The LNER Encyclopedia

Hatton's in Liverpool took delivery of the Heljan 8701 Railbus earlier this week and were selling them for £88. At midnight last night they increased the price to £110. This is despite the model being a Hybrid for ease of production purposes.

This is despite the model being a Hybrid for ease of production purposes.

Purchased one yesterday at £95 from my local model shop. The model looks excellant, runs very well and looks the part against the photos I have of them working the Maldon branch.

What do you mean by "Hybrid"?

Paul

Model rail mag has some nice pictures of the Heljan railbus and DP2 on ther facebook page

Ay up!

I just got one of these meself, £88, and it looks pretty good compared to what I remember and photos apart from one thing, and that may be a post-preservation modification.

One end on the KWVR's railbus had only the big, centre horn in place which made a particularly flatulent noise!

Wozzup wi' it?

Is this what you are looking for?
Levisham on the NYMR about 1969
AC Railcar W79978
Since departed to the Kent and East Sussex about 1990.

There may be a DVD coming out soon featuring this vehicle.

Got mine today and must admit that it is a nice looking model, a bit noisy out of the box but it seems to have calmed down after some running. Quite a heavy model for its size, is driven off of both axles. The way it is made is quite novel. To get at the inside you remove the two air horns and below are screws which you remove. The roof plus glazing and doors then come off to reveal a top metal casing sitting in the roof space and the sides below the windows are left. The interior is plain grey so could do with a bit of paint perhaps, I didn't have too much trouble fitting a driver into the cab, all it needs now is a lamp or two.

mmm, reminds me of a journey Haltwistle-Alston, must say the only good thing about the 142's they ride better

mind you tho' at Alston they did'nt reign long !


mr B

Ay up!

I remember the 140, 141, 142 and 144 'buses being foisted upon West Yorkshire. I decided to seek out their ancestor in the shape of the Worth Valley's railbus.

When it hit the curved points leaving Keighley, the driver lost his hat out of the window, such was the lurch! Not often you long for the comparative comfort of a 141!

Blink Bonny wrote:141

I just googled it.... dear god

It makes a victorian wagon look comfortable

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I'm surprised anybody's preserved one of the things.

Still, each to their own....

Isn't there one on the Weardale?

Kestrel wrote:Hatton's in Liverpool took delivery of the Heljan 8701 Railbus earlier this week and were selling them for £88. At midnight last night they increased the price to £110. This is despite the model being a Hybrid for ease of production purposes.

Ay up!

I wonder if Kestrel is alluding to a rumour that the Helijan model is the German VB railbus model fitted with a BR roof?

It isn't.

The shapes of the BR 'bus sides were rather different to fit the BR loading gauge and the narrower "skirt" over the solebar required the relocation of some underframe equipment. The windscreen shape is different too, square on the VBs, rectangular, narrow side up, for the BR vehicles.

The only components definitely shared between the British and German vehicles were the side and corner windows.

Blink Bonny wrote:Ay up!

I just got one of these meself, £88, and it looks pretty good compared to what I remember and photos apart from one thing, and that may be a post-preservation modification.

BB £88.?.

AIRFIX models use to do a kit of one of these Railbuses back in the 1960s for about 3 shillings or 25p!!.

Admittedly there wasn't an electric motor provided with the kit back then.

Ay up, Micky!

The Airfix railbus is of the Park Royal variety and the motorising kit in its own, with motor wheels and gears, is around £90 including postage.

Hey, this Helijan one moves! Under its own power! Wonder what it'll make of Peco points?

Report tomorrer!