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Class 47 Brush Type 4

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Class 50 EE Type 5

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Class 55 'Deltic'

Class 56

Class 57

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The Bachmann Class 57/3 of 2005

Between 1998 and 2004, thirty three Class 47's were rebuilt as Class 57's. The rebuild, carried out by Brush Traction at Loughborough, included the fitting of a refurbished General Motors EMD 12-645 engine and reconditioned alternator. Three types of Class 57 were produced, one for freight and two types for passenger use. The original customers for the Class 57 were Freightliner, Virgin Trains, Great Western Railway and Arriva Trains Wales. The original Virgin Trains Class 57's were intended to be 'rescue' locomotives placed at strategic points along the network to haul failed Class 221 Super Voyagers and Class 390 Pendolinos. As such, Virgin Trains decided to name them after the characters appearing in the Thunderbirds TV series. A further four locomotives were ordered 2003 and these were fitted with retractable Dellner couplings on the front of the locomotive. The original twelve locomotives were retro-fitted with Dellner couplers later in 2003. Since the West Coast upgrade 2008, the need for these locomotives disappeared and they have since found work with other operators.

The first model of a Class 57 to appear was by Lima in 1999. This was really just a repainted Class 47 in Freightliner livery.

The next model was produced by Bachmann in 2005. This appeared in Freightliner livery as well as Virgin Trains, Great Western Railway and West Coast Railway. The Virgin Trains version featured the detail differences found in a Class 57/3, such as the stainless steel radiator grilles etc.  It is this version that I have and I think it looks quite good, no doubt helped by its colourful livery. Bachmann also produced a version with the retractable Dellner coupling. It is this original tooling that Bachmann altered to produce their original Class 47.

Heljan also released a Class 57 in 2005, but apparently didn't have a license from Virgin Trains and so do not have any nameplates fitted!

Bachmann upgraded their Class 57 in 2009 with various improvements including a 21 pin DCC socket.

Hornby released a Class 57 from their Lima tooling in 2019.

A 2023 release saw the Class 57 modelled by the Gaugemaster Collection/Heljan from upgraded tooling.