The Class 50s had a distinctive and impressive soundtrack which can be replicated in model form with high-quality digital sound files. MIKE WILD picks the Heljan ‘O’ gauge Class 50 to show how this main line diesel can be equipped with realistic sound.
Above: Named and numbered, our sound fitted Class 50 stands on shed at Seven Mill Depot awaiting its next duty.
THE CLASS 50S EARNT a huge enthusiast following in their final years of service. Their distinctive exhaust sound made them thrilling to ride behind as they powered through the countryside on expresses from London to the West on routes like the famous Waterloo-Exeter run.
Recreating the sounds of the Class 50 in miniature is a great way to make the most of modern models. In the past we have shown how to do this in ‘OO’ gauge using the Hornby model and a ZIMO MX645R 8-pin decoder (HM123) with a high-performance twin speaker, but in this feature we are going to look at how Heljan’s new ‘O’ gauge model can be upgraded to sound for even greater effect.
