Railway Models UK

Rapido Trains UK has announced its plan to release a new collection of OO Gauge pre‑grouping wagons from the Great Central Railway (GCR) fleet.

Each wagon type will be released in several variants, including fourteen versions of the Diagram 17B covered van, ten of the Diagram 9A/9B six‑plank open wagon, and twelve of the Diagram 6C three‑plank open wagon.

Key differences between the variants will include varying axle boxes and brake systems, and two distinct door styles on the Diagram 17B covered vans. All wagons will incorporate metal bearings to enable smooth free‑running motion.

Each type will be offered in a selection of pre‑grouping liveries including the GCR and the Cheshire Lines Committee, and will also feature W.D. liveries on the six‑plank wagon range.

Other liveries will cover post‑grouping and British Railways eras, including LNER, LMS and early British Railways.

Diagram 17B covered vans

Based on a design introduced by the GCR in 1910, the Diagram 17B covered vans were 19 feet long, built on a steel underframe and fitted with sliding doors on both sides. The main distinction between van types was the brake configuration – vans without brakes were allocated Diagram 17B, making them unsuitable for carrying perishable goods as they lacked vents at the roof or ends.

Diagram 9A/9B six‑plank open wagons

These wagons used the same steel underframe as the 17B covered vans. Introduced in 1911, the six‑plank design was an improvement on the five‑plank version, increasing the maximum load to ten tonnes.

The original 9A wagons incorporated a single‑sided brake with a right‑hand lever and lifting links on the brake blocks. The design was revised in 1918 to provide independent levers for the brakes on both sides.

More than two thousand 9A wagons were built, making them one of the most numerous types in the GCR’s fleet.

In 1919, the Ministry of Munitions ordered 250 units similar to the 9A wagon but capable of carrying twelve tonnes. These were designated Diagram 9B and, apart from fitted RCH split axle boxes, were externally identical to the 9A.

The LNER built hundreds of these wagons; by 1928 it had produced 779, and over 250 of each type were inherited by British Railways upon nationalisation in 1948.

Diagram 6C three‑plank open wagons

The Diagram 6C wagons shared the steel underframe of the 9A/9B series and maintained the ten‑tonne load capacity. They were fitted with dropside doors on both sides, GCR lifting link brakes, and ribbed buffers.

The pricing for the new models is £34.95 for the Diagram 17B covered van and £32.95 for the open wagons.

Preserved CLC Diagram 17B covered van

Rapido announces new OO gauge GCR wagons

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