97406

Damn! I broke the compressor shelf this morning whilst trying to get the body off my new Heljan banger blue 86 and have just fitted one off a Hornby 86 underframe, but with the Heljan compressors. Still, would be interested with the compressor bits for the 3 Hornby models.

And the wooden spoon award goes to me for being the first to break the underframe whilst trying to remove the body which just clips to the chassis. Cue the fashioning of a sturdier set of compressor shelves from an old Hornby underframe. Still one of the compressors needed removing anyway. Remember, I do these things so you don't have to. A reminder to all to be very careful handling the chassis! The headcode panel just pops out making it easy to change headcodes, or plate over. So that may happen at one end later today

The pantograph should be a crossarm one. There is a Judith Edge kit, and it is exquisitely detailed, but it tested my soldering skills to the limit. It is poseable, but the parallel motion stumped me. I ended up doing Novelty with a Sommerfeldt pantograph, as the crossarm was for 86205. Ultrascale wheels can be obtained, but make sure you order the right set, and there’s a 5 month lead time. You will probably need to make new pickups if your original model doesn’t already have pickups that contact the existing wheelsets’ tyres. Bufferbeams have some detail, but I stopped short of the little triangular steps and the socket underneath, for now anyway. It also needs a representation of the door handles at some point. Glazing is cut from acetate sheet at the front with SE Models flushglaze on the sides. Headcode boxes had the lip removed, a strip of 10thou plasticard glued to the front (keeping a small raised lip around the plasticard strip), and 2 holes for 2 short lengths of 2.5mm (outside diameter) plastic tubing. When set the centres were drilled out to 1/16th inch and clear plastic rod used for the lenses. This will allow for lights to be fitted, but I think you will need to get them through the cast cab interiors somehow.

Yes I’d put the High Speed Train first, but the 47 second. It’s a handsome, timeless design and long lasting. The Western is a fabulous piece of design, but short lived alas and I never saw one in normal service, unlike the other two for many years.

They look the same from a distance, but they are different close up. Hardly a dealbreaker though. I did think of modelling N gauge for a while, but one’s ‘maturing’ eyesight is the reason why I don’t and O gauge is a little too costly. The Hornby model is an 86/2.

Basking in the sunshine (well an LED light bulb until I sort out some better lighting)

I've just preordered the mid 80s 86/4s and noticed that Hattons is showing stock of the weathered banger blue ones if anybody fancies one.

Hi Carl, Measuring off the top of the rail, it looks about 55mm with the pan down as the brace on the bike frame part looks a little higher than the pan head, so it'll just squeeze in there by the look of it. I intend to make my catenary the same height so the crossarm panto on one of my Hornby models can run at a fixed height with the one Peco mast being the master.

It surprises me that they didn’t do an upgraded one off the back of the 87 as the underpinnings are the same. Just different underframe bits and bogies. Still Heljan looks to be filling that gap to expand the fleet. It’s getting difficult to get spares for the oldest Hornby 86s these days too.

Yes, Accurascale has done them around their split box 37 windscreens. Have one on order on the strength of the sample pics. Looks great.

It's just a subtle something lacking with the shape of the windscreens on the Hornby one that the Heljan one captures so much better. The Heljan one's window frames are a touch overscale when viewed very closely, but the window frames were also a touch too subtle on the Hornby one. Don't get me started on the lack of grommets on the most recent Bachmann 40, even though the windows are pretty much the right shape for the first time ever from any manufacturer!

My original blue one with no yellow panels was an impulse buy a couple of days ago!

A little context. Need to take up knitting as some point!

Thank you sir! The banger blue one is earmarked for a plated over headcode box and multiple working equipment at some point to bring it into the 80s. The 2 original blue ones will keep their identities for the foreseeable as I love the original 86 blue schemes. Plus I'm after a little historic fleet as well as the 80s stuff.

Sorry, should have posted this pic with the numerals as well

It’s a great look isn’t it. Yes they are Fox transfers. I had to get a second set as some idiot (who will remain nameless) stuck one on upside down first time round!

A fairer comparison

Yes, I have 6 cans in my fleet now. 3 of each manufacturer, plus a few bits towards making another Hornby one in a drawer.

The glazing on the Hornby one is my own flush glazing cut from acetate sheet, with the inside of the frames painted black. Also I think the window frames on the Hornby one are too fine, plus the centre windows on the Hornby shell are different widths at each end. The prismatic effects on the glazing are common on all my recent models and will never match lazerglaze or cutting your own glazing (and taking your time). The Hornby one looks a little tubby, which has slightly irked me for some time before the new Heljan one came out. I still love the Hornby ones as much work has been lavished on them.

For the rivet counters who might like to tweak, the cabside gutter strips need extending (possibly paint beforehand and use matt acrylic varnish to attach), and the bogie-mounted steps could be replaced with signal laddering. The high voltage cable on the roof will get a coat of paint too at some point. None of the above particularly bothers me, but they make for those nice self-contained little projects for a rainy afternoon that I enjoy. Still they’re most excellent models and I’m absolutely stoked with them.

Many thanks for the compliment. Yes, it’s a good model and one of the nicest to convert or detail. This one has an (almost working) crossarm pantograph from the Judith Edge kit which is posable, but I just couldn’t quite manage the mechanism. I have a set of Ultrascale wheels on order for this one and my Executive livery one, which will get fitted together with pickups on all the wheels. The 86s particularly impressed my as a kid on Piccadilly station. Will be getting a couple of 86/4s as my main era is the 80s.

Here's my Hornby/Heljan comparison shot. The Heljan has the edge, definitely

Initial impression is that I'm really impressed, and my Can addiction has been satisfied for now. Here they are on my printer whilst I work!

Although it’s worth seeing if you can remove the number with your thumbnail or sellotape first. The printing really does vary dependent on the factory and their materials.

...and take your time, gently does it.