DRS Crewe On A Mission

I'm completely the same. I bought 790, 810, 813, 832 and 853 from Rail Exclusive and I have already decided that I am never going to sell them because like you say they are practically collectors items. They are very nice and the liveries suit them well. They work really well on the short set and I am currently in the process of adding a second short set that could see another pair of 47s at Norwich and possibly some 68s. I really like DRS because of the variety of traction. Just about anything goes. Not to mention all of the different liveries. We are big DRS fans

I'm the same really. It does feel a bit strange though having four Northern Belle liveried locos on the layout at the moment. It's good though because if I have one pair out of service on repairs/exams I can use the other pair. Although last year some other DRS Class 47s and 57/3s featured on my Northern Belle trains. I may have to replicate 790 and 305 working the Belle. Not sure if I have replicated that yet with those two specific locos. Hopefully as Dapol produce more DRS liveried 68s I can have them working the Belle occasionally too as they have in reality.

I also have 305 and 312 but I bought these from R3Sprays as resprays in December 2015. This was before Bachmann announced 305. Slightly gutted now because I paid £220 each for the resprays when the Bachmann 305 are £130 each. Not to worry though because you can't even tell that they are resprays just like the two above. They look like they are standard Bachmann models. I also have 790 and 832 in Northern Belle livery and I also feel that they are now obsolete because I have bought the new 57/3s as well. I will definitley feel that they are obsolete if/when 68s are outshopped in Northern Belle livery in reality and then modelled by Dapol. We would then have three generations of Northern Belle locos However I use 790 and 832 on the Norwich short set sometimes or on flasks and not only on the Northern Belle. My 305 and 312 models either work the Belle, flasks or the Mountsorrel ballast job. Although now I have six 68s I am planning on changing the traction for some of the trains.

I'm not sure. It's going to be really interesting to see what happens. I just really hope that the 68s operating TPE services are modelled by Dapol in DRS livery. If Dapol decide to model them in TPE livery it will restrict what wagons and stock that we can use with them to just the CAF MK5s. It would be nice if 68016-68025 were all modelled in DRS livery, 68026 and 68027 in the basic livery and 68028 upwards in TPE livery. That would make everyone happy because it would mean that all three liveries would be available to buy in model form from the later batches of 68s.

I would love this but from what I have been told this isn't going to happen at the moment. Apparently the 57/3s are to stay for a while.

That only allows for nine locos though. I'm sure that thirteen locos are required and two locos as spares. That would allow for fifteen locos 68020-68034. Thirteen for use on the TPE trains and two as spares when some require repairs/maintenance or if any fail.

I read an artical a couple of weeks ago which said that 68020-68025 will be re-vinyled into TPE livery. I really hope that Dapol produce these locos in DRS livery.

I hope that the London Transport Museum commission Bachmann to produce 20142 and 20227 in the new LTM Red livery.

Thank you very much for letting me know. We will have to see if anyone is willing to pre-order several of the loco for other people.

Just a quick question regarding pre-orders for this loco. So what happens if you can't attend the show on Saturday and by the time Monday morning comes if all of the pre-orders have been fulfilled before it goes online? Is their any way that the loco can be pre-ordered online on Saturday when it's announced at the show? Thank you very much in advance.

37219 with lamp brackets and named Jonty Jarvis would be equally as good.

Does anyone else think that this model may be 37254 in Colas Rail livery named Cardiff Canton and with the depot plaques? I really hope so.

From what I know it could be because the two ScotRail locos (006 and 007) have spots that are placed in slightly different positions. I think that in the first batch both locos were produced with spots in the same place. Could 006 be re-run in the second batch because it's spots are in a different place to the model produced in the first batch? I think the only difference between the 68010 modelled in the first batch between the 68010 modelled in the second batch is that the second batch model will come with printed nameplates fitted and etched nameplates in the box. Whereas the loco in the first batch didn't come with nameplates. I think that Dapol are trying to get the most out of the tooling by modelling locos differently. This allows modellers/collectors to buy the exact replicas of the real life locos that are up to date. I completely agree with that you are saying. I would really like to acquire 68016-68025 in DRS livery. I am just hoping that Dapol produce them before they potentially are debranded of the DRS livery and have TPE vinyls applied.

