Stunning locomotives to bring your miniature world to life.
Hornby’s stunning model locomotives span the golden age of steam
right up to the latest intercity trains. So wherever and whenever
your model railway is set, there is a wide choice of engines, all
in the correct livery and with appropriate rolling stock
available. Whichever you choose, you are guaranteed beautiful,
detailed models for any OO-gauge electric layout. When the London
Midland Scottish Railway came up with its initial standard
designs in 1947, it was considered that there was no call for a
mixed traffic Class 4, 4-6-0 locomotive. The duties for which the
4-6-0 design were suited to were amply covered by existing
traction types and it wasn’t until Nationalisation, in 1948, that
the Western Region of British Rail felt that this type of
locomotive was required for use on its secondary route services.
The restricted axle loading for the coastal routes to Aberystwyth
and Pwllheli precluded the use of the heavier Standard Class 5,
whilst an update on the GWR Manor design was not feasible because
of gauging issues on the other British Rail regions, who were
also looking to replace their ageing locomotive stock. Robert
Riddles, British Rail’s Head of Mechanical and Electrical
Engineering, set about designing a new locomotive, principally
from BR’s Brighton Works, as a solution to this problem. Many of
the components for the Standard Class 4MT were similar to those
used in the Standard Class 5 and, as a class, there were few
significant variations during the course of their construction.
Between mid-May 1951 and January 1956, eighty locomotives were
built at BR’s Swindon Works, in six Lots, a final order of ten
locomotives for the Eastern Region being cancelled in September
1956. The first ten locomotives were delivered to the Western
Region between May and October 1951 and by the end of the year
were all operating from Shrewsbury Shed. Employed on local and
semi-fast duties the engines were ideally suited to their task,
but attempts to displace Class 5 duties on heavy passenger and
goods traffic proved unpopular, as happened on the former LNWR
central Wales line to Swansea. The Class 4s suffered from poor
steaming under load and were under-powered, their timekeeping
suffering as a consequence. Deliveries continued, with the London
Midland region receiving three batches of locomotives, the
Western a further batch and the Southern receiving a batch. By
the beginning of 1956, Class 4MTs were operating across the
network, from Dover to Scotland, Plymouth to Cambridge, mostly
paired to their original tenders, of which three types were used.
The first fifty were paired with BR2 3,500 gallon tenders, whilst
fifteen received BR2A 3,500 gallon tenders. The Southern Region,
with its lack of water troughs, had a requirement for a greater
capacity tender and so the fifteen locomotives allocated here
were paired with BR1B 4,725 gallon tenders. Withdrawal of the
class began in October 1964, with No.75067 and continued on a
regular basis until August 1968, when the last five were
withdrawn. Six locomotives were saved for preservation, two
purchased direct from BR and four being rescued from Woodham’s
scrapyard at Barry. Locomotive 75053 was built at Swindon, to Lot
408, in late 1956 and entered traffic with the London Midland
Region at Chester Midland. A well-travelled locomotive, 75053
spent alternate spells at Ryhll and Chester Midland before moving
on to Mold Junction in September 1960. In April 1962, a move to
Bletchley was followed in January 1965 by allocation to
Stoke-on-Trent, from where 75053 was withdrawn in September 1966.
Maximum curve Hornby 2nd radius + / 438mm+ Please note, box and
model dimensions are shown as identical however only represent
the box/package size.
- Operator/Livery: Early BR, BR Lined Black.
- Gauge: 00.
- DCC Ready`.
- Length 231mm.
- Designer : Robert Riddles.