Rapido UK Newsletter No.68

©2025 Rapido Trains Ltd

Dear Rapido Customer,

Cough, cough.

Sorry, this month we are feeling a little hoarse!

We have lots of news for you to get your teeth into this month, several exciting new announcements that include an absolutely gorgeous new loco, and two fascinating pieces of rolling stock. These will make you very happy if you’ve already got your Evolution coaches or are still patiently waiting for your batch to arrive.

Other projects have made some headway, and we have some rather special samples to show off. We hope you like them!

In addition to this, we have numerous projects that have been completed by our factory and are on their way to the UK. Everyone wants to know when their favourite models are arriving, so we will go into a bit more detail later on.

Marcia, Rapido’s very own full-sized locomotive continues its repaint and mini-overhaul. Lots of you have been asking us about Marcia. We assume you mean the real thing rather than a model, so we have a major update on her for you to enjoy.

With the fish and banana vans out in the wild for quite some time, there are only so many puns that can surface from the U Class. So, it was about time we announced some more punderful models. Let's saddle up, and we'll get off to the races with this month's newsletter. 

New Announcements!

NEW SER O Class 0-6-0 (OO Gauge)

To complement last month's SER rolling stock announcement, we thought you might like a suitable loco to haul your goods train. This older, smaller, sleeker predecessor to our previously released SECR O1 will also catch the eye of SECR and SR modellers, too (and those of you who just like to appreciate pretty engines). 

In 1878, James Stirling was appointed as the Chief Locomotive Superintendent of the South Eastern Railway. He quickly determined an urgent need for new and more powerful goods and passenger locos.

Bringing his experience from the Glasgow and South Western Railway, he proposed some new designs that were distinctly similar to those he had used north of the border. One such design was an 0-6-0 tender goods locomotive. Stirling's designs were disputed by Ashford Works Manager, Richard Mansell, who had suggested incorporating tried and tested SER features. Stirling insisted that his design be trusted, and his design was backed by the railway's Board of Directors.

Tenders for the contract were received by several locomotive builders, and Sharp, Stewart and Co. were awarded the contract to build the first 20 locomotives, designated as the O Class.

The SER O Class had a domeless boiler with a Ramsbottom safety valve, a Stirling steam reverser, and a round-topped cab design, which was characteristic of other Stirling designs. It had a stylish tender with springs that protruded above the running plate and alongside the tender sides.

A total of 122 of the class were built between 1878 and 1899, with versions being produced almost every year. Sharp, Stewart and Co. built a total of 65, with the rest built at the railway's Ashford Works. Upon the merger of the SER and LC&DR into the SECR, the final 5 examples were built under the new joint committee’s ownership. 

The earliest O Class locos that were built by Sharp, Stewart and Co. sadly suffered from poor steaming and weak frames, giving credence to Richard Mansell’s concerns. This led to Ashford making modifications to the boiler and structure. The new standards were incorporated into future versions.

Between 1900 and 1923, 28 examples of the O class were given replacement boilers. These had deeper fireboxes, meaning they were mounted higher on the loco’s frames, but were otherwise of similar dimensions to the originals.

The O Class were used for loose coupled heavy goods trains in their early years, until 1886 when some were fitted with vacuum brakes, and two received Westinghouse brakes. O Classes were known for hauling both passengers and goods, but were predominantly a freight engine. They could be seen on routes across the southeast, and even travelled as far west as Reading on regular services. 

Unfortunately, like many locos of this era, they were superseded by more powerful and efficient classes that were of a similar size. The SECR C Class was the O Class's replacement on the heavy freight and passenger services. They relegated the O to lighter duties, shunting or branchline work.

In 1904, Harry Wainwright, who was the new Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent of the SECR, set about improving the performance of the O Class. He did this by refitting many of them with his latest domed boiler design and new cab. This rebuilt class would be designated as the O1.

Conversions continued through to 1932, by which point 59 of the O Class had been rebuilt into O1s.

During WW1, the O Class were often used in pairs or as a pilot for the O1 or C Class. Some were even fitted with slip couplings. The War Office requested the SECR provide 10 0-6-0 light goods locos, but the SECR refused to transfer them unless they received suitable replacements from northern companies. An increase in suburban services during the 1920s did see many of the O class return to passenger-hauling services. 

