Heljan's newly tooled range of Class 02 diesel shunting locomotives have now arrived into stock!
Six variations are available covering this diminutive shunter in a range of BR green, industrial yellow, industrial green and Redland Khaki colour schemes. The main range has now arrived along with two special edition Gaugemaster Collection models too!
Examples include BR green D2864 with yellow bufferbeams, Arnott & Young yellow AY1021 and 'SAM' in faded/weathered industrial green livery. Also available is Redland livery 'Diane' which will be widely available as part of the Gaugemaster Collection.
Also included in batch 1 are 'as delivered' BR green D2861 with red buffer beams and mid-1970s BR green 02004.
Premium quality features include a super-smooth mechanism for excellent running qualities, switchable shunting and cab lights, superb exterior and cab interior detailing, fine wire handrails and grilles, a Next18 DCC decoder interface and provision for DCC sound conversion. Optional extras include coupling chain/hook and blanking plug parts to complete the bufferbeam details, builders plates and a magnetic 'wand' to control the cab light in DC mode.
Browse the Range
Product Features
Highly detailed model with separately fitted parts including handrails, headlamps, wipers, etched grilles, pipework, tanks and more
Authentic detail variations
Digital & Sound capability - NEXT-18 decoder socket
Working switchable shunting and interior lights
Super smooth mechanism with excellent running capabilities
Optional extras including coupling chain & hooks, blanking plug parts to complete the bufferbeam details, builders plates and a magnetic wand to control cab lights in DC.
NEM tension lock couplings
Prototype Information
These tiny four-wheeled shunters were designed to reach the places other locomotives could not; with a wheelbase of just 6ft they were able to tackle sharply curved lines in streets, docks, warehouses and factories and even use traditional wagon turntables.
They were a direct replacement for the legendary Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway ‘Pug’ 0-4-0STs working dock lines in Liverpool, Manchester and beyond. Around 50 similar locomotives were built for industrial railways, in many cases with electric rather than hydraulic transmission.
As the work they were built for vanished in the 1960s, many of the 20-strong class found further work in industry, with some surviving well into the 1980s before being rescued for preservation. Highly regarded by crews for their Rolls-Royce engine, all-round visibility and unique (for a BR locomotive) rear platform for shunting staff, they continue to play a useful role in shunting and engineering work at heritage railways.
One locomotive, D2860, was even claimed by the National Railway Museum as the perfect shunter for its Great Hall in York.
(Information provided via Heljan & Wikipedia )