The blue King with those red and cream coaches is quite a sight. But it's the 2-8-0 that steals the show for me, such a dignified looking loco. Thanks as ever for sharing your loco's.
Many thanks for your welcome insights. Yes, indeed. The Churchward 4700s have been described as the best fast goods engines ever to run in the U.K. They had their route limitations but they fulfilled their niche role and much else besides with distinction for over 40 years.
Glad you are still rocking and rolling, nice session. How do you find the night owl? I have heard nothing but nightmare stories about heljan steam locomotives but your one seems to run nicely. Nice to see it on a proper fitted freight as well. I always have a soft spot for the kings. My first express engine was an old Lima King. Odd for a southern modeller!
Yep, still here...I wondered how long it would take for a question to arise re Heljan steam loco models! Sure enough I've come across noise on the internet forums and warnings from sellers, eg Olivias Trains about them. Prior to this model, I had purchased two LNER 2-8-0s (Gresley 02, Robinson 04) with both sellers (they were "new/other") warning about potential damage to the front of the loco and bogie caused by postage tranportation?? Of course, the pictures showed no such "damage". Correction, it was the Heljan 02, not the Bachmann 04 I should be referring to!! Sorry. When the Heljan 02 arrived it was absolutely fine, no issues at all. The 'Night-Owl' was a completely different kettle of fish (staying with the animal analogy). I came across it by accident looking at a sellers' other items. New/other again, excellent pictures and now very rare. Hardly any to be found for sale across the internet...so I bought it. Very well packed, all in undamaged box, no signs of bashing on the external packaging. Here's what I found: The frontal running plate ahead of the cylinders to the buffer beam bent upwards, hairline cracks at the point of the bend, buffers hanging off, only the springs keeping them in place. One of the stanchions (between the smokebox and corners of the buffer beam) broken. Seller had a "good" reputation, sold as the last one; I could have be sold a "dud" ie he had more than one of the same model. Given its rarity...? and all other items he had looked kosher, no dubious listings or anything amiss. I could have returned it but I decided to have a go at repairing it given its rarity. I purchased some piped modelling strips, styrene and phosphor bronze and found a styrene match for one of frontal stanchions. Tricky to get in place and length match . It's not perfect, but it will do for now! I bent the buffer beam back into place, stuck it down and secured it for 24 hours using a cloths peg.It worked! secured the buffers back in place. (sprung buffers are neither here nor there for me). The 'correct' GW shape vacuum pipe was broken, so there's the more conventional shaped one in place which will do for now. I was dreading the front pony truck...will it derail on corners and point work as it was light? No problems at all...such a relief! Having said all that, it runs beautifully, so smooth and silent. It is much heavier than any equivalent hornby or bachmann model and the tender is almost as heavy as a wrenn 8F tender. Oh, and the dreadful couplings! droopy and lower than they should be...same as on my Heljan 'Westerns' How I hate NEM couplings! So there you have it. It's a mystery. The Nightmare of the Night-Owl, for Night-Ferry 🤨👍
@@crewelocoman5b161 Wow, quite the saga! It's very odd as I hear only good things about the diesels. Excellent job, it does look like it runs rather well.
Western Region heaven, lovely consists, I enjoyed the running session, thanks for sharing.
Hello David, Thank you kind sir for your thoughtful and kind comment. I'm delighted that you enjoyed the session!
The blue King with those red and cream coaches is quite a sight. But it's the 2-8-0 that steals the show for me, such a dignified looking loco. Thanks as ever for sharing your loco's.
Many thanks for your welcome insights. Yes, indeed. The Churchward 4700s have been described as the best fast goods engines ever to run in the U.K. They had their route limitations but they fulfilled their niche role and much else besides with distinction for over 40 years.
Blue loco , crimson and cream coaches , a superb running session
Cheers, delighted you enjoyed!👍
Glad you are still rocking and rolling, nice session. How do you find the night owl? I have heard nothing but nightmare stories about heljan steam locomotives but your one seems to run nicely. Nice to see it on a proper fitted freight as well.
I always have a soft spot for the kings. My first express engine was an old Lima King. Odd for a southern modeller!
Yep, still here...I wondered how long it would take for a question to arise re Heljan steam loco models! Sure enough I've come across noise on the internet forums and warnings from sellers, eg Olivias Trains about them. Prior to this model, I had purchased two LNER 2-8-0s (Gresley 02, Robinson 04) with both sellers (they were "new/other") warning about potential damage to the front of the loco and bogie caused by postage tranportation?? Of course, the pictures showed no such "damage". Correction, it was the Heljan 02, not the Bachmann 04 I should be referring to!! Sorry. When the Heljan 02 arrived it was absolutely fine, no issues at all.
The 'Night-Owl' was a completely different kettle of fish (staying with the animal analogy). I came across it by accident looking at a sellers' other items. New/other again, excellent pictures and now very rare. Hardly any to be found for sale across the internet...so I bought it. Very well packed, all in undamaged box, no signs of bashing on the external packaging. Here's what I found:
The frontal running plate ahead of the cylinders to the buffer beam bent upwards, hairline cracks at the point of the bend, buffers hanging off, only the springs keeping them in place. One of the stanchions (between the smokebox and corners of the buffer beam) broken. Seller had a "good" reputation, sold as the last one; I could have be sold a "dud" ie he had more than one of the same model. Given its rarity...? and all other items he had looked kosher, no dubious listings or anything amiss. I could have returned it but I decided to have a go at repairing it given its rarity. I purchased some piped modelling strips, styrene and phosphor bronze and found a styrene match for one of frontal stanchions. Tricky to get in place and length match . It's not perfect, but it will do for now! I bent the buffer beam back into place, stuck it down and secured it for 24 hours using a cloths peg.It worked! secured the buffers back in place. (sprung buffers are neither here nor there for me). The 'correct' GW shape vacuum pipe was broken, so there's the more conventional shaped one in place which will do for now. I was dreading the front pony truck...will it derail on corners and point work as it was light? No problems at all...such a relief! Having said all that, it runs beautifully, so smooth and silent. It is much heavier than any equivalent hornby or bachmann model and the tender is almost as heavy as a wrenn 8F tender. Oh, and the dreadful couplings! droopy and lower than they should be...same as on my Heljan 'Westerns' How I hate NEM couplings!
So there you have it. It's a mystery. The Nightmare of the Night-Owl, for Night-Ferry 🤨👍
@@crewelocoman5b161 Wow, quite the saga! It's very odd as I hear only good things about the diesels. Excellent job, it does look like it runs rather well.
@@Night_Ferry👍