When the railways were grouped into the Big 4 in 1923, 31 O classes entered Southern Railway ownership, and a handful of examples were also sold on to the East Kent Railway.

A significant number of the class had already been scrapped during their SECR days, and with the C, H, R and refitted O1s taking duties previously hauled by the O Class, their days were numbered. The final O Class was withdrawn from service by the Southern Railway in 1932.

Our newly tooled OO Gauge rendition of the SER O Class 0-6-0 will be available in a variety of liveries, including several in its early SER condition.

You can look forward to a smooth-running mechanism with coreless motor, enhanced with a MoPower stay-alive capacitor, plunger pickups fitted to the loco and wheel bearing pickups on the tender.

Tooling differences throughout the range include different tender fronts, toolboxes and smooth or riveted smokeboxes.

Other features include a factory-installed speaker, NEM 362 coupler pockets, sprung buffers, a 21-pin DCC decoder socket, and firebox flicker with a dynamic fire draw effect on DCC-fitted models.

For modellers who prefer etched number plates, we will include painted plates in the detail bag for the SER and SECR versions. This is in addition to a selection of other optional details for you to personalise the model.

We are pleased to say that the project is already at the tooling stage. The order book is open, and you can pre-order your models directly from our website today or from any of our Official Retailers.

NEW Evolution Horsebox (OO Gauge)

Giddy up! We're off to the races with two brand-new vehicles for the Evolution OO Gauge Coaching Stock range.

(Mary Poppins is one of Corbs' favourite films and he seems to have based his cockney accent on Dick Van Dyke's infamous interpretation, sorry about that).

The next vehicle in our OO Gauge Evolution range is here, and it's one you are going to struggle to say neigh to. Designed to coexist with the OO Gauge Evolution range, the new OO Gauge Evolution Horsebox is perfect for those wanting to add something a little different to their pre-grouping passenger and freight trains.

Dedicated racehorse trains were also seen up and down the country, so these exciting new models give pre-grouping and grouping era modellers the freedom to model these interesting services. 

Since the earliest railways, there have been vehicles specifically designed to move live animals. Cattle wagons (or in some cases even open trucks) were ideal for moving animals in relative safety across far greater distances than previously possible. However, these vehicles lacked the finesse some customers required to move their most cherished animal.

This led to the introduction of specialised vehicles such as horseboxes, pigeon vans, prized cattle wagons and even some designed to move elephants. 

The horse box was the most numerous of these, and with the introduction of the railway, it made travel to special events, auctions, military manoeuvres and recreational activities significantly easier for those who required their chosen steed. 

Horseboxes evolved over the years, and varied in shape and size depending on the coach builder or the needs of the railway in question. Some were very short 4-wheeled designs, whereas others were roomy 6-wheeled multi-compartment vehicles suitable for a small stable's contingent of horses.

By the turn of the last century, many different versions were in service. The most commonly seen were around 16 feet long and featured a compartment that could be divided, meaning more than one horse could be transferred. They usually also had a compartment for the Groom, who would care for the animals while in transit.

Despite looking similar to some box vans, horseboxes were built to passenger carriage-stock standards. This meant they had continuous brakes and longer springs, and could run at speed in passenger trains.

Once safely loaded, a horse would normally remain in the same horse box until its journey was complete, no matter where in the country this might be. This was to prevent any further distress to the animal. As such, horseboxes could be seen a long way from their point of origin.

To prevent snatching of couplings and the loads being jolted, common practice was to couple both horseboxes and carriage trucks at the head of goods trains, while in passenger trains, they could appear in any position.

Versions of horseboxes like this survived right through to the end of steam and would have been seen across the country. 

Our new OO Gauge Evolution Horsebox represents a 4-wheel Pre-grouping era version that is 16ft in length, with a single Groom’s compartment.

They will be available in a variety of liveries, matching many of the colour schemes previously announced in the Evolution Coach range.

Much like the coaches from the Evolution range, each Horsebox is detailed with an array of era-appropriate key features that modellers associate with horseboxes from the pre-grouping era.

They complement the rest of the Evolution range, and other rolling stock that would have been seen from the pre-grouping era right through to the last days of steam.

