Dapol are producing a newly tooled range of GWR 'Toad' Brake Vans in O Gauge.
These iconic and popular vehicles will be available in a huge range of livery options covering their full lifespan with both the Great Western Railway and British Railways. The tooling caters for multiple detail variations and is able to depict the following build diagrams: AA15, AA19, AA20 and AA21.
Decorated samples for the entire range have now been revealed, with the final releases expected to arrive with us sometime between August and September 2024.
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Product Features
Highly detailed injection moulded body with separate handrails, chimney, underframe relief and more
Finely profiled wheels and axles with brass bearing pockets
Die-cast compensated chassis
Full interior detail
Sprung metal buffers
Sprung metal coupling hook and Instanter or screw link couplings where appropriate
Expertly applied liveries
Vans are Vacuum Fitted where applicable
Prototype Information
The GWR Toad is a class of railway brake van, designed by and built for the Great Western Railway. Used by the GWR from 1894, and post-1947 by the Western Region of British Railways, its role was a safety brake on goods trains in the West of England, the Midlands and Wales.
The nickname "Toad" was derived from the GWR's telegraphic code for a brake van, with each bespoke Toad model allocated diagrams in the AA series. The standard GWR brake van design dates from 1894, with many varieties were built between 1894 and the early 1950s.
No longer in operational use on the mainline, a number have survived through preservation and on many heritage railways, owing to the design, which incorporates a long, open veranda and large enclosed cabin; this makes the Toad an ideal, cheap, and versatile passenger carriage.