Heljan Class 23 : Repair Request

[@nicholaskennedy1748]

I've recently bought one of these - it was working but I took it apart for a major service. Getting the body off was the biggest challenge as the plastic was so tight, but after being off a few times it now comes off no problem. The biggest challenge for me was getting the bogies centered and lined up properly before fitting the top clips to secure everything - there's a small locating hole on top of each bogie where the UJ joints have to line up into, otherwise it won't run properly. Also, the wiring snagging on the bogies can be an issue - easy to determine as the loco will make a scratching/grinding noise on corners with the body fitted. Trial and error with this - stow the wires well away from the bogies as best you can, then gently tease the body onto the chassis, making sure both ends are fitted at the same time. After following these steps, my loco is near silent and a damn good hauler.

[@stephendavies6949]

Heljan is a most mercurial manufacturer. It offers us modellers some unique locos and elements of genius whilst at the same time making some "schoolboy" design errors. When watching your videos, the questions in my mind are nearly always, "HOW will you repair it?" and "HOW LONG will it take you?" But on this occasion, I felt some genuine jeporady that this one would just be impossible to fix. I had no cause to worry, though! Oh, and really enjoyed your 1st "In the Shed" episode.

[@johnmassey7687]

I would like to thank you for all these great videos on repairing locomotives ,they must have saved me quite a bitb of frustration over the years in figuring out what was wrong with some of them. keep the videos coming as Im sure we have more to learn

[@simonturner5450]

Good work Bill. Navigating the Gaugemaster Heljan spares index is worthy of a medal in its own right, it was so much easier when Howes were their spare parts agents. The early Heljan class 47 / 57 uses the same bogie attachment and rubber mounting for the pcb btw.

[@ModelRailwayShed]

Developing the hands of surgeon Bill, great work Deano

[@playpaulbee]

Thanks for this, very informative, it has probably put me off buying this particular loco, I am looking forward to some more replacement motor revues, as I have used three CD motors now in my older Lima models and the results are very impressive.

[@JerseyBill-x9r]

Hi Bill, you approached this repair as you always do with a decerning eye and an analytical mind. I do think the growl is from one of the flywheels due to the cadence of it and it may be a bent shaft on the motor or it being out of balance, from a drop, or other force. Maybe Tony remembers what sounds it had when he first ran it. Either way it is running well and drawing less than half the amps it did when you first looked at it. Great repair and video, Jersey Bill

[@MarkInLA]

Bill, I've an idea for your layout: 20:39 where the track comes out of the tunnel, you could put in a RH switch and come around the back, descending a bit behind the large stone bridge, still descending more to down below yard at 20:57, descending and coming out across your controls, running 5' for staging and/or repairs..(hope ya don't mind my diverging from the main topic. I just keep seeing this)...🏭🛤☀

[@jeffreysmith156]

I can only contemplate doing this. I fear getting it apart and getting stuck! I will have to remain an armchair admirer of your ever developing skills and experience.

[@stephendavies6949]

As Bill says, "Have a go, and if you get stuck, drop me an email & I'll help you out."

[@astolatpere11]

I thought your old layout was attractive, efficient and a great use of space available. Your new layout is really so much nicer. Fantastic! Just waiting for track lights to give it that last bit of life.

[@thedepot7416]

I bought some replacement drive gears from that company for my mainline warships as drive gears were split, did the job perfectly

[@paulcherrytrains3339]

I did the same thing for my Mainline Warship. Now running much better.

[@stephendavies6949]

Yes, me too. The model is probably running better than it did straight from the factory.

[@alantoms3263]

Nice job Bill, again!

[@jeremynorman1330]

Goodness. Thankfully i can understand my Limas

[@russellbenton2987]

Bill , you must have the patience of a saint . These Heljan mechanisms seem overly complicated to me - I’m still recovering from servicing my class 17 Clayton ! This reapair looked akin to open heart surgery to me !

[@johnbill9201]

I've got a class 17 mine is noisy and slow it was like that from new, how was yours? Thanks John

[@russellbenton2987]

@@johnbill9201 yep very slow , there is noise but it’s not too bad . This is its second chassis , if you remember they had to replace them on the first batch .

[@leonardsloman480]

Heljen......nightmare on Track Street!

