Rapido Trains UK announce Ammonium Nitrate/ Chemical Tank Wagon in OO Gauge

Contributed by: Graham Muspratt

30 May 2025 00:00am

Rapido Trains UK have announced the Ammonium Nitrate/ Chemical Tank Wagon in OO Gauge.

In the latter part of the Great War, the Ministry of Munitions commissioned a new ammonium nitrate factory to be built at Swindon, this would facilitate the bulk transport of the chemical between Swindon and Chilwell. To accommodate the safe transfer of this volatile load, the Ministry ordered a fleet of 100 10-ton tank wagons from The Leeds Forge Company in 1916.
No longer limited to ammonium nitrate, they were utilised by companies such as the British Molasses Co., Derby Gas Company, Glasgow Corporation Chemical Works, British Sugar Corporation, and the War Department, which sent them to the Longmoor Military Railway.
Another of these new owners was Chipman Chemicals. Tasked with weedkilling, Chipman’s created purpose-built trains that featured tank wagons filled with a weedkilling chemical solution. This was then sprayed as the train moved. Weedkilling trains featuring these vehicles were seen from the grouping era through to the 1960s.
The new Rapido Trains UK OO Gauge Ammonium Nitrate/ Chemical Tank Wagons will have the usual wealth of full external and underframe detail and feature numerous tooling variants.
Detail differences within the range include split or continuous walkways, hinged end-door or fixed-ended tanks, and a selection of top, side and end valve differences depending on the version.

All models feature either split-spoked or disc wheels and are finished off with brass bearings, NEM coupling pockets and a high-quality livery application.

Thirteen different versions are being produced of the Ammonium Nitrate/ Chemical Tank Wagons per the image above, and can be pre ordered here>>>

Subject to alteration.

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