Heljan 'O' Gauge English Electric Class 50.

The British Rail (BR) Class 50 was a class of 50 diesel locomotives designed to haul express passenger trains at 100mph. Built by English Electric at their Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows between 1967 and 1968, the Class 50's were initially on a 10-year lease from English Electric Leasing, and were employed hauling express passenger trains on the, then non-electrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe and Scotland. Initially numbered D400 - D449 and known as English Electric Type 4s, the locomotives were purchased outright by BR at the end of the lease and became Class 50 in the TOPS renumbering of 1973.

To deal with increasing reliability problems, the Class 50 fleet was refurbished at Doncaster Works between 1979 and 1984. Doncaster had taken responsibility for the fleet after BR completed the purchase of the locomotives from English Electric. The work involved simplifying the complex electronics and removing redundant features such as slow speed control and rheostatic braking. In addition, the air intake fan arrangement was modified, because the original setup often prevented fresh air from entering the engine room and stale, oil mist-filled air from escaping, leading to many main generator failures.

2020 Production Models that are still available

50031 "Hood" recently completed through the workshop, clean finish. We offer a numbering, naming and weathering service on the Heljan Class 50's and keep a good selection of fully finished examples available off the shelf. See the RTR section for available names and liveries or call with you requirements.

2021 Production Models (Now in stock)

2022 Production Models (Now Available)

Ready to run.

Features Include
• Highly detailed model in 1:43.5. (O Scale)
• Highly detailed cab interior.
• Two powerful 5 pole motors with new drive system to enable the grills
• Directional changing lights.
• LED
• Screwlink coupling
• designed with sound installation in mind.
• Heavyweight model, weighing 4.0kg.

As always we are also offering our numbering and weathering service through the workshops should customer's wish to take advantage of this service. Numbering a loco is just £25.00, numbering and weathering an additional £75.00. In the case of the large numbering used on the Large Logo livery there is an additional £10.00 for the numbering costs and this service usually take 7-10 days to complete. We can also offer named examples at an additional £25.00 subject to the number of plates required and this can take up to 6 weeks as the name plates are made specially to order. The loco can also be sound equipped for an additonal £330.00 if required.

Also to assist our customer's decision on names etc. I have compiled a list of the entire class and where the TOPS number is shown in red indicates those that are in preservation:

Number

Name

Built

Date named

Withdrawn

Notes

Pre- TOPS

TOPS

 D400

 50050 

 Fearless

 10.67

 23.08.78

 26.03.94

 Carried nameplate 04.08.78 - 07.08.78. Now owned by Boden Rail Engineering Ltd

 D401

 50001

 Dreadnought

 12.67

 10.04.78

 19.04.91

Scrapped at Booth-Roe scrapyard, Rotherham, December 2002.

 D402

 50002

 Superb

 12.67

 21.03.78

 09.09.91

 Preserved by the Devon Diesel Society. It is presently being restored on the South Devon Railway in Buckfastleigh

 D403

 50003

 Temeraire

 01.68

 09.05.78

 15.07.91

Scrapped at M C Metals scrapyard, Glasgow, April 1992.

 D404

 50004

 St Vincent

 12.67

 09.05.78

 22.06.90

Scrapped at Booth-Roe scrapyard, Rotherham, May 1992.

 D405

 50005

 Collingwood

 01.68

 05.04.78

 11.12.90

Scrapped at Old Oak Common depot, London, February 1991.

 D406

 50006

 Neptune

 04.68

 25.09.79

 20.07.87

First Class 50 to be refurbished. Scrapped at Vic Berry's scrapyard, Leicester, February-March 1988.

 D407

  50007

 Hercules

 03.68

 06.04.78

 16.07.91 / 26.03.94

 Renamed Sir Edward Elgar on 25.02.84. Originally withdrawn in 1991. Reinstated for railtour use in 1992. Re-named back to Hercules in early 2014. Now owned by Class 50 Alliance

 D408

  50008

 Thunderer

 03.68

 01.09.78

 05.06.92

 Preserved. Owned by Garcia Hanson and currently based at the DCR site at Washwood Heath.

 D409

 50009

 Conqueror

 03.68

 08.05.78

 11.01.91

Scrapped at Old Oak Common depot, London, February 1991.

 D410

 50010

 Monarch

 03.68

 16.03.78

 27.09.88

Scrapped at Laira depot, Plymouth, by Coopers, May 1992.

 D411

 50011

 Centurion

 04.68

 17.09.79

 24.02.87

 First Class 50 to be withdrawn. Scrapped at Crewe Works, by Texas Metals, September 1992.

 D412

 50012

 Benbow

 04.68

 03.04.78

 16.01.89

Scrapped at Vic Berry's scrapyard, Leicester, July 1989.

 D413

 50013

 Agincourt

 04.68

 19.04.78

 06.04.88

Scrapped at Old Oak Common depot, London, July 1989.

 D414

 50014

 Warspite

 05.68

 30.05.78

 14.12.87

Scrapped at Vic Berry's scrapyard, Leicester, May-July 1989.

