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British Rail Pioneer Diesel Class Data Panels Added

1955 British Rail Modernisation Plan

In 1955 British Rail embarked on a huge modernisation plan that involved wholesale replacement of steam locomotives with new design diesel locomotives.

The plan saw the emergence of a wide range of locomotive types. Some types inevitably turned out to be extremely poor runners that had a very short service life plagued by very poor reliability.

New Pioneer Loco Classes Added

Up until now, I have focussed on recreating replica loco bodyside data panel designs for the most common and popular classes.

I have now turned attention to the early pioneer classes as these are often overlooked by many rail enthusiasts despite playing a huge role in the early days of BR modernisation.

All replica loco bodyside data panel designs are created with reference to images of the original loco.

New Locomotive Classes Added –

Data Panels in The BR Green to BR Blue Transition Period

In 1965, British Rail adopted ‘Rail Blue’ as its corporate colour scheme. With this change came a new style of depot sticker and locomotive data panel.

The transition from British Rail Green to British Rail blue livery lasted through to the early 1970s and during this period, locomotives underwent a transitory phase of carrying elements of both colour schemes.

This led to a really interesting mix of looks to the locomotive fleet. 

I have created a number of special edition data panels featuring these transitory looks.

Every data panel I create is taken from photographic evidence of each particular loco to ensure an accurate as possible design is created.

Whilst researching these transitory looks, I was really surprised at how fluid the application of loco numbering, logos, data panels and depot codes was. 

Departmental Locos

I decided a while ago to recreate some of the departmental locos and have now added the 1st two – Class 15 locos ADB 968000 and ADB 968001

I will be adding more departmental locos in the near future.

Order Your Replica Loco Data Panels Now

All the data panels are made up in reference to photo evidence of the particular loco when it carried the livery you choose.

To get the exact look for the period you are interested in, especially BR Green and BR Blue liveries, please specify a date in the order notes field. I will then get the data panel to look as close to the loco at that specified time.

Remember these loco data panels are available on our full range of gifts and not just metal signs!

Thanks for reading and dont hesitate to let me know your thoughts on these new loco data panels!

Stay safe 

Cheers Gary

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New 50021 and 50026 Laser Engraved Gifts

50021 Slate Coaster

New 50021 and 50026 Laser Engraved Gifts

You may have recently seen our recent announcement regarding laser etched products.

We can now reveal the first of our dedicated 50021 and 50026 laser engraved gifts.

These designs are exclusive and all profits go to support both Class 50 locos 50021 and 50026

Other Exclusive 50021 and 50026 Gifts

If you haven’t seen our fund raising products for 50021 and 50026 before, check out the full range and how you can help these two fine Class 50 locos on our fund raising page at https://gdmkimages.co.uk/support-50021-50026/

Supporting 50021 and 50026

Thanks for checking out these Class 50 items. Please dont hesitate to contact me if you have any suggestions for fund raising ideas

Cheers

Gary

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Laser Etched Gifts Now Available

D1011 35 x 25 Slate

Laser Etched Gifts Now Available

I am delighted to announce a new collaboration with J.A.M. Arts which opens up a whole new range of unique laser etched gifts.

GDMK Images and J.A.M. Arts Collaboration

I have long wanted to offer laser etched gifts and am really pleased to have the opportunity to work with J.A.M. Arts. We have been working for 4 or 5 months behind the scenes to create and fine tune some exciting exclusive designs for you.

We have been experimenting with some really interesting products and fine tuning the etching process to ensure we offer high quality products and designs.

You may have already seen the quality of our laser etched products via some of our trade customers as we have been supplying laser engraved products to the WLACFPSC50LA50027 Loco group306th Bomb Group, NSERS and others. 

We want to thank these trade partners for their advice, support and feedback during our development process as their insight and feedback was crucial in developing our approach to products and designs.

You will have also seen a small taste of our unique designs at the Barrow Hill 150+2 event where the new laser engraved gifts went down a storm.

