Graham Farish have announced the first ever N gauge models of the BR Class 20/3 Diesel Locomotives. Following the launch of the brand’s Scottish Class 20/0s earlier in the year, the Class 20/3 brings the story of these English Electric icons right up to date, depicting the 15-strong sub-class that was created from 1995 and of which several members can still be found in traffic today.
The Class 20s were built from 1957 with a pilot scheme batch of 20 locomotives ordered as part of British Railway’s 1955 Modernisation Plan. Another order quickly followed and by 1962, a total of 128 had been delivered. As the standout Type 1 machine BR ordered 100 more giving a 228-strong fleet once the construction programme finished in 1968. The Class 20s were primarily used for freight but by the late-1980s withdrawals began as they were replaced by more powerful types and newer designs. By 1994 only 28 remained in main line service.
DRS acquired class 20s for refurbishment in 1994. The five locomotives were numbered 20301-20305 and all had entered traffic by 1996., after their initial success a further ten Class 20/3s were created in 1998, with the work this time being completed by Wabtec at Doncaster.
The new Graham Farish Class 20/3s share all the hallmarks of the brand’s acclaimed Class 20/0s, with accurate detailing to depict the refurbished locomotives. The injection moulded bodyshell boasts precision engraved panel lines and bodyside grilles, alongside finely moulded details like the cabinet door hinges and handles. Components such as the fuel tanks, battery boxes and the cab are fitted separately, while metal handrails can be found along the length of the locomotive, aside each cab door and at the top of the nose. Buffer heads are reproduced from turned metal too and the roof fan grille is etched brass.
A comprehensive tooling suite has been developed to accurately model the original features of the first five, with multi working jumper sockets at the nose end only, in later condition with sockets at both ends, and even later still with the aerial added to the cab end. Furthermore, Nos. 20306-20315 with their twin jumper sockets and top marker lights at each end can be modelled precisely, either as-built or in later life with the cab end aerial fitted.
The impressive technical specification takes full advantage of the new chassis that debuted on the Scottish Class 20/0s and includes a Next18 DCC decoder interface, a pre-fitted speaker and SOUND FITTED options as standard. A powerful coreless motor with twin flywheels provides drive to each axle on both bogies and electrical pickup comes from all eight wheels. Directional lighting is fitted, however due to the minute size of these models and the tight confines surrounding the light fittings, these are limited to the tail lights and headlight at the cab end only, and the top marker light at both ends, where fitted.
Production of these new Class 20/3s is nearing completion and delivery is expected in late-2026.
372-700 Class 20/3 20306 DRS Blue
372-700SF Class 20/3 20306 DRS Blue SOUND FITTED
372-700A Class 20/3 20310 DRS Blue
372-700ASF Class 20/3 20310 DRS Blue SOUND FITTED
372-701 Class 20/3 20311 HNRC Orange
372-701SF Class 20/3 20311 HNRC Orange SOUND FITTED
372-701A Class 20/3 20314 HNRC Orange
372-701ASF Class 20/3 20314 HNRC Orange SOUND FITTED
Subject to alteration
