Graham Farish 372-100

Class & Prototype

The Midland Railway 1000 Class represents Britain's most successful compound locomotive design, with 45 locomotives built at Derby Works 1902-1909. Samuel Johnson's original five compounds pioneered the three-cylinder system that Richard Deeley refined with his ingenious automatic starting arrangement. These elegant 4-4-0 express passenger engines excelled on the challenging Settle-Carlisle route and demonstrated superior fuel economy in rigorous 1924-1925 comparative trials, inspiring 195 additional LMS compounds. Only No. 1000 survives in preservation at the National Railway Museum. Excellent OO gauge models available from Bachmann Branchline (£100-120, DCC Ready with 21-pin socket) and Hornby Railways (£75-100, budget Railroad range), offering authentic representation across Midland crimson lake, LMS maroon, and BR lined black liveries spanning five decades of British railway history.

No prototype found.

Operator & Livery

British Railways transformed Britain's fragmented rail network into a unified national system following nationalisation on 1st January 1948. Created from the "Big Four" companies under the Transport Act 1947, BR operated most of Great Britain's railways until rebranding as British Rail in 1965, managing over 20,000 route miles and inheriting nearly 20,000 locomotives of diverse designs.

The organisation pioneered standardisation through its revolutionary BR Standard locomotive programme (1951-1960), producing 999 advanced steam engines under Robert Riddles' direction. These included the versatile Britannia Pacifics, mighty 9F freight engines, and mixed-traffic classes that incorporated the best features from all predecessor companies. The 1955 Modernisation Plan accelerated diesel and electric traction development, creating fascinating mixed-traction operations.

Notable achievements included establishing unified locomotive classification systems, introducing distinctive corporate liveries, and managing the complex transition from steam to modern traction. BR's six regional structure preserved operational diversity whilst enabling standardisation of practices, signalling, and rolling stock that had eluded private enterprise for over a century.

The BR era represents steam traction's final flowering alongside emerging diesel technology, creating unparalleled locomotive variety. Today, this heritage remains highly popular with railway enthusiasts through extensive preserved fleets, heritage railway operations, and comprehensive model ranges from manufacturers like Hornby, Bachmann, and Dapol, making BR subjects essential for authentic post-war British railway modelling across all scales.