Rapido 817001

L&Y Class 25 No.957 – Lancashire & Yorkshire (As Preserved)

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

Manufacturer description

Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Class 25
No. 957
Lancashire & Yorkshire Livery (as preserved)
L&Y Style Smokebox Door
1 Piece Boiler Handrail
Ross Pop Safety Valves
Coreless motor with flywheel
21 pin decoder socket in tender
Large tender mounted speaker
MoPower stay-alive fitted.
Plunger loco pickups
Tender wheel bearing pickups
Dynamic firebox flicker
NEM pockets front and rear
Suitable for operation on 2nd radius curves (438mm or greater)

Catalogue listing

Model details

Rapido Trains UK OO gauge model of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Class 25 ‘Ironclad’ 0‑6‑0 locomotive, numbered 957 as preserved. The model carries the manufacturer part number 817001 and represents the pre‑grouping period of the original locomotives.

The model runs on 2nd radius curves of 438 mm or greater and includes a L&Y‑style smokebox door, a single boiler handrail and Ross pop safety valves. It is powered by a core‑less motor with a flywheel, and the tender houses a 21‑pin decoder socket, a large speaker and a MoPower stay‑alive unit. Additional details are plunger locomotive pickups, tender wheel‑bearing pickups, a dynamic firebox flicker and NEM pockets at both front and rear.

The real Class 25 locomotives were introduced by William Barton Wright after he became Locomotive Superintendent of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1875. Between summer 1876 and early 1887 kits were supplied by Kitson & Co., Sharp, Stewart & Co., Vulcan, Beyer Peacock and the L&Y works at Miles Platting, a total of 280 engines being built. Although designed for freight, they proved effective in mixed traffic and earned the nickname ‘Ironclad’. By the 1920s most had been rebuilt as saddle‑tank engines for local goods and shunting, and the class was later classified 2F by the LMS. The last of the original fleet, No. 957, was withdrawn in 1959, rescued by Tony Cox in 1960 and has since been based on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. It became widely known as the ‘Green Dragon’ after appearing in the 1970 film *The Railway Children* and several BBC productions.

The Rapido model will be offered in a range of liveries, including at least two that reflect periods of No. 957’s preservation history. All standard features such as the stay‑alive circuit, dynamic firebox flicker and detailed pickups are included.