45xx Small Prairie GW Preserved Green 4555 (DCC-Sound)

45xx Small Prairie GW Preserved Green 4555 (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.

Features:

• DCC Sound Model
• This model mainly operates in Britain
• Decorated in Preserved company markings
• Best suited to 438mm radius curves
• GWR 45xx Class 2-6-2T
• GREAT WESTERN green (as-preserved 1960s) No. 4555
• Tapered chimney
• Superheated boiler with long smokebox and late oil pipe cover
• Outside steam pipes
• Tall safety valve cover with top feed
• Long, curved running board with Mk3 bunker and fender
• 14-spoke large-boss wheels with crescent-shaped weights
• Late tank fittings
• Steel cab roof (straight rainstrips) with no portholes, cabside shutters
• Late rocker arm covers
• Late sandboxes
• Parallel buffers
• Tall front spring cover
• Central boiler handrail + additional handrails
• ATC equipment
• Smooth-running mechanism
• Dynamic firebox flicker on DCC
• Next18 DCC Decoder Socket
• Factory-fitted speakers in all models
• Sprung buffers
• MoPower Stay Alive included
• Highly detailed
• NEM 362 coupler pockets

Details

The GWR 45xx class, famously known as the Small Prairie, was a versatile 2-6-2 tank engine designed for mixed-traffic duties. Originally introduced as the 44xx class in 1904 by Chief Mechanical Engineer George Churchward, the design was revised to include larger 4’ 7½” wheels, improving top speeds to 60 mph.

The first prototype, No. 2161, was built at Wolverhampton Works in 1906, followed by 19 more engines. In 1912, the GWR renumbered the class as 4500–4529, establishing the 45xx series. Swindon Works continued production from 1913–1915, incorporating improvements such as superheated boilers, outside steam pipes, and curved running boards.

Under Charles Collett, a final batch was built in 1924, bringing the total to 75 locomotives. These later engines featured larger bunkers, full-length curved running boards, superheated boilers, and cab enhancements. Earlier engines were retrofitted to match these upgrades, increasing coal capacity and operational range.

The 45xx class served the GWR and British Railways until withdrawals were completed by 1964. Several Collett-built engines survive in preservation, including the famous No. 4555 Warrior, still celebrated by model railway enthusiasts today.

Ideal for collectors, GWR Small Prairie models capture the charm of early 20th-century British tank engines, making them a must-have addition for any GWR or vintage model railway layout.