Graham Farish 371-130

Class & Prototype

The British Rail Class 33 "Crompton" represents one of the most successful Southern Region diesel designs. Built by Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company between 1960-1962, these 1,550 hp Bo-Bo locomotives featured Sulzer 8LDA28-B engines and Crompton Parkinson electrics. The 98-strong fleet comprised three variants: 86 standard Class 33/0 mixed-traffic locomotives, 19 Class 33/1 "Bagpipes" push-pull conversions, and 12 narrow-bodied Class 33/2 "Slim Jims" for the restricted Hastings line. They worked boat trains, branch passenger services, heavy freight, and pioneered push-pull operations with 4TC sets on the Bournemouth-Weymouth corridor from 1967-1988. Service life spanned 1960-2001, with 29 locomotives (30% of the class) preserved. Comprehensive model availability exists in OO gauge (Heljan), N gauge (Dapol), and O gauge (Heljan).

No prototype found.

Operator & Livery

British Rail (1965-1997) transformed Britain's railways through revolutionary modernisation, introducing the iconic double arrow logo, Rail Blue livery, and business sectorisation. BR pioneered high-speed rail with the InterCity 125 and Advanced Passenger Train, electrified major routes, and created profitable divisions like InterCity and Network SouthEast. From steam succession through diesel and electric development to privatisation preparation, British Rail's diverse locomotive fleet, multiple livery schemes, and operational scenarios provide unparalleled variety for railway modellers across all scales and periods.