NER Class H No.898 in NER Blue - SOUND FITTED

A very charming locomotive has resulted in a rather endearing entry into the Railway Icons range. Rapido's excellently tooled NER H Class (or Y7 under LNER ownership) OO Gauge model is the latest addition to our range in partnership with Rails of Sheffield. No.898 in NER Experimental Blue will certainly turn a lot of heads on any layout, especially for such a small locomotive!

Model Features:
- Die-cast metal and injection moulded plastic construction.
- High quality motor and mechanism.
- Next18 decoder socket.
- High level of detail with plenty of separately fitted parts.
- Optional user fitted coupling chains, shunting poles and other parts.
- Sprung buffers.
- Factory-fitted speaker in all models.

The North Eastern Railway (NER) Class H, designated as Class Y7 by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), constitutes a group of 0-4-0T steam locomotives specifically engineered for shunting purposes.

Introduced in 1888 under the direction of Thomas W. Worsdell, six locomotives of the NER Class H were constructed that same year. Their uncomplicated and unadorned design facilitated easy navigation through tight curves and on substandard tracks. The success of the H class was evident when the NER placed orders for an additional ten in 1891, followed by three in 1897, and an additional five commissioned by the LNER in 1923.

These locomotives featured side bunkers integrated into the side tanks for coal carriage. The design excluded a rear bunker, and the compact cab allowed the driver an unobstructed view of the buffer bar when reversing onto a train. The H class shared its straightforward domeless boiler design with the H1 (J78) and H2 (J79) classes.

Originally equipped with dumb buffers, the locomotives underwent a change to small round buffers during the 1930s. Some also acquired vacuum brakes during this period, as the initial construction only included hand and steam brakes. Locomotives stationed at Tyne Dock were modified to accommodate shunting poles on each corner, providing the capability to pull a wagon on an adjacent line.