Railway Models UK

Model railway maker Dapol has unveiled plans for a fresh series of OO gauge 0-4-0 saddle tanks, built by Hawthorn Leslie in Newcastle.

These new locomotives draw heavily on a large fleet of 0‑4‑0 saddle tanks built between 1899 and 1924 for industrial work, including ironworks, collieries and power stations. Many of the originals remained in service until the early to mid‑1970s, and over ten have since been preserved.

The upcoming range will offer the following liveries and names:

Lined blue with an ICI roundel, named Taw.Green, and lined black, numbered FD & EC No 4
Lined green, named Invincible
Lined blue, numbered Port of London No 57
Lined dark blue, numbered NCB No 25
Maroon and lined straw, named Fearless

Pricing will be £145 for a DCC‑ready set, £180 for a DCC‑fitted set, and £280 for a DCC‑sound set.

Artwork has been sent to Dapol’s partner factory, and we expect decorated samples to appear in a few months. The locomotives should be available in shops by summer 2027.

In 1886 the shipbuilder A. Leslie and Company of Hebburn merged with the locomotive builder R. & W. Hawthorn of St. Peter’s in Newcastle upon Tyne, creating Hawthorn Leslie and Company. In addition to bespoke build work for the main line, the firm produced several standard designs—including the 0‑4‑0 saddle tanks shown now—and fireless locomotives.

After assembling 2,783 locomotives, Hawthorn Leslie merged with Robert Stephenson of Darlington in 1937 to form Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Ltd. In 1943 the combined company became a subsidiary of the Vulcan Foundry.

Dapol announces Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0 saddle tanks

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