Dapol - ND103J - Locomotive, Diesel, BR, Class 58 - DB Cargo - 58033

Specific Item Information: The British Rail Class 58 is a class of Co-Co diesel locomotive designed for heavy freight. The narrow body with cabs at either end led to them being given the nickname "Bone" by rail enthusiasts. They were used primarily on heavy freight coal trains but could also be found hauling inter regional freight trains and the occasional passenger service.
Their design represented a major departure from British conventions of construction; amongst the innovations was the adoption of the American practice of modularization. The first locomotive of the class were delivered to British Rail during early 1983 and entered service that same year. A total of 50 locomotives were built and carried serval different liveries during their lifetime. Despite expectations of a lengthy service life, during 2002 EWS decided to withdraw all examples of the type after only 19 years in service. Subsequently, 32 were hired abroad. A few examples have also been scrapped or have entered preservation.

Road Name History: DB Schenker Rail changed its name to DB Cargo on 1 March 2016. DB Cargo is a European (mainly German) railway cargo carrier. The company was formed from the freight operating section of the Deutsche Bahn with the addition of various European rail freight operating companies.

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).