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Hornby R30562

RailRoad: GWR - County Class - 'County of Oxford' 1023

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

Prototype Era
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)

Manufacturer description

The ‘County’ Class was the last of the GWR-designed two-cylinder 4-6-0s, with 30 built at Swindon between 1945 and 1947 to the design of Chief Mechanical Engineer, Frederick Hawksworth. This latest RailRoad County Class model depicts No. 1023 ‘County of Oxford’ in Great Western lined green.

Model specification:

• RailRoad specification model of County Class
• Moulded details
• Working running gear
• NEM coupling sockets
• Accessory Pack
• Minimum 2nd Radius

Electronics:

• 21-pin DCC Decoder socket compatible with HM7000

Livery:

• Great Western lined green with GW tender crest
• Accurate colours and font
• Era 3

History

The ‘County’ Class was the final development of the GWR two-cylinder 4-6-0, designed by Frederick Hawksworth for mixed traffic work, 30 locomotives emerged from Swindon between 1945 and 1947. No. 1023 ‘County of Oxford’ entered service in January 1947 and was based in the West Country, including allocations to Truro, Exeter, Plymouth Laira and Penzance. 

Within a year it had become part of British Railways during nationalisation, under which it served for a further 15 years, its last shed being Shrewsbury from October 1962, where it was withdrawn in March the following year and scrapped. None of the Hawksworth ‘Counties’ made it into preservation.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

Hornby RailRoad GWR County Class model representing locomotive No 1023 “County of Oxford”. The model is DCC ready with a 21‑pin socket, built to OO gauge and finished in Great Western lined green livery with the GW tender crest.

Key specifications include a length of 260 mm, metal sprung buffers, NEM coupling sockets, and a minimum 2nd‑radius curve of 438 mm. The locomotive features moulded detail, working running gear and a 21‑pin DCC decoder socket compatible with the HM7000. It carries the manufacturer part number R30562 and is listed as representing the Big Four era.

The real County Class was the last of the GWR two‑cylinder 4‑6‑0 designs, created by Chief Mechanical Engineer Frederick Hawksworth. Thirty examples were built at Swindon between 1945 and 1947. No 1023 entered service in January 1947, operated in the West Country and later under British Railways after nationalisation. It remained in operation until its withdrawal in March 1963 and was subsequently scrapped; none of the Hawksworth Counties were preserved.