WARNING TO OWNERS OF Heljan O GAUGE CLASS 26 AND 27 OWNERS!
In addition to the relatively minor, though annoying problems discussed here, I have discovered a more serious deficiency with my Class 26, which will affect the 27 as well. It could result in disaster! Now, many of you may well carry your models with two hands, one on top and one underneath, as I will from now on. However, I picked up a class 26 by the body from out of a box where I'd stood it while it dried from weathering. Luckily, at a height of only about 2 cm, the chassis completely parted company from the body. Thankfully it couldn't fall far enough to do any damage.
I had an inkling of the cause, having been inside another model of the same class and noticed that one of the screw housing units, into which the body screws locate and which slide onto pillars on the inside of the body, had come unglued and I epoxied it back in and added some epoxy to the others as well. But it didn't occur to me to check the other models! And they all gave way simultaneously when I picked up the other model I'd weathered. As far as I can tell, they are originally held in place by a small amount of glue. How that is expected to hold 2.5kg I can't imagine. I'm not even certain that epoxy will not give way at some point, so now I will make sure that I support the model from underneath as soon as possible when picking it up by the body.
Maybe those of you with more experience already do this. Lesson learned, and hopefully I'll remember! I have notified Heljan, but haven't found any reports that anyone else has had this experience.
John.
