Rapido Trains OO GWR Small Prairies
Starting with the 44xx class. This class of 10 locomotives fitted with 4ft 1½in diameter driving wheelswere the prototypes for the highly successful Churchward small prairies of the 45xx/55xx. This size of driving wheel proved ideal to create a powerful locomotive well suited to some of the stiffly graded branch lines on the GWR network, but too small for the faster speeds needed for mainline stopping services. Churchward amended the design for the series production of the 45xx class, increasing the speed potential by using 4ft 7½ diameter driving wheels, as selected for the 2-8-0 goods locomotives and many pannier tank classes.