Did you know that the LMS used Caledonian No. 123 for Inspectors and Directors’ trains? She even hauled services on the Dundee to Perth mainline during the 1930s. Later this week, we will be sharing a 'How does it sound' video for this glorious loco, so keep an eye on our channels!

Work is ongoing behind the scenes on the next GWR tank locomotive project, but in the meantime here are some nice photos of 44xx No. 4404 at rest between duties. The model has been fitted with the optional etched plates on the cabside.

Some of the ex-GNR C12 tank locomotives were allocated to the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway at some point in their life, so one of our graphic artists wondered what one would look like in the distinctive colours of the M&GN.... It's this month's Rejected Livery!

Thanks to David for sharing photos of 'Judy' (before she acquired her name) at work and rest on his china clay layout. It very much looks the part!

We did say that today’s order book closures were a biggie, and we weren’t kidding. The order books closing today are: - OO Gauge County - 009 Gauge Kerr, Stuart & Co. Sirdar (Long-Tank and Short-Tank) - 009 Gauge All-Purpose Wagons - OO Gauge LNWR 17B Brake Van

The year has barely got underway, and time is already ticking. On Monday, we are wrapping up the order books for several epic projects, so make sure you get your pre-orders placed either directly through our website or via our Official Retailers while you still can!

We anticipate 2026 being another massive year for Rapido. We start the year by closing the order books for some huge projects on Monday the 5th. The rest of the year is lining up to be very exciting indeed, you are just going to have to stick around and see what we’ve got up our sleeves…

Auld Lang Syne! Tomorrow is Hogmanay, and we know we’ve had a superb year of Scottish announcements. So, here's a spectacularly Scottish lineup of the Rapido models that you have to look forward to over the next year or so.

Just one week to go until we close the order books on some huge projects, including our cute little 009 Gauge Long Tank and Short Tank Sirdar models. Pre-order yours from our website or any of our Official Retailers today! buff.ly/7y4NBoD buff.ly/iJvvgiu

The big man from the North Pole isn’t the only one who can deliver lots of toys. We have had some big shipping news, too! The Batch 1 (Stage 1) Evolution Coach liveries are on the way to the UK, with the LMS Iron Ore hoppers and GWR Open C wagons. They are expected to arrive in Q1 2026.

Right, it's ‘Unboxing day’. Time to show us what Santa delivered. Which Rapido models did you get for Christmas this year?

Merry Christmas from everyone at Rapido! We are shutting the office for a few days so we can enjoy numerous well-earned mince pies and maybe watch a classic movie. That one about the three kids who like to wave at trains sounds good!

Time's running out, and today's the last gift-buying day before Christmas. Put a smile on your loved one's face by pre-ordering them the Rapido model they’ve been talking about all year! You can pre-order Caledonian No.123 from our website or via any of our Official Retailers. buff.ly/m7Amw8Q

Oh blast! Quarries did a lot of blasting to release rock and minerals, so we’ve put together this nifty little train full of workmen and explosives. Order books are closing for the 009 range on January 5th, so get your pre-orders in now! buff.ly/H0SEDZJ

There's only 2 weeks to go until we close the order books for the OO Gauge LNWR Dia.17B Brake Van. Better known as the ‘Crystal Palace’ brake, this highly detailed model is a must-have for LNWR, LMS, BR and industrial modellers alike. buff.ly/m4WYbw5

Christmas came early at the Rapido offices, as we received a parcel full of colourful samples. We unwrapped this with glee and revealed colour sample after colour sample of incredible OO Gauge S160. The new samples included some of the most memorable preserved versions.

Say goodbye to the winter blues, as we have two new 'What If' liveries to add to our range. We have decided to add No.49 Thistle in 'What-If' Blue to the upcoming OO Gauge LNER D40 range. ALSO - The County is now available in 'What-If' BR Express Passenger Blue! buff.ly/LN0rzdR buff.ly/2CrCpSb

Since trialling it at Rapido Railex 2024, we have been inundated with emails asking for this to be available to everyone. Well, we were listening. We are pleased to announce that the Custom Wagon Service is now live!

The roads are icy and the weather is setting in. You're going to need to get a grip and spread some salt! Available in a multitude of vibrant liveries, our RCH 1907 Salt Vans will add a sprinkle of colour to your layout. Pre-order your OO Gauge RCH 1907 salt vans now! buff.ly/HRRutSS

A couple of weeks ago, the delightful Port of Par twins 'Alfred' and 'Judy' arrived. Now they are in your hands, it would be awesome to see some shots of them on your layout. We would love it if you could share a picture or 2 of yours in the comments.

As we are marching towards the end of 2025, we thought a Rapido Recommends that focused on the famous Longmoor Military Railway was in order! Stand at attention as we have a plethora of LMR wagons including the two ex-LMS hoppers, along with our LMR liveried Evolution Coaches and the S160.

It’s the 12th of the 12th, so here’s an update on our very own loco Number 12! We made a fun little documentary about Marcia for the NEC show. This went down so well, we thought those of you who didn’t manage to get to the show might like to see it too. buff.ly/w1DacZY

An astonishing Atlantic prototype has arrived! We got Modelu to create a 3D printed prototype of one of our LNER C12 tank engines. We chose one fitted with condensing pipes, simply because it looks cool. Order books are open, and you can pre-order your LNER C12 now. buff.ly/qlqHHvk

Port of Par and Fireless Decoders. Please note that if you are DCC-fitting the recently-released Port of Part engines or the upcoming Fireless locos, you will need an E24 decoder. Originally these were advertised as using Next18 but that was updated in order to fit the stay-alive capacitors.

Although Diana has spent much of her life in the comforts of preservation, she worked in quarries for many years. Receiving her name while working at the Oakeley Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog. As you can see, she is the perfect accompaniment to your existing 009 quarry rolling stock.

