Read the word ‘standardisation’ and your thoughts automatically turn to Great Western Railway 4-6-0s. But the GWR was not the only railway to make use of standardised components.
The South Eastern & Chatham Railway introduced a new, 9ft-6in steel underframe under its seven-plank open wagon in 1915. But the underframe soon found itself used under other vehicles, including this covered goods van.
As Rapido Trains UK has lovingly re-created this underframe as part of our five- and seven-plank wagon range, we decided to add what became the Southern Railway’s standard Maunsell-era covered goods wagon to our ‘OO’ gauge range too.
These vans (SR Diagram 1426) were different to previous SECR designs and featured an elliptical roof, end ventilators, standardised steel underframe, lift-link brake gear and self-contained buffers. The design was so successful that it became the basis of the standard Southern Railway van.
Nearly 250 Dia. 1426s were built, with many of them surviving into BR days in both revenue and Departmental service. One, No. 15750, survived into preservation and can now be seen on the Bluebell Railway.
During their lives, the Dia. 1426s carried a wide range of liveries including SECR grey, SR brown (with two different lettering styles), BR freight grey alongside various BR Departmental liveries. We have faithfully reproduced all of these.
These items have now sold out direct from Rapido Trains UK.
