It's the end of the month and that means it's time for the latest Rapido Trains UK monthly update, and there's plenty to get excited about!

If you weren't already spoiled enough in July's update, we're excited to once again reveal TWO brand-new tooling projects including two very distinctive little shunters in both OO Gauge and OO9 Narrow Gauge. But that's not all - Rapido has also provided a huge number of project updates, giving us a closer look at what's progressing behind the scenes and what's coming next. There's a lot to get through, so scroll down to discover all the latest news, announcements and updates from Rapido!

Rapido Trains UK has announced a fascinating new addition to its OO Gauge range – the distinctive Sentinel Steam Shunter 0-4-0, with a huge 13 variations planned across both pre-war and post-war body styles.

These unusual industrial locomotives evolved from Sentinel’s steam road vehicle technology rather than conventional railway locomotive practice, using a vertical boiler, compact mechanical arrangement and chain drive. Their short wheelbase, quick steam-raising time and impressive fuel economy made them ideal for industrial sites, where tight curves and frequent shunting were all part of the job.

Rapido’s new models will cover a wide selection of colourful industrial liveries, and we’re especially pleased to have a Rails of Sheffield Exclusive included in the range – a Sheffield Corporation example finished in olive green. With our own Sheffield roots, it’s a particularly appropriate locomotive for us to have in our EXCLUSIVE stable!

The project is already at the tooling stage, with models set to feature a smooth-running mechanism, E24 decoder socket, NEM coupler pockets and MoPower stay-alive capacitor across the range. Pre-war versions will be offered as DCC Ready or DCC Fitted, while the larger post-war versions have space for a factory speaker and will also be available DCC Sound Fitted.

With so many variations to choose from – and a particularly local Rails Exclusive among them – this is shaping up to be a really characterful new industrial locomotive range from Rapido.

DCC Ready: from £118.96
DCC Fitted: £152.96 • DCC Sound: from £212.46

We’re especially excited about one of the models in Rapido Trains UK’s newly announced OO Gauge Sentinel Steam Shunter range, as our Rails of Sheffield Exclusive recreates a locomotive with a very strong connection to the city we call home.

Our model depicts Sentinel works No.9370, one of two locomotives ordered by the Sheffield Corporation Electricity Department on 31st December 1945, shortly after the end of the Second World War. Remarkably, we’ve even been able to see the original order form, which records No.9370 for delivery to Neepsend Power Station, while sister locomotive No.9371 was destined for Blackburn Meadows Power Station — later famous for the huge Tinsley cooling towers beside the M1.

Neepsend was a major coal-fired power station supplying electricity to Sheffield from 1904 until 1976, and No.9370 would have spent its working life shunting coal wagons and carrying out other duties around the site. Coal opens and later 16-ton mineral wagons would make particularly appropriate companions for the model.

The locomotive was finished in handsome lined olive green and carried the City of Sheffield coat of arms — an especially significant local emblem also seen on Sheffield Corporation vehicles of the period. By the mid-1960s both Sentinels were working together at Neepsend, with No.9370 surviving in industrial service until the early 1970s, making it a remarkably late survivor of steam traction.

After withdrawal, the locomotive entered preservation and was initially based at the Great Central Railway at Loughborough, where it continued to carry its Sheffield colours. That makes this far more than just an attractive industrial shunter for us — it’s a genuine piece of Sheffield railway and industrial history.

Rapido’s new model will recreate No.9370 in its distinctive Sheffield Corporation Electricity Department appearance, and with its strong local connection it’s a particularly fitting Rails of Sheffield Exclusive. Available to pre-order now.

Next, Rapido has also announced its first-ever narrow gauge diesel locomotive, with the OO9 Gauge Fowler & Co. Resilient Class 4wD joining the Narrow Lines range in a choice of 11 different liveries.

These compact industrial diesels were designed for the sort of tough, tight-radius work found on construction sites, quarries and industrial railways, and Rapido’s model is packed with detail. Features include a diecast and injection-moulded body, coreless motor, MoPower stay-alive, E24 decoder socket, removable body and a huge selection of optional detailing parts including dumb buffers, brake gear, cab doors, grille covers and different headlight styles. Versions will be available DCC Ready or DCC Fitted.

