Lynton & Barnstaple 2-6-2T from Heljan

[Paulc]

From my personal experience; sometimes!

I set up an oval of Peco set track to use for running in, testing etc.  The loco ran through it OK.  A bit "squeaky" on one curve.  I decided to put a couple of set track points in initially to see how the dead frog affected running.  The 2-6-2 does not like them and de rails most of the time.  I tried slackening off the "end" wheels which made it slightly better (Someone may have posted on this?) but it still does not like the points, de railing about 30% of the time.  It is now also stopping on one section of the curved track and I can't see why.  I haven't pinned the track yet as I'm thinking of making the test track a small scenic layout so it may be that it was slightly uneven. Although the weight of the 2-6-2 compared to the Minitrains Bagnall pushes the track quite heavily down on the base  (Cork laid on flat ply)

Sorry if a "sometimes" answer isn't much help, but that's my experience.  The Minitrains Bagnall,and other Minitrains locos however go throught the curves and the pointwork at impressively slow speeds without problem.

[James Mackeown]

I have perhaps a different perspective on the Heljan lynton and Barnstaple as,
on finding the running somewhat haphazard, I dismantled and fitted RC (it's a bad habit I have) in one of the two locos I have. Not an easy task...
This gave me the opportunity to see how the loco ran without relying on rail pick up.
Firstly the valve gear has a peculiar habit of jamming, just a small amount but needed adjusting. The motor itself sits poorly and tends to run free from the gearing if the screws beneath are not tightened correctly. I suspect stripped gears could result.
The main cause (only cause in my case) of derailment is from the front and rear bogies. (please excuse any errors in English as after 30 years in France I get rusty) ...
The solution for me as I no longer rely on electrical pickup was to modify the pressure on the front and rear axles so that they are free to curve round the tighter points. It works.
But it should work out of the box and it's truly a shame that it, and apparently many others, didn't.
Regards
James

[B.Meldon]

Having now had a look at the locos with others we think the main problem with the bogies is that the axles are a lose fit in the bogie frame.
This can and does result in the wheels sitting at the wrong angle to the rails and can result in derailments at points.
What they need to do is to make the axles fit in the bogies with minimal movement (including side to side movement) with any movement required (left, right, up and down etc.) taking place in the bogie pivot only, thus keeping the wheels at the correct angle to the rails.
The contacts that press down on the bogie wheels are unnecessary in my opinion and should be removed leaving just six wheel pickup. However this will require the plastic bogie frames to be heavier and replaced with cast metal ones so that the weight of the bogie frame will be enough to keep the wheel on the track.
But this is just my assessment, so others may think differently.
I have not had a look at the valve gear or the motor.

Brian Meldon

[Michael Melton]

From my personal experience; sometimes!

I set up an oval of Peco set track to use for running in, testing etc.  The loco ran through it OK.  A bit "squeaky" on one curve.  I decided to put a couple of set track points in initially to see how the dead frog affected running.  The 2-6-2 does not like them and de rails most of the time.  I tried slackening off the "end" wheels which made it slightly better (Someone may have posted on this?) but it still does not like the points, de railing about 30% of the time.  It is now also stopping on one section of the curved track and I can't see why.  I haven't pinned the track yet as I'm thinking of making the test track a small scenic layout so it may be that it was slightly uneven. Although the weight of the 2-6-2 compared to the Minitrains Bagnall pushes the track quite heavily down on the base  (Cork laid on flat ply)

Sorry if a "sometimes" answer isn't much help, but that's my experience.  The Minitrains Bagnall,and other Minitrains locos however go throught the curves and the pointwork at impressively slow speeds without problem.

That is a shame.  They look so nice.  I have limited space and already bought PECO setrack.  Had I known, I'd might of went the ROCO way with my track. 

[Tom Haythornthwaite]

This is so discouraging.  I am still in the queue for my example from Hatton's.  Didn't we once understand that the second batch was being made by a different Chinese company and / with much better quality assurance?  (I don't know when or where I read this.)  But a lot of what I'm reading now sounds like design problems rather than build quality. 

I have a Fourdees Bagnall being chipped for DCC and I am so so close to cancelling my Heljan 2-6-2.  Anything I run will be pretending to have shown up in India so it doesn't have to be authentically this or that....

Thoughts on a postcard.

[Hobby]

I'm sure they did say they were using a different factory and that the "issues" would be sorted. I would wait and see, if they turn out to be rubbish you'll get your money back just as those who have had problems have this time, so you can't lose either way. Just be patient and wait...

[JulienW]

I was chatting to someone at the 2017 Welshpool gala who had 2 of the L&B 2-6-2s running around an oval of Peco 009 set track over the weekend with no obvious problems. I recall that he suggested that Heljan had also had quality issues with their Chinese-built OO stuff - things not being located properly and the like - that seem to be similar to issues with the 009 locos.

