Welcome to the first newsletter of 2022!

Engaging in a David & Goliathesque fight with a major manufacturer was not how we'd intended to start the new year. But we'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who has taken the time to send us a message of support. It really does mean a lot.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, just scroll down (and then scroll back to carry on reading!).

Our ambition for the year is to grow. We intend to grow our range of products and, in order to do that, our team needs to grow too.

We get 2022 off on to the right foot this newsletter with announcements on both. We have two new product announcements (well, one new and one new-ish) plus we'd like to introduce you to new members of the Rapido UK family.

Rather than announce a year’s worth of new items in one go or quarterly, we’re going to have a go at announcing something new every month. Yes, you read that right: one new item a month. For 12 months.

JASON: You’ve got your work cut out for you!

RICHARD: Well, that's our intention. We'll do everything we can to make it happen. We certainly have enough projects in the pipeline.

So, in this newsletter, you’ll find:

Sounds like an exciting issue, doesn’t it?

We'd better get on with it then...

No, not The Titfield Thunderbolt but our video produced in advance of the announcement of competing products, with help from STUDIOCANAL. Click here or on the above image to watch.

“Titfield? One can’t open a paper these days without reading about Titfield.”

It was a bit like that with model railway forums in January. Being a Rapido customer you will know all about our The Titfield Thunderbolt range that we are producing with full co-operation from STUDIOCANAL, which owns the rights to the film.

If you missed the news, Hornby has also announced a range of The Titfield Thunderbolt models-

ANDY: Inspired by. Don’t forget that they’re inspired by The Titfield Thunderbolt.

RICHARD: Sorry. Yes, inspired by.

Well, if you want to know more about what’s happened and our response to that announcement, take a look at the above video. Oh, and if you wondered, yes, STUDIOCANAL did allow us to use clips from the original film.

In the meantime, tooling is well underway with Lion/Thunderbolt and the mould shop had literally just started work on both the 'Loriot Y' and the 'Toad' brake van just as this issue closed for press. Hopefully, it won't be long before we can show you some samples. Remember that the order book for the two trainpacks is now open.

Taa daa! Here are hand-decorated samples of new South Eastern & Chatham Railway Dia. 1426 vans and two-plank ballast wagons. Now scroll down to read all about them!

Here’s our new tooling announcement: we're making two new ‘OO’ gauge South Eastern & Chatham Railway wagons, the Diagram 1426 van and the Dia. 1744 ballast wagon.

We were bowled over by the response to our five- and seven-plank open wagons and it just so happened that these two vehicles also share the same 9ft 6in underframe. It wasn't just the GWR that used standardised parts!

Here's the Dia. 1426 van with straight gutter strips over the doors.

And we've also tooled the Dia. 1426 van with the curved gutter strips over the doors.

The vans (it was the Southern who called them Dia. 1426) were different to previous SECR designs and featured an elliptical roof, end ventilators, lift-link brake gear and self-contained buffers. The design was so successful that it became the basis of the standard Southern Railway van.

Nearly 250 Dia. 1426s were built, with many of them surviving into BR days in both revenue and Departmental service. One, No. 15750, survived into preservation and can now be seen on the Bluebell Railway.

Our model sports the following features:

This is a hand-painted sample of SECR grey No. 15750 (SKU927011). There are ten more liveries to choose from.

There are 11 versions to choose from:

Ballast trains are oft-overlooked on layouts. You can now re-dress the balance with our new 'OO' gauge model of the Dia. 1744 ballast wagon.

The SECR used the same underframe for the two-plank ballast wagon. It introduced the first in 1919 and 120 were built over the next four years, the last being completed by the Southern.

These wagons were often seen in long rakes as they took ballast to wherever trackwork required attention. They were so useful that BR didn’t finally get rid of the last ones until 1971, which made them some of the last pre-Grouping vehicles in operation in the Southern Region CCE’s mainland fleet.

Sadly, no Dia. 1744 ballast wagons survived into preservation. However, because they used the standard SECR underframe (as modelled on our five- and seven-plank open wagons), the Bluebell Railway has re-created one, No. 567, using the chassis from a seven-plank open and original works drawings.

