Hornby TT3013TXSM BR, Class 50, Co-Co, 50007, 'Sir Edward Elgar' - Era 8 (Sound Fitted)

The Class 50 locomotives, built by English Electric at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows between 1967 and 1968, were the last purpose-designed mixed-traffic locomotives built in the UK. In total, 50 examples were built and introduced on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). The aim was to speed up passenger timings on the then non-electrified portion of railway to Glasgow, and to haul express passenger trains at 100mph. By 1974, the entire line had been electrified so the locomotives were redeployed to other regions as planned. When delivered, the Class 50s were leased to British Rail by a subsidiary of English Electric. They were later sold to the British Railways Board.

The Class 50s were incredibly powerful. Indeed, following the full electrification of the WCML and the introduction of more powerful DMUs in the late 1980’s, they were almost pointlessly powerful, and were withdrawn as their roles were handed to more efficient DMUs. All examples of the Class were named, which was unusual for corporate BR diesel locomotives, and in the end, 18 examples were preserved.

50007 ‘Sir Edward Elgar’ started life as D407 in 1968, named Hercules after a Royal Navy ship in 1978. The locomotive became Sir Edward Elgar in 1984, keeping that name into recent preservation, carrying it from withdrawal in 1991 until 2014, when it reclaimed its original name of Hercules. Hercules is now based at the Severn Valley Railway.