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408493/1957 - British Rail No. 20 - BR Rail Blue

408493/1957 - British Rail No. 20 - BR Rail Blue

SKU ACC2852
$243.00 - $243.00
$243.00
$243.00 - $243.00
$243.00
Availability:
in stock, ready to be shipped

Ruston 408493 was built new for British Railways Western Region, for use at the Signalling & Telecommunications Department workshops at Reading and was delivered on 19 January 1957. Taking the Departmental number 20, the locomotive spent its entire lifetime at Reading, housed under the Vastern Road bridge when not in use. Renumbered in 1973 under TOPS, to 97020, withdrawal came in April 1981 and the shunter was disposed of at Reading by Cartrights of Tipton in August 1982, being replaced by a Barclay Class 06 No. 06003, which was transferred to Reading from the Scottish Region.245033

Sample Photographs are for illustrative purposes only. Detail variations will differ from model to model

DESIGN SPECIFICATION and CONSIDERATIONS

  • Die-cast metal chassis, body frame and footplate, with plastic cab and engine panels.
  • Scale length of 143.8mm over buffers, 54.85mm wide and height over cab of 70mm.
  • Wheelbase of 40.54mm, for all vehicles, allowing operation over a minimum radius of 1020mm (2nd radius set-track).
  • Choice of metal 3-link, or screw couplings for prototypical coupling.
  • Brake blocks fitted and aligned with wheel centres for 0 Gauge, ensuring that they do not rub on wheel rims.
  • Single style of 21mm solid wheel, correctly profiled both on the inside and outside and chemically blackened, set in blackened brass bearings or contact strips and conforming to Accurascale standards of 29.2mm back-to-back, on 4.763mm diameter axles.
  • Fully detailed die-cast underframe with all cylinders, linkages and piping applied separately
  • Eroded metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including (but not limited to) handrails, door handles, lamp brackets, brake gear, brake discs, draw gear, vents, louvres, radiator grilles and builders’ plates.
  • Prism free flush glazing.
  • Easily removable cab roof, to allow access to cab interior for customer detailing.
  • Sprung metal buffers, and draw hooks.
  • Authentic livery, markings and numbers, accurate to time period modelled, achieved by use of part painting and pad printing.

  • HIGH PERFORMANCE TRACTION and MECHANISM, TO INCLUDE:
  • Centrally mounted, best quality 5-pole skew-wound motor, with flywheel, driving both axles.
  • All-wheel pickup.
  • Helical gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running.
  • Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve a scale maximum top speed of 15.4 mph (24.78 kmh), with a load of 1.1kg.
  • DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power, or similar stay alive arrangement.

LIGHTING and DCC FEATURES, TO INCLUDE:

  • Designed around 21-Pin MTX Socket ESU Decoders with easy access to decoder via removable bonnet.
  • Switchable shunting lights.
  • Full cab interior lighting, set at correct colour temperature.
  • Permanently fitted speakers.

Customer Reviews

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A
Adrian D.
Lovely model

Very securely packed for postage, lovely box holding the model very nicely. Excellent level of detail, the cab roof and bonnet top being very discretely removable. Very nice etched Ruston plates too. All in all brilliant, I shall look forward to the next one in 7 mm scale!

A
Alan M.
Lovely little loco!

With long-term plans to model a part of Reading Signal Works in O, #20 was an obvious purchase for me!

Loco is securely packaged with stout box, foam insert and the usual clear plastic clamshell. Included are 2 baggies with the debris guards and a set of pre-coloured etched RH and RUSTON plates for the user to attach.

Livery and details are crisp and well applied, matching photographs of the prototype in regards to buffers, lamp-irons, etc. The bonnet-top handrails are quite easily dislodged, but probably necessarily so to allow access to the DCC fittings under the separate bonnet top, held in place via 4 magnets. The cab roof is also separate, with excellent detailing of the cab interior.

Running-wise, my dc model is smooth and quiet out of the box, with a realistically limited top speed. With some running-in I'm sure it will improve further.

The only real issue is that, with the debris guards fitted as per the instructions using superglue, the clamshell can no longer be closed up around the loco, making it difficult to store in the original packaging.