RhB G4/5 Steam Locomotive VI (DCC-Sound)

RhB G4/5 Steam Locomotive VI (DCC-Sound)

1:22.5 scale model produced by LGB. This model is ready-to-run straight out of the box and would make a excellent addition to any model railway collection.

Features:

• DCC Sound Model
• Best suited to Epoch VI Model Railways
• This model mainly operates in Germany
• Decorated in RhB company markings
• Best suited to 600mm radius curves
• Directional Lighting
• Multiple Wheel Pickups
• Fitted with a Smoke Generator

Details

The Rhaetian Railway G 4/5 was a class of metre-gauge steam locomotives built for the Rhaetian Railway (RhB), the main narrow-gauge network in Switzerland’s Canton of Graubünden. Under the Swiss locomotive classification, G 4/5 denotes a locomotive with five axles, four of which are driving axles. Between 1904 and 1915, a total of 29 G 4/5 locomotives were constructed by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works (SLM) in Winterthur to handle increasing traffic on RhB’s steep alpine routes, particularly the Albula Railway. These powerful 2-8-0 tender engines were designed to haul heavy trains over gradients while maintaining reliable speeds on tight, winding mountain trackage.

Early examples were delivered as saturated steam compound machines, but from 1906 onward all new builds were equipped with superheated steam for better performance. With a maximum speed of around 45 km/h and robust design features such as a swivelling leading axle for improved curve negotiation, the G 4/5 became one of the most significant steam classes on the RhB network. Most of the class were retired as electrification progressed in the early 20th century, with many sold to Spain, Brazil and Thailand; only two locomotives — nos. 107 and 108 — remained with the Rhaetian Railway and survived into preservation. These preserved locomotives, named Albula and Engiadina, still operate on special steam excursions and heritage services, making the G 4/5 a cherished and visually striking prototype for narrow-gauge model railway layouts depicting historic Swiss alpine rail operations.