New locomotives and rolling stock for ‘OO’ and ‘O’ gauge joined by sought-after reruns of existing models.
Visitors to the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition this weekend will be the first to see HELJAN’s 2023 catalogue, containing a strong line-up of new and refreshed models for release in 2023/24.
Our 2023 UK outline catalogue (see above) goes on sale to the public at the NEC this weekend and will be available from HELJAN UK stockists from next week, priced at £3.50. Retailers can obtain copies for sale via Gaugemaster with immediate effect.
Headlining the new announcements are a Class 58 diesel in O gauge, a Class 86/2 AC electric in OO gauge and, for the first time as a ready-to-run model, the distinctive Newton Chambers TCV Car Transporter in OO.
Both the Class 58 and the TCVs are well advanced, with factory decorated samples already in the UK for review. The TCVs will arrive first, in Spring 2023, followed by the ‘58’ in mid-year and the Class 86/2s towards the end of 2023. See separate press releases for more information on these exciting all-new models.
A number of other new models make their debut in the 2023 HELJAN catalogue, including BR/NBL prototype diesel 10800 (due Spring 2023) and our retooled and upgraded OO Class 26. Having announced the new ‘26/1s’ with Far North Line twin headlights earlier this year, we can now confirm the identities and liveries for the remaining models in the initial batch of releases, including a special ‘tatty’ edition in Railfreight ‘Red Stripe’ for the Gaugemaster Collection. See listing below. Further versions covering the ‘Pilot Scheme’ Class 26/0s are currently in development and will be announced in 2023.
Also in the catalogue for the first time are the Southern Railway CCT/PMV vans and updated Class 45 diesels in O gauge announced earlier this year. Reruns and upgrades of existing products include the ‘OO’ Class 57 in several new liveries plus Class 20 and ‘Western’ diesels in O gauge.
Following the sellout success of our recently released OO Class 45 ‘Peak’, a second batch is now in preparation for release in 2023 featuring liveries and ‘specials’ not covered in the first batch. Further versions of the classic BR/Sulzer 1-Co-Co-1 family are currently in development and will be announced in 2023.
O Gauge PCA Tank
Not featured in the HELJAN 2023 catalogue but also announced this weekend is an all-new PCA powder tank wagon for O gauge. These superb new models are being produced exclusively for Realism Redefined, the retail arm of ‘Britain’s Biggest Model Railway’.
Featuring compensated axles, sprung buffers and Instanter couplings, fine pipework and underframe detail, the model is based on the depressed centre PCA tanks used for cement and chemical traffic since the 1980s. The first batch includes no fewer than 10 individually numbered and decorated cement wagons, allowing customers to assemble a realistic ready-to-run block train. Also planned are similar wagons in Lever Brothers/Tiger Rail purple and Albright & Wilson green – ideal for 1980s/90s Speedlink trains. See www.realismredefined.co.uk for more information.
CAD work and livery artwork is complete and we expect the first engineering prototype samples to arrive in the UK for review in early-2023. Look out for further updates on this much-requested O gauge wagon soon.
‘OO’ GAUGE NEW ITEMS FOR 2023/24
BRCW/SULZER TYPE 2 – CLASS 26
2625: BR Blue 26039 (twin headlights)
2626: BR Blue 26032 (twin headlights) WEATHERED
2641: BR Green D5333 (small yellow panels)
2642: BR Green D5335 (full yellow ends)
2643: BR Blue 26023 (tablet catcher recess)
2644: BR Blue 26042 (dual braked)
2645: Railfreight Red Stripe 26038
2646: Civil Engineers Grey/Yellow 26026
GM4240501 Railfreight Red Stripe 26025 (tatty with Eastfield Terrier)
NEW LIVERIES FOR 2023! BR Derby/Sulzer Type 4 - Class 45
