Sutton's Locomotive Works *NEW* Class 25

[MikeParkin65]

Have been persuaded that I need an SLW  25, not least by this image on Facebook that SLW  said to feel free to share - so here you go.  So good it looks real!

[sulzer71]

10 hours ago, MikeParkin65 said:

Have been persuaded that I need an SLW  25, not least by this image on Facebook that SLW  said to feel free to share - so here you go.  So good it looks real!

@MikeParkin65 I didn't need much persuasion at all to order the 2 blue boilered ones 

[Davidjsmith]

Quote

 I didn't need much persuasion at all to order the 2 blue boilered ones

Same here !If only we can have all the 25 variants ASAP !But we have to be patient the end results are always worth it.

[sulzer71]

7 minutes ago, Davidjsmith said:

Same here !If only we can have all the 25 variants ASAP !But we have to be patient the end results are always worth it.

Phil definitely has others in the pipeline as he teased the pictures of the small centre window version quite a while ago so it wouldn't surprise me if they were announced by the end of the year , I keep badgering him for an early series 25/0 as essentially it's just an headcode box 24 with slight detail differences

[woodenhead]

7 minutes ago, sulzer71 said:

 it's just an headcode box 24 with slight detail differences

Just 😲

 

This is SLW, there is no 'Just', but a nice early 25/0 would be nice.

Edited June 9, 2023 by woodenhead

[sulzer71]

2 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Just 😲

 

This is SLW, there is no 'Just', but a nice early 25/0 would be nice.

Yes , I imagine Phil would get the details 100% spot on 

[Gilbert]

This is very "bad" timing...this is what I was doing yesterday.....and today I have been on the phone.....

[MidlandRed]

18 hours ago, MikeParkin65 said:

Have been persuaded that I need an SLW  25, not least by this image on Facebook that SLW  said to feel free to share - so here you go.  So good it looks real!

I already have two on order (green D7599 (I saw D7598 and D7607 on delivery at Derby - some of those spotting moments I remember vividly after 50 + years), and D7666 (the Willesden batch brand new was another spotting memory) so I definitely don’t ‘need’ another).

 

However how could a Brummie Midland (and everything else railways) fan resist - D5232,3,4,6 were amongst the April 64 allocations to Saltley (after a few months, presumably running in (?) at Toton) - removing I think, 4Fs - I remember them looking pretty new though dusty already!

 

The model looks so good - has to be one of, if not the best, representations of a RTR OO scale model 😄

Edited June 9, 2023 by MidlandRed

[jjb1970]

Very impressive indeed, looks like these will have been well worth the wait. The proprietor of SLW has often had rather robust opinions of other producers but he has walked the walk and pretty much set the standard for attention to detail in OO.

[Halvarras]

The only photo I ever managed to take of one of the boiler-fitted quintet - 25087 at Cardiff General on 14th September 1974 after having "rescued a 3 + 1 DMU set" (according to my scribbles - 120 + 121 presumably but not logged) somewhere along the Central Wales line - not the best photo as the negative didn't age well stored in the loft for years, but..........hopefully worth posting?:

I'd catch up with it again at Perth in the early hours of Saturday 7th May 1977, in ex-works condition with Scottish-style bodyside numbers.

[mallaig1983]

Well I’ve resisted long enough and finally caved. I’ve wanted a SLW loco since seeing the 24s on Mostyn but couldn’t justify it as it didn’t fit my era and area. None of the later style 25s announced a couple of years ago did either, i decided to be patient. Oo those Scottish 24s were so tempting but they didn’t operate on the West Highland, getting closer though. I’ll patiently wait I’m the hope 25226/7/8 or 9 are produced. But 25083 has now been announced and as it was at Eastfield in 1978 that’s good enough for me 😀

Duly ordered. Happy days.

[sulzer71]

16 hours ago, mallaig1983 said:

Well I’ve resisted long enough and finally caved. I’ve wanted a SLW loco since seeing the 24s on Mostyn but couldn’t justify it as it didn’t fit my era and area. None of the later style 25s announced a couple of years ago did either, i decided to be patient. Oo those Scottish 24s were so tempting but they didn’t operate on the West Highland, getting closer though. I’ll patiently wait I’m the hope 25226/7/8 or 9 are produced. But 25083 has now been announced and as it was at Eastfield in 1978 that’s good enough for me 😀

Duly ordered. Happy days.

I ordered 083 and 086 , that's on top of the 4 x 24's I have on order

[mallaig1983]

2 minutes ago, sulzer71 said:

I ordered 083 and 086 , that's on top of the 4 x 24's I have on order

25s we’re not uncommon on the West Highland in the 70s but seem somewhat rarer on the Mallaig extension. I have absolutely no evidence that either 083 or 086 were ever around those parts but as 083 was at Eastfield a couple of times during the mid to late 70s it is at least feasible so that’s good enough for me. I’ll see what else comes in future as I still want an earlier version. 
 

