Having watched these and cabbed a couple working out of st pancreas in the early 80s as a teenager id say youve captured the look perfectly.

Never had a train set before but after watching your channel, I think I need one. Keep up the good work and nice job on the Granada.

Peaks were my favourite class, it took me years as a child to hunt down a 44. The named 45s were excellent and sounded great.

Excellent review/repaint. It’s good to see you’ve noticed the issues, and positives in the model that I highlighted in my video review.

Brilliant. You never saw a clean Peak. They always remind me of that nuclear flask crash test I remember seeing on TV as a child. Great Work.

Proper ballsy repainting a brand new loco. Looks great 👏

Good to see your paint skills at work again. Great addition to your layout.

Another one of your works of art. It's a meticulous job and looks very realistic. 👍

Richard, an absolute pleasure to watch another in depth and painstakingly researched project in the re-weathering and renumbering of this locomotive. It surely now compliments the rest of your rolling stock and motorised fleet of locomotives. Eagerly awaiting the next instalment. Best regards

Super detail love your layout and video's greetings from the netherlands top modeling

Great video Richard. This has brought back great memories of chasing class 45 for haulage in the final years 1987 & 1988. 45 128 was my last ever British Rail class 45 ride back in July 1988 when it failed on worn break blocks at Blackpool North. You captured the feel of the class in its final years. I put a photo up on Flickr Ian B Trainy under 1988 & 45 128.

Absolutely beautiful build my friend, we really enjoy watching your channel, 1 of the best on KZfaq, keep um coming 😊🔥 Have a great weekend coming👊 Cheers🍻🍺 KC 🇦🇺🤝🇬🇧😎👍

Ace work. Brings back vague memories of seeing them in atmospheric New Street Station, B'ham, when travel wasn't so boring.

Glad you weathered it. Dean Park plonked on the layout and it looks to clinical. As all his locos. You have nailed this again... hats off to you

Fab repaint and weathering!

Great job on the repaint …weathering makes it look all the more realistic !

I really love my Heljian BR green Peak (I model early 60s). The only time anyone would care about that roof curve is when one accidentally strays into rmweb territory. Having wandered the wilds of Toton yards in my misspent youth, and "spotted" the one-to-tenners in person, I can assure you, no-one without photos in hand and a very close up view will be able to tell you what is "wrong" with your model. I believe that one of the reasons for the great expense in this hobby are the noisy machinations of the rivet counters and arm-chair scratch builders on the likes of rmweb. The Peak was intended to be a Co-Co, but what with the steam boiler and a few other parts from sub-contractors being delivered over specified weight, the extra axles were required to meet the loading gauge/route availability for the lines it was intended to run on.

Excellent job. Just as I remember them. Looking forward to seeing how the town environment is coming along.

Richard - your skills and artistry are amazing and impeccable. In my opinion your attention to detail and skills are second to none in this hobby. Thanks for sharing your experience and expertise.

Although not animation, your models detail tease and twist my brain in the uncanny valley between art and reality. I feel like you could make a movie at Everhard Junction.

One of my first jobs as a fitter on British rail was cutting these class 45/6 s up ! The colour of the blue was called monestral. The locomotive had to have four axles per bogie 1co co1 as the weight of the class at 138 tons was to heavy for the under the load gauge for British rail for a six axle Co Co. The class 47 was the superior design that followed utilising all the lessons learned from the class 45/6 design. I must admit your repaint made this model as Heljan have made as you say errors in finish and mouldings ! I also believe the glass is wrong and I think IMHO Bachmann have the better model . Can hardly wait to see how Heljans new class 47 turns out? Who knows maybe this one will be to thin! Why they can't get things right is a mystery.

The Peaks were the nicest looking and sounding of all of the "classic" BR diesels IMO. A Sulzer has a unique sound, you can tell it without seeing it, just as you can a Triumph Stag.

Back around 1980 i used to bunk off school with me mate and go up london £2:30 rtn, to cop locos at the terminuses. One day we were lucky to be left in charge of one of these at st pancras whilst the driver nipped to the signal box. Sitting in the drivers seat felt well cool even though the train was in the platform.

Great video Richard. You can definitely see the difference with the blue on the class 45 compaired to other models. It's good that you pointed it out and it now looks fantastic especially with the weathering. - Nicholas.

Your careful research and attention to detail are an inspiration to us all.

EJ where magic is made, great stuff.

