Description
Rapido Trains UK is saddling up for a new announcement of a spectacular stoic shunter.
· New OO Gauge LNER J52/2 0-6-0, available directly from Rapido Trains UK, and our official retailers.
· The perfect shunter to compliment Stirling Single No.1.
· A widely travelled, long-surviving class, that is a preservation icon.
· Available to order now!
Rapido Trains UK is proud to announce a highly sought-after Great Northern classic in OO Gauge, the beautiful LNER J52/2.
To coincide with our announcement of the wonderful Stirling Single No.1, we couldn’t think of a better time to reveal another much-needed Northern nicety – the LNER J52/2 0-6-0. This neat little shunter was seen the length and breadth of the GNR network, from North London to the Northeast of England.
These started life on the GNR, where they were classified as J13 and based on the Stirling-designed J14 (which featured a domeless boiler). Of course, you can’t trust domeless engines, so Henry Ivatt refined this design with a more efficient and domed boiler variant. They would be fitted with a boiler the same length as the one on the J14, but had an increased diameter. The first J13s rolled off the factory floor in 1897 to work alongside their domeless counterparts on shunting duties.
Between then and 1909, a total of 85 of the class were produced, some at the GNR’s works at Doncaster, and others at a variety of contractors, such as R. Stephenson & Co. The updated design proved effective and as locos moved into LNER ownership many of the J14s were rebuilt as J13s.
Under the LNER the J13s that were domed from the day they were built were reclassified as the J52/2. The class became a common sight in North London, covering the North London Line, Kings Cross, and numerous marshalling yards up and down the country.
Plans were put into motion to scrap the J52s in the mid-1930s, however, this cull ceased when the war broke out in 1939, as any functional locomotive was pressed into service. With the introduction of numerous diesel shunters under the modernisation plan, the withdrawal of the J52s sadly continued.
In 1959 and only a couple of years before the entire class were scrapped, Captain Bill Smith stepped in and saved loco No. 68846 from its inevitable fate. He became the owner of the World’s very first privately owned BR steam locomotive, and the J52/2 earned itself a permanent place in the annals of railway preservation history. The aptly and affectionately named Old Lady would live on. Once in his possession, she was repainted into her beautiful pre-grouping guise and renumbered to the iconic 1247.
With a gorgeous livery, long service history and historical claim to fame, 1247 will always have a fond place in the hearts of travelling enthusiasts and preservation modellers alike. The Captain’s decisive action showed that preservation was possible, and sparked a wave of like-minded enthusiasts to follow suit.
The J52/2 model has been designed using works drawings to ensure its accuracy and features a variety of liveries covering the loco’s history, such as the bold pre-grouping colours of the GNR, through to various black liveries it sported in its final years. Modellers can look forward to a smooth-running mechanism a factory-installed speaker and a warming firebox glow.
The model is currently in the last design stage of development and will enter tooling shortly. The order book is open, and you can order yours directly from Enwins 3d Models
Model Fact file: OO Gauge GNR J13/ LNER J52/2
What liveries are we making?
· SKU 958001: GNR J13 No.1247 GNR Green 1960s Railtour Condition
· SKU 958002: GNR J13 No.1234 GNR Grey
· SKU 958003: LNER J52/2 No.1228 L&NER Black with Red Lining
· SKU 958004: LNER J52/2 No.4226 LNER Black with Red Lining
· SKU 958005: LNER J52/2 No.4217 LNER Plain Black with Shaded Lettering
· SKU 958006: LNER J52/2 No.8832 NE Plain Black
· SKU 958007: LNER J52/2 No.68817 British Railways Lettering
· SKU 958008: LNER J52/2 No.68838 BR Unlined Black Early Crest
· SKU 958009: LNER J52/2 No.68832 BR Unlined Black Early Crest
· SKU 958010: LNER J52/2 No.2 BR Unlined Black Early Crest (Departmental Use)
· LNER J52/2 No.68846 BR Lined Black Late Crest
· GNR J13 No.1247 GNR Green 1960s Railtour Condition
Price? £150.95 (RRP £164.95) DCC Ready/£260.95 (R.R.P. £279.95) DCC Sound Fitted
What stage is it at? Ready for tooling
When’s it due? TBC
