Heljan 8900

British Rail Class 128 W55993 British Railways Green with Late Crest

Contents

Class & Prototype

  • Running Number: W55993

The British Rail Class 128 comprised ten purpose-built single-car parcels DMUs constructed by Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company in 1959-1960. Featuring twin Leyland Albion 238 hp diesel engines enabling 64-ton tail load hauling, the fleet split between four non-gangwayed London Midland Region vehicles and six gangwayed Western Region variants. Operating intensive parcels services from Paddington-Oxford, Manchester-Mayfield depot, and Chester-Cambrian Coast routes, these distinctive units served three decades until final withdrawal in November 1990. Tragically none survived preservation, making Heljan's OO/O gauge models and Revolution Trains' N gauge representations the only way to recreate these unique parcels workhorses on layouts.

Operator & Livery

  • Operator: British Railways
  • Livery: Green with Late Crest
  • Era: 5 - British Railways Late Crest

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.