Each features a multitude of separately fitted parts and interior details to bring the horsebox to life. These include a luggage rack, seats for the Groom and detailed internal doors so the Groom can tend to the horses while on the move.

To complete the appearance of different gas and oil lighting fittings, the relevant models will feature separately fitted parts, such as roof-mounted gas lamps, plumbing, and gas tanks on the underframes.

All Evolution Horseboxes are fitted with internal working lighting controlled by our magnetic magic wand. We have fitted a potentiometer to the lighting PCB (printed circuit board), which allows you to dim the lights to a level of your choosing. All you’ll have to do is remove the roof and turn it with a small screwdriver until you reach the brightness you desire.

Finally, each coach is fitted with NEM 362 pockets, metal bearings for free running, and has two lengths of optional close-coupling bars (modelled on vacuum pipes) included. The detailing pack also includes alternative glazing parts with open droplight windows. So, you can model the window closed, partially open, or fully open.

The order book is open for the new OO Gauge Evolution Horsebox, and you can order yours directly from our website today or from any of our Official Retailers.

NEW Evolution Open Carriage Truck (OO Gauge)

The perfect accompaniment to our Evolution horsebox and previous Evolution coaches is the new Evolution Open Carriage Truck.

The introduction of the railways came at a time when road travel was an uncomfortable and time-intensive endeavour. The railways made these journeys much easier, however many people needed ways to travel to and from their nearest station as they weren’t at a convenient distance. 

Horseboxes and cattle vans meant that horses could be transported with the customer to their destination, so it was only natural that they would also want their favourite carriage to join them so they could complete the rest of their journey in comfort. 

Railway companies across the country added open carriage trucks to their rolling stock, and these could be hired by customers and businesses. Starting life as little more than a flat-bed wagon, the OCT evolved into a purpose-built vehicle. 

By the end of the 1800s, these came in all shapes and sizes, from smaller versions suitable for a single road coach to much larger bogie vehicles and covered variants. They were commonly steel-plated across the top, with the plates extending from the ends of the truck's bed so the carriages could be loaded. The carriages were then held in place safely with crossbars that could be moved to hold the rolling load. 

Despite being similar to flat-bed wagons, carriage trucks were built to passenger carriage-stock standards. Like the horseboxes, this meant they had continuous brakes and longer springs, and could run at speed in passenger trains. 

Various types of customers used OCTs to carry their vehicles. In addition to individuals wanting their personal transport, businesses regularly used them. This led to an interesting mix of vehicles being loaded and transported.

Everything from removal companies moving their carriages en masse, to fire engines and artillery pieces, were seen on the move. Circuses even used them from time to time!

As with horseboxes, carriages would normally remain on the same carriage truck until their journey was complete, no matter where in the country this was, so they might be seen a long way from their point of origin. 

Understandably, they were regularly paired with horse boxes so the owner could continue their journey upon arrival. However, they were also seen in block trains with other carriage trucks or travelling solo, as horses could be hired upon arrival.

To prevent snatching of couplings and the loads being jolted, common practice was to couple both horseboxes and carriage trucks at the head of goods trains, while in passenger trains, they could appear in any position.

As the quality of Britain's roads improved and vehicle sizes increased with the invention of the motor vehicle, the need for modest-sized open carriage trucks decreased. At this time, the majority of OCTs were superseded either by covered carriage trucks or wartime surplus well wagons or bogie flat wagons, although they could still sometimes be seen loaded with motor vehicles. 

Our new OO Gauge Evolution Open Carriage Truck represents a 4-wheel Pre-grouping era version that is 16ft in length.

Much like the coaches from the Evolution range, each Evolution Open Carriage Truck is detailed with an array of key features and separately fitted parts that modellers associate with open carriage trucks of the pre-grouping era. These include metal strips on the vehicle floor for the carriage wheels, and removable crossbars that can be moved fore-and-aft and pinned into position, thus holding the load in place.

These complement the rest of the Evolution range and other rolling stock that would have been seen from the pre-grouping and grouping eras. 

All Evolution Open Carriage Trucks are fitted with one of three variants of side panels, these include ‘Open Frame’, ‘Panelled’ and ‘Plain’ designs.

