Hand Decorated Pre-production Samples - BR 4-6-2 'Duke of Gloucester' Class 8
R3191 - BR 4-6-2 'Duke of Gloucester' Class 8
- Hand Decorated Pre-production sample
- Special Edition, DCC Ready, loco drive, cab glazing, separate handrails on smoke deflectors
- Extra detail also supplied for enhancement by the customer - etched name plates, vac pipes, front steps, chain guard, drain cocks, cab door, brake rods, tender brake rods
- Available: July
In 1952, there was a gap in the Pacific Class ranks and Robert A Riddles, an executive at the British Railways’ Crewe workshop took the opportunity to design a new class of locomotive based on a modified BR Standard Class 7 (Britannia) to be known as BR Standard Class 8. The prototype was fitted with a modified Caprotti gear and had three 18” x 28” cylinders. The 67’8” long locomotive weighed 101 tons plus a tender of 53 tons. This single member of the new Class 8, locomotive No.71000, left Crewe Works in 1954 and was named ‘The Duke of Gloucester’.
There were some fundamental design errors and undetected cost cutting deviations construction which contributed to the disappointing performance of the locomotive. No more of the Class were built. Locomotive No.71000 remained at Crewe North depot hauling boat trains until it was withdrawn on the 24th November 1962. After years of open storage ‘The Duke’ was purchased for preservation in 1972 and underwent 16 years of restoration. During this time design and construction issues were rectified, resulting in a vastly improved performance, especially over its old stamping ground of Shap, Settle and Carlisle.
Locomotive No.71000 ‘The Duke of Gloucester’ returned to mainline service in August 2004 based at the East Lancashire Railway, an established and reliable performer on Southern routes covered by Steam Dreams Cathedrals Express.
R3168 - RailRoad BR 4-6-2 ‘Duke of Gloucester’ Class 8
- Hand Decorated Pre-production sample
- RailRoad Range, DCC Ready, Loco Drive
- Available: July 2013
