British Railway’s ’standard’ Type 1 is released in ‘OO’.
ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR release in the middle of last year, ready-to-run manufacturer Heljan is finally shipping the first examples of its 4mm scale Clayton Type 1 Bo-Bo (TOPS Class 17). Never a success on the real railway, the Danish firm will be hoping that the quirky nature of these machines will be more appealing to modellers.
A full review of this all new model will appear in the next issue of RAIL EXPRESS Modeller, but for now here are a few pictures of the locomotive.
All photographs by Philip Sutton. Please do not reproduce any of these elsewhere without permission.
April 1, 2009 at 4:01 pm |
It certainly looks the part! That front end is sublime.
April 2, 2009 at 8:00 am |
A top-class job that will be well received in my homeland. We Jocks have been waiting for an RTR Clayton for years and a model of this quality vindicates the long wait. Beautifully done sideframes stand out among many excellent features.
April 2, 2009 at 9:57 pm |
Nice model but beware there are apparent supply problems. Hattons e-mailed me yesterday to say they could not supplt either of the two versions I pre-ordered some weeks ago.
April 6, 2009 at 7:51 pm |
a beautiful model with prototypical slow running and excellent detail. However, there seems to be a problem in some cases with the motors burning out after only a short period of running, see RM web for details. There hasn’t been any official word from Heljan about this. May be they don’t know about it themselves yet?
April 8, 2009 at 12:27 pm |
a friend who works for modelfair told me that some of he’s 17s sounded like a bag of spanners i canceled mine,with the credit crunch i dont want to spend my dosh on a dog,hope they do sort it out,to be fair they’ve had sometime for de-bugging the model,i might just be a one off a.
April 9, 2009 at 1:35 am |
I have just received my Clayton and It seems to run extemely slowly and use a lot of “juice.” Do I have a Dud?
April 9, 2009 at 10:10 am |
Got mine down here in Australia. Had it ordered since first announced. Can you imagine my dismay when after 5″ running, mine conked out! Same problem. It has all the hallmarks of dirty communtator slots. Am afraid to touch it as to null my warrenty. Then again, it will be expensive to mail it back to be rectified. waiting reply from Heljan and agent.
April 9, 2009 at 4:39 pm |
Lovely model and as has been said, eagerly awaited for them in Scotland … motors rubbish !! Had first 3 so able to compare, all run at a crawl with full power, Needs half controller to even make them move. Tried D8603 on test rollers and motor just conked out after a few minutes running SLOWLY !!! Next 3 about to sent. Anyone with just one is going to think they have a dud but they all appear faulty. What are Heljan going to do as it obvious there is a major problem.
April 9, 2009 at 4:47 pm |
A question for Philip Sutton. In your very clear photos you show the white centre section of the cab removed. How did you do that?
April 9, 2009 at 7:56 pm |
Never heard of him! Hello Bob. How to take the loco apart is shown in the leaflet enclosed with the model. It is, unfortunately, not very easy. The removal of the cab is achieved by pushing the two exhaust stacks inwards and pulling the cab up. I made a mess of this and it came off in my hand. The ‘white’ interior came out with it but really this should be pushed out downwards from the top once the cab is off and the complete body is removed from the chassis (again awkward with buffer collers etc.) It is, in fact, located on four spigots inside the bodyshell, two of which I broke by pulling it out the wrong way!
April 10, 2009 at 12:52 am |
Hey, many thanks for that. I’ve already managed to lose the collars, snipped bits off the ends of the buffer spindles and glued the buffers in place. Are we supposed to glue those “mickey mouse” paper indicator panels over the transparent plastic panel? What a business, they don’t tell you anything!
April 10, 2009 at 4:54 pm |
Enough of this doom & gloom !!
RAIL EXPRESS – when are those tasty special editions Bachamm 37’s going to appear please ??
April 16, 2009 at 12:27 pm |
I have taken delivery of my Class 17 and on Tuesday I took it to the club layout to give it a run-in.
At first the running was very slow but the more it ran the smother it got. Very happy with the model as it captures the 12″ to the foot loco variety extremely well.
Thank you Modelfair for you prompt service.
April 22, 2009 at 7:06 pm |
I bought Clayton in green with small yellow ends. Really looks the business, but when I ran it oh dear! Sounds like a bag of loose bolts, very slow running and soon ran very hot. Real smoke from the exhausts. Are Heljan aware of this problem, if so what do they intend to do?
May 2, 2009 at 3:44 pm |
I have today become my Loco (I think the only Class 17 in Germany)
I have made following:
1.dismantling Loco
2.the foamed plastic completely remove. The engine needs a good aerial circulation.
3. Remove engine from connection (4 screws!)
4. allow to run the engine, in the fingers! (medium speed -> Forward as well as reverse)
5. the gear is complicated. -> examine whether the gear runs “softy”!
when not, dismantled the gear! And Check the Wormgear and the Bearing on the Front of the Bearing (use a fine file) and cleaning the Bearing and assemble gear again!
6. Mount engine. quite simply goes.
IMPORTANT: on it respect the fan opening (both slits!) is not covered!
7. Check the Engine.
8. Complete the Loco.
I will pay attention which does not drive the railroad engine so long.
unusual engine noise, but I think Normal! I think it´s the first Time for Heljan with this Motortype.