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Rapido 811008

HR Loch Class No.150 ‘Loch Eye’

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

Prototype Era
Era 2 (1875 to 1923) Pre-grouping

Fictitious Livery - Prototype eras are merely an indication of when this item may have run, if it really existed!

Manufacturer description

Highland Railway ‘Loch’ Class 4-4-0
‘What If’ HR Lined Yellow No. 150 ‘Loch Eye’
Tall louvred HR chimney
Long smokebox door straps
Smokebox wing plates
Jones safety valves
Tender toolbox
Tender gong
Suitable for operation on 2nd Radius curves (438mm or greater)
Dynamic firebox flicker
21-pin DCC decoder socket
Factory-fitted speakers in all models
Sprung buffers
Museum-quality paint finish
Smooth & powerful mechanism
Highly detailed
NEM coupler pockets
1:76 scale (OO gauge)

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

Rapido Trains UK has announced a new OO gauge model of the Highland Railway's Loch Class 4-4-0 locomotive. This class of locomotives was designed by David Jones in the late 19th century to haul passenger trains on the Highland Railway, particularly on the Inverness to Perth line and the new direct line via Aviemore.

The Highland Railway board accepted Jones' proposal, and an order for fifteen locos was placed with Dübs & Co. in 1896. The locomotives were delivered in 1897 and were named after inland Scottish lochs. The Loch Class proved to be a success, with increased cylinder size and boiler barrel length producing 17,070 lbs of tractive effort, which was almost 3000 lbs more than the Strath Class.

During World War I, the Highland Railway built a further three locos to the Loch design, which were delivered in 1917. These locomotives had a modified tender to carry more water and a Westinghouse pump. The Loch Class was later superseded by the Castle Class, but they continued to work on local passenger services and branch lines until they were withdrawn.

The entire class of 18 locos was inherited by the LMS in 1923, and some members of the class were altered, including the fitting of new boilers to prolong their lifespans. Two of the Lochs survived into British Railways days, but none were preserved. The new Rapido Trains UK models will represent the Dübs & Co. built locos and will feature various detailing variants, including different chimneys, domes, and safety valves. The range will include a selection of liveries, from pre-grouping to BR days, including a 'what if' Highland Railway Yellow livery.