Rapido Trains OO Gauge Dia V17 Van War Department Grey 944028 No 35601 944028

Rapido Trains UK is delighted to add two diagrams of wooden ‘Mink’ to our growing range of rolling stock: the Diagram V14 and the Diagram V16.

Both were introduced in 1912 and were virtually identical: the Dia. V14 had vacuum brakes whereas the V16 was unfitted. They shared the same body, underframe, ‘W’ irons, DC III brakes and axleboxes. They were both upgraded from 10t capacity to 12t in the mid-1920s. The last of the 5,506 Dia. V14 ‘Mink As’ were built in 1927; production of the Dia. V16s had ceased in 1923 and ‘only’ 2,759 were built.

Our ‘Mink As’ are still being designed by our UK design team. However, they are expected to include spoked and disc wheels, two types of rain strip, horizontal and vertical planked doors and, of course, underframes with or without vacuum brake gear.