Heljan Gresley O2 2-8-0 in GNR style

[Bigmet]

I am not that pessimistic, my two new purchases from the ten years ago releases have been a 100% success mechanically, best traction of any RTR OO 2-8-0 model, smooth and silent when running. Exterior deficits I can fix so long as 'the bones' are good, and I have a spare mechanism acquired s/h very cheaply some years ago. (I like to have a 'breaker' for any loco which is a 'must have' on the layout, and here's an interesting thing: if you have one, you never need it, that's on the basis of twenty-three years in from the Bach WD 2-8-0 'breaker' purchase.)

[aleopardstail]

from the video Sam did on this the only really significant issue was the front pony truck detaching, which would be solved either be refitting with a suitable threaded screw with a shoulder, or by a tiny dab of a suitable thread lock. the rest looked fiddly but nitpicking.

yes for the price it should be better but it looked like once set up it wasn't going to be a huge problem

looks nice, not in any rush to get the LNER version though

[Bigmet]

I had a most interesting conversation at a long past Warley with one of the senior folk from the Nannestad family, who are the owners of the Heljan business, shortly after the O2 had been announced. In the course of this I suggested that as a subject the GNR constructed loco - thus with the traditional cab and GNR six wheel tender - was likely to be most popular, as at that time there was no traditional GNR construction tender loco available, and the only RTR OO GNR tender, was the (very late in the GNR's existence) eight wheel type specifically built for the first two pacifics.

Unfortunately, a 'very respected' model maker had got there ahead of me, and told him categorically that the GNR version would not sell...

[Bigmet]

...Dr Bigmet will give a thorough examination. I wonder if it'll do one lap before it's in pieces ?...

The new O2/2 ran smoothly and near silently out of the box in both directions, with full pickup on all 8 driven and six tender wheels. Has now just about racked up its first real mile at scale for 25mph, quarter hour sessions forward and reverse, with loco turned around on the hour so that the mechanism is 'fully exercised' for left and right turns. That's past 3x what Heljan suggest on their poopsheet. Loudest noise now is the wheels on the rails. That's just the same as the mechanisms in my previous specimens, so the likelihood is that it's a goodun.

Nothing has as yet dropped off, or shown any signs of doing so, it's all well put together and the detail parts are the right shape and size; and in this respect better by far than the first run from all those years ago, which were 'delicate' what with plastic handrail knobs, weak detail attachment, and also had off dimension handrails and other detail errors here and there, requiring correction by owners that were fussed.... Also, this time there's a note in the box with bright yellow warning notices advising care in handling of the 'Don't lift it holding the side rods' variety, for the heavy handed of this world. (Well good luck with that, clumsy is as clumsy does, as many of my s/h purchases have revealed.)

This time I have some R2 pieces to hand, from a friend who wants that capability tested. And the probable answer is 'yes it will'. But that's going to be conditional on all track laid dead flat, no dog legs at joints or badly worn point crossings, and quite possibly speed restricted. That's because the flanges on the loco are shallow - excellent appearance as a result - have yet to run the micrometer over them for flange depth, but expect it will be the same 0.6mm or thereabouts that Heljan have regularly employed. Run these at moderate speed into the standard R2 substitution radius point and the long wheelbase may see it 'walk off', might stay on the rails at the smooth slow crawl this mechanism can deliver.

In short, a good model for those with finescale OO or yet more restrictive experience.

[Bigmet]

Forgot to mention that the GNR style cab and footplate rear were not that positively attached, though at no risk of falling off; which other owners have reported. Took a little poking around to diagnose cause, it's the 'protective' ice cube packaging which has a divider between the loco rear and tender front which is a lttle too tall, and bears on the underside of the footplate moulding and pushes this and the cab connected to it upwards while in transit. Easily fixed on the loco with a little solvent cement - and adding a fall plate at the same time if desired: I did! ; and the offending part of the packaging is easily 'trimmed down' if the ice cube element is to be reused to store the model.

[Bigmet]

Here we are approaching 6 months in service, and as good as ever. Likely to be as reliable long term as any well constructed RTR OO steam model made in China to 'current standard'.