Hi Sam- again ,a good honest review !! As a massive class 45 enthusiast , I eagerly awaited Heljans release of this loco -BUT ,like yourself ,I was quite disappointed at final the result !! considering it took well over 2 years to develop and be finally being released after first being announced, and Heljan (supposedly ??) had members of class 45 preservation groups advising them ,it really isnt the "definitive" example we were led to believe it was going to be , as the cab "faces "and window profile clearly arnt right ,the cab doors are completely wrong and the axle box covers are just far too large, as well as the BR Blue versions ,the blue Heljan use is a far too darker shade ! , so all-in-all a very large disappointment for me !! I was going to buy a few locos but eventually only buying one example as it was such a big let-down !! and I do think its a very expensive loco taking into account its glaring errors !! and comparing it to the older Bachmann class 45 example ,it clearly isnt any great improvement .
12..16 No, the speedometer drive cable should not be hanging loose like that, its free end should be firmly attached to the body. I'm wondering if there's a socket of some sort on the underside of the body, and the cable just came loose. Or maybe it was left loose at the factory for easier body removal -- on some steam loco models one has to disconnect part of the valve gear when separating body from chassis, so maybe that's happening here. Sad that Heljan have missed opportunities here -- plastic cab door handrails instead of wire, no blanking plate uinder the fan, plastic instead of etched grilles, a paint job from the 1990s -- on what could have been an impressive flagship model. Considering that they have just announced their re-toooled 0 Gauge version, thery should have known better. Thanks again for another excellent review.
I went to Rails of Sheffield yesterday to buy a couple of items while there I had a look at this Heljan loco. I was not impressed the blue one is very dark yes I know BR's blue in photos often looks different but the Heljan blue is heavy. The green one looked dull and heavy the speed cable should to attached to the body. £160 was the price. Heljan locos seem so underpowered I have a Heljan Class 25 I have to turn my controller up to 80 to get a decent speed. Yet my Lima locos run well at 40 or less so who got it right? I really do feel we are been asked to pay more for less quality hence I have decided not to buy new anymore.
Another great review, views well supported in the video. It's another Hornby 9F! The finish is very disappointing, the plasticy look, the poor paint, the really terrible emblems. I'm not a fan of Heljan and this confirms my opinion.
Agreed. If this model would have interested me, I would have gone straight to the Bachmann one. Bachmann can reissue right now their own with an RRP of GBP 150, they would have customers for her.
Quite underwhelming... I buy model locomotives to run, so this would be a definite 'No' for me, much as I like the Peaks in general. It would, in any case, be the wrong gauge... And one other thought... This may be my laptop, but are that grill and the stripe along the bottom of the body cream...? They just look wrong.
Hey Sam, I think you may have got unlucky with a faulty motor as I have one of these and the performance is fine. Mine squeaks too but I’m not experiencing issues of it slowing down much on radius 2 curves. Also since watching your video I’ve tested the torque and the wheels start spinning at around 35% power. I’d strongly recommend you return it and get a replacement. Cheers, Apples
This is by no surprise to someone having tried Heljans Danish outline models. They have been overtaken in the inner lane by many others. Their locos are not good, they are over priced for what you get, and there are much better alternatives out there. Heljan is becoming more and more irellevant I believe.
I’m going to wait for Accurascale to do one of these. You just can’t beat them for accuracy and price. Used to love watching the Peaks thunder through Hendon Station as a youth.
I think it's high time we all start sending models back with any level of fault or poor performance. That Peak is completely unfit for purpose if it can't handle a curve, but as you say it could be faulty, either way it should go back. Even the sloppy paint work and whatever the heck that emblem was supposed to be! I'm looking up at my N Scale models, half the size of the Peak mind, and the paintwork, livery and decals on all of them is flawless. I remember my Bachmaan Cl.46 from when I was a kid and it'd mop the floor with this thing. That thing was an absolute beast and would haul anything you put behind it around 2nd radius curves. It's completely unacceptable to be paying close to £200 for a product that doesn't work as it should or has a poor finish.
A few months back you did a video on bearings, what they are and why they’re important, I’d love a similar piece on torque, why corners seem to kill it off on certain models, what factors affect torque, can anything be done to improve it?
In my experience bad pulling power is always the result of not having enough gear reduction. For example, take any ancient Lima with the G motor driving the axles on a 2 axle bogie where the wheels are large enough or close to each other enough to cover the distance from the motors outgoing axle to the final sprockets on the wheels. Check how many revolutions it takes for the motor to turn a wheel. Now take another Lima where the distance is much greater like the E103 or the BR151 using the exact same motor and you'll notice 1.5 times more motor revs vs. wheel revs resulting in less top end speed and a whole lot more pulling power.
Hi Sam, another great review, I model in O and OO and have never purchased any Heljan locomotives because of I have always been put off by their poor quality mechanisms from verbal and written reviews ! At 79 I guess that is now never going to happen.
It’s nice to see heljan are trying to improve… dunno if it’s faulty or not, but at least heljan are trying. They still have a way to go to catch up with some of the other manufacturers
At this point I know that Heljan arnt going to make anything good so just avoid them altogether. Also it may just be me but, I prefer the matte paint finish over satin. Less shine. It feels like a working vehicle like a Ford Econoline rather than a luxury vehicle like a Bently
The nose grilles have hinges which were only fitted as part of the 1966 refurbishment programme. The four holes on the bogie for the rear sandboxes are actually correct as they remained when the boxes were removed in the late 1960s. D4 Great Gable the Class 44 has four holes there.
