Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

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Bigmet
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Re: Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

Post by Bigmet »

JasonR wrote:...The locos are terrific. I now need a layout to run them on.
So you are in a position to avoid UK set track, for which Heljan locos will thank you (the flanges are appreciably finer than what is usual in RTR OO, and I note that other manufacturers are moving in this direction). In the UK trhe readily available alternatives are from Peco in their Streamline ranges. More work to use, but a much better result is possible for both appearance and running. (It's not suitable for carpeteers...)
ratig
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Re: Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

Post by ratig »

inoffapost wrote:I've recently purchased 3 Heljan Class 33's ( 33063 Mainline / 33029 DRS and 33025 Weathered Dutch).
I've been very happy with the quiet running and their slow speed capability. I also have 2 gradients and they cope extremely well with them whilst tugging a short rake of bogie wagons, upto 8, as my layout isn't so large.

Time will tell of course, but I don't bother to run the Hornby diesels anymore since I got them!
It was difficult to get the bodies off to fit the decoder, especially the first time, and removing all the pipework to fit couplings is another task. Coupling 'droop' with the Heljan provided couplings is another known 'downside' I've learnt about on here, but I've fitted alternatives to these loco's and they look and work better.

It's early days but my first impressions are positive.
I ordered two 33025 Weathered Dutch from them (about a month ago) and am also satisfied.
JasonR
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Re: Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

Post by JasonR »

@Bigmet,
Peco trackwork has been recommended to me; the gentleman who sold me the locos used Code 100 track on his layout. He also suggested "Electrofrog points if you like wiring, and Insulfrog if you don't..."
In a world where you can be anything - BE KIND.

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Bigmet
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Re: Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

Post by Bigmet »

JasonR wrote:@Bigmet,
Peco trackwork has been recommended to me; the gentleman who sold me the locos used Code 100 track on his layout. He also suggested "Electrofrog points if you like wiring, and Insulfrog if you don't..."
Two things to be aware of.
It isn't absolutely necessary to wire the electrofrog points, but it does make for more reliable long term performance as the point blade to rail contact degrades over time (dirt, oxidation, flexing of the point blades with heavy locos on them, and Heljan is at the heavy end of the spectrum).

Secondly, is DCC in your future? I'd go as far as suggesting that if so, Peco code 100 insulfrog is not fully compatible with DCC. To explain, every metal wheel tyre on the point crossing is potentially able to bridge the rails after the insulated part of the frog, and this happens at a rate of one in 200 wheel passes. If the train is moving at moderate speed or faster there is a brief arc, and erosion of the metal rail top occurs. At slow speed - dependent on the DCC system sensitivity to short circuits - the system may 'trip' power to the track. (With DC track power there is no problem.) For intensive operations this quickly becomes an unacceptable level of unreliability for my taste. As ever, YMMV!
Peterm
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Re: Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

Post by Peterm »

If you haven't all ready bought code 100 I'd suggest code 75 with electrofrog points and crossings. I use these with Tortoise point motors and wire them up to eliminate dead spots and shorts. This can be explained if you decide to go that way.
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SRman
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Re: Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

Post by SRman »

Adding to what Bigmet said, even the insulfrog points would be better and more reliable if wired up properly, rather than relying on the small contact area where the blades meet the outer rails.

Electrofrog points will give more reliable continuous contact all the way through, especially if you intend running short wheelbase locomotives (Heljan do have a few of those too!). Seriously, it is worth the effort, even if it is a steepish learning curve.
Bigmet
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Re: Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

Post by Bigmet »

Peterm wrote:If you haven't all ready bought code 100 I'd suggest code 75 with electrofrog points and crossings...
Not least for the easier job when forming flexitrack curves. But we have to mention the caveat: not suitable for much of the European manufactured OO still readily available s/h, because the flanges will run on the rail chairs. Easily enough fixed with new wheels, but these are becoming costly now...

And another thing, I still use code 100 in all the off scene trackwork as it was cheaper - with a large layout to build, the 20% price difference at the time of my purchase really was worth having. There's a very simple DIY method for connecting the two rail heights cheaply at the transitions.
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SRman
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Re: Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

Post by SRman »

Bigmet wrote: Not least for the easier job when forming flexitrack curves. But we have to mention the caveat: not suitable for much of the European manufactured OO still readily available s/h, because the flanges will run on the rail chairs. Easily enough fixed with new wheels, but these are becoming costly now...

And another thing, I still use code 100 in all the off scene trackwork as it was cheaper - with a large layout to build, the 20% price difference at the time of my purchase really was worth having. There's a very simple DIY method for connecting the two rail heights cheaply at the transitions.

Could I once again add to your post (which I entirely agree with), in that the code 100 is not only cheaper, it is considerably more robust, so ideal for the off-scene areas where things are being pushed, pulled, prodded and generally disturbed regularly while ringing the changes.

I used code 100 for all of my main lines, but code 75 (including a bit of bullhead track as well) in the sidings and engine shed areas. I took advantage of the Peco adaptor track, but it is easy enough to join the two types without this, using a little packing under the code 75 track to match the running rail levels.
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Chops
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Re: Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

Post by Chops »

Forget exactly, I think it was a Baby Deltic, most certainly by Helljam. It functioned superbly. For all of twenty minutes. Then suddenly it made a sound like a hand turned coffee grinder and juddered to a complete dead stop, the motor quietly whining with nothing to turn. Gears didn't split. They dissolved into granular bits of lightly oiled plastic. No matter, I am unbelievably wealthy and consider it but a trifle to throw money in the fireplace. Efforts, however, to find replacement gears, let alone bogies, Peter's Spares and the world over, came to naught. Can't recall if I sold it for scrap or binned the damned thing.
Nessie rocks!
Bigmet
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Re: Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

Post by Bigmet »

Only as an FYI for anyone reading.

The spares agent for Heljan's OO is currently Gaugemaster. (Previous agent was Howes of Oxford; they held the agency for the best part of twenty years, from the introduction of UK product.)

There was a brief period of gear problems with Heljan around 2010, a flurry of split or broken gear reports; the spares were readily available then so that repairs were simple.
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Chops
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Re: Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

Post by Chops »

:)
Peterm wrote:Your Dad and the gentleman were right. God luck with making a layout.
Eh, God luck with them Helljams, too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNC3813r2HM
Nessie rocks!
Peterm
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Re: Heljan Locos - Are they any good?

Post by Peterm »

A slip of the finger. :D
Pete.
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