Some Laser Etched Designs We Have Supplied to Our Trade Partners

What Laser Etched Designs Can You Expect

You can expect to see a selection of your favourite GDMK Images designs on our laser engraved gift products along with a large range of new and novel designs from our collaboration that Railway, Aviation and Military Vehicle enthusiasts wont have seen anywhere before!

A Taste Of What’s Coming in the GDMK Images/J.A.M. Arts Laser Etched Range

A Sneak Preview of Some of the Upcoming Laser Etched Designs

Full Personalisation of Your Laser Etched Gifts

Many of the designs will allow you to fully personalise the design with your own wording and choice of locomotive/aircraft.

Each product will allow you to add your own words or phrases.

Thanks for reading and dont hesitate to let us know what you think of these laser etched products.

We would also love to hear about any product types or designs you would like to see!

Stay safe

Gary and Dawn

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GDMK Images July 2022 News

Desert Storm Tornado Mil Green T-shirt

Hi everyone, welcome to the GDMK Images July 2022 news update!

There are a number of important things to bring you up to date with.

Discontinuation of Material Printing

Earlier this year, we encountered intermittent problems with our T-Shirt printing equipment. The long and short of the situation is that, despite a lot of support from the supplier and manufacturer, the equipment is not economically viable to repair.

Unfortunately this means the following items are discontinued –

  • Printed T-Shirts
  • Small Bears
  • Leather Bound Hip Flasks
  • Tote Bags
  • Face Masks

Blank Product Delays

Earlier this year you may know we were advised by our blanks suppliers about supply chain delays. After a period of relative stability, our suppliers have advised us of more short notice delays to incoming blank products.

Particularly affected are certain colour combinations of Varsity Jackets and Hoodies. In some cases one particular group of colours wont be arriving into the UK until Jan 2023 if you can believe that!!!

As an example, a customer ordered a particular hoodie colour combination in October last year. We were advised of a delay, so the customer opted to change colour combination to avoid a delay. The batch of hoodies finally arrived at the end of May! The supply chain issues are still very real and affecting every aspect of our lives unfortunately.

Also affected to a lesser extent are mousemats, wallets and, in particular, certain iPhone and Samsung phone cases.

Please bear in mind we have access to many suppliers for all our products and we can usually source a blank from somewhere when our main suppliers are out of stock.

Please note, we will not sacrifice the quality of the products we supply. There are other suppliers that supply blanks which are not of the standard we usually supply – that is fine and there is nothing wrong with that – but having established a solid reputation for quality products, we wont sacrifice that by short cutting quality and using cheaper quality items.

Please accept our apologies in advance for these potential delays and inconvenience.

New Product Line – Laser Etched Gifts

I have long wanted to offer laser etched products. I am delighted to announce a collaboration with JAM Arts who will be producing laser etched renditions of some of our iconic designs on a great range of new and novel gift products.

We trialled a small number of items at both East Kirkby and Cosford airshow. The products were exceptionally well received, witnessed by selling out within an hour of being put out on the stall!!

Needless to say, the success has encouraged us to add them as standard lines to the online shop over the coming weeks and months!

Keep an eye out for an upcoming post that will showcase the products and designs!

New Product Line – Embroidered T-Shirts

Following many requests and successful tests on the stall, we will shortly be adding embroidered t-shirts to our product lines. A nice lightweight alternative to our ever popular polos shirts, you will soon be able to get all your favourite designs on a t-shirt!

The brand we use has been tested for washability and shrink resistance and has received great feedback from customers who who have bought them from the stall.

Customers report the t-shirts was really well, keep their colour and no shrinking after multiple washes!

New Embroidered Designs

We have been really pleased to receive many, many requests for personalised clothing tributes from customers.

Many of these involve new World War 2 aircraft types and Squadron variations.