Interesting that it runs much better on feedback. Maybe DCC has allowed manufacturers to be a little lazy with motors: With DCC, the decoder controls the motor so you can set one to provide feedback for its motor while another loco with a coreless motor provides clean DC. That may be well for DCC users but it kicks sand in the face for those using DC.
I nearly considered one of these, but the shade of the BR Blue versions is incorrect (lacks that green tinge) and is too dark. Will probably opt for a Bachmann one instead
Hehehe... Good review mukka. If I had been reported for every time I coupled up without stopping my loco first I would have been sacked over 40 years ago! Once you... "get your eye in" it becomes second nature. Trying to make coupling without stopping the new normal sounds like a typical woke agenda, with incompetent fools trying to change the world, for the equally inept. Stay safe and motivated chum. Regards from Oz. Gaz
Was Heljan ever“good“? I think what they had going for them - particularly in H0 scale - was thet back in the days, they were the only ones to model Danish prototypes. However, their drivetrains were always atrocious, as was (way roo often, anyway) their build „quqlity“.
I think your headline of "disappointing" sums up this offering from Heljan Sam! It's totally drab and if they don't keep pace with the latest Bachmann, Dapol and Accurascale releases they'll no doubt be in OO gauge trouble!
Thanks Sam for the review, one to avoid, I think! For me Bachmanns 45 - D27 pt no 32-679DS the moulding, livery detailing and wire hand rails set it on another level compared to the Danish manufacturer's model!:
Personally I know and agree this is not the best locomotive in the world, but in my opinion mechanically, it is a sign that Heljan is trying to improve as we saw in the mechanism. Who knows, maybe one day Heljan might actually be just as good as Bachmann one day. Good review Sam, keep up the good work.
I have to say Sam that the new Heljan Class 45 "Peak" locomotive is a decent looking model. I am glad Heljan has finally listen to everyone's criticism properly which is a step in the right direction. Of course, Heljan still needs to improve on certain things properly like the motor for example. By the way, I want to talk to you through your email Sam because I have a very important question.
Yeah I've definitely seen worse, and big credit for the upgrades to the mechanism. Lots of room for improvement still, but they are moving in the right direction! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Let me help you Sam. Medium spec loco with poor quality build. Just look at how the fuel tank is hanging down low! I think it was easier to see for us in the video. The part that you noticed loose was the speedo drive cable. The top end should be fixed to the body
I almost forgot - the accessories pack issue is not binary either. The various items are mostly present or absent on the prototype depending on the exact year and number of your model. Things like sand boxes, steam pipes were removed. Roof detail varied considerably through the life of the engine.
Spot on review, Sam. It looks nice I must say, but it falls short in comparison to the competition. Its a big shame because I like it. If it was built to a high standard, etched grilles and nicely painted, I might say its alright from a distance. Of course, from a distance doesn't do, but it would be alright. Like this its just meh to not be mean since again, it looks alright from a distance. Its alright, but if you start to compare it to other locomotives it just falls flat. If I want a Peak, Bachmann fills the bill and is probably a lot cheaper as well especially second hand. Great review, Sam. Even though the model is quite mediocre, I could feel your disappointment through the screen but hey, its not the worst ripoff from Hejlan so at least that.
I have one of the TMC versions (the economy green one) and it runs fine and looks OK to me, especially when weathered. What Heljan excels at is providing a variety of liveries and numbers, including the transition era. Bachmann and Hornby often seem to boycott the late 60's for some reason.
I had a similar issue with a Bachmann Deltic. Approaching corners, it would slow down, and the outermost wheels would carve into the plastic on the inside of the bodyshell. I just raised the body by using 2 old Triang connecting rod washers, and now the deltic flies round corners the same speed as on the straights, with no damage to the plastic. You would'nt even notice the slightly higher bodyline.
Do heljan make any decent models ? Always seems to have some sort of ridiculous issues and or build quality This is a perfect example and for the money they are charging you'd expect it to be up there with the very best I feel it's overpriced
It looks like your motor mount is faulty - when I saw this I immediately opened mine and the motor is definitely not loose. I also double checked it's performance on 2nd radius, and I do not see a noticeable slowdown. Mine isn't the fastest loco at low settings, and it doesn't have a great deal of torque, but it does run really smoothly on all curves. I agree re: the handrails (and I think they are the model's biggest flaw). My speedo rests higher on the bogie than yours does, and doesn't wobble. The fine paint details aren't the best, but with human eyes the flaws are not discernable, so I generally don't mind such small flaws. I never minded the finish, in most part because I never intend to run my locos "out of the box". I plan to weather all my locos, preferably with an "oily rag" finish suggestive of a hard working loco wiped down by an enthusiastic cleaner. I do agree that the Bachmann finish is nicer - but in the end it comes out in the wash.
I missed you on your tri ang remembering train set so here's my comment for that video I think more companies should rerelease old train sets Because I think it's so cool to see vintage stuff Really released after so many years and with the vintage we would not have what we have today
Thanks for sharing Chase - yeah older models are absolutely great as budget models... as long as they're priced as such of course! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Maybe if the manufacturers spent more money on the bits that matter the motors and instead of the gimmicks these problems of stalling would probably not happen.
Just received one, very disappointed, runs like bag of nails. Stops and starts all over the layout and the cabs light flicker as it goes along and I am on DCC with them turned off!!
I have seen a fair few reviews of this model already and they show the model more positively, because of that I will be getting one eventually with the version I’m thinking of is one of the TMC commission ones because they do them with the split head code which I really like, plus I don’t have a super detailed class 45 in my fleet.
