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!

Grab your ticket and get on board, as this weekend is your last opportunity to be guaranteed Evolution Coaches in Batch 2 liveries. We are closing the order books on Monday. So, make sure you get your orders in with now! You can place your pre-orders via our website or any of our Official Retailers.

We have brake vans on the way for LNWR, LBSCR, GCR and CLC, plus loads more liveries. So, we guess you are going to want something equally as detailed to run with them! Our upcoming range of RCH 1907 PO wagons features a rainbow of colourful examples that are suitable for many eras.

They aren’t Scottish Legends for no reason! This incredible photo of Caley 123 with GNoSR No. 49 ‘Gordon Highlander’ was taken at Carstairs on the Scottish Rambler railtour. Since we are producing models of. both of these amazing locomotives, it would be rude not to recreate the scene

Your train has been delayed. Usually, this a frustrating thing to hear, isn’t it? Well on this occasion it’s a good thing! We have decided to give you an extra week to get your pre-orders in for Evolution Batch 2. So, order books Evolution Batch 2 will now be on Monday November the 3rd.

Had an accident and need to send out the breakdown train? It’s a good job the crane is always steaming and ready to go! For today's Rapido Recommends, we have the perfect train for those emergency situations where some further assistance is required.

A while back, we received engineering prototypes of our OO Gauge RCH 1907 Salt Vans. We asked the team if they had any good salt-related puns for this post, but they said, NA! These will add a sprinkle of colour to your freight trains, there's a version perfectly suited to season your collection.

It's just over a month until the National Festival of Railway Modelling, and we can’t wait to be there again. Last year was such a blast! We will have all of our latest samples on show for you to feast your eyes on. You can get your tickets for the event here: buff.ly/VrSmz6e

Last month, we sent out the SECR O1. Since then, we have received numerous photos of weathered examples or them running on layouts. We have enjoyed them so much, we want to see some more. Share your best photo of our O1 model in the comments below.

She's run out of puff! Towards the end of the summer, we discovered that Marcia’s Chimney needed replacing. Head to the Peckett No.1631 'Marcia' website now to find out more, grab some merchandise and help get her back on track for next season! buff.ly/pFcWVto

The Great Exhibition was held at the imposing and aptly-named Crystal Palace. With a multitude of windows, the LNWR Dia.17B Brake Van inherited the name of this ill-fated architectural masterpiece. Here is the EP in all its glazed glory. buff.ly/D4jZrLv

Did you miss any of our recent announcements? Well, if you want to be the first to hear about all of our future announcements, project updates and shipping news, you need to subscribe to our email newsletter! Sign up now! buff.ly/6D2p1c1

At Railex, we were pleased to announce that we shall be rounding out the ‘Scottish Legends’ trilogy of locomotives with the LNER D40 or GNoSR F Class. This splendid Scot will be released alongside its older brethren the Vs, as well as Rails of Sheffield’s exclusive, the closely-related SECR G Class.

Alert! Alert! A U-boat has surfaced on the horizon! The crew at Modelu have handed us a bounty of glorious treasure: a 3D print of the SR U Class. The depth of detail is a boat as good as anyone could fathom. You can be shore to expect puns hitting your deck over the coming months! buff.ly/CcflQhX

Throughout the Railex weekend, we showed you several videos of our latest 009 engineering prototypes, as they trundled around some of the awesome visiting layouts. We thought you'd like to see a few close-ups of these terrifically titchy wagons. Find out more about our 009 range: buff.ly/w0BG3Kq

We had quite an array of surprise samples at Railex last month. So, we thought we would recap what was on show throughout this week, just in case you missed the event. Let's kick it off the same way we started our epic announcements, with this wicked 3D print of the HR Loch Class. buff.ly/scpzOX4

All Aboard! We are closing the door on October 27th for Batch 2 Evolution coach pre-orders! So, we thought you might like to see a close-up of these highly detailed coaches. Here’s our painted sample of a Batch 1 liveries. Jump on board and order yours today! buff.ly/kXjbaK9

Today's 'rejected' loco is one that was actually rejected in real life! Before Heywood built the F Class for the GNoSR, Pickersgill proposed an enlarged V 4-4-0, to be the W Class. This had a higher pitched boiler and taller arc-roofed cab. Here is an impression of what that may have looked like.

Can traditional hobbies help tackle screen addiction? Hornby Model Railways have commissioned a report from Disrupt UK about the impact of screens on people of all ages, and how tactile/active hobbies such as model railways can help. Read the full report here: buff.ly/bwtV81O

Let's brighten up your day with our colour production prototypes for the upcoming N Gauge Iron Mink range. What a wonderful array of wagons, don’t you think? We will be reviewing these samples over the coming weeks and hope to have more production news for you soon.

That’s it, time's almost up! We will be closing the order book for the OO Gauge Ammonium Nitrate / Chemical Tank Wagon and GCR 15T Brake Van this evening. You aren’t going to want to miss out on these, so get your pre-orders in while you still can!

Tomorrow, we close the order books on 2 massive OO gauge wagon projects. So, if you want to be guaranteed either the Ammonium Nitrate / Chemical Tank Wagon or GCR 15T Brake Van, get your pre-orders in right away! You can pre-order yours either via our website or from any of our Official Retailers.

Missed Railex, but still want to see our latest prototypes? Head to the Stafford Model Railway Show at Bingley Hall this weekend. Our friends from The Wagon Yard will be bringing our 009 Layout ‘Bryn Stwffwl’ and a selection of our latest samples for you to enjoy. You can find them at Stand No. 59.

J52/2 Production Progress and a look inside the Rapido Factory! Our benevolent CEO Jason Shron recently took a tour around the production facilities in China and did his best not to mess with the production of the upcoming LNER J52/2 locomotives. buff.ly/b8boYqP

A handy guide for anyone who was confused about our latest announcements. Pre-order a U or 2: buff.ly/DF6rYa6 D40: buff.ly/i0wsQFO

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came to Rapido Railex 2025, exhibitors, traders, helpers and visitors. You all made it a wonderful 2 days and we enjoyed it immensely. Now, time to pack everything away and get back to work!

We do a lot of Scottish stuff, but people keep asking us about blue Scottish engines, so here's one the designers dreamed up.... This month's 'rejected' livery, perhaps?

Tackling the bank! One of the early engineering prototypes of our upcoming 009 Kerr Stuart 0-4-0Ts takes a long train of Narrow Lines wagons up the steep incline on the wonderful Clyre Valley Railway. Come and see this layout, these samples and more at Rapido Railex on Saturday!

Railex is open! Lots of people have already been raiding the spares and seconds stand. All money raised from this stall goes towards the continued upkeep of Peckett 0-4-0T 'Marcia'. There's still some bargains to be had as well as a variety of layouts and trade stands. Come on down!

There's only 1 day left to pre-book your Rapido Railex ticket at the lower price of £7.50, saving on the on-the-door price of £10. Come on down to Maidstone and see a variety of wonderful layouts as well as some of our latest samples! buff.ly/fd7HqFs

Rapido LMS van weathered by ⁦‪The Model Centre‬⁩. Stunning. #bsmrguk @rapidotrains.co.uk

Not long now until RAPIDO RAILEX, our exhibition of model railways in Maidstone. Join us this coming Friday and Saturday from 10am-4.30pm at The Market Hall (near Maidstone West Station). Tickets are £7.50 in advance or £10 on the door. Book your tickets here: buff.ly/fd7HqFs

What a line-up of loco launches! We hope you like the new releases, now available to pre-order. Out of the Loch, D40, U Class and Kerr Stuart 'what if', which is your favourite?