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Rapido UK Newsletter No.69
©2026 Rapido Trains Ltd
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We are starting this summer with a big surprise. We’re dipping our toes into a brand-new (to us) scale!
TT:120 has been gathering momentum, so we thought it was about time to jump on board that train and announce some exciting new TT:120 models.
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For those of you who have recently signed up and are new to the Rapido Trains UK newsletter, welcome! Our newsletters cover all our product announcements, project updates, new engineering prototypes, exhibitions, and other news about our company and the hobby in general. If you’ve joined us because you’ve seen our social media posts regarding TT:120, you're going to love this month's edition.
Don’t panic if the scale is not your cup of Tea (T), we have loads of news, samples and updates to share with you. This month also sees us wrap up the order book for one wagon range, at the same time as announcing a brand new one!
So, go and put the kettle on, as it's time to enjoy some TT, and lots more!
| | If you are using a web-based email service such as Gmail, be sure to click on the link near the bottom of the email that says something like "[Message clipped] View entire message". That will ensure you don't miss any of this newsletter. | | NEW BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45 and 46 (TT:120) | | |
Yes, you have read that correctly!
We are joining in with the incredible adventure that is TT:120. For our first loco, we hope to replicate the success of an award-winning model from our N Gauge range in this brand-new scale.
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Following the rollout of the first Type 4 diesels, Derby Works began the development of the next generation of even more powerful locomotives, the Class 45 and Class 46. These would go on to form the bulk of the Midland mainline fleet for many years.
Despite the 45s and 46s not being named after mountains as their Class 44 counterparts had been, many were honoured with the names of famed British Army Regiments. However, they still retained the nickname ‘Peaks’.
The Class 45 and 46s were pretty much identical to the 44s, also weighing in at around 135 tonnes and powered by a diesel power unit produced by Swiss engineering company Sulzer. However, the newer power units produced 2500 horsepower, 200 more than their predecessor.
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This led to BR placing a more substantial order of 127 locos for Class 45s; this was so many in fact, that Crewe Works were also drafted in to assist Derby with their construction.
The first BR Class 45 entered service in late 1960, with the class soon becoming the main loco to work out of St Pancras on the Midland Line services, demoting the dwindling number of steam locos to cover local services or freight.
The final variant of the ‘Peak’ began production in 1961, now with Brush Electrical Equipment fitted after re-tendering for the next batch of locomotives. This tweaked peak would be known as the BR Class 46.
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Externally, it looked almost identical, as it had the same engine and body; however, its electrical equipment had received an upgraded generator and different traction motors. Developed by the Brush Company of Loughborough, these upgrades replaced the previously used Crompton-Parkinson electrical equipment of the Class 44 and 45.
In total, 56 Class 46 locomotives were produced, with the last being built in 1963.
The 45s were intended to be allocated to multiple regions during their construction, and this was initially the case with locomotives allocated to London Midland and Western Region sheds as well as other regions for short stints of training. They soon settled down to more regular work on Midland Mainline and Western Region services. The 46s were used for more varied work, being seen on NE-SW cross-country services, long-distance freights from the West Country and some Trans-Pennine services.
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With Class 45s and 46s often being seen working trains to destinations across the Southwest and alongside the iconic trainspotting location of Dawlish, it's no wonder the loco has a soft spot in the heart of many a diesel enthusiast.
Following the introduction of the HSTs on the Midland Mainline and Cross-Country routes, as well as the introduction of Class 56s to coal traffic, the 45s were moved to the Trans-Pennine route to work passenger services across the north of the country.
The last of the 44s were withdrawn in 1980, the 46s in 1984, and the final two Class 45s soldiered on until 1989. The last ‘Peak’, No.45106, was painted into an approximation of the original BR Green livery and regularly worked the 17:50 St Pancras – Derby service as well as a number of railtours. It sealed the fate of the class with an onboard fire after it failed at Wellingborough with a fuel leak, the ignition presumed to be from brake sparks while being towed dead, which sadly resulted in its inevitable retirement.
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Thankfully a number of these locos would sit waiting to be scrapped until 1994, giving budding enthusiasts the perfect opportunity to preserve them. Incredibly, 12 Class 45s and 3 Class 46s were saved for preservation.
Our New TT:120 BR 1Co-Co1 Class 45 and Class 46 models have been designed using a combination of archival materials and drawings.
They will be available in a variety of liveries covering the loco's almost 30-year mainline tenure, and several as preserved examples too.
In addition to a high-quality motor and drive mechanism for smooth running, each model is fitted with a Next18 decoder socket that is compatible with Hornby HM7000 Decoders, and a front and rear NEM coupling system that is compatible with other TT:120 models.
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Modellers can look forward to directional and cab interior lighting, an etched radiator fan grill and lots of other separately fitted parts, including lamp irons and wipers.
The range is available in DCC-Ready and DCC Sound-fitted versions, with all sound-fitted models being fitted with ESU LokSound V5 decoders.
The order book is open, and you can pre-order your models directly from us today or from any of our Official Retailers.
| | NEW Gloucester 7-Plank Private Owner Wagon (OO Gauge) | | |
This month isn’t all TT:120 news, though there is some more on that in a bit.
Private Owner wagons came in all shapes and sizes, so we are pleased to announce that we will be expanding our popular OO Gauge PO wagon range with the new Gloucester 7-Plank Private Owner Wagon.
| | These will be the first OO Gauge ready-to-run private owner wagons with internal ironwork strapping that includes rivet details, all of which are fully decorated. The range includes body tooling variants that cover wagons that had a length of 15' over their bodies, and those fitted with and without end doors. This creates a distinctly different wagon profile to add to your rakes. | | |
The Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company was a staple of British rolling stock production for over 120 years. They designed and built a multitude of railway vehicles that were shipped across the world. Their portfolio extended way beyond the humble wagon, and included coaches, railcars and even battle tanks. They often applied their skills to more specialist freight vehicles but continued building open wagons in their droves.
Due to the length of the company's tenure, designs inevitably evolved as railway technology improved. One that stood the test was the company's conventional 7-plank design, which underwent very few changes between the 1890s and early 1920s.
Examples of these wagons were both sold and hired to private companies across the UK, with the hired versions being maintained by the GRC&W.
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After World War Two, the 10,000 wagons that made up the GRC&W hire fleet were nationalised. However, with newer designs being introduced by the company in the 1920s, the exact number of the 1890s 7-plank design inherited by BR remains a mystery. Sadly, no examples survived into preservation.
Our new OO Gauge Gloucester 7-Plank Private Owner Wagon range feature full external, internal and underframe details, including brass bearings for smooth, friction-free running, NEM 362 coupler pockets and a high-quality livery application. The internal details are fully decorated and include the stylish inside strapping supports with moulded rivet details. Wagons are available with or without end doors, as appropriate.
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As a commonly seen open wagon design that was produced in large numbers by one of the UK's most famous wagon builders, they will be the perfect complement to our previous PO range. With visually interesting details and a noticeably different size, these will add a nice variety and clearly stand out in your current rake of Rapido wagons.
The order book is open for these models, and we are pleased to say that we already have engineering prototypes which are undergoing review.
You can pre-order yours directly from us today or from any of our Official Retailers.
| | The Model Centre Exclusive TT120 Products | | |
We are pleased to report that our friends at The Model Centre are expanding the choice of TT:120 rolling stock with an exclusive range of BR Diagram 1/801 Fish Vans. These are available in a mixture of triple and single packs to cover a wide variety of regions and eras. We have adapted our previously released OO Gauge design for an exciting new scale, and in the process made some slight tweaks to the design to correct the roof height.
They are also taking an exclusive named TT120 Class 46 'Peak' - 46026 'Leicestershire and Derbyshire Yeomanry'.
Head to the TMC website to find out more and pre-order yours today!
| | Prairie Prototypes – GWR 45xx ‘Small Prairie’ Engineering Prototypes (OO Gauge) | | We’ve got some Great (Western) news! Engineering Prototypes of the OO Gauge GWR 45xx ‘Small Prairie’ have popped their head out of their burrows and into your inbox. | | |
The OO Gauge 44xx will be a tough act to follow, as it was such a lovely little loco. But judging by these incredible prototypes, we think their more powerful and more numerous cousins will give them some fierce competition.
Despite the 44xx being such a good model, we have still made some advancements with the 45xx design. To match many of our other recent announcements and arrivals, we have fitted the 45xx with stay-alives.
