Modern Choppers – Class 20/3s join the Graham Farish range ahead of The International N Gauge Show
To coincide with the 2026 International N Gauge Show, Graham Farish today revealed the first ever N Scale 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.
However, alongside the Privatisation of Britain’s railways in the early-1990s and the sale of the existing Railfreight businesses came the creation of a new one, the government-controlled Direct Rail Services or DRS. Created in 1994, DRS was part of British Nuclear Fuels Limited and was responsible for nuclear traffic. Like the new private freight operators, DRS had to obtain motive power but whilst others were looking for the strongest machines, DRS required lower powered locomotives and instead set its sights on a simple, robust and reliable design.
The Class 20 fit the bill and DRS acquired 15 from RFS which had been using them for track laying trains in conjunction with the Channel Tunnel project. A refurbishment programme was drawn up and the best five were sent to Brush in Loughborough to complete the works which included the shaving of each end to remove all the lights and fittings, to be replaced with BMAC light clusters. The train vacuum brakes were removed along with the blue star multiple working and instead a multi working jumper socket was fitted at the nose end only – with the expectation that the locos would work in pairs coupled nose to nose.
Some electrical components were upgraded with modern replacements, and a pair of fuel tanks were also mounted to the solebar to extend the working range. New aluminium-framed cab windscreens were fitted along with a cab to shore radio pod on the cab roof. The cabside windows were also changed with large, square-cornered windows fitted in place of the originals. 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 donor locomotives were selected from the remainder of those acquired from RFS and from a second batch of ex-BR Telecomms machines. Unlike the first five, these newer 20/3s had multi working jumper sockets at both ends to provide operational flexibility and numbers 1 to 5 later had the cab end socket added retrospectively. The second batch of locos also differed in having a top marker light fitted at either end. In the early-2000s an aerial was retrofitted to the cab end of them all, except for 20302.
DRS put the Class 20/3s to work on nuclear traffic as well as occasional freight use, infrastructure trains and intermodal workings, and they have also been employed to haul diverted passenger trains and charters. Their use for route learning and on Railhead Treatment Trains has seen the Class 20/3s reach many parts of the country, but by 2013 the first examples were set aside as work dried up or replacements arrived.
Two of the fleet were sold to Harry Needle Railroad Company and received a striking orange paint scheme before being hired to GBRf for the delivery of new London Underground trains from Derby to London. Harry Needle has now been taken over by Swietelsky who have acquired further ex-DRS Class 20/3s to use for spot hire, with several being reactivated and repainted whilst others are more likely to provide spare parts.
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. Priced at £174.95 or £284.95 with SOUND FITTED, models can be ordered from Bachmann retailers now.