 D415

 50015

 Valiant

 04.68

 21.04.78

 05.06.92

 Preserved: Owned by the Bury Valiant Group

 D416

 50016

 Barham

 05.68

 03.04.78

 03.08.90

Scrapped at Booth-Roe scrapyard, Rotherham, June 1992.

 D417

 50017

 Royal Oak

 04.68

 24.04.78

 09.09.91

 Preserved at the Plym Valley Railway (formerly) Now owned by Boden Rail Engineering Ltd

 D418

 50018

 Resolution

 04.68

 06.04.78

 22.07.91

Scrapped at M C Metals scrapyard, Glasgaow, January 1993.

 D419

 50019

 Ramillies

 05.68

 18.04.78

 19.09.90

 Preserved at the Mid Norfolk Railway

 D420

 50020

 Revenge

 05.68

 07.07.78

 27.07.90

Scrapped at Booth-Roe scrapyard, Rotherham, June 1992.

 D421

  50021

 Rodney

 05.68

 31.07.78

 17.04.90

 Preserved, Owned by Paul Spracklen.

 D422

 50022

 Anson

 05.68

 20.04.78

 20.09.88

Scrapped at Vic Berry's scrapyard, Leicester, May-June 1989.

 D423

 50023

 Howe

 06.68

 17.05.78

 15.10.90

 Scrapped at Barrow Hill, March 2004.

 D424

 50024

 Vanguard

 06.68

 15.05.78

 01.02.91

Scrapped at Old Oak Common depot, London, July 1991.

 D425

 50025

 Invincible

 07.68

 06.06.78

 14.08.89

 Scrapped at Old Oak Common in October 1989, after derailment at West Ealing in August 1989, as a result of vandals placing an object onto the track, causing the loco to overturn.

 D426

 50026

 Indomitable

 07.68

 29.03.78

 11.12.90

 Preserved, Owned by Paul Spracklen

 D427

 50027

 Lion

 06.68

 17.04.78

 23.07.91

 Privately owned, based at the Mid Hants Railway. Moved from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on 13 June 2012.

 D428

 50028

 Tiger

 07.68

 10.05.78

 01.02.91

Scrapped at Old Oak Common depot, London, July 1991.

 D429

 50029

 Renown

 07.68

 26.10.78

 25.03.92

 Preserved: Owned by the Renown Repulse restoration Group

 D430

 50030

 Repulse

 07.68

 10.04.78

 08.04.92

 Preserved: Owned by the Renown Repulse restoration Group

 D431

 Hood

 07.68

 28.06.78

 05.08.91

 Preserved: operated by the Class 50 Alliance

 D432

 50032

 Courageous

 07.68

 07.07.78

 15.10.90

Scrapped at Old Oak Common depot, London, February 1991.

 D433

 50033

 Glorious

 08.68

 26.06.78

 25.03.94

 Preserved. Currently based at Tyseley.

 D434

 50034

 Furious

 08.68

 06.04.78

 29.06.90

Scrapped at Old Oak Common depot, London, February 1991.

 D435

 50035

 Ark Royal

 08.68

 17.01.78

 03.08.90

 First to be named and preserved: owned by the Class 50 Alliance

 D436

 50036

 Victorious

 09.68

 16.05.78

 12.04.91

Scrapped at Booth-Roe scrapyard, Rotherham, July 1992.

 D437

 50037

 Illustrious

 09.68

 08.06.78

 09.09.91

Scrapped at M C Metals, Glasgow, December 1992.

 D438

 50038

 Formidable

 10.68

 05.05.78

 27.09.88

Scrapped at Old Oak Common depot, London, July 1989.

 D439

 50039

 Implacable

 10.68

 20.06.78

 04.06.89

Scrapped at Old Oak Common depot, London, July 1991.

 D440

 50040

 Leviathan

 10.68

 15.09.78

 03.08.90

 Scrapped at Sims Metals, Halesowen, June-July 2008.

 D441

 50041

 Bulwark

 10.68

 08.05.78

 17.04.90

Scrapped at Old Oak Common, London, July 1991.

 D442

 50042

 Triumph

 10.68

 04.10.78

 15.10.90

 Preserved at the Bodmin and Wenford Railway

 D443

 50043

 Eagle

 10.68

 28.06.78

 01.02.91

 Scrapped for spares at Blaenavon, by Raxstar, January 2002.

 D444

 50044

 Exeter

 11.68

 26.04.78

 11.01.91

 Preserved: Owned by the Class 50 Allianc

 D445

 50045

 Achilles

 11.68

 12.04.78

 11.12.90

Scrapped at Booth-Roe scrapyard, Rotherham, April 2000.

 D446

 50046

 Ajax

 12.68

 11.10.78

 25.03.92

Scrapped at M C Metals scrapyard, Glasgow, June 1992.

 D447

 50047

 Swiftsure

 12.68

 26.05.78

 13.04.88

Scrapped at Vic Berry's scrapyard, Leicester, April-June 1989.

 D448

 50048

 Dauntless

 12.68

 16.03.78

 15.07.91

Scrapped at M C Metals scrapyard, Glasgow, April 1992.

 D449

 50049 or  50149

 Defiance

 12.68

 02.05.78

 16.08.91

 50149 carried during experimental Railfreight period.
 Preserved: Owned by the Class 50 Alliance