Well done Bill for sticking with this repair. It’s all too easy to just give up with a “that’ll do” attitude. The end result was a very sweet running loco.
Patience of a saint . I have the 17 . This is the most diabolical model to service ever. Mine was one of the original ones that had dodgy motor . Heljan held their hands up and supplied a new complete chassis and motor (after waiting a year !) so I had to figure out the way to get the body off to replace chassis . These buffers are infuriating ! Whoever thought of that ! If you can service that I don’t think there will be anything more complex . My model also runs pretty slowly but they weren’t speedy things in real life . I wanted one because this must be one of the first locos I ever saw shunting at Chain Road Goods in Paisley . Didn’t know what it was then but it’s very recognisable . The model was such a disappointment especially having it disabled for a year . Appropriate choice of wagon at the end as this model really takes the biscuit !
I can remember these Claytons replacing J36s and the like on local goods trains in the Edinburgh area in the early 1960s. They didn't last long, partly because the services they were used on didn't have much of a future, but also I believe because they acquired a bad reputation for being unreliable. Perhaps this model has captured the spirit of the original?
Yeah, they were very unreliable. The main problem seems to have been that the engines failed a lot, and having two engines per locomotive made it twice as likely that one would fail. OK, so you can still run the locomotive on one engine, but now you only have 450hp, so good luck if there are any hills on your route. Wikipedia claims (unsourced) that the availability was only 60%, which corresponds to two days of repairs for every three days of operation -- you may as well be running a steam locomotive, at that point.
Hi Bill. A friend of mine bought one of these Claytons and asked me if I could fit a DCC chip into it for him. You would think that with the two big bonnets that there would be plenty of room for one. But no , it was a pain in the arse. Very fiddly. I managed it eventually. A very nice smooth runner. Well done spotting the flywheel issue. I hope that you enjoy your gifts. Very generous indeed. Good luck.
Great video thanks for sharing, I've got the Heljen class 17 bought new when they came out, it's noisy and slow until it warms up, if I recall Heljen recalled the loco, I didn't send mine back I do like the loco, the lights on mine are really bright, thanks John
Wow Bill I would have taken one look at that lot if I could even have taken the body shell off and put it back on. You never cease to amaze me with your problem solving skills and handywork
A master class in deductive reasoning and courage! Thanks for your recent reply regarding converting a Lima Class 08 to DCC. Ihave ordered a CD motor for it as you advised. You may also like to know that I am renovating a Mainline Clloett Goods (an ebay non-runner bargain) and it is on my bench in pieces. I can can see many symptoms and thanks to you I have the cures; I will proceed with every confidence guided by your videos. I can't thank you enough. Gordon.
There not that difficult to work on, while I haven’t done a 17 myself I have taken a couple of heljan locos apart and put them back together, some of the easiest models I have worked on.
It very much depends on how deft you are with the very fiddly nature of them and what you compare them with. Once you know how they are put together they aren't really that much harder than many other modern models but they are still extremely fiddly and quite delicate in some respects. And they are definitely trickier to work on than most older pre DCC models.
"Well, Mr Boakes. I've scooshed out your joints and fitted extra pick-ups to your feet. This CD motor will be much better and much quieter than your old heart. You'll be running around like Usain Bolt!"
Excellent vid, you have the patience of a saint. I purchased 2 class 17's Brand New and these made a terrible racket when I first ran them. I then read on a site that they needed a good running in. I perciviered and after a few hours they did settle down. I kept running them and after what seemed like a fortnight they began to run perfect. They are both still running great with no noise and are very strong locos. Regards Malc Lowe
Bill - your videos are brilliant, I did like the ones on the Merchant Navy BB/WC classes on Southern, as I have quite a few of those, a few of which have been troublesome mechanically - not least those in the mid-late 2000s it seems, possibly a touch of Zinc Pest or Mazak Rot or whatever, for instance my 17 Squadron from about 2007 hardly ever use does not always like reversing smoothly, this series had innards a bit fiddly it seems
Thanks for this video. My Clayton sounds exactly the same as yours did - I may look at getting a new motor but for now I just keep it for slow freights and it's ok
Oh my word you were very brave to take it apart as far as you did. I have one and only wanted to investigate how to fit a DCC Decoder. Lost the little things that hold the buffers in place. And found that there’s not really any room for a decoder! It’s one for sale/part exchange at some time,
I agree with what you said in the end about Heljan. They make some really nice, reliable, good running models. But the downside to them (especially the diesel/electrics) is that they're not user friendly for servicing and maintenance in the slightest.
The first batch of 17s had motor problems so Heljan issued new Chassis to dealers so the Twisted and taped wires are probably from that, I did a batch for a dealer but resoldered the wires
Heljan are notorious for the mechanical side. They look beautiful but the quality control is somewhat lacking! Sterling job of not only dismantling but actually getting it back together again.
Bill, you didn't really show how to reattach the drive shafts, either to the bogie or to the motor. Even before you started, that seemed the most difficult stage to achieve. I've always wanted a model of a Class 17, but hesitated following reports of issues with early models. Having seen how complicated they are, I'm now having second thoughts! Maybe I'll stick to my Margate-era locos (it's not like I don't already have enough!)
Perseverance, and a multimeter with a beep continuity test. (It's much easier if you don't have to look at the meter when you are testing!) First take a very close look that there isn't something like a track pin, or even a spring from a point, trapped in the chassis somewhere, attracted by the motor or traction magnets. Next, inspect closely the electrical path from each wheel through the pickups, to the motor and back, looking for anything amiss (out of alignment, bent, touching, chafed wires, etc). When testing for continuity where you don't want it (the definition of a short circuit!) it will be easiest if you can disconnect, or remove, the motor - that way you avoid accidentally finding the 'correct' route for continuity, through the motor! With the motor disconnected, check the continuity between the wheels on each side, and any other parts of the circuit. Sorry if this is vague -- it's difficult to be anything more than very general in describing what to do. The main thing is to be methodical. Hope that helps a little!
So the plan is... 1: Clear out all of the rubbish probably over next couple of months 2: Get an architect to draw a plan for building control. 3: Get quotes for the work from local joiners/builders. 4. Get it done. Having been through a full loft conversion in my last house to create two bedrooms and a bathroom I'm aware of how long this might all take. Even though it's a simple conversion by comparison. It'll be well into next year before there's any chance of any construction being done. And it's all subject to costs...
I might just have been one of the first kids in Scotland to get a Rubik's Cube back when they first came out. My sister brought me one from a trade fair down south. It was a while before any other kids in my school got one. I still have it! I never managed to solve it unaided though. Much easier just to take it to bits and put it back together. In that respect this is much worse than a Rubik's Cube!
