Heljan Class 42 V200 021 Winhund DB Livery HN4244 OO Gauge

Class 42 V200 021 Winhund DB Livery

1:76 scale model produced by Heljan. This model is ready-to-run straight out of the box and would make a excellent addition to any model railway collection.

Features:

• Analogue DC Model
• This model mainly operates in Britian
• This model is decorated in Preserved company markings

Details

The British Rail Class 42 — often known as the “Warship” class — was a fleet of diesel-hydraulic locomotives introduced in 1958. Built by Swindon Works between 1958 and 1961, a total of 38 Class 42 units were produced, carrying fleet numbers D800–D832 and D866–D870.

The Class 42 design was inspired by the German Federal Railway’s “V200” locomotive, adapted under licence for Britain’s tighter loading gauge.

Each loco featured twin diesel engines (originally Maybach MD650) driving via twin Mekydro hydraulic transmissions — a configuration that kept the locomotives comparatively light yet powerful.

Introduced to replace steam power on Western Region mainlines, the Warships served on expresses — including London Paddington to Penzance — and hauled both passenger and freight services.

Despite their success, all Class 42s were withdrawn between 1968 and 1972. The reasons included maintenance challenges, the inability to upgrade braking systems or install electric train heating (ETH), and a shift in the broader policy against diesel-hydraulic locomotives.

Today, only two survive in preservation — numbers D821 and D832 — serving as beloved reminders of Britain’s early diesel-hydraulic era.