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Hornby R3697

DRS, 'Northern Belle' Train Pack - Era 10

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

Prototype Eras
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation
Era 10 (2005 to 2015) Rebuilding of the Railways
Era 11 (2016 to 2026) The Last Days of Privatisation

Manufacturer description

West Coast Railways, Class 57 Co-Co, 57601 'Windsor Castle' with Northern Belle Mk2 Coaches, First Open 'Chatsworth' and 'Warwick' and Corridor Brake First Car 'Mow Cop'. The Northern Belle luxury train service commenced in June 2000, the result of an extensive programme of refurbishment undertaken by Venice-Simplon Orient Express featuring a number of ageing ex-BR Mk.2 vehicles.

The refurbishment was designed to mimic that of the Pullman coaches that ran in the luxury 'Belle' trains, evoking the opulence of luxury rail travel in the 1920s and 1930s. The result was coach interiors that were modified to Pullman standards with new seating, lighting and wood paneling. The interiors of the seven named dining cars feature hand crafted marquetry that was installed by the firm of A. Dunn and Son.

Using techniques and machinery that have essentially remained unchanged since the 18th century, Dunn's marquetry was used in the great ocean going liners such as Titanic, Lusitania, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, the floors of Buckingham Palace and the original Pullman and Wagons-Lits coaches. Each named car carries marquetry motifs relating to their title, being Alnwick, Belvoir, Glamis, Harlech, Warwick and Duart castles, as well as Chatsworth House. The inaugural run of the Northern Belle was from York to Grantham, featuring a reception at nearby Belvoir Castle, with the first public run, the 'Birmingham Lunch Excursion', taking place on 2 June 2000, running from Birmingham, out to Chester, then returning via Wrexham and Shrewsbury to Birmingham.

The Northern Belle was always intended for touring destinations in northern Britain, but not exclusively so, as current destinations include locations and events in London, the south-west and southern Britain. Traction for the Northern Belle has varied since 2000 when the train was operated by VSOE; it is now owned by Northern Belle (Holdings) Limited and the operator is West Coast Railways and to accompany the train, WCR's Class 57 57601 'Windsor Castle' has been re-liveried into a matching Northern Belle umber and cream livery.

Product videos

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  Hornby | 'Northern Belle' Train Pack (R3697)

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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.

Hornby DRS ‘Northern Belle’ Train Pack – Era 10 is an OO gauge model set that includes a West Coast Railways Class 57 locomotive (number 57601 ‘Windsor Castle’) and three British Railways Mark 2 coaches named Chatsworth, Warwick and Mow Cop. All components are finished in pristine condition; the locomotive and two of the coaches carry a Pullman livery, while the third coach is painted in the standard Northern Belle colours.

The locomotive is DCC ready with an 8‑pin socket, fitted with a 5‑pole skew‑wound motor and a Co‑Co wheel arrangement. It has a length of 360 mm, a minimum curve radius of 2nd radius (438 mm) and power is collected via a power‑bogie only. Couplings are NEM with tension lock. The model represents a British Rail Class 57/6 diesel built in 2001, originally operated by GBRf and now liveried in the umber and cream scheme used by the Northern Belle service.

The three coaches are British Railways Mark 2 types, with two First Open (FO) cars and one Brake First Corridor (BFK) car. They are equipped for a maximum speed of 75 mph (95 mph on the upgraded version) and feature the same DCC ready specifications as the locomotive. The set recreates the early 2000s rebuilding of the railways that gave rise to the Northern Belle luxury train.

The Northern Belle service began in June 2000 after a major refurbishment programme by the Venice‑Simplon Orient Express, which upgraded ex‑BR Mk 2 vehicles to Pullman standards with new seating, lighting, wood paneling and hand‑crafted marquetry. The inaugural public run, the ‘Birmingham Lunch Excursion’, took place on 2 June 2000, running from Birmingham to Chester and back via Wrexham and Shrewsbury. Hornby’s part number for this set is R3697.