Recently acquired myself a very nice little set of N Gauge models in the Red Rail-freight livery that you see above with the real version. This set included a Class 33 [33 021 Eastleigh] which was a very popular class of locomotive in my local area on the Southern Region of BR during my trainspotting youth in the 70s and 80s. It was great to pick up one nice and cheaply which also came with a matching wagon set which I've decided to try and add too. Although the locomotive was intact and in great condition it didn't seem to run but that didn't deter me and even with the wagon set only one of these was slightly damaged so for £35 plus postage I think I still got a bargain.
Though this model did seem to take power initially there was little sign of life in terms of motion, but where there is noise there is hope. Carefully took it all apart, gave it a good clean and applied some oil (I use sewing machine oil seems to do the trick well if applied sparingly, do NOT use stuff like WD40) and within the hour I had her moving. Let it rest a bit and repeated the process at the end of which was gently running around my test track.
The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962. A total of 98 were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW) and were known as "Cromptons" after the Crompton Parkinson electrical equipment installed in them. Having been designed specifically for the Southern Region, with electric heating apparatus, and some for push/pull operations, in particular, on the Bournemouth to Weymouth line. This avoided the lengthy procedure of uncoupling, running around and coupling. A dozen locomotives, Class 33/2, were built with narrower bodies for traversing the Hastings line. They would see regular service around the Southern Region usually double headed running the Oil Tankers to and from Fawley Refinery in Hampshire and serving the long gone facilities at Staines (west), Earley and North Camp (Farnborough).
Preservation
Most of these locomotives have now been withdrawn from active duty, though three, 33025, 33029 and 33207 are available for use on passenger services with spot hire rail company West Coast Railways. WCRC also has 33030 as a spares donor. A large number of others have been preserved and are operational on heritage railways.
| 1957 number | TOPS number | Name | Location | Current Status | Livery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D6501 | 33002 | Sea King | South Devon Railway | Operational | BR Green |
| D6508 | 33008 | Eastleigh | Shillingstone | Undergoing Restoration | BR Green (Yellow Warning Panels) |
| D6515 | 33012 | Lt Jenny Lewis RN | Swanage Railway | Operational and Mainline Certified | BR Green (Yellow Warning Panels) |
| D6530 | 33018 | – | Midland Railway - Butterley | Undergoing Restoration | BR Blue |
| D6534 | 33019 | Griffon | Battlefield Line Railway | Operational | DCE Grey and Yellow |
| D6539 | 33021 | Eastleigh | Churnet Valley Railway | Undergoing Minor Repairs | Post Office Red |
| D6543 | 33025 | Glen Falloch / Sultan | Carnforth | Under Overhaul | West Coast Railways |
| D6547 | 33029 | Glen Loy | Southall Railway Centre | Operational, Mainline Certified | West Coast Railways |
| D6548 | 33030 | – | Carnforth | Stored (spares loco) | Direct Rail Services dark blue |
| D6553 | 33035 | Spitfire | Barrow Hill Engine Shed | Operational | BR Blue |
| D6564 | 33046 | Merlin | East Lancashire Railway | Stored (spares Loco) | South West Trains blue |
| D6566 | 33048 | – | West Somerset Railway | Operational | BR Green (Yellow Front) |
| D6570 | 33052 | Ashford | Kent and East Sussex Railway | Stored | BR Green |
| D6571 | 33053 | – | Mid Hants Railway | Operational | BR Blue |
| D6575 | 33057 | Seagull (Name not Carried) | West Somerset Railway | Operational | BR Green (Yellow Front) |
| D6583 | 33063 | R.J. Mitchell | Spa Valley Railway | Operational | Railfreight Mainline Sector |
| D6585 | 33065 | Sealion | Spa Valley Railway | Undergoing heavy overhaul | BR Blue |
| D6513 | 33102 | Sophie | Churnet Valley Railway | Operational | BR Blue |
| D6514 | 33103 | Swordfish | Ecclesbourne Valley Railway | Operational | BR Blue |
| D6521 | 33108 | Vampire | Severn Valley Railway | Operational | BR Blue |
| D6525 | 33109 | Captain Bill Smith RNR | East Lancashire Railway | Operational | BR Blue |
| D6527 | 33110 | – | Bodmin and Wenford Railway | Operational | Departmental grey |
| D6528 | 33111 | – | Swanage Railway | Operational | BR Blue |
| D6535 | 33116 | Hertfordshire Rail Tours | Great Central Railway | Operational | BR Blue |
| D6536 | 33117 | – | East Lancashire Railway | Undergoing Repairs | BR Blue |
| D6586 | 33201 | – | Spa Valley Railway | Operational | BR Blue (Full Yellow Ends) |
| D6587 | 33202 | Dennis G. Robinson | Mid Hants Railway | Operational | BR Blue |
| D6592 | 33207 | Jim Martin | Southall Railway Centre | Operational, Mainline Certified | West Coast Railways |
| D6593 | 33208 | – | Battlefield Line Railway | Undergoing Repairs | BR Green (Yellow Warning Panels) |
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