Dapol - 2S-007-025D - Locomotive, Steam, 5700 Pannier Tank - Transport for London - L95

Specific Item Information: Pannier Tanks were used almost exclusively in Britain by the GWR. They were brought into service to replace earlier built and designed saddle tank locomotives. Their design offered the locomotive a low centre of gravity, reasonable range and easier access to the working of the locomotive. In all 863 were built between 1929 and 1950 and sixteen survive into preservation. Eleven 5700 saddle tanks were bought by London Transport for use on shunting duties on the London Underground Network. These were numbered L89 to L99 and continued in service until 1971. The locomotives durability and functionality is attested by the fact that the last locomotive in service was used well into the 1970’s by the National Coal Board at the Deep Duffryn Colliery at Mountain Ash.

Road Name History: Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for the transport system in Greater London, England.Its head office is 55 Broadway in the City of Westminster.TfL has responsibility for London's network of principal road routes, for various rail networks including the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and TfL Rail. It does not control National Rail services in London, however, but does for London's trams, buses and taxis, for cycling provision, and for river services. The underlying services are provided by a mixture of wholly owned subsidiary companies (principally London Underground), by private sector franchisees (the remaining rail services, trams and most buses) and by licensees (some buses, taxis and river services). TfL is also responsible, jointly with the national Department for Transport (DfT), for commissioning the construction of the new Crossrail line, and will be responsible for franchising its operation once completed.TfL was created in 2000 as part of the Greater London Authority by the Greater London Authority Act 1999.From Wikipedia

Brand/Importer Information: Dapol Ltd is a Welsh model railway manufacturer based in Chirk, Wales. The factory where design and manufacturing take place is just over the border in England. The company is known for its model railway products in N gauge and OO gauge. Dapol's name is a play on its founders David and Pauline Boyle's names. He owned a model concern Highfield Birds & Models. In 1981 he first tried to buy the Airfix and Mainline ranges. The Dapol brand name was first used in a Railway Modeller advert of September 1983. The first Dapol wagons (for OO) were announced to become available on 20 November 1983. From 1 March 1984 ex Airfix railway kits became available.

Dapol manufactures a growing range of N gauge locomotives, coaches and wagons, and is the main competitor of Graham Farish in the British 'ready-to-run' market. Continuous improvement in model specifications has led to the introduction of 40:1 gearing in locomotive drive mechanisms, NEM couplings on all stock, and LED lighting strips for coaching stock (yellow for 'older' coaches, to represent incandescent illumination, and white for more modern coaches and EMUs to represent fluorescent fittings).