We are delighted to announce our latest EXCLUSIVE collaboration with our friends at Rapido Trains UK - a NEWLY TOOLED model of the GCR Class 1 'Sam Fay' (later LNER B2) 4-6-0 steam locomotive in OO Gauge!

You can choose from a variety of liveries including original Great Central Railway and LNER schemes. In addition, there's a special 'What if?' edition aptly named 'City of Sheffield' in BR lined black with early emblem - showcasing what this handsome class would have looked like had it reached nationalisation.

Modellers can look forward to all of Rapido's bells and whistles (literally) - with the locos featuring a number of accurate tooling differences covering the entire class history, smooth-running mechanism, MoPower stay alive, DCC & Sound capability, Twin speakers, firebox flicker and much more.

The project is progressing at pace, with design complete and tooling underway. We expect the final releases to arrive later in 2027. Stay tuned for further updates.

Between 1912 and 1913, the Great Central Railway built a brand-new class of loco for hauling express passenger services.

They were designated as the Class 1, and a total of 6 would be produced. The first in the class, No. 423, was named after the Great Central Railway's General Manager, Sir Sam Fay. The others received names of cities that the GCR network reached. They were regularly referred to as 'Sir Sam Fays'.

International celebrity was calling No.423 ‘Sir Sam Fay’, as plans were made for the loco to be exhibited at the 1914 Ghent Exhibition, Belgium. Given a special finish so it could be displayed publicly, the loco received a copper-capped chimney and a unique builder’s plate that displayed the builder's country of origin. Unfortunately, these added features became a wasted effort as a model was sent in the loco's place. Whether the model was returned or not is unknown.

Designed by the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, John G. Robinson, the class broke his usual 4-6-0 locomotive design conventions; they featured inside cylinders. The reasons for this unconventional design are still unknown.

Many of the Class 1's features were noticeably oversized when compared to other locos; this included 21.5in cylinders and a hefty 5 ft 6 in diameter superheated boiler. Both were considered very large for the time. When coupled with the large combined splasher design that was common amongst GCR locos, it made the Class 1 a formidable beast.

Sadly, the Class 1's performance didn’t match its imposing aesthetic. Despite being known by enthusiasts as a spectacularly sounding loco, this noise didn’t translate to power. As such, the GCR assigned them a mixed-traffic role. They were seen in both the GCR’s lined black and lined green liveries when built but were later changed to all be finished in lined green.

Initially based at Gorton, the GCR subsequently moved the Class 1s across the network as required. They could be seen on everything from express services to fitted freight and fish trains. The resulting casualties from the Great War even saw them working the GCR ambulance train to Southampton.

All 6 of these enormous machines were inherited by the LNER, and they were given the designation B2 by their new owners. In 1945 they were reclassified once more to B19; this was to make room for the new Thompson B2.

The LNER moved the B2 fleet numerous times, and their shed allocation was changed on several occasions. They would regularly be seen across the Midlands and the Northwest, performing shorter cross-country services, and running excursions from London to seaside destinations. Often starting their journeys from King's Cross, rather than Marylebone Station, which they would have done during their GCR days. They were even seen on Pullman Express duties during the 1920s.

During WW2, the B2’s would return to Southampton again, this time running troop trains.

Due to the prototype's limited number and questionable performance, it was only a matter of time before the B2 was superseded. The first of the class was withdrawn in 1944, and the remaining five had sadly all met the same fate by 1947. None of the class made it into preservation, consigning it to the history books.