Mail trains have long captured the imagination and interest of railway modellers, and the Propelling Control Vehicle (PCV) was once an essential element of the modern mail scene, but that all changed when EWS lost its contract with Royal Mail in 2003. The PCVs were mainly stored or scrapped, but some were given a second lease of life including No. 95301, which was painted into EWS livery and used on parcels traffic.
The EFE Rail model employs a detailed bodyshell which features separate jumper cables and windscreen wipers at the cab end, plus handrails, lamp brackets and ETH connections which are also added individually. The B5 bogies include brake and suspension components, and a speedometer is fitted to the cab-end bogie, complete with representations of the cable that connected it to the solebar. Below the solebar, underframe components like the battery boxes and brake gear have been added separately.
The PCV boasts operational lighting, including directional lights at the cab end which can be switched between day and night mode using the switches mounted within the underframe. When used on DCC, lighting is controlled via a Next18 DCC Decoder – the socket for which is accessed by first removing the body – and DCC users can enjoy the addition of a cab light as well as controlling the directional lights and their day/night modes via dedicated functions. Power collection comes from electrical pickups provided to every wheel and couplings are of the tension lock variety, fitted into NEM pockets which are attached to chassis-mounted close coupling mechanisms. Brake pipes and dummy buckeye couplings are supplied for optional fitting to each bufferbeam.
MODEL FEATURES:
•EFE Rail OO Scale
•Era 9
•Pristine EWS Express livery
•Running No. 95301
•Directional Lights (cab-end only) with Day/Night Mode
•Cab Light (when used on DCC)
•Lighting Operation on DCC requires a Next18 DCC Decoder – Recommend Decoder item No. 36-567A
•Sprung Buffers
•Accessory Pack
•NEM Coupling Pockets
•Close Coupling Mechanism
•Length 275mm