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Hornby R40480

LNER - 'West Riding Limited' - Open Third & Brake Third - Coach pack

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI/AI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)

Manufacturer description

Following the success of the LNER’s newly-introduced ‘Coronation’ trains in 1935, a new train was introduced to operate between London King’s Cross and Leeds and Bradford in 1937.

A new set of carriages was built that was identical to the ‘Coronation’ with four twin articulated coaches, though not the streamlined beavertail observation car, named the ‘West Riding Limited’. Carriages were in pairs, sharing a bogie between the two, thus reducing friction and improving ride quality.

The train first ran on 27th September 1937 and achieved an average speed of 63.3mph (101.9km/h) between King’s Cross and Bradford. It was hauled by Gresley's ‘A4’ No. 4492 ‘Dominion of New Zealand’, which had emerged from Doncaster Works only three months earlier.

Services were suspended for the duration of the Second World War, but were reinstated in 1949. A modern version of the train is still operated by the present-day LNER with a 6.30am departure from Bradford Forster Square station.

The final pair are made up of an open third class coach with lavatory, plus another third class brake coach with alternative accommodation for the train’s guard, and those are the highly detailed OO gauge model coaches shown in this pack.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

Hornby LNER ‘West Riding Limited’ – Open Third & Brake Third – Coach pack is a OO gauge model kit that reproduces two third‑class carriages from the historic LNER ‘West Riding Limited’ service. The pack is supplied by Hornby and carries the manufacturer part number R40480. It represents the period of the British railways known as the Big Four – LNER, LMS, GWR and SR.

The ‘West Riding Limited’ was introduced in 1937 to run between London King’s Cross and Leeds and Bradford. It comprised four twin‑articulated coaches identical to those used on the 1935 ‘Coronation’ trains, though it omitted the streamlined beavertail observation car. The train’s first run took place on 27 September 1937, achieving an average speed of 63.3 mph (101.9 km/h) between King’s Cross and Bradford, and was hauled by Gresley ‘A4’ No 4492 ‘Dominion of New Zealand’. Services were suspended during the Second World War and reinstated in 1949; a modern version continues to operate under the present‑day LNER.

The pack contains two highly detailed coaches: an open third‑class coach with lavatory and a third‑class brake coach that provides alternative accommodation for the guard. Both models feature the articulated bogie design used on the original carriages, offering an accurate representation of this 1930s LNER service for collectors and railway model enthusiasts.