@@SamsTrains, I have something to ask. When will you do the BR class 28? I have been waiting patiently for a Very long time, almost a few years actually, also, When will you dabble in the realm of OO9 scale? I believe if you are going to have a Standard Gauge Layout, you should also probably have an accompanying Narrow Gauge Layout. Modeling is something I would love to do one day, but right now, I don’t have the Time, Money, Tools, or Resources to do modeling. When you finally do get a BR class 28 for your OO layout, and when you actually start on OO9 gauge, I will subscribe.
Hi Sam, great review as normal. What a shame when Heljan finally get the mechanism sorted that it's such a poor runner! I am usually a fan of Heljan diesels especially their o gauge, I have plenty in oo all of which are great runners. But you are correct to give it a poor review as for me their is nothing worse than a poor runner especially in a peek which were so good in real life. I will avoid this one like the plague as I purchased a Dapol Manor (on offer for £80) which as per your review suffers the same problem and looks so awful when running I can only bare to use it as a static display, serves me right I will pay more attention to your review this time. Keep up the good work and more o gauge please, Cheers Paul
Farcical model quite honestly. I just bought a brand new Accurascale class 37 for £175. I bought one of these Heljan Peaks when they came out., underwhelming is the most polite way of saying it. Still dont know why I bought it TBH. Awful paint finish, poorly shapped in a number of area's. Will I ever learn!!!
Great review Sam! It’s too bad that Heljan are still so far behind everyone else. Sure their improving a lot, especially in terms of accessibility and mechanism, but the detail still leaves a bit to be desired, and the performance is quite embarrassing. I actually think you were a little generous with this one. Also, I have a quick question; I’m in market for a 3D Printer, and I was thinking about going with the Flashfordge Adventurer 3. I know you have replaced you Flashfordge though, is there a problem with it? Thanks!
Thanks for sharing! Yeah that's right - small improvements, but at this price I would expect better. If they existed in a vacuum then we might have not realised how far behind they are compared with others. I watched this back this morning and thought I was a little generous too, haha! I went off the Flashforge after trying other machines - my recommendation now would be the Mingda magician X... it's a better all-rounder, and I much prefer the glass print bed... they last 10x longer than those plasticy ones! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Okay, thanks for your advice Sam! One thing I’m also considering with a printer is that mine will ether be in my basement or bedroom, and my basement is a mess, so it gets dusty, and I don’t want fumes in my room, so I thought an enclosure would be a good idea.
You shouldn't get a Peak wrong. So many Peak models from the past (including my 1979 Mainline 45 039 The Manchester Regiment, bought second hand in 1985 and runs like a dream!) that there is no excuse for making a bad one, if necessary, go back to the past if your innovation is leading you astray. Disappointing from Helijan, given that they had shown signs of improvement. Ask for a replacement, it might be better.
I think Heljan should either drastically improve the quality and decoration of their models or just stick to doing obscure prototypes which would save them the embarrassment of being compared to more competent manufacturers. Maybe they should try to re-do the Triang Dock Shunter and see if they could improve on that.
Sam is such a divisive person, people tend to hold one of two opinions, with nothing in between. Some people think he’s a twat, whereas others think he’s a knob head.
Looks like Heljan are still using cheap and shiny plastic's. My 86's shed their underframe and roofing details, and they will NOT accept superglue etc. Shame.
great review Sam. Send it back though as out of the box it does not perform. Having said that, I like the leading and trailing wheels and the way they work. Perhaps Hornby and Bachman could adopt this method for their trailing trucks. Looks like a dud motor so send it back. For what you paid you should expect it to at least run around the layout with 7 coaches without a problem.
The model itself isn't horrible, but I think maybe the motor is letting it down. Either poor quality, in which case Heljan needs to really check their suppliers better, or it may be faulty. I could almost live with the slightly plastic looking finish if the motor had been decent. If you do return it for an exchange rather than refund, please let us know if a replacement unit works any better.
Yeah it is - though the advantages of the bearings are noticeable in that this can crawl now!! Not sure about the torque issue - it's an odd one! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
we have two H brands and both turn out their fair share of duffers - however no brand is perfect - issues on the sound files on the brand new Class 37 from AS ????? 🤪😵💫😵
Aside from independents such as Accurascale there is only one company capable of producing decent diesels and that is Bachmann. I have one of the old Bachmann Peaks and on many levels it kicks this Heljan offering in to touch.
Good review, I have seen some more positive reviews of these, won’t be getting one as I have a Heljan 25 on order which I’m excited for even if the price has gotten out of hand a bit, the 25 has a similar mechanism to these I think so we’ll see how those go! I have a feeling that there’s a potential issue with this loco but idk, might take some investigation really. On a separate note, good to see that the Barclays are returning to sale too. Anyway another good review can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks for sharing! The 25 will be interesting - I'll have a look at that maybe! Yes the barclays are amazing aren't they... and half the price of this!! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The deal breaker for me is the incorrect shape of the front windows, the roof profile, the cab doors, and the use of non-etched grilles. Bachmann's Peaks are a lot better in the looks department.
A very honest review. Overall it looks poor to me for the money - glue marks, poor paintwork - a lot of issues. Poor quality control by the looks of it.
Just terrible. I have seen many reviews for this and cannot understand how they got it so wrong. The shape is just not right at the front. Those drives doors are flat and should have a crease in them near the top. This throws the shape out and it just looks odd. Luckily Sam you didn't get the BR blue one. The colour is completely wrong. This will be discounted very soon.
