Rapido Kerr Stuart Sirdar 009

Review of the Rapido Kerr Stuart Sirdar 009 locomotive and variants

Published on Aug 4, 2026.

Scale: 1:76 | Gauge: 9mm | 009 | Ready To Run

The Rapido model

This is Rapido's first foray into the 009 ready to run locomotive market and what a superb model they have started with.

The model comes in a strong cardboard box with a sleeved plastic clamshell holding the locomotive. These are very strong and should prevent any damage to the locomotive which appears to be reasonably fragile if it were to be dropped or knocked off a layout.

The finish is quite superb on this model especially the cab interior with pipework, gauges and handles all picked out in appropriate colours.

The addition of suitable footplate crew, Modelu have figures specially posed to fit this model, will make this model come alive.

It does need running in for a hour in either direction but this should be done on all locos to ensure good running when used. After that the loco runs exceptionally well at slow speeds.

Preservation and legacy

Of the small number of Sirdar class locomotives only two remain in existence. The most famous of these is Diana which has been rebuilt and is running in preservation, Hope being the other which is on static display.

Kerr Stuart 1158 — Diana

• Built 1909, Stoke-on-Trent; 0-4-0T; originally 2ft 5½in gauge, regauged to 2ft
• One of six for a Mauritius order; not delivered, remained in builder's stock until 1917
• Described as a 'long tank', with a stated capacity of approx 200 gallons
• 1917: Home Grown Timber Committee → Kerry Tramway, near Newtown, Powys
• 1925: Oakeley Quarry, Blaenau Ffestiniog (acquires the name Diana); c.18 years there
• Later Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry, Nantlle Valley; out of use 1950, boiler condemned
• Preservation from 1963/64 (sources differ — Graham Mullis named as first - preservationist); multiple owners, no completed restoration
• 2014: bought by Phil Mason; restored at Vale of Rheidol works, Aberystwyth
• Oct 2015 restoration complete; entered traffic Bala Lake Railway
• 2017: centenary tour (Statfold Barn, Beamish, Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland, Apedale, - Amerton, Leighton Buzzard); modifications at Statfold late 2017
• Early 2018 → Amerton Railway, Staffordshire; operational

Kerr Stuart 652 — Hope

• Ordered 6 March 1899 by the Agent General for the Cape of Good Hope; 2ft 6in gauge
• 2-4-2T — Sirdar design plus a carrying axle at each end, for 12lb rail on 3ft sleeper spacing
• Arrived Walvis Bay 22 August 1899; line ran c.12 miles inland to the German border at Plum
• 12 tons in working order; 100 gallon tanks; tractive effort c.1,020lb; 120psi
• Traffic collapsed within six years; laid aside by 1915
• Later recovered, repaired at Usakos works, displayed at Windhoek station as a national monument
• 1963: returned to Walvis Bay station, plinthed; now under glass against salt-air corrosion

Model variants available

Rapido Long tank

Rapido have created eight livery versions of the long tank Sirdar variant all with open cabs, and a chassis is available separately.

Rapido Short Tank

Rapido have also created six livery versions of the "What if" short tank Sirdar variant all with enclosed cabs.

The 009 Society "What if" short tank version

An exclusive limited production run of "What if" short tank Sirdar produced in 009 Society blue with the . Sirdar's were built with tanks to fit the gauge and the axel loading for the intended track conditions.These different sized patterns were available and Kerr Stuart used them to mix and match components to build locomotives to customer specifications. This resulted in competitive prices and speed of manufacture and was a technique used across both narrow gauge and standard gauge builds. The 009 Societies version pays homage to that process with a "what if" short tank, though they look longer than Hope's tanks. That aside, it looks really good.

Light Railway Stores GWR version

An exclusive Great Western Railway liveried green enclosed cab Sirdar locomotive from Light Railway Stores, numbers 12 and finished with the GWR roundel logo on the tanks. Lovely looking loco for your GWR narrow gauge layout.

Rails of Sheffield WD version

An exclusive WDLR Plain Green version with enclosed cab Sirdar with War Department logo and numbered 1157.

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