Sunday, March 25, 2018

Niko Goes Foreign: British Railways "Deltic" (a dream come true- almost!).

So, this is a "New" Series within the Blog, where I tell about "Foreign" Locomotives and/or Rolling Stock- which I have the scale models of. These models are all from my personal collection, and I hope you enjoy the first edition of "Niko Goes Foreign" (extra points for those who guess the joke/reference in the title of the series).

Now, back in October 2017, I went on a Road Trip with my Pops to visit friends "upstate." (I will NOT tell where.). We all met at a model railway show (again, I won't tell where- don't want them to face bedlam like Puyallup; you live in Washington State and are a Model Railroader, you know what I mean.). Anyway, I found a locomotive I've long dreamed of having for my "British Fleet," a British Railways Class 55 "Deltic." These were once the Most-Powerful Locomotives in the World, in terms of Horsepower, at 3300 H.P. They're quite the beasts on British rails, having held down the crack London-Edinburgh expresses, taking over from the famous London & North Eastern Railway "A4" 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives- the Fastest Steam Locomotives in the World (officially). While I'd like to have an A4, the cheapest would be a TTTE HO model from Bachmann (and I really, really don't like that path.), I'm more than content to have a model of their successors (and truth be told, have actually wanted a "Deltic" more than an "A4" really; it's a personal thing.).

The following photo, is a photo of my model: 


 Almost like the picture, this model was made by "Lima Models" of Italy, with stunning detail for its age. Only one truck is powered, but that's okay, the real ones didn't have much guts at the traction motors anyway (compared to contemporary American passenger locomotives.). It's an accurate looking machine, for being an old model. For the Money, it was a good buy. I have no complaints, as with the British in Washington State, "Beggars can't be Choosers," but what a choice to have. It's one would expect for a Lima of about 30 to 40 years of age. Detail's also what you'd expect for the era, which isn't bad for what it is. It's certainly close enough to the book illustration, for my liking.

Overall, I wouldn't trade it. I did a good job, considering I'm half-way between London and Tokyo. It really worked out in my favor. This is just a brief start, as there are other blog posts to write. Thanks for Reading. Cheers (as the British Say!).