St Pancras Day

Today, May 12th, is St Pancras Day. Very little is known about St Pancras, except for the fact that it’s probable that he actually existed, which is more than can be said for some of the more dubious Irish saints.

His main claim to fame nowadays is because the the Midland Railway chose the Parish of St Pancras as location of the terminus of their London extension. In the sixties and seventies, the station was always associated with the Derby built class 45 locomotives, known by enthusiasts as the Peaks. These 138 ton behemoths with their massive 8-axle plate frame bogies were typical of the first generation of BR diesel power.

So to celebrate the Feast Day of St Pancras, my ostensibly Swiss layout of Wöminsee is visited by a couple of N-gauge models of the class

Both models are Ian Stoate Models resin mouldings on Graham Farish class 40 chassis. They’re actually slightly overlength (the 40s were longer than the 45s). Unfortunately the sixteen axle 1-Co-Co-1s balk at the 9″ radius curves that my Swiss Bo-Bo-Bos take in their stride, so sadly these locos are for display at present. My next British layout will have to have gentler curves!