Class 20 311 HNRC Orange

Class 20 311 HNRC Orange

Details:

The Graham Farish Class 20/3 20311 in pristine Harry Needle Railroad Company (HNRC) Orange livery brings one of Britain's distinctive modern diesel locomotives to the N Scale model railway. Created using all-new tooling for the Class 20/3 bodyshells and solebars, this highly detailed model accurately captures the changes made to the prototype during its refurbishment. The model features a coreless twin-shaft motor with two flywheels driving both bogies, all-axle drive, electrical pickup from all wheels and a diecast metal chassis block. A Next18 DCC decoder interface and pre-fitted speaker provide a sound-ready specification, while working lighting and extensive separately applied detailing add further realism.

The Graham Farish Class 20/3 combines a highly detailed body with a sophisticated mechanism. The coreless twin-shaft motor has two flywheels and drives both bogies, with all-axle drive, electrical pickup from all wheels and a diecast metal chassis block. The gearing is arranged for prototypical running speeds and haulage capabilities, while 9mm N Gauge wheels conform to NEM310 standards and the bogie-mounted coupling pockets conform to NEM355 standards. Detailing includes precision-moulded rivets, panels and bodyside louvres, fully detailed bogies with suspension and brake components, separately fitted cab steps, sandboxes with metal sand pipes, buffers, solebar steps, front grab irons, battery boxes, tanks and chassis pipework. An etched roof fan grille, metal wire handrails and cab interior detailing provide additional realism. Working head, tail and top marker lights can be switched at either end when operated on DCC or analogue control. A speaker is fitted, allowing the model to be upgraded with a Zimo MS590N18 DCC Sound Decoder.

Features:

• Graham Farish N Scale Class 20/3 diesel locomotive
• Running number 20311 in pristine HNRC Orange livery
• All-new Class 20/3 bodyshell and solebar tooling
• Next18 DCC decoder interface with pre-fitted speaker
• Model-specific cab-end aerial, BMAC light clusters and multiple working jumper sockets
• Multiple Working Jumper Sockets at Both Ends
• BMAC Light Clusters with High Level Marker Lights
• Drilled Bogie Equalising Beams
• Cab End Aerial

Measurements & Specs:

• Length: 104mm over couplings
• Minimum radius: 263.5mm (second radius)

Historical Background

The Class 20 was conceived as part of the British Railways Board's 1955 Modernisation Plan. Introduced as a pilot scheme design, the English Electric Type 1 proved highly successful and became BR's standard Type 1 diesel locomotive, with 228 examples built between 1957 and 1968. Primarily designed for freight work, the Class 20s also operated summer passenger services where train heating was not required. Their single-cab arrangement meant they were regularly operated in pairs, nose to nose, providing a combined 2,000hp for heavier freight trains.

Following the gradual withdrawal of the Class 20 fleet, Direct Rail Services was created in 1994 as part of British Nuclear Fuels Limited and acquired 15 locomotives from RFS, which had been using them for track-laying trains associated with the Channel Tunnel project. A refurbishment programme created the Class 20/3 sub-class. The first five locomotives, numbered 20301 to 20305, were refurbished by Brush at Loughborough and had entered traffic by 1996. In 1998, a further ten Class 20/3s were created by Wabtec at Doncaster, numbered 20306 to 20315. Unlike the first batch, these locomotives had multiple working jumper sockets at both ends and top marker lights at either end. A cab-end aerial was subsequently fitted to the second batch in the early 2000s, with the exception of 20302.

DRS used its Class 20/3 fleet on nuclear traffic, while the locomotives also worked freight, infrastructure and intermodal services, including the Milkliner trial in 1997. They were also employed on diverted passenger trains, charter services, route learning and Railhead Treatment Trains. By 2013, the first examples had been set aside as work reduced or replacements arrived. Two of the fleet were subsequently sold to Harry Needle Railroad Company and received a striking orange paint scheme before being hired to GBRf for the delivery of new London Underground trains from Derby to London. 20311 is represented by this Graham Farish model in its HNRC Orange livery.