The loco above is 37026, an Eastfield loco and regular WHL performer at the time, seen at Oban on 3rd April 1985. The 37/0s had less than a year left in fron line WHL service at the time, with electric heat 37/4s being delivered from the summer of 1985.
It's been an exciting time in terms of diesel locos for the West Highland modeller in the last few months, with new Class 27s from Heljan and 37/4s from both ViTrains and Bachmann. Hopefully I'll shortly have my Bachmann Large Logo 37410 to compare with the ViTrains 37428 (a Welsh loco soon to be given a new identity as one of the early Eastfield arrivals). Together with the earlier Bachmann 37/0 and 20, and heavily rebuilt Hornby Class 29s for 1966-1971 (or 22s for the early 1960s), that about covers first-generation diesel power. Sure the odd 24 and 25 came up the WHL, but not usually for long, and on a pretty irregular basis. A 31 was trialled early in the pilot scheme (1958? I'll check the reference) and a 55 appeared on a couple of specials in 1980, but otherwise that's pretty much it until privatisation.
So all of that, plus an interest in the steam operations of the late 1950s gives a lot of options for the modeller in terms of period. My key points would be c.1970 with 27s and 29s in blue and in green, c.1981 with classes 20, 27 and 37/0, and the 1985-6 period with 37/0, 37/4 and the beginnings of the Jacobite steam service.
This month's "Railway Modeller" has the latest article in Ian Futers' "West Highland Wanderings" series, this time concentrating on Garelochhead.
Anyway, watch this space for more soon - cheerio!
No comments:
Post a Comment