Rapido Trains UK Marcia Special Edition

©2026 Rapido Trains Ltd

It’s the one you have all been waiting (and asking) for – it’s time to reveal our very own model of Marcia!

Ever since the engine came into Andy’s and Rapido’s custodianship we have been inundated with requests to make this diminutive Peckett in miniature. 

Known in real life as 'the Pocket Peckett', this model would quite literally fit in your pocket. Over its buffers the model is less than 77mm long. Wheels are 9mm in diameter and it has a tiny wheelbase of just 18mm. It’s smaller than most wagons! However, it’s packed with detail including a large number of tooling variations, a pre-fitted speaker, compensated front axle and stay-alive capacitors. 

Find out more about this exciting project by watching our launch video above and read on to find out more information about the engine's history, the model's features, and what exactly we will be making and including.

A brief history of Marcia

In 1919, the first standard gauge ‘1287’ class locomotive was constructed. The engine weighed just over 12 tons, had 8”x12” cylinders, was 15’ long and could move 185 tons on the level. In 1923, the second and final member of the class No. 1631 emerged from the Peckett and Sons Atlas Works and went new to Constable’s (Matlock Quarries) Ltd. This firm operated the Cawdor and Station Quarries in Matlock to produce crushed limestone, which was mostly used for road use.

With the economic recession the quarries closed, and in 1932 No. 1631 migrated further North to Marcus Bain Ltd.’s Ballochmyle Quarry in Dumfriesshire. This quarry produced building block stone and had a small internal rail system adjacent to the Glasgow and South Western Railway’s main line.



By the 1930s, in an attempt to compete with the cheaper common building bricks, the quarry started producing its own bricks made from waste of other products mixed with lime. No. 1631 had been acquired to service these works, but the new type of brick was never a commercial success, being apparently regarded as too soft, resulting in the quarry's eventual closure.

In 1943 No. 1631 was unemployed once more and was sold to the West of Scotland Shipbreaking Co., Troon. There was no internal railway system here, which implies the loco was sold for scrap. 

However, she was soon resold to Manchester Oxide Co Ltd., presumably because she was in operational condition and locomotives were in short supply due to the wartime conditions.

The Manchester Oxide Company obtained No. 1631 for shunting its internal railway system near Pendleton and was first observed there on the 7th of November 1943. By 1948, Manchester Oxide had been taken over by Hardman and Holden Ltd., an old established Manchester Chemical firm.

The diminutive Peckett seems to have been held in great affection by this firm and finally acquired the familiar name Marcia in honour of Marcia Clayton, the managing director’s wife. Marcia (the engine, not the lady) worked continuously on the same site for the next 20 years.

In July 1963 Marcia left Pendleton for distant Kent, and in doing so had travelled the length of the country on her tiny wheels.

Hardman & Holden happily donated Marcia to the fledgling Kent and East Sussex Railway. Several of the railway's members, including Richard ‘Dick’ Beckett visited Marcia, and made the necessary arrangements for her transfer to Tenterden.

Marcia arrived on the K&ESR in the spring of 1963 carrying a faded mid-green livery that was left over from her industrial days. She only had two weeks left on her boiler ticket so was steamed for the first time at her new home the following weekend.

Over the coming years, Marcia was steamed for members' AGM days and public events. By 1964 the engine had received some work and been repainted into a dark blue livery lined in red inspired by the original K&ESR locomotive livery and carried K&ESR No.12 on the tank side, continuing the numbering system from the original K&ESR locomotives. 

In 1965, the railway needed to pay for further, larger locomotives for use on the planned future railway. Rather than see her be sold off, Dick stepped in and personally bought Marcia, taking on the locomotive's care for over half a century.

Over the next few years, the engine continued to be used with maintenance and overhauls being undertaken as required. In the 1970s the locomotive was repainted into lined apple green livery – once again similar to that used by the original K&ESR.

In 1981 Marcia became the first locomotive in preservation to work from Rolvenden to Bodiam, hauling a small train as part of the ‘Bodiam in Steam’ event. During this period the engine also acted as a roving ambassador at County Shows and other events.

