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Any Forum member bought the new Heljan 2701 diesel locomotive

Running it on your layout, how have you found it in performance

On running my latest acquisition of the Heljan 2701, find that running it in reverse with no coaches or wagons hitched on - it runs over the track and points with no mishaps. On reverse with coaches or and wagons coupled up to the Heljan 2701, the nearest coach or wagon to the 2701 derails together with the 2701 itself.
Running the 2701 plus coaches or wagons in forward direction, derails on some of the points. Using a large oval track layout, with no points fitted - 2701 runs without any mishaps or derailment of itself or attached coaches/wagons.
None of the other Heljan various diesel locomotives in my fleet, show this fault. My thoughts are to the fault lying with the couplings or bogie's, though bogie's appear to swivel easily.
A feed back from the members will be most appreciated.

 

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Peter_Harvey - you mention the "knuckle coupling", am I correct in thinking your reference is what looks to me as a "chain" roughly half an inch long! This "knuckle coupling" certainly appears to foul the normal NMRA coupling pocket and tension Heljan coupling. Templates, not quite sure of what you mean, sorry!
How is the best way to raise the "knuckle coupling" without damage or breaking it off? Thanks for your help.

spongebob - long time since hearing from you!
Your are quite correct, both the bogie's are slightly tight, worse when reaching below body sides.
Black plastic sides are certainly not very secure due to poor tightness between side frames socket and body pillars. From what you say, the 2701 fault I am experiencing is a poor design in manufacture and only Heljan can rectify.
When ordering replacement side frames, apparently Heljan must supply side frames in pairs. One pair of side frames has one side frame showing what resembles a cast hydraulic pipe. Certainly Heljan reference is B30 x2off body side frame.

 

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Referring to the bogie's' side frames - one of the two securing tube type fasteners, on examination this showed one of the tubes was partially broken off causing the side frame to be loose and in my case falling off or falling down as it did at first and rubbing along the track. No doubt this problem also caused the derailment of the 27 when reversing over the points. All side frames show a degree of tight fit.
The side frames are certainly not a tight fit on the 27. Side frames are not interchangeable and one side frame has a molded pipe protruding at the bottom of the side frame. When ordering a spare set of side frames will require B30 x(2) B71 x(2) if I am reading the spares list correctly.

 

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Hi pipamikepipa, your comment on the Heljan plastic side frames is very helpful. As you say if a requirement for replacement side frames is needed, care must be made to ensure which end of the Heljan 27 and if noting the right or left of the grill located on the 27 then it should be straight forward in obtaining the correct plastic side frame. Reference to the molded pipe, this is probably correctly described by you as "speedo drive" - the black coloured pipe that I refer to being part of the mold of one only side frame, as none of the other three side frames show this pipe.
Unfortunately, my model of the Heljan 27 came with plastic side frame loose, owing to one of the securing pillars being partially broken off (probably the assembler person not bothered to replace).
I have too, three Class 33s, with similar plastic side frames fitted to the Class27 and none of the 33s have broken or bad fitting side frames.
I have read several reviews on the 33s and 27s, each time pointing out the side frames being a weak point and would benefit if side frames where part of the bogy body mold.