Could the floating axle be why it slows on corners as they may catch the body ..I will say i do not have model railways etc just say and watched your video
Haha fair enough - so which parts of the review don’t you agree with? Do you think it’s painted/finished as well as locos from other manufacturers for instance? Thanks for watching - Sam :)
That could be! It's interesting about the flickering as quite a few locos appear to do it on camera, but it's not noticeable to the naked eye. Weird that this one does it on curves though - I'll have a look and see if that's visible in person! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains it tends to be on the video. Camera fps can create a stroboscopic effect that's invisible in reality. You're hm2000 is having a massive strobe attack as well in the video
Hi Sam. I had a BR blue one for a very short time which similarly underwhelmed me. Mine did seem to be a smooth runner and I liked the cab detail but the blue was far too dark and quite matt. It was a noticeably different blue to everything else I have, and especially in comparison with my Bachmann 45 - it just looked wrong. I had hoped it would be a step up from the quite old Bachmann tooling, but it just wasn't, and I still prefer the Bachmann. The 'tin man' noise is caused by a c.5mm plastic protrusion on the top side of each bogie which I assume is designed to maintain a minimum distance between the bogies and the body above. When the loco goes round a bend, the bogie obviously moves and the plastic 'nipple' rubs on the underside of the body (stop sniggering at the back!). A touch of white grease stopped it on mine. If you haven't returned it yet, lift up the loco so the bogies hang free, turn them fully to one side, and you'll see the offending piece of plastic - you're basically hearing a friction noise.
I bought the TMC one with the split head code I like the loco but it really only runs well in one direction going the opposite way it pops and grinds a little witch can probably be fixed idk I haven't pulled the body off to see... Oddly the thing that upset me the most is on its long trip to the U.S. the wand seems to have grab some of the metal bits in the accessories pack and somehow ripped it open so my first impression of the loco taking it out of the box is watching all the small bits fall to the floor...
Ahh that's really not good at all - and very annoying about the accessories bag too, and annoying that they put the couplings in there and it's not resealable... so you unleash all of those details in the process. Sorry you had a bad experience anyway - heljan not really recommended! Thanks for watching - Sam :)
I believe it was to improve visibility by track gangs as yellow was easier to see from a distance. However newer trains have moved away from this practice due to improvements to track working lookout procedures and systems.
(Trying again) good video. I think I can help with the issues you raised about curves, check my review for details. Lovely model only issue I have is flickering cab lights at low speed
I'll just stick to my bachmann. Needed lower on performance... my mainline peak can pull 12 coaches up a steepish bank without a problem and forca 40ish year-old model does a not aweful crawl.
Hello Sam. Thank you for the video. I will stick with my Bachmann 45 . The only good point with the Heljan peak is the mechanism apart from the motor. The livery application the so called design clever spare parts bag is just plain awful. To use the words Elvis Presley, return to sender 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Sam, have you checked the mechanism your old Bachmann 45 lately? Mine had snapped all 4 screw plastic pedistals on each corner of the motor making it loose. Some holes drilled by the fuel tank and cable ties solved the problem. 😀
Not a surprise. It's in the name: to hell with Jan. And it seems general reading some comments. A big lantern with a very little light not worth the money. Helljan made some improvements but not up to normal RTR standards. A sad result for a 2 year exorcise !
Not being able to handle curves is a bit of a deal breaker. Most layouts need them unless you have a very long room
Even if you have gentle curve. You still have yards and stations to deal with.
Not unless you wanna be like James May and make a model train run along a train route turned into a bike path. About 17 miles I think?
@@cmc9775Barnstaple - Bideford line
Hi Sam- again ,a good honest review !! As a massive class 45 enthusiast , I eagerly awaited Heljans release of this loco -BUT ,like yourself ,I was quite disappointed at final the result !! considering it took well over 2 years to develop and be finally being released after first being announced, and Heljan (supposedly ??) had members of class 45 preservation groups advising them ,it really isnt the "definitive" example we were led to believe it was going to be , as the cab "faces "and window profile clearly arnt right ,the cab doors are completely wrong and the axle box covers are just far too large, as well as the BR Blue versions ,the blue Heljan use is a far too darker shade ! , so all-in-all a very large disappointment for me !! I was going to buy a few locos but eventually only buying one example as it was such a big let-down !! and I do think its a very expensive loco taking into account its glaring errors !! and comparing it to the older Bachmann class 45 example ,it clearly isnt any great improvement .
12..16 No, the speedometer drive cable should not be hanging loose like that, its free end should be firmly attached to the body. I'm wondering if there's a socket of some sort on the underside of the body, and the cable just came loose. Or maybe it was left loose at the factory for easier body removal -- on some steam loco models one has to disconnect part of the valve gear when separating body from chassis, so maybe that's happening here.
Sad that Heljan have missed opportunities here -- plastic cab door handrails instead of wire, no blanking plate uinder the fan, plastic instead of etched grilles, a paint job from the 1990s -- on what could have been an impressive flagship model. Considering that they have just announced their re-toooled 0 Gauge version, thery should have known better.
Thanks again for another excellent review.
17:12 Well at least heljan learned something. About time too ;)
Cheers Jasper & Willow
haha exactly - that is one good part of this
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Didn’t the ES1 have bearings as well?
I went to Rails of Sheffield yesterday to buy a couple of items while there I had a look at this Heljan loco. I was not impressed the blue one is very dark yes I know BR's blue in photos often looks different but the Heljan blue is heavy. The green one looked dull and heavy the speed cable should to attached to the body. £160 was the price. Heljan locos seem so underpowered I have a Heljan Class 25 I have to turn my controller up to 80 to get a decent speed. Yet my Lima locos run well at 40 or less so who got it right? I really do feel we are been asked to pay more for less quality hence I have decided not to buy new anymore.
