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Revolution Trains RT-OO-CAR4-437A

Quad set Cartic-4 car carrier - STVA light grey with mesh screens (set A)

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

Prototype Eras
Era 6 (1967 to 1972) British Rail Blue (Pre-TOPS)
Era 7 (1972 to 1982) British Rail Blue (TOPS)

Manufacturer description

The iconic 4-car articulated Cartic-4 car carriers were built between 1966 and 1972 and lasted until the mid-2000s. The Cartic-4 car carriers were developed jointly by BR and Ford and adopted a radical design at the time for freight stock – comprising a permanently coupled four-part vehicle in which the inner cars were linked via shared bogies on articulated joints. The majority were built for private vehicle transporters MAT, Silcock & Collings and Tolemans, however some were also built by BR and used to launch its Motorail brand in 1966. This offered motorists the opportunity to take their car on holiday with them, with an extensive network of services between cities including London, Birmingham and Sheffield and Scotland, the South West and North Wales. Once Motorail stopped the Cartic-4s were used to transport cars around the country both in block flows from factories to delivery points and in Speedlink flows to dealers.

All of our models feature:

• Quad pack of Cartic-4 wagons (each individually numbered and with prototypical livery variations) in BR blue livery in as built condition (ie no side mesh/screens or roof) - suitable for Era 6/7
  
• NEM kinematic close couplers
• Choice of set numbers – set A or B (each quad set will feature different numbers)
• Each quad set measures 840mm over buffers

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

Revolution Trains Quad set Cartic‑4 car carrier – STVA light grey with mesh screens (set A) is supplied under manufacturer part number RT‑OO‑CAR4‑437A. The model represents the British Rail Blue livery of the pre‑TOPS era.

The real Cartic‑4 car carriers were built between 1966 and 1972 and remained in service until the mid‑2000s. Developed jointly by British Rail and Ford, they featured a permanently coupled four‑part articulated design with shared bogies. Most were purchased by private vehicle transporters such as MAT, Silcock & Collings and Tolemans, while a number were used by British Rail for its Motorail service from 1966, carrying motorists between cities including London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Scotland, the South West and North Wales. After the Motorail programme ended, the wagons continued to move cars in block flows from factories to delivery points and in Speedlink services to dealers.

The Revolution Trains version is supplied as a quad pack of Cartic‑4 wagons. Each wagon is individually numbered and painted in as‑built British Rail Blue without side mesh screens or roof, suitable for Era 6/7 operation. The set includes NEM kinematic close couplers and is offered as either set A or set B, each quad featuring a different numbering scheme. The overall length of each quad set is 840 mm over buffers.