Rapido Trains UK is proud to announce one of the most curious industrial shunters in OO Gauge. The Sentinel Steam Shunter 0-4-0.
Unlike the majority of industrial railway locomotives, the Sentinel steam shunter concept evolved from road vehicle technology rather than other railway loco designs.
Founded in 1875, Alley & MacLellan Ltd of Polmadie, Glasgow was the original trading name of what would become the Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd. This is where the roots of the Sentinel steam shunter prototype would come from.
In 1906, the company introduced its first vertical-boiler steam road waggon. This powered the wheels via a two-cylinder undertype engine and chain drive, very reminiscent of the internal combustion engine designs that would follow, only powered by steam instead. They proved incredibly efficient and incredibly straightforward to fire and drive.
Around twenty years later, the Sentinel Waggon Works applied the same idea to its first 0-4-0 railway locomotive prototype.
Even in their earliest guises, they were well-regarded by crews and businesses. Thanks to their short wheelbase, they were capable of negotiating the tight radii of many industrial networks. When combined with their fast steam raising ability (under an hour), fantastic fuel economy and operational simplicity, they were a hit!
The steam Sentinel was built in a range of diverse styles, with the main two-cylinder vertical engine, known as the ‘BE’, being the most commonly produced before WW2. An example of the ‘BE’ was even built for the LMS. In the post-war years, different body types were produced and in greater numbers than their predecessors.
To the untrained eye, the ‘BE’ looks much like a domeless locomotive. However, on closer inspection you discover that in place of the chimney, the ‘BE’ has its vertical cylinders hidden by a round cover. This protrudes from the top of the loco’s body at the front.
In place of what we would usually think of as a loco’s boiler is a substantial water tank. Not only does this huge tank mean that the Sentinel could run for a prolonged period of time before filling up, but it also added considerable weight, which improved the adhesion of the loco.
Following World War Two, an improved design was produced. The tank and cylinders were also clad in a metal casing. These included access hatches so that repairs and servicing could be carried out.
Production of the Sentinel steam shunter continued right through until 1958. Though the end of an era for industrial railways, this was only part of the steam shunter’s story. Sentinel would go on to adopt the internal combustion engine as its motive power, and its legacy would be continued by Rolls-Royce through the production of various Sentinel diesel locomotives. Whilst production may have finished in 1958, many locomotives continued in industry for several decades.
Unlike most industrial prototypes, the preservation movement was very kind to the Sentinel steam shunter. Surviving examples can be found the length and breadth of the country at many preserved railways – with several in working order.
Our new highly detailed OO Gauge Sentinel Steam Shunter 0-4-0 is available in both Pre-War and Post-War body types, and in a variety of colourful liveries.
You can look forward to a smooth-running mechanism, NEM 362 coupler pockets, and an E24 decoder socket. This is in addition to a selection of optional details for you to personalise the model.
Due to the limited amount of space that the model’s chassis offers, we have prioritised smooth running and have fitted a MoPower stay-alive capacitor to all versions. This has meant that a fitted speaker wasn’t viable on the smaller Pre-War variants. As such, these versions will be available in DCC-Ready and DCC-Fitted (non-sound).
Thankfully, the Post-War versions have sufficient space, so in addition to the MoPower stay-alive capacitor, they will also feature a factory-installed speaker. These versions will be available in DCC-Ready and DCC Sound-Fitted.
We are pleased to say that the project is already at the tooling stage.
Order your Pre-War model now by clicking on the item below:
Or order your Post-War model now by clicking on the item below:
