Following the success of its Class 55 Deltic locomotive models, model railway manufacturer Hornby has announced the production of DP1, the prototype Deltic, in OO Gauge, in the same livery as it is preserved in the National Railway Museum at York.
Weighing an imposing 900 grammes, the bodyshell, chassis block, bogies, and underframe are all die-cast moulded to provide excellent running characteristics.
The finish is of museum-quality finish, using prototypically correct paint colours and typefaces. It also has several separately fitted parts, including metal wire handrails, lamp irons, bogey chains, etched roof radiator grilles, and driver figures.
The model of DP1 also has several features never previously featured on a Hornby OO Gauge model, including illuminated instrument panels, two groups of two working roof fans that turn on automatically when power is applied, a flashing ‘Mars’ warning light controllable on DCC, a magnetic removable roof panel to gain access to the DCC Decoder Socket, and a flange squeal activated by optical sensors mounted in the bogies that automatically detect when the locomotive is going round a curve, and will play speed-dependant sounds. Sound-fitted versions have sugar cube and EM1-type bass speakers.
The original DP1 was built in 1955 by Dick, Kerr and Co. in Preston and fitted with a ‘Deltic’ valveless diesel engine of the same type used in Royal Navy ships.
It emerged with a unique colour scheme of baby blue and cream, which it retained while in British Railways service. In November 1960, one of the engines suffered an enormous oil leak, which led to the locomotive not being repaired and officially withdrawn in 1961. The success of the design prompted an order for 22 production Deltics for use on the East Coast Mainline.
Donated to the science museum in 1963, DP1 has never run in preservation, and as part of the National Railway Museum collection, it has been displayed at the York and Shildon museum sites.
Among other recent releases by Hornby in OO Gauge is a Class 153 in Northern livery, and a Pendolino with a livery in celebration of Earth Day.
Responses
Ironically, the DP1 designation was never carried on the loco, though Wikipedia says that the internal documentation did use it
It was never known as DP1 !