Another great review, views well supported in the video. It's another Hornby 9F! The finish is very disappointing, the plasticy look, the poor paint, the really terrible emblems. I'm not a fan of Heljan and this confirms my opinion.
Agreed. If this model would have interested me, I would have gone straight to the Bachmann one. Bachmann can reissue right now their own with an RRP of GBP 150, they would have customers for her.
Thank you so much - yeah absolutely, those emblems really are terrible aren't they? Yep, rarely been impressed by a Heljan loco in recent years,
0:05
Well done heljan you changed us £189 for what, a underpowered locomotive. Some time I wonder
Cheers Jasper & Willow
haha I wonder too!
@@SamsTrains and we all thought Dapol had torque issues lol.
Quite underwhelming... I buy model locomotives to run, so this would be a definite 'No' for me, much as I like the Peaks in general. It would, in any case, be the wrong gauge... And one other thought... This may be my laptop, but are that grill and the stripe along the bottom of the body cream...? They just look wrong.
Hey Sam, I think you may have got unlucky with a faulty motor as I have one of these and the performance is fine. Mine squeaks too but I’m not experiencing issues of it slowing down much on radius 2 curves. Also since watching your video I’ve tested the torque and the wheels start spinning at around 35% power. I’d strongly recommend you return it and get a replacement. Cheers, Apples
The peak seems more of a trough 😂 I’d try a replacement to see if it’s faulty but if it’s the same it would be a return for me. Thanks for the review
haha very much so! That's sound advice - I should do!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
And me. Same as i returned my new hornby 87 009 due to poor livery application. If we accept poor model quality they will never up their game....
I'd be curious to see a follow up update/review of a replacement unit to see if this really is under powered or if it's actually faulty.
This is by no surprise to someone having tried Heljans Danish outline models. They have been overtaken in the inner lane by many others. Their locos are not good, they are over priced for what you get, and there are much better alternatives out there. Heljan is becoming more and more irellevant I believe.
I’m going to wait for Accurascale to do one of these. You just can’t beat them for accuracy and price. Used to love watching the Peaks thunder through Hendon Station as a youth.
Im starting to feel like the phrase "New Tooling" is lingo for "We've cut corners".
I think it's high time we all start sending models back with any level of fault or poor performance. That Peak is completely unfit for purpose if it can't handle a curve, but as you say it could be faulty, either way it should go back. Even the sloppy paint work and whatever the heck that emblem was supposed to be! I'm looking up at my N Scale models, half the size of the Peak mind, and the paintwork, livery and decals on all of them is flawless. I remember my Bachmaan Cl.46 from when I was a kid and it'd mop the floor with this thing. That thing was an absolute beast and would haul anything you put behind it around 2nd radius curves. It's completely unacceptable to be paying close to £200 for a product that doesn't work as it should or has a poor finish.
A few months back you did a video on bearings, what they are and why they’re important, I’d love a similar piece on torque, why corners seem to kill it off on certain models, what factors affect torque, can anything be done to improve it?
That's a very cool idea - not sure how I'd test that, but I'll think about it, thank you! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
In my experience bad pulling power is always the result of not having enough gear reduction. For example, take any ancient Lima with the G motor driving the axles on a 2 axle bogie where the wheels are large enough or close to each other enough to cover the distance from the motors outgoing axle to the final sprockets on the wheels. Check how many revolutions it takes for the motor to turn a wheel.
Now take another Lima where the distance is much greater like the E103 or the BR151 using the exact same motor and you'll notice 1.5 times more motor revs vs. wheel revs resulting in less top end speed and a whole lot more pulling power.
Hi Sam, another great review, I model in O and OO and have never purchased any Heljan locomotives because of I have always been put off by their poor quality mechanisms from verbal and written reviews ! At 79 I guess that is now never going to happen.
It’s nice to see heljan are trying to improve… dunno if it’s faulty or not, but at least heljan are trying. They still have a way to go to catch up with some of the other manufacturers
At this point I know that Heljan arnt going to make anything good so just avoid them altogether. Also it may just be me but, I prefer the matte paint finish over satin. Less shine. It feels like a working vehicle like a Ford Econoline rather than a luxury vehicle like a Bently
Disappointing? A Heljan model?
Well, if I'm being honest, what else would you expect? Lol
The nose grilles have hinges which were only fitted as part of the 1966 refurbishment programme. The four holes on the bogie for the rear sandboxes are actually correct as they remained when the boxes were removed in the late 1960s. D4 Great Gable the Class 44 has four holes there.
Interesting that it runs much better on feedback. Maybe DCC has allowed manufacturers to be a little lazy with motors: With DCC, the decoder controls the motor so you can set one to provide feedback for its motor while another loco with a coreless motor provides clean DC.
That may be well for DCC users but it kicks sand in the face for those using DC.
I nearly considered one of these, but the shade of the BR Blue versions is incorrect (lacks that green tinge) and is too dark.
Will probably opt for a Bachmann one instead
Hehehe... Good review mukka.
If I had been reported for every time I coupled up without stopping my loco first I would have been sacked over 40 years ago!
Once you... "get your eye in" it becomes second nature. Trying to make coupling without stopping the new normal sounds like a typical woke agenda, with incompetent fools trying to change the world, for the equally inept.
Stay safe and motivated chum. Regards from Oz.
Gaz
Was Heljan ever“good“? I think what they had going for them - particularly in H0 scale - was thet back in the days, they were the only ones to model Danish prototypes. However, their drivetrains were always atrocious, as was (way roo often, anyway) their build „quqlity“.