We add these aircraft and squadrons (albeit with different aircraft markings and codes to protect the uniqueness of the customers personalised designs) as options to the Classic Military Aircraft range.

Added recently, or to be added shortly are the following aircraft types and squadrons

Thats All For Now Folks!

Thanks for reading and dont hesitate to give me a shout if you have any questions about the topics discussed above.

We really appreciate your support so far in 2022.

Dont forget our Facebook page, drop by and join in the discussion!

Stay safe

Gary and Dawn

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Class 43 43093 Open Day Vinyl Embroidered Design Added

43093 Open Day Vinyl black and white Varsity Jacket snippet

Class 43 43093 Open Day Vinyl Embroidered Design Added

After many requests, I have finally finished the embroidered Class 43 HST artwork featuring 43093 and the Old Oak Common Open Day side vinyl.

The Old Oak Common Open Day version of 43093 is available now on all our usual garments along with a new backpack rucksack!

Other Class 43 43093 Open Day Vinyl Gift Ideas

The new Old Oak Common Open Day vinyl version of 43093 is a perfect complement to our existing special edition 43093 designs as seen below.

More Loco Class Designs On The Way

We are continually fine tuning our existing designs and adding new Loco Classes and livery variations.

Keep up to date by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on social media!

Stay safe 

Gary

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Class 70 and Class 71 Data Panels Added

Class 70 Data Panel Colas Mouse Mat

New Class 70 and Class 71 Data Panels

Generations apart, despite their close class numbers, I have added the Class 70 and Class 71 replica loco bodyside data panels to the range.

What Liveries Are The Class 70 Data Panels Available in?

The class 70 replica bodyside designs are available in the following liveries and colour schemes –

  • Colas
  • Freightliner Powerhaul

What Liveries Are The Class 71 Data Panels Available in?

The class 71 data panels are available in the following liveries and colour schemes –

  • BR Green
  • BR Blue

Which Products are the New Class 70 and Class 71 Data Panel Designs Available on?

You can get these new data panels on all your favourite products such as –

Subscribe and Get a Discount on All New Releases!

My newsletter subscribers have been buying these new designs with an exclusive discount before they went live on the website.

Get exclusive discounts and pre-release access by subscribing to the Newsletter!

Weathered and Flame Cut Effects

A weathered or flame cut effect is available for your data panels.

Around 60% of recent orders have featured one of these effects and they look great, so why not get your next data panel with one of these finishes?

Original loco flame cuts are usually prohibitively expensive, so these replica designs offer railway enthusiasts something similar for a fraction of the cost.

Each effect is created manually and is unique to that specific product. No two purchases will look the same!

Thanks for reading and feel free to comment on these new designs.

Stay safe

Gary

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Big Loco Data Panel Update

Class 24 Later BR Green Data Panel Metal Sign

Big Loco Data Panel Update

I have undertaken a big update of the popular BR Tops Loco Data Panel designs.

Following requests and feedback from customers, I have reviewed the loco data panel designs. This review has seen the revision and updating of some designs, some new classes added and more liveries added.

The actual designs are tweaked to reflect actual photographic evidence of each loco and reflect individual details.

Data Panel Livery Revisions and Updates

The 1st batch of livery revisions focus on the BR Green colour schemes.

There are several versions of BR Green and they are applied differently to locos depending on their class.

BR Green

The BR green livery option now reflects the correct application of the livery on each class as shown in the products below.

BR Blue

The standard BR Blue diesel loco design is now joined by the AC Electric blue loco design and the Electric BR Blue with chrome numbers.

Depot Tweaks Added to Loco Data Panel Designs

Each depot had their own little unofficial tweaks which they applied to their locos in addition to the many varied official logos, plaques and motifs. I research these tweaks for each individual loco and apply them as appropriate for each order as shown below.

More Loco Classes Added

I have been adding more loco classes featuring the ‘less mainstream’ and unsuccessful British Rail early modernisation scheme.

