◆ GAUGE‘OO’

◆ MODEL Dapol/Rails of Sheffield SECR Maunsell ‘D1’ 4 ‐ 4‐0, No. 31487 BR black, ‘Sunshine’ lettering

◆ PRICE£199.95

◆ AVAILABILITYRails of Sheffield Web: www.railsofsheffield.com

Railway companies were often frugal, yet innovative. South Eastern & Chatham Railway chief mechanical engineer Richard Maunsell launched his ‘D1’ 4 ‐ 4‐0 into passenger service in the post ‐war austerity of 1921, but in truth, the class ought to have been credited at least as much to Harry Wainwright. For what Maunsell effectively did was design a new boiler and cylinders to fit a ‘D’.

Rails of Sheffield and Dapol have jointly deployed some clever thinking to similarly adapt their earlier Wainwright model. Unveiled in summer 2021, it pre-empted the announcement in February 2022 that the ‘D1’ would naturally follow.

What makes the adaption so effective is the totally new impression that the new ‘D1’ gives, despite the tooling being substantially recycled. Forget the subtle visual nuances separating Gresley’s ‘A1’ and ‘A3’; this is a completely different looking animal. All of the sweeping elegance of the early Edwardian ‘D’ has been superseded by the comparatively utilitarian lines of its inter-war rebuild.

Below the waistline, the ‘D1’ is the same. Above, it is strikingly different. From releasing

No. 31847 from its sturdy blister pack cradle what’s immediately apparent is how much bigger this 1921 design looks. The higher pitched boiler, Belpaire rather than rounded firebox, raised running plate, and longer smokebox (to accommodate the superheater header) gives our sample a brutish, modern and purposeful appearance.