Present your case

If there’s a locomotive that you think needs to be offered ready-to-run, here’s the place to voice your opinion…

The place to propose models that you’d like to see available off the shelf.

Locomotive: Ruston & Hornsby 88DS Diesel Shunter

Gauge: ‘OO’

Proposed by: Ben Bucki, Keighley, Yorkshire

What is it?

Ruston’s ‘88DS’ diesel shunter was once a common sight at industrial sites throughout the UK. Though perhaps not the most exciting design, they nevertheless have a distinct character. Ruston introduced the 80/88hp diesel shunter in 1938 and construction continued until the early 1960s. Examples could be found in almost any type of rail-served industry; petrochemical ( Associated Octel on Anglesey had a small fleet), confectionary (Rowntree of York), steel, coal, general goods and automotive. Some spent their entire working lives slogging away at the same factory; others were used as private-hire machines by construction companies, spending their nomadic lives working on building/ maintenance contracts. BR even used them for Departmental duties, with six based at Leeman Road, York, and 97020 at Reading Sleeper Depot. Many have made it into preservation, either as ‘starter’ locomotives in the early days of large lines, or as the principle form of traction for shorter routes. Others are on display, such as the ‘88DS’ on the Pensnett Trading Estate in the West Midlands, or as ‘gate guardians’ at lines that have subsequently outgrown them.

What would make it viable?

With their relatively simple design, the ‘88DS’ might make a suitable ‘entry level’ choice, slightly more advanced than the basic Hornby Railroad range for example, but still robust enough for younger modellers, while being prototypically interesting enough for more seasoned enthusiasts. They bridge the he steam/diesel transition era right up to the 1990s in industry, and up to the present day in preservation. A wide selection of prototypically colourful liveries and brands could appeal to the younger modeller or beginner, with the opportunity to embrace accurate ‘mainstream’ liveries too. BR’S ‘88DSS’ carried BR green, Engineers’ colours, and even BR blue with double-arrows. One preserved ‘88DS’ even made it into Loadhaul colours. There would be different cab options to offer, along with other detail variations. Though the short wheelbase might provide some problems for dead-frog points, the locomotive’s compact nature would make it ideal for micro layouts, or as a depot pilot for a corner-filling scene/industrial exchange siding, and their ubiquity and widespread usage means they could legitimately appear almost anywhere in the country.

Can I see a real one?

There are loads of survivors in the UK, either on display, stored, or operational. The Derwent Valley Railway near York, for example, has several, and they are used regularly on passenger trains. One is even on display in the Republic of Ireland.