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Dapol 4S-041-009S

Large Prairie 2-6-2 3131 Great Western Green (DCC-Sound)

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)

Manufacturer description

The 5101 class of large prairie locomotives were updated versions of the 3100 class and built between 1929 and 1939 which included the 6100 series, with a higher boiler pressure and designed for London suburban services. The final locomotives were built between 1946 and 1949 with the last twenty not receiving Great Western livery.

During December 1965 the last eleven locomotives were withdrawn all being from the 6100 batch. Dapol has now added extra tooling to allow us to model all variants of these locomotives.

Many original GA drawings were used in the development of these accurate and authentic models.

To portray these locomotives over their lifetime the following details will be available where they are applicable through the addition of many separately added details

• Two different styles of safety valve cover
• Bunker lamp bracket shield
• Smoke box top mounted lamp bracket
• Smoke box door mounted lamp bracket for B.R. period
• Smoke box number plate for B.R. period
• Separately fitted top feed pipes and hand rails
• Separately fitted lifting rings
• Screw down and flip top water filler covers
• With and without cab side shutters
• Three cab profiles
• Curved and straight drop front running plate
• Appropriate motion bracket

Technical Specification

• Ultra-powerful and smooth 5 pole skew wound motor for great haulage and super controllable running.
• Dapol’s innovative toolless DCC & Speaker installation PCB. Simply remove the smokebox door, pull out the PCB, click your speakers and decoder in place and slide back into the locomotive. No tools, no solder, no mess, no fuss.
• Compensated chassis for reliable running and pick up through all driving wheels
• Cleverly designed front pony truck allows the cylinders to be moulded in full relief whilst still allowing the locomotive to navigate R2 438mm/17.2inch) minimum radius curves with ease
• Realistic fire box glow (synchronised with sound)
• Sprung buffers
• All wheel drive
• Diecast and profiled wheels and steel tyres
• Finely engineered motion and prototypical connecting rods
• Pull out PCB with NEXT-18 decoder socket for easy DCC conversion
• Sound fitted versions will be available which will incorporate our own recorded sounds and fun features such as RealDrive where you actually drive the train for a more immersive experience

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

Dapol Large Prairie 3131 GWR Green – Great Western steam locomotive with DCC Sound. The model is fitted with DCC Sound, painted in GWR green livery and runs on a 2‑6‑2T wheel arrangement. It can negotiate a minimum radius of 2 (R2, 438 mm / 17.2 in) and picks up power from all driving wheels. Coupling is supplied as NEM with tension lock. Built to represent locomotives constructed by GWR Swindon Works between 1929 and 1949, the product carries the manufacturer part number 4S‑041‑009S and depicts the era of the Big Four railway companies (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR).

The prototype class represented is the 5101 series of large prairie locomotives, an updated version of the earlier 3100 class. These engines were built from 1929 to 1939, including the 6100 series with a higher boiler pressure for London suburban services, and a final batch produced between 1946 and 1949, the last twenty of which did not receive the Great Western livery. The final eleven locomotives, all from the 6100 batch, were withdrawn in December 1965.

Dapol has added extra tooling to model all variants of the class, using original GA drawings for accuracy. Optional detail components are available to represent the locomotives throughout their service life, including two styles of safety‑valve cover, bunker‑lamp bracket shield, various smoke‑box lamp brackets and number plates for the British Rail period, separate top‑feed pipes, hand rails, lifting rings, screw‑down water‑filler covers, cab side shutters (with and without), three cab profiles, curved or straight drop‑front running plates and appropriate motion brackets.

Technical specifications feature an ultra‑powerful 5‑pole skew‑wound motor for smooth haulage and precise control, and Dapol’s toolless DCC and speaker installation PCB that can be removed and replaced without tools or solder. The chassis is compensated for reliable running and power pickup through all wheels, while a cleverly designed front pony truck allows full‑relief cylinder moulding and easy navigation of R2 curves. Additional features include realistic firebox glow synchronised with sound, sprung buffers, all‑wheel drive, die‑cast and profiled wheels with steel tyres, finely engineered motion with prototypical connecting rods, and a pull‑out PCB with a NEXT‑18 decoder socket for straightforward DCC conversion. Sound‑fitted versions incorporate Dapol’s recorded sounds and a RealDrive function for an immersive driving experience.