Rapido UK Newsletter No. 7
©2021 Rapido Trains Ltd
Dear Rapido Customer,

Welcome to another newsletter. We need to start with an apology. We said last issue that there would be a new tooling announcement in this one but we failed to take into account the fact that both Andy and I had summer holidays booked. We simply ran out of time to get everything ready.

JASON: I told you that you Brits have too much holiday!

RICHARD: We apologise for any unnecessary frothing that our premature announcement announcement might have caused.

ANDY: There’s an innuendo in there somewhere.

JASON: Keep it clean guys. This is a family publication!

RICHARD: Moving swiftly along... We've received a big box from China and it’s difficult to decide which of the contents is the most exciting. We’ll let you decide:


But there's loads more cool stuff in this issue:

  • An "explosive" new video!
  • How to weather a bus
  • Suggest an OB
  • Order deadline reminders with fun videos to watch!
Here's a sensible promotional film to mark the order deadline (September 1st) for the Gunpowder Van. Click on the above to view it. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cringe...
Order deadline reminder 1: GPVs

The first order of business is that September 1st 2021 is the order deadline for the 'OO' gauge Gunpowder Van.

ANDY: How is it nearly September already?

RICHARD: I know! It’ll soon be…

ANDY: Don’t say it!

RICHARD: Anyway, to mark the occasion, we've produced a short film. We've copied the high-quality, high-brow format from our North American colleagues.

ANDY: Whom are you trying to kid? Jason wearing a Sandra Bullock wig is not high-brow!

RICHARD: Well, this time it's me making a fool of myself, with help from BRM’s Phil Parker and the guys at the wonderful Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway. Check it out.
Haven't watched the video yet? You've missed a really big bang!
Gunpowder Van EP
The factory is working on a couple of tweaks to the GPV, including toning down the roof rivets, adjusting the position of the handbrake linkage and moving the NEM coupling mounts.
We have TEN different GPVs to choose from, in BR, GWR, LNER, LMS and Royal Ordnance Factory liveries. Apologies for anyone who has seen No. M701058 advertised as M701508. This was our mistake... oops!
Click on the above to bask in the cinematic glory that was our SECR open wagon video. Seems as though all videos have to start in Richard's office...
Order deadline reminder 2: SECR wagons

September 1st 2021 is also the order deadline day for our 'OO' gauge SECR wagons.

We know you won't have but just in case you have forgotten, we're producing two diagrams of five-plank open and the Dia. 1355 seven-plank. They’re designed in the UK, fabulously detailed and you really need to add a few to your collection… just like the GPVs!
We're producing two diagrams of five-plank wagon (Dia. 1347 and 1349) whilst the
Dia. 1355 seven-plank is also available with a sheet-rail.
Hand-painted sample.
A hand-painted sample of our SECR seven-plank open wagon. These are going to be fantastic little models. Better get your order in quick!
We think that both the SECR opens and the GPVs are some of the most detailed 'OO' gauge four-wheel wagons ever. Don't believe us? Why not head over to our website or to your local Rapido stockist and place an order? We're sure you won't be disappointed!

But remember: ordering before September 1st is the only way to guarantee you get the wagons you want.
Click to see Rapido Inc's Dan Darnell showing off some of his really simple road vehicle weathering techniques.
Guy and Dan star at Virtual Bus Bash

Did you attend the Virtual Bus Bash over the weekend of August 21st/22nd? If you did, you will have seen Rapido Trains Inc's ace model maker and weathering guru Dan Darnell give one of our BCT 'New Look' Guys a grubby make-over.

The Bus Bash, forced to go virtual thanks to Covid, is supported by National Express West Midlands, National Express Coventry and the National Express Bus Historic Society and raises money for Midlands Air Ambulance charity (you can donate by clicking here).

Once you've enjoyed looking at Dan's superb workmanship, scroll down for some more 'New Look' Guy goodness...
Here's the finished, weathered bus. Nice work Dan! You can use Dan's techniques on other road vehicles too.
The new batch of BCT 'New Look' Guys should be in stock in late September. All models in this batch come with lights (you'll need to find a 9V-12V power source).
The Guys are coming!

Here are the first shots of the fresh batch of BCT ‘New Look’ Guys. They've been air-freighted to us in advance of the main shipment, which is on the high seas and should land in the warehouse late September...ish.

