Rail Express – September 2019

GAUGE

00 4mm:1ft ERA

1950-

1963

M20RAIL EXPRESS Modeller September 2019 Supplement No. 185

REVIEW

OLIVER BULLEID designedalarge
1Co-Co1 diesel electriclocomotive
betwee n1945 and1946, with the aim
of replacinglargerexpress passenger
steam locomotives on the Southern
Railway.
It wastobeequipped with English
Electric engines and traction motors,
andbuilt wit habody profile to match
Bulleidcoaching stock. Threeevaluation
locomotiveswere constructed between
1950 and1954: twoatAshfor d(Nos.
10201-2–Class D16/2) and one at
Brighton(No.10203–sometimes
classified as D16/3). The latter
locomotiveincorporated an uprated

engine andvariou sother improvements

to the design whichformedthe basisof

the pilotschemeClass 40s.

Nationalisation loomed largeafter

the warwhich sawthe locomotives

completed by BritishRailwaysinstead of

the SouthernRailway. Nonetheless, they

took to Southern metalsfor their first

few years of serviceafter anumberof

trial runs including turnstoDerby,taking

up regularexpresspassengerdutieson

theSouthernRegionWestern Section.

Followingatemporary withdrawal

from trafficinlate1952 for

modifications, theyreturned to the

Western Section andexpress passenger

working sonthe Waterl oo-Bournemouth

and Exeterroutes.

The London MidlandRegion(LMR)

acquired themin1955 forWest Coast

Main Lin eduties, beingalloca ted to

Camdenshed,duringwhich time the

chime whistlewas replaced with air

horns and modifiedcommunication

doorswere fitte dtoNos. 10201 and

10202.

The classworked expresses and

certain outersuburbanworkings

originating from Eustonforanumber

of years ,withtheir attractiveblack

and silver livery givingway to BR lined

green as applied to thereviewmodel.

Towardsthe endof theirlives, the

redbufferbeamswere supplemented

by smallyellow warning panels –

photographic evidencesuggests at

least No. 10203received them.

Asnewer l ocomotives,including

Class 40s,were introduced, the Class

D16/2 locomotives sawdeclining

utilisation until1963 when theywere

withdrawnasanon-standarddesign.

Sadly, none of themwere saved–diesel

preservation didnot ha ve ahigh priority

at atime when so manysteam classes

were fallin gvictim to modernisation.

It wasaheavylocomotiveat133

tons, riding on 1Co-Co1 bolsterless

bogies fittedwith aleading articulated

load bearingaxle whichspread the

weight well.The bufferbeamwas

integral to the bogies in the same

manner as Class 40sand‘Peaks’ ,fitted

wit hround buffers,vacuum brakeand

steam heating hoses.

Bogie and bufferbeam detailhas

excellentrelie f, particularlythe axle box

covers and spring detail.

FEATURES WE LIKE

■Modelled with the correct curved

body profile.

■Engineroom detail visible through

the side windows.

■Accuratelymodelled wheels.

■Flat wirehandrails.

■Removable trainreporting discs.

■Flush glazing applied to cab

windows.

■The relationship between body and

bogies.

Bulleid’s modern traction

masterpiece

Winner ofgold in the

2018 British Model

Railway Awards, Kernow

ModelRail Centre’s ‘OO’

gaugeBulleid diesel

electric locomotivemakes

awelcomereturn.

KernowModel Rail Centre has responded to customerrequests toreissue its

award-winning ‘OO’gaugeClass D16/2 diesel electric locomotivemodel.

The full sizelocomotivewas

profiled to match the coaching stock of

the time. Thisfeatu re is well captured in the model.

The featured model is of No. 10201 as operated on theLondon MidlandRegion in th elate 1950s.

Small details applied to the cab fronts
include separatelymoulded windscreen
wipers and trainreporting discs which
maybeswapped with closed ones
supplied in the box.