Heljan 1175

British Rail Class 117 DMS W51413 British Railways Green with Late Crest

Contents

Tooling

In late 2024, Heljan announced its long-awaited, fully tooled O gauge Class 117 DMUs, marking its most ambitious suburban DMU project to date. This launch forms part of a wider "First Generation" suburban DMU range that also includes the Class 121, Class 122 railcars and Class 149/150 trailer cars, offering enthusiasts a comprehensive set from the late-1950s through the 1990s.

Reviews from the modelling community have been overwhelmingly positive. Model Rail and Key Model World highlighted its "impressive" detailing and smooth running, describing it as a milestone for O gauge DMUs. Many noted Heljan's long wait—announced originally in 2018—as fully justified by the striking final result. Social media and discussion forums praised its realism, especially the accurate detailing, strong drive performance, and well-engineered coupling system.

Detailing: Includes factory-fitted handrails, glazing, wipers, exhausts, lamp irons, gangway connectors, tail lamp, and buffer beam detail. Underframes feature chassis pipework, battery boxes and air tanks. Fully modelled passenger saloons, cab interiors, cab lighting and detailed driver's footplate. Screw-link couplings at the ends, magnetic bar couplings between cars, and sprung buffers for realistic operation during shunting and movement.

Class & Prototype

  • Running Number: W51413

The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel Company between 1959-1961 as three-car suburban sets comprising DMBS, TCL, and DMS vehicles. Powered by dual Leyland 680 horizontal diesel engines producing 600hp per unit, these elegant DMUs served Thames Valley, Birmingham Cross-City, Scottish, and Cornish routes for forty years until final withdrawal in 2000. The class achieved remarkable preservation success with 51 surviving vehicles across twenty heritage locations, including the Swanage Railway's mainline-certified set operating scheduled Network Rail services. Bachmann produces comprehensive OO gauge models (£459.95-569.95) featuring dual motors, authentic period liveries from BR green through Network SouthEast, and optional sound-fitted variants, whilst Heljan offers O gauge versions arriving December 2025.

Operator & Livery

  • Operator: British Railways
  • Livery: Green with Late Crest
  • Era: 5 - British Railways Late Crest

British Railways transformed Britain's fragmented rail network into a unified national system following nationalisation on 1st January 1948. Created from the "Big Four" companies under the Transport Act 1947, BR operated most of Great Britain's railways until rebranding as British Rail in 1965, managing over 20,000 route miles and inheriting nearly 20,000 locomotives of diverse designs.

The organisation pioneered standardisation through its revolutionary BR Standard locomotive programme (1951-1960), producing 999 advanced steam engines under Robert Riddles' direction. These included the versatile Britannia Pacifics, mighty 9F freight engines, and mixed-traffic classes that incorporated the best features from all predecessor companies. The 1955 Modernisation Plan accelerated diesel and electric traction development, creating fascinating mixed-traction operations.

Notable achievements included establishing unified locomotive classification systems, introducing distinctive corporate liveries, and managing the complex transition from steam to modern traction. BR's six regional structure preserved operational diversity whilst enabling standardisation of practices, signalling, and rolling stock that had eluded private enterprise for over a century.

The BR era represents steam traction's final flowering alongside emerging diesel technology, creating unparalleled locomotive variety. Today, this heritage remains highly popular with railway enthusiasts through extensive preserved fleets, heritage railway operations, and comprehensive model ranges from manufacturers like Hornby, Bachmann, and Dapol, making BR subjects essential for authentic post-war British railway modelling across all scales.