These 'New Looks' boast all-new destinations and fleet numbers. In fact, seeing as we’ve included the coat of arms on the bonnet that we missed off the first time, they're even better than the first batch! There are 11 to choose from and they're all are available to order now.
The new batch of BCT 'New Look' Guys has the Birmingham coat of arms on the nose.
The 'New Looks' are available in Birmingham City Transport and West Midlands PTE liveries. Order today!
We're really proud of our Fleetlines, especially the fabulously detailed interior. This is SKU901018 (No. 6913 in Travel West Midlands blue/silver).
Production Fleetlines

Taa daa! Here are the first images of factory-finished WMPTE Fleetlines! Like the 'New Looks' above, these samples have been air-freighted to us in advance of the main production batch.

The Fleetlines are sharing the same container as the 'New Looks' so they should be with us, all being well, in a few weeks. Don’t worry, we’ll let you know when they arrive.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on this small selection of the different versions we've produced. Then head over to the website to select your favourite. We've got plenty to choose from although some liveries are close to selling out. Get your order in quick to avoid disappointment.
SKU901004 carries West Midlands PTE blue/cream livery. All Fleetlines are fitted with lights (you'll need to source a 9V-12V power supply). Factor in the beautiful looks, rubber tyres and poseable front wheels, they're a steal at RRP £54.95 each.
We've tooled two types of headlight/indicator configuration. This is the early version...
...whereas this Fleetline has the later style.
Would you expect anything less from a Rapido product?
Fleetline No. 6965 (SKU901012) is in West Midlands Travel blue/grey livery...
...whereas No. 6909 (SKU901015) carries the later West Midlands Travel blue/silver scheme.
Our Fleetlines look good from every angle!
No 'back end of a bus' gags please!
We'll leave you with one final Fleetline image to whet your appetite. You can place an order now or wait until you've finished reading this newsletter.
A huge milestone in the history of Rapido Trains UK: the first Engineering Prototypes of our first locomotive. They really look the business!
FIRST LOOK: Hunslet 16in 0-6-0ST

Also in the box from China are two first samples of our ‘OO’ gauge Hunslet 16in.

The factory has done a fantastic job with these models and they've turned out better than we could have ever hoped.

We haven't had a chance to do much in-depth testing yet but we're really pleased to report that they perform as well as they look. They have two flywheels and run beautifully slowly. They're powerful too and Andy had 25 wagons running behind one. He would have added more wagons but it kept dragging the wagons off the rails on tight curves.

If you want to see a video of the Hunslets in action, you can by clicking here.

As a photograph is apparently worth a 1,000 words, we'll let these images do the talking...
We're really proud of our 'OO' gauge Hunslets. There are seven to choose from and they're available to order now. Visit our website to make your selection - and then hurry back here to carry on reading.
Rather than go for the usual unrealistic heap of coal in the bunker, we've tried to sculpt a more realistic dipped shape. Looks much better, doesn't it?
Just look at all that footplate detail. Yes, the injector handles are separate parts.
How often do you see the bunker 'coal hole' modelled on a 'OO' gauge tank locomotive?
Spot the difference: we've tooled two types of chimney and two styles of sandbox filler lids and the lubricator and lubricator pipework are optional parts too.
Bedford OB scan
Is there a particular Bedford OB you want to see in 1:76 scale? Then let us know.
Suggest a Bedford

One question that we're constantly asked is: will our forthcoming 1:76 scale Bedford OB coach be available in liveries other than Pearce & Crump from The Titfield Thunderbolt.

The simple answer is yes. We just haven't decided which ones yet.

Our plan is to offer a range of OBs in accurate liveries. Wherever you model or wherever you live in the country, there should be an OB for you. However, just to make sure, why not tell us about your favourite?

You can share your OB wants list by filling in our Product Suggestion form. Remember to include a photograph is you have one.

It's also worth pointing out that the remaining Titfield models - Lion, the Wisbech & Upwell tramcar, the Loriot Y flat wagon and the 'Toad' brakevan will also be available in authentic historical liveries too. Watch this space for further details.
Wagons were the life blood of the railway yet they're easily overlooked in favour of more glamorous subjects. Thinking differently about your wagons could really enhance your layout's realism. COLOUR RAIL
Thought of the month

By Andy

I love watching trains on layouts, in particular goods trains. There's nothing better than watching a slow goods train rumbling by a goods yard where more wagons are being shunted.

