This fine model of a British Railways Western Region Class 14 locomotive was produced by Ian Glading and took the Myford Shield for Best Locomotive and the Barry Jordan Trophy for Best in Show at the National Model Engineering and Modelling Exhibition, Harrogate, in 2011.

Loco D9522 was a BR Class 6/1, later Class 14 diesel hydraulic locomotive. It was introduced in 1964 and 56 were produced. They were powered by a  Paxman 6YJX  6cyl Ventura producing 650hp at 1500rpm. Maximum Tractive Effort was 30910lb. Total engine weight was 50 tons and employed 4ft dia. driving wheels. Length over buffers was 34ft 7in.

They were design to replace GW’s pannier tanks for short work, shunting, banking duties and station pilot work.  They were built to conform to the axle load which would allow them to pass over all regular lines on the WR system. However, this was the era of Beeching’s railway closures and further orders were stopped as the network shrank to a shadow of its former great self.

Initial allocations were largely in the South Wales coalfields with the majority of the class based at Ebbw Junction, Bath Road, Worcester and Landore. In 1965, four locomotives, D9521 - 4, were re-allocated to Old Oak Common for trials in the London area before moving ton to Reading.

As the Beeching Axe took effect, a number were mothballed and the rest were transferred to the NER.  As the decline of the railway system continued the North East was suffering in the same way as the Western Region. By 1968 all Class 14s were withdrawn from service, leaving the embarrassing question of what to do with them.

Class 14s had far more power than the average shunter but was still compact. Fortunately, there were large railway systems not owned by BR, notably the National Coal Board and the British Steel Corporation. These two companies readily took them on as a virtually brand new fleet of motive power ideal for their systems, no doubt at very favourable prices.

The subject of the model, engine D9522, did not last into a second career, was withdrawn at the end of 1967 and scrapped six months later.