Boom time for 'Rat' fans
Sutton's Locomotive Works (SLW) has revealed that it has been working on an all-new 'OO' gauge BR Class 25 Bo-Bo diesel. The newly-tooled models will reflect the later sub-classes - namely the restyled Class 25/2s and Class 25/3s.
Development work on the new 'OO' Class 25 has been ongoing for some time. As SLW's Philip Sutton reveals, completed models are not far away: "This is no pipe dream or ambition. This is reality. The complicated tooling is complete. The decoration has been passed. The running samples have been examined, refined and approved."
Production is due to get underway during March. As with SLW's previous Class 24 Bo-Bo, the specification is impressive and includes an alloy chassis, five-pole motor, all-wheel pick-up and drive, PluX22 decoder socket, authentic pattern driving wheels, directional lighting, engine room and cab interior illumination, glowing driver's instrument panel, double speaker sound system and more.
More than 350 components make up the new models with detailing set to include photo-etched metal grilles, flush glazed windows, separately fitted bogie brake pipe runs, two styles of sandbox and battery box, detailed cab interior and bulkhead, sprung buffers (with grease marks), optional three-piece miniature snowploughs, bufferbeam pipework and much more. See the full detailed Class 25 model specification by clicking on the image below.
Prototypical detail nuances will also be incorporated such as early exhaust layout, mechanical or electrical speedometer, two styles of populated bufferbeam (vacuum braked/dual braked) and even ETH supply cable receptacles for the Class 97/2 ETHEL (Electric Train Heating, Ex-Loco) variant.
Nine models are planned initially, with the first four models set to appear as 25324 in BR blue (Cat No. 2533), D7599 in BR two-tone green (2536), 25322 Tamworth Castle in its 'celebrity' BR blue with wraparound yellow ends and grey roof (2531) and D7672 Tamworth Castle in its later BR two-tone green colour scheme (2532).
Release of the remaining models will then be followed with D7661 in BR blue with small yellow panels (2538), D7666 in BR blue with full yellow ends (2537), D7552 in BR two-tone green with full yellow ends (2541), 25260 in BR two-tone green with full yellow ends (2541A) and 97252 ETHEL 3 in BR blue and grey (2540). More yet-to-be announced examples are also in the pipeline.
Prices are set at £185 DCC ready, £295 DCC sound-fitted and £325 DCC sound-fitted with stay-alive capacitor. Delivery is anticipated during late Summer.
Visit www.railexclusive.com for more information.
