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2D-022-014TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS CLASS 68 'SPLENDID' 68027
'N' Gauge
Released: 25/01/24
DCC Ready (Next18)
Era 11
Our Price:
£127.50
£127.50
2D-022-016DRS/NTS GREEN CLASS 68 'PRIDE OF THE NORTH' 68006
'N' GaugeReleased: 25/01/24DCC Ready (Next18)Era 11
Our Price:
£127.50
£127.50
35-361Class 20/0 Disc Headcode 20088 BR Railfreight Sector Unbranded
'OO' GaugeReleased: 24/01/24DCC Ready (PluX22)Era 8The British Railways Board's (BRB) 1955 modernisation plan called for a change to alternative forms of traction and manufacturers were asked to produce trial or initial designs for evaluation. English Electric adapted an existing design based on an export model for a 1,000bhp diesel and 20 were built as a pilot scheme for assessment.
The first batch was built in 1957 and the diesels were assigned to work from Devon's Road depot, East London. The design was a success from the start and by 1962 a total of 127 had been built. Following assessment of all the Type 1 diesels, BRB placed a further order increasing the total to 228 by 1968 and the design became the BR standard for 1,000bhp diesel locomotives. With the introduction of TOPS the locomotives were designated Class 20 and renumbered 20001 to 20228. The locomotives were principally designed for freight work but also saw service on summer passenger trains where train heating was not required. The Class 20s worked over the Eastern, London Midland and Scottish regions as well as into Wales and were commonly associated with coal traffic. The only drawback the Class had was its single end cab, unlike modern designs that have a cab at each end. BR resolved this problem by regularly operating the Class 20s as pairs, nose to nose, and with the combined power of 2,000bhp they were able to haul the heavier block freight trains.
BR's decision to switch to Type 5 and in particular Class 60 diesels in the late 1980s started a gradual withdrawal of the fleet, with just 28 left by 1994. A tribute to the design is that after 45 years the Class is still in service with DRS on mainline duties following refurbishment, the resulting locomotives being designated Class 20/3s. At least 28 of the class are now preserved.
Our Price:
£191.20
£191.20
371-858Class 158 2-Car DMU 158844 Northern
'N' GaugeReleased: 24/01/24DCC Ready (Next18)Era 9The British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU), built specifically for British Rail's Provincial Services sector between 1989 and 1992 by British Rail Engineering Limited (BREL) at Derby Litchurch Lane Works and outshopped in Regional Railways Provincial livery. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, thereby reducing cost of operation, and to allow cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs. The majority of the 182-strong fleet of Class 158 units were built as two-car sets, with 17 three-car units constructed specifically for use on Trans-Pennine services. Similar three-car units were built for use by Network SouthEast but these were converted to Class 159 specification before introduced into service, with toilet retention tanks and other modifications to operate over the third-rail network.
All but one of the Class 158s remain in service today (2023), with operators including ScotRail, Northern, Great Western (GWR), East Midlands Trains (now EMR), and Transport for Wales (formerly Arriva). Former operators include Central Trains. The Class has worked extensively across the UK network, even into East Anglia as far as Stansted Airport and Norwich. Some 158s have been converted to additional Class 159s and now operate for South Western alongside their original classmates.
Our Price:
£220.95
£220.95
R30282BR, Class 8F, 2-8-0, No. 48518
'OO' GaugeReleased: 08/02/24DCC Ready (21 Pin)Era 5The Stanier designed LMS Class 8F was many things, it was one of the most widespread 2-8-0 locomotive ever used in Britain, it was a war hero, an expat, but maybe more importantly it was a dependable servant of the freight industry. 852 examples of the class were built over an eleven years of construction with an example being built in almost every locomotive works around the UK.
This is quite unusual as a competing rail company would not wish to allocate valuable shed time to a competitors locomotive however the locomotive was chosen by the war department to be the standard freight engine of the war effort. This led to their construction on every part of the UK network, as at a time of war even the fiercest national competitors would need to put their differences aside to work towards the common goal of peace.
Examples of the 8F locomotive could, at their geographical peak, could be found in the UK as well as Italy, Turkey, Iran, Palestine, Israel and Egypt. 225 examples would find themselves in service overseas initially in Egypt and Iran before those locomotives were disseminated around the Middle East and parts of Europe as and where demand dictated. Most of these locomotives would not return to the UK and would continue to be used in revenue earning service well after the withdrawal of steam on the UK network.
Overseas examples would go on to be withdrawn in the 1970s and 80s, with most examples being scrapped. Back home in the UK, the last examples would be withdrawn at the end of steam on BR in 1968, a large number have been preserved. Two Class 8Fs represent a rare sight in the world of diving, going down with the SS Thistlegrom. These locomotives are clearly visible on the seafloor with the ship, becoming a major tourist attraction in recent years.
Locomotive 48518 as it was known in BR service entered service in August 1944 as the LMS locomotive 8518. Only a few years later it would have its number increased in line with its class as it entered BR service. The locomotive would work a career of almost 21 years before being withdrawn in July 1965. The locomotive would enter preservation, albeit briefly as it would go on to be used as a spares donor for the 6 other UK based 8Fs. The frames were scraped in 2013, and the boiler will be used on 48173 on the Churnet Valley Railway.
Our Price:
£224.99
£224.99