In 1985, the engine failed its annual boiler inspection and was laid up pending a major overhaul. She spent several decades out of service, but returned to traffic in 2011.

Unfortunately, during a visit to the Chemin de Fer de la Baie de Somme in France (the K&ESR's twinned railway), the boiler was found to have a further issue, and the engine was once again laid up on its return.

In 2020, extensive boiler works started, which were completed in 2022. The engine once again returned to traffic and appeared on a small number of trains that year.

Sadly, Dick Beckett passed away in March of 2023. Marcia was subsequently put up for sale.

In June of 2024, Marcia was purchased jointly by Rapido Trains UK and Andy Hardy. Andy is not only the Rapido Trains UK Managing Director, but also a long-term volunteer driver at the K&ESR. To say that this loco is close to his heart would be an understatement. Purchasing Marcia and ensuring that she stayed at her K&ESR home felt incredibly important to all the Rapido Team.

Having worked at several events including visiting the Historic Dockyard Chatham, she went into an intermediate overhaul at the end of the 2025 season. Marcia is currently undergoing a full repaint, with an aim to be ready for the 2027 season. Marcia will return in as close to as-built condition as possible – featuring the original Peckett livery that she has not carried in around 75 years.

Our Miniature Model

This diminutive model will be packed with features surpassing its tiny size.

A small coreless motor has been fitted with a smooth-running drive train to the rear axle that allows the model to haul scale trains far beyond the capacity of the real locomotive.

Electrical pickup is via a plunger-type design. With wheels that are only 9mm in diameter, contact with the track is hugely important. To this end the front axle has been fitted with sprung compensation to ensure the best possible contact between wheel and rail.

Tension lock couplings are fitted to each end of the locomotive using an NEM 363 mount. For those who wish to remove them and use scale couplings, a bufferbeam blanking plate is included in the polybag.

Every model will have a pre-installed MoPower stay-alive capacitor for work on DCC. This will work out of the box with our DCC Sound fitted models. If you prefer DCC Fitted (non-sound), a decoder with the correct motor control profile and MoPower enabled will be available direct from us when the model is released. This is the best way to ensure the correct functions and control for DCC use without the need to change CVs.

Alongside the MoPower capacitors every model will also feature a pre-fitted speaker.

Due to the size available the model will be fitted with an E24 decoder socket – with an ESU LokSound5 E24 decoder fitted to DCC Sound models.

Sound fitted models will feature a high-spec DCC sound profile which will be recorded from the real locomotive by ESU’s own engineers. This will feature subtle changes like different whistles depending on the physical model represented.

The model will feature an impressive variety of physical variations so that we can represent the locomotive throughout its working life. These include:

Buffer Variants:

Dumb

Parallel

Peckett

Cab Back Variants:

Open Back With Bar

Full Back

Half Back

Half Cab with External Bunker

Full Cab with External Bunker

Tank Variants:

Welded Tank

Riveted Tank with Flange Plate

Whistle Variants:

Roof Mounted Peckett

Crosby Chime

Front Mounted Peckett

Caley Hooter

Bunker Variants:

Internal

External

Chimney Lubricator Variants:

None

Roscoe

Lunkenheimer

Lamp Iron Variants:

None

Smokebox

Chimney

Other Variant Parts:

Mechanical Lubricator

Vaccum Pipes

Smokebox Handrail

Ejector Pipework

Running Board Handrail

Front Footsteps

To top that off, it's also possible to see through the frame plates to a representation of the inside valve gear.

For modellers who prefer etched name and number plates, we will include these so that they can be fitted over the pre-printed plates. 

To top it all off a small detail bag of extra parts will be include that contain two Peckett-style headlamps, bufferbeam blanking plates, and low-level buffers. Also included will be etched worksplates and (where applicable) etched nameplates.

The Liveries

Peckett No.1631 - Lined Works Green (SKU 816001)

Our first model represents No. 1631 as it left the Atlas Works in Bristol in May 1923. Featuring a fully open back cab and dumb buffers the engine had a very utilitarian industrial look, masked by the rather ornate lining and edging applied over the Peckett dark green.

