Rapido UK Newsletter Narrow Lines Special Edition

©2025 Rapido Trains Ltd

We are breaking our usual tradition of one monthly newsletter to give you the scoop on something rather special. We are pleased to announce that we will be producing some awesome little trains, but in the usual Rapido fashion, we are doing this in a big way!

Let us introduce you to our brand new range: Rapido Narrow Lines. 

Our inaugural announcement for the Rapido Narrow Lines brand is a delightfully dinky range of newly tooled 009 Gauge models.

We suspect you’d like to know what all the fuss is about, so, without further ado, let's begin with a bit of an intro into what Rapido Narrow Lines is all about and discover what awesome new 009 Gauge models are in our first Narrow Lines announcement!

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Welcome to the Rapido Narrow Lines Range!

To kick-start our new Rapido Narrow Lines range, we have decided to enter the enthralling world of 009 modelling.

This is a project many of the Rapido staff are incredibly passionate about, with a good chunk of them either previous or current volunteers at narrow and minimum gauge railways around the UK. To say we are excited about entering the enthralling world of 009 modelling would be a drastic understatement. 

You can be confident that we will deploy the same level of care and attention to detail that you have come to expect from our existing OO and N Gauge ranges.

The new range enhances the 009 Gauge hobby and ensures it integrates nicely with ready-to-run models that are already available. In order to make Rapido Narrow Lines both user-friendly and attractive to existing hobbyists, we have consulted key people within the movement, including members of the 009 Society, independent modellers and narrow gauge kit manufacturers. Take a look at our launch video here if you're short on time:

Our first 009 Gauge announcement introduces a brand-new locomotive that is heavily customisable and available in a variety of colours. This is complemented by a new wagon range featuring numerous interesting body styles. With models representing rolling stock that could be run on a myriad of narrow gauge railways, there is something in our new range for both new and experienced 009 modellers.

We conceived Rapido Narrow Lines as an exciting new brand name to cover all global narrow gauges and model scales, so you never know what might get included in the Rapido Narrow Lines in future.

If you’ve been considering dipping your toe into the wonders of 009 Gauge modelling, there has never been a better time to do so!

Anyway, we’ve teased you long enough and you are keen to know what 009 niceties we have up our sleeve. Let's see what you make of this!

009 Gauge Kerr, Stuart & Co. Sirdar (Long-Tank) 0-4-0

This delightful little loco is well-known to many as Diana, the most famous locomotive of the class. Her restoration was completed in 2015, after which she travelled the UK, capturing the hearts and minds of enthusiasts across the country. 

Built as a modified 0-4-0 Sirdar class by Kerr, Stuart and Co. in 1909 and to a gauge of 2’5½”, Works No.1158 had a rather difficult life. She featured 200-gallon tanks, more than twice the size of those usually fitted to standard Sirdar class locos. 

Originally built alongside 5 other locomotives of varying gauges, she was intended for a railway in Mauritius; however, No.1158 sadly never made it abroad.

Despite several attempts to sell the loco, No.1158 would remain ‘in stock’ until 1917. She was purchased by the Home Grown Timber Committee and delivered to the Kerry Tramway near Newtown, Powys. Prior to delivery, No.1158 was regauged to 2’.

Following the closure of the Kerry Tramway, No.1158 was sold to the Oakeley Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog in 1925. It was here that she had the name Diana painted on her tank sides. 

She would remain at the Oakeley Quarry for a further 18 years, following which she changed hands several times. She continued to work in Wales up until 1950 when her boiler was declared unsafe.

It wasn’t until 1963 that her long journey to eventual preservation would begin.

Passing from one well-meaning owner to another, there were several unsuccessful attempts to fully restore this sweet little loco. Thankfully, in 2014, Phil Mason purchased the weather-beaten remains of Diana and, using the Workshops at the Vale of Rheidol Railway, restored her to her former glory. Diana now resides at the Amerton Railway in Staffordshire. 