[@richardpreston5540]

Hi Buddy great video as always. I've found my Heljan class 47s. looks similar with the body off etc. But 8pin dcc. Same problem gears sticking but manged to get 3 going so far but with all 5, the lights have stopped working which they did 14 years plus?? I'm lost ??

[@alantraish3368]

Ive got one. It runs on my test track occasionally. Ill have to check it again. I had a wagon/machinbeau railbus with split gears. Gaugemaster had them in stock at the time

[@attuslebeard5133]

I have a Heljan Baby Deltic ,a Hymek and a Clayton - all growl like this one. My solution is to run a Lima diesel on the adjacent track that drowns it out! My Heljan Kestrel and DP2 are both whisper quiet so it seems to be just their Bo-Bo types that have this issue. I seem to remember you curing a growly Clayton by swapping the flywheels over - maybe that's the issue again.

[@stephendavies6949]

An interesting and pragmatic solution to the problem! My (Bo-Bo) Heljan class 15 is also very quiet, although it is a later version.

[@rikimarco1826]

Me and my big mouth, the Time Lord has departed for ventures new!

[@carolinerogers1057]

Great job bill

[@bigmac60]

Nice fix. 👍😊

[@daveabbott]

I would have thought that the axle gears would be a standard part, so eg, a Cl 17 would be the same?

[@paulcherrytrains3339]

Judging by what I have seen Heljan locomotives seem to suffer in this way. Not much fun if the gears are unobtainable. A great repair. Cheers Paul.

[@joginns778]

Guage master have now taken on heljan spares,

[@johngibson4641]

Hi there Bill ,, I have had similar whirring sounds on corners and through points and was mostly on an athearn locos and a loco driven bobo track cleaner with almost the same style of gear mech and tailshaft set up the same as the heljan 1 you are working on. I checked the both shaft and looked to be straight and no ware in them. Then I thought i would try some grease that i used to use in my 14 tonne truck in the uni joints and front king pins and atlas crane (or wherever there was a grease nipple) so i squirted some into a little bottle and went inside and stuffed the uni carrier and the tailshaft with the grease out of my truck and it actually quietened it down by at least 75% but still had a small growl only just noticeable. Also is the class 23 made as a real thing like in real life or is it just the model as when i first seen it i thought it might have been a Frankenstein cut down 37 class type of job as ive never seen 1 before . Cheers from John in Australia.

[@joginns778]

There is a special grease call lithium grease for model's whereas truck grease can damage your model, as for the class 23 it is a real locomotive it ran on the eastern region around the London area and North wards,

[@speleokeir]

I'm no expert on Heljan locos, not having any myself, but Charlie at Chadwick has a number and I remember him saying in one video that the design of the dive shafts often causes issues, although he was of the opinion that it wasn't too hard to fix.

[@amp9930]

Once again it's split drive gears. It seems only some Hornby models have easy to find replacements. There is a huge gap in the market for a company to supply excellent replacement gears for model railways and cover all the manufacturers and their models-an online model rail gear shop. I've had the same issue trying to find new gears for Lima and Heljan models with no luck.

[@stephenbarrs2318]

see if any Hornby or any other manufacturers gears could fit.

[@AndrewCooper-eo7oh]

Hi Bill I have two of them. Min. Are. Great. Thank s Bill.

[@keitheglon]

The early Heljan models were a monster to repair, most of the clips would snap so you end up having to lightly glue a lot of parts to hold them back in place. Not the best models

[@Planestrains-d5e]

Oh boy. I have one of these I got second hand from Rails quite recently and on its test run I had the same slow running. It’s packed back away as something to look at later but having seen this, I’m not looking forward to dealing with it… if you get over the stress of this one, let me know if you fancy taking in another one, Bill! Oh, and a quick edit to say that it doesn’t growl on corners…

[@peternorris6438]

Another great video is your next investment your own 3d printer

[@cameronpatterson1045]

Hi Bill Class 25 Heljan fit it

[@HowardLeVert]

One and a half milliamps? I think you meant 150 milliamps...

[@oobill]

Aye

[@mikeking2539]

Heljan seem to be really rubbish as far as spares are concerned 😟 😢. I have a 0 gauge class 37. It's one of the 1st batch, and it has suffered split gears, and they are unavailable. I just don't comprehend why there's no support for customers.

[@MARTINA-gc3tq]

I know what’s wrong. The driver brought with him his annual salary in cash and the vast weight is too much for the unit.

[@CloseToTheEdge89]

Cracking cheese Grommit.