Class 47 No.47798 'Prince William' - DCC Sound Fitted Deposit

Hot off the press from Cavalex is their very exciting take on the stalwart and ever popular Class 47. A fantastic addition to the Railway Icons range, we are proud to present this latest OO Gauge offering in two liveries and several running states (see other items for details). These models feature a wealth of individual details and a fine finish that has been rigorously researched and applied to each model to represent the individual prototype as accurately as possible. They also feature an innovative removable panel to allow for easy DCC chip installation and access to the comprehensive dip switch control for DC users, which allows access to all of the DCC functions for lighting, without the need to remove the model from the track. There are also some unique AMD (Adaptive Magnetic Detailing) features still to be announced...

These are definitely models you don't want to miss, and numbers are extremely low!

Model Features:
- 21 pin DCC interface.
- Photo etched roof grilles.
- A wealth of separately fitted parts across the model, including multi-piece bogie mouldings to allow for proper detail relief as well as the under frame.
- Separately motor operated roof fans via a function output.
- Full independently controlled lighting, allowing for parked, yard, light engine, and ‘on train’ modes, with realistic levels of brightness and colour representative of the prototype being modelled. Prototypical day/night lighting configurations for the modern livery examples. Engine room lighting independently controllable via DCC functions.
- Realistically bright (or dim depending how you look at it) cab lighting, driver’s desk with individually printed dials and decorated full depth cab interior as per the prototype.
- Hall sensors for fully adjustable automated flange squeal on sound fitted models. This feature automatically provides the characteristic screech as the wheels enter sharp curves. Not having to activate the sound manually only adds to the immersive effect whilst driving the locomotive.
- Power bank providing smooth uninterrupted running, which combined with floating centre axles, allows trouble free road holding and power.
- Coreless motor with twin flywheel and low ratio gearbox for prototypical running speeds typical of the class.
- Provision to order drop in wheelsets to easily convert the loco to EM and P4 gauges for those modellers that wish to showcase the unparalleled levels of detail and accuracy of the model with equally accurate trackwork.
- Highly detailed and accurate underframe with numerous separately fitted parts to recreate all of the tank variants.
- DCC sound with custom ESU project for the factory fitted sound version. ESU Passive Radiator Speaker in the chassis as standard for a balanced combination of low and high frequency sounds to accurately reproduce the prototype via a custom recorded sound project.
- Etched name plates as appropriate to each model number.
- Stay alive fitted to all models.

The British Rail Class 47, also known as Brush Type 4 locomotives, stands as a testament to the ingenuity of railway engineering. Developed by Brush Traction in the 1960s, but tracing their origin back to the 'Modernisation Plan of 1954', these diesel-electric engines have not only shaped the landscape of British rail transport but have also left an indelible mark on the history of locomotive manufacturing. Between 1962 and 1968, a remarkable 512 Class 47 locomotives rolled off the production lines at Brush’s Falcon Works in Loughborough and British Railways Crewe Works. This impressive quantity awards these locomotives their status as the most numerous class of British mainline diesel locomotive ever produced.

In the early 1970s, the Class 47 fleet underwent a renumbering process into the 47xxx series, with sub-classes created based on the specific electrical equipment fitted to each locomotive. Notably, two locomotives from the Class 47/7 sub-class, namely No.47798 ‘Firefly’ and No.47799 ‘Windsor Castle, were dedicated for Royal Train service and later renamed 'Prince William’ and 'Prince Henry' respectively. Their distinguished service continued until 2004 when they were succeeded by Class 67 locomotives, prompting their withdrawal for preservation.

Similar to our Railway Icons HSDT Prototype model, Prince William is preserved as part of the National Collection. However our Railway Icons models depicts the locomotive as it ran earlier in life (in the Rail Express Systems version of the Royal Train livery, as carried from May 1995 to late 1997), which has minor differences to how it is currently preserved today. No.47798 can currently be found at the Railway Museum in York, in the GREAT HALL.

Locomotion Models has produced an Exclusive OO Gauge model of No.47798 in the past, however this depicted the locomotive in the later 'EWS' Royal livery.