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With lots of these locos surviving into preservation, understandably, many of you have your favourite. We’ve not only included several preserved versions in the range, but we also wanted to include the detailed differences between them and the ones in GWR and BR ownership. So, we have squeezed as many tooling variants in there as we could.
Nos. 2171, 2173 and 4505 are all fitted with the original-length running board, a first for the 45xx tanks in RTR. Here's a shot of one of our latest prototypes that was fitted with this type of running board. These represent the locomotives from circa 1909 onwards, after the bunkers were extended upwards but before they were enlarged backwards post-WW1.
| | The Churchward-era locos have some other additions, like these front-end support struts, a superheated boiler and outside steam pipes. As you can see from these samples, this makes for a loco that looks distinctly different from the earlier variants. | | |
We hope you are as impressed by these samples as we are, and we look forward to putting these through their paces over the coming weeks.
The order books are still open for our OO Gauge GWR 45xx ‘Small Prairie’. You can place your pre-order directly through our website or via any of our Official Retailers. We will be wrapping up the order book for this project at the beginning of August, so make sure you have placed your pre-orders before then!
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If you are looking for an ideal set of coaches to pair with your 45xx, order books are open for the Evolution coaches from Batch 3. This batch features GWR Lined Crimson Lake examples, which are perfect if you are looking for coaches in an era-appropriate livery for the first three versions of the 45xx range.
If you would like to hear and see what the sound-fitted versions of these models will be like, make sure you read to the end of this newsletter!
| | Tanks a lot! - WD 35T Rectank Engineering Prototype (OO Gauge) | | |
Tanks a lot indeed!
Our final sample to appear just before this newsletter went to press was our WD Rectank. We managed to grab a couple of quick shots of the incredible engineering prototypes for the upcoming WD 35T Rectank in OO Gauge.
With a nice selection of loads throughout the range and a rather fascinating history, these wagons were always going to cause a stir when they arrived.
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In addition to the Great War tank, our OO Gauge Rectank range includes versions with alternative loads: these are either steel girders, ingot moulds, wagon wheels, or flanged pipes. These engineering samples give you a better idea of how these loads will look on the final models.
Of course, some of the wagons were converted slightly to accommodate these loads, so some were later fitted with bolsters. The number and style of bolsters varied depending on the railway that fitted them. We have included a couple of different bolster styles in the range, and by the look of these prototypes, they look really cool, even if you want to run them without their load.
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Jason (Rapido's owner, who lives in Canada): That looks unbelievable! WOW! I don't think I've ever seen a more realistic wrapped load in model form. Nice job, guys!
Rapido UK: Actually, your Michael Humbert helped with the design. Remember? We asked you and you said OK?
Jason: Right! Yes! I remember. Well I'm impressed. Maybe I'll give him a raise. He's only making ten bucks now. Actually YOU should give him a raise!
Rapido UK: May we continue? We are in the middle of a newsletter, or hadn't you noticed?
Jason: By all means. Tetchy, tetchy...
Rapido UK: Sorry for Jason's interruption. For those of you new to our newsletters, this happens rather a lot. At least this time it didn't involve Davros or whatever.
Anyway, each of the loads is also removable, so you can personalise yours even further if you fancy adding something a bit different. Loose lips sink landships!
Still very much a secret weapon during the latter part of WW1, the war machine that would come to be known as the tank had to be kept under wraps in its transfer from factory to frontline. So, they were regularly transported with a cover to disguise their true nature. As you can see from our latest sample, our representation is made from injection-moulded plastic, which ensures they feature a high level of detail without being excessively heavy.
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While we are on the subject of weight... Models of flatbed and well wagons occasionally struggle with hiding the necessary amount of weight to hold them to the track. The Rectank hasn’t got this shortfall, as its chassis and bed are made of cast metal components, so it's nice and weighty. This means that even if you want to run it empty – allowing you to see the lovely texture on the wagon bed – you won’t have any fear of it bouncing around.
It's not just all about the loads; the Rectank is crammed full of separately fitted detail parts. Thanks to them being injection moulded plastic, they stand out against the wagon's frame and bed, so you can see all those lovely details before the paint is applied.
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We’re immensely impressed with these engineering prototypes and look forward to seeing the painted production samples further down the line.
