Hornby Wessex Railways Golden Knot Class 153 R2866

Between 2002 and 2008, six of the Class 153 railcars run by Wessex Railways, carried this scenic livery. The detail was applied using vinyls and provided a picture of Truro Cathedral at one end and the representation of a Gaelic knot at the other end. The six cars ran in Devon and Cornwall and were intended to promote the scenic beauty of the area and encourage people to get out and explore by rail. The inscription 'Greart Scenic Railways of Devon and Cornwall' was in a pseudo Gaelic script and there was a fine chain of Gaelic knots along the lower edge of each side. The basic colour of the body was black and the doors were gold to match the decoration.

Despite being applied to an uneven surface on Hornby's model, due to the representation of rivets, the printing is remarkably sharp and Hornby are to be congratulated on a superbly decorated model. The destination blinds show 'Westbury' at one end and 'St. Ives' at the other. The model has flush glazing but with sufficiently raised window frames to be realistic. There are numerous notices, lights, warning signs, symbols etc. printed and the under-floor detail adds much to the attraction of the model. The interior detail is also excellent with the motor well hidden