Hornby R3617 Rebuilt Merchant Navy 35030 "Elder Dempster Line" In BR Green Late Crest Livery

Hornby R3617 Rebuilt Merchant Navy 35030 "Elder Dempster Line" In BR Green Late Crest Livery.

OO Gauge DCC ready 8 pin socket.

The SR Merchant Navy 4-6-2s were a class of steam locomotive with an unusual air-smoothed casing, designed for use on the Southern Railway network by Oliver Bulleid and built by SR Eastleigh Works between 1941-1949.

The design incorporated a number of new developments in British steam technology, with the locos featuring the use of welding in the construction process (one of the first in the UK), thermic syphons within the boiler and Bulleid’s controversial chain-driven valve gear.

Named after Merchant Navy shipping lines, the locos also earned several enthusiast nicknames such as “Spam Cans” and “Packets”, due to their unique design. Due to problems with some of the more novel features of their design, all members of the class were modified in the 1950s and lost their air-smoothed casing in the process.

Withdrawal of the class commenced in February 1964, their traditional workings being taken over by Warship class diesel-hydraulic locomotives and the final seven engines were withdrawn during 1967, with the end of steam on the Southern region. Eleven of the class were eventually saved from the cutter’s torch and now survive in various states of preservation across the country.

35030 Elder Dempster Lines was the last of the Merchant Navy class to be built, entering traffic on April 1, 1949. The rebuilding from its original air-smoothed form came between March and the end of April 1958, having covered just over 350,000 miles.

Re-entering traffic at Nine Elms, in September 1964 35030 moved to Weymouth where it stayed up to April 1967. There was then a brief return to Nine Elms for three months, prior to withdrawal in July.