{"product_id":"970005-rapido-lms-d1663-van-lms-post-36-no-158995","title":"970005 Rapido LMS D1663 Van - LMS (post-36) No.158995","description":"970005 Rapido LMS D1663 Van - LMS (post-36) No.158995  \u003cp\u003eNew release - pre-orders invited - expected during 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eRapido say \"\"OO Gauge LMS D1832A and D1663 12-Ton Vans\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eFollowing the grouping of the railways in 1923, the newly formed London, Midland and Scottish Railway inherited a host of ageing and dilapidated freight stock from their pre-grouping predecessors. To remedy this and remain competitive, the LMS undertook a massive modernisation program of its freight stock, though many of the designs were either adapted or simply copied from pre-grouping companies a swathe of brand-new prototypes started rolling off the production line in late 1923. The humble box van was no exception. Production of the newly conceived 9ft wheelbase Dia.1663 12-Ton Vans began in 1924, and 850 wagons were produced over 2 years. Standing out amongst a sea of hinged doored and wooden-ended vans, the Dia.1663 vans featured a stylish sliding door, corrugated steel ends, and external steel cross braces at one end to facilitate the clearance of the sliding doors.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eThe LMS had a habit of applying new diagram numbers to almost identical prototypes that featured only minor differences, and the sliding door 12-Ton Vans of the 1920s and 30s were no different. Much like their earlier counterparts, the Dia.1832A 12-ton vans had the same sliding door, 9ft wheelbase, corrugated steel end, and cross-brace design, however, they also featured a single ventilator bonnet at either end. Some variants were produced with roof vents for extra ventilation. The Dia.1832A were then fitted with different headstocks and buffers. With added ventilation, a greater variety of freight traffic could be transported throughout the LMS network and beyond. This later diagram clearly refined the design as a whopping 3,450 vans were built between 1929 and 1931. Surviving into the late years of Nationalisation, both the LMS D1832A and D1663 12-Ton Vans could be found up and down the country, some still soldiered on in departmental use way into the 1970s.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eThe new Rapido Trains UK OO Gauge model of the LMS D1832A and D1663 12-Ton Vans will feature the usual wealth of detail, including separately fitted parts such as grab handles, full external and underframe details, brass bearings for smooth friction-free running, NEM coupling pockets and a high-quality livery application. This project is in tooling and samples are expected in early 2025.\"\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rapido","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56355988996476,"sku":"970005","price":28.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0943\/3048\/7164\/files\/970005_eccd52ee-1956-493f-899c-7737ef8e8532.png?v=1786092333","url":"https:\/\/www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com\/products\/970005-rapido-lms-d1663-van-lms-post-36-no-158995","provider":"Kernow Model Rail Centre","version":"1.0","type":"link"}