Locomotives

RTR O Gauge locomotives.

LOCOMOTIVE SPECIFICATION.

Heljan Class 55 Deltic

Ready to run, the new Class 55 Deltic which will become available towards the end of August / early September Features Include • Highly detailed model in 1:43.5. (O Scale) • Rotating roof fans (Yes, all four fans working). • Highly detailed cab interior. • Two powerful 5 pole motors. • NEM pocket for couplings. • Kinematics. • LED • Screwlink coupling • Directional changing light. • designed with sound installation in mind. • Heavyweight model, weighing approximately 4.0 kg.

HELJAN CLASS 55 Deltic.

The British Rail Class 55 is a successful class of diesel locomotive built in 1961 and 1962 by English Electric. They were designed for the high-speed express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London King's Cross and Edinburgh. They gained the name "Deltic" from the prototype locomotive, DP1 Deltic, which in turn was named for its Napier Deltic power units. Twenty-two locomotives were built: they dominated services on the East Coast Main Line until their withdrawal at the end of 1981. Six locomotives were preserved and are still running today.

The locomotives were assigned to three locomotive depots: Finsbury Park in London, Gateshead over the Tyne from Newcastle, and Haymarket in Edinburgh. They arrived from the manufacturer painted in two-tone green, the dark BR green on top, with a narrower strip of a lighter, lime green along the bottom. This helped to disguise the bulk of the locomotive body. The cab window surrounds were picked out in cream-white. Although delivered without it, they all soon sported the bright yellow warning panel at each end common to all British diesel and electric locomotives, to make them more conspicuous. Very soon, all were named; the Gateshead and Haymarket locomotives after regiments of the British Army, while Finsbury Park followed the grand LNER tradition of naming locomotives after winning racehorses. By 1966 they began to be painted in corporate Rail Blue with yellow ends. The Finsbury Park depot also chose to paint the window surrounds of its Deltics white, making them distinctive.

The Tower Models Limited Edition Heljan Class 55 Deltic represents the Deltic in green with no yellow warning panel. After discussions with Heljan we have decided to supply the limited edition model without the BR crest, nameplates or electrification flashes. In the case of the crest and plates, they could be in two different locations depending on whether it has been named or not. At first the locos were not named and the crest was centrally mounted but later they were named and the crest consequently moved. Again the electrification flashes were not initially carried but later did feature them. This way the modeller has many more options with his limited edition. Deltic rather than us restrict the options available. The standard production model of green with yellow panel and blue with have the crests & insignia placed taking into account the position of the nameplate.

All versions will be un-numbered allowing the customer to easily complete the locomotive with a number of his own choice. As always will will also offer our usual service of numbering the locomotives in our own workshop for an additional £25.00 or an additional £50.00 to number and weather in the case of unnamed Class 55's. For named Deltics the cost is £45.00 to number, supply and fit name plates and £70.00 to number, name and weather to the customers requirements. The blue Class 55 Deltics do not come with white window surrounds. This practice was very much in later days (post re-numbering into the 55 series) and only applies to the Finsbury Park blue Deltics, ie the Racehorses. If customers want us to do the white window surrounds there is an additional £15.00 charge (£60.00 clean finish, £85.00 weathered)

The Tower Models Limited Edition model will not have the BR lion & wheel symbols fitted as the position of these changes depending on whether the model is completed as either a named or un-named version.

HELJAN CLASS 55 Deltic.

I have created a list of all the Class 55's and the shed details to aid customers with all the options available with the Deltic. Those highlighted in red have all been preserved whereas the other were all scrapped in the early 80's.

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