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Hornby R3717

SR, Merchant Navy Class, 4-6-2, 21C7 'Aberdeen Commonwealth' - Era 3

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

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

Manufacturer description

21C7 Aberdeen Commonwealth entered traffic in June 1942 liveried in Wartime Black, despite having been built in Malachite Green. Named at a ceremony on 30 July, 1942, 21C7 took part in smoke clearance trials during 1944 prior to receiving the standard deflectors during May 1947.

Malachite Green was restored to 21C7 in July 1947, but less than three years later Aberdeen Commonwealth had received the experimental BR Steam Blue.

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 SR Merchant Navy Class 4‑6‑2 locomotive model, number 21C7 ‘Aberdeen Commonwealth’, is offered in OO gauge. The model features a 5‑pole skew‑wound motor, an 8‑pin DCC socket and a minimum curve radius of the second radius (438 mm). It measures 285 mm in length and is finished in pristine black livery, reproducing the locomotive’s wartime appearance.

The prototype was built by the Southern Railway at Eastleigh Works between 1941 and 1949, designed by O.V.S. Bulleid. It entered traffic in June 1942, originally painted in wartime black despite being constructed in Malachite Green. The locomotive was formally named on 30 July 1942, took part in smoke‑clearance trials in 1944 and received standard smoke deflectors in May 1947. A restoration to Malachite Green was carried out in July 1947, and less than three years later the engine received the experimental British Railways Steam Blue livery.

The Hornby model represents the period of the Big Four railway companies – LNER, LMS, GWR and SR – and includes the original running number (21C7) and the historically accurate wheel arrangement of 4‑6‑2. The product part number is R3717 and it is supplied as DCC ready.