The Class 325 units are unique, in being the only EPUs (Electric Postal Units) in the UK. They’re largely based on the Class 319, except with Networker-style cabs. 16 of them were built, and also much like the Class 319 they are dual-voltage units. Now to the model itself.

From outside the model looks very good. It seems to be quite well-detailed and accurate. The shutters open and close by pressing T at a station, much like the doors on a passenger train. The ‘Mail Express’ logos are fictional, it seems RSC didn’t manage to get permission from Royal Mail to use their branding, however this can be fixed with a downloadable patch (more on that later). Stepping into the cab, however, is a bit of a disappointment. It looks good and is TSX-compatible, but there’s one thing that gets me. 7 power notches, when the Class 325 in real life has 4. The brakes are also continuous on the RailWorks model, when in real life they are stepped.

The sounds are disappointing too, as the Thomson Class 455 sounds have been used, which don’t sound very much like a Class 325. As far as value for money goes, it is priced at the usual £11.99 for rolling stock on Steam, and whether you think this is good value or not depends on how much use you think you’ll get out of it. I managed to pick it up for £2.99 during the ‘March Madness’ sale, so if you aren’t sure whether you’ll get much use out of the 325, I’d suggest buying it during one of Steam’s sales and getting it for a discount price. Overall, as bought from Steam, I would rate the model 6/10.

However, there are two things that can be done to greatly enhance the 325. Firstly, Armstrong Powerhouse recently released a sound pack, which completely replaces the 455 sounds and it sounds fantastic. The whine of the Thyristors, the compressor rattling and motors screaming is all there. Priced at £4.99 from the Armstrong Powerhouse website, this greatly increases the driving experience of the unit, and if you do purchase or already have the 325, I’d strongly recommend buying the sound pack.

Secondly, downloadable from UKTrainSim is an enhancement pack by UKTS user Kariban. This adds various new features to the unit, the most notable being that the controls have been improved. There are now 4 throttle notches and stepped braking like in real life, and also, Royal Mail logos have been added to replace the old Mail Express ones. Overall, with these two enhancements, I would rate the model 9/10. The enhancement pack from UKTS is free, and with the sound pack £4.99 from Armstrong Powerhouse, I would recommend anybody who owns this unit to obtain both of these to greatly improve the driving experience.