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Heljan 44003

Class 44 - BR Green - D6 - OO Scale - DCC Sound Fitted

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

The British Rail Class 44, also known as the "Peak" (the first of three related classes), is a legendary heavy freight and passenger locomotive. In the world of Heljan, the Class 44 is one of their most celebrated OO Gauge models because it perfectly aligns with Heljan’s reputation for "heavyweight" engineering.

It is a "beast" on the tracks, much like its real-life counterpart.

Technical Specifications

Feature Detail Chassis Massive die-cast metal chassis (very heavy). Motor 5-pole motor with large dual brass flywheels. DCC Interface Varies by batch (typically 21-pin in modern releases). Lighting Directional LED headcodes and tail lights. Detailing Etched grilles, sprung buffers, and separate handrails.

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 44 ‘Whernside’ is a D6 diesel locomotive model presented in British Railways green livery with the late crest. It represents the Class 44 “Peak” type, specifically the pilot‑scheme locomotives, and carries the manufacturer part number 44003. The model is intended to depict the period of British Railways after the introduction of the late crest.

The locomotive is equipped with a 21‑pin DCC decoder and factory‑fitted speakers, providing plug‑and‑play DCC sound capability. Six separately switchable lighting functions are included, covering interior cab lighting as well as external headcode and marker lamps. Power is supplied by a centrally mounted motor with twin flywheels, delivering smooth running performance.

Heljan has produced new body tooling for this model, offering variations that include original boiler water tanks, later‑type bodies without tanks, plated or open boiler filler hatches, and the experimental slotted grilles seen on D9/D10 units. Additional standard features comprise etched grilles, sprung buffers, NEM couplers, separate headcode discs, and detailed buffer‑beam decoration.

Overall the Class 44 ‘Whernside’ model provides a high‑specification, accurately detailed representation of the early British Rail diesel fleet, suitable for both collectors and railway modellers.