Heljan Class 03
◆ GAUGE ‘O’ ◆ MODEL Heljan Class 03 0‑6‑0DM ◆ PRICE £395.00 ◆ AVAILABILITY Heljan stockists
Small shunting locomotives are ideal subjects for large-scale RTR models, with a number of existing ‘O’ gauge diesel options available from Dapol and Heljan. Bachmann Brassworks offered a Class 03 some years ago but, other than those unpainted brass models, there hasn’t been a truly RTR rendition of this popular prototype for 7mm scale until now, thanks to Heljan, which has released the first batch of Class 03s.
There are ten different versions to choose from (with or without numbers), taking in both the ‘flowerpot’ and conical pattern exhaust ‘chimney’ varieties, but all feature the original vacuum-brake-only body style (without the extra cabinets to house air brake equipment). Livery options are spread across BR green, BR blue and a pair of unbranded industrial colour schemes.
STYLE AND CHARACTER
With its full-height cab and slender bonnet shape, the Class 03 cuts a stylish figure and the Heljan model admirably catches the prototype’s character perfectly. The livery application is top notch, with the yellow and black ‘wasp’ stripes cleanly separated, while the BR logos, numbers, builder’s plates and other legends are crisply printed. The bodyshell and chassis are awash with fine detail, in the form of moulded rivet and bolt heads, louvres and panel seams, as well as lots of separately applied fittings, such as handrails, lamp brackets and an array of pipework beneath the running plate.
Talking of which, the rendition of the chequerplate walkway around the running plate is lovely and I can imagine how good this would look after a weathering job has been applied. Other attractive features include the etched front grille and protective mesh behind the cab access steps, the bonnet door louvres are finely moulded, as are the air horns and the set of delicate windscreen wipers. The quality of the glazing is excellent, and the spoked wheels have a fine profile, as do the coupling rods.
After removing the bodyshell, a 21-pin DCC socket is revealed – a welcome sight on a Heljan
‘O’ gauge locomotive. There’s ample space for a small, rectangular speaker to sit at the
front of the chassis block, allowing the sound to emanate through the nose grille.
The drive unit is completely contained within the bonnet section, leaving the cab free for a footplate crew to be positioned as desired. A large flywheel is fitted to the outer end of the motor’s drive shaft, while there’s also another, cast integrally with the worm gear, which helps to smooth the output forces. Power is transmitted to the rear axle via a set of nylon reduction gears and motion is then transferred to the other axles and the jackshaft through the coupling rods. Although the mechanism was a little stiff to begin with, a short period of running-in soon freed everything up and the model ran smoothly and reliably, with a modest current consumption of 0.4 amps across the speed range. There’s plenty of side-play in the axles, allowing the model to negotiate shallow curves and point radii, but there isn’t much in the way of vertical compensation. As a result, the model struggled with some of the (intentionally) poor track joints on our test track, especially those on a curve. However, if your layout features well-laid permanent way, there should be no problem.
Under power, the miniature red and white lamps glow at each end simultaneously, regardless of direction, as per the real thing. There’s also a light within the cab, allowing the lavishly detailed control console to be fully appreciated.
This is a lovely little model, offered at a great price, and is the perfect motive power for ‘O’ gauge layouts of any size, but especially minimum-space affairs. Highly recommended. (GD)
The Heljan model admirably catches the prototype’s character perfectly