Rapido Trains UK has announced plans to produce a newly-tooled ‘OO’ gauge London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LBSCR) ‘E1’ 0-6-0T.
Built in batches between the mid-1870s and early 1890s, 80 locomotives were constructed at the LBSCR’s Brighton Works. They were designed primarily for goods duties.
Not all class members were long-lived, with the first withdrawals occurring in the early 1900s. However, four were selected in the 1930s for transfer to the Isle of Wight for use on the island’s network and on Nationalisation, 30 class members were absorbed into the British Railways (BR) fleet, with the last example eventually withdrawn in the early 1960s.
Rapido Trains UK will concentrate on BR and Isle of Wight variants initially following feedback to a company survey, as Richard Foster, Sales and Marketing Manager outlined: “...the BR and Isle of Wight versions were the most popular, closely followed by the original Stroudley design. So, while we haven’t confirmed what running numbers or liveries we’re making, we can confirm that our attention will focus on producing the BR and Isle of Wight ones first.”
Development work on the ‘E1’ is under way with first CAD files already received for assessment. Prices and release date are yet to be confirmed.
Visit www.rapidotrains.co.uk for more information.
