R30197 Hornby RailRoad Plus BR Departmental RTC Train Testing, Class 31, A1A-A1A, 97203 – Era 8

The first Class 31 entered service in November 1957, after the launch of the Class 20 locomotive and was one of the Pilot Scheme locomotives ordered by British Railways to replace steam traction.The Railway Technical Centre (RTC) in London Road, Derby, England, was the technical headquarters of the British Railways Board, and was built in the early 1960s. British Rail described it as the largest railway research complex in the world, and certain Class 31s served in a capacity as locomotives aiding experiements and research.