A very similar Long-Tank Sirdar to Diana was also built by Kerr, Stuart and Co. for the Sons of Gwalia, a mining company based in Western Australia. Built in 1901 and arriving in Australia in 1902, Leonora was tasked with pulling trains full of firewood, fuel for the busy mines; she was also fired using this instead of coal. As such, she featured distinctive ‘cane bin’ style rails over both her tanks and boiler top.

Incredibly, Leonora was delivered to Sons of Gwalia by horse and cart over a considerable distance, which is no mean feat!

We will be producing highly detailed 009 Gauge models of both Diana and Leonora, and to go alongside these, our Kerr, Stuart & Co. Long-Tank Sirdar range also includes 6 additional colourful liveries. 

Throughout the range, there are standard, stove pipe and balloon stack chimneyed versions, as well as cabs with either doored or plain backsheets. In addition to this, some models are fitted with cane bins.

All versions are available in both DCC-Ready and DCC-Fitted, and feature 6 wiper pick-ups, and a small coreless motor with flywheel.

So that customisation and servicing is uncomplicated, the loco's removable body is held in place with 4 easily-accessible screws; this also gives you access to the model’s 6-pin DCC socket.

Sourcing parts to customise models can often be challenging, so we have made it as simple as possible by including a polybag full to the brim with interesting and easy-to-fit parts. With a huge number of combinations, we are sure you will have great fun personalising your models.



These detailed parts include screw-in alternative chimneys, dumb buffers, vacuum brake gear, toolboxes, coal bunker covers and front steps.

To enhance the 009 hobby even further, we have collaborated with our friends at Fourdees Ltd, the leading producer of narrow gauge 3D-printed kits and models. We are very proud to be supplying them with Kerr, Stuart & Co. Sirdar Class 0-4-0 chassis so that they can offer kits based on this chassis. These will be available to pre-order directly from Fourdees Ltd - see later in this newsletter for more information.

We understand that many 009 modellers love to create their own locomotives, both from scratch and other kits, so we are also making the Kerr, Stuart & Co. Long-Tank Sirdar Class 0-4-0 chassis available separately. These will be available exclusively via our website and from Fourdees Ltd.

The order book is open for the new 009 Gauge Kerr, Stuart & Co. Sirdar (Long-Tank) 0-4-0. You can pre-order your model of Diana, Leonora and 6 other eye-catching liveries and variants now! RRP for DCC-Ready Models is £139.95 and DCC-Fitted examples are £179.95.

Our 0-4-0 is a just a wee bit small to have sound fitted at the factory, so our DCC-Fitted models are what you might call the "strong, silent type".

009 Gauge 'All-Purpose' Wagon Range

To go alongside our new range of 009 locos, we wanted to pick an appropriate wagon for them. Rather than narrow it down and make the choice limited, we thought we would give modellers the luxury of introducing an All-Purpose Wagon range, featuring several different interesting body styles.

Narrow gauge railways across the world utilised an enormous amount of similar yet subtly different wagons. As such, to kick-start Rapido Narrow Lines, we have created a range of new 009 wagons, each inspired by a plethora of narrow gauge prototypes. 

The range includes a vast array of wagon body styles to suit the needs of any 009 modeller. We understand that narrow gauge railways were used for so much more than just slate quarries and preserved lines of North Wales, so we have included as many wagon variants as possible to suit your modelling needs.

Narrow gauge railways were also used to transport an eclectic mix of other minerals, liquids and powders. Some of these were rather hazardous! So, we have included cylindrical tank wagons, gunpowder vans, and peaked roof wagons in the range. This means that if you want to model oil refineries, dairies, gunpowder factories, distilleries, breweries, chemical production plants, tin mines and so much more, you can!

It wasn’t just perishables and petrochemicals that were entrusted to narrow gauge lines. All manner of agricultural produce and timber were loaded onto these titchy trains and were regularly transported in stake wagons.



Everywhere, from the lumber lines of Western Australia to the plantations of Indonesia and the Caribbean would have seen them. Our new stake wagon model will look the part, no matter how exotic the location for your railway may be. 

