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4 Oct 2021 00:00am
Heljan have provide a first look at their 'next generation' 0 Gauge model of the Southern Region class 73 electro diesel.
Designed to operate on both third-rail electric and diesel power in non-electrified areas such as yards and depots, the Class 73s lived a relatively mundane life until they were thrust into the limelight when the new ‘Gatwick Express’ operation started in 1984. Over the years, the class has worked everything from express passenger to newspaper and mail, freight and engineering trains. The advent of Sectorisation in the mid-1980s saw the standard BR blue livery replaced by a rainbow of liveries, a trend that continues today.
Despite a steady decline in the 1990s, these hugely versatile locomotives have seen a revival in the 21st century and continue to play a vital role hauling engineering and test trains for GB Railfreight and Network Rail on the 750V DC third-rail network and beyond. Now seen over a much wider area than in BR days, the ‘EDs’ have gained a cult following and 13 locomotives have even been rebuilt with more powerful diesel engines and modern electronics transforming them into 1,600hp go-anywhere machines.
Standard features include sprung buffers, drophead buckeye couplers, wire handrails, fine etched grilles, separately fitted buffing plates, SR 27-way multiple working cables and hoses, windscreen wipers, sandpipes, bogie and bufferbeam details.
The new HELJAN O gauge Class 73 also features high-performance twin motor/flywheel chassis with all-wheel drive and pick-up, separately switchable cab, headcode and high intensity headlights (later liveries only), plus DCC-activated third-rail 'arc flash' built into the bogies.
DC users will also be able to control the lighting features using a bank of six microswitches on the underside of the chassis.
The DCC interface is designed for an ESU XL pin decoder interface with provision for DCC sound and the easy installation of a large speaker.
The versions announced cover numbers/names across a broad cross-section of BR, Sectorisation and Privatisation era liveries from 1965 to the present day.
The proposed versions are as follows:
7300: BR Early Blue E6008 (small yellow panels/grey solebar) WEATHERED
7301: BR Blue E6020 (small yellow panels)
7302: BR Blue 73137 (full yellow ends)
7303: BR Large Logo Blue 73114
7304: InterCity Executive 73102 Airtour Suisse
7305: BR Civil Engineers ‘Dutch’ grey/yellow 73108
7306: Revised Network SouthEast 73126 Kent & East Sussex Railway
7308: EWS red/gold unnumbered
7309: Network Rail yellow 73212
7310: GB Railfreight blue/orange 73107 Tracy
You can pre-order the Heljan 0 Gauge Class 73s here>>>
NOTE The sample shown in the photos is a hand-assembled first prototype with some parts missing and a mix of detail parts from both early and later locomotives (most notably the sandbox lids). It is not a complete representation of the final product.
Delivery date TBA.
Subject to alteration.
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