Brighton and Southern modellers have another small tank engine to plan around. Rapido Trains UK has announced an OO-gauge LB&SCR D1 0-4-2T, with the project already in tooling. The announcement was reported on 25 September 2026.
Stroudley’s D1 gives a passenger-focused companion to Rapido’s E1. The proposed range spans LB&SCR and Southern liveries, plus the Whittingham Light Railway locomotive. A BR malachite version is also offered as an explicitly fictional “what-if” finish.
What is planned?
Rapido lists a MoPower stay-alive capacitor, all-wheel electrical pickup, powered rear wheels and a Next18 decoder socket. A speaker is factory fitted, while details such as boilers, chimneys and push-pull equipment vary between versions.
For a layout builder, the appeal is the choice of period and setting. A small Southern terminus could make an attractive home for one, but it is worth matching the particular locomotive’s fittings to your chosen date before ordering.
Prices and availability
Pre-order prices are £169.95 DCC-ready or £279.95 with DCC sound. This is a model in development; the announcement does not establish a delivery date. Running quality will need to be judged when production examples arrive.
See Rapido’s D1 range and specification and the 25 September announcement report.
Announcement artwork: Rapido Trains UK. These are development illustrations, not photographs of delivered models.
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