{"product_id":"rapido-trains-oo-gauge-manning-wardle-l-class-sir-berkeley-as-preserved-dcc-ready-960003","title":"Rapido Trains OO Gauge Manning Wardle L Class 'Sir Berkeley' (as preserved) DCC Ready - 960003","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"woocommerce-product-details__short-description\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eProduct Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan\u003eSince Rapido Trains UK started, we have been asked to produce a small steam locomotive suitable for industrial and light railway use. With our General Manager, Andy, interested in such things, we didn’t need asking twice. Fifteen years ago, Andy passed his steam loco driving test on \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMatthew Murray\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, an L Class built by Manning Wardle in 1903 and residing on the Middleton Railway, a stone’s throw from its birthplace. The railway is also home to a sister L class \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eSir Berkeley\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. This type has never appeared in OO gauge in any form so it’s no surprise that we opted to produce it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"woocommerce-product-details__short-description\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"woocommerce-product-details__short-description\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThe L class were dainty and attractive little locomotives, often with double-bossed wheels and a variety of bolt-on options the purchaser could add. The resulting engines were unmistakably Manning Wardle.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"woocommerce-product-details__short-description\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"woocommerce-product-details__short-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"has-woostify-heading-6-font-size\"\u003eThe L class was a loco that was favoured by civil engineering contractors and also worked on several light railways, with two versions surviving into preservation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"has-woostify-heading-6-font-size\"\u003eOriginally intended to be a smaller version of the larger M class, the L class design was changed so it became a souped-up version of the K class, and inherited the K’s wheelbase, barrel length and cylinder diameter. However, it received a larger boiler diameter and cylinder stroke. This gave the Ls a greater tractive effort, while still retaining an unmistakably Manning Wardle aesthetic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"has-woostify-heading-6-font-size\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlthough standard locomotives had a similar frame, boiler and overall size and power to their classmates, there was a multitude of detail and cosmetic differences that could be chosen by the new owner. Our model caters for many of these differences and features a smooth-running mechanism, a factory-installed speaker, NEM coupler pockets, and an ESU E24 decoder socket. Individual models include variations of the cab, cab steps, frames, wheels, buffers and buffer beams, smokebox and smokebox doors, valves, tanks and backhead. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"has-woostify-heading-6-font-size\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eModels can also be personalised with a selection of interesting optional parts such as vacuum pipes, coupling chains and dumb buffers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"has-woostify-heading-6-font-size\"\u003eModel Highlights\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eManning Wardle ‘L’ Class – ‘Sir Berkeley’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWorks No. 1210 of 1890\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs currently preserved at the Middleton Railway\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeatherboard cab\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDiagonal-ended Frames\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDouble boss wheels\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTapered buffer stocks\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eE24 DCC socket\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFactory-fitted speaker in all models\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNEM coupler pockets\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHigh quality motor and mechanism\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHigh level of detail with plenty of separately fitted parts\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Rapido Trains","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57211384070517,"sku":"960003","price":134.96,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0275\/5932\/9844\/files\/Screenshot2026-05-19at21.42.57.png?v=1779223420","url":"https:\/\/malcsmodels.co.uk\/products\/rapido-trains-oo-gauge-manning-wardle-l-class-sir-berkeley-as-preserved-dcc-ready-960003","provider":"Malcs Models","version":"1.0","type":"link"}