Rapido Trains UK have announced the Fowler & Co. Resilient Class 4wD in OO-9 gauge.
The name John Fowler is held in high regard by steam enthusiasts, but the company's legacy and fan base are primarily not that of railway locomotives, but those that ran on roads and farmers' fields. John Fowler & Co. of Leeds produced some of the finest steam-powered traction engines and farming vehicles ever built.
Having produced lots of narrow gauge steam locomotives for industrial work, the company designed many of its diesels with a similar spec in mind. Making them ideal for construction projects, quarries and aggregate haulage.
One of these designs was a 4wD and was assigned as the Resilient Class.
In 1936, Fowler & Co. built four diesel locomotives for the Essex Water Authority, to aid in the construction of the Abberton Reservoir near Colchester. Once they served their purpose, three of the four locos were sold in 1939 to the Alpha Cement Company for their site at Cliffe in Kent. These locos were named Abberton, Layer, and Peldon.
The locos continued to work the quarry until 1962, and the works subsequently closed in its entirety in 1970. In an unlikely turn of events, much of the remaining rolling stock was simply left to fall into a state of disrepair in the middle of the quarry.
Layer and Peldon were saved by the Brockham Museum Association, and No. 21295 Peldon would later be transferred to Amberley Museum in 1982. After extensive restoration from her derelict state, Peldon re-entered service in 1987.
The Rapido Trains UK Fowler & Co. Resilient Class 4wD will be available in a variety of liveries.
All versions are available in both DCC-Ready and DCC-Fitted. They feature a small coreless motor, a MoPower stay-alive, and an E24 DCC decoder socket.
The accessory bag contains a number of detailing parts including dumb buffers, vacuum brake gear, a grill cover, cab doors, a selection of different front and rear headlights, and painted name, build, and bonnet front manufacturer plates appropriate to the relevant version.
Ten versions, are being produced as shown below.
834001: 009 Fowler Resilient - Fowler Works Green
834002: 009 Fowler Resilient - Light Green 'Layer'
834003: 009 Fowler Resilient - Fowler Works Green 'Peldon'
834004: 009 Fowler Resilient - Lined Green 'Dinmor'
834005: 009 Fowler Resilient - Blue and Cream
834006: 009 Fowler Resilient - Lined Maroon
834007: 009 Fowler Resilient - Plain Yellow
834009: 009 Fowler Resilient - Black with Wasp Stripes
834010: 009 Fowler Resilient - Umber and Cream
Click on the items above to view and pre-order the OO-9 Gauge Fowler Resilients due 2027.
Subject to alteration