Completely agree, I would not be able to afford nearly £300 for one sound loco. That would just be out of the question for me. £254 is far better, more reasonable and affordable. I reckon that I will try and acquire 003 and 008 as DCC Fitted models. That will be just over £300, so hopefully I can afford that.

Good point, thanks for suggesting this Jim. I have been tempted to do this before but I didn't because I haven't done any modelling on the current layout yet. I just never really have the time. I just concentrate on running the locos when I do get the time. Although I suppose it's not always about modelling, displaying locos and rolling stock is also something positive and it would be good to see. I have a few locos to show now so it may be worth setting up a thread and adding some photos of the locos and stock and any movements. Thanks for the suggestion Jim. Hope your ok. I completely agree although I have just checked on Hattons and the price of the batch two sound Class 68s is £254.96 per model. I agree that this is still a lot of money. The DCC Fitted Class 68s have also increased in price slightly so I am just going to try to buy 003 and 008 in DRS livery. I would have liked 015 in Chiltern livery too but that would amount to over £450 for three locos. I can't afford that especially at Christmas time, so hopefully I can afford the two new DRS liveried models.

Pleased that two more DRS liveried models have been announced in OO Gauge, these being 68003 and 68008. Although it is dissapointing to only see two more running numbers for the next batch. Although with the price increase compared to batch one I'm not going to complain because hopefully that will mean that I can afford 003 and 008.

I agree, the smart and simple effect does look good. The swoosh DRS liveried 68s do look good but it's a very complex livery. It has been suggested that 68026 and 68027 could be used on TPE duties in the near future.

I wasn't suggesting that all of the Class 37s that I listed to be produced because I know that Bachmann wouldn't produce all running numbers. I was listing the locos to make suggestions from the list. I was commenting about the types of noses and lighting that they have and this hasn't yet been modelled except from on 37605 which was a Limited Edition from R3Sprays and Olivia's Trains a few years ago. As 159220 has suggested four of the locos could be produced with one change/modification to the tooling. This could produce 606-609. This batch of four locos could include lots of liveries including: DRS Blue, DRS Compass, DRS Revised, Europhoenix and HNRC if and when it is applied to 607. This seems like a very good idea and must be worth the modification to the tooling as they could potentially produce five different liveries and several running numbers from those four locos. As I have mentioned though this wouldn't make it possible to produce 423 and 611 with the headcode noses which would be a shame. Unless the tooling could be altered to two modifications. Headcode noses would allow 218, 259, 423 and 611 to be produced which could also incorporate several different liveries. I know that it really wouldn't make sense to upgrade the tooling for the door style locos which are 602 and 605 as 605 has already been produced as Limited Edition and resprays of 602 have been done before. It doubt it would be financially viable to upgrade to the door tooling just to model one loco as 37602. Although as mentioned above producing the flush and headcode nosed 37s with working wipac lighting must surely be possible judging by all of the running numbers and liveries that could be produced.

I completely agree. I was also talking about the 37s as a whole but I am aware that not all of them would be produced. I am however aware that it would be viable to produce a handful in different liveries as mentioned in the above post. These suggestions for running numbers and liveries seem brilliant because this would cater for three of the main liveries within four models. These being: DRS Blue, DRS Compass and Europhoenix. Four models could offer four different running numbers and three different liveries. This gives customers a lot of scope to buy the livery/ies that they like the most. It also adds the option to buy more than one loco to renumber to another loco. The only drawback here is that it the above models wouldn't cover 423 in DRS Basic livery and 611 in Europhoenix livery with the headcode noses. If I'm really honest I'm sure that all of the above 37s would sell well as Limited Editions and probably even in the main range alike what the 20/3s will be in. DRS locos both past and present are hugely popular and so are the different liveries that DRS repaint/vinyl their locos in. I certainly think that a retailer or Bachmann alone if they chose to should produce some of the above 37s. Surely the 20/3s and above 37s are both at the same level of high popularity. Bachmann must think that the 20/3 will be popular enough because three models in three different liveries have been announced in their main range and not as Limited Editions or Exclusives. The polls also on RMWeb have suggested that the 20/3s are very popular from what I have heard so this must have supported Bachmann's decision to announce them in the main range.