Whichever industry your railway represents, it will have had plenty of workers to keep the wheels of industry turning. Workmen and miners rarely travelled in luxury, and versions of the humble manrider were utilised in lots of industries, so it was only natural that we include it in our range. The manrider is also ideal if you are modelling a light or tourist railway.

With the introduction of narrow gauge railways to many rural towns and villages, farmers had considerably easier access to the larger settlements and ports. Many railways introduced livestock wagons and their designs varied greatly. Our range includes a high-sided livestock open wagon, a fitting ride for your chosen creatures.

For more conventional goods traffic, we have also included covered vans and dropside open wagons. The range is rounded off nicely with a single-veranda brake van, a common sight on many narrow-gauge lines. 

All of the models in our new 009 Gauge All-Purpose Wagon range share a common underframe and are fitted with traditional NEM compliant 009 'hook and loop' couplings, compatible with other manufacturers' designs.

Each All-Purpose Wagon variant is available in a selection of colourful liveries, and there are also numerous interesting private owner-branded wagons throughout the range for you to enjoy too. It would even appear that the sneaky Mr. G. Fawkes has realised that smaller railways are the best way to go undetected!

The 009 Gauge All-Purpose Wagons are perfect for both the established hobbyist looking to bolster their collection with some interesting wagons and the 009 newbie, as they are cost-effective, colourful, and a bit of fun! 

RRP starts from £25.95.

Narrow Lines Retailer Exclusives

To go alongside our range, we are also joining forces with Rails of Sheffield and The Wagon Yard to light the fuse on an explosive range of exclusive wagons; this includes a rather intimidating bomb carrier. To top it off further, our friends at Derails and Light Railway Stores have also commissioned further exclusive liveries.

Our friends at Rails of Sheffield are offering two different triple packs of wagons in WD green livery:

The Wagon Yard's first 009 exclusive is likely to go with a bang! Two single bomb carriers are available featuring some fun ACME and Big Boy liveries:

Derails have chosen four different body types for their regionally-themed exclusives. These wagons feature private owner style liveries for china clay, cider, coal and general manufacturing.

Light Railway Stores have commissioned two open wagons, a van and a break van in GWR livery - inspired by the vehicles on the Welshpool and Llanfair railway.

You can find out more about these exclusive models by clicking on the images above.

Collaboration with Fourdees Ltd

We know how important a good chassis is for the 009 modeller, with many of you using them under kit and scratch built models. We thought it wasn't fair to keep the chassis purely for ourselves.

As mentioned earlier in this newsletter we have been working with Fourdees Limited, the leading producer of 3D-printed 009 loco body kits.

During the development of our Long-Tank Sirdar we worked alongside Dani at Fourdees to ensure that our chassis design would be suitable for aftermarket bodyshells to be fitted.

Having supplied our chassis CAD to Dani they set about creating some all-new kits designed to be the perfect fit. The results speak for themselves with a superb range of 10 models.

These models are available to pre-order now in both complete kit (with chassis) or body only formats.

To find out more and order yours check out the Fourdees website by clicking the button below.

So there we go!

We are pleased to say that both the 009 Gauge Kerr, Stuart & Co. Sirdar (Long-Tank) 0-4-0 and All-Purpose Wagon range are already at the tooling stage.



The order book is open and you can pre-order your models directly from www.rapidotrains.co.uk today or from any of our Official Retailers. 

So, if you’ve managed to get this far and our 009 announcements still haven’t managed to grip you, then you’ll be pleased to hear that our usual monthly newsletter will return in a few weeks. May’s edition will feature updates on as many 00 Gauge and N Gauge projects as we can, and this month we have looooooads going on.

Nah, whom are we kidding, of course our 009 announcements caught your eye, and we can’t wait to talk to as many of you as possible about all things 009 and Narrow Lines at Rapido Railex in September, so make sure you join us!

Thanks for reading, and we hope you liked our new 009 and Narrow Lines announcement.

The Rapido Trains UK Team