To complete the OO Gauge Evolution Open Carriage Truck, we have included a stylish load with each version. There are three different carriage types, and you will find ‘Open, Drop-Flap’, ‘Covered, Cupboard Door’ and ‘Covered, Drop-Flap’ designs throughout the range. The road vehicle is removable, so you can replace it with the load of your choice if you wish.

Finally, each model is fitted with NEM 362 pockets, metal bearings for free running, and has two lengths of optional close-coupling bars (modelled on vacuum pipes) included. 

They will be available in a variety of liveries, matching many of the liveries previously announced in the Evolution Coach range. 

The order book is open for the new OO Gauge Evolution Open Carriage Truck, and you can order yours directly from our website today or from any of our Official Retailers.

Rail of Sheffield Exclusive Evolution Horsebox and Open Carriage Truck (OO Gauge)

Our friends at Rails of Sheffield clearly didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, they have announced exclusive Evolution Horsebox and Open Carriage Truck versions to match the previously announced exclusive Evolution Coach liveries. If you are looking for North British Railway or SECR Wellington Brown liveried versions, trot over to Rails of Sheffield and pre-order yours now!

Coming Up Roses – New L&Y Class 25 No.957 'Rose' - What-If Blue (OO Gauge)

Earlier this month, we shared a potential ‘What if’ livery with our followers on Facebook. Maintaining the theme of previous ‘what if’ versions, we created a pretty lined blue variant for the L&Y Class 25. Considering its Northern origins and our ongoing range of ‘what-if’ locos being named after plants and flowers, Rose was the logical choice for her name. 

In addition to her name boldly painted on the tender, the loco sported a white rose of Yorkshire on the right-hand side of the cab, and the red rose of Lancashire on the left. Hopefully, pleasing the proud people of these counties.

We asked if you would like us to go ahead with this, and the reaction was astounding. So, we are pleased to announce that OO Gauge L&Y Class 25 No.957 Rose in ‘What-If’ Blue has been added to the range and can be pre-ordered now.

These models will arrive alongside the other L&Y Class 25 versions, and are available to pre-order directly from our website today or from any of our Official Retailers.

Product Update

Pint-Sized Prototypes – Latest All-Purpose Wagon Engineering Prototypes (009 Gauge)

The feedback that we received at Narrow Gauge South on the colour production samples for our first round of All-Purpose-Wagons was immensely positive. So, we know that these engineering prototypes for the recently announced second round of All-Purpose-Wagons should go down just as well. 

Each prototype shows the key details of each wagon type with much greater clarity.

Both the internal and external details of our Wooden Hopper wagons look awesome. So, it won’t matter if you are running these full to the brim with your chosen mineral load, or empty, they are going to look the part on any layout.

The rectangular tank wagon is absolutely covered in rivet details. These look incredible when you consider the size of these wagons. Which vital liquid will you be transporting on your layout with these tankers?

Round-Ended Flat wagons have so many uses, and our latest samples show that you can either have them loaded with the box they come with, empty, or with whatever load you fancy as the box is removable, and the wagon's floor is fully detailed. We can’t wait to see the painted samples of box loads, as there are some brilliant designs added to each version. 

Whether you intend to run these as a dedicated freight train of one type or a mixed freight train. These wagons are ideal to couple with the rest of our growing 009 range.

The order books are still open for these three All-Purpose Wagon variants. You can place your pre-order directly through our website or via any of our Official Retailers.

We also have a limited number of some of the other All-Purpose-Wagons still available to pre-order. These will be with us fairly soon, so grab them while you can!

Kaleidoscope of Kerr Stuarts – Long and Short-Tank Sirdar Colour Production Samples (009 Gauge)

Rapido’s first-ever 009 Gauge loco is steaming ahead in our factory, and as there has been such positive progress, they have sent us a colour production sample of each of the remaining Sirdar liveries.

What a wonderful rainbow of colour.

These samples included both the Long and Short Tank Kerr, Stuart & Co. Sirdar variants, and every eye-catching colour available. So, it doesn’t matter if you are modelling one of the well-known North Wales preserved railways or quarries, military installations, distillery, continental cane farm, or a light railway of your own creation, there is a version we suspect has already caught your eye. 

For such delightfully little locos, the detail on areas such as the cab and lining is all the more impressive. Both the Long and Short-Tank Sirdar ranges feature fully lined versions, so whichever style suits you, there's a pretty version with your name on it.