I see what you mean. If their were more 37s with noses and lights like the above their would probably be a higher chance of Bachmann producing them sooner. I suppose that's why the 20/3s have just been announced because were only 15 of them and their are now currently 10 of them. Whereas their are a few hundred Class 66s so their is a lot of scope to model them.

Thank you very much for posting the photo. I have to say I quite like the DRS Basic livery on the 68s. I'm surprised that their isn't the DRS logos though towards the ends of the sides on the cabs. It looks a bit plain towards the ends of the locos.

Personally I'm sure that if Bachmann could produce more liveries on a model they would. If Bachmann were upgrading the tooling to enable them to produce the above locos then surely the variety of liveries and nose ends allow Bachmann to gain more profit to cover the costs to upgrade the tooling. Take the Class 66 yes the tooling for some of them is slightly different depending on the individual loco but they have produced dozens of 66s in different liveries now. I know that the above 37s are only 20 locos or so, so the options are limited regarding the number of locos that can be produced but with six liveries to model currently and with more to follow no doubt their must be potential to model the above 37s. Considering that Bachmann have just announced 20/3s in just three liveries (DRS Blue, DRS Compass and HNRC Orange) and that requires the tooling to be upgraded then surely that validates the opportunity to upgrade tooling to model six liveries and soon to be more.

I'm glad to see that someone else agrees that their are a lot of potential models for the above Class 37s. At least six liveries to model on various locos with different noses. With their been three or four different noses across the above 37s this also opens more opportunities as different running numbers have different noses and have worn different liveries. 423 could be potentially produced in three different liveries for example: DRS Compass, DRS Revised and DRS Basic. 038, 059 and 069 also have three livery opportunities: DRS Blue, DRS Compass and DRS Revised. 601 DRS Compass and possibly Europhoenix or another livery soon? 607 and 612 have worn DRS Blue, DRS Compass and soon to be HNRC Orange no doubt. 609 also has three liveries opportunities: DRS Blue, DRS Compass and DRS Revised. 608 and 611 have worn DRS Blue, DRS Compass and now Europhoenix livery. When 610 is repainted by Locomotive Services Limited that will be another livery to model and no doubt 607 and 612 will receive HNRC Orange or another livery soon. That will be a further two liveries to model. I think that the above 37s are a massive opportunity for Bachmann along with the 20/3s that have just been announced. Although 606 is currently the only 37 left in Compass livery with the flush noses so I would advise anyone who wants the above 37s to email Bachmann or Rails Of Sheffield or both to encourage them to be commissioned/produced as 606 is likely to be taken out of traffic and debranded of it's Compass livery soon to be sold on to another operator. I know that I would buy as many of the above 37s as I could if they were announced.

That's true. I also remember that R3Sprays produced a small number of 37611 models in DRS Compass livery. It must of been a small batch because I remember on their website that they were removed after three or four weeks. I am really happy with my 602 and 605 models from R3Sprays but I would just prefer Bachmann to produce more 37s because they will be cheaper. That's not to say that I'm not happy with R3Sprays work because I am. The locos and coaches that I have bought from them are fantastic.

Yes they did do 602 as well as I have got that one too along with 605. But 602 wasn't a Limited Edition. Just a respray. I know that JDM Models also sell DRS & Europhoenix Class 37s as resprays.