A small industrial shunter can provide a great deal of operating interest without demanding a huge layout. Rapido’s first OO diesel announcement, reported on 25 September 2026, takes that idea in an appealing direction with the Thomas Hill Sentinel Rebuild 4wDH.
The real machines were conversions of Sentinel steam locomotives, retaining parts of the original running gear beneath a new diesel body. Rapido says the model is already in tooling.
Six industrial finishes
The range includes NCB green and blue, CEGB green and Barrington Cement Works green, alongside yellow with warning stripes and plain black. Each version is planned with a factory-fitted speaker, MoPower stay-alive capacitor, NEM coupling pockets and an E24 decoder socket.
For anyone sketching a works yard or a small exchange siding, this is a useful subject to watch. A handful of wagons and some purposeful shunting could give the locomotive plenty to do. The livery choice should help determine the industry and atmosphere around it.
Pre-orders, rather than an arrival announcement
Prices are £139.95 DCC-ready and £249.95 sound-fitted. No delivery date is established by the announcement. The specification is promising, although low-speed control and performance through pointwork remain matters for a production-model review.
Full details are on Rapido’s product page; World of Railways reported the announcement on 25 September.
Announcement artwork: Rapido Trains UK. Development illustrations show the planned livery range.
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