First announced back in November 2017 the Heljan 07 Class has now arrived and along with the Dapol ex LSWR B4 0-4-0t and the Model Rail / Bachmann USA 0-6-0t nearly completes the line of regular shunting locomotives used at Southampton Docks. A number of of other classes were also often also regularly seen at the docks including the ex LBSC E1 class now to be produced by Model Rail / Rapido, although this is a couple of years off yet.  This Heljan 07 Class will certainly look the part on Canute Road Quay when I run it in a later period guise.

The USA 0-6-0 tanks had been in service within Southampton Docks since 1946, Due to the various tight curves within Southampton Docks utilising existing Diesel shunters such as the EE 350HP, later 09 class was not going to be an option. Therefore in 1962 Fourteen 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunting 275HP locomotives specifically for use in Southampton Docks were purchased by British Railways from Ruston Paxman.  They had a wheelbase of only 8 ft 7½ in, compared with 11 ft 6 in for an 08. With their high well glazed cab offset between long and short bonnets they certainly had their own distinctive character. Whilst very successful within the confines of the docks and shunting duties they had a habit of suffering from hot axle boxes when used on trip working so they were not often seen on the main line.

The locomotives were numbered D2985 to D2998, then were allocated numbers 07001 to 07014 under TOPS renumbering but not all locomotives remained in service long enough to be renumbered. Initially, the locomotives were finished in dark green livery and carried British Railways badges of the type use on coaching stock. All were later painted blue.

The Heljan model is initially released in two versions, representing them as built non air braked and as later modified with air brakes, additional extra cabinet, air receiver compartment and high level air pipes:

Version 1 non-air braked:
– 2900  D2985 BR Green
– 2901  D2990 BR Green
– 2902  D2992 BR Blue
– 2903  07010  BR Blue

Version 2 air-braked:
– 2910  2993  BR Blue
– 2911  07005 BR Blue
– 2912 (07001) Peakstone yellow
– 2913 (07003) British Industrial Sand white

I will let the pictures demonstrate how well Heljan have captured the look of the prototype. It features a multi part injection  moulded body with fine etched front and rear nose grills on a heavy diecast chassis. Separately fitted items include: metal handrails, sprung buffers, windscreen wipers, pipework, roof mounted air horns and factory fitted screw link couplings.  The cab interior, clearly visible through the large flash glazed windows,  is also nicely  moulded and includes driver desks and a separate hand brake wheel and the dials in the instrument desk have been picked out accordingly, it certainly needs the inclusion of a driver to complete the look.

Underneath the body the chassis features the correct air cylinders, sand boxes, sand pipes, other pipework and brake gear. Also fitted is a working lubricator linkage on the left hand side (when viewed long bonnet forward.
The 07 class had both lamps and lamp irons for all the standard SR 6 positions and these are faithfully represented on the model the two lamps above the buffer beam illuminate one red and one white in the direction of travel which is the correct lamp indication when shunting.

The 07 class had both lamps and lamp irons for all the standard SR 6 positions and these are faithfully represented on the model the two lamps above the buffer beam illuminate one red and one white in the direction of travel which is the correct lamp indication when shunting.

Included with the model are disc, including those with duty numbers, as used within Southampton Docks,  pre-printed on to one side. Shanked Tension Lock couplings are included for fitting in the NEM socket on the chassis, I found these to be too low and extend too far out from the buffer beam so have changed mine for shorter non cranked versions. For those not using the tension lock couplings the factor fitted screw link couplings are nicely modelled and suitable for use, a nice touch is that Heljan have also supplied a  blanking plug moulding that clips into the NEM pocket to fill the gap in the buffer beam.

Performance of my model straight out of the box was excellent and smooth at slow speeds, there is space within the ling bonnet for a six pin DCC decoder (this is accessed via the two underframe screws located at the front to be removed before sliding the cab upwards from followed by the long bonnet.

Overall this is an excellent model in looks, detail and performance and Heljan should be congratulated for taking on such a prototype and producing such a fine model. It is right on the button for those modelling dockside scene in and around Southampton such as my own Canute Road Quay and other rolling stock is currently being acquired and worked on to run the layout in the transition period between the USA tanks and the 07 Class so what this space.