Warbonnet

We have a colossal amount of new models arriving in our warehouse, floating on the high seas and nearing completion in our factories. It is by far the largest amount of models we have been in the process of delivering ever as we grow bigger and stronger. In fact, there is so much happening right now that we have decided to put it in one larger mini update instead of several smaller batches. If we haven't got it on here, then the previous update is still valid. So, here we go! (Please note that these ETAs are given in good faith based on the latest information from our factories and logistics partners. There are therefore subject to change which we will communicate to you should a change arise.) Class 55 Deltics Our second run of Deltics are now in our warehouse and are currently being readied for dispatch. We envisage shipping to begin tomorrow and (busy Christmas period permitting) will begin landing with modellers and retailers from early next week. Please note that the second run of Deltics have been hugely popular, so it's going to take us at least a week to work through all orders. Andrew Barclay Tanks Our Andrew Barclay tanks are currently in stock but we are using a secondary warehouse to fulfil the volume of orders, coupled with Black Friday/Cyber Monday orders along with the usual Christmas rush is causing delays in the delivery system to modellers. We are currently seeing delivery times of 10-14 days. We apologise for this delay currently and are working to improve it significantly in the coming days and weeks. P Class Like the Andrew Barclay tanks, our P Class locomotives were already underway with Hattons before their closure. This means that clamshell internal packaging was already designed from the previous run and we saw no need to update it. However, there has been some damage caused by the packaging of the ABs and as a result we tested the Ps packaging. We were unhappy with the results of the packaging being adequate enough, so we have had it all recycled and remade. This has unfortunately delayed delivery, but they are due to be repackaged next week. We are confident that the new packaging will remove the disappointment of a broken model reaching you, but we can now not guarantee them arriving before Christmas to you, more likely between Christmas and new year and into early January. Crimson Mark 1 Suburban Coaches Following on from the success and love for our BR Blue Mark 1 suburban coaches, the next batch in the rather attractive BR crimson livery arrive at our Warehouse on December 19th and dispatch will begin after the Deltics. Once again, dispatch will take several days so may spill into that period between Christmas and new year, along with early January. 16 Ton Minerals Also due with the Crimson Mark 1s are our first production run of 16 ton mineral wagons! These will ship out after the Mark 1s in early January to direct customers and retailers. Mark 2c Coaches Our hotly anticipated Mark 2c coaches near the end of their journey and will land in stock with us in the first week of January and dispatch will begin after our usual QC checks and stock counting. Expect them to arrive with you from the second week in January and allow about 7-10 days for dispatch to all direct and trade customers. The love for these has been strong! Ruston 88DS In O Gauge Also due in the first week in January at our warehouse is our first O gauge locomotive, and indeed our first locomotive delivered on time! Our wonderful Ruston 88ds locos arrive in the second week of January and dispatch begins after the Mark 2c dispatch is complete. Class 30/31/Brush Type 2 Batch 2 and Batch 3 Following on from our hugely successful first batch (all in BR Blue!), our second batch of Class 31s consists of all main range locomotives in BR Green, Dutch, Railfreight grey, Regional Railways and Intercity Mainline liveries. These will land with us in mid January 2025. Our batch 3 which consists of our Accurascale Exclusives in Network Rail livery, Mainline Freight and EWS, along with special edition models for Rails of Sheffield, Key Model World, Model Rail Magazine and the National Railway Museum arrive in March! Class 89 As per our very recent update, the Class 89s will land with us in late February 2025! Expect to see production samples around new year. Class 50 Production of the Class 50s is now in its last leg and final assembly is well underway. We expect our production samples for sign off before the end of this year to sign off ahead