I think your headline of "disappointing" sums up this offering from Heljan Sam! It's totally drab and if they don't keep pace with the latest Bachmann, Dapol and Accurascale releases they'll no doubt be in OO gauge trouble!
Thanks Sam for the review, one to avoid, I think! For me Bachmanns 45 - D27 pt no 32-679DS the moulding, livery detailing and wire hand rails set it on another level compared to the Danish manufacturer's model!:
Personally I know and agree this is not the best locomotive in the world, but in my opinion mechanically, it is a sign that Heljan is trying to improve as we saw in the mechanism. Who knows, maybe one day Heljan might actually be just as good as Bachmann one day. Good review Sam, keep up the good work.
I have to say Sam that the new Heljan Class 45 "Peak" locomotive is a decent looking model. I am glad Heljan has finally listen to everyone's criticism properly which is a step in the right direction. Of course, Heljan still needs to improve on certain things properly like the motor for example. By the way, I want to talk to you through your email Sam because I have a very important question.
Yeah I've definitely seen worse, and big credit for the upgrades to the mechanism. Lots of room for improvement still, but they are moving in the right direction!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Let me help you Sam. Medium spec loco with poor quality build.
Just look at how the fuel tank is hanging down low! I think it was easier to see for us in the video. The part that you noticed loose was the speedo drive cable. The top end should be fixed to the body
I almost forgot - the accessories pack issue is not binary either. The various items are mostly present or absent on the prototype depending on the exact year and number of your model. Things like sand boxes, steam pipes were removed. Roof detail varied considerably through the life of the engine.
Sam I like your channel
Spot on review, Sam. It looks nice I must say, but it falls short in comparison to the competition. Its a big shame because I like it. If it was built to a high standard, etched grilles and nicely painted, I might say its alright from a distance. Of course, from a distance doesn't do, but it would be alright. Like this its just meh to not be mean since again, it looks alright from a distance. Its alright, but if you start to compare it to other locomotives it just falls flat. If I want a Peak, Bachmann fills the bill and is probably a lot cheaper as well especially second hand. Great review, Sam. Even though the model is quite mediocre, I could feel your disappointment through the screen but hey, its not the worst ripoff from Hejlan so at least that.
I have one of the TMC versions (the economy green one) and it runs fine and looks OK to me, especially when weathered. What Heljan excels at is providing a variety of liveries and numbers, including the transition era. Bachmann and Hornby often seem to boycott the late 60's for some reason.
I'm happy with my own Helijan 45133 it's a great performer and I love it, this one in the video though sounds like it's faulty.
I had a similar issue with a Bachmann Deltic. Approaching corners, it would slow down, and the outermost wheels would carve into the plastic on the inside of the bodyshell. I just raised the body by using 2 old Triang connecting rod washers, and now the deltic flies round corners the same speed as on the straights, with no damage to the plastic. You would'nt even notice the slightly higher bodyline.
Do heljan make any decent models ?
Always seems to have some sort of ridiculous issues and or build quality
This is a perfect example and for the money they are charging you'd expect it to be up there with the very best
I feel it's overpriced
It looks like your motor mount is faulty - when I saw this I immediately opened mine and the motor is definitely not loose. I also double checked it's performance on 2nd radius, and I do not see a noticeable slowdown. Mine isn't the fastest loco at low settings, and it doesn't have a great deal of torque, but it does run really smoothly on all curves. I agree re: the handrails (and I think they are the model's biggest flaw). My speedo rests higher on the bogie than yours does, and doesn't wobble. The fine paint details aren't the best, but with human eyes the flaws are not discernable, so I generally don't mind such small flaws.
I never minded the finish, in most part because I never intend to run my locos "out of the box". I plan to weather all my locos, preferably with an "oily rag" finish suggestive of a hard working loco wiped down by an enthusiastic cleaner. I do agree that the Bachmann finish is nicer - but in the end it comes out in the wash.
I missed you on your tri ang remembering train set so here's my comment for that video I think more companies should rerelease old train sets Because I think it's so cool to see vintage stuff Really released after so many years and with the vintage we would not have what we have today
Thanks for sharing Chase - yeah older models are absolutely great as budget models... as long as they're priced as such of course!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
It looks to me it is designed for A to B layouts rather than the looped layouts going by the slowness on turns/ corners
Maybe if the manufacturers spent more money on the bits that matter the motors and instead of the gimmicks these problems of stalling would probably not happen.
Just received one, very disappointed, runs like bag of nails. Stops and starts all over the layout and the cabs light flicker as it goes along and I am on DCC with them turned off!!
Hi Sam, Good review, Yes it's like my mother in law , looks good at a distance, with you bin it. All the best Brian 😃
I have seen a fair few reviews of this model already and they show the model more positively, because of that I will be getting one eventually with the version I’m thinking of is one of the TMC commission ones because they do them with the split head code which I really like, plus I don’t have a super detailed class 45 in my fleet.
Ahh sounds fantastic - hope you enjoy if you do! :D
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains, I have something to ask. When will you do the BR class 28?
I have been waiting patiently for a Very long time, almost a few years actually, also, When will you dabble in the realm of OO9 scale?
I believe if you are going to have a Standard Gauge Layout, you should also probably have an accompanying Narrow Gauge Layout.
Modeling is something I would love to do one day, but right now, I don’t have the Time, Money, Tools, or Resources to do modeling. When you finally do get a BR class 28 for your OO layout, and when you actually start on OO9 gauge, I will subscribe.
TMC have them on offer at the moment. I paid £142 for mine yesterday.
@@roberthill6216 thanks for letting me know about that Robert, didn’t realise that the price had been dropped on the TMC ones.
