Heljan – Hymek Diesel

Heljan – Hymek Diesel (Class 35)

One of the Western Region BR diesel hydraulics built by Beyer Peacock, entered service between 1961 – 1965. These Hymeks went on to replace many steam locomotive classes. However, with BR’s plan to standardise their diesel loco fleet, it was decided to phase out the diesel-hydraulics. The last of the Hymeks being withdrawn from service in the spring of 1975. Four have survived thankfully into preservation.

Hornby has previously done the Hymek locos, but in 2003 Heljan introduced an all-new Hymek model to the UK market. The Heljan model is a vastly superior model to the older Hornby model which pleased many upon its release. The Heljan model features a heavy diecast chassis, centrally mounted 5 pole motor with twin flywheels, all-wheel drive & all wheel power pickups. The wheels are of the fine scale profile.

Other features include DCC ready with an 8 pin DCC decoder socket & plenty of room for the decoder. Sprung buffers, flush glazing, wire handrails, numerous separate detail parts (Horns, wipers for the windscreen) including a bag of extra detail parts for the modeller to fit such as bufferbeam pipework & scale couplings for example.

The cabs have basic interior details & are easy to access if you so wish to fit a crew in one end. The model also has working lights these being the headcode box & the tail lights. Heljan includes a sheet of different headcodes for you to cut out & fit. On the coupling side of things as well as the scale, couplings supplied the model also comes with removable NEM coupling socket boxes & small style NEM tension lock couplings. 

As with most Heljan diesel models, it has excellent haulage well beyond what the real Hymeks could pull. On my layouts, 4% grade incline it has no problems with hauling an 8 coach train of Bachmann mk2’s up the incline.

Liveries wise Heljan have produced the following:

• BR Blue with a small end yellow warning panels
• BR blue with full yellow ends
• BR blue with small yellow end panels & white window surrounds
• BR two-tone green without yellow end panels & white window surrounds.
• BR two-tone green with small yellow end panels & white window surrounds.
• BR two-tone green with full yellow ends
• BR dutch engineers livery (post preservation)

Around 19 versions have been released by Heljan. 

Key Features:

• 5-pole skew wound motor in both cars
• Power pickups on all wheels
• Fine details & parts
• NEM  small type tension lock couplings 
• Separate  handrails
• Brass etched parts
• Fine flush glazed windows
• Metal chassis
• DCC ready
• Choice of different headcodes
• Working tail & headcode box lighting 
• Fine-scale profile wheels
• Twin flywheels
• Extra detailed parts supplied
• All BR liveries offered

Heljan

3500

3502

3503

3504

3505

3506

3507

3508

3509

3510

3511

3512

3513

3514

3515

3516

3517

3530 (BR Dutch Livery)

[wordbay]Heljan Hymek[/wordbay]

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