FIRST LOOK: EFE Rail SR Booster Co-Co electrics for OO gauge 

A most welcome addition to EFE's range and well done to all those who made this happen, particularly taking in all the variations - thank you! ⚡ With the support of two visiting friends, shortly hoping to see an example of each running on Ewhurst Green model railway. 🙂 A most informative presentation - Happy New Year to all! 🌠

Excellent research and presentation. Thank you!

So glad I’ve got on order, Graham has great presentation skills, his knowledge on all things SR is amazing

Having always admired the Southern Railway "Boosters" I was so pleased that EFE have produced this model and the excellent range of variations. I have a Gauge 3 garden railway, and have built and run a model of CC1 in "as built" livery. I later managed to purchase from a Vectis Auctions a collection of gauge 3 third rail items, reputably built by Southern railway apprentices. Included were two "Boosters" in Southern livery. One of which I have now conserved and although fitted with working third rail equipment runs with a battery van. I have also long admired the Ewhurst Green Railway and enjoy following their website. I also really liked their former Apothacory Street Railway. If any photos of this line exist "on line", I would be most grateful if I could be advised.

From Mike Jackman’s book 30 years at Bricklayers Arms he recounts encounters with these locos. They were nicknamed Hornby’s & used to sweep through Forest Hill with 60+ wagons in toe & climb the bank. Now B A had a banking turn to bank these freights with an old E5 radial. With valves lifting hard as the last wagon swept by the points, they would whistle up for the signalman to set the road. (Woe betide if he was slack in this!) The ol E5 would set off sparks flying, after the Hornby & hopefully catch it up? With the guard hanging out of his van chivvying them up. 😂Sometimes the buffers touched & they were able to give a form of assistance but it could be a bit of a comedy act at times. Once over the top the Hornby was away & the poor ol E5 headcode adjusted would cross back over & drift down whilst they recovered water & fire ready for the next shove!! I remembered this after Graham’s comment about how the Hornby’s just got on with the job!!🙄 Lovely models!

So looking forward to these arriving, and enjoyed this "first look" - Graham is the Guru for all things Southern!

hi. hats off to bachmann for producing these fine locos, i remember seeing these locos inthe early 60s as a child living in sussex near Newhaven. they made a humming noise, also saw 20003 which was a different shape. will buy the BR green version. remember seeing the blue one at Victoria stn in 1969.there is a soft back book about these locos,

🎉 bloody well done Kernow, absolutely stunning and can't wait to review mine very soon. Attention to detail is first class by the looks of it. Fantastic machines that were a stunning success greatly improving times and loading. Just wish I could afford more than one

Great Insight with the history of these unusual locos , a fine review , now I have to decide which one ! Thanks for sharing !

Fascinating interview and models. Happy New Year🎉👍😊✌️

I'm drawn to the BR Blue one for my era, but they are all very attractive. The Black and Grey are very pleasing to the eye also.

Excellent presentation and fascinating to listen to - lovely looking model 👍

Very intetesting. These are locos I do not recall knowing about before. Nice presentation. Happy New Year to all at HM 🎈🎊🎈🎊🎈

Happy new year friend 😊

I used to watch the newhaven boat train go through Redhill and turns left for the secr line..

very interesting video never knew about these locos

hi, its just a pity the clowns at BR went and scrapped these wonderful locos. i think they were sent to cashmores in south wales, it would be lovely to re create one of these locos, great memories of these.

For a presentation you would think they would ensure the models look their best. Several models for a start have hand rails out of alignment

Does anyone know how to remove the buffers in order to remove the body shell for DCC fitting? It's not clear at all in the instructions how to remove them.

Will the third locomotive 20003 be produced in the future so all three can be on a layout together?

The real version of these essentially had a giant mechanical stay-alive.

So these locos had a stay alive built in just like our models! LoL!! Happy 2024 and keep on running!

Early electric trains from London Bridge were overhead powered and not 3rd rail (LBSR).

Now produce a class 74 please

Isn't that a bit un-authentic? Isn't that loco at the beginning supposed to run over a third rail, just like the real thing? And how about trying to make it run off a live third rail just like the original real ones? If you could it should cause plenty of arcing, just like the real third rail emu's do.

Not much of a review. Is the model any good? I note the wonky handrails. But will buy because it's so nice to hear Graham. The greatest Bulleid fan left alive.😀

Here is my review, as a paying customer. Looks great, runs sh*t due to twisted bogie frames, faulty pickups, and wheels not touching the rail head. Time the press and RU-vidrs stopped gawping at rivets and actually tested this new wave of badly designed tat that is flooding the market. Only Heljan seem to know how to make models these days. Stop praising faulty mediocrity.

not really much of a " review " as the first 10 minutes was devoted to telling us about the history of these locos and the rest of the time was taken up telling us about all the usual DCC and sound crap (which ,ironically ,cant be replicated because no-one knows just how they sounded !!) and considering were expected to re-mortgage our house to pay the kings ransom of a asking price - NO mention is made of just how well/poorly the model actually runs ?/does it cross point work with out derailing/motor smoothness ? and how well it negotiates curves without derailments and most importantly ,just how easy (or complicated!!) is it to access the motor/gears for routine servicing and lubrication (do you need a degree in engineering to dis-assemble the model ??) and what is the quality and reliability of the motor ? and weather any fine bits have detached during shipping or when unpacking a new model !