Just one locomotive?
If you could just own one locomotive, at least in each ‘genre’ I would make a strong case for my favourite in the ‘British diesel’ category, the humble and mundane Class 08…
Just under 1000 of this general purpose shunter were built from 1952 to 1962, with examples still in use today on the national network. In that time we saw some modified for hump use as slave and calf, others cut down in height for use on Welsh coal branch lines but the majority served their lives in marshalling yards and as station pilots, and with most of those years wearing BR blue.
My own example is a 15 year old model by Bachmann that I’ve reworked in recent years with finer details and a repaint. It growls about slowly on Pont-y-dulais, yet would be equally happy on my China Clay shelf layout scheme, on a much larger layout shunting yards or carriage sidings… flexible, work a day, characterful even. If I had to go further, and only have one locomotive for all my future layout projects, despite my love of Panniers I do think it would have to be the 08. Do you have one? If not what would be your choice? Until next time, more soon…
I remember at Wellington (Shropshire) there was an 08 in the 'Wolverhampton Bay' . I can't recollect its number, but it had a name - 'Red Lion', applied in orange insulation tape. I'm not sure, but it might not have been official ;-)
ReplyDeleteThe 08 would work the COD Donnington branch - the Central Ordinance Depot - in the 1980s
Nick sounds a neat memory, I'd caution modelling anything specific like 'Red Lion' though as it makes out mundane model specific to one location and on time. The beauty of a generic rail blue 08 is, number and allocation aside, you can run it pretty much anywhere!
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