Another batch of British stuff this time, including my first, and so far only, British diesel.
First up today, we have a British Railways Class 24/0, specifically BR 24035.
Now for some general Class 24 history: also known as the Sulzer Type 2, the Class 24s were built between 1958 and 1961, with 151 being built. Powered by a Sulzer 6LDA28 engine, which cranked out 1,160 hp, the 24s were part of the ongoing "Modernisation Plan" of 1955, where British Rail was trying to replace the various unique locomotives they'd inherited from GWR, LNER, LMS, and Southern, with a standardized fleet of loco models to serve the entire conglomerated BR system. Serving well in both passenger and freight duties, the 24s worked, in dwindling numbers, until 1980, when the final in service loco was retired. 4 have been preserved, in various conditions.
I wasn't able to find specific prototype history for 24035, but from general history, I can surmise it was retired and scrapped prior to 1980.
Anyway, here we go!
The details on the end of the box.
The substantial bag of detail parts.
A bit of damage suffered while in the box.
A broadside.
Since I took these photos, I've run this loco quite a bit, and the only bad thing I noticed is shown here, the minor damage to the handrail.
Otherwise, it's heavy, sturdy, runs very nicely, is powerful, DCC works correctly, and the sounds are spot on. Also, the details and paint look great.
Star rating time!
Overall build quality
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paint & Lettering
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fine Details
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ease of Operation
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sounds
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So, overall, I absolutely recommend this one. It's operates exactly as I want a loco to (after I adjusted the CV codes, which is no hassle), and looks and sounds great, too.
Moving on, we have something unusual - a Salt Van, specifically Saxa Salt 245, by Dapol.
The good - it rolls smoothly, is solid and sturdy, and the detail and paint are great. Also, as a surprise to me, and a very welcome one, it was made in Wales!
The bad - not a real issue, but the coupling mounts feel flimsy, which could result in failure if used in longer trains, or just fatigue from coupling and uncoupling (in my experience, the UK coupler design requires quite a bit of fiddling around to uncouple).
So, yes, I recommend it, definitely, but mind the seemingly delicate couplers.
And freight car number 2.
A Rails of Sheffield exclusive, manufactured in conjunction with Dapol, we have a GWR "Iron Mink" van.
I couldn't resist this one, such a cool concept. Side note, there are other liveries, but I thought this one was the best.
The bad - as has become a trend in this trio of reviews, it's very minor - the couplers were not installed and were not put together (latch separate from ring). No hassle at all, really, but they are pretty delicate, and I was slightly worried about breaking them. Spoiler: I didn't. Hooray!
Also, a little stiff rolling. Handles fine in a train though.
The good - good build quality, details and paint are good, decent weight, and has sprung buffers (not common on freight). Bonus, built in the UK!
I definitely recommend it; very unique, and looks and operates just fine.
Thanks very much for reading my rambles, I mean reviews, this time, and stay tuned for more!
Nice it’s made in Wales