Heljan’s ‘Clayton’ success
WHILST the real Class 17 ‘Clayton’ Type 1 locomotives were short-lived, their appeal is far reaching, with successful off-the-shelf models being produced in ‘N’ gauge under the EFE Rail label alongside an ‘OO’ gauge model by Heljan which was first released in 2009.
The hold this short-lived locomotive has on enthusiasts is difficult to fathom, but the brand-new ‘O’ gauge model from Heljan further underlines its success as a scale model with sales of the ‘O’ gauge model in all liveries being brisk.
Introduced as BR’s standard Type 1 locomotive with a single cab supposedly offering excellent all-round visibility compared to the Class 20, it proved to be a costly purchase for BR, even more so than the Class 28 Co-Bo locomotive (another popular choice among modellers) with many locomotives being withdrawn after as little as five years of service.
Strangely enough, modellers seem to plump for underdog classes and the Class 17 is no exception. Of the 117 locomotives, only one survives in preservation thanks to its stint as an industrial locomotive after BR service. No. D8568 is a popular heritage locomotive with a strong following of enthusiasts equalled by the enthusiasm for models of Class 17s.
The Class 17 was an unproven design, but simple enough in its concept. The three body