As with our other SECR models, these have a high specification:

We’re producing 11 versions:

Both the Dia. 1426 van and the Dia. 1744 ballast wagon share the same under frame as our forthcoming SECR open wagons. We couldn't resist showing another image of the underframe just to remind you how detailed it is!

The order book for both models is now open and you can order direct here or from our retail partners. Order deadline is April 1st 2022.

We asked for your feedback on whether we should take on the ‘OO’ gauge LBSCR ‘E1’ 0-6-0T that was first mooted by Model Rail magazine and feedback was certainly given!

So, yes, we are going to produce a ‘OO’ gauge ‘E1’. And as you can see from above image, we’ve not been letting the grass grow under our proverbial feet.

Your feedback told us that the BR and Isle of Wight versions were the most popular, closely followed by the original Stroudley design. So while we haven’t confirmed what running numbers or liveries we’re making, we can confirm that our attention will focus on the BR and Isle of Wight ones first.

We will continue to update you with progress on this exciting project as we get further along with it.

Want to know just how much our 'OO' gauge Hunslet 16in can pull? Click here or on the above image to find out...

Remember that Oscar-worthy piece of Rapido cinematography that was me looking through classic Hunslet scenes? Remember that we made mention of waiting on new Hunslet samples? Well, here they are!

Look closer: this is a hand painted of our newest Hunslet 16in 0-6-0ST Engineering Prototype with the much improved wheels. We’re absolutely delighted with how simply thickening up the tyres has transformed the look of the model and has made it even better.

The factory has breathed on the chassis and this sample runs even better than the first one. You can see how well it runs by viewing the above video.

Now that we have that sample, we can announce the new order deadline: March 1st 2022. You can order here or from your local Rapido stockist.

This sample has been hand-painted by expert painter Dave Lowery and gives an idea of how the final models will look. Click here if you want to see it in action!

Our factory surprised us just before this newsletter closed for press with this: the first look at our ‘N’ gauge ‘Conflat P’.

We literally just had time to take a few snaps but they look fantastic. The two new containers have come out really well and the underframe looks the business, which is great considering that Bill drew it from a couple of images and some educated guesswork.

We'll properly assess these samples in the coming weeks to see how they perform but first impressions are good.

We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to show you samples of the ‘N’ gauge Class 28 – and ‘OO’ gauge ‘15XX’ – before too long too. When we do, we'll announce the order book for both the 'Conflat P' and the Class 28.

Click here or on the above image to take the Great Rapido Model Railway Survey. Do so and you'll be entered in a draw to win £100 off your next Rapido UK purchase!

We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has taken the time to fill in our Great Model Railway Survey. We’ve been overwhelmed by the response… and so was the hosting system, which has struggled to cope at times. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.

The survey closes on February 28th and so, if you want the chance to win a £100 voucher for Rapido Trains UK purchases, click here or on the above image to take part. Alongside the £100 winning voucher, there are £75 and £50 runner’s up prizes. You'll be automatically entered in the competition draw when you complete the survey.

Good news: the APT-Es have left the factory and are now en route to Kent!

More good news: the Gunpowder Vans have left the factory and are now en route to Kent!

Even more good news: the SECR open wagons have left the factory and are now en route to Kent!

Yes, somehow the stars have aligned so that all three products were collected within days of each other and it’s looking likely that they’ll all arrive early March. The APT-Es should arrive first, followed by the GPVs and the wagons a couple of weeks later.

Which means that Andy is going to be very busy and the warehouse is going to be very full.

ANDY: Thanks for that. Remember, you promised that you were coming down to help.

RICHARD: I know, I know…

Two pallets of Gunpowder Vans ready for shipping! Scroll down to take a look at these wagons in detail...

We can’t offer any more definite arrival dates than that given the global shipping situation. Please rest assured: as soon as your order is ready to ship, we’ll let you know.

But, in the meantime, enjoy these images of both the GPVs and the SECR opens.

Here are the Gunpowder Vans samples, which arrived in the UK in advance of the main shipment:

No. 299031 carries the early version of LMS (902007).

Now let's have a look of the SECR open wagons. These images were taken at the factory before the samples shipped. There are so many liveries that we thought we'd show you the main liveries otherwise you'll scrolling through images between now and Christmas!

