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Hornby R30015

W.M.J.E.A. - Ruston & Hornsby - 88DS 'No1'

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest

Manufacturer description

A small shunter that makes a big impact, the Ruston & Hornsby - W.M.J.E.A. - 88DS - No1 locomotive is a lovely addition to any model railway layout. The model comes with a coupling blanking plate for the most secure and tidy finish, complementing the dark green livery. It is also DCC ready with a six-pin socket.

History​​​​​​​

Ruston & Hornsby Works No. 262997 was supplied new to the West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority in January 1949 for its Birchills Power Station in Walsall. From September the same year, it moved to the newly-opened Walsall ‘B’ Power Station and, even after nationalisation of the industry in 1948 as the CEGB, continued to carry its WMJEA identity.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

The Hornby Ruston & Hornsby WM JEA 88DS No1 model is a small locomotive designed for OO gauge model railways. It features a dark green livery and is DCC ready, with a six-pin socket for easy installation of a digital command control system. The model has a length of 82mm and requires a minimum radius curve of 371mm to run smoothly. It is part of the 2025 Range catalogue and is designed to represent a locomotive from the British Railways Early Crest period.

This model is based on a real locomotive, Ruston & Hornsby Works No. 262997, which was supplied to the West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority in January 1949. The locomotive was used at the Birchills Power Station in Walsall before moving to the Walsall 'B' Power Station in September of the same year. It retained its WMJEA identity even after the nationalisation of the industry in 1948.