Class 26/27 versus Class 33

[McRuss]

Hello,

 

are there external differences between Class 26/27 and Class 33/0 locomotives? I ask these because Dapol has announced the Class 27 in N last year, but in the new 2010 catalouge the class 27 isn't mentioned. So maybe I could buy a Graham Farish Class 33 and convert it to a Class 26 or 27.

 

yours

 

Markus

[SRman]

There are quite a few differences between classes 26, 27 and 33, although all use the same basic bodyshell design. Classes 26 and 27 were built with end doors on the cab fronts and, therefore, have a shallower centre window than class 33, which never had end doors and always had a full-depth centre window with twin track roller blinds fitted. Additionally, class 26 had headcode discs, class 27 had a four-track headcode box mounted on the cab rrof and class 33 had none of those things.

 

Cab side windows varied somewhat within classes 26 and 27, while class 33 had the "English" pattern drop-down side windows.

 

Cant rail grilles varied between the classes, as well as 33/2s having a different arrangement (but I'll ignore this sub-class as nearly everything was different).

 

Early class 26s had a different bogie suspension (transverse leaf springs as opposed to coils on all the rest).

 

The body-side engne room windows were the same on classes 26 and 33 but class 27 had them slightly higher up the body sides.

 

There were other detail differences at different stages of their lives.

 

Having said all that, it would not be all that hard for a reasonably skilled modeller to produce any of the classes from one of the others.