Rapido Trains UK Announce New "What If?" Locomotives

The final announcement for the festive period from Rapido Trains UK is two new “What if” liveries in OO Scale that are being added to their range, one to their LNER D40 and one to their GWR County ranges. They know many of you love to run what you think looks good on your layouts, applying limited concern for any era or historical relevance that might restrict your collection and creativity, and that’s fantastic. So, we do not doubt that these new brilliant blue liveries will catch your eye.

LNER D40 No.49 Thistle “What If” Blue

Showcased initially online with a rejected livery post, and the public reaction to this rejection was enough for Rapido Trains UK to take another look at this "What If?" livery option, and they are pleased to announce that LNER D40 No.49 Thistle in “What If” Blue has been thoroughly un-rejected and will now be a part of the range.

Fitting in nicely with their Manning Wardle L Class – Hawthorn "What If?" that will be arriving next year, and the recently arrived SECR O1 "What If?" No.65 Bramble Bluebell Railway Blue, LNER D40 No.49 Thistle will be finished in the same striking blue. To ensure she fitted in with the others in the same livery, they needed an appropriate fauna- or flora-based name, and Thistle was the obvious choice.

GWR County No.1045 County of Kent “What if” BR Express Passenger
Blue

In the late 1940s, British Railways painted many of its most well-known express locos in a gorgeous Express Passenger Blue livery. It was such a shame that the County Class never received the same treatment, so with a wicked "What If?" livery, Rapido Trains UK have fixed this injustice.

Given the number of express services these powerful locos pulled, it’s definitely a "What If" that could so easily have happened. Although this might make the most ardent GWR purist's eye twitch, it looks really smart and will look great in your Western region fleet. In the spirit of our "What If?" liveries, they could hardly name it after an actual county from the West Country. We suspect that would have made even the not-so-pure GWR fans spit out their cider, so they named this model after their home county of Kent.

You can view the full Rapido Trains UK range on our website through the button below.