Weathered and Flame Cut Effects Refined

Another refinement is the weathering and flame cut effects applied to the data panels. Each effect is uniquely created and applied to each data panel order. No two effects will be the same, even if you order 2 of the same weathered loco!

Nameplates as an Optional Extra

If a loco was fitted with a nameplate you can select to have your design incorporate the locos nameplate!

Steam Locos and Multiple Units 

If you are a fan of steam locos or multiple units, then we have plenty to offer you as well.

More Than Metal Signs 

These designs are available on our full range of gift products including – 

Thanks for reading and dont hesitate to give me a shout with any questions.

Stay safe!

Gary

GDMK Images News

Share These Loco Data Panels with Your Family and Railway Enthusiast Friends … Thanks!!

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GDMK Images January 2022 Update

U2 Black Heather Varsity Jacket snippet

GDMK Images January 2022 Update

Hi everyone I hope you have recovered from any Christmas and new year excesses.

Here is a quick update on where we are in respect of new designs, supply issues and potential shows.

First off let’s deal with supply issues and get that topic out of the way.

Mug supply has settled down and once again we are able to get regular deliveries of standard size mugs.

Unfortunately, supply of the larger mighty Mug has been extremely frustrating to the point that I have temporarily withdrawn them from sale. Once I can get regular quality supplies of the large mugs, I will reactivate the option in the web shop.

Wallets and mousemats seem to be becoming more readily available as well.as coasters, although coasters are still proving to be somewhat erratic in availability.

Now onto something a bit more positive – new products and designs!

New Polo Shirts Colours

Following many requests we have added Military Green and Kelly Green polo shirts to the range. The Military Green coloured polo is perfect for our Military Vehicle range and many of our aircraft embroidered designs.

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Military Green Polos

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Kelly Green Polos

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New Classic Military Aircraft Designs

Just before Christmas we added 2 new USAF aircraft designs to the Classic Military Aircraft range – the iconic SR-71 Blackbird and U-2 Dragon Lady.

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SR-71 Blackbird

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U-2 Dragon Lady

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New F4 Phantom Designs Designs

On the run up to Christmas we received many persoanlised design requests for F4 Phantoms. I have now added these Phantom variations to the Classic Military Aircraft range which include

  • RAF 19 Sqn
  • 1980s West German Airforce Camo
  • Luftwaffe Grey
  • 892 Naval Air Squadron

 

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F4 Phantom – RAF 19 Sqn

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F4 Phantom – Camo WGAF

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F4 Phantom – Luftwaffe Grey

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F4 Phantom – 892 NAS

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New Railway Clothing Designs

During the Christmas break, we finalised and added 3 new railway designs to the railway clothing range – the Class 25, Class 31 and Class 33 locomotives.

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Class 25

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Class 31

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Class 33

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More New Designs to Come

I have been refining the Loco Data panel liveries and adding more missing classes and liveries.

They are slowly being added to the site – check out the next blog post for full details!

That’s all for now, so stay safe and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

Cheers

Gary

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Happy Christmas From GDMK Images

Happy Christmas Everyone

Unbelievably, thats almost another year done!

I would like to wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Your support through another difficult year is hugely appreciated.

The last of your orders have been posted and its time to look forward to a welcome break.

Here’s hoping you also have some time off to enjoy the seasonal merriments with your loved ones.

Christmas and New Year Plans

We have a quiet Christmas planned.

The online shop will remain open and we will continue to post any orders placed before the 24th, although there is virtually no chance of them arriving before Christmas due to the huge pressure the Royal Mail are under.

Orders placed from the 24th December onwards will be processed when production resumes on Monday 10th January 2022 when we will launch our New Years sale!

Over the holiday period I will be doing some website maintenance and upgrades that I have been putting off for a while.

Christmas Competitions

I will be running a couple of competitions in the period between Christmas and New Year – one will be open to everyone and one will be for active subscribers only.

