DAPOL GWR ‘LARGE PRAIRIE’ 2-6-2T

❯ ‘OO’ gauge PRICE: from £140.71 Dapol’s newest ‘OO’ gauge locomotive is the GWR ‘Large Prairie’, which stirred plenty of interest when first announced a few years back. In this first batch of models, released just in time for Christmas, seven different versions are on offer, encompassing the ‘41XX’, ‘51XX’ and ‘61XX’ number series, portraying locomotives built between 1929-49. Modellers can choose between various iterations of GWR and BR liveries with models carrying detail fittings appropriate to each period, such as bunkerside footsteps, cabside shutters, water filler covers, top feed pipes and lamp bracket positions.

Our sample portrays Landore shed’s No. 4134 in BR lined green with early emblems and it’s quite a weighty beast for a modest-sized model. That’s due to the use of die-cast metal for the chassis and running plate, which gives the locomotive plenty of extra traction. Indeed, the flywheel-equipped motor packs plenty of punch and the ‘Large Prairie’ ran smoothly and effortlessly around my test track, even with a long rake of stock in tow.

The overall finish and build quality are excellent, the looks of the real thing have been captured admirably and there are some great design touches that render it user-friendly too. For instance, the cab roof simply unclips, revealing the super-detailed interior and making it easy to add a footplate crew. Furthermore, the smokebox door can be opened to reveal a pull-out circuit board, into which can be slotted a DCC decoder and a speaker. If only all models were designed like this!

A: Dapol stockists W:

As well as the suburban passenger and light freight duties for which the ‘Large Prairies’ were designed, the 2-6-2Ts were also frequently used for pilot duties. No. 4151 heads ‘County’ No. 1024 towards the Severn Tunnel with an express for the Midland Region, in August 1961. RAIL PHOTOPRINTS