Rapido Trains announces new Caledonian Railway wagons

The OO Gauge Caledonian Railway Dia.67 Van features external and underframe details, including brass bearings, NEM coupling pockets, and tooling covers two different wheel styles, Morton hand brakes, duel or vacuum fitted brakes, and three different axlebox and spring arrangements.

Liveries include the eye-catching Caledonian wagon oxide for the pre-grouping examples, several LMS and BR variants, and a selection of popular private owner brands, such as Cadbury, NCB, PLA, and RNAD. 

Proposed liveries

• SKU 976001: CR Dia.67 10t Van - CR No.73007
• SKU 976002: CR Dia.67 10t Van - CR No.2080
• SKU 976003: CR Dia.67 10t Van - CR No.73804
• SKU 976004: CR Dia.67 10t Van - CR No.4543
• SKU 976005: CR Dia.67 10t Van - LMS (pre-36) No.308244
• SKU 976006: CR Dia.67 10t Van - LMS (pre-36) No.301040
• SKU 976007: CR Dia.67 10t Van - LMS (pre-36) No.300682
• SKU 976008: CR Dia.67 10t Van - LMS (pre-36) No.305761
• SKU 976009: CR Dia.67 10t Van - LMS (post-36) No.302434
• SKU 976010: CR Dia.67 10t Van - LMS (post-36) No.309824
• SKU 976011: CR Dia.67 10t Van - LMS (post-36) No.335224
• SKU 976012: Dia.67 10t Van - LMS (post-36) No.308451
• SKU 976013: CR Dia.67 10t Van - BR No.M300938
• SKU 976014: CR Dia.67 10t Van - BR No.M300421
• SKU 976015: CR Dia.67 10t Van - BR No.M309426
• SKU 976016: CR Dia.67 10t Van - BR No.M307627
• SKU 976017: CR Dia.67 10t Van - NCB Backworth Tool Van
• SKU 976018: CR Dia.67 10t Van - PLA No.A64
• SKU 976019: CR Dia.67 10t Van - RNAD No.40
• SKU 976020: CR Dia.67 10t Van - Ore Mining Branch No.907
• SKU 976021: CR Dia.67 10t Van - Cadbury No.266
• SKU 976022: CR Dia.67 10t Van - Cadbury No.278

Priced at £34.95, the new models are currently in the design phase, with order books open and available directly from Rapido or from its official retailers.

About the prototype 

The railways of Scotland are sparsely represented in OO Gauge, so we are pleased to buck the trend and bring you the Caledonian Railway Dia.67 Van in ready-to-run. 

Spanning coast to coast of Scotland, the Caledonian Railway owned lines from Aberdeen to Annan, covering some of the most scenic railways to grace the UK network. This widespread railway not only served the majority of Scotland's major cities but also a huge amount of industry and commerce throughout its 76-year history. 

Routes to the most highly populated areas of the country created a noticeable increase in traffic, and with the company's goal of providing competitive cross-border trains, and excursion traffic to the coast it grew exponentially. 

Along with the towns and cities, its access to the numerous ports that were dotted along the Firths of the Clyde and Forth meant there was a steady stream of laden freight wagons, moving into and out of the area, and as the turn of the century approached a need for suitable stock to safely transport explosives arose.

In 1903, the first Diagram.67 van rolled off of the production line, R.Y. Pickering constructed 150, Motherwell Wagon & Rolling Stock Co. 25, and Renshaw another 25. This initial batch was the first of many, and by the time a further batch had been ordered in 1907, the initial design had been revised to replace the roof door with end ventilators. 

Shortly after the outbreak of WW1, the Traffic Committee authorised the conversion of several Dia.67 vans to carry Cordite paste, a key component in the creation of artillery shells. They must have proven successful, as two more batches of 150 vans were ordered in 1917. By 1918, over 1300 examples of the vans had been constructed. 

Continuing through the grouping railway era and into nationalisation, the Dia.67 travelled far and wide across the UK, finding themselves much further afield than their native land. Several even ended up in the hands of some rather interesting privately owned companies, including Britain's most famous confectioner Cadbury. Numerous Dia.67 Vans have survived into preservation, including the Scottish Railway Preservation Society's two beautifully restored examples at Bowness. 

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