Hornby’s enduring Class 101 DMU is back, offering an important train for BR era modellers. BEN CHURCH sees if it stands up to present-day scrutiny.
Hornby’s ‘OO’ gauge Class 101 two-car Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) has made a welcome return to the RailRoad range.
The prototypes were built by Metro-Cammell between 1956 and 1960, with more than 750 vehicles entering service with British Railways in two, three and four-car formations. The last were withdrawn by First North Western in 2003, although a good number have survived into preservation.
Hornby’s latest RailRoad Class 101s were announced as part of the manufacturer’s 2023 range and use the former Lima tooling which was previously upgraded in 2008. For their latest outing, two models are now available in Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) black and orange (Cat No: R30172) and for the first time in Network Rail yellow (R30195) – both appearing in two-car form. This latter Class 960 model appears within the RailRoad Plus range and features enhanced decoration.
Above: Hornby’s ‘OO’ gauge Class 101 DMU has returned to the RailRoad range in two new colour schemes.
Hornby’s Class 101 has always been considered to be one of the better former Lima models with crisp moulded detail an…