But I'm a railway historian (and a bit of a wagon nut too!) and there are two pitfalls that many layout builders fall into when it comes to the humble goods wagon. The point of what follows is to explain that, by making a few tweaks to the way you think about wagons, you can achieve even greater levels of realism.

How many times do you see rakes of wagons on a layout, all proudly wearing the same livery? This always amuses me. Yes, it might look smart but it's not how the railway used to operate.

Wagons were regularly worked onto the metals of other companies in order to deliver their cargoes. Prior to the First World War, these vehicles would have been swapped between trains as necessary until they reached their destination. They'd then be worked back to their parent company empty.
It's not just modellers who fall into the trap of running wagons all in the same livery!
No. 813 makes a fine sight at the head of a rake of beautifully restored GWR wagons at the Severn Valley Railway in 2016. PAUL CHANCELLOR
The demands placed on the railways during the Great War resulted in wagons from each of the railway companies being allocated to a pool of common user stock. This meant that when a wagon from one company was worked onto the metals of another, that company could then use that wagon for its own purposes. The Railway Clearing House would then determine any payment to be made to the wagon's parent company.

For the most part, this system worked and the stock remained balanced. Occasionally, however, if too high a number of wagons from one company were found on another, they'd be marshalled together and returned empty to the parent company. A number of more specialist vehicles, however, were labelled as 'not in common use' and these had to be returned to the parent company immediately after unloading.
The 'not common user' lettering will be seen on our forthcoming
This 'common user' system made the railways far more efficient and reduced the empty wagon milage from some 60% down to 20% by 1918. In fact, it was so successful that is continued through the Grouping years until Nationalisation in 1948.
Cardiff Radyr shed was firmly in Great Western territory but this 1930 photograph reveals not only LMS and private owner open wagons alongside GWR designs but the eagle-eyed might also be able to spot a Southern and an LNER wagon too. COLOUR RAIL
This meant that large numbers of wagons could be found away from their home metals, which is something that many modellers seem to miss with their uniform rakes of wagons. So even if you've modelled the sleepiest of GWR backwater branch lines, you really need to run the odd SR, LMS or LNER wagon.

Now we come on to the wagons themselves.

At the 1923 Grouping, the open wagon was the most common goods vehicle found on the railway. This continued to be the case for a number of years after. For example, between 1924 and 1940, the LMS built 60,000 open wagons to its own design (plus a further 21,000 RCH-designed open minerals). During the same period, it built 11,700 covered vans.
What's this? Outside the Wisbech & Upwell locomotive shed at Wisbech is what is clearly a GWR four-plank open wagon. How many W&U modellers would think to add a GWR wagon to their collection?
Despite this, high quality 'N' and 'OO' gauge ready-to-run open wagons have been sadly lacking, particularly for wooden-bodied pre-Grouping or 'Big Four' designs. Most manufacturers seem to favour covered vans or other specialist wagon types.

You can find any number of well wagons, brake vans and container flats to contemporary standards whereas the open wagon has seemingly been left behind. Consequently, many of the layouts I've seen seem to have a far lower proportion of open wagons compared to other wagon types.
A view of Kettering station yard on July 29th 1953. Whilst a few vans are present (including what looks like an ex-SECR example in the distance) the vast majority of the vehicles visible are wooden bodied open wagons. MIKE KING/A.E. WEST COLLECTION
We felt that the balance needed changing and the response to the SECR open wagons has proved that there is a market for the humble open bodied wagon and pre-Grouping designs. That said, we're not going to just produce open wagons.

There are a huge number of wagon designs and types that we could produce and we always like to hear your suggestions. Don’t forget you can submit your ideas here.

Now having read this article, it should be obvious that there is no excuse not to have at least one of our SECR open wagons on your layout. Keep those wagons rolling!
That's all for now folks (well done if you've managed to keep reading this far!).

We'll see you again in autumn. Just 119 shopping days to go!

JASON: Seriously, how do we switch him off?

ANDY: Here - click

RICHARD: Bye... for... now...

Richard Foster
Sales & Marketing Manager
Rapido Trains UK
You can write to us at Rapido Trains UK, PO Box 1408, Maidstone, Kent, ME149YR. Alternatively, you can call us on 01622 801204 or you can
e-mail us at customerservice@rapidotrains.co.uk