Heljan class 27 with tablet catcher recess

[matchmaker]

I have just bought a Heljan class 27 with the recess in the cabside for the Mansons tablet apparatus. The loco is 5357 (27011) which spent its entire life based at Eastfield. Would it in real life have had the recess? I assume that Inverness based locos would have been so equipped, as the HML between Perth and Inverness used the Manson apparatus into the mid/late 1960s.

[60021 Pen-y-Ghent]

There is a photo of 5357 in the book "Looking back at class 26 & 27 locomotives" (pub. Strathwood). This shows the recess without apparatus. It is dated as September 1972 and location Eastfield.

[matchmaker]

2 hours ago, 60021 Pen-y-Ghent said:

There is a photo of 5357 in the book "Looking back at class 26 & 27 locomotives" (pub. Strathwood). This shows the recess without apparatus. It is dated as September 1972 and location Eastfield.

Many thanks! Just what I needed to know.

[sulzer71]

From what I know none of the 27's were actually ever fitted with the equipment

[w124bob]

I've several Heljan class 27's all pre TOPS in various liveries, so I've done plenty of searching for picitures and have many books for the period and region. I have never found a single picture of a class 27 with the catcher in place, I'm pretty sure the class 26's were the same.

[Halvarras]

3 hours ago, w124bob said:

I've several Heljan class 27's all pre TOPS in various liveries, so I've done plenty of searching for picitures and have many books for the period and region. I have never found a single picture of a class 27 with the catcher in place, I'm pretty sure the class 26's were the same.

 

The production 26/1s, D5320-46, being allocated to Inverness for use over the Highland line, were fitted with catchers from near-new until the early 1970s. Pilot scheme D5319 had been retro-fitted with the recesses by 1965, these were initially empty but catchers were later fitted - it definitely had them by 1969. Was there a plan to fit other 26/0s which was abandoned after this one....?

[TheEngineShed]

6 hours ago, w124bob said:

I've several Heljan class 27's all pre TOPS in various liveries, so I've done plenty of searching for picitures and have many books for the period and region. I have never found a single picture of a class 27 with the catcher in place, I'm pretty sure the class 26's were the same.

D5326 2007 03 March 025 by Pete Piszczek, on Flickr

[w124bob]

Oh well proves me wrong, my feeble excuse is I only have one class 26! What book is that from? There is a noticable difference in the recess compared to this

and sods law what has been in plain sight for months on my Flickr favs

 

[Halvarras]

3 hours ago, w124bob said:

Oh well proves me wrong, my feeble excuse is I only have one class 26! What book is that from? There is a noticable difference in the recess compared to this

and sods law what has been in plain sight for months on my Flickr favs

 

 

I take it you're referring to the recess on the model - yes, the backing plate Heljan fitted behind the recess is devoid of raised detail, a pity as it may have assisted in positioning the catcher supplied on the detailing sprues. The white stripe continuing into the recess, visible on D5335 (identifiable as the only Class 26 to receive Gfye livery) was corrected on later releases.

[TheEngineShed]

15 hours ago, w124bob said:

Oh well proves me wrong, my feeble excuse is I only have one class 26! What book is that from?

 

The B&W photo is out of a Bradford Barton, BR Diesels Doubleheaded.

 

Another shot of that Heljan 26, the recess looks better with a tablet catcher installed and a bit of lining applied to the recess.

 

D5336 on Shed by Pete Piszczek, on Flickr

Edited May 24, 2022 by TheEngineShed
Detail

[Halvarras]

2 hours ago, TheEngineShed said:

The B&W photo is out of a Bradford Barton, BR Diesels Doubleheaded.

 

Another shot of that Heljan 26, the recess looks better with a tablet catcher installed and a bit of lining applied to the recess.

 

D5336 on Shed by Pete Piszczek, on Flickr

 

Thought it looked familiar, I have that book too!

 

I have D5331 in early blue to add the catchers to in due course, and also green D5335 (as it happens), although not sure I'll be keeping that one......

[w124bob]

9 hours ago, TheEngineShed said:

The B&W photo is out of a Bradford Barton, BR Diesels Doubleheaded.

 

Another shot of that Heljan 26, the recess looks better with a tablet catcher installed and a bit of lining applied to the recess.

 

D5336 on Shed by Pete Piszczek, on Flickr

That makes my first statement even worse, picked up a copy of that B&B book only a few weeks ago!