I remember the Peaks thundering through Mill Hill Bdy in the 70`s, you've done an excellent job, just like the real thing.

Totally agree with you about the colour, definitely not blue enough. Used to enjoy watching the Peaks pulling trains past Wellingborough in the 70s as a boy. Very nice repaint and weathering.

Thanks Richard for sharing your views on the 45, I must say you have made the loco look far better than the production release. I was seriously considering purchasing the model but now you have highlighted the colour issues I think I’ll park this for now. Unfortunately for me I don’t have the experience with spraying the model. I really would like to add a 45 to my collection but don’t want to pay £200 for a model to send it off for a respray. The model I had in mind was the Kernow weathered 45500 exclusive to `Kernow. I’m guessing the weathering may make the colour look worse if it’s too dark. `Such a shame really has potential to be a great model. Thanks again for your hard work and sharing your experience and work👍

Your attention to details is above anyone else. I defy anyone to disagree. I am always impressed with your work. Thank you for your videos.

A very nice model after all your hard work Richard. The shade of Blue reminds me of a Hornby 37 I bought in the 1970’s. Thanks for the efforts you make for our benefit, love Everard Junction 😁👍

Used to watch the Peaks thundering through Hendon in the early 80’s when I was a wee lad. Super !

Absolutely epic layout, and i love all your attention to detail, without doubt you've got it down to a sublime art... Congrats!

Weathering looks the best, brings some more realistic looks, 😊👍😎🇦🇺

I must say the weathering looks blooming fantastic! Many seem to weather locos with a thin grey colour which looks wrong when compared to pictures, so it’s refreshing to see a weathering actually looking right. Well done sir, I’m off to buy some of the panel line stuff, I have a batch of class 25’s in need of the same. Look forward to the next instalment. All the best, Matt

A fantastic turn around from a plastic looking loco to one that looks like the real thing. A brilliant re paint and weathering . You should offer your services to the manufacturers perhaps they,ll get the colours more realistic. Heljan quality control has a lot to answer to with this model letting the model onto the market with what is clearly the wrong shade of blue. Thanks for posting Regards Jeff

That has turned out to be a stunning model. Well done and thanks for sharing

Wow! What an improvement. With some tasteful weathering too. Nice work.

Great job. Always excited to watch your repaints. The attention to detail is fantastic.

Great video. You have done a fantastic job and it definitely resembles a peak much better now!

Certainly captured the look. Great work

Nicely done. Looks so much better 👍

Fantastic paint job, Richard, and a wonderful layout to boot!

Another brave project working on a new model like that takes some guts. But if it ain't right you have to bite your lip and just go for it as you will never be happy with it otherwise . Nice one, great improvement Richard. Great inspiration to make things your own. ATB Graham 👍

A very skilful job as I have said before your eye for detail is very impressive 👍👍

Marvellous work.

Nice work, Richard. Such a shame that Heljan chose to release this in a completely incorrect shade of BR (Monastral) Blue - no excuse for not getting it right. There are enough Peaks preserved to give evidence of correct colour shade. As for the cab window / profile detail; again, there is no excuse with availability and use of accurate 3D CAD modelling to get this wrong. Your 45128 is exactly as I remember seeing them in the late 80’s. Nice one!

Love your gorgeous art work but I love your trains too! Simply brilliant

Great project and video Richard. Your research, knowledge and application is truly 1st class. The transformation from the locomotive coming out of box to way you have it looking is brilliant. May I take this opportunity to say thank you for your videos. I know you inspire me to improve the way my locos and layout and there must be overs out there who are the same as me. Many thanks Stephen

Very nice! It really makes a good model a superb model.

Now that's artwork. Very well done Richard. I can smell the diesel!

Hi. Absolutely excellent repaint job. Very brave of you to do this to a new Heljan loco. You could have installed an amber LED and resistor in the cab which would highlight the driver and second-man but hey-ho, that's just my opinion! Paul. 👍

Just wanted to say I am new to this and am watching all of your videos one by one- they are very informative and very appreciated. Not at the point of even laying track yet but will be soon. Thank you and keep the content coming