Kerr, Stuart & Co. built narrow gauge locos for railways across the world, and many of these favoured brightly coloured liveries. We have included several versions in the Long-tank Sirdar range that are fitted with cane bins over their tanks. Leonora is probably the most well-known of these locos, but we’ve also received samples of the unnamed versions, too. What do you think?

Each version in the range is fitted with one of the three chimney types. These painted samples highlight these key differences nicely. “But that’s not the chimney I wanted on my model”, we hear you cry. Well, there's no need to panic. We have included the other chimney types in your detail packs, and you can swap them over with ease as you please.

Mr. Fawkes finally has a narrow-gauge loco to help his nefarious activities. Maybe branding it with his own name wasn’t the smartest idea if he wanted to remain anonymous. We know many of you love the OO Gauge models that have featured this fun livery, so we hope you like its 009 counterpart in equal measure.

These superb Sirdar samples have arrived hot on the heels of the colour production samples of the 009 Gauge All-Purpose-Wagon range. With both samples combined, you can see that our 009 range is starting to take shape nicely.

Both 009 Gauge Long and Short Tank Kerr, Stuart & Co. Sirdar variants are due to arrive at some point in Q3 of this year.

We only have a handful of certain versions left available to pre-order, as many have already sold out directly through our website. If we don’t have the version available that you were looking for to add to your collection, then we recommend contacting your favourite Rapido Trains UK Official Retailer as soon as possible. Many of them have placed orders for stock, so you might still be in luck!

Tanker Testers – Ammonium Nitrate / Chemical Tank Wagon Advance Livery Samples (OO Gauge)

We have also received some advance livery samples of a handful of our Ammonium Nitrate / Chemical Tank Wagons. 

Even at this early stage of development, these three samples show just how detailed these remarkable wagons will be. All of the versions that we received are those that are not fitted with discharge valves. But models in the range are equipped with either split or continuous walkways, so we were pleased to receive examples that represent both of these types. What do you think?

It is worth pointing out that these are very early samples, so they are subject to change. But we will be looking them over with great care and feeding any changes back to the factory before they go into their final stages of decoration.

We are hoping to receive more livery samples in the future, and we suggest you keep an eye on upcoming newsletters for further updates. 

We have now sold out of these intriguing tank wagons; however, many of our Official Retailers have placed orders for stock. So, if you are still trying to track down your version of choice, we recommend contacting your chosen retailer as soon as possible if you don’t want to miss out!

Central Samples - GCR 15T Brake Van Colour Production Samples (OO Gauge)

An ever-expanding range of pre-grouping freight needs its brake vans, so we were very pleased to see the arrival of painted production samples for the upcoming OO Gauge GCR 15T 6-Wheel Brake Van.

The GCR Livery certainly catches the eye, with its bright red ends, white wall tyres, and bold company lettering on the side. These are going to look smashing behind your freight train of choice.

Many survived into the grouping era and beyond. During this time, they were dispersed much further across the LNER network, and way beyond the original boundaries of the GCR. Along with the pre-grouping version, our factory has sent one that made it to LNER ownership. What do you think?

In addition to the pre-grouping, grouping and nationalisation era liveries, the range also features a rather stylish National Coal Board variant. Our factory also sent an NCB example, and we were blown away by the finish and markings.

The arrival of the samples coincides rather nicely with the order books closing for the GCR Dia.17B Covered Van, Dia.9A / 9B 6-Plank Open, and Dia.6C 3-Plank Open. As you’ll now have everything you need to create a prototypically correct GCR freight train. Order books close on June 29th, but more info on that later. 

Almost all of our stock for the GCR 15T 6-Wheel Brake Van has already been pre-ordered. If we have sold out of the version you seek, don’t forget that many of our Official Retailers have placed orders for these invaluable vans. Get in touch with your chosen retailer soon, as these are due to arrive in the autumn, and you won’t want to miss out. 

Making More Midland - LMS 12 Ton Vans Colour Production Samples (OO Gauge)

Midland Region modellers also have some niceties to look forward to, as our factory has made substantial progress on the upcoming OO Gauge LMS 12 Ton Vans and sent us some samples to look over. 

