◆GAUGE ‘OO’ ◆MODEL EFE Rail • E82001 SR ‘Booster’ CC1, SR grey • E82002 SR ‘Booster’ CC1, SR green ◆PRICE £184.95 each
◆AVAILABILITY EFE Rail stockists Web www.bachmann.co.uk
It was in 2003 that Hornby took what was considered by some to be a risk by releasing a range of the Southern Railway’s unconventional ‘Q1’ 0 ‐ 6‐0s. Healthy sales immediately pointed to all kinds of possibilities in what had hitherto been a relatively conservative market.
The emergence of the Bulleid-Raworth ‘Booster’ electric locomotive from the Bachmann EFE Rail range – 21 years later – demonstrates just how much the RTR market has changed.
Only two ‘Boosters’ of this particular type were built by the Southern Railway: Nos. CC1 and CC2, later British Railways Class 70s Nos. 20001 and 20002. Even so, their many guises mean that there are five versions to choose from: SR grey No. CC1, SR malachite green No. CC1, BR black and aluminium/silver No. 20002, BR green No. 20002 and BR blue No. 20001. With no surviving prototype to copy, the research, development and design team must be commended for capturing the 1940s style fully evident in archive views.
Careful study of our two review models (one kindly supplied by Bachmann, the other purchased from Rails of Sheffield) reveals a complex suite of radii around the cab ends in particular. The points at which the gently bowed cab ends meet the sloping roof fronts look absolutely spot on, as do the subtle vertical angles.
SCI-FI SEMBLANCE
One of the most readily identifiable traits of the prototype is the shape of the end windows. Square in proportion, but with curved-off corners, these high apertures give the ‘Booster’ the curious look of a machine that would have been equally at home in a contemporary sci ‐fi flick. Indeed, the cabs share commonality with the 1939-introduced ‘2-HALs’ (as already modelled by Hornby), giving these locomotives a very Southern Electric family feel.
The battleship grey example features inserted platework over the end windows, as seen on the 1941 prototype (in order to keep the glow from the cab lights to a minimum under wartime blackout conditions). These have been well executed by EFE and are surrounded by an array of separately fitted details. The air-whistles and windscreen wipers are fine injection ‐moulded plastic, accompanied by wire handrails and tiny lamp irons.
The malachite green example displays the Southern Railway’s well known ‘engine code’ designation (lights within discs), whereas the grey version features as-built reporting number blinds.
A ‘bag of bits’ for each locomotive type allows customisation for both prototypes: either a cluster of blanks for the route discs/lamps, and the grey comes with the most common reporting number stencil blinds (blanked-off on later versions). Dummy scre