Vast improvement. Out of the box, it looks like a toy... You've brought some much needed realism to the project. . I once had a weird lucid dream about a Peak eight-wheeler... I dreamt that a friend of mine and myself snuck aboard one of these monsters, lying in a siding somewhere. My friend (a real friend at the time) was always putting me up to do dodgy stuff.. His pet phrase being; '' If it is there to be done, you gotta do it! '' So we stole the locomotive and managed to flash it up and ran it down the track, where - dreams being dreams (especially lucid ones...) we ran a set of buffers and the loco continued down a street of terraced houses and ended-up ploughing through the front living room of one of the houses on a street running perpendicular to our street. I then awoke... Thinking; Wow! That was a blast and a half. One of the best dreams I've ever had. ]

The model and the paint and weathering amazing thankyou for the video and tips

Good job overall on this peak Richard, one of these will definitely be joining my fleet regardless of the issues in things like the body shape and colour, for me it’s a class 45 and I want a nice up to date class 45 because the only one I have right now is an old mainline one, for me I have taken a fancy to one of the TMC commissioned ones, good repaint and weathering job.

Wow! Your weathering skills just hit a new high!

That Loco turned out great Richard, and the fact you did all that work to it right out the box sounds like a Boss move to me! That look's like a Mad paint job, Cheers! I don't know how you managed to simulate break squeal from the freight cars and passenger coaches as they rolled by but that's also true to the real thing too. Great work buddy!

Another fine video, your attention to detail and weathering are second to none, the locomotive looks so much better, hopefully Heljan will take your points on board and improve the body shape and livery colouring. The engine looks great on your beautiful layout, your hard work and dedication to realism is working out well.

always a good day when EJ uploads

Great work as always. Unbelievable. Your videos are awesome . Mike 😊

Absolutely stunning, I always find your videos very inspirational whatever the subject Merry Christmas 24/12/2022

Great work Richard, thanks for sharing. Regards Charlie

great show Richard and very informative

Bravo Rich, keep it coming :-). Incidental music good (as ever) this time...

Looks far better in the shade of blue you’ve used. The weathering looks spot on as well. Im to young to have seen the peaks in service but I think yours captures the look of them very well. I’ve got 106 in the rail tour green than I’m going to weather.

Wow, we are always completely stunned about your level and skills of weathering. At first we thought it to be a tad on the heavy side but looking at the BR locos from the era, your interpretation of them is cracking spot on.

Beautiful job on that Peak. I hope I will get that good when I start, with practice.

Great work Richard 👏

Excellent result, a relief I’ll bet.

I think you have captured the essence of the 45's in their last days, great job. Rail Blue is a strange colour in my opinion, It really depends on the light at the time you are looking at the colour. I have a wall in my study painted Rail Blue (emulsion from a local paint supplier that has the colour in their database for mixing), complete with a print of Peaks at St Pancras as an aside, and on a dull day, it is like the Heljan out of the box dark blue colour but once the sun gets on it it becomes the more vibrant greeny/blue colour you describe and have aimed to acheive.

Superb job living at filton Bristol was my favourite loco . You have done it justice. From me thankyou .

Great project, cheers for sharing 😁👍

You've done a great job and an honest review. But I wonder why heljan even bothered when the bachmann loco is better in many areas. And with bad cab roof shape, bad paint colour, and no obvious benefit over bachmann I'm not sure there's a reason for me to buy one. Btw I think the leading axles were simply because these old giants were so heavy so it helped with axle loading.

I'm not a train person, but found this really interesting. The repainting of the loco was ace. Seems a shame to weather, after such a great job, but completely understand why did it. Great video as ever

The locomotive looks excellent. Bloody Joly good show. (I think that's what you say over the pond.) Very good video, the super-elevation does make a difference.

When i started to watch this video i thought you were being overly 'picky' about the model. I apologise. I was wrong. The changes really made a huge difference and improved the model very much.

Loved the comparison video of the real thing 👍

I've got an old Mainline one to try out techniques on. I might have to but a load of paint now... that weathering job is phenomenal and it looks amazing on the front of those trains (you can almost feel the rumble) See you at Warley!

Nicely done. There does seem to be some variation in BR blue between model companies and in BR depots themselves. But old film and photos change in colour over time so we can't always take that at face value. Also there seems to be some argument over the price of this model. Some folks reckon 160pounds is too much for this one but it's ok for Hornby to charge 196pounds for a class 56 which is a much older model.

Beautiful work! It looks so good now you should consider fitting sound to it. One small thing, could you turn the magnorail on when you do shots of the town. The scene looks so real when cars are driving through it. Cheers!

