N-Gauge LNER V2 'Green Arrow' - DCC Ready

It has been some twenty years since the V2 was first produced in N scale by Graham Farish, this all-new model of the LNER Mixed Traffic icon is made to standards not even dreamt of twenty years ago. With highly detailed mouldings and many separate parts used on both the locomotive and tender, including era- and prototype-specific detailing to allow accurate models of any given class member throughout their working lives, the performance of these new V2s is just as impressive as their appearance. With a Next18 DCC decoder socket and pre-fitted speaker located in the tender, this model is future proofed for those wishing to operate on DCC, with or without sound. What’s more, a SOUND FITTED version is also available providing realistic sound effects on both analogue and DCC straight out of the box!

MECHANISM:

• Coreless motor with flywheel

• Electrical pickup from all driving and tender wheels

• Separate metal bearings fitted to each driving wheel axle

• Metal bearings fitted to each tender wheel axle

• Diecast metal chassis block

• Gearing arranged for prototypical running speeds and haulage capabilities

• 9mm (N gauge) wheels to NEM310 standards with authentic profile and detailing

• Sprung front pony truck

• Optional traction tyres fitted to the rear driving wheels (replacement wheelset without traction tyres supplied in the accessory pack)

• Valve gear of metal construction

• Discreet fixed locomotive to tender drawbar with integral electrical connections

• Coupling pocket to NEM355 standards fitted to the front pony truck

• Removable coupling pocket to NEM355 standards fitted to the tender chassis

• Designed to operate on curves of second radius (263.5mm) or greater

DCC:

• Next18 DCC decoder interface located in the tender

In 1928 the LNER launched its ‘Green Arrow’ express goods services, a new range of fast, long-distance goods, parcels and perishables trains. To haul these services at first, A1 and A3 Class Pacific’s were employed along with the LNER’s K3’s, although the K3’s were not suited to the high speeds required for the ‘Green Arrow’ services. With the Pacific’s required for passenger work, in 1935 the LNER announced its intention to develop a new locomotive for long-distance, mixed traffic work and the following year the first of Sir Nigel Gresley’s V2 Class entered traffic. Whilst visually the V2s had many similarities to the Pacific’s, their similarities to the P2s were in many ways their crowning features, including 6ft 2in driving wheels, v-fronted cab, and monobloc cylinder castings. Following the convention of naming a locomotive after the named train it was principally employed on, the first V2 was named ‘Green Arrow’.

Despite the outbreak of the Second World War, construction continued of what was to become an important contributor to the war effort. Whilst services such as the ‘Green Arrow’ goods trains were suspended in wartime, the V2s were employed moving goods, people, mail, parcels, troops and munitions far and wide. Once peacetime returned, the V2s went back to hauling fast freight and passenger services across much of the LNER network.

Withdrawals began in 1962 and in December 1966 the final V2 was taken out of service. Class pioneer ‘Green Arrow’ was one of the first locomotives to be withdrawn, however its future had already been secured as it was selected for preservation as part of the national collection and following withdrawal, ‘Green Arrow’ was restored at Doncaster Works. Returning to the mainline during the 1970s, ‘Green Arrow’ went on to be a popular performer on both the national network and heritage railways until 2008 when she was withdrawn from service with a boiler failure. Notwithstanding the work required to repair the boiler, it is a crack in the monobloc cylinder casting which is the greatest challenge that would need to be overcome if the locomotive were to be restored and returned to steam once again. Today, ‘Green Arrow’ can be found on display in the Danum Gallery, Library and Museum in its birthplace, Doncaster, where it is on loan from the National Railway Museum.