Sonic Models, in conjunction with Rails of Sheffield, have announced their next N Gauge locomotive will be the Great Central Railway / LNER A5 4-6-2 steam locomotive.
Following on from their recent OO Gauge version, the N Gauge model will fill another gap for modellers of Great Central & Eastern Region steam, coming hot on the heals of the Graham Farish LNER V2.
Sonic are planning to release eight versions of the A5 initially, all available exclusively through Rails of Sheffield as per previous models, and the tooling suite allows all of the major variations to be represented.
A six pin DCC socket will be provided suitable for right angle chips, with current collection coming from the driving wheels and the rear pony truck. The front pony truck will not feature pickups. A firebox LED will also be fitted.
The proposed liveries are:
S2104-01 N A5 GCR GREAT CENTRAL GREEN 373
S2104-02 N A5 LNER GREEN LINED 5045
S2104-03 N A5 LNER GCR GREEN 5167
S2104-04 N A5 LNER BLACK RED LINED 5024
S2104-05 N A5 BR BLACK EARLY EMBLEM 69804
S2104-06 N A5 BR BLACK LATE CREST 69820
S2104-07 N A5 BR BLACK EARLY EMBLEM 69827
S2104-08 N A5 BR BLACK LATE CREST 69814
Pricing for all versions is £139.95 with a £30 deposit payable on ordering.
The model is currently at the CAD stage with the models expected to be available around December 2025.
Robinson GCR 9N / LNER A5
The final passenger tank locomotive designed by John G. Robinson, the Great Central Railway 9N was intended for use on the heavy suburban passenger trains from Marylebone.
Three batches were built by the GCR between 1911 & 1917 totalling 21 locomotives, with a fourth being ordered but not completed until 1923 and after grouping when the GCR became part of the newly formed London North Eastern Railway.
Under LNER ownership, the class was re-designated as A5, and a fifth & final batch of 13 ordered to provide much needed passenger tank locomotives in the North East area. This brought the final number of 9N/A5s built to 44.
The A5 were some of the first locomotives fitted with superheaters, initially Schmidt types but these were eventually superseded by a Robinson design.
Although the A5s were never rebuilt during their service life, there were various minor differences across the different batches and additions such as ross pop safety valves from 1920 onward. The original locomotives were built without cabside windows, but these had been fitted to all locos by 1926.
Being built to Great Central loading gauge, the engines were large compared to comparable locos. Over time lower domes and Gresley style chimneys were fitted to permit wider usage. All engines were built with water pick-up gear but this fell in to disuse in the 1940s and was removed between by 1949.
On nationalisation of the Railways in 1948, 43 A5s fell under the ownership of the newly formed British Railways, 5447 having been withdrawn in 1942 due to badly cracked frames. The class saw gradual replacement by Thompson L1s beginning in 1948 and were completely withdrawn by 1960. Sadly, non of the class survived into preservation.
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