Cavalex shows updated Class 47 samples as production nears

Cavalex’s latest decorated OO gauge Class 47 samples are doing more than showing off fresh paint. They suggest the project is moving deeper into the stage where body shape, roof detail and finish are being tightened ahead of full production, while still leaving enough unfinished elements to show these are not final production pieces.

The newest round adds three key examples to the picture. D1500 has returned, this time in a corrected shade of green, while 47611 appears in InterCity Executive and 47710 in revised Network SouthEast colours. That matters because Class 47 buyers tend to inspect exactly these points: whether the livery sits cleanly on the bodyside, whether the roof arrangement looks right, and whether the detailing around grilles, lighting and fan housings matches the prototype they know.

Cavalex first revealed decorated samples at the end of April, when 47460 in BR large logo blue and D1500 in as-delivered BR two-tone green gave the first look at the range in paint. Since then, the project has stepped through a visible pre-production progression that began with its announcement in August 2025 at The Greatest Gathering, followed by the first engineering prototype on 19 March 2026 and the decorated sample shown on 24 April 2026 ahead of Model World Live at the NEC in Birmingham. The new samples add confidence because the livery work is clearly becoming more refined, even if some tooling elements will still be amended before the model is signed off.

That blend of polish and ongoing correction is the key takeaway for OO diesel fans. Cavalex says the Class 47 will come with a coreless motor, twin flywheels, a removable roof panel for 21-pin DCC access, photo-etched grilles, independently controllable rotating roof fans, hall sensors for automatic flange squeal on sound-fitted versions, drop-in EM and P4 wheelset provision, a stay-alive capacitor and a full lighting package with cab, directional and engine-room lights. There is also bespoke tooling for Key Publishing’s exclusive GB Railfreight 47739, including LED tail lights, magnetically attached buffer beams and an alternative roof section with open louvres.

The range itself is broad, with 14 main-range models planned alongside exclusives for Rails of Sheffield, Railway Icons and Ultimate Model Railways. Delivery is expected in the first quarter of 2027, with prices set at £209.95 DCC Ready and £309.95 DCC sound fitted. After the latest samples, the answer to the big question is leaning the right way: the wait is still a long one, but the shape of the final Class 47 is looking increasingly convincing.