Out of stock
Original price was: £154.95.£131.70Current price is: £131.70.
N Gauge Graham FarishFarish 372-950A Class 14 D9522 BR Green Loco (Wasp Stripes) Brand new item from our New Yorkshire model railway shop
MODEL FEATURES:
CLASS 14 HISTORYThe Class 14 0-6-0 diesel-hydraulic locomotives were builtby BR at their Swindon Works during the 1960s. An initial order for 26 examplesplaced in January 1963 had already been increased before work had started onthe first order and in total, 56 Class 14s were built. Expected to be employedon local trip workings and for short distance goods trains, the good all-aroundvisibility from the cab and dual controls made them ideal for use on shuntingduties too.The class was numbered D9500-55 and later designated asClass 14 under TOPS by British Rail. The nickname ‘Teddy Bears’ came aboutfollowing a comment by a Swindon Works foreman who commented "We’ve builtThe Great Bear, now we’re going to build a ‘Teddy Bear’". Originally, allwere allocated to Western Region depots, but in January 1967 twenty were sentto Hull (Dairycoates) on BR’s Eastern Region (ER), followed by a furtherthirteen later the same year. At Hull, they were intended for work around thedocks, but the tasks were beyond the capabilities of a single locomotive, andsince two locomotives required two crews, they were not popular with theregion. In 1968, all 33 ER locomotives were placed in store, and weresubsequently withdrawn on 1st April that year, joining their Westerncompatriots that had been progressively sidelined during 1967-68.The Class 14s, like many other early diesel types, had anextremely short life with British Railways. In this case it was not because ofpoor reliability but because many of the envisaged duties disappeared on the BRnetwork a few years after they came into use. BR started to dispose of membersof the class from mid-1968 and the entire class had been sold to industry orotherwise disposed of by the end of 1970.In their new careers in industry many had a working life oftwo to three times greater than that with BR. The industries in which they wereemployed, such as coal mining, declined during the 1970s and the class againbecame surplus to requirements. Several have found a third lease of life onpreserved lines where they are ideal for both light passenger work and themaintenance of permanent way. Some examples even found new uses duringconstruction of the Channel Tunnel and High Speed One, some 3 decades aftertheir conception! With such a versatile history, as it transpires, theClass 14 is a very useful and widely travelled loco type, universally popularwith operators and enthusiasts alike.
KJB Models is a family run model railway shop in Hensall, Yorkshire. Right next to the level crossing.
