Gaugemaster has received new decorated samples of its forthcoming ‘O’ gauge BR Class 09 diesel shunter for evaluation.
Built in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, the Class 09 diesel shunter was a development of the BR Class 08, incorporating a higher top speed of 27.5mph. Built at BR’s Darlington and Horwich Works, the 25 locomotives were allocated to BR’s Southern Region. Whilst outwardly similar in appearance to the Class 08, some were fitted with waist height air pipes for use with shunting the Southern Region’s fleet of Electric Multiple Units at depots.
Like the prototype, Gaugemaster’s new ‘O’ gauge Class 09 shunter is a development of Dapol’s Class 08 product and will be supplied with the additional pipework carried on the real things.
The specification includes a die-cast chassis, five-pole skew-wound motor, all-wheel pick-ups and drive, 21-pin Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder socket, sprung buffers and working lights.
Five different identities are planned for the initial batch of releases - D4106 in as-preserved BR green (Cat No. GM7210201/7210221), 09020 in BR blue (GM7210202/7210222), 09022 in weathered BR blue (GM7210203/7210223), 09012 Dick Hardy in InterCity ‘Executive’ (GM7210204/7210224) and departmental 97800 Ivor in Network SouthEast colours (GM7210301/7210321). They will be available DCC Ready and DCC sound-fitted.
Prices are set at £229.95 DCC Ready and £369.95 DCC sound-fitted. A release date has yet to be confirmed.
◘ Visit www.gaugemaster.com for more information.