45102: BR Economy Green D63 Royal Inniskilling Fusilier (small yellow panel)
45103: BR Blue D50 The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (small yellow panel)
45105: BR Blue 45032 (domino headcodes)
45301: BR Blue 45055 Royal Corps of Transport (red bufferbeams)
45303: BR Blue 97409 ‘Lytham St Annes’ (Tinsley painted names) WEATHERED
45400: BR Blue 45144 Royal Signals (black roof)
45401: BR Blue 45110 (white body stripe)
45504: BR Blue 45104 The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers (orange cantrail stripe, black bonnet/cab, NSE flashes)
NEW LIVERIES FOR 2023! Class 57
5706: Virgin Trains 57302 Virgil Tracy WEATHERED
5707: Virgin Trains 57309 Brains
5708: First Great Western ‘Fag Packet’ Green 57603 Tintagel Castle
5710: GWR Green 57605 Totnes Castle
5711: GWR Lined Green 57604 Pendennis Castle
5712: West Coast Railways ‘Northern Belle’ 57601 Windsor Castle
5713: Network Rail Yellow 57312
NEW VERSION FOR 2023! BR Class 86/2 – Late-1970s onwards
GM4240304: BR ‘Rainhill 150’ Blue 86235 Novelty GAUGEMASTER COLLECTION^
8621: BR Rail Blue 86253 The Manchester Guardian^
8623: InterCity Executive 86204 City of Carlisle^
8630: InterCity Swift 86238 European Community^
8631: Virgin Trains 86240 Bishop Eric Treacy+
8633: Electric Blue 86259 Les Ross^
8634: EWS Red/Gold 86261 Rail Charter Partnership^
8635: Colas Railfreight 86701 Orion+
8636: Anglia Railways 86260^
^ Faiveley pantograph
+ Brecknell Willis pantograph
NEW FOR 2023! BR NEWTON CHAMBERS CAR TRANSPORTER
9620: BR Lined Maroon Pack 1: E96288/289/290E
9621: BR Lined Maroon Pack 2: E96286/293/297E
9622: BR Lined Maroon Pack 1: E96287/291/294E
9623: BR Blue/Grey Pack 1: TCV E96290/297/298E
9624: BR Blue/Grey Pack 2: NVX E96291/294/299E
9625: BR Blue/Grey Pack 3: NVV E96288/289/293E WEATHERED
‘O’ GAUGE NEW ITEMS FOR 2023/24
NEW LIVERIES FOR 2023! EE Type 1/BR Class 20
2000: BR Green Unnumbered (small yellow panel)^
2001: BR Blue Unnumbered (full yellow ends)^
2003: BR Tinsley Railtour Green Unnumbered^
2004: BR Blue 20042 (DCE cabside stripes) WEATHERED^
2005: BR Green 20023 (full yellow ends) WEATHERED^
2013: BR Blue Unnumbered (domino headcodes)+
2016: BR Thornaby Blue/Red/White Unnumbered+
2017: BR Green D8132 (small yellow panels)+
^Disc headcodes
+Centre headcode panels
NEW FOR 2023! BR Derby/Sulzer Type 4 - Class 45
4520: BR Blue Unnumbered
4521: BR Blue 45004 Royal Irish Fusiler
4522: BR Blue 45033 ‘Sirius’ (Tinsley painted names) WEATHERED
4525: BR Blue Unnumbered
4526: BR Blue 45144 Royal Signals
4527: BR Blue Unnumbered
4528: BR Blue 45110 ‘Medusa’ (Tinsley painted names)
4529: BR Railtour green 45106 (full yellow ends)
NEW LIVERIES FOR 2023! BR Class 52 ‘Western’
5291: BR Blue Unnumbered (full yellow ends)
5292: BR Maroon D1001 Western Pathfinder (yellow bufferbeams)
5293: BR Green D1038 Western Sovereign (small yellow panel)
5294: BR Blue D1031 Western Rifleman (full yellow ends) WEATHERED
5295: BR Golden Ochre D1015 Western Champion (early-2000s livery)
5296: BR Desert Sand D1000 Western Enterprise (small yellow panels)
NEW FOR 2023! BR Class 58
5851: Railfreight Red Stripe
5853: Railfreight Coal Sector Grey
5854: EWS Red/Gold
5855: Railfreight Red Stripe 58034 Bassetlaw WEATHERED
GM7240601: Mainline Blue 58021 Hither Green Depot GAUGEMASTER COLLECTION
5857: Mainline Grey
5858: Railfreight Grey Unnumbered/Unbranded
NEW FOR 2023! SR CCT/PMV Utility Van
9150: SR Green PMV No. 1171
9151: BR Crimson PMV
9152: BR(S) Green PMV S1626S
9153: BR Blue PMV S1574
9154: BR Blue PMV S1865 WEATHERED
9155: BR Gulf Red PMV ADS4
9170: SR Green CCT S2372
9171: BR Crimson CCT S1765S WEATHERED
9172: BR(S) Green CCT
9173: BR Blue NOV S2017
9174: BR Departmental Olive Green CCT ADB975276
9175: BR Blue CCT S1733
Look out for further updates on all these new models here and on our Facebook page over the coming months!