These 'rejected' liveries really sleigh, don't they? Whilst a 9-pack of locomotives in suitably festive livery may not be on the cards, this selection helps show off the various detailing options available in the 009 locomotive range. These are still available to pre-order!

Hoppy Christmas, everyone! Yep, we’ve had a present that we always thoroughly enjoy unwrapping, even more painted production prototypes. This time it's for the LMS 20t Iron Ore Hoppers. Production is being wrapped up for this project, and we are expecting them to be shipped to us in early 2026.

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Order books close for the OO Gauge Midland 483 and RCH 1907 PO 2025 range today. A pre-order for one of these colourful wagons, or pretty 2P locos, is the perfect gift for any railway modeller.

We're recruiting! Rapido Trains UK would like another warranty engineer to join our team in Kent. If you've got the skills, the know-how and you would like to work with us, take a look at the job description on our website: buff.ly/aTf6blN

There are only 4 days left until we close the order books for OO Gauge Midland 483 and RCH 1907 PO 2025 range. With lots of colourful liveries to choose from, there isn’t long to decide which ones you’d like and to get your pre-orders sorted.

We are pleased to report that the previously identified technical issues with our 'Port of Par' locomotives have now been resolved. The team has worked tirelessly to ensure these can be in your hands for Christmas. Shipping will commence early next week.

Morning. Have you seen a lot of action? Have you ever held your DCC controller up in the air and gone "aaaaargh!"? Is it true that there is a wagon on your layout that if you derail it, it will blow up? Do you want anything from the shop? Well, then this Rapido Recommends is for you!

This time next week we are closing 2 big order books. The RCH 1907 PO 2025 range is perfect for trains full of coal, each laden with the only present a naughty kid can hope for in their stocking. The second order book closing is the Midland 483. Get your pre-orders in while you still can!

Coming soon, a new product from Rapido Trains UK (I dare say....) youtu.be/985rNcBHSes

We’ve had something incredible arrive, and just in the nick of time before we head to the NEC. Colour production samples of the upcoming S160! youtube.com/shorts/HAHUo...

We think you’ll agree that these painted production prototypes of the Midland 483 are in a class of their own. The 483 colour samples and all of our other samples and prototypes will be on show at the NEC this weekend. Come along and check them out for yourself. youtube.com/shorts/mkDmm...

We have added 2 inquisitive new liveries to our OO Gauge LNWR Dia.17B Brake Van range. One wraps up our G. Fawkes range (for the time being). The other livery appeared out of nowhere and is perfect for those who are in dire need of assistance. You can pre-order yours now! buff.ly/xFYZ7km

This weekend we will be heading to the National Festival of Railway Modelling in Birmingham. You’ll find us at Stand 25! We’ll have a (U) boatload of samples and prototypes with us and be on hand to answer your questions. We can’t wait to talk to all of you about all things Rapido!

The S160 isn't really known for its subtlety, and for many that’s why it is so appealing. Part of that All-American attitude comes from how incredible it sounds. With its sound complete, we thought it was about time we showed you just how powerful the S160 will sound. Enjoy the video on our channel!

To coincide with yesterday's announcement, we have even more exciting news for LNER and GNR fans. We have received these gorgeous colour production samples of the LNER J52/2 (GNR J13). We are expecting these models to arrive in the UK very soon, so keep an eye on our email newsletters for more info!

Emerging from the underground is our first-ever Atlantic Class locomotive, the LNER C12 4-4-2T. This brand-new tank engine is the perfect model to complement our J52 and GNR Evolution coaches that will be arriving shortly. Pre-order yours now! buff.ly/4zYzY5y

GWR County Cab Update Following community feedback, we have modified the tooling to remove the numberplate surround from the cab of our GWR 10xx Class 4-6-0. At the same time, the plastic handrail with incorrect mounting points was corrected to be a metal component with the correct 90-degree bend.

OPEN C UPDATE Take a look at these fully painted and decorated GWR O19 wagon samples straight from the factory. We are really pleased with how they look so far. Hopefully it will not be too long before they can grace your layout too!

RAPIDO RECOMMENDS - GNoSR Passenger Train Need something to haul your gorgeous Great North of Scotland Railway 'Evolution' coaches? There's nothing better than the upcoming GNoSR V Class No. 113 in fetching lined green livery, never before seen in ready-to-run!

Today's 'rejected' livery post is... blue! Peckett 'Marcia' is going into a different livery this winter, so is being dismantled in Rolvenden shed. Any ideas what it's going to be?

Remember, remember the Fifth of November. That’s right, last Friday we announced not one, but two G. Fawkes Not-Quite-Minks in OO Gauge. This nefarious livery is one of our most popular, for some reason… buff.ly/zEwZLSC

The infamous Mr. Fawkes must be up to something, as our friends at The Wagon Yard have a variety of wagons on the way with his name emblazoned on the side of them. You can find out more about this dubious cargo and create your concerningly volatile train by visiting: buff.ly/Dhdlt7K

Looking for coaches to run with the upcoming Scottish steamers? The train now departing Rapido Station is the order book closing service for Evolution Batch 2 liveries. Get your pre-orders in now, or you’ll miss this train! buff.ly/kXjbaK9

EVOLUTION UPDATE As you may have seen in our newsletter, the Metropolitan and London Transport-liveried Evolution coaches are being modified to include the distinctive round-topped doors. The orderbook for these two liveries will be extended, so there is still time to place your pre-order!

Trick or treat!!!! In the spirit of the spookiest day of the year, we have a treat to offer you all, and this isn’t just to avoid our offices being covered in toilet paper. Our brand new range of OO Gauge GWR Iron Minks, Not-Quite Minks, and 4-Plank Opens features an array of new variants!