Heljan 1455

Class 104 - BR Blue - M53421+M53529 - OO Scale

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

Prototype Eras
Era 6 (1967 to 1972) British Rail Blue (Pre-TOPS)
Era 8 (1983 to 1994) British Rail Sectorisation

Manufacturer description

Class 104 2 Car DMU M53421/M53529 BR Blue

PROTOTYPE

This much-requested and widely travelled First Generation DMU, providing the ideal companion for other HELJAN OO gauge models, including the Class 25, 45 and 47.

BR Class 104 DMU built by Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co. for the London Midland and North Eastern Regions. CAD work is in progress and images will be released as soon as design work is complete. This model will be available in a wide range of BR liveries covering the life of the class from 1957 until retirement of the final sets in 1993.

With 302 vehicles built to six different car types, the ‘104s’ are the largest group of BR diesel railcars not currently available in ready-to-run form. The only previous RTR model was produced for ‘TT’ gauge in the late-1950s.

Although synonymous with the Manchester area and the routes to Buxton and Blackpool, the units worked across a wide area of northern England and the Midlands and towards the end of their career ventured further afield to Scotland and the south-east of England.

MODEL

The new HELJAN OO gauge Class 104 will feature a low profile mechanism powering one car per set, switchable interior and exterior lighting features, a 21-pin DCC decoder interface and provision for DCC sound. Options for factory-fitted DCC sound on all models are being investigated and will be announced separately. External features will include authentic detail variations appropriate to period and livery, a highly-detailed interior and underframe, separate handrails and sprung buffers.

The '104s' are among the most complex models we've ever developed, with a huge range of detail variations to cab ends, roofs, interiors, body details and more. The models also have a superb range of DCC, lighting and other features, including...

Catalogue listing

Brand
Heljan
Product Code
1455
GTIN
5708769014553
RRP
£389.00
Release date
Q2 2025

Model details

Couplings
3-Link
DCC status
DCC Ready 21-pin socket
Gauge
OO
Livery
BR blue
Finish
Weathered
Minimum radius curve
Radius 2
Power pickup
All wheels
Coupling
NEM / Tension lock (Ends) & Drawbar (Between each coach)
Based on preserved
No
Pickup in tender
No
Passenger figures
No
Scale
OO Gauge (1:76 Scale)
Chassis construction
Plastic & metal
Coupling mount
NEM pockets
Coupling type
Magnetic coupling between coaches, NEM sockets with tension locks at cab ends. Electrical connection between gangways.
Minimum radius
Radius 2
Tooling date
2024
Interior lighting
No
Directional lighting
No
Running numbers
M53421/M53529, M53529
Features
Directional lighting
Interior lighting

Prototype information

Type of unit
Diesel-Mechanical Multiple Unit
Builder
Birmingham RCW
Build dates
1957 to 1959
Total built
302 Cars
Power output
300 bhp (2 x 150 bhp engines)
Top speed
70 mph
Passenger capacity
Between 52 and 69 per car
Operated by
British Rail
Main duties
Local Passenger
In service until
1995
Locomotive class*
104
Operator
BR
Motive power
Diesel Multiple Unit
Wheel arrangement
2 Car DMU
Built by
Birmingham RCW
Built
1957-1959
Total produced
302

* 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.

Supplier Links

Heljan website


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Related products

The Heljan OO gauge model of the British Rail Class 104 2 Car DMU is currently in development. The prototype was built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Co. for the London Midland and North Eastern Regions between 1957 and 1959. A total of 302 vehicles were produced, with the class operating across northern England, the Midlands, and further afield in Scotland and the south-east of England.

The model will feature a low profile mechanism powering one car per set, switchable interior and exterior lighting, and a 21-pin DCC decoder interface. Options for factory-fitted DCC sound are being investigated. External details will include authentic variations in period and livery, highly-detailed interiors and underframes, and separate handrails and sprung buffers.

The model will be available in a range of BR liveries covering the class's lifespan from 1957 to 1993. The Class 104 is the largest group of BR diesel railcars not currently available in ready-to-run form, with the previous RTR model being produced for TT gauge in the late-1950s. The new Heljan model will provide a companion piece for other OO gauge models, including the Class 25, 45 and 47.

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