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And at the last minute, I enter the competition!
My entry for this year's annual OcTRAINber competition, hosted by Brick Model Railroader, is a 4w class Y11 Simplex Diesel locomotive. This is officially my first British diesel locomotive, which I find ironic because...it IS one of the first British diesel locomotives!
These were built in 1919 by Simplex as "Petrol Shunting Engines", which were purchased by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway to replace horse-drawn shunting in small industrial and branch line tracks. Simplex had made it's debut in the first World War by building tons of "Tin Turtle" trench diesel locomotives to work on the trench railways delivering supplies, ammunition, and troops. The tin turtle engine is actually another entry this year being built by another builder.
After the war, Simplex designed a standard gauge locomotive to be used on light shunting duties. This was the result. Being very utilitarian and bare, like all Simplex locos, it didn't have many issues through their working lives, although being relatively new technology at the time, the original petrol engines were not always reliable. Of the batch built for regional railway use, a handful made it into BR days continuing to do their original duties. They were classed Y11 by BR and received a better engine. Many were given cosmetic improvements, such as enclosed wooden cabs and sliding metal doors. Two of the original BR locos are preserved and several identical Industrial examples also exist.
My model will be completed to resemble the most popular preserved example, number 15099 'Morris' at the Chasewater Railway. I will do my best to match the interior, but this model is already proven to be trickier than expected. But, being approximately 12 studs long, it shouldn't take too long. Once this is wrapped up, I have several other fun projects to keep working on, start, and one other to finish. Stay tuned!