I also have a feeling that he had bought his via Peco, and specking to someone at Peco prior to the release of the L&B locos he told me that every one they were selling on was going to be unboxed, track tested and repacked before sending off to the final customer.  This seemed a little extreme at the time but in hindsight perhaps not such a bad idea after all, and I wonder what their 'return rate' was and if there was a particular variant that had more issues than others...

I don't think that the second batch from the new factory have arrived on the scene yet as I imagine it will take Heljan a bit of time to move the tooling to the new site and train staff to do the work (properly this time!).

@Tom perhaps a better bet would be the Bachmann 4-6-0 WD Baldwin as several of these went to India, admittedly for use in industry afaik but you could get away with them on a common carrier.

[B.Meldon]

From what I have been told the next batch will have all new tooling!!
Heljan have the drawings and software details etc. to produce new tooling but the original tooling will remain with the original manufacture in China!
Obviously if this is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it, this will not be cheap for Heljan and it will not be a quick process either.

It has been mentioned that the cost of the new tooling may be offset by the number of the first batch locos returned to the manufacture. But this is pure conjecture.

Not everyone has had problems with these locos so as a comparison and to be fair to the product if you have one and have been using it without any problems please do post on this topic and let us all know.

Brian Meldon

[stevebar]

Hi guys. This is my first post, having been a member for a few months I finally got round to registering.
My wife was kind enough to buy one of these for me towards the end of last year. It ran nicely. But the couplings were mounted at such an angle that it wouldn't couple to any rolling stock. In view of the noise they'd made along the lines of "in conjunction with Peco" I found this astounding as said stock was Peco RTR stuff. So, phone call to retailer, not happy with response of "you'll have to talk to Heljan",  "sorry pal, you're the retailer". I was also told that I wasn't the first to report this problem.
Straight back in post for refund as "not fit for purpose".     
How can a major manufacturer justify sending items out that are simply not up to standard?

[JulienW]

My feeling is that the problem is that with Heljan being based somewhere in Europe (can't recall where) and the locos being produced in China whoever is responsible for quality control at Heljan can't just "pop down to the shop floor and do a spot check", as doing so involves getting on a plane and (probably) involves getting a visa to get into the country so I suspect that the factory know that the QC guy is on his way so that they can get things in order and do things properly when he arrives rather than continuing with the slap dash way they were doing it to maximise their own profits. One of the issues raised with the Heljan locos has been that it appears that the incorrect adhesives have been used - a cheaper superglue than a 'loctite' retaining compound for example.

To be fair to Heljan they didn't realise there was a problem until customers started returning them to the retailers who then returned them to Heljan. Once they realised there were problems they must have looked into the issues and on investigation have decided to stop production, and have announced a redesign the chassis - presumably to make the assembly easier (or less prone to being cocked up!).

It does seem a bit odd though that some retailers still seem to be selling them when you'd have thought that Heljan would have recalled the defective locos - though I wonder how many of those currently on sale are being sold (on eBay?) by people trying to cash in on their 'rarity value' as you can't get them in the shops anymore...

[Pete Williams]

I can only relate my experience, regarding the short time that i owned one, before it was returned to the retailer for a refund.
I repeat:-
It ran purfectly during testing, it was only when i examined the valve gear, using a magmifying glass that i saw that the valve gear had never been assembled correctly, one of the triangular headed motion pins had never been inserted into it's mounting in the chassis, and was wedged in place behind the cylinder.
On further examination,
I also found thet the threads on the bolts that the pony trucks pivoted on, were either stripped by overtightening during assembley or tapped oversize With the possiblity of the bolt falling out.
I did email Heljan UK and receved assurances by return that the contract with the then chinese manufacturer had been ended and a new manufacturer employed. On the re-assurance that quality control will be improved, i have ordered a 9955 , Rails of Sheffield say that they expect deliveries towards the end of the month.

[Ed Kilby]

Have some of these been released already, i see they're available for pre order, is this another delayed project or have they already released some that have sold out and are now awaiting another batch?

Interested as i have pre ordered some from my local shop who seems to think there is a delay until next year from what Heljan told him but hattons have a release date of may 2018.

Anyone know anything more?

Sorry to make it a little more obvious i am talking about ones with the southern livery

[Michael Melton]

I know that there was a first batch, as I thought the same thing seeing a few on Youtube and eBay.  The first batch had issues with the valve gear coming apart.  They switched manufacturers and they recently updated the release to be May 2018 (it was March).

[B.Meldon]

I know that there was a first batch, as I thought the same thing seeing a few on Youtube and eBay.  The first batch had issues with the valve gear coming apart.  They switched manufacturers and they recently updated the release to be May 2018 (it was March).

The second batch have not been made yet.
All the examples you see for sale now are from the first batch.

Brian Meldon

[Ed Kilby]

I see on the hattons website that they have pre orders due for release in may? are these batch one or two? or is this just to entice you to pre order and then they will push the date back until they're actually released