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Heljan 1458

Class 104 2 Car DMU L701 53437/53479 Late Network SouthEast

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

Prototype Era
Era 8 (1983 to 1994) British Rail Sectorisation

Manufacturer description

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

Design work is underway on HELJAN’s next ‘OO’ gauge project – the 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.

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 Class 104 2 Car DMU L701 53437/53479 model is a highly detailed representation of this British Rail diesel multiple unit. The model features a low profile mechanism powering one car per set, with switchable interior and exterior lighting, a 21-pin DCC decoder interface, and provision for DCC sound. The model is available in a pristine finish and is NSE - Network SouthEast liveried.

The Class 104 was built between 1957 and 1959 by Birmingham RCW, with a total of 302 units produced. The model represents one of these units, L701, which operated with a running number of L701 and was named W.P. Allen. The model features a gauge of OO and a minimum radius curve of 2.

The model has a rich history, having been ordered by the London and North Eastern Railway and built at Doncaster. It was subsequently operated by British Rail's Network SouthEast division and was withdrawn from service in December 1964 after a 16-year period of operation. The model is part of a larger range of BR liveries covering the life of the class from 1957 until retirement in 1993.

The model is designed to be highly detailed, with features including illuminated headcode panel and destination blinds, separately switchable headlamps, and a highly-detailed interior and underframe. The model also features a range of DCC and lighting options, including factory-fitted speakers in the driving motor car. The model comes with a 21-pin DCC decoder interface and provision for DCC sound, and is available in a variety of configurations, including 2-car ER Power-Trailer and NSE Power Twin options.