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Heljan 1083

NBL 10800 BR Late Green

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest

Manufacturer description

HELJAN have shared their latest "diesel dinosaur" project - North British diesel prototype 10800.

Built in Glasgow by NBL in the early-1950s, 10800 was originally ordered by the LMS as part of its pioneering investigations into main line diesel traction. It was envisaged as the equivalent of 3MT tank locomotives for lighter passenger and freight work and fitted with an 827hp Paxman diesel engine. Eventually delivered to BR in 1952 it was tested on the London Midland, Southern and (briefly) Eastern Regions. After withdrawal by BR in 1959 it was sold to Brush and used as a testbed for new traction equipment before eventually being scrapped in 1976.

Following in the footsteps of their previous OO Scale prototype diesels, such as Lion, Kestrel and DP2, 10800 will be produced in limited quantities across four versions depicting the NBL machine in post-1954 SR/LMR and final BR condition with later external modifications.

A high-quality specification includes fine etched metal parts, working marker and cab lights, 21-pin DCC interface, DCC sound provision, sprung buffers and all-wheel drive/pick-up. Based on original NBL drawings and extensive research of this pioneering locomotive, CAD work is complete and tooling is now well underway.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

The Heljan model of the North British Prototype 10800 diesel locomotive is a highly detailed and accurate representation of the real locomotive built by the North British Locomotive Company in 1950.

The model is a Bo-Bo wheel arrangement, built to represent the BR Late Crest Green livery of the 10800 locomotive. It features a 21-pin socket for DCC ready operation and includes DCC sound provision. The model also boasts fine etched metal parts, working marker and cab lights, sprung buffers, and all-wheel drive/pick-up.

The Heljan model is based on original North British drawings and extensive research into the locomotive's history. It is intended to be produced in limited quantities, with four versions depicting the 10800 in different conditions. The model will feature a pristine paint finish and will be available with a running number of 10800.

The 10800 locomotive was originally ordered by the LMS and was delivered to BR in 1952. It was used for testing on various regions, including the London Midland, Southern, and Eastern Regions, before being withdrawn by BR in 1959 and eventually scrapped in 1976.