add more foam like it did... For a £500+ loco this should have been better. As was also said earlier, it can't have had any packaging testing carried out or they would have seen it... Commercial (bulk) delivery is generally a better standard than white van man or a postal round and if they based their experience on a palleted shipment then I can see why they might have thought it was ok. As I said I'm my original post, superb loco - really good... Very poor packaging.. In fact a friend has very kindly offered me one of his original CL40 boxes to use instead... Should fit fairly well... Regards Lodekka

Just got my green cl45 and most impressed with it... Trial runs on DC prior to conversion to switchable DCC proved that it was indeed very good. However, what is not so good is the revised packaging method, no protection for the loco ends and great risk of damage if rough handling occurs... First thing I added was some end foam to cushion the loco once released from the captive bolts in the base for protection when traveling to shows etc. I cannot imagine many people continually bolting it in each time... The foam packaging and thin sheet was a good packaging method in the old boxes which offered fair protection to expensive locos. Heljan why have you done this? It's very poor and, as another correspondent on this forum attests, certainly unlikely to survive any standard postal packaging tests... Certainly risky for anyone who buys a loco and has it posted... I hope it gets changed back Asap.

They do drivers and crew figures, afaik they may not have them on the webpage right now... If you mail or call them I'm sure they'll find you some... I've just got mine for my CL15 and 08... Expecting to get some more for my forthcoming Peak.

84B Oxley, on 02 May 2017 - 20:45, said: Try Cice arts they are superb, and the cheapest b far... Just type in figure painting 7mm and you should find them... This is what you want... http://artcice.wixsite.com/cice I'm sure you'll like what you see...

Very good record of progress over the layout development... If only I had the time and space...no hum Wots all this Docklands stuff then?

Me too please, I would like to contact Paul to learn more about this new decoder and his CL45 sound file... I have his 08 implementation and it is superb.. Many thanks...

Railtec were very quick when we used them... ;-) I think you have just caught them at a busy time..

Try Cice arts they are superb, and the cheapest b far...Just type in figure painting 7mm and you should find them... This is what you want... http://artcice.wixsite.com/cice I'm sure you'll like what you see...

I'll second that.... I have two of the original Impetus kits and one of the Electrifying Trains versions but it won't stop me having one... The CL15 is a winner, has been out on two show layouts at exhibitions over the last two weekends and caused much comment and praise... Was demonstrated a number of times to admirers, ran very smoothly and notably quiet. A really superb model. Well done LLC... Can't wait for the 48DS.... Just get that Co-Bo out.....

The trick is to squeeze the body side (not the bonnet top) to release the roof panel, just take care of the handrails..Slow and gently, it will come off. Good luck Lodekka

If rewiring, I found that tucking the wire under the plastic motor leg helped protect it and reduce snagging...

Yes, the black and green body shells are different in terms of the layout of the running plate boxes as per the prototype, in terms of the assembly process... It is possible that the different batches/colours were assembled on different lines but it's almost impossible to tell unless you visited the factory during the assembly and that 'could' account for the amount of adhesive used. But it's more likely to be the luck of the draw on which actual individual model has sturdy or fragile ladders/ handrails/ buffers / lamp irons etc. etc. Unfortunately my two (a black and a green 'union) are getting a lot of handling as I show them round and am making ongoing modifications.. So the attrition rate on mine is probably higher that average... However, I still think for the price it is a good model.. Of slightly more concern is the back to back on each axle is different when checked against the GOG template, one of the loco's won't Stay on my rolling road because of this... So at some point the axles are going to have to come out.... I think I'll be asking Isambard very nicely for his help on that one... ATVB Lodekka

Now have my green one as well. Up for much the same treatment as my earlier black one... Wire wrapped vac pipes Repositioned internal suppression components to allow decoder to lay flat Rewired lighting to allow shunting lights on DC operation Stored charge for 'stay alive' DC lighting at constant brightness. Switchable DC or DCC ( to allow total isolation of decoder) Zimo, Paul Chetter sound. Plus more... Add a crew... Smoke unit.. Etc.etc.

