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The Class 73's were ordered as part of the 1955 Modernisation Plan for use on the Southern Region's third rail electrified lines. The class are able to work as both a pure electric loco or as a diesel-electric using the on board 600bhp diesel generator set when away from the third rail. As such, this class and the later Class 74's are known as 'Electro-diesels'.

The first batch of six, E6001-E6006,  were built in 1962 by BR at Eastleigh Works and were known as type JA. The later follow on batch of forty-three locomotives, E6007-E6049, were built between 1965 and 1967 by English Electric at their Vulcan Works and known as type JB. Interestingly enough, under the TOPS Scheme, the first batch of JA Type were to become Class 72 to differentiate from the later JB batch. However, the JA's became Class 73/0 and the JB's Class 73/1.

I have the old Lima model in the original Southern Region Green livery. This was one of Lima's better detailed models at the time and has subsequently been re-introduced by Hornby with an updated motor bogie. At the time, a number of detailing parts were available such as etched brass grilles by both A1 Models, Craftsman Models and Shawplan.

Dapol introduced a new Class 73 model to modern standards in 2015. Unfortunately it has a number of errors in both detail and livery. As I don't really run SR on my layout, I couldn't justify replacing the Lima model. The Dapol model does have some nice touches such as etched grilles and working lights, the errors make it merely a good model, not a great one.

MTK certainly produced a white metal kit and may have produced an etched brass version later. Both A1 Models and Craftsman Models made detailing kits for the Lima model.