This version covers the locomotive's life in quarry use in Matlock and its use in Scotland.

Peckett No.1631 - Plain Mid Green (SKU 816002)

In 1943 No. 1631 returned to Bristol for overhaul after being sold to the Manchester Oxide Co. It is likely that during this time the engine was fitted with a full cab by enclosing the cab back. The traditional Rosecoe lubricator mounted on the chimney was removed and a mechanical lubricator fitted on the running board. The whistle was also moved from above the cab to the front cab sheet.

The locomotive was repainted into a mid-green colour, the standard Peckett colour at the time. After the Manchester Oxide Co. became Hardman and Holden Ltd, the engine gained the name Marcia. This will be included as an etched plate in the polybag for those that wish to name their model.

Peckett No.1631 - No.12 'Marcia' - K&ESR Apple Green

(SKU 816003)

After arrival at the K&ESR Marcia was repainted in a dark blue. However, after its next overhaul in the 1970s the engine gained a lined apple green livery based on another version of the original K&ESR livery. 

At this time the engine received a new v-shaped bunker on the rear and returned to a semi open-cab with the removal of the upper half of the cab back. Traditional parallel type buffers were also fitted allowing the engine to carry out passenger working. The engine now had its name applied to the tank side and featured a Crosby Chime whistle as fitted to the LNER A4s.

Peckett No.1631 - No.12 'Marcia' - K&ESR Blue (SKU 816004)

After another overhaul Marcia was once again turned out in dark blue. New water tanks were required – this time being welded rather than riveted. The engine also regained its full cab back above the bunker and was also fitted with vacuum brakes.

Our model features the condition of the engine after our purchase in 2025. Sadly, the chime whistle was not included in the sale, so Andy fitted a Caledonian Railway hooter whistle – which we subsequently used on the engine to record the whistle for our CR123 model!



In this condition the engine starred at the Rapido sponsored “Dwarves of Steam” gala (which also featured Port of Par Bagnall 'Judy') and visited the Historic Dockyard, Chatham.

Peckett No.1631 - 'Marcia' - Lined Works Green (SKU 816005)

With this model we are looking to the future – this is the condition that Marcia is planned to be in when its overhaul is completed next year.

The engine will return to half-cab format with external bunker. A Roscoe displacement lubricator will be fitted to the rear of the chimney and the engine will be finished in fully lined Peckett livery – not seen on the engine since sometime between 1929 and 1943. A Crosby chime style whistle will also be fitted to the engine once again.

Alongside the authentic liveries we have decided to offer models in a range of fictitious liveries. These will make a nice addition to any industrial or light railway setting.

Peckett 1287 Class - 'Ernie'' - Lined Maroon (SKU 816006)

First up we have a lined maroon locomotive. The livery matches that used on our fireless and Manning Wardle ‘Bombay’ models

This variation features dumb buffers and a half-back cab with internal coal bunkers.

The engine also features the name Ernie painted on the tank side - named after our beloved Warehouse Westie.

Peckett 1287 Class - Yellow with Wasp Stripes (SKU 816007)

You might have noticed that we love a yellow locomotive. Our fireless and Thomas Hill diesel ranges feature bright yellow locos, ideal for steelworks or chemical works. 

Featuring a fully enclosed cab and external bunker the model is also fitted with Peckett style buffers fitted to a wasp-striped bufferbeam. You won't miss this one!

Peckett 1287 Class - 'Iris' - Lined Blue (SKU 816008)

Ever since we produced our first 'what if' SECR-style blue loco (O1 Class Bramble) we have had near-constant requests with every new tooling to produce a version in this livery. We couldn’t resist seeing Marcia in this livery and started looking for a suitable name – settling on the small blue flower Iris. 

This version will be fitted with vacuum brakes for passenger working, a half-back cab with internal bunker and Peckett-style buffers, ideal for your preserved line or light railway, or just to add a splash of colour.

Peckett 1287 Class - LNWR Black (SKU 816009)

Some say that any engine looks good in black. We think it can look smart but the addition of LNWR style lining really makes it pop.

