Rapido Trains UK have announced a range of generic pre-grouping coaches, with the new 00 Gauge 48’ ‘Evolution’ Bogie Coaches. There is such a variety of coaching prototypes in the pre-grouping era that it has been difficult for the industry to justify making 100% accurate models for all of them.
Rapido Trains UK are filling this gap with a selection of generic 48’ bogie coaches, including SECR, LBSC and SDJR, each detailed with an array of key features that modellers associate with their railway of choice, that they have dubbed project ‘Evolution’.
The coaches’ roofs were one of the most iconic features of the era, so included are arc, elliptical, and clerestory designs across the range. They include interior detailing such as luggage racks, picture frames on compartment dividers, and a fully detailed guard’s van/luggage compartment in the brake third variant.
There is also a multitude of separately-fitted parts including door and grab handles, and passenger emergency alarm “butterflies” at one end. All Evolution coaches will include fitted internal working lighting controlled by a magnetic magic wand.
To complete the appearance of different gas and electric lighting fittings, the relevant models will feature separately fitted parts for battery and regulator boxes, a dynamo, roof-mounted gas lamps, plumbing, and gas tanks on the underframes.
Each Evolution coach will feature Fox pattern bogies fitted with electrical pickups. Some versions will feature extra footboards on the bogies and there are also additional central lower footboards on some designs. Finally, each coach is fitted with NEM pockets and has optional close coupling bars (modelled on vacuum pipes) included.
A non-corridor Brake Third, Third, and Composite coach body variants. These will be available in multipacks, featuring 1 of each body version. Also single versions of each coach with alternative running numbers are also available.
The first Batch 1 of project ‘Evolution’ including liveries from the following railway companies:
- 978001-4 South Eastern & Chatham Railway
- 978005-8 Midland Railway
- 978009-12 London & North Western Railway
- 978013-16 Great Western Railway
- 978017-20 Great Central Railway
- 978021-24 Great Northern Railway
- 978025-28 Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway
- 978029-32 London, Brighton & South Coast
- 978033-36 Longmoor Military Railway
You can view the Rapido Trains UK launch video here.
Further batches are planned and will include other pre-grouping, grouping and nationalisation era liveries, with the potential of future additional tooling. The project ‘Evolution’ coaches are due 2025 and will be priced (RRP) at £199.95 for Three pack sets and Single coaches for £69.95 and discounted at retailers including Kernow Model Rail Centre.
First announced last November Rapido Trains UK have also released images of some of the decorated samples of their SECR O1 class 0-6-0
A minor mix up in the factory has resulted in parts that should be painted matt black have been painted a matt dark grey. This is being corrected on the production models and will use matt black. This is of course once of the reasons why having decorated samples is an important part of the process of bring a model to the market.
By way of a reminder, the now 12, initial versions being released are as follows:
– 966001: 65 Wainwright Green, As Preserved
– 966002: No.373 Wainwright Green
– 966003: No.385 SECR Green
– 966004: No.A7 SR Lined Black, Maunsell Lettering
– 966005: No.1437 SR Plain Black, Maunsell Lettering
– 966006: No.1046 SR Bulleid Black early Bulleid lettering
– 966007: No.1379 SR Bulleid Sunshine lettering
– 966008: No.100 East Kent Railway Black
– 966009: No.s1065 British Railways Sunshine lettering
– 966010: No.31064 British Railways Early Crest Unlined Black
– 966011: No.31065 British Railways Late Crest Unlined Black
– 966012 No.65 Bramble Bluebell Railway Blue (what if)
These are available to pre-order with an RRP of £199.95 DCC Ready or £309.95 DCC Sound Fitted.
Not sure about this concept. Perhaps I am being inconsistent as I bought the 6 wheelers (Hornby and Hattons). The EFE Cross country LSWR set is great and perhaps is the reason Rapido are not, initially at least, releasing in salmon and brown.
Prussian blue will probably appeal to S&DJR modellers and look forward to hearing comments.
“Available when?” is perhaps the big question.
Hattons’ generic coaches were long-promised,
long delayed,
whilst Hornby’s have been and gone . . .
Not so much a big question as its when in the article.
Thank you for the ‘heads up’ Graham.
Interesting coaches although an ex.SECR 100-seater would have been nice.
Really looking forward to the O1 class.