- Builder
- Hornby
- Catalogue Number
- R3700
- Category
- Train Packs
- Scale
- OO
- Finish
- Pristine
- Year
- 2019
- Pages
-
- Hornby 2019 (106)
- Hornby 2020 (55)
- Hornby 2021 (47)
- Hornby 2022 (51)
- Era
- 3 - The big four – LMS, GWR, LNER and SR
- DCC
- Ready (8 pin)
- Decoders
- -
- Motor
- 5 pole skew wound
- Coupling
- -
- Curve
- 2nd Radius (438mm) +
- Length
- 510 mm
- Based on Preserved
- No
- Directional Lighting
- No
- Interior Lighting
- No
- Pickup in Tender
- No
- Sound Decoder Ready
- No
- Passenger Figures
- No
Hornby R3700
Southern Railway 2-BIL 2152 Southern Railway (Olive Green)
Class & Prototype
Class: Southern Railway 2-BIL
- Traction: Electric Multiple Unit
- Built: 1935-1938
- Total Built: 152
The British Rail Class 401, originally Southern Railway 2-BIL (2-car Bi-Lavatory stock), comprised 152 electric multiple units built between 1935-1938 for semi-fast services on newly electrified routes from London to Eastbourne, Portsmouth, and Reading. Each 2-car unit featured a Motor Brake Third and Driving Trailer Composite with dual lavatories, 550hp total power from two English Electric motors, and 75mph maximum speed.
Built in four batches at SR Eastleigh Works, the units pioneered electro-pneumatic control systems and established operational patterns that influenced British electric railway development for decades. They served faithfully for 36 years until withdrawal in 1971, with four units destroyed during World War II. Only unit 2090 survives in preservation at the National Railway Museum, York.
Hornby has produced comprehensive OO gauge models since 2013 in multiple liveries including SR green, BR green, and BR blue variants, all featuring DCC Ready capability. The models accurately represent this historically significant class that bridged the gap between early suburban electric units and modern EMU design, making them essential for authentic Southern Railway and early British Rail layouts.
Prototype: 2152
- Ordered By: -
- Built By: -
- Built At: -
- Built: -
- Withdrawn: -
- Length of Service: -
- Running Numbers: -
- Names: -
Operator & Livery
Operator: Southern Railway
The Southern Railway (SR), formed in 1923 through the amalgamation of numerous railway companies, became Britain's most passenger-focused railway company. The three principal constituents were the LSWR, LB&SCR, and SE&CR, alongside several smaller railways including the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction Railway and various light railways. Operating 2,186 miles across southern England, the SR pioneered extensive third-rail electrification and developed distinctive locomotive classes under Chief Mechanical Engineers Maunsell and Bulleid. The company's malachite green and olive green liveries, Art Deco architecture, and premium passenger services like the Golden Arrow established new British railway standards. Nationalised in 1948, the SR's innovations in electric traction and passenger comfort influenced modern railway practice. Today, SR locomotives remain highly popular with railway modellers for their elegant designs, varied operational roles, and distinctive Southern Railway heritage that connected London with the Channel ports and southern resorts.