Complete with its fully enclosed cab with internal bunker and Peckett buffers this engine would look at home shunting a few wagons in any setting.

Peckett 1287 Class – SECR Green (SKU 816010)

Lastly, we have something with Kent links just for fun. With Iris using the SECR style lining on blue we thought we would look to see how Marcia would look in full Wainwright livery.

It’s not completely far from reality as the SECR did have some small industrial style shunters (Manning Wardles rather than Pecketts) and the livery was once suggested to be carried on the real locomotive in preservation!

So there we have it – our range of pretty Pockett Peckett models is now available to order from any Official Retailer or direct from our website.

The Real Marcia – Overhaul Update

With all this talk of a model it’s easy to forget the ongoing work on the real Marcia.



In November 2025 the engine was withdrawn from traffic and stripped down for a repaint and other mechanical works. The engine has largely been dismantled for painting including removing the water tanks and valve gear and lifting it off its wheels. The upper rear cab sheet has been removed to return the locomotive closer to its as-built condition.

The engine has been thoroughly cleaned, rubbed down and prepared for painting. The K&ESR blue being replaced with Peckett Green and Indian Red, via a coat of rather vibrant green and pink undercoat.

As components have been removed these have also been cleaned. In many places items have been stripped back to bare metal before painting or polishing.



The various brass fittings have received a huge amount of effort to return them to the best possible condition. This has included stripping down items like the gauge frames to their component parts.

The painting has been carried out by Team Matt. Matt Webb (below right) has made excellent work on the paint prep and coach painting, achieving a wonderful deep finish on the boiler, cab and tanks before turning his attention now to the frames. Matt Green (left) has then applied the panel lining and edging in mid-chrome yellow and black. 

There is still plenty more to do including painting the wheels and frames – enough to keep them busy for several more weeks.



The engineering team at Rolvenden have also been hard at work. Liam Head has produced a new drawing for the chimney which was life-expired. This will be fabricated, a new base and flue already being received with work now turning to a new top. The chimney-mounted lamp bracket will be added (removed some time ago) and a Peckett-pattern Roscoe lubricator will be fitted. A new mechanical lubricator will also be fitted.

Unfortunately, several unplanned issues have been discovered during the work. A loose frame stretcher has been discovered which will require replacement. Several axleboxes also have minor damage – possibly due to a derailment earlier in its working life. These are currently being assessed and a plan of action decided upon.

We are hopeful that the engine will return to traffic in spring 2027 on the K&ESR alongside visiting a few other heritage lines over the coming years.

Support Marcia - Visit Her Store!

You can of course support the ongoing overhaul by purchasing some of our exclusive merchandise.



We have recently received samples of our K&ESR Evolution coaches. A very limited number of these are remaining via the Rapido website.

Over at Marcia's own website we have exclusive wagons, badges, mugs and coasters available. You can browse the shop page HERE.

All profits from these sales go towards Marcia's overhaul and upkeep allowing her to continue steaming into the future.



To continue finding out about Marcia's overhaul please follow the engine's Facebook page. Click here to visit.

What’s Next?

Once the engine's overhaul is complete, we will be able to complete the sound recording with our partners at ESU. This will be the last part of the jigsaw required to move the models into full production after closing the order book.

In the meantime we will continue to evaluate the samples and take them to our upcoming shows for you to come and see. You will be able to see the samples at the following shows:

• National Festival of Railway Modelling – 21-22 November 2026
• Model Rail Scotland – 26-28 February 2027
• London Festival of Railway Modelling – 20-21 March 2027

Why not come along and take a peek at our pocket Peckett?

Well, there we go... our secret is out! It wasn’t much of a secret anyway – more an inevitability. However as usual we love to have fun at Rapido – and this project has certainly been that. 

For those of you that came to the London Festival of Railway Modelling last March – did you see Marcia hidden on our stand? She was tucked away in the shed surrounded by S160s. 

Speaking of S160s - we thought this final comparison emphasises just how small Marcia actually is.

We hope you love this announcement as much as we do. Please swing by your chosen Official Retailer or head over to our website to pre-order your model today!