Directly after FP1 of the F1 there is Everhard Junction. My kind of Friday night. 👍🏻

Evening Richard. Fabulous transformation on what’s was a classic BR diesel locomotive 😀 I was lucky to have see all the class 44s at Toton on the scrap line 😞 Yours looks so good trundling found on Everard junction just how I remember them filthy 🤣

Many thanks, brilliant video.🙂

A work of art!👍

Looks great!

Hi Richard, just wanted to add a bit more info on 45128's reinstatement and re-withdrawal, if you can call it that! Back in 1988, 45106 was the last remaining 45 in BR service, and was painted green by Tinsley depot. As well as railtours, it had a daily morning and evening peak hours working to and from St. Pancras. On 3rd February 1989, as it was getting ready to leave Cricklewood depot, to attach to the stock for the evening return, it caught fire, and was parked at Cricklewood depot, where it was then withdrawn. Intercity then decided to reinstate 45128, which was, apparently, in the best condition of the withdrawn peaks. What then happened was, in April 1989, the main generator on 45128 failed, and Intercity withdrew the loco, after deciding to spend no more money on it. Tinsley depot was also slightly stretched, with a large allocation of Railfreight 37s. You also mentioned that 45128 was reinstated for use on a couple of tours, where a 45 was specifically booked. One of those was the Thames-Clyde Express, which ran from St Pancras to Glasgow Central. The replacement traction, I have to say, was more interesting; two class 31/4s! The locos were 31430 and 31431, providing the rare sight of class 31s in Glasgow!

Hi Richard, you sure turned a great model into a stunning model. I really enjoyed watching the process you went through at each stage and your explanation of what you were doing. I'm not confident enough to have a go myself but watching you, someone with a great eye for colour and detail really is an education, thankyou for showing the process and not just the end result. A lovely model, I have the Heljan BR green model D57 and the green is much better than your blue. Thanks again and all the best Dave.

Good choice and excellent work as always. Now, too bad they never came in Richard Petty Blue and a nice MOPAR MUSCLE sign on it. :)

Cracking re-spray and weathering job. Only minor thing, the buffer shanks should not be picked out in silver. That was only on OLEO pneumatic buffers, which were not used on new locomotives or wagons until the early 1960's (class 37's, 47's, air braked wagons etc.). The peak design just pre-dated the use of these, and their buffers were of the older self contained spring type. Therefore, the buffer shanks should just be the same dirty rust colour as the rest of the underframe.

Used to see them all the time at sheffield on london sp trains then they were cascaded of of these services on to merry go round HAA coal trains and started to pass my house on these coal trains , more often than not named examples , i had the mainline Manchester regiment going round on an oval of track in my bedroom as the real thing went past on a coal train

outstanding modeling richard , your usual very high standard , how charlie bishop won you tuber of the year ill never know ,, you were robbed , great vid , keep em coming , kind regards , john

Spent many a Saturday afternoon on Sheffield Midland Station back in the early 80s watching these great locos, the driver's used to let you go in the cab while they were waiting, one let us open the engine room access door, what a sound !! Anyway, nice improvement with the weathering of the model, pity they can't seem to get cab windows correct.

Excellent video

Great work as always, Richard. When you were showing photos of the rust spots on the bonnet, I was noticing there was also a pretty sizable dent around one of the spots. I was wondering if you had ever considered adding this detail to either this or other locos and what your process would be to achieve the effect.

The bogies on this Helgian Cl 45 follow the track well. My Bullied does too, but my old Bachmann 40 had problems derailing under certain circumstances. I had to rid myself of it. I very much like my new Helgian Peak, it seems to be a good one so far. Rob

The Peaks were not my favourite locos (I chased the class that only had 22 members), but I remember seeing plenty of them during my spotting days in the early 80s. I have several Bachmann 45s and 46s in my loco stable, so won't be rushing out to acquire a Heljan 45. That said, great review. Keep up your excellent modelling 🙂

Did a great job on weathering it, I love the Peaks, sadly for me they cost a fortune in N Gauge and are like rocking horse pooh to get your mitts on cheap.

Another thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring video. One observation (said not as criticism, rather as I know you always look to achieve maximum realism), I believe the buffer shanks of class 45s were generally black and not the shinny silver look associated with Oleo buffers as fitted to some classes. I have been caught out with this having spent many hours carefully painting Mk1s, 37s, 40s, 56s... with silver buffer shanks and subsequently spending a similar amount of time repainting them black!

Great work on the paint job fantastic looking, question what shade of green you used to paint metal bridge/rail girders 😀