These essential GWR locomotives are finally available in ‘N’ for the first time in almost 40 years and to modern standards. BEN CHURCH takes a close look at these important new models.
Of the ‘Big Four’ era, 2-6-2T locomotives are most synonymous with the Great Western Railway (GWR) which built several designs of them, including ‘Large Prairies’ from 1903. Until recently, the only ready-to-run option for ‘N’ gauge modellers of the ‘5101’ class was a Graham Farish model dating back to 1977. Sonic Models has now produced an all-new model of the GWR ‘5101’ and ‘6100’ versions in 2mm:1ft scale – exclusively for Rails of Sheffield.
The ‘5101s’ were an updated version of the Churchward-designed ‘31XX’ class (later renumbered as 5100 and 5111-149). 140 ‘5101s’ were built from 1929 to 1949 and used on suburban commuter traffic, freight and banking duties. The 70 visually similar ‘6100’ class were fitted with the Swindon Standard No. 2 boiler with a pressure of 225psi compared with 200psi of the ‘5101s’ and were built for London area commuter trains. Both classes survived until the last year of Western Region steam in 1965 with 6106 preserved at Didcot Railway Centre and eight ‘5101s’ saved. A ninth, 5193, was rebuilt as 2-6-0 tender …
