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Accurascale BR Class 50 - Large Logo w/grey roof - 50046 'Ajax'
by Accurascale
The mighty Ajax, the son of Telamon, second only to Achilles in the Greek warrior hierarchy, equal of Trojan champion Hector and also the most famous Class 50 that ‘got away’, being scrapped at MC Metals, Glasgow, in June 1992. It had donated its low hours power unit to 50007 in December 1991, around five weeks after working its last train, after Sir Edward Elgar had been sidelined with a main generator flashover near Basingstoke in July of the same year. Rewinding to happier days, Laira-based 50046 had been dedicated in October 1978 after the Leander-class Frigate built in 1962. It was invited to Doncaster Works exactly four years later to take part in the refurbishment programme, being outshopped in large logo livery the following March, and arguably never looked better. Two years later in April 1985 it again received the attention of the painters, this time care of its Plymouth home, ahead of its twinning ceremony with HMS Ajax which would see it gain the smaller version of the ship’s crests. Despite their recent heavy overhaul, the four roof exhausts of the English Electric design were notorious for quickly turning the standard Rail grey roof filthy, leading the depot to effectively give up and paint the roof black to hide the oily deposits. 50046 was only the second to be so treated after 50042 Triumph, although the latter was quickly returned to grey following a visit to the ‘Plant’. Laira gave it a full repaint again in May 1987 following an F exam, although it notably did not receive the red bufferbeams that were applied to similar makeovers from the start of 1986. Over the next few years it would be allocated to the parcels and departmental sectors as well as NSE’s Thames and West of England passenger pools before it was officially retired in March 1992. Notably, both cabs survive, the No.1 end with owner Gary Hardings in Cornwall and the No.2 end at the Plym Valley Railway in Devon.