Sorry but as I said previously... There is no middle light...front or back. Dapol have not fitted it - presumably as many of the later locos either had them removed, not fitted, or out of use. If you want to add another LED then (that's what I am doing) then it requires some delicate surgery to the pcb... Regards Lodekka

Can only recommend the Digitrains Zimo MX644D and the Paul Chetter sound... Just the best of the bunch... Trust me you won't find anything currently on the market that beats it.. Enjoy your 08 Regards Lodekka

The holes in the buffer beams were for lifting eyes and shackles when in depots and works. There is an excellent book 'The Diesel Shunter' which shows lots of 08's and in very good detail for anyone wishing to make changes to their chosen model. Also the series of LMS volumes which covers their predecessors is a valuable thing to have as a reference, and it goes into HUGE detail of the loco, most of which pertains to 08's as well.... Lodekka

Excellent service... Our retailers are providing quality service..... Look forward to seeing it on Hobbs Warren sans sound! Lodekka (aka Willowbrook Marsh)

I'm sure many will have noted the fragility of some of the more delicate items as fitted to the 08's. One respondent earlier commented about the fragility of the nose ladders (where fitted). On mine, the bar across the front of the loco where the two under slung cylinders are has come adrift as have two front most step handrails... On a largely plastic model it does come down to the strength of the adhesives and the contact area... In this case not very much area and very sparing on the adhesive... Fortunately the cross bar car be drilled and pinned more securely. I'm replacing the handrail knobs with brass... Hopefull nothing else will drop off! I should temper these comments with the admission that I have taken it completely apart more than once and it has been handled numerous times so it is not surprising there is this attrition of parts... Just a quiet moment before the kids turn up today...... Lodekka

Try this if you like....Couple of tricks you can do to get different lighting... If you are concerned about warranty then obviously you need to consider before doing this... In DC mode only the single top White lights will come on in each direction as standard. If anyone cares to follow my earlier post on disassembly of the body and cab, then it is fairly simple (if you are adept with a soldering iron) to simply swap the wires round on the little inverted T shaped LED boards. There are three wires (note that is two 3 pin connectors) going to each end from the main board, the other connector is the two pin cab light. On the two T boards there is a wire to + and then one each to FT & FB or RT & RB, if you simply unsolder and swap over the wires to FT & FB or RT etc....then you can have the shunting lights instead of the top marker lights as default on DC... I would have thought this might have been a better option as standard, Dapol....? One simpler tweak is to link pins 14&15 on the supplied DC plug on card and this will enable the Red & White shunting lights at one end. Might not be prototypical but does get you more lights in normal operation. As previously mentioned, if you are on DCC then you can control all of the lights via function settings. Someone mentioned that they had no red marker light on theirs, this is probably a fault and is most likely a duff LED or maybe series resistor or wire... Suggest best to return under warranty... One very important note is that the centre lower lamp at both ends is unpowered (no LED is fitted) so it won't work at all in either DC or DCC modes. Unless you do a bit of additional surgery (as I am doing)... Love the loco though and just 'had' to treat myself to a second one (in plain Green this time) Seasonal greetings to all Lodekka

Simples, see my earlier post on stripping the loco down... Once the superstructure is separated from the chassis then the cab unscrews and can be seaparated. Then VERY VERY carefully separate the cab floor by running a knife round the edge, note the clips on the inside of the rear cab end and take care with the fine wiring... Whilst you are in there you can add all sorts of extra details, conduits, pipes etc etc. more gauges and the hot plate and brake standard and crew... Good luck! Lodekka

Ah yes, but weren't you concerned about invalidating your warranty with a bit of cut plastic on the motor frame? If you see the response to F-UnitMad it did describe (albeit in outline) what the components were... Fear not, I'll do another post with all to be revealed... Lodekka

Well I did say 'relatively' simple - it does require an element of electronics knowledge. Appears to have lost a few people - so perhaps my explanation of what to do was a bit too complex. Pauls explanation of the Fowler Diesel on DCC /DC analogue was very good and indeed the performance was most impressive. But the bugbear I have is that on DC(both the Fowler and 08) the running/shunting lights brightness is governed by the running rail voltage to some degree (apart from the excellent Zimo MC644D decoder) and what I wanted was constant brightness lights. Which happen to stay on when the loco is stopped... for up to 10 minutes (not sure why Paul thought someone else said this!) Twas I Hence the stored charge circuit which provides that. So I have a switchable solution as I wanted the decoder completely isolated when on DC. Works for me, sorry others felt it was too difficult - only about 8 components! Perhaps i'll be better keeping my other innovations / modifications to myself. Lodekka