The range includes 2 different diagrams, the D1832A and D1663. They are almost identical; however, the D1832A featured a single ventilator bonnet at either end. Our factory has kindly sent us samples of both types for you to enjoy. We hope you like them as much as we do.

We have a limited number of these still available to pre-order through our website; however, the order book has closed for these models. Make sure you pre-order yours before they are gone. With such positive progress on this project, we are expecting these to arrive at some point in Q3 of this year. So not long to wait at all!

Delivery Updates

Just Arrived - Manning Wardle ‘L’ Class 0-6-0 (OO Gauge)

That’s right. They are here and ready to go. Arriving at our UK HQ just a couple of weeks ago, these beautiful little industrial locos have passed their QC checks and are now on their way to customers and Official Retailers. If you have pre-ordered yours directly from our website, you should have an email that contains a payment link, giving you everything you need to complete your order.

If you cannot find this email, don’t hesitate to get in contact with our Customer Service Department and they will help you complete your order.

Completed Projects Now on the Way!

Our factory has been so busy completing projects that we have to put them in a list.

The following projects are now complete and are on their way to the UK.

• USATC S160 2-8-0 (OO Gauge)
• LB&SCR 8-Ton Goods Van (Dia.8) (OO Gauge)
• GER Dia.17 5-Plank (OO Gauge)
• GER Dia.48 7-Plank Opens (OO Gauge)

And slightly ahead of schedule:

• All-Purpose Wagons (009 Gauge)

Although these are on the way, due to the variable nature of International shipping, we cannot give you a clearer indication of their arrival date. Simply because we don’t know the answer ourselves. The most likely outcome is that they arrive throughout the early stages of Q3.

Once they have arrived and passed our QC checks, we will be in touch with all of you who have pre-ordered through our website and let everyone else know via our newsletter and social media channels.

Speaking of S160s. Andy had a trip to the Churnet Valley Railway whilst on a canal boat holiday. He couldn't resist taking our sample of 5197 to pose alongside the full size version.

Factory Updates

With all of the completed projects, you’d think our factory had enough on its hands. Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth. They have also made some excellent headway on some projects that are due a little bit later this year. 

MR 483 Class locomotives are entering the final assembly phase.

North Eastern Railway Evolution coaches are making progress.

The rather attractive Highland Railway livery is taking shape.

Our other Scottish livery is also making progress.

LMS vans are well on the way through final assembly.

Order Book Closing Dates

We’ve had a little bit of a change of plan for the upcoming order book closures. In last month’s newsletter, we mentioned that the LNER D40 4-4-0 (GNSR V & F) was also going to close alongside the LNER C12 4-4-2T. However, we have decided to split up the LNER locos a tad. We will confirm in a later newsletter when the closure of the LNER D40 will be.

So, with this in mind. Make sure you get your pre-orders in by Monday, the 1st of June, for the following item:

• LNER C12 4-4-2T (OO Gauge)

With our sights firmly set on the LNER, the order books that are closing at the end of June are a must-have for any pre-grouping modeller. We are wrapping up the order books for our upcoming GCR freight stock.

Order books close on Monday, the 29th of June, for the following

• GCR Dia.17B Covered Van (OO Gauge)
• GCR Dia.9A / 9B 6-Plank Open (OO Gauge)
• GCR Dia.6C 3-Plank Open (OO Gauge)

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.

Rapido Trains UK Staff Day Out

Since the formation of Rapido Trains UK, we have been very lucky and have gone on some brilliant staff day outs. These have ranged from a day's driving and riding trains on the beautiful Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway, to a jaunt around Kent on a railtour hauled by West Country Class 34046 Braunton. However, this year's shindig was special.

We visited a privately-owned secret railway, hidden somewhere in the southeast. As much as we would love to give you more details of exactly where this little gem is located, we were sworn to secrecy. How exciting!

Upon arrival, we received a detailed safety brief from the owner, who had very kindly invited us into his garden. Yes, the spectacular little railway is effectively the coolest garden railway we have ever seen.

With around a mile of 2ft gauge track snaking its way around the grounds, we were given the freedom to ride behind and drive (under the guidance of the drivers) each of the locomotives that were rostered on for that day. 

Rapido owner Jason Shron had travelled over from Canada to join us. As a self-confessed diesel fanatic, he wears his passion for railways very much on his sleeve. Understandably, he had first dibs on driving the Baguley-Drewry.