That’s quite a collection you have on order. If I was modelling the Far North or Kyle lines then I too would have a couple on order. Maybe one day there’ll be spare cash to splash on an example just because they’re beautiful little things. Have you gone for the full fat sound versions? 

[sulzer71]

3 minutes ago, mallaig1983 said:

25s we’re not uncommon on the West Highland in the 70s but seem somewhat rarer on the Mallaig extension. I have absolutely no evidence that either 083 or 086 were ever around those parts but as 083 was at Eastfield a couple of times during the mid to late 70s it is at least feasible so that’s good enough for me. I’ll see what else comes in future as I still want an earlier version. 
 

That’s quite a collection you have on order. If I was modelling the Far North or Kyle lines then I too would have a couple on order. Maybe one day there’ll be spare cash to splash on an example just because they’re beautiful little things. Have you gone for the full fat sound versions? 

I originally had planned to model the Kyle Line but have decided the current layout build will be entirely fictitious and will use Rule 1 when it comes to the loco's I run on it although at some point I'll be building a more prototypical layout

 

I already have 7 skinhead version 24s which I really need to get sorted as they all need numbers applying and one is in pieces as it was a damaged second hand one I'm repairing

 

Yes , I've gone for the full fat versions of the loco's , I'm starting a payment plan with Suttons in August to make sure I can get them paid for 

 

I really hope it's not long before Suttons do the earlier version too , he's teased pictures quite some time ago but nothing has been seen or heard since

 

I'm hoping it wont be too long either before he does the early series 25 which I thought he'd have done as a follow up to the headcode box 24 , I was gobsmacked recently after I found a pic of 25008 at Fort William!

[mallaig1983]

17 minutes ago, sulzer71 said:

I originally had planned to model the Kyle Line but have decided the current layout build will be entirely fictitious and will use Rule 1 when it comes to the loco's I run on it although at some point I'll be building a more prototypical layout

 

I already have 7 skinhead version 24s which I really need to get sorted as they all need numbers applying and one is in pieces as it was a damaged second hand one I'm repairing

 

Yes , I've gone for the full fat versions of the loco's , I'm starting a payment plan with Suttons in August to make sure I can get them paid for 

 

I really hope it's not long before Suttons do the earlier version too , he's teased pictures quite some time ago but nothing has been seen or heard since

 

I'm hoping it wont be too long either before he does the early series 25 which I thought he'd have done as a follow up to the headcode box 24 , I was gobsmacked recently after I found a pic of 25008 at Fort William!

25008 at Fort William sounds very interesting. What year was that?

 

That’s quite a fleet you’re building there? Nice collection. Do you have a layout thread on here?

[sulzer71]

17 minutes ago, mallaig1983 said:

25008 at Fort William sounds very interesting. What year was that?

 

That’s quite a fleet you’re building there? Nice collection. Do you have a layout thread on here?

 

Here's my layout thread  , the 25 at FW was July 1980 , also pictured at Crianlarich

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by sulzer71

[Chilly]

Fatal looking at this page then Rail Exclusive website, found 25083 on there and its preserved well you know the rest........................🙄

[Solo]

On 28/06/2023 at 09:10, mallaig1983 said:

25s we’re not uncommon on the West Highland in the 70s but seem somewhat rarer on the Mallaig extension. I have absolutely no evidence that either 083 or 086 were ever around those parts but as 083 was at Eastfield a couple of times during the mid to late 70s it is at least feasible so that’s good enough for me. I’ll see what else comes in future as I still want an earlier version. 

 

On the 'Derby Sulzers' website, 25086 is noted as having worked Ft William to Glasgow QC on 13 Sep 1976. 

25083 is listed as having worked Mallaig – Glasgow on 23 Mar 1976 and Glasgow – Oban on 25 Jun 1979.

Edited July 11, 2023 by Solo
spelling

[mallaig1983]

1 hour ago, Solo said:

 

On the 'Derby Sulzers' website, 25086 is noted as having worked Ft William to Glasgow GC on 13 Sep 1976. 

25083 is listed as having worked Mallaig – Glasgow on 23 Mar 1976 and Glasgow – Oban on 25 Jun 1979.

Yes I read that after posting 😀

It doesn’t say where it was seen from though. I think the Mallaig - GQS it was double heading with a 27. There’s always the possibility that 25083 had been added at Fort William to get it back to Eastfield so if it was seen at Crianlarich for example there’s no proof it started from Mallaig but that’s close enough for me though. I am tempted to order 086 as well but I don’t want to swamp my late 70s fleet with 25s as I am still being patient for an early example too. Plus I’m still a couple of 27s short. Up until now I’ve been building the 1983 fleet up. I can however see a future of SLW temptations.

