Hornby R30192 Class 40 D210 ‘Empress of Britain’ BR Green Loco

Tech SpecsItem Scale 1:76 Scale 00 GaugeDCC Status DCC Ready 8 pin socket (It is NOT DCCfitted)Operator BRDesigner English ElectricLivery BR GreenMinimum Curve (mm) Radius 2 Product InfoBritish Railways originally ordered ten Class 40s, thenknown as "English Electric Type 4s", as evaluation prototypes. Theywere to be used as replacements for steam locomotives, usually haulingpassenger services. The prototypes were successful enough to warrant a further190 production models.It was initially worried that the locomotives lacked thepower needed to maintain the speeds required on express services and as aresult the capability to run in multiple was considered a main design feature.This resulted in the inclusion of small gangways at each end of the first 145units. After this point it was realised that multiple running was rare andcould be achieved without the gangways.The first 125 units were built with adisk route identification. When unfolded the disks were white with a small holeto allow a light to shine through during the night. When the top half of thedisk was folded down the back was painted so as to blend into the locomotiveand make it clear the disk was not in use. A few locomotives forwent the disksand simply relied on lights or the more traditional lamps, lamp irons havingremained a feature.The disk system was soon abandoned in favour of the moremodern headcode system, initially requiring split headcodes to accommodate thegangway doors. Once the gangway doors were abandoned the split headcode boxeswere combined in a central position where the gangway doors had previouslybeen.The arrival of more powerful locomotives such as the class 47, 50 and 55along with the electrification of the WCML made the Class 40s redundant,relegating them to freight duties for which they were not well suited.Withdrawals began in 1976 with the majority of locomotives being withdrawn inthe early 1980s.Locomotive D232 was built in 1959 and entered service inSeptember that year. The locomotive was named ‘Empress of Canada’ in March1961, named after the vessel operated by Canadian Pacific Steamships. Under theTOPS numbering system, the locomotive became 40032 in late 1973. The locomotivewas withdrawn in February 1982 and scrapped at Swindon Locomotive Works.