News update 11 February 2020

The Factory Resumes Production of the Western Diesel

We are pleased to tell you that the production of the Class 52 western diesel-hydraulic locomotive has restarted in a new factory. The bodies, the cab interiors and the outside bogie frames were recovered virtually intact from the fire and work has started on replacing the items damaged or destroyed in the fire. There remains much work to be done. We need to think in terms of a delay of up to 6 months in the production programme. We hope to have the engines finished by the end of the year (2020!).

Recovered Items from the Fire
We had two 14XX/58XX engines and our special demonstrator 45XX Type 1 plus 6 LT 57XX Panniers and one 67XX Pannier special dock shunter in the factory at the time of the fire. It is believed that all of these engines can be repaired from the smoke and fire damage. We also believe the Umber Brighton H1 Atlantic sample locomotive featured in our advertisement on the back cover of the latest Gauge 0 Guild Gazette can also be recovered which is excellent news.

Atlantics Programme
So far we have had about 30 enquiries / expressions of interest in the GNR/LNER and Brighton Atlantic Programme. While this is encouraging and supportive of resurrecting the build, we would still like to hear from you what you would us to build in terms of Atlantic type and livery so we can work out a revised programme to evaluate as a build. So far the ratio of Brighton to LNER/GNR engines is 2:1. We think there must be more demand out there for the LNER/GNR engines, so if this is what you want please contact us and tell us what you would like. If not your engines may never feature in the programme. If you want a Brighton engine either an H1 and an H2 or even the engine used by Bulleid as a testbed for his Leader class (Hartland Point), please also let us know.

Halls, Modified Halls and 28XX/38XX 2-8-0 Tender Engines
Tenders for these engines are being sent off to the paint shop while the loco bodies and chassis are still being built. This build programme is not affected by the fire.

John Borkowski 11 February 2020.