Rapido Trains UK is heading to the Western Region for its first OO Gauge British Rail mainline diesel, the Class 35 ‘Hymek’. 

From Paddington expresses to banking duties on the Lickey Incline, these distinctive diesel-hydraulics worked a remarkable variety of trains.

Rapido’s range features 12 versions spanning BR two-tone green, rail blue and preservation, with the project already at the decorated sample stage. Rapido has tooled era-specific details across the range, from boiler roof panels to bogie fittings. Each model comes with interchangeable headcodes and a full-colour Modelu driver and secondman.

Choose from DCC Ready or DCC Sound/ Smoke Fitted versions  in the main range. The sound-fitted models use recordings from preserved Hymek D7076 and reproduce that characteristic burst of exhaust as the locomotive pulls away or takes on a heavier load - recreated in miniature thanks to a revolutionary dynamic smoke emitter system.

Alongside the main range, we’re offering our own EXCLUSIVE Hymek, 35017 ‘Williton’ in BR Civil Engineers Dutch livery. The distinctive grey and yellow finish gives this Class 35 a look all its own, and it’s available to pre-order now from Rails of Sheffield.

In June 1959, British Railways placed an order for 45 dieselhydraulic locomotives. Before the first locomotives had even been delivered, another 50 were ordered in 1960, and six more followed in 1961, bringing the class total to 101.

The design was influenced by Wilkes and Ashmore, who also worked on the prototype locomotives ‘Falcon’ and ‘Lion’, alongside the Class 47. Of the four main diesel-hydraulic classes, the Hymek was the only one built by an outside contractor: Beyer,Peacock & Co. of Manchester. The locomotives were constructed at their Gorton Works, powered by a Bristol Siddeley-built Maybach MD870 engine (produced under license from Maybach in Germany) and fitted with a Mekydro hydro-mechanical transmission, which gave the class its nickname of ‘Hymek’.

The first locomotive, D7000 was delivered at a ceremony at Paddington on the 16th of May 1961, three months ahead of schedule. The first Hymeks went to Bristol Bath Road depot for West Country services, but as the Class 52 ‘Westerns’ were arriving slower than planned, the Hymeks were redirected to South Wales to cover for them. This is why, from D7034 onwards, almost all locos were fitted with headboard clips to hold the titled trains’ large headboards. This lasted until 1963 when more Westerns were available and Hymeks were freed up to take on the Hereford –Paddington services, with which they became synonymous.

The final loco was delivered to Newton Abbot in February 1964 and the class was to see regular use from West London to the West Country, South Wales and the West Midlands on Western Region routes.

They were also regularly used on the Southern Region route from Waterloo to Exeter and other Southern outposts such as Weymouth, Southampton, Poole and Bournemouth.

From 1967, five were even stationed at Worcester to bank trains up the Lickey Incline. For this duty, they had the first gear locked out to prevent ‘hunting’.

D7006 & D7081 were the first engines withdrawn in September 1971 and there were regular withdrawals thereafter. This was not always the end, as a number were reinstated (sometimes more than once) to cover for locos that had not been transferred in time to replace them.

The Class 35 had possibly the first ever ‘farewell’ railtour for a diesel class on the 22nd September 1973, with D7001 & D7028 doubleheading a tour over the Hymek’s regular haunts.

The final 6 survivors of the class lasted until early 1975, the final pair being D7017 & D7018 withdrawn on the 13th and 18th March respectively.

D7076 & D7096 were acquired by the BR Research Department and moved to Derby Test Centre, then Old Dalby where they were used as dynamic test loads for the development of future rail vehicles.

Thankfully there are 4 survivors. D7017 & D7018 were bought from BR service and moved to Minehead and Didcot respectively by the Diesel & Electric Preservation Group. Both are now based on the West Somerset Railway. 

D7029 was also bought from BR in 1975 by the Diesel Traction Group and moved to Reading Gas Works for restoration, eventually working its first trains on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 1981 before moving to the Severn Valley Railway in 1996.

D7076 was bought from the BR Research Department after it was declared surplus to requirements. The loco was in a poor state of repair. However, D7096 was instrumental in helping with the restoration of this loco, as many parts were donated to D7076 prior to scrapping. D7076 arrived as one of the first diesels on the East Lancashire Railway at Bury in 1983 and is looked after as part of the Bury Hydraulic Group’s fleet