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Heljan 2805

Class 28 Co-Bo BR Blue D5701 Diesel Locomotive

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

Prototype Era
Era 6 (1967 to 1972) British Rail Blue (Pre-TOPS)

Manufacturer description

The Heljan Co-Bo is back! This iconic model, originally released in 2011, was produced exclusively for Hattons Model Railways, and is now available exclusively at Rails of Sheffield.

For the first time these models are now available with digital sound pre-fitted.

The full range includes re-runs of the most popular models as well as some new variations not covered in the range previously in BR green and BR blue. Aside from the new inclusion of DCC Sound provision, these models will also feature enhanced livery application over previous releases.

PRODUCT FEATURES:

• Highly detailed model with separately fitted parts including handrails, etched grilles, underframe relief and more
• Accessory pack with optional headcode discs
• 5-pole motor with twin flywheels, all-wheel pickups & 8-wheel drive
• Heavy diecast chassis
• Directional lighting
• Digital & Sound capable - 8-pin socket [SOUND FITTED VERSIONS NEW FOR 2024]
• Intricate livery application & printing
• NEM tension lock couplings

ABOUT THE CLASS 28:
The British Rail Class 28 (or Metro-Vick Type 2) were a class of diesel-electric locomotives built under the diesel loco Pilot Scheme as part of the British Railways Modernisation Plan. Often referred to as 'Co-Bos', 'Metrovicks' or 'Crossleys', the class featured a highly unusual Co-Bo wheel arrangement (a 6-wheel bogie at one end, and a 4-wheel bogie at the other). Unlike other Type 2 diesels, the class were fitted with two-stroke Crossley diesel units and had a very high tractive effort of 50,000 lbf. The engines suffered frequent failures and by 1961 the entire class was handed back to the manufacturer for remedial work.

They were known for being excessively noisy and emmitted too much smoke. All twenty Metrovicks were initially allocated to the Midland Division of BR's London Midland Region, where they were often used in pairs on the overnight London–Glasgow "Condor" express freight service. After the 1961 refurbishment they were all transferred to the Barrow-in-Furness 12E depot. They were withdrawn after only eleven years in service. A single example has been preserved at the East Lancashire Railway.
(Information provided via Wikipedia)

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.

Heljan Class 28 Co‑Bo BR Blue D5701 Diesel Locomotive is a limited edition model produced for the Rails of Sheffield range. It is DCC ready with an 8‑pin socket and features the British Rail blue livery. The model is gauge OO, finished in a pristine condition and carries the running number D5701. It is capable of negotiating a minimum radius curve of 2 inches and picks up power from all wheels. Coupling is supplied as NEM tension lock. The locomotive bears the name W.P. Allen and is powered by a 5‑pole motor with twin flywheels, all‑wheel pickups and 8‑wheel drive.

The prototype represented by the model is British Rail Class 28 “Metrovick”, built by Metropolitan‑Vickers at Doncaster for British Rail between 1958 and 1959. A total of twenty were produced; they were allocated to the Midland Division of the London Midland Region and later transferred to Barrow‑in‑Furness. The class has a Co‑Bo wheel arrangement, a maximum speed of 75 mph and a tractive effort of 50 000 lbf. They were withdrawn in December 1964 after sixteen years in service. The period represented is British Rail blue (pre‑TOPS).

The model, originally released in 2011 for Hattons Model Railways, now sells exclusively through Rails of Sheffield and is offered with digital sound pre‑fitted for the first time. It includes separately fitted parts such as handrails, etched grilles and underframe relief, an optional accessory pack with headcode discs, a heavy die‑cast chassis, directional lighting and intricate livery application. The product number is 2805 and it is compatible with DCC and sound via the 8‑pin socket. One preserved example of the real Class 28 exists on the East Lancashire Railway.