The order book is still open for the OO Gauge WD 35T Rectank, and you can pre-order yours directly through our website, or via any of our Official Retailers.
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Couple Up – SECR Brake Van New NEM Pocket Prototype (OO Gauge)
We have received a sample from our factory that’s a little unusual.
When we released the original models for the OO Gauge SECR 6-wheel Brake Van had an NEM dovetail fitting that sadly wasn’t compatible with third-party couplings such as Kadee. For our latest batch, we have updated the mounting socket to NEM363 standards, and it can now fit these comfortably.
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Our factory has kindly sent us a few of the new mounting sockets so we can test them and, of course, show you guys how they look.
We’re pleased to say that they work brilliantly, and as you can see, fit Kadee 52 NEM 363 European-Style Medium Couplers. If you want more clearance on the coupling hook, you may wish to use the longer variety, but this is considerably easier than the work required to make these couplings fit onto the original batch of these brake vans. This means you can couple you Rapido Trains UK items to your Rapido Trains Inc items should you wish!
| | Arriving Soon! - Narrow Lines All-Purpose Wagons (009) | | |
They may only be small, but they have caused quite an impact, and we are pleased to say that we are expecting them any day now. Once they arrive, we will be putting them through our thorough QC checks.
As these are our very first 009 models to arrive, we are very excited to say the least. Judging by the reception we have had online and at shows, many of you share our sentiment. Once these have passed our QC checks, they will be packed up and shipped out to all our Official Retailers who placed pre-orders.
We also took pre-orders for them through our website, so any of you who placed orders with us directly will be hearing from us shortly. Keep an eye on your email inboxes, as you will receive a notification of their arrival. This contains a payment link so you can complete your order.
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The following projects are also on their way to the UK, and should arrive before our next newsletter:
If you have ordered directly through our website, keep an eye on your inbox over the next month for an email alert of their arrival.
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This month's order book closures are fantastically freight-flavoured and are all from the Great Central Railway. This extensive range of Great Central wagons gives the aspiring East Midlands modeller everything you need to populate your layout or display cabinet. Of course, those who model the LNER and BR, or just like to add a bit of variety to their rakes, will also be pleased. These highly detailed wagons will be right up your street too.
So, with this in mind, please make sure you get your pre-orders in by Monday, the 29th of June, for the following items:
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Now that you have seen how they look and how they will sound, we thought it was the perfect time to close the order book for the 45xx.
Order book closes on Monday, the 3rd of August, for the following:
Remember, if you want to pre-order any of these models, you can do so directly through our website or with any of our Official Retailers.
| | As usual we have had a few updates from our factories showing progress on projects that are in the factory. We thought you would like to see a few! | | We have been busy with sound files this month, so here are not one but two “How does it sound?” videos for you to enjoy. | | |
GWR 45xx ‘Small Prairie’ “How does it sound?” (OO Gauge)
Earlier in the newsletter, we showed you how the upcoming OO Gauge GWR 45xx ‘Small Prairie’ will look. But we bet you’d love to hear how it’s going to sound, too.
It's fair to say that for many enthusiasts, the unmistakable sound of a GWR ‘Small Prairie’ evokes fond memories of day trips and holidays to Wales and the West. Whether you were lucky enough to remember them running during their dwindling years or saw one of the many preserved examples in steam, the sound of these delightful tank engines is a core memory.
We hope you like how they sound, and they transport you back in time to holidays past!
| | LNER C12 4-4-2T “How does it sound?” (OO Gauge) | | |
To go alongside the 45xx, we have also finished off the sound file for the LNER C12 4-4-2T.
Although a tank engine of similar size to the 45xx, that is where the similarity ends. This tremendous Great Northern tank engine isn’t just a pretty face; it has quite a bark.
| | Order books have now closed for LNER C12 4-4-2 T. This means we only have a limited number available to pre-order directly through our website. Place your pre-order now before they are all gone! | | |
Hello! This is Corwin writing. Lovely to see you all!
In the 1998 blockbuster ‘Armageddon’, Bruce Willis’ character Harry is a third-generation oil driller who gets recruited (along with his team) by NASA to become astronauts in 12 days so that they can save the earth by destroying the largest asteroid ever seen.