The rest of us took turns driving two beautifully kept steam locos, Pixie, and Chuquitanta. Chuquitanta has even been converted to have a tender, which was the perfect place for some of us to comfortably perch.

Partway through our day, one train changed its rolling stock to a rake of slate wagons. We needed little encouragement to take the rare opportunity of riding in them. This incredible bone-rattling ride was a great laugh for all of those brave enough to experience it. However, with no buffers and a loose coupling set up, we did need to check all of our fillings, dentures and hairpieces are still firmly in place before leaving. (Ed.: Hairpieces???)

We can say with some confidence that this was one of the most exquisitely kept collections of rolling stock, locomotives and railwayana we had ever seen. The paintwork and cleanliness were out of this world. Despite the modest size of the railway, it's fair to say that we had an absolutely awesome time for the entire day.

With everyone having gleefully ridden every train and taken a plethora of photos, our adventure was nicely wrapped up with an all-UK team photo, minus Samantha and Jason.

Jason: I was on the other side of the shed! I learned about this group photo after it was taken. No hard feelings. Really.

Rapido UK: We would like to thank the owner, Jeremy, and his kind team of volunteers at the Richmond Light Railway for accommodating us; it was a day to remember!

The Titfield Thunderbolt 4K UHD Collector's Edition by STUDIOCANAL

We love The Titfield Thunderbolt film, and we were over the moon when STUDIOCANAL allowed us to produce a fully licensed train pack based on the film. So, this latest news from STUDIOCANAL certainly caught our eye. 

STUDIOCANAL is thrilled to announce a brand-new 2-disc Collector’s Edition of one of Ealing Studios’ beloved classic comedies, The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953). Meticulously restored in 4K for the forthcoming release on the 15th of June 2026.

The Titfield Thunderbolt is a quintessential British comedy for classic comedy lovers and train enthusiasts alike, and the new Ultra High-Definition rendition joins part of STUDIOCANAL’s ever-expanding Vintage Classics collection dedicated to the preservation of classic film.

The restoration of The Titfield Thunderbolt began with the 4K pin-registered scanning of the original three-strip camera negative. The three strips had to have their colour separations combined to produce the final colour image. One of the biggest issues to overcome was aligning the colour separations together, initially an automated process, but also requiring a huge amount of manual tweaking and tracking.

Film scanning, colour grading and restoration were completed by Silver Salt Restoration, who dedicated over 500 hours to manually clean and carefully remove sparkle, dirt and scratches, repair of missing frames, tears and correction of density fluctuation.

Extras on the Collector’s Edition include a new segment on the railway that sparked The Titfield Thunderbolt with Tim Dunn, The Titfield Thunderbolt Pathé short, the Making Of, Douglas Slocombe on Charles Chrichton interviewed by Matthew Sweet, Douglas Slocombe 16mm footage & more. A 64-page booklet and poster of the original artwork are also included.

So, now you can watch this incredible movie in UHD, and get some inspiration to recreate your favourite scene with our award-winning OO Gauge The Titfield Thunderbolt Train packs.

You can pre-order The Titfield Thunderbolt 4K UHD Collector's Edition now!

Marcia Update - Overhaul

As you read this Marcia will have just turned 103 years old! She left the Atlas Works of Peckett and Sons on the 28th April 1923 and was delivered to a quarry near Matlock.

Over the last few months steady progress has been made on the engines repaint and works. A few of the latest photos are below for you to enjoy.

The new chimney based is being machined and the front bufferbeams are ready for lining.

Work has started restoring all the small brass bits. The oil cups for the connecting and coupling rods are being cleaned up - as seen in this before and after shot.

All the cab pipework has been removed for cleaning and polishing too.

A taste of what's to come - one panel has received its first yellow line. There are still another two lines and a black band to go on this panel!

Of course preserving history is never cheap. If you fancy supporting the upkeep of Marcia why not head over to the engine's dedicated shop (by clicking the button below) and take a look at our exclusive wagons, badges and other items.

Thought of The Month

This month we invite our founder, Jason Shron, to share some words of wisdom.

Jason: "Wisdom" is questionable, but I will share some words.