@@davidstrains4910 No probs. It was just something I spotted. Mine arrives in the post on Tuesday, D13 in as new all over green.
Hi Sam, great review as normal. What a shame when Heljan finally get the mechanism sorted that it's such a poor runner! I am usually a fan of Heljan diesels especially their o gauge, I have plenty in oo all of which are great runners. But you are correct to give it a poor review as for me their is nothing worse than a poor runner especially in a peek which were so good in real life.
I will avoid this one like the plague as I purchased a Dapol Manor (on offer for £80) which as per your review suffers the same problem and looks so awful when running I can only bare to use it as a static display, serves me right I will pay more attention to your review this time.
Keep up the good work and more o gauge please,
Cheers
Paul
Farcical model quite honestly. I just bought a brand new Accurascale class 37 for £175.
I bought one of these Heljan Peaks when they came out., underwhelming is the most polite way of saying it. Still dont know why I bought it TBH. Awful paint finish, poorly shapped in a number of area's. Will I ever learn!!!
Great review Sam! It’s too bad that Heljan are still so far behind everyone else. Sure their improving a lot, especially in terms of accessibility and mechanism, but the detail still leaves a bit to be desired, and the performance is quite embarrassing. I actually think you were a little generous with this one. Also, I have a quick question; I’m in market for a 3D Printer, and I was thinking about going with the Flashfordge Adventurer 3. I know you have replaced you Flashfordge though, is there a problem with it? Thanks!
Thanks for sharing! Yeah that's right - small improvements, but at this price I would expect better. If they existed in a vacuum then we might have not realised how far behind they are compared with others. I watched this back this morning and thought I was a little generous too, haha! I went off the Flashforge after trying other machines - my recommendation now would be the Mingda magician X... it's a better all-rounder, and I much prefer the glass print bed... they last 10x longer than those plasticy ones!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains Okay, thanks for your advice Sam! One thing I’m also considering with a printer is that mine will ether be in my basement or bedroom, and my basement is a mess, so it gets dusty, and I don’t want fumes in my room, so I thought an enclosure would be a good idea.
@@SamsTrains Not tempted with an SLA printer?
You shouldn't get a Peak wrong. So many Peak models from the past (including my 1979 Mainline 45 039 The Manchester Regiment, bought second hand in 1985 and runs like a dream!) that there is no excuse for making a bad one, if necessary, go back to the past if your innovation is leading you astray. Disappointing from Helijan, given that they had shown signs of improvement. Ask for a replacement, it might be better.
Check out Richard of Everard Junction's review and REPAINT of this model 6 months ago, very informative and enjoyable
I think Heljan should either drastically improve the quality and decoration of their models or just stick to doing obscure prototypes which would save them the embarrassment of being compared to more competent manufacturers. Maybe they should try to re-do the Triang Dock Shunter and see if they could improve on that.
Sam is such a divisive person, people tend to hold one of two opinions, with nothing in between. Some people think he’s a twat, whereas others think he’s a knob head.
Looks like Heljan are still using cheap and shiny plastic's. My 86's shed their underframe and roofing details, and they will NOT accept superglue etc. Shame.
great review Sam. Send it back though as out of the box it does not perform.
Having said that, I like the leading and trailing wheels and the way they work. Perhaps Hornby and Bachman could adopt this method for their trailing trucks.
Looks like a dud motor so send it back. For what you paid you should expect it to at least run around the layout with 7 coaches without a problem.
The model itself isn't horrible, but I think maybe the motor is letting it down. Either poor quality, in which case Heljan needs to really check their suppliers better, or it may be faulty. I could almost live with the slightly plastic looking finish if the motor had been decent.
If you do return it for an exchange rather than refund, please let us know if a replacement unit works any better.
I really like the axle bearings but I find the lack of torque disturbing.
Yeah it is - though the advantages of the bearings are noticeable in that this can crawl now!! Not sure about the torque issue - it's an odd one!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
we have two H brands and both turn out their fair share of duffers - however no brand is perfect - issues on the sound files on the brand new Class 37 from AS ????? 🤪😵💫😵
Aside from independents such as Accurascale there is only one company capable of producing decent diesels and that is Bachmann. I have one of the old Bachmann Peaks and on many levels it kicks this Heljan offering in to touch.
I would send it back just for the poor paint on the axle box rubbish nearly $400.00 send it back Sam
Good review, I have seen some more positive reviews of these, won’t be getting one as I have a Heljan 25 on order which I’m excited for even if the price has gotten out of hand a bit, the 25 has a similar mechanism to these I think so we’ll see how those go!
I have a feeling that there’s a potential issue with this loco but idk, might take some investigation really.
On a separate note, good to see that the Barclays are returning to sale too.
Anyway another good review can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks for sharing! The 25 will be interesting - I'll have a look at that maybe! Yes the barclays are amazing aren't they... and half the price of this!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
The deal breaker for me is the incorrect shape of the front windows, the roof profile, the cab doors, and the use of non-etched grilles. Bachmann's Peaks are a lot better in the looks department.
i like train
I've seen better locomotive thene that and for that price.
Yeah I would return it too and buy a locomotive that will work with no problem's.
A very honest review. Overall it looks poor to me for the money - glue marks, poor paintwork - a lot of issues. Poor quality control by the looks of it.
Just terrible. I have seen many reviews for this and cannot understand how they got it so wrong. The shape is just not right at the front. Those drives doors are flat and should have a crease in them near the top. This throws the shape out and it just looks odd. Luckily Sam you didn't get the BR blue one. The colour is completely wrong. This will be discounted very soon.
