Blue Diesils

As you say Ben the Heljan Hymek is a cracking little loco, I'm very pleased with the blue one I have. As typical with Heljan it runs very well and has more than enough haulage ability. I can't comment on the Hornby version as I don't have one. The Heljan Western has received some bad press with regard to the roof profile over the cab and I can see what everybody was talking about but to be honest, I'm not a rivet counter and the loco looks believable to me. The thing that did irritate me however was the buffer beam skirts inasmuch that they can't be fitted if couplings are to be fitted. Without the skirts fitted the model completely loses that distinctive Western look and in fact looks distinctly 'odd' to me. As regards the Bachmann Warship, again it may not be perfect to many but from where I'm sat when it's going around my layout with a long rake of 12ton vent vans on the drawbar it's looks like a Warship to me. Sorry if all this is not very definitive Ben but as I say, I'm not a rivet counter and if it looks right to me then I'm happy.

Ben the words 'can' and 'worms' instantly come to mind when I read your request regarding the Hornby Class 50 coupling problem.

There has been so much written in forums and readers letters in the various mags I reckon a book could be produced now. The early Class 50 was a nightmare with regard to the performance of its coupling mechanism and to make matters even worse, Hornby elected to fit the same mechanism to it's Class 31's and 60's. In fairness to Hornby, the later models are not so susceptible to derailing whatever is unlucky enough to be on the drawbar as they have fitted a weaker spring to the close coupling mechanism but believe me, it still happens occasionally. I don't want to get drawn into all the technicalities but suffice to say that the problem orginates from the fact the the couplings have been fitted to the body and not the bogies. This means that when the loco is on a curve the coupling is not in line with the centre line of the track but overhangs the track either into the cess or the sixfoot. The theory being than the 'load' of the train would pull the coupling to the desired position and into acceptible alignment with the coupling of the following vehicle. On the early Hornby Class 50 this did not happen and as a result it did have a disposition for derailing stock when going into a curve. This was because original spring in the coupling mechanism was too strong and thus prevented the coupling from being pulled sideways. As I've said, the weaker spring now fitted has improved this 95% but the fact that the coupling is fitted to the body and not the bogie has produced other problems. You will be aware that the body extremities of any rail vehicle will over hang the track when that vehicle is on a curve. The amount of overhang will depend on all sorts of things not least the curvature of the track, the length of the body and the the distance from the a bogie king post to the extremity of the body. When the coupling is fitted to the bogie (as the majority of manufacturers do) this body overhang is not really an issue because the centre line of the bogie, being of relatively short wheelbase, will always more or less follow the centre line of the track, so it follows that if the coupling is mounted to the bogie, it too will always more or less follow the centre line of the track. If the coupling is fitted to the body however the coupling position relative to the track will be determined by the body overhang. This means that when a Hornby loco (50, 31 or 60) is sat on a curve and not coupled to a train the coupling will not be anywhere near the centre line of the track and it will be impossible to couple any of them to a train. In fact, it's difficult to couple ony of these locos to a train unless at least the loco and first vehicle is effectively sat on straight track! (without the helping finger from the sky that is).

QUOTE From that reply I will avoid the hornby Class 50 and maybe the 31.

I wouldn't completely discount them. I have both and they are beautifully detailed models. They really are good models. As long as you don't have them pulling anything with those dodgy couplers they wont derail and are ok. Depends on what you want them for as to whether they are any good or not. Maybe you could fit kadee's to the front or something.

QUOTE (Ben Manicom @ 18 Jun 2006, 18:38) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I am building a collection of BR corporate blue locomotives and Currently posess a Drewy shunter a class 37 a class 20 a HST and a class 142 Pacer and an 08 coming soon. I am in search of a locomotives to handle express passenger/Normal passenger Trains as my 37 and 20 are primarily used for goods I have narrowed down the options to the Hornby class 31 the Bachmann Deltic and class 47 and the Heljan class 33 which of these is the best for my requirements?

Personally I would go with 33's, 35's , 47's, 50's and 52's for your passenger workings, as for the Hornby 50 it's a cracker let down by some minor flaws ie coupling, but then again what rtr OO loco is perfect, personally I wouldn't let that hold you back in buying one, what ever you do don't buy the Honrby's 35 and 47 they are bloody awful the Heljans are superb but don't be put off by the tubbiness of the duff it's a superb mechanism (i would say the best and some seriously discounted prices now) and you wont tell the difference unless you put it up against a Bachmann body snatcher and the Hymek is often regarded as the rtr OO loco around .

QUOTE (spongebob @ 29 Jun 2006, 23:41) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The problem with the heljan 47 and indeed quite a few other co-co's of recent ttimes is they are a bit tight on first radius curves to say the least.

I don't think any of the new stuff will go around a first radius curve these days .

QUOTE (Ben Manicom @ 30 Jun 2006, 10:43) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I think I may wait until Bachmanns 47 is released

How long you got

QUOTE (37197 @ 30 Jun 2006, 10:47) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>How long you got
Plenty of Time I waited 2 years for some Mark 1s and I only have half what I need
Could we hazard a guess as when to when it will appear Ill make a bet of the end of 2007/Beginning of 2008