Heljan 1366 EM conversion

[Dai DaviesParticipant]

Hi, I am thinking of buying the Heljan 1366, but don’t know whether it is capable of being converted to EM. Has anybody tried, and what problems, if any, were encountered. Thanks, Dai Davies

[Nick RidgwayParticipant]

[blush]
I had to Google that to find out what it is.
[/blush]

[Ray BydeParticipant]

See my enquiry about converting the Heljan 1361 saddle tank, and the answers relating to it.
You will find the main problems are the need to use 2mm axles, the lack of available replacement wheels, and the very tight clearances at the front between wheel and crosshead.
As Paul Willis says, it might be easier, even quicker, in the long run to build a High levels chassis kit instead.
One other possible problem with fiting a new chassis to the existing Heljan body is that the body seems to be in more than one part – ok if you enjoy jigsaw puzzles!
Either way, to me at least, the biggest drawback at present is the lack of a proper GWR type wheel for these locos. Hopefully either Gibson or Ultrascale will do a proper wheel sometime in the future, or even a conversion pack (hint, hint!) but I’m not going to hold my breath on that one! The best option at the moment is the Gibson wheel for the Southern Railway ‘P’ class – it is the correct diameter and number of spokes, but the profile is different, as also is the throw (slightly).
You may also be inteested to look at my post on the Scalfour Society Forum – http://www.scalefour.org. Got to ‘Forum’ (this is free for anybody to look at and you can read any posts there on any topic, you don’t have to be a member of the Scalefour Society), and go to ‘Guestbook’ and have a browse.
Hope this helps rather than putting you off

Ray

[Dai DaviesParticipant]

@Ray Byde said:
See my enquiry about converting the Heljan 1361 saddle tank, and the answers relating to it.
You will find the main problems are the need to use 2mm axles, the lack of available replacement wheels, and the very tight clearances at the front between wheel and crosshead.
As Paul Willis says, it might be easier, even quicker, in the long run to build a High levels chassis kit instead.
One other possible problem with fiting a new chassis to the existing Heljan body is that the body seems to be in more than one part – ok if you enjoy jigsaw puzzles!
Either way, to me at least, the biggest drawback at present is the lack of a proper GWR type wheel for these locos. Hopefully either Gibson or Ultrascale will do a proper wheel sometime in the future, or even a conversion pack (hint, hint!) but I’m not going to hold my breath on that one! The best option at the moment is the Gibson wheel for the Southern Railway ‘P’ class – it is the correct diameter and number of spokes, but the profile is different, as also is the throw (slightly).
You may also be inteested to look at my post on the Scalfour Society Forum – http://www.scalefour.org. Got to ‘Forum’ (this is free for anybody to look at and you can read any posts there on any topic, you don’t have to be a member of the Scalefour Society), and go to ‘Guestbook’ and have a browse.
Hope this helps rather than putting you off

Ray  

Many thanks Ray, but I took the easy way out and developed a second-hand K’s body with with a Mashima motor. I didn’t trust clearances with the Heljan body.

[Paul WillisParticipant]

@Ray Byde said:
See my enquiry about converting the Heljan 1361 saddle tank, and the answers relating to it.
…
You may also be inteested to look at my post on the Scalfour Society Forum – http://www.scalefour.org. Got to ‘Forum’ (this is free for anybody to look at and you can read any posts there on any topic, you don’t have to be a member of the Scalefour Society), and go to ‘Guestbook’ and have a browse. 

For anyone interested in this specific conversion, this is the direct link to Ray’s question, and the subsequent discussion and advice:

https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=5580&p=56114&hilit=1361#p56114

Cheers
Paul Willis

[Author]

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