Any thoughts on the cab light flickering so much indicative of an unsteady flow of power ? Bye Tin Man .
Good one Sam 👍
You'll likely find it's only in the video. Digital frs tends to create a strobe effect which is invisible in reality
Could the floating axle be why it slows on corners as they may catch the body ..I will say i do not have model railways etc just say and watched your video
The channels 10th birthday is coming up soon (May 13 2013- May 13 2023)
Mmmm , feeling that you have to return your model. Definitely not good. I did not see anything on the plus side off the model. 😔
I don’t understand how diesel/electric locomotives can come anywhere near the price of steam for models.
Well, poop me knickaz and call mr Eliza! Can it be? A Heljan diesel that’s inferior?
U just have a hatred for heljan. They are actually very good. I happen to own a heljan 25, 27 and 128
Haha fair enough - so which parts of the review don’t you agree with? Do you think it’s painted/finished as well as locos from other manufacturers for instance?
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Shame it's such a disappointing loco but that lack of power is just terrible.
Not worth £160, if it was about £45 second hand hay be worth it.
there's decently something wrong with it because the cab light flickers on the curves and neither of my 2 slowed down on curves
That could be! It's interesting about the flickering as quite a few locos appear to do it on camera, but it's not noticeable to the naked eye. Weird that this one does it on curves though - I'll have a look and see if that's visible in person!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
@@SamsTrains it tends to be on the video. Camera fps can create a stroboscopic effect that's invisible in reality. You're hm2000 is having a massive strobe attack as well in the video
Get a refund for this and buy the next issue of the Royal Memorial Train.
Hi sam
I hope you are well
As you know am not a fan of diesel but this is a let down model. I feel sorry for people who got one.
Keep safe ARP
Yeah me too - when you look at some of the other models available for a similar price I feel sorry for them too!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Hi Sam. I had a BR blue one for a very short time which similarly underwhelmed me. Mine did seem to be a smooth runner and I liked the cab detail but the blue was far too dark and quite matt. It was a noticeably different blue to everything else I have, and especially in comparison with my Bachmann 45 - it just looked wrong. I had hoped it would be a step up from the quite old Bachmann tooling, but it just wasn't, and I still prefer the Bachmann.
The 'tin man' noise is caused by a c.5mm plastic protrusion on the top side of each bogie which I assume is designed to maintain a minimum distance between the bogies and the body above. When the loco goes round a bend, the bogie obviously moves and the plastic 'nipple' rubs on the underside of the body (stop sniggering at the back!). A touch of white grease stopped it on mine. If you haven't returned it yet, lift up the loco so the bogies hang free, turn them fully to one side, and you'll see the offending piece of plastic - you're basically hearing a friction noise.
Heh, nipple
When a loco stops on the curves, it is either faulty or it's a piece of crap.
I bought the TMC one with the split head code I like the loco but it really only runs well in one direction going the opposite way it pops and grinds a little witch can probably be fixed idk I haven't pulled the body off to see... Oddly the thing that upset me the most is on its long trip to the U.S. the wand seems to have grab some of the metal bits in the accessories pack and somehow ripped it open so my first impression of the loco taking it out of the box is watching all the small bits fall to the floor...
Ahh that's really not good at all - and very annoying about the accessories bag too, and annoying that they put the couplings in there and it's not resealable... so you unleash all of those details in the process. Sorry you had a bad experience anyway - heljan not really recommended!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Return 199 to the Other Railway. I will write my reviews later.
yep great review Sam it has saved me some money.
Would not touch Heljan stock with a barge pole.
Make it go Downhill on outside track to make it go faster
Consider the "Tin Man" noise flange squeal.😊
Lot of material here for a John Shuttleworth ditty. Oof!
Awesome diesel Sam and that diesel is like spamcam aka d199 from the rws books
Thank you AJ! Ahh I see - that makes sense!!
Thanks for watching - Sam :)
Disappointing? It's dreadful.
Them handrails are totally disgusting.
Why do English locomotives have a yellow nose. After all, steam locomotives didn't have a yellow node, did they. Do you know the story?
I believe it was to improve visibility by track gangs as yellow was easier to see from a distance. However newer trains have moved away from this practice due to improvements to track working lookout procedures and systems.
Ha! OK, thanks for the feedback.
Send it back Sam, this is not acceptable.
"physically excited" you say? 🤨
(Trying again) good video. I think I can help with the issues you raised about curves, check my review for details. Lovely model only issue I have is flickering cab lights at low speed
I like locos with Lights 🙂🚂🚂🚂
So, the peak… isn’t peak?
“Take this Spamcan away! The Limited is due through!”
“Spamcan?! Why I-“
“Shut it you, or I’ll take me Tin opener to your Radiator!”
I'll just stick to my bachmann. Needed lower on performance... my mainline peak can pull 12 coaches up a steepish bank without a problem and forca 40ish year-old model does a not aweful crawl.
Hello Sam. Thank you for the video. I will stick with my Bachmann 45 . The only good point with the Heljan peak is the mechanism apart from the motor. The livery application the so called design clever spare parts bag is just plain awful. To use the words Elvis Presley, return to sender 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Sam, have you checked the mechanism your old Bachmann 45 lately? Mine had snapped all 4 screw plastic pedistals on each corner of the motor making it loose. Some holes drilled by the fuel tank and cable ties solved the problem. 😀
Not a surprise. It's in the name: to hell with Jan. And it seems general reading some comments. A big lantern with a very little light not worth the money. Helljan made some improvements but not up to normal RTR standards. A sad result for a 2 year exorcise !