If you still haven’t subscribed to the newsletter then subscribe now and dont miss out on all the goodies subscribers get!

I will also be doing another reviewers prize draw, so if you have made a purchase and not left a review then get to it – the last reviewers draw saw the winner get a sweatshirt with their chosen design embroidered on it!

New Designs

During the break I will also be adding more new embroidered designs.

The demand for new aircraft types and alternate squadron markings, particularly personalised tribute designs, has been huge and I feel extremely privileged to be able to help so many families commemorate their loved ones service.

These new aircraft types and squadron markings are available as options of the standard Classic Military Aircraft designs (albeit with different aircraft code identities to maintain the exclusivity of the design for the personalised order customers).

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12 Sqn Lancaster

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487 Sqn Mosquito

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Personalised Railway Designs

I have also produced a large number of personalised railway designs including those below.

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Class 55 D9009

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Class 37 37250

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New Standard Railway Designs

I haven’t been neglecting the railway side of things and have a number of new loco classes that will be appearing during the break.

The new embroidered railway designs will include –

  • Class 08
  • Class 20
  • Class 25
  • Class 31
  • Class 33
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Class 31

Class 31 will be added in 4 colour schemes

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Class 33

Class 33/0 and 33/1 designs in BR Blue and BR Green are ready for adding to the online shop

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Happy Christmas

All that remains is for me to wish you all a fabulous Christmas and New Year. I will post some of our 2021 highlights on social media over the break. Please feel free to share any of your pics of us at shows or of bits and pieces you have purchased in the last year! 

Stay safe everyone and have a great Christmas!!

Gary & Dawn

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What Should You Buy a Railway Enthusiast for Christmas?

A rail enthusiast taking a picture of class 37 and class 40 locos at Bury on the East Lancs Railway

What Should You Buy a Railway Enthusiast for Christmas?

Its always difficult deciding what to buy the railway enthusiast in your family for Christmas. 
 

Let GDMK Images help you!!

Our huge range of railway gifts will almost certainly have something to delight the most discerning railway enthusiast.
 

Whats Their Favourite Loco?

Most railway enthusiasts have their favourite locos. Buying them something featuring their favourite loco is guaranteed to be a huge hit!
 
Luckily, a huge selection of our gifts can be personalised to feature the loco number and colour scheme of your choice!
 

Loco data panels

Lets start with Data Panel Designs.

Our loco data panel designs are hugely popular. They feature the British Rail TOPS data panel, loco number and choice of background livery carried by the loco. If the loco was named you can optionally add the nameplate.
 
The TOPS data panel featured the locos relevant specifications such as Max Speed, Weight and so on.
 
All steam and diesel locos, plus multiple units are available on metal signs, mugs, mouse mats and many other products. You can rest assured that whatever era of the railways your railway enthusiast is interested in, we will have something they will love!
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Pictures and Artwork

 
Alternatively, why not treat them to a railway picture on everything from mugs and coasters through to canvas prints?
 
A huge range of my railway Images and artwork are available. 
 
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Clothing

 
Why not treat them to their favourite loco embroidered on an item of clothing? We have a great range of modern garment styles that can be adorned with their favourite loco.
 
Most diesel loco classes are available in the full range of liveries. Standard designs feature the loco and number plus the nameplate if a named loco.
 
Personalised wording is available on all embroidered designs!
 
Be happy knowing they will look stylish and keep them warm whilst out on their next train spotting trip or railtour!
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Stocking Fillers

We have a range of small stocking fillers featuring railway themed images including –
 
  • Depot stickers
  • Loco TOPS data panels
  • Depot mascots
  • Number and nameplate designs 
 
Our coasters, keyrings and fridge magnets make perfect stocking fillers!
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Still Unsure?

If you are still unsure of what to buy, please contact me via the form below and I’ll help you choose something they will love!
 
Thanks for reading, stay safe and dont hesitate to get in touch!
 
 

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