You can still place orders for the APT-E, Gunpowder Vans and SECR opens direct with us or from your local Rapido UK stockist.

As we mentioned earlier, an expanding product range means that we need more people and so we'd like to introduce you to two new members of the Rapido Trains UK team. So please say a big hello to:

We’ve made various references to the mysterious UK design team. Well, Linny has been one of the trio, which, for contractual reasons, we’ve not been able to name before. Now, however, Linny has joined the permanent staff so we’re able to properly welcome them to the team. Linny is currently working hard on completing the outline design for the Wisbech & Upwell coach as well as dipping in on various other projects – details to come soon!

Last but by no means least, Andy had roped in brother Steve to help at really busy periods and we thought it only fair to make that arrangement a bit more permanent! Steve is going to be doing everything from packing boxes to sorting out IT problems and he will likely be your first port of call when it comes to processing your orders or dealing with your queries.

We’re really pleased to welcome Linny and Steve to the team. Proof that Rapido Trains UK is really going places!

Look out for this packaging in your local model shop... and if your local shop doesn't stock our products, why not suggest that they drop us a line?

We’re absolutely delighted that we’ve just signed up the 100th official Rapido Trains UK stockist. That honour goes to KS Models in Stevenage.

Now we just need the 101st! So is your local model shop a Rapido stockist? If not, why not prompt them to drop us a line.

Remember that you can check out the full list of official Rapido Trains UK stockists here.

Here's a small yet important piece of news: we have a new phone number.

It's 03304 609496

ANDY: To complain about the jokes in the newsletter?

RICHARD: Yes, even that!

Normally, at this point in the proceedings, we’d have a ‘Thought of the Month’. This time, we thought we’d undertake a little spring cleaning. OK, yes, it’s still winter but let's get into a springtime mood!

With the influx of new models, we thought we’d clear the decks of some of the models we’ve got in stock and that requires your help. Basically, we need you to take more models off our hands to free up more shelf space for incoming products!

What models do we have available? Essentially, 1:76 scale BCT 'New Look' Guys and the remaining WMPTE Fleetlines.

The good news is that of the 20 different versions of Fleetline, half have sold out. This is a fantastic achievement but we need your help to take away the remaining ten.

Here are the versions we still have:

Actually, stocks of some of these liveries are getting very low so, while it might sound like a bit of a cliche, it really would be best to get your order in quick in order to avoid disappointment.

The BCT 'New Look' Guys are stunning aren't they? We really need to get rid of the remaining stocks to make room for other things so get your credit cards out now!!

Sadly, we still have plenty of ‘New Looks’ left in all guises. Come on bus fans! If you haven’t got one of these little beauties in your collection, get your credit cards out now. After all, we need to clear space for all those other bus models we’re currently working on! It's that or I have to make another video...

We mean it: only you buying more Guys will stop us from making videos this bad. Click here or on the image to watch it... if you can bring yourself to!

Speaking of new arrivals, we’re also running short on several products and that's before they've even arrived.

On the Gunpowder Vans, LNER No. 147511 has sold out completely and we're down to fewer than 15 pieces left to order on the following liveries:

Again, it's probably best to get orders in quick for these GPVs before they're all gone. Remember that remaining stocks on other liveries are getting low too.

We're also getting low on APT-Es. There are fewer than 25 DC trainpacks left and fewer than 50 DCC packs. Single coaches have also sold out. Remember that these are now en-route to the UK so once they're gone, they're gone.

Finally, the SECR open wagons are selling fast and we’re down to the last dregs on all versions. 907004 (No. 16227 in pre-1936 Southern Railway brown) has already sold out.

The message is clear: if you want any of these models, get ordering now! It'll just give Andy time to go over the shelves with some Mr Sheen before the next lot of product arrives!

This little Hunslet has found itself on the New York, Ontario and Western, a railroad in northern New York State. Bill Schneider is filling his basement with an epic (by UK standards) 'HO' take on this line, which closed in 1957. Our little Hunslet is on a bridge over the town of Sidney Center, which Bill built using heavily kit-bashed kits and scratch built parts. Hopefully, we'll get to see more of Bill's layout soon.

That's it for another issue. Don't forget, there'll be another new announcement next time.

Until then, TTFN!

Richard