Thanks for the info.

[Solo]

21 hours ago, mallaig1983 said:

Yes I read that after posting 😀

It doesn’t say where it was seen from though. I think the Mallaig - GQS it was double heading with a 27. There’s always the possibility that 25083 had been added at Fort William to get it back to Eastfield so if it was seen at Crianlarich for example there’s no proof it started from Mallaig but that’s close enough for me though. I am tempted to order 086 as well but I don’t want to swamp my late 70s fleet with 25s as I am still being patient for an early example too. Plus I’m still a couple of 27s short. Up until now I’ve been building the 1983 fleet up. I can however see a future of SLW temptations.

Thanks for the info.

Yeah, I agree that the 25 may not have worked all the way from Mallaig; but, as you say, even a fleeting glance with the route is enough to justify what will be a superb model. I've plumped for 086; not just because I want one, but because it plugs a gap until the 24/1s arrive, which I understand may not be for some time. I'll be using modellers' licence running the two types together, but – having dabbled in O gauge as well as with other 4mm products – I got my two SLW 24s out for a plank play the other day and realised just how superior they are to anything else on the model market. The looks, the running qualities, and the crispness and drivability of the sound file made me decide to base all my projects around SLW locos, at least until the others catch up.

 

I do have high hopes for Heljan's new 26, which I guess may also be followed by a high-spec 27. But it would be lovely to see SLW get their teeth into those two at some point.

[mallaig1983]

2 hours ago, Solo said:

Yeah, I agree that the 25 may not have worked all the way from Mallaig; but, as you say, even a fleeting glance with the route is enough to justify what will be a superb model. I've plumped for 086; not just because I want one, but because it plugs a gap until the 24/1s arrive, which I understand may not be for some time. I'll be using modellers' licence running the two types together, but – having dabbled in O gauge as well as with other 4mm products – I got my two SLW 24s out for a plank play the other day and realised just how superior they are to anything else on the model market. The looks, the running qualities, and the crispness and drivability of the sound file made me decide to base all my projects around SLW locos, at least until the others catch up.

 

I do have high hopes for Heljan's new 26, which I guess may also be followed by a high-spec 27. But it would be lovely to see SLW get their teeth into those two at some point.

It certainly would! Until then though I am looking forward to a new Heljan 27 too. I’m sure it will be announced once the 26 is released. I ordered 083 without understanding when they are due. Are they with this first tranche or the first announcement for the second do you know? If the 24/1s won’t be with us for some time I could possibly persuaded to save up for one as they are proving hard to ignore.

I don’t own a 24 but have been blown away with them since my first encounter at Warley. Many years ago and I’ve been hoping and wishing for a suitable 25 since. As we agree, these 2 are close enough.

[GordonC]

3 hours ago, Solo said:

Yeah, I agree that the 25 may not have worked all the way from Mallaig; but, as you say, even a fleeting glance with the route is enough to justify what will be a superb model. I've plumped for 086; not just because I want one, but because it plugs a gap until the 24/1s arrive, which I understand may not be for some time. I'll be using modellers' licence running the two types together, but – having dabbled in O gauge as well as with other 4mm products – I got my two SLW 24s out for a plank play the other day and realised just how superior they are to anything else on the model market. The looks, the running qualities, and the crispness and drivability of the sound file made me decide to base all my projects around SLW locos, at least until the others catch up.

 

I do have high hopes for Heljan's new 26, which I guess may also be followed by a high-spec 27. But it would be lovely to see SLW get their teeth into those two at some point.

 

I like Heljan locos, I must have about 50 of different classes, but really can't see Heljan being capable of anything to match SLW. They seem to produce a lot more workman like locos that are good, but won't blow you away like SLW.

 

If SLW ever did 26s and 27s I'd need to start selling body parts! 😉

[sulzer71]

10 hours ago, mallaig1983 said:

Are they with this first tranche or the first announcement for the second do you know?

Website says Autumn whereas the others say Summer so I'd imagine slightly behind the first wave , more 24/1's were on a flyer at the York show and Phil said they would be slightly behind the first batch of the 24/1's too , works for me though as I have 2 x 25s on order , 2 x 24/1s from the original announcement and 2 from the second batch

[Chilly]

Anything new to report on these?

[GD]

27 minutes ago, Chilly said:

Anything new to report on these?

I've given up on these and cancelled my 2 preorders, the funds I had allocated for these ended up on accurascale mk2Bs and Cs,