Though there is little photographic evidence above (I was in that diesel, honest Guv!), I have just been to the UK to visit the team – thankfully returning home before it became as hot as Hades.

Sidura and I found our way to the Severn Valley Railway while in the UK.

I know I've said this before, but I was overwhelmed by how incredible this team is. The UK company isn't yet six years old, but it is quickly catching up to the North American company in annual turnover and number of projects. Together, I think I can safely wager that the Rapido group of companies (Canada, USA and UK combined) has more new projects going into tooling each year than any other model railway company. If we're not at the top, we're certainly very near the top.

Designing and delivering all of these models is "a very lot" of work. That accomplishment is down to the people. Andy, Steve and Corwin have assembled a cracking team who are creative and talented and able to think outside the box. We have so many "outside the box" thinkers at Rapido that the box has actually left the building.

I don't usually like to single out one person, but I have to make special mention of Dave Mylett. Dave came to Rapido with Evolution as a concept pretty much ready to roll, and then Linny and Jamie developed and brought his 2D designs into glorious 3D. So I guess I am singling out three people!

Evolution is not only the most successful passenger car made by the UK company; it's the most successful passenger car series made by Rapido in its 22-year history. Since launch, we've sold more Evolutions than Rapido Canada has sold of its Super Continental Line in over 20 years. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because it's a brilliant concept and our UK team was able to pull it off so amazingly, even if it did suck up all the capacity of one of our factories and delay a tonne of North American shipments! So kudos to Dave, Linny, Jamie and the team!

This was my first live encounter with a Western in service. Wow!

That's Western Champion, by the way.

I'm not just writing to gush about the UK team, as awesome as they are. I'm writing because Sidura and I spent a day on the Severn Valley Railway during the Spring Diesel Festival. Being an adopted Brummie – the Westerns were bostin! – I have visited the SVR many times. But on this visit I saw the railway in a new light.

A Class 50 smokes up Kidderminster with the only kind of smoke that matters...

diesel exhaust! I'll run for cover...

I'm in total awe of the British railway preservation community. Did you know there are over 170 heritage railways in the UK? Not all of them are at the same scale as the SVR, but each has its own unique character and draw. Yes, even Corwin's wee Bristol Harbour Railway!

I'm the president of the VIA Historical Association here in Canada. We have a fledgling collection of rolling stock which we are assembling to celebrate VIA Rail Canada's 50th anniversary in 2028. First off, the only way we will be able to get our heritage train out on the mainline is with political help, as the freight railways won't likely consider allowing VIA to run an extra train, even for its 50th. There are no mainline charters in Canada. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Secondly, after VIA's 50th there is no nearby heritage railway where we could easily store and operate our train. The plan for now is to keep it with VIA for their use at special events.

The VHA's preserved locomotive, FP9A #6539, poses with newer F40PH-2D #6424 at VIA's Toronto Maintenance Centre in 2025.

There are very few heritage railways in North America, full stop. Most of them involve one train running into a field or forest on a couple of miles of abandoned mainline, and then backing up. The loco and carriage sheds found at SVR and similar-sized heritage railways around the UK are unheard of in North America, despite North America being so huge – something like 78 times the size of the UK. It's not like we don't have the room.

Seriously. Despite there being almost 400 million people in Canada and the United States, our entire railway preservation industry is on life support, with a few notable exceptions. Neither Canada nor the US has the financial support or the volunteer support to make railway preservation a national, viable heritage industry.

This Hymek hauled my train from Highley to Kidderminster. Here I'm chatting with the driver. This was my first time running behind a diesel hydraulic!

So my hat is off to you, the UK railway enthusiasts and railway modeller community. What you have achieved and continue to achieve is astounding. I dream that one day we could have something similar in North America.

I think my best option in the near term is to keep coming to the UK and to continue to ride as many brilliant heritage railways as I possibly can. I'll next be there in August, and I'm looking forward to returning to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in anticipation of our forthcoming The Railway Children train packs. I can't wait!

Here I am hauling a goods train in RLR diesel #1 in the dappled afternoon shadows.

I'm looking forward to my next trip to visit the railways of the UK!

Thanks, Jason!

That’s us across the line as we wrap up May. We hope you like the new announcements and samples, and we’ll be back at the end of June with more news and project updates.

The Rapido Trains UK Team