Rapido Trains UK 908034 Dia. V6 Iron Mink GWR Red (LHS GWR Lettering) No.37666

• Iron Mink
  
• GWR Red (LHS GWR Lettering)
  
• No. 37666
  
• Grease axleboxes
  
• Long end vents
  
• Single-sided brakes, 2 brake shoes
  
• Mink doors
  
• Spoked wheels running in metal bearings
  
• NEM coupler pockets
  
• 1:76 scale, (OO gauge)
  
• UK designed

We are revising one of the most iconic GWR wagons, the Dia. V6 Iron Minks. This new 2025 range will include an interesting array of new liveries, further running numbers of previously covered liveries and even some newly tooled detail differences.

Shortages of timber forced the GWR to investigate building vans from metal, but it wasn’t until 1888 that what could be called the ‘standard Iron Mink’ appeared. This boasted a 16ft 6in underframe and a capacity of 8 tons. They became Diagram V6 and over 4,000 were built up to 1901 when the GWR reverted to building vans from wood.

The Iron Minks were long-lived, with examples surviving through until British Railways' days in revenue and Departmental service. They could be found all over the UK railway network, and some were recorded as far north as Inverness.

The Iron Minks' metal construction made it an ideal gunpowder van, and it served as such during both world wars. In fact, such was the versatility of the design that it was copied by other railways and other wagon builders. Other railways and builders would use what was essentially the Iron Mink body, but use underframes and fittings to their own design.

The new 2025 range of Rapido Trains UK OO Gauge GWR Four-Plank Open Wagon, Iron Minks and Not-Quite Minks will have the usual wealth of full external and underframe detail and feature numerous tooling variants.

Both ranges include models that feature a brand-new grease axle box tooling variant. These models represent wagons that would have been seen during the pre-grouping era.

The Iron Mink and Not-Quite Mink range also includes a new GPV door variant on some models.

Further detail differences within the Iron Mink and Not-Quite Mink range include short, long or plated over vents, oil or grease axle boxes, three different door styles, and a variety of brake gear combinations covering single and double-sided brakes.

The new range includes a selection of GWR liveries that represent earlier renditions of the wagon, in addition to numerous Not-Quite Mink liveries. These colourful wagons represent railway companies and private organisations where the pickings of ready-to-run models are quite slim. Although not quite accurate to these companies' prototypes, they offer a prototypically literate model in often seldom-seen liveries.

As one of our most requested wagons, we have included 2 new versions in the suspicious G.Fawkes livery, with two different running numbers. With all these wagons on the move, Mr Fawkes must be plotting something!