Heljan Class 20
George Dent gives Heljan’s latest ‘O’ gauge diesel offering the once-over.
The original, disc headcode-fitted version of the venerable Class 20 appeared in 2010 (MR142), with Heljan doing a grand job of capturing its looks and character. Nearly a decade later, the Danish firm has finally portrayed the later batches of Class 20s, equipped from new with four-character headcode boxes. Six livery options are available, encompassing BR green, Rail blue and the fetching ‘Red Stripe’ version of Railfreight grey from the early 1980s. Our sample sports the handsome Rail blue livery with full yellow ends, alphanumeric headcodes and double arrow logos applied to the cab sides, all typical features of a ‘20’ in the PRE-TOPS era. It certainly looks the part, with the revised nose and cab ends capturing the ungainly look of the ’box-fitted ‘Choppers’ well. There’s a pronounced moulding seam around the edge of the nose, accentuated by the wraparound yellow warning panel, but it doesn’t detract from the overall appearance. The finish is good, although the shade of yellow is a little patchy, bleeding onto the surrounding bodywork in places. Legible Vulcan Foundry builders’ plates adorn the frames and all other printed characters are sharply executed. As is the norm with Heljan, the model comes un-numbered with no transfers supplied. The headcode boxes come pre-fitted with a different fourcharacter code at each end, with no alternatives offered. The codes refer to typical duties for a late 1960s/ early 1970s-era Type 1: a ‘Class 9’ unfitted trip working and a ‘Class 8’ inter-regional duty destined for the Western Region. While the ‘20s’ were not frequent visitors to the WR, there is an
image of 20176 carrying this headcode as late as 1980, in Profile of the Class 20s, by J. Vaughan (OPC, 1984).
UPGRADE OPTIONS
Sharing the same chassis as the original version of the Class 20, no DCC socket is provided. Instead, a screw terminal is provided atop the main circuit board to make it a little easier to alter the wiring for digital operation. Space for a speaker is provided within the battery boxes slung between the bogies. Accessing the
The model is rather hefty and its mass helps to ensure plenty of pulling power
interior proved to be a challenge, not least as the screw couplings must be removed before the body shell can be lifted away. The fit of the body on our sample was rather tight at the cab end, putting the delicate footsteps at risk of breakage, particularly during reassembly. Once the body had been refitted, reattaching the springs, washers and split pins to the drawhooks required patience and plenty of change for the swear box. As with previous releases, twin five-pole motors deliver smooth and effective performance. Despite being a Bo-bo of
modest proportions, the model is still rather hefty and its mass helps to ensure plenty of pulling power. LEDS illuminate the headcode boxes and tail lamps, while there’s another separate motor in the roof to operate the radiator fan. A bag of detailing parts is supplied, consisting of a pair of three-piece miniature snowploughs and a set of lamp brackets to be fitted into the top of the buffer shanks. A full array of bufferbeam hoses and cables is provided, revealing that the locomotive has received air and vacuum brake equipment. The model comes packaged in a foam-lined box, screwed to an MDF base for added security. Alas, the MDF has not been sealed, resulting in copious amounts of fibre dust coating the wheels and bogies, which must be cleaned away before operation. Apart from a few reservations about the packaging and interior access, this is another splendid addition to Heljan’s impressive – and great value – range of ‘O’ gauge diesels.