A exceptionally accurate and very well made class 86. Exceptionally detailed.
Fantastic O2 Tango, but missing buffer beam pipework
The Heljan LNER O2 “Tango” is a fantastic model overall. It has real presence on the layout, the finish is excellent, and the heavy freight character of the prototype is captured very well.
At £119.99, it also represents excellent value for money. This model originally sat around the £219 retailer/RRP level, so the current Heljan direct price gives a saving of roughly £99, or about 45%. That is exactly where selling direct to the consumer makes sense. Instead of the full traditional retailer margin being built into the final selling price, Heljan are passing a real saving on to the customer.
This particular example runs well and I have had no issues with derailing. The tender also has a factory-fitted speaker already installed, and the model is 21-pin DCC ready, with easy access for fitting a decoder after purchase. That makes it very practical for anyone wanting to add DCC or sound without major modification.
The only reason I am giving it four stars rather than five is that the flexible vacuum brake hose / buffer beam pipework is missing on my example. I checked the detail pack and the part is not included there either, so it does appear to be missing rather than simply left for the customer to fit.
That is disappointing, because the rest of the locomotive is superb. It is a small detail, but it is on the visible front buffer beam, so it does matter on a model of this quality.
I also think some of the online criticism of Heljan has been unfair and exaggerated. Certain YouTube reviews seem to focus heavily on negatives, not just with Heljan but also with other manufacturers such as Bachmann and Hornby. No model range is perfect, but I prefer to judge the model in front of me rather than rely on one-sided online commentary.
People should support Heljan direct if they want these sorts of prices to continue. At £119.99, this is a serious, well-detailed locomotive at a very attractive price.
In my experience, this O2 Tango looks superb, runs well, and offers very strong value for money. It only loses one star because of the missing buffer beam pipe detail.
It was hard to remove the couplings and replace with magnets, and I managed to break off one of the staves and some of the smaller details. But they are great looking wagons.
My second Heljan class 86, I’m sure it will be as gd a runner as my other one.
Quick delivery, beautiful runner with great detail. Highly recommended !
Excellent value sound fitted, used a couple of vouchers as well, very pleased with this model 👍
Really pleased with my purchase, a beautiful runner and looks well against my other class 47s from different manufacturers. I will definitely be buying more of them.
The Heljan LNER O2/1 in LNER Black is a superb model and excellent value at £119.99. While this is slightly more expensive than some of the £99.98 Heljan direct offers, it is still exceptional value for a large, detailed tender locomotive.
This model originally carried an RRP of around £219.00, so at £119.99 it represents a saving of roughly 45% against the original recommended price. That is exactly the sort of pricing where the customer benefits from Heljan selling direct and passing more of the saving on to the modeller.
The locomotive itself has real presence. The O2 “Tango” is a powerful-looking heavy freight engine, and Heljan have captured that character very well. The finish is strong, the detailing is impressive, and I have had no issues with it derailing.
Another big plus is that the tender already has a factory-fitted speaker built in. The model is also 21-pin DCC ready, and access for fitting a decoder after purchase is straightforward. That makes it a very practical model for anyone wanting to add DCC or sound without having to carry out major modification work.
At this price point, it is very hard to argue with what is being offered. A big LNER freight locomotive, well detailed, DCC ready, factory speaker fitted, and available at a substantial saving against the original retail price.
This is a great example of the direct-to-consumer approach working in favour of the hobby. Heljan gets the model into customers’ hands, and the customer gets a serious locomotive at a price that feels genuinely good value.
An excellent model, a very strong price, and an easy five stars
I've run this in both directions and it hasn't put a foot (wheel?) wrong. Runs perfectly out of the box.
Two very minor issues - one set of footsteps aren't straight and a sandbox was loose in the packaging - I can correct both without a problem. I was slightly nervous about this purchase based on previous experience and reviews - but this seems to be a good one. Very pleased.
Exceptional value and far better than the criticism suggests
This Heljan Class 47 BR Two-Tone Green D1526 is outstanding value at £99.98. At this price, it is honestly difficult to see how anyone can complain too much. This is a detailed DCC-ready diesel locomotive with working lighting, cab lighting, a 21-pin decoder socket, twin factory-fitted speakers already installed, and a proper high-spec feel.
There has been some very harsh online criticism of Heljan’s Class 47, particularly around shape and accuracy, but my own experience with this model is completely different. For the money, it is a fantastic locomotive. It runs extremely well, the motor performance is smooth, and the model feels far more substantial and refined than any basic budget model.
Compared with something like Hornby’s Railroad range, this is night and day. The level of detail, lighting features, finish, cab detail and overall presentation are in a completely different league. I fitted one of my Hornby HM7000 decoders, and because the speakers are already factory fitted, it was basically plug in and go without needing to add separate speakers to the loco. That is a brilliant feature at this price point.
One important note if fitting an HM7000 decoder: because this model has a twin speaker system already fitted, I would recommend turning the default sound volume down before running it properly. Dual speaker setups can place a heavier load on a decoder if driven too hard, so reducing the volume first is a sensible precaution to avoid damaging the decoder or speakers.
The BR two-tone green livery really suits D1526, and this is exactly the sort of classic early diesel that looks great on the layout. I was so impressed with the value that I bought all of the Class 47s Heljan currently had available, and this is just the first of several reviews I will be posting.
This is also a great example of why Heljan selling direct to customers makes sense. The original RRP was around £249.95, and at £99.98 the saving is £149.97, which is effectively 60% off. The customer is clearly benefiting from the direct-sales model.
Whatever has been said online, I can only review the model in front of me. It runs beautifully, looks great in BR green, is easy to convert with a decoder, has excellent features for the money, and represents exceptional value.
A brilliant locomotive at a brilliant price. Easy five stars.
Unique loco and exceptional value
The Heljan 10800 in BR Black Early Emblem weathered finish is a very unusual and characterful locomotive, and at £99.98 it represents exceptional value for money.
This is exactly where Heljan selling direct to the customer really benefits the modeller. This model originally sat at around £264.95, so the current Heljan direct price is roughly 62% lower. Even compared with examples still appearing elsewhere at around £169.50, the direct price is around £69.52 cheaper. For a ready-to-run OO gauge locomotive of this type, that is phenomenal value.
The subject itself is also fascinating. 10800 is a unique prototype diesel, so Heljan were naturally limited in how many versions they could produce, with variations around black or green livery, BR early or late emblem, and weathered or unweathered finishes. That makes it a really interesting model to own.
The only slight criticism is the factory weathering. It is acceptable, but fairly average, and I think it could have been more convincing. That said, it gives a useful base to work from, and I can easily improve it with some additional weathering. But....that price cannot be beaten. I also got an unweathered version and that's just amazing.
The model itself looks excellent, has real character, and is a great addition to the layout. At this price, even with average factory weathering, it is impossible to ignore the value.
Well done Heljan. A unique locomotive, a very strong direct-to-customer price, and a clear win for the consumer.
Exceptional value, but the cab finish holds it back,
The Class 86 BR Blue E3101 is excellent value at £99.98. At this price, it is far ahead of what you would normally expect, and compared with something like Hornby’s Railroad range, it really is in a different league for detail, running quality and overall specification.
It runs very well, has far more detail than a basic budget model, and the fact it does not rely on traction tyres is a real plus. Mechanically, I have no complaints at all. It is a smooth, capable runner and very good value for money.
The reason I am giving it four stars rather than five is the finish. The BR blue is close, but not quite right to my eye. The bigger issue is around the cab area, where the white looks too bright and stands out too much. The yellow painted over the blue at the front also does not look quite as sharp as it should, and the pantograph has a bright metal finish that looks a little too shiny.
That said, this is still a very good model, especially at this price. I have other Class 86s that I would rate higher, but on this particular version the paint finish holds it back slightly.
With newer Class 86 releases likely to be significantly more expensive, this is still well worth grabbing while available. A great runner, much better than a basic budget model, and exceptional value, but four stars from me.
Arrived safely; excellent packaging. At the pricing point this is a superb model. Following its recommended run in the locomotive ran smoothly on my network including crossing standard and express points. The sound was a little soft and the lighting functions were fine. The extras and details were o.k. This you would expect at the retail price The colours are representative of the locomotive with no noticeable glue or paint splashes. The locomotive pulled a rake of Bachman post and Royal Mail coaches with ease. There was no derailments in forward or reverse motion. I recommend this class 47 at the current price as a good basic plus model.
I love the class 33, and these models capture the look of them brilliantly. A fabulous addition to my collection.
Now to chip them and put them to work on the nuclear flask train!
Love a Class 37, especially in the original railfreight colour, absolutely stunning model
This is a cracking Model ! with out of the box lighting options all ready
set on purchase inc cab lights & and fitted speakers if you should
wish to chip it later and a build quality which hard to beat this has to
be the best 47 I have ever owned ! in fact it's so good I don't think I
will ever change it's DC quality's! it's just good to mess with.