Rails of Sheffield

Hornby TT3008M TT3008M BR Class A4 4-6-2 60016 'Silver King' Steam Locomotive

The LNER Gresley A4 is one of the most iconic express locomotives in Great Britain, with its streamlined casing a classic symbol of the attitude towards speed and design in the 1930s, which saw increased competition to the railways from road and air travel. The LNER Board knew that they had to make travel between the major cities faster, comfortable and more reliable.

Nigel Gresley, the LNER's Chief Mechanical Officer, travelled on the Fliegende Hamburger diesel locomotive in Germany and was impressed by its streamlining, although he realized it was only efficient at high speeds. Gresley was certain that a modified A3 Pacific, with streamlining, could haul greater loads than other locomotives at the same speed or faster and a series of trials were conducted to confirm the A3's suitability.

With the trials successfully completed, the LNER Board gave Gresley the go-ahead to create the "Silver Jubilee" streamlined trains, the first of the new streamlined A4s.The streamlining of the A4s' steam circuit, higher boiler pressure and extension of the firebox to create a combustion chamber made them more efficient than the A3 as they consumed less coal and water- especially later on when they were also fitted with a Kylchap double chimney. This improved their free steaming capabilities further. Their streamlined design not only made them capable of high speeds, but created an up draught of smoke, obscuring the driver's vision, a major problem on the new Class A4 engines. The story goes that during wind tunnel testing, after several unsuccessful efforts to get the smoke to lift clear, a thumbprint was inadvertently left on the clay model just behind the chimney. This succeeded in clearing the smoke and was incorporated into the final design.

2511 Silver King was the 3rd A4 locomotive to be built, designed to pull the Silver Jubilee service. The locomotive entered service in November 1935 in the unique LNER Silver livery designed for the service. The locomotive would go on to work under BR before being scrapped in 1965, making it one of the longest serving A4 locomotives.

  • Length - 19.1cm, Width - 2.5cm, Height - 3.7cm
  • 1:120 Scale
  • Gauge: TT
  • DCC Status: Next 18 Socket (NEM 662)
  • Minimum Curve (mm): Radius 2
  • Motor: 3 Pole

                                            In operation for over 50 years, Rails of Sheffield has grown to become one of Europe's largest award winning model railway retailers and an industry leader. The business dispatches to customers worldwide via its immensely popular second hand eBay store.
                                            Despite five decades of growth and its transformation into an award-winning national and international retailer, Rails has seen rapid expansion in recent years.

                                            In 2022, to meet the increasing demand of the ever-growing model railway industry, Rails moved into larger warehouse and office spaces in Dronfield, Derbyshire.

                                            Their partnership with the National Railway Museum, Railway Icons and various manufacturers continues to flourish, with multiple exclusive locomotives and rolling stock being designed and developed throughout the year.

                                            Now, as we step into 2025, Rails remains the leading name in the model railway industry, with exciting plans for further expansion and continued dedication to serving model railway enthusiasts and hobbyists from South Yorkshire and beyond!
                                            A BRIEF HISTORY RAILS ORIGINS 1970S - EARLY 1980S

                                            Founded by Hedley Barber in December 1970, Rails' early trade was in buying and selling second-hand model railways, something that remains at the heart of the business to this very day.


                                            Working from the back of Hedley's shop on Holmesdale Road, Dronfield on the southern outskirts of Sheffield, interest grew steadily throughout the decade and by the early-1980s, Rails was a fixture at toy fairs and swap meets such as the regular Buxton Pavilion Fair. Between then and 2000, the team regularly attended thousands of events across the UK - building a loyal customer base.

                                            LAUNCHING THE STORE 1980S - EARLY 1990S

                                            With a growing legion of regular customers building up, a 'proper' shop was required, and Rails moved to Chesterfield Road in Heeley Bottom, a few doors away from the current shop. From here, Rails also expanded its mail order operation and its advertisements became a familiar sight in publications..



                                            In the early-1990s

                                            Rails moved to another shop on Chesterfield Road and established the first part of its permanent base. In 1996, the neighbouring shop unit was acquired and a period of rapid expansion followed.



                                            By the late-1990s

                                            Rails then launched its first website and was pioneering online model railway retail for both new and second hand items. The late-1990s also saw the growth of the 'limited edition' business - with many exclusive liveries commissioned from major manufacturers.

                                            Rapid Expansion - 2000s

                                            The ability to promote and sell rare collectable model trains all over the world transform the second-hand business, a process accelerated with the advent of eBay in the early 2000s. Today Rails is the largest model railway eBay shop in the UK and one of the biggest in the world. To feed this expanding business, the Barber family scoured the country (and sometimes further afield) acquiring model railway collections.

                                            As the business grew, so did the shop, purchased in the 2000s and then a series of nearby buildings and offices added to house the blossoming eBay business, storage, sorting and packing department offices were added.

                                            A New Era - 2010s to 2020s

                                            Sadly, Hedley Barber passed away on August 11th 2015, leaving his son John and grandsons Adam and Oliver and John's wife Tracy to manage the company he founded, with support of other family members and long serving staff. Remaining a family operated business, Rails continued to thrive in the late 2010s.

                                            A major milestone was the opening of the impressive show room in 2018, which features beautiful displays of popular locomotives and rolling stock frames amongst real Sheffield steel, stone walling and natural material. This was the catalyst for the refurbishment of the entire 'front of house' shop now occupying five formerly separate units.

                                            Rails also branched out into the new areas such as commissioning its own exclusive model product under the new 'Rails Limited' brand, bringing new model to the public such as the Stroudley 'Terrier' steam locomotive with Dapol and North Eastern Railway Electric Autocrat with Heljan.

                                            In 2021, Rails opened it all new purpose-built warehouse and offices in Dronfield. The multi-million pound development enable Rails to move all warehousing and administration to this new site to streamline the business and continue to provide customers with the top-tier service they had become accustomed to.

                                            In January 2024, Rails acquired Hatton's Model Railways following its unfortunate closure after many years. Committed to preserving the Hatton's legacy, Rails is integrating customers with the beloved Hatton's Directory & product database. Later in 2024, Rails launched the Vintage Toy Shop, showcasing a treasure trove of rare collectables in Sheffield.

                                            Rails of Sheffield
                                            Rails remains deeply connected to the South Yorkshire community it was established to serve.

                                            ...And if you've ever wondered about the origin of the Rails name, it's all down to Hedley's proper Yorkshire attitude to spending money. The original shop on Chesterfield Road had previously been 'The Sheffield Photographic Centre'; rather than buying a new sign, he simply recycled five of the red plastic letters from the old shop front and rearranged them into the name - 'RAILS'!
                                            A True Home-grown Family Business
                                            ROYAL MAIL TRACKED £4.00
                                            Royal Mail aim to deliver within 2 days of dispatch including Saturdays.

                                            *Please note this is not a guaranteed service and parcels may take longer to arrive. We aim to dispatch orders within 24 hours of payment being taken, however this is not a guarantee and in busy times this may take longer.


                                            DHL SERVICE £4.95
                                            Orders are processed and dispatched to DHL within one working day. Tracking information is provided once the parcel is handed over. Delivery times depend on DHL’s service in your region.

                                            *Please note, orders must be placed by 2pm Monday to Friday and by 10am on Saturdays. There is no guarantee for same day dispatch.


                                            INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
                                            For international shipping, we use eBay's Global Shipping Programme                                             Rails of Sheffield ship to the UK eBay Hub where it's then shipped to your country. You can view shipping charges for your country on individual listings by going into the Postage, Returns and Payments section of the listing.
                                            A True Home-grown Family Business
                                            Returns are accepted within 14 days of delivery. Items must be returned in their original condition. The buyer is responsible for all return postage costs. A refund will be issued once the returned item has been received and inspected.

                                            Please contact us via your eBay order if you aren't quite satisfied with your order. We will try and rectify any issues as quickly as possible.

                                            Refer to eBays returns policy for more information.
                                            Returns Policy
                                            A True Home-grown Family Business
                                            We aim to provide you with the very best service and great second hand model railway items. If you're happy with your order, please consider leaving a 5 star rating and positive feedback. This is always very much appreciated!

                                            Not quite satisfied with your order? Please contact us via your eBay order or phone before leaving feedback and we will try and rectify any issues as quickly as possible.


                                            Our eBay store is updated daily with a variety of different gauges and accessories so keep an eye out as you may just find what you're looking for!

                                            A True Home-grown Family Business
                                            Contact Us

                                            The best way to contact us is through the eBay messaging system


                                            Contact Us

                                            A True Home-grown Family Business
                                            Payment Methods

                                            Payment methods accepted at checkout Paypal, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

                                            WHY CHOOSE US
                                            Huge Range Check out our massive range of collectable model trains and sets
                                            UK's leading retailer For Model Railways, die cast and collectables
                                            50+ years A true home-grown family business in operation for over 50 years
                                            Award winning retailer Trusted seller with positive reviews
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