820018 Rapido LSWR/WD 20T Brake Van - No. S55106 BR(S) Brown

New release - pre-orders invited - expected during 2027. preauthkernow

Rapido say "Rapido Trains UK is proud to announce a brand-new brake van range with the most diverse selection of liveries to date. The OO Gauge LSWR / WD 20t Brake Van.

In 1907, the London and South Western Railway introduced a new 20t Goods Brake Van. Designed by Carriage and Wagon Superintendent, Surrey Warner, they would succeed the outdated ‘Road Vans’ on many LSWR mainline freight services. Built with an 18ft body and 10ft 6in wheelbase underframe, they were fitted with a veranda at either end and duckets on either side. They also had a separate goods compartment from the guards' area, making them ideal for parcels and light goods duties. These comforts clearly resonated well with crews, as the 20t Brake Van was seen as a vast improvement on its predecessors. A total of 35 were constructed, and these were issued Diagram 1545 by the Southern Railway during the grouping era.

Following the outbreak of war in 1914, Britain's railways were put under immense pressure. A large amount of rolling stock was requisitioned for the war effort and sent abroad to aid in the logistics of the ongoing conflict. By 1917, the War Department determined that additional brake vans were required. They adopted the LSWR 20t Brake Van design as standard, only amending it so that it was 2in narrower. These were constructed by numerous contractors throughout 1917 and 1918, and most of them were sent over to mainland Europe. At the end of the Great War, much of the surviving rolling stock that had been used by the War Department was returned to the UK. This included at least 250 of the WD-built 20t Brake Vans. Upon their return, they were allocated to a long list of different pre-grouping railway companies to replace other vans lost during the hostilities. Twenty of them remained unallocated when the railways were grouped in 1923; these were subsequently purchased by the newly formed Southern Railway. As they were slightly different to those that they had inherited from the LSWR, they gave them a unique diagram number, Dia 1549. As railway companies across the Eastern and Western regions received the repatriated vehicles, they would, in turn, pass them to the GWR and LNER upon the grouping. Making the design one of the most widely spread across the UK, and one that featured a plethora of liveries. Some examples survived through to the last days of BR steam, as they were still favoured for branch line work. The Rapido Trains UK OO Gauge LSWR / WD 20t Brake Van will be available in a variety of liveries, including early LSWR, WD, Pre-grouping, Grouping and BR versions.

As much as we would love to have included millimetre-perfect accuracy across the entire range, sadly, the difference in size between the LSWR and WD variants is minuscule at this scale. The 2in difference in size would equate to only 0.66mm in OO Gauge; as such, we will be covering both types with a single body tooling. Due to the high number of builders and owning railway companies, the 20t Brake Van had quite a few key differences. We have included as many of these in the range as possible. These include duckets that are panelled, boarded or plain riveted, roofs either with or without rain strips, panelled or doored sides, 2 types of buffers, 3 types of axle boxes, and a plethora of handrail combinations. Each model will have a multitude of separately fitted parts, including highly detailed brake gear, running boards, lamp irons, and a chimney. The van's interior contains an internal partition, chairs, a stove, and a handbrake. All versions are fitted with NEM 362 standard coupler sockets, metal bearings and either Split-spoked or 3-hole disc wheels."

BR No. S55106

• 20T Brake Van
• British Railways (Southern Region) Brown
• Oil 116 Axleboxes
• Riveted ducket
• Plain buffers
• Side doors
• Roof with 2 rain strips
• Protruding lamp irons
• Disc wheels running in metal bearings
• NEM 362 Coupler Pockets