A Quirky Quartet

During the past few weeks I have added a few more locomotives to the fleet, with four more diesels and a couple of steam locos joining the growing ranks of motive power.

In this blog I will feature the diesels and will begin with this Heljan Class 14.

She is seen here shunting wagons in the coal depot and this will probably be her main task since she is in NCB livery. 

I have long wanted to add a model of these cute but, sadly, short-lived Teddy Bears to the fleet but they are not very easy to come by and, when you do find one, it is often quite expensive, even second-hand. 

So I was very pleased to acquire this one, especially as she is a Hattons Special Edition of only 400 models produced.

Her Running Nº is 31 and the Catalogue Nº is 1402.

The second new diesel locomotive is this Class 17, also by Heljan.

This is now the third Clayton Type 1 in our fleet and, considering I was only ever going to have the one member of this doomed class, i.e. Ribble Cement, I don't know why I now find myself with three of them.

They are quite a quirky design, though, and I do find them rather endearing. 

Ribble Cement was actually one of my earliest acquisitions and, unlike her bigger sisters, has proved extremely reliable through the years.

This is the second blue liveried version and is the only loco, amongst this quartet, to have sound already fitted.

This is by Olivias, which is not the best Class 17 sound file but it is okay for now.

The Running Nº is D8507 and the Catalogue Nº is 17081.

The next locomotive is this Class 27, which is yet another excellent model by Heljan.

She is pictured here in the Service Depot and, hopefully, on her way to being cleaned as she is looking quite dirty.

This now makes four BRCW locomotives in the fleet as there is already a Class 26 plus two Class 33's, all by Heljan.

This model's Running Nº is 27030 and the Catalogue Nº is 2716.

The fourth diesel to enter service is this green-liveried Class 43 by Bachmann.

She is D841 'Roebuck' (Catalogue Nº 32-069) and she is the third diesel hydraulic Warship to enter service on the railway.

We see her, above, pulling out of the ballast yard with a rake of Yeoman hoppers in tow.

I love these Bachmann Warships and have had their BR blue-liveried Class 42 '812 Royal Naval Reserve' for a long time and she has given sterling service.

The maroon-liveried Class 43 'D865 Zealous' is a more recent addition but is already another popular loco. 

So, I am sure Roebuck will follow in her predecessors' footsteps. and see regular service on a mix of passenger and freight duties.