Main Lines: 14th March 2026
Welcome to this week's Main Lines.
Over the past week, the UK railway network has seen a mixture of disruption, infrastructure progress and industry developments. The HS2 project returned to the headlines as officials entered fresh negotiations with contractors amid rising costs, even as construction continues with new viaduct sections being completed for the route. In Scotland, services through Glasgow Central were severely disrupted after a major fire in a nearby building forced the temporary closure of the station, with operations gradually returning afterwards. Elsewhere, ongoing engineering work and upgrades across several routes have caused weekend alterations, while in the wider industry GB Railfreight announced new immersive training technology for staff and London Underground passengers were warned of potential disruption from planned strike action later this spring.
In model railway news, the Dapol announcements and releases take the limelight this week, but there are new products announced from Peco and Rapido Trains Uk too. Märklin have announced a new locomotive in their own range, as well as in a 2-wheel variant under the Trix Banner. We also have new announcements from Walthers and an update from Oxford Rail.
In This Issue:
American and Continental Railway News
British Model Railway News
New OO Scale IOA & JNA Wagons
The latest Dapol announcements focus on modern infrastructure traffic with new Network Rail engineers’ wagons, including JNA “Falcon” and IOA high-sided ballast wagons in the familiar yellow livery.
Joining them are the IOA wagons, introduced in 2009 with a 102-tonne capacity and typically operated in longer block trains for engineering work.
New O Gauge LSWR Stroudley 4 Wheel Coaches
Dapol’s latest O scale announcements expand their range of Stroudley four-wheel suburban coaching stock with a selection of LSWR-liveried models representing classic Victorian and Edwardian passenger stock. The range includes Brake Third, All Third, Composite and All First coaches, with running numbers such as 178, 179, 352, 1231 and 124, allowing modellers to assemble authentic short suburban formations typical of early Southern railway operations.
New Salt Wagons
Dapol’s March announcements bring a small but characterful addition to their wagon range, introducing new Salt Van models in both O and OO scales. Representing classic private-owner traffic, the releases feature eye-catching liveries from two well-known British salt producers – Morton’s Salt and Cerebos – capturing the distinctive branding that once travelled across the UK rail network.
Dapol N Scale Releases: April to May 2026
Dapol’s upcoming N Gauge releases for April and May bring a strong selection of modern and classic diesel and electric traction. Arriving in April is Class 87 No. 87101 ‘Stephenson’ in BR Blue, representing one of the iconic AC electrics of the West Coast Main Line. Following in May is a substantial range of Class 66 locomotives in a wide variety of popular freight liveries and named examples.
Dapol O Scale Releases: April to May 2026
Dapol’s O Gauge releases for April and May provide a varied mix of modern freight interest and classic railway detail items. Arriving in April is a selection of intermodal containers, ideal for populating modern container trains or freight terminals. Alongside these are distinctive Conflat wagons with themed containers. May’s releases shift the focus to traction and yard details with an extensive programme of Class 66 locomotives covering popular liveries.
Dapol OO Scale Releases: April to May 2026
Dapol’s upcoming OO Gauge releases for April focus on characterful freight stock, with a selection of ventilated vans and six-wheel milk tank wagons that add variety and period charm to goods trains. Complementing these are two distinctive six-wheel milk tanks, ideal for agricultural or food distribution traffic on steam and early diesel-era layouts.
An Update on the Previous Announcement
It has come to light that some of the Oxford listings omitted the Sound Fitted version of the 2600 Class GWR Lined Green Red Frames 2612. This item is now available to order alongside the rest of the announcements.
Peco Announce New N Scale Wagon - Iron Ore Tippler, Ingot Mould
From around 1975, a number of 16-ton mineral wagons were adapted to transport heavy castings for the steel industry. To protect the load during transit, the castings were placed on a bed of ballast within the wagon to provide cushioning. This model represents a typical example from that later period, marking the final chapter in the working life of the 16-ton mineral wagon, which was gradually withdrawn from service and disappeared from the network during the 1980s.
New 45xx Small Prairie Locomotives
Rapido Trains UK has announced a new OO gauge model of the GWR 45xx ‘Small Prairie’ 2-6-2T, a classic branch line locomotive that served the Great Western Railway and later British Railways before several examples entered preservation. The highly detailed model will be available in 12 versions spanning GWR, BR and preserved liveries, and features diecast and injection-moulded construction with numerous separately fitted details.
New Evolution Coaches
Rapido Trains UK has announced an additional GWR Lined Crimson Lake livery for its OO gauge 48’ ‘Evolution’ Bogie Coaches (Batch 3), designed to complement the newly announced GWR 45xx ‘Small Prairie’. Representing coaching stock from around 1912–1922, the range includes Non-Corridor Brake Third, Third, First, Composite and Full Brake variants, along with a convenient three-coach pack.
American and Continental Model Railway News
A new locomotive has been announced.
The long-established Göppingen-based construction company Leonhard Weiss, a long-time partner of Märklin’s Model Railway Days and the inspiration behind several Märklin models, has recently expanded its rail fleet with the Euro9000, currently the most powerful locomotive operating on the European network. To mark this impressive addition, Märklin and Trix are introducing a model of the locomotive to their ranges.
March Announcements
The latest HO Scale announcements in the Walthers Cornerstone range focus on adding realistic details to layouts, with two new structure kits designed to enhance rural and railroad scenes alike.
Other Model Railway News
Check out the new items that have arrived into stock since the last Main Lines update. The list might be a bit long, but it's packed with exciting finds we think you'll love.
End Of The Line
That's the end of the line for this week. We will be back next week with another packed edition of Main Lines.
Until then, happy Modelling
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