We’re also especially pleased to have a Rails of Sheffield EXCLUSIVE included in the range, finished in War Department olive green. It’s designed to sit perfectly alongside our other Rapido OO9 exclusives, including the Sirdar steam locomotive and our various WDLR-liveried wagons, giving you the chance to build up a distinctive military narrow gauge formation.

With Rapido’s first OO9 diesel now officially announced and pre-orders open, this looks set to be another very characterful addition to the range.

DCC Ready: from £110.46 • DCC Fitted: from £144.46

We’re also adding another Rails of Sheffield Exclusive to Rapido’s new OO9 Fowler ‘Resilient’ 4wD diesel range, finished in a War Department olive green scheme.

Similar locomotives were built for the War Department by manufacturers such as John Fowler, Motor-Rail Simplex and Ruston & Hornsby around the Second World War. Locomotives of this type were widely used at munitions works, military bases and other industrial sites, where compact and reliable diesel power was increasingly replacing earlier petrol designs.

It also complements our growing range of War Department-themed OO9 models, including the Rapido Sirdar steam locomotive and our various matching wagons, making it ideal for building a complete military narrow gauge train.

Available to pre-order now exclusively from Rails of Sheffield.

Next, Rapido have revealed the first engineering samples of its upcoming OO Gauge SER O Class 0-6-0 steam locomotive, giving us a much clearer look at this new tooling!

The O Class represents the earlier form of the already-released 'O1'. The original 'O' featured a smaller boiler mounted lower on the frames, along with the distinctive rounded Stirling-style cab, giving it a noticeably sleeker and more traditional profile than its rebuilt successor.

There’s plenty of tooling variations offered, including different tender top designs, with ‘garden shed’ and coal-board styles depending on the era represented. Later SECR and Southern versions also feature extra tender-front extensions, rear steps, lamp irons and toolbox details, helping the models accurately reflect changes made over their working lives. We're pleased to be offering an EXCLUSIVE model in the range, finished in SECR Simplified Green.

With Rapido describing this as the first ready-to-run SER locomotive model, it’s shaping up to be a particularly important release for Southern and pre-grouping modellers.

DCC Ready: from £178.45 • DCC Fitted: from £271.95

Please note our exclusives require a 10% upfront deposit.

Project Evolution progresses even further with the reveal of these new decorated samples of Rapido's second batch of Evolution Bogie Coaches!

This latest batch covers a particularly colourful spread of pre-grouping and early railway liveries, including Caledonian Railway Purple Madder & White, Highland Railway, Great Eastern Railway, North Eastern Railway, LMS, Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, GWR and LSWR Salmon & Brown variations. With changes to roof styles, lining, fittings and other details between versions, the range does a great job of giving each railway its own distinct character.

These coaches also pair perfectly with a growing number of suitable ready-to-run locomotives, including Rapido’s own Caledonian Railway No.123, the newly arrived Midland Railway 483 Class, and the upcoming L&Y Class 25 ‘Ironclad’.

Rapidohas already sold through much of its own Batch 2 allocation, so if there’s a particular livery you’re after, it’s well worth securing your pre-order with Rails while availability remains. Further Metropolitan and London Transport samples are still to come, with more updates expected soon.

Singles: £59.45 • 3-Packs: £169.95

And there’s even more to see from Batch 2, as Rapido have also sent us fresh images of our EXCLUSIVE North British Railway versions.

These coaches bring another important pre-grouping Scottish livery to the Evolution range and make a particularly attractive companion to suitable North British Railway locomotives and layouts. The latest decorated samples give us our best look yet at the finished colours, lining and period presentation.

As with the rest of Batch 2, quantities are limited, and Rapido has already sold through much of its own allocation of several liveries. If you’re planning to build up a rake of our EXCLUSIVE NBR coaches, we’d recommend getting your pre-order secured while availability remains.

Singles: £69.95 • 3-Packs: £199.95