Rapido Trains UK announce new generic pre-grouping 48' project 'Evolution' bogie coaches

Contributed by: Graham Muspratt

20 Sep 2024 00:00am

Rapido Trains UK  have announced a range of generic pre-grouping coaches, with the new 00 Gauge 48’ ‘Evolution’ Bogie Coaches. There is such a variety of coaching prototypes in the pre-grouping era that it has been difficult for the industry to justify making 100% accurate models for all of them.

Rapido Trains UK  are filling this gap with a selection of generic 48’ bogie coaches, each detailed with an array of key features that modellers associate with their railway of choice, that they  have dubbed project ‘Evolution’.

The coaches’ roofs were one of the most iconic features of the era, so included are arc, elliptical, and clerestory designs across the range. They include interior detailing such as luggage racks, picture frames on compartment dividers, and a fully detailed guard's van/luggage compartment in the brake third variant.
There is also a multitude of separately-fitted parts including door and grab handles, and passenger emergency alarm “butterflies” at one end. All Evolution coaches will include fitted internal working lighting controlled by a magnetic magic wand.
To complete the appearance of different gas and electric lighting fittings, the relevant models will feature separately fitted parts for battery and regulator boxes, a dynamo, roof-mounted gas lamps, plumbing, and gas tanks on the underframes. Each Evolution coach will feature Fox pattern bogies fitted with electrical pickups. Some versions will feature extra footboards on the bogies and there are also additional central lower footboards on some designs. Finally, each coach is fitted with NEM pockets and has optional close coupling bars (modelled on vacuum pipes) included.
A non-corridor Brake Third, Third, and Composite coach body variants. These will be available in multipacks, featuring 1 of each body version. Also single versions of each coach with alternative running numbers are also available.

You can view the Rapido Trains UK launch video here>>>


The first Batch 1 of project ‘Evolution’ including liveries from the following railway companies:
978001-4 South Eastern & Chatham Railway
978005-8 Midland Railway
978009-12 London & North Western Railway
978013-16 Great Western Railway
978017-20 Great Central Railway
978021-24 Great Northern Railway
978025-28 Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway
978029-32 London, Brighton & South Coast
978033-36 Longmoor Military Railway
To view the range and to pre-order click here>>>

Further batches are planned and will include other pre-grouping, grouping and nationalisation era liveries, with the potential of future additional tooling. The project ‘Evolution’ coaches are due 2025.

Subject to alteration.

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