MONSTER ‘TRACTOR’
Of the myriad diesel locomotives built for British Rail in the 1960s, the English Electric Type 3 Co-co has proven itself one of the most reliable and versatile designs. With plenty still active on the main line today, operated by various TOCS, their enduring popularity with enthusiasts has given rise to many miniature replicas produced in ‘N’, ‘OO’ and ‘O’ gauge. A total of 309 locomotives were assembled, spilt between English Electric’s Vulcan Foundry and Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns’ works at Darlington. The first example, D6700, appeared in 1963 and was one of over 100 to feature the original front-end layout of headcode panels flanking central doors for a connecting gangway. Heljan’s initial release of a 7mm:1ft Class 37 (MR128) portrayed this early version of the Type 3. Now, though, the Danes have turned their attention to the more numerous central headcode style. The winner of a Model Rail Model of the Year Award, Heljan’s ‘37’ also won many plaudits in terms of looks, performance and value for money. It was perhaps inevitable that the second body style would follow, although a wait of nearly ten years was unexpected.
THE MODEL
As is Heljan’s usual strategy, a raft of livery options is on offer, ranging from original BR green (with small or large yellow warning panels), through BR blue (original and large logo versions) to later Railfreight and Departmental schemes. Considering that only one body tooling has been produced, complete with bufferbeam valances and open boiler exhaust outlets, most of the post-1980 liveries are not strictly accurate. Indeed, a rather crude attempt has been made to disguise the offending valances with a strip of black paint. Under review here is the attractive BR green version with full yellow ends, suiting the late 1960s/early 1970s period. The austere livery has been applied to an excellent standard, with the English Electric builders’ plates and BR emblems of particular note. While all necessary logos and smaller embellishments are pre-printed, no numbers are applied suitable decals will have to be sourced separately. Alpha-numerical headcodes are pre-installed, with no option for customisation (without recourse to some invasive modelling work). Curiously, a pair of freight headcodes is given at each end (classes 7 and 9), whereas the real Type 3s have been equally at home on secondary passenger work throughout their lives. The headcode panels are gently back-lit, according to direction, by LEDS, while the small red tail lights are also illuminated. In common with the original Heljan ‘37’ release, the latest incarnation captures the essence of the real thing admirably, especially when viewed head-on. There are a few caveats to that statement, however…
GONE AWRY
While the front ends are virtually spot on, there are a few factors negatively affecting the sides of the locomotive. The most notable issue concerns the engine room windows that are a couple of millimetres too low in relation to the bonnet tops, although the array of grilles and other fittings appear to be in proportion with each other. Additionally, the cab side and door windows are slightly too tall and, combined with the overly shallow profile of the roof-body interface, results in much of the detail between the cabs being out of kilter. This is barely noticeable with the models finished in the plain green or blue liveries. However, throw in
a body-length stripe, as found on the triple-grey Railfreight and ‘Dutch’ versions, and the errors become more acute. As already stated, the use of the original body outline for these liveries is not ideal, while the misaligned detail exacerbates the problem.
NOT ALL BAD NEWS
The moulding is crisp throughout, as we expect from Heljan, with plenty of attractive details, large and small, to appreciate. The windscreens are flush-glazed to a high standard, yet the cab side windows are recessed excessively. Sanding pipes and brake gear complement the impressive bogies, while the underslung tanks feature plenty of detail fittings. The bufferbeams are pre-fitted with steam heat hoses and (incorrectly for the green livery) air brake pipes, along with a superb pair of screw-link couplings. A bag of separate detail fittings includes radiator frost grilles (with the prototypical honeycomb pattern), a pair of three-piece snowploughs and a full set of brake and control hoses. A choice of standard and WR style lamp irons is also provided, the latter demanding mounting holes to be marked and drilled into the cab fronts.
ON THE INSIDE
Each bogie is equipped with a rugged five-pole motor, driving all axles via sets of plastic gears. Large brass flywheels feature, ensuring smooth performance, and there’s certainly plenty of haulage power ‘on tap’, helped by the ample weight (2.6kg). As is Heljan’s usual way with its 7mm scale models, there is no DCC socket, although decoder installation is fairly straightforward, thanks to the use of screw terminals on the circuit board. There’s also plenty of room within the underslung tanks for a DCC speaker or two. The radiator roof fan rotates when the locomotive is under power and the illuminated headcodes and tail lights give off an authentic, muted light. Despite the issues regarding shape and positioning of certain features and my reservations about the post-1980s livery options - this is still an exceptionally handsome and purposeful model. Coupled with reliable and quiet operation and a high standard of finish, Heljan’s latest ‘Tractor’ is a welcome addition. Let’s hope that a later version will be tooled up in future, so that post-1980 liveries can be modelled with greater fidelity. (GD)