Ian Hargrave

My mistake sorry.I should have posted Heljan 25.

Currently their 25 is an exceptional bargain .

Yes.George Dent’s review. My reaction,as subscriber of 20+ years is one of incredulity and disappointment. I have seen this model in operation a week ago at the NEC and wonder if he was reviewing the same model as the one I saw. Surely if he can remark upon ejector pin markings and “it would have been nice to have a teak frame added around the cab side windows “ then that gap between loco and tender should surely have been worth a mention. But no….”all scale dimensions and proportions virtually perfect “ Well maybe so if the two “halves” of the model are viewed as separate entities .Problem is ,the Black 5 doesn’t run like that as the article’s accompanying photos demonstrate . There is no evidence that the issue of lamp repositioning was attempted…other than a cautionary reference to possible damage such as the one I received from Hornby at the NEC Final verdict….” Excellent “. Really?

Agree there has to be a batch of rogue connectors. But that is half the problem. The other half is that unsightly gap.Woeful in the light of the claim of it being the ultimate. The eye has been taken off the ball here in the quest for gimmickry.

Not necessarily. The new 9F and Turbomotive will operate happily in the closer position . I have just shortened the coupling position on the new 78XXX and that too is happily strolling along with 5 Bachmann Parcels vans in tow. Looks better too..

Mine happily is still…apart from the fall plate…intact and is,like most Heljan models,a strong performer .

Still available in both versions on the Locomotion website: for release November 2024…..even though it seems to have disappeared from the Rails site. Lamp ( one on buffer beam central ) black .Though this is only a pre production image it has to be said. Hopefully any outstanding issues will be absent by November.

Or,like some later release models even be fitted with a shorter,closer position on the bar.

Out of curiosity,I have tried the Google link and am met with Page 404 on each occasion.We may speculate a reason but of course we don’t know why this has occurred. Try a phone call.

Cod be praised 🙏. Hope it’s as good as the LSWR van.

I wonder if Hornby will be tempted to produce a special edition…..but without headlamps. Though I should imagine the tooling is either worn or disappeared by now. In which case,step forward Dapol,Accurascale or Rapido.

Sorry no.

Having picked one up at the NEC Heljan stand at an incredibly advantageous price with Ben’s appreciated assistance I am very impressed with this. The performance on DC analogue is astoundingly good .One of those purchases you weren’t planning on making but despite all preconceived ideas on my part,it’s happily trundling around with a newspaper & parcels train c1980.

OK…fine but I have to say Iike my Turbo and the attached lights don’t bother that much because they show express passenger and aren’t mounted on the smokebox door like the carbuncle on the Black 5. But yes,I take your point.

Wholeheartedly agree with that. I’d prefer to regard the Black 5 issues as a blip in anotherwise purple patch since lockdown.

In truth,I couldn’t tell but yes I hope not…..having just had a running demo of the Black 5 lit up like the front end of a Pendolino on which I travelled back to New Street later.

Pigs will fly on your final sentence. And yet…….on these particular little piggies I’ve had no problem whatsoever,despite their weird mechanism.But Dapol are good with small locos….witness the LSWR B4 which is a little gem,so I’ll buy.

The apple green version was on display at the NEC this weekend. Very tempting indeed.

Maybe because the previous incarnation has sated the market ? Most of us,I imagine,have examples of it and find they need no more. And an added disincentive will no doubt be the increase in cost. In any case,some will no doubt be waiting for the imminent BR version. None were available from retailers at the NEC this weekend and yet we have seen several YouTube videos ,one of them being from an enthusiast in Canada .

Having had some insider information about a GWR tank last September,my source got it wrong by a degree. It was a Metro Tank. Hey Ho.

Well…as I’ve already posted….having viewed it for a few minutes working on one of Hornby’s demo roundies……I have the benefit of my own observation. On the positive side,it appears to work.Will I buy ? No. Any further but honest posted assessment on this forum might lead to a mod’s suspension.

Some news of interest from Dapol just announced. A 14XX ….and a 517.

And the mood music from the Hornby stand on my Saturday NEC visit suggests to me that they have done the Pontus Pilate act with this if the matter of the glued in lamps is any guide.It is in any case likely that the BR version is already on the boat.So any action prior to retail would necessitate halting distribution and applying remedial measures as necessary. That stretches credibility.. Although IIRC,such a measure was in fact taken by Bachmann when a batch of Class 40 models arrived from China with a grease applied to the gears which effectively stopped traction. Barwell took on extra help to clean them up.However,if there is as there appears to be an issue with the design/manufacture of the conductive plug in socket,then unless H has a human resource of electronic wizardry then the choice is either to return the whole lot to the factory or distribute the lot to retail after maybe a cursory QC sample exercise. The former is expensively inconvenient and the latter will be the financially easier. The storm if it occurs will be weathered no doubt.

As it’s the only one currently on the market and I saw a sample on Saturday which does capture the essence of the prototype,my order will stand.I’ll take the risk and possible hit with the lamps and clip connector.

I think you mean A4 ? But yes,I agree with that.