CLASS 33 DIESEL-ELECTRIC - 33025 'SULTAN'
The fleet of Class 33's, or BRCW Type 3's, was built for the Southern Region by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company between 1960 and 1962.
There were 98 of these locomotives built, which were also nicknamed 'Cromptons' after the Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment that was installed in them, and they were originally numbered D6500 - D6597.
They proved to be very reliable locomotives and, during 1980 for instance, were only attributable to 5% of train failures on the entire Southern Region.
Some 29 members of the class have been preserved, including the larger version of our own model.
This particular locomotive began life in 1961 as, I believe, D6543.
She was then renumbered to 33025 in December 1975.
She has also had a bit of a yo-yo existence, being withdrawn in February 1988 before being reintstated in November 1988.
She was withdrawn again in August of the same year, before being reinstated yet again in December 1999.
She was withdrawn once more in February 2001 and sold to DRS in December of that year. Following an overhaul, DRS then reinstated her in July 2002.
Three years later, in September 205 she was sold to WCRC, Carnforth and, in October 2006, she was renamed 'Glen Falloch'.
Our model is by Heljan and it's Catalogue Number is: 3312.
Since purchase she has been professionally weathered, albeit only lightly, and fitted with a sound decoder with Howes Sound files installed.
Like the full size Class 33's, our model is an extremely reliable locomotive and is used on a variety of passenger and freight duties where she always gives sterling service!
There were 98 of these locomotives built, which were also nicknamed 'Cromptons' after the Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment that was installed in them, and they were originally numbered D6500 - D6597.
They proved to be very reliable locomotives and, during 1980 for instance, were only attributable to 5% of train failures on the entire Southern Region.
Some 29 members of the class have been preserved, including the larger version of our own model.
This particular locomotive began life in 1961 as, I believe, D6543.
She was then renumbered to 33025 in December 1975.
She has also had a bit of a yo-yo existence, being withdrawn in February 1988 before being reintstated in November 1988.
She was withdrawn again in August of the same year, before being reinstated yet again in December 1999.
She was withdrawn once more in February 2001 and sold to DRS in December of that year. Following an overhaul, DRS then reinstated her in July 2002.
Three years later, in September 205 she was sold to WCRC, Carnforth and, in October 2006, she was renamed 'Glen Falloch'.
Our model is by Heljan and it's Catalogue Number is: 3312.
Since purchase she has been professionally weathered, albeit only lightly, and fitted with a sound decoder with Howes Sound files installed.
Like the full size Class 33's, our model is an extremely reliable locomotive and is used on a variety of passenger and freight duties where she always gives sterling service!
CLASS 35 DIESEL-HYDRAULIC - D7035
From a reliable diesel electric Type 3 to, possibly, the most reliable diesel-hydraulic locomotive of any class.
A
whopping 101 Class 35 'Hymeks' were built by Beyer Peacock (Hymek) Ltd
between 1961 and 1964 yet, sadly, many of them had very short lives with
all of them being withdrawn by 1975 in favour of diesel-electric
locomotives.
Uniquely, they were the only Type 3 diesel-hydraulics to be built and, happily, four of the class survived into preservation, namely: D7017 and D7018 at the West Somerset Railway, D7029 at the Severn Valley Railway and D7076 at the East Lancashire Railway.
Our model is by Heljan and its Catalogue Nº is 3508.
She has also been professionally weathered, indeed, quite heavily so in her case! She has also been fitted with a sound decoder with Howes sound files installed.
As I say, she is a great little locomotive and is in regular use for both freight and passenger work and is also quite often seen pottering up and down the branch line.
Uniquely, they were the only Type 3 diesel-hydraulics to be built and, happily, four of the class survived into preservation, namely: D7017 and D7018 at the West Somerset Railway, D7029 at the Severn Valley Railway and D7076 at the East Lancashire Railway.
Our model is by Heljan and its Catalogue Nº is 3508.
She has also been professionally weathered, indeed, quite heavily so in her case! She has also been fitted with a sound decoder with Howes sound files installed.
As I say, she is a great little locomotive and is in regular use for both freight and passenger work and is also quite often seen pottering up and down the branch line.
CLASS 37 DIESEL-ELECTRIC - 37057 'VIKING'
A massive 309 of these highly successful and very popular Type 3's were produced and some of them can still be seen today on main line freight workings, proving just how good these locos were and still are.
The bigger brother of our loco began life in 1962 as D6757 and was renumbered on the 31 December 1973. It was later named 'Viking' in November 1989.
Fortunately she still survives today and was recently acquired by Colas Rail.
As far as our model is concerned she is used to haul a variety of trains, both goods and passenger. She has been fitted with a sound decoder and has Olivias Trains sound files fitted which are, in my opinion, one of the best Class 37 sound files out there!
CLASS 37 DIESEL-ELECTRIC - 37251
She has also been weathered, since purchase, although not to the same degree as her stablemate.
She also has a sound decoder fitted but has Howes sound files installed and, although these are very good they are not quite up to the same standard as Olivias.
The original 37251 was built in 1964 and was originally numbered D6951, renumbered to 37251 on 31 December 1973.
She was then named 'Gladiator' on 13 November 1989 before being unnamed on 1 January 1990. She was renamed 'Northern Lights' on 4 November 1992 before being unnamed once more on 28 February 1998.
She was sadly withdrawn on 7 December 2001 and scrapped at the end of September of the same year.
Like 'Viking' she is called upon to perform a variety of work, from express passenger services to humble freight duties and carries out both with great aplomb!
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