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Allegedly, during the filming, co-star Ben Affleck asked the Director (Michael Bay) “Wouldn’t it be easier for NASA to train astronauts how to drill holes rather than training oil drillers to become astronauts?” to which he was told to “Shut the (heck) up”.
As an ‘outsider’ who joined the model railway industry a few years ago, I’ve found it really interesting to talk to people from other manufacturers and retailers about their previous experience and the different ways these organisations are set up.
I’m sure my co-workers are sick of me bringing it up, but for the majority of my career I worked in film production, mostly making online ‘viral’ videos and adverts, before an exciting opportunity to finally own a model of the Port of Par Bagnalls came up (with the caveat that I needed to project manage it myself). Previously, the closest my work got to model trains was including a Hornby pocket rocket as part of a (sort of) Rube Goldberg machine.
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Above: Part of the old career.
Below: Par of the new one. Believe it or not, the new one is more fun.
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At Rapido Trains UK, our team’s previous experience is diverse but what binds so many of the group is a passion for railways.
Many of the design team are self-taught, having gained experience of CAD work by designing for 3D printing. The understanding of making something for mass production and the various product standards is learned once they start employment.
This contrasts with some other companies I have spoken to, where the majority of the design team are hired based on their experience or training with product design, the knowledge of railway prototypes and model railways being learned on the job.
This did make me wonder whether in this analogy, ‘our’ skilled enthusiasts are the oil drillers whilst the experienced product designers are the astronauts, or perhaps it’s the other way around?
There are clear advantages to either approach.
Taking research as an example: Prior knowledge of the workings of a train or indeed a railway system is useful for the nuanced jargon that is often used, historical knowledge even more so. Understanding why certain objects (such as tablet catchers or water pick-up apparatus) exist is a bonus.
From our point of view, the designers being able to spot differences between classmates and work out how to put that in the tooling suite is very helpful to create a smart design that maximises the amount of variations we can include whilst keeping overall costs down.
| The Manning Wardles are a good example of how smart design and prototype choices can make a huge range of detail variants viable in one production run. | |
On the other hand, a product designer with experience in other industries may bring a wealth of knowledge and understanding about things such as how products are used by consumers, product assembly or manufacturing methods, or perhaps how to make the most of a set of moulds. They may also be experienced with designing products for manufacture and liaising with factories. (Business depends upon relationships, after all.)
Production workflow might be somewhere in the middle, for project management and the associated plate-spinning is a transferable skill and not exclusive to product design.
For me, the biggest change to get used to has been the difference between delivering a digital file (a video upload) that goes to a handful of places but gets shown to millions of people, compared to thousands of physical products that begin their useful lives after you have delivered them to the customer.
Both come with anxiety attached (the desire to please or entertain the target market) but the sense of responsibility is very different when someone is choosing to part with their hard-earned money for what is effectively a treat.
Being a customer as well as a manufacturer can have its own pros and cons.
Taking myself as an example, whilst I don’t have the final say on what does and doesn’t get made, I am able to put forward cases for future projects.
Does my knowledge and interest in model railways give me an advantage as I might know more about what the customer wants?
Or
Could my own personal interests cloud my judgement or influence me into making stuff that appeals to me at the risk of missing large parts of the market?
How can we all use these attributes to make products better across the industry?
Spoiler alert: In the film, the astronauts and oil drillers overcome their differences and work together to blow up the asteroid, saving the day.
Slightly cheesy but I think the same applies here. By communicating, observing and learning from each other and not necessarily thinking our way is the only option, we can get the best out of everyone.
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Well, that’s one spectacular start to the summer, isn’t it?
We’ve started in a new scale, our very first 009 models are about to head out to customers, a brand-new OO Gauge wagon was announced, and we included sound and other updates as well!
Q3 is chock full of projects that are due to arrive, so there’s an awful lot more to look forward to. It won’t be long before your layouts are filled with the unmistakable sound of an American chime whistle, or the distinctive Pssst-tchoff, Pssst-tchoff, Pssst-tchof of our little friend from the top left-hand corner of Wales.
Let’s see what the next month brings, shall we!
The Rapido Trains UK Team
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You can write to us at Rapido Trains UK, Unit 3, Clinton Business Centre, Lodge Road, Staplehurst, Kent TN12 0QF. Alternatively, you can call us on 03304 609496 or you can
e-mail us at customerservice@rapidotrains.co.uk
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