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Rapido Trains UK has today announced its first mainline diesel for OO gauge – the BR Class 35 ‘Hymek’ diesel-hydraulic – and pre-orders are open now at Rainbow Railways.
Twelve versions are planned, running from as-built BR green through the small yellow panel and full yellow end eras into rail blue, plus four of the preserved survivors. Every loco is available DCC Ready or with factory-fitted DCC sound, and the sound models even produce exhaust ‘clag’ with Rapido’s dynamic exhaust effect.
British Railways ordered the first 45 Hymeks in 1959, and repeat orders took the class to 101 locomotives. Built by Beyer, Peacock at Gorton Works in Manchester, they were the only one of the Western Region’s main diesel-hydraulic classes built by an outside firm. A Bristol Siddeley-built Maybach MD870 engine drove through a Mekydro hydro-mechanical transmission, which is where the ‘Hymek’ name comes from.
D7000 was handed over at Paddington in May 1961. Hymeks went on to become synonymous with Hereford to Paddington trains, and worked across the Western Region from London to the West Country, South Wales and the West Midlands, as well as Waterloo to Exeter and other Southern routes. Five were even based at Worcester to bank trains up the Lickey Incline. The last were withdrawn in March 1975, and four survive in preservation today.
Rapido has tooled the Hymek with plenty of era-specific differences – boiler room roofs, sandboxes, brake cylinders, lower cab door handles and headboard clips all change to suit each loco. Every model has a diecast chassis, a 5-pole motor with twin flywheels, MoPower stay-alive, a 21-pin decoder socket, directional and cab lighting, sprung buffers and NEM coupler pockets.
The headcode panel is swappable, with 14 different headcodes in the box, and each loco comes with a full-colour 3D-printed driver and secondman by Modelu in early or late uniforms to suit its era. You also get extra buffer beam detail, snowploughs, etched number and works plates, a loco history card and an art print.
A passive radiator speaker and smoke unit are fitted to every model. The DCC Sound versions have an ESU LokSound 5 with sounds recorded from preserved 7076, a working radiator fan and the dynamic exhaust effect, which puffs out smoke on start-up, when pulling away and when the loco works harder. DCC Ready models can be upgraded later with a decoder carrying Rapido’s profile. The smoke effect needs ESU 51990 Smoke Distillate, sold separately.
Four green Hymeks cover the early years: D7013 as built with no yellow, D7002 and 7054 with small yellow warning panels (7054 with its ‘D’ painted out), and D7020 with full yellow ends.
Rapido 988001 Class 35 D7013 – BR Green (DCC Ready) – £170.00
Rapido 988501 Class 35 D7013 – BR Green (DCC Sound) – £267.75
Rapido 988002 Class 35 D7002 – BR Green with small yellow panels (DCC Ready) – £170.00
Rapido 988502 Class 35 D7002 – BR Green with small yellow panels (DCC Sound) – £267.75
Rapido 988003 Class 35 7054 – BR Green with small yellow panels (DCC Ready) – £170.00
Rapido 988503 Class 35 7054 – BR Green with small yellow panels (DCC Sound) – £267.75
Rapido 988004 Class 35 D7020 – BR Green with full yellow ends (DCC Ready) – £170.00
Rapido 988504 Class 35 D7020 – BR Green with full yellow ends (DCC Sound) – £267.75
The rail blue era is covered by D7004 and D7052 with small yellow panels – D7052 with white window surrounds – then 7022 with a painted-out ‘D’ and 7017 with vinyl numbers, both carrying full yellow ends.
Rapido 988005 Class 35 D7004 – BR Blue with small yellow panels (DCC Ready) – £170.00
Rapido 988505 Class 35 D7004 – BR Blue with small yellow panels (DCC Sound) – £267.75
Rapido 988006 Class 35 D7052 – BR Blue with small yellow panels and white window surrounds (DCC Ready) – £170.00
Rapido 988506 Class 35 D7052 – BR Blue with small yellow panels and white window surrounds (DCC Sound) – £267.75
Rapido 988007 Class 35 7022 – BR Blue with full yellow ends (DCC Ready) – £170.00
Rapido 988507 Class 35 7022 – BR Blue with full yellow ends (DCC Sound) – £267.75
Rapido 988008 Class 35 7017 – BR Blue with full yellow ends (DCC Ready) – £170.00
Rapido 988508 Class 35 7017 – BR Blue with full yellow ends (DCC Sound) – £267.75
Four versions represent the preserved survivors: D7018 in green with small yellow panels as preserved in the 1990s, D7029 in green with full yellow ends as preserved in the late 1990s, D7017 in blue with small yellow panels and white window surrounds as preserved 1993–2005, and D7076 in blue with full yellow ends as it runs today.
Rapido 988009 Class 35 D7018 – BR Green with small yellow panels (DCC Ready) – £170.00
Rapido 988509 Class 35 D7018 – BR Green with small yellow panels (DCC Sound) – £267.75
Rapido 988010 Class 35 D7029 – BR Green with full yellow ends (DCC Ready) – £170.00
Rapido 988510 Class 35 D7029 – BR Green with full yellow ends (DCC Sound) – £267.75
Rapido 988011 Class 35 D7017 – BR Blue with small yellow panels and white window surrounds (DCC Ready) – £170.00
Rapido 988511 Class 35 D7017 – BR Blue with small yellow panels and white window surrounds (DCC Sound) – £267.75
Rapido 988012 Class 35 D7076 – BR Blue with full yellow ends (DCC Ready) – £170.00
Rapido 988512 Class 35 D7076 – BR Blue with full yellow ends (DCC Sound) – £267.75
Rapido’s RRP is £199.95 for DCC Ready and £314.95 for DCC Sound. Pre-order at Rainbow Railways for £170.00 DCC Ready or £267.75 DCC Sound. You won’t be charged until your loco is released.
Rapido already has decorated samples in hand. Pre-order online, call us, or pop into the shop and we’ll be happy to help you pick the right Hymek for your layout.
