Rapido 992008

SR U Class No.31620 – BR Lined Black Early Crest

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

Prototype Era
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest

Manufacturer description

Southern Railway ‘U’ Class 2-6-0
BR Lined Black (Early Emblem) No. 31620
4,000gal tender
U1 type chimney
Blanking plate fitted to cylinders
Flat dome
Snifting valves plated over
And many more variant parts
Suitable for operation on 2nd Radius curves (438mm or greater)
Dynamic firebox flicker
21-pin DCC decoder socket
MoPower stay-alive capacitors
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

Rapido Trains UK has announced a new OO gauge model of the Southern Railway U Class 2-6-0 locomotive, which will be available in various liveries representing both the Southern Railway and British Railways. The model is a highly detailed rendition of the locomotives that were part of the newly built batches.

The U Class was a design by Richard Maunsell, which was developed from his previous 2-6-0 design, the N Class. The initial batch of U Class locos was created in 1928, following the rebuilding of 20 SE&CR K Class 'River' 2-6-4 tank engines as 2-6-0 tender locos. The rebuilds were redesignated as the U Class and received a new nickname, the 'U-Boat'.

The U Class was built to a combination of operational requirements and as a response to the Sevenoaks Railway accident in 1923, which involved a SE&CR K Class 'River' 2-6-4 tank engine. The locomotives were designed to be semi-fast and cross-country capable, and were used for a variety of duties, including freight and mixed traffic.

The model will feature a range of detailing variants, including flush and riveted buffer beams, flat or rounded domes, flat-fronted cylinders or cylinders with piston tail rods, and Snifting valves on Southern Liveried locos. All models will feature the 4000-gallon tenders and will be suitable for operation on 2nd radius curves (438mm or greater).

The model will also feature a smooth-running mechanism, factory-fitted speakers, NEM coupler pockets, an ESU 21-pin decoder socket, fitted MoPower stay-alive capacitor, tender pickups, and firebox flicker with a dynamic fire draw effect.