Ruston 48DS

The standard gauge 48DS series as we have modelled them started in 1941 and lasted until 1967 when production ceased. We are proud to be donating £5000 to Lincolnshire County Council’s Lincs to the Past heritage archive program who are preserving and restoring the entire Ruston historical record.

Each model is fitted with custom-tuned motor, highly efficient gearbox and near-prototype geartrain (we’ve used toothed belts instead of chain drive). Compact self-contained sprung buffers are included, as well as a removable roof for those who would like to add a driver. As is customary with all LLCs models, a quality speaker is also pre-fitted, and we’ve even found space for a capacitor bank, ensuring your model never stalls. With auto-sensing DC/DCC decoder fitted as standard, this is one of the most technically advanced – and smallest – 7mm scale models available, and is available in O gauge or Scale 7 as standard.

Designed and produced in the UK, our models represent the first locos to be classified ’48DS’ with the open steam-style cab introduced in 1941, and the later closed cab variant produced in 1949. The final 1956 variation with deeper buffer plates will be available in the coming months. All models are produced in ‘Ruston green’ with their corresponding lining, as they would have been presented in the sales catalogue.

Thanks to the Lincs to the Past heritage archive program, we were able to produce our model from original Ruston drawings, providing absolute accuracy. The program is ensuring that such historic documents are saved, restored and made freely available for public use. To help them achieve this ongoing and valuable work we are donating £5000 from the sales our models.