Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs
Prototype Era
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)
The 48XX and 58xx was designed to replace the earlier 19th century George Armstrong Wolverhampton 517 class. Charles Collett improved the design with new higher pressure boilers and an improved cab. A total of 75 14xx were built with auto gear for working with trailer cars and when introduced were numbered 48xx to 4874 with 20 non auto fitted 58xx class constructed for general purpose traffic. The first locomotives entered service in 1932, with most running into the 1960s. The 4800 with autocoach meant the locomotive could be controlled from there which negated the requirement to run the locomotive round at the end of the journey. This format was known as a push-pull train. After the war experiments with oil firing of the 28xx class would be renumbered in the 48xx class, therefore the original 48xx class were renumbered 1400 to 1474. Four members of the class have been preserved 1420, 1442. 1450 and 1466.
The locomotive will have all of the usual refinements that are expected to be found on all Dapol models including:
Technical Specification:
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Dapol 48XX Class 0‑4‑2 4820 Green “Great Western” steam locomotive is supplied DCC fitted and carries the manufacturer part number 4S‑006‑002D. The model represents the “Big Four” era of British railways – the LNER, LMS, GWR and SR – and is an 0‑4‑2 tank engine originally built for the Great Western Railway.
The prototype 48XX and 58XX classes were introduced in 1932 to replace the older 19th‑century George Armstrong Wolverhampton 517 class. Designed by Charles Collett, they featured higher‑pressure boilers, an improved cab and, for the 48XX, an auto‑gear arrangement that allowed push‑pull operation with an autocoach. Seventy‑five locomotives were built in the 48XX series (numbers 4800–4874) and a further twenty 58XX units were made for general traffic. The class remained in service into the 1960s, with four examples surviving in preservation (1420, 1442, 1450 and 1466).
The Dapol model includes a die‑cast chassis, running plates, wheels with metal tyres, boiler and firebox, and a fully compensated chassis. It offers a detailed cab interior, removable cab roof held by magnets, bunker steps appropriate to post‑1936 examples and two footplate styles to represent both 48XX and 58XX variants. Additional details such as Collett‑sprung straight‑shank buffers, top‑feed where required, and accurately applied liveries are provided, together with printed number plates and etched accessory plates.
Technical features comprise a slide‑in PCB that allows tool‑free installation of a NEXT‑18 DCC decoder and a solder‑free speaker connection through the smokebox door. The locomotive is equipped with a high‑quality core‑less motor, firebox glow synchronised with sound, and a NEXT‑18 DCC socket. Dapol offers DCC ready, DCC fitted and DCC sound fitted options, with RealDrive functionality available on factory‑fitted models only.