Ironclad 0-6-0 What If No.957 Rose Steam Loco (DCC-Sound)

Ironclad 0-6-0 What If No.957 'Rose' Steam Loco (DCC-Sound)

1:76 scale model produced by Rapido Trains. This model is ready-to-run straight out of the box and would make a excellent addition to any model railway collection.

Details

Add a true Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway workhorse to your collection with the Rapido Trains UK OO Gauge L&Y Class 25 ‘Ironclad’ 0-6-0. Expertly reproduced in OO Scale (1:76), this highly detailed model captures the rugged appearance and dependable character of one of Britain's most recognisable Victorian freight locomotives.

Available in a variety of authentic liveries, including examples representing different stages of the locomotive's preservation career, the Rapido Trains Class 25 ‘Ironclad’ is ideal for model railway layouts spanning the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, LMS, British Railways, and preservation eras. Whether hauling heavy mineral trains, goods services, or heritage railway stock, this locomotive delivers both historical accuracy and outstanding performance.

Beneath the detailed exterior is a smooth-running, precision-engineered mechanism featuring Rapido's MoPower stay-alive capacitor system. Designed to provide reliable operation across complex trackwork, this advanced system is complemented by locomotive-mounted plunger pickups and tender wheel-bearing pickups, ensuring consistent electrical collection and excellent slow-speed running.

The model is packed with premium features expected by today's OO gauge enthusiasts. Every locomotive is fitted with a factory-installed speaker, a 21-pin DCC decoder socket for straightforward digital conversion, NEM 362 coupling pockets, and sprung buffers for added realism. DCC-fitted versions also benefit from realistic firebox flicker and a dynamic fire draw effect, recreating the atmosphere of a hard-working steam locomotive in service.

For modellers seeking the highest levels of authenticity, each version includes painted etched-style brass number plates appropriate to the chosen locomotive, supplied within the detailing pack alongside a selection of optional parts for further customisation.

Combining exceptional detail, advanced running qualities, and authentic prototype features, the Rapido Trains UK OO Gauge L&Y Class 25 ‘Ironclad’ 0-6-0 is an essential locomotive for any British OO Scale model railway collection.

Features:

• 1:76 Scale Model
• DCC Sound Model
• This model mainly operates in Britain
• Decorated in L&Y company markings
• Best suited to 438mm radius curves
• Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Class 25 
• No. 957 ‘Rose’ 
• Fictitious Lined Blue Livery with red and white roses on cabsides 
• L&Y Style Smokebox Door 
• 1 Piece Boiler Handrail 
• Ross Pop Safety Valves 
• Coreless motor with flywheel 
• 21 pin decoder socket in tender 
• Large tender mounted speaker 
• MoPower stay-alive fitted. 
• Plunger loco pickups 
• Tender wheel bearing pickups 
• Dynamic firebox flicker 

Historical Background

The L&Y Class 25 was introduced by William Barton Wright following his appointment as Locomotive Superintendent of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1875. Seeking to modernise an ageing fleet, Barton Wright ordered a new class of 0-6-0 tender locomotives, with the first 22 engines built by Kitson & Co. between 1876 and 1878, based on a design supplied to the Taff Vale Railway.

The design proved highly successful, leading to further orders from Sharp, Stewart & Co. and construction at the railway’s Miles Platting works, alongside additional batches from Vulcan Foundry and Beyer, Peacock & Company. By 1887, a total of 280 locomotives had been built.

Although intended for freight, the Class 25 quickly demonstrated its versatility on mixed traffic duties, earning the nickname “Ironclad”. Under John Aspinall, many were later rebuilt as saddle tanks for shunting and local goods work, reflecting changing operational needs.

The class passed to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923, receiving a 2F classification, and later to British Railways. Withdrawals began in 1930, but the final example survived until 1959 after an impressive 72-year career.

Preservation was secured when No. 957 was saved by Tony Cox in 1960. Now based on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, the locomotive gained worldwide recognition as the “Green Dragon” in the classic film The Railway Children, cementing its place in railway history and making it a popular subject for model railway enthusiasts.