Dapol Class 87 N gauge locomotives arrive in multiple livery options

Dapol’s N gauge Class 87s have finally reached stock, and the real appeal is the spread of operating eras they open up. With BR blue, Intercity, BR General Grey, Direct Rail Services, Virgin Trains and Caledonian Sleeper versions on offer, West Coast Main Line layouts can now carry a believable electric-loco roster instead of relying on one stand-in for every job.

A West Coast Main Line roster that works

The Class 87 is one of those locomotives that earns its place on a layout by doing more than looking right at the front of a train. Dapol’s model represents a class introduced from 1973 for the newly electrified northern section of the West Coast Main Line to Glasgow, based on the Class 86 design and rated at 5,000 hp. That gives the release a broad operating reach, from late-BR electrification scenes through the privatisation years and into the present day.

For modellers, that matters because the liveries line up with real changes in the line’s story. BR blue suits the earliest years, Intercity carries the class into the classic express era, BR General Grey covers a more utilitarian look, and the later Direct Rail Services, Virgin Trains and Caledonian Sleeper versions push the same locomotive into modern image territory. One class can now cover a lot of West Coast Main Line mileage without the layout feeling like a compromise.

Why the new tooling matters

Dapol has not treated this as a simple repaint run. The revised tooling is designed to represent Class 87s from their original 1973 condition through to present-day appearance, with different front-end and roof variations. That flexibility is what lets the model move cleanly between a preserved-era feel, a late-BR express scene and a modern operator’s roster.

The standout detail is 87101. Dapol says it was the final locomotive in the build and was revised to test new thyristor controls, and the new roof tooling now lets that specific locomotive be modelled accurately in N gauge for the first time. For collectors who care about prototype nuance, that kind of correction is the difference between a good release and a must-have one.

The prototype story behind the model

The Class 87’s real-world history gives the model a lot of weight. AC Locomotive Group says the class appeared in 1975, spent many months on test and entered regular service during 1976. It also notes that when new, the fleet wore standard Rail Blue with full yellow ends, which makes the early livery choice especially relevant for anyone building a first-generation electrification scene.

There is also a strong paper trail around the class. The Science Museum Group holds British Rail Class 87 brochure material produced around 1973, with technical drawings and layout information that underline how important the class was from the start of West Coast electrification. AC Locomotive Group adds that 87001, Stephenson, was the first Class 87 to be named, in January 1976 by the Stephenson Locomotive Society. That gives the class a very clear timeline from introduction to named-loco era, and Dapol’s release follows that arc closely.

What is in stock right now

Rails lists DCC-ready models at £131.75, with DCC-fitted examples around £161.50 to £162.35. A twin pack is also listed at £255.00, which makes this feel like a proper fleet release rather than a token rerun. The current road numbers include 87031 Hal’o’the Wynd, 87017 Iron Duke, 87035 Robert Burns, 87022, 87101 Stephenson and 87002 Royal Sovereign, with the twin-pack pairing of 87006 City of Glasgow and 87012 Coeur de Lyon.

That range is useful because it gives layout builders immediate variety. A single 87 can anchor an express platform scene, while multiple road numbers make it possible to roster a small pool of locomotives across different turns, liveries and eras. The twin pack is especially handy for anyone building a compact West Coast fleet that needs more than one locomotive to feel alive.

Built for the way N gauge layouts actually run

Dapol’s feature list is aimed squarely at operating sessions, not just display shelves. The locomotive has a finely detailed body and roof, a five-pole Super Creep motor for very slow running, all-wheel drive and pickup, fitted pantographs where appropriate, and an accessory bag with optional parts. Those details matter when the class is being asked to creep into a station, sit at a platform under the wires or take on regular roster work in a small operating sequence.

The DCC-ready option is important for modellers who want to get the locomotive on the layout quickly and decide later whether to add sound or keep it simple. The DCC-fitted versions serve the opposite need: an out-of-the-box path to running, which is exactly what a release like this should offer when the prototype spans so many eras and liveries.

Dapol first announced the Class 87 project in July 2023 and originally expected finished models by Q3 2024, so the arrival of stock now gives the release a long tail of anticipation. More importantly, it gives West Coast Main Line modelling a rare thing: a single N gauge class that can credibly bridge Rail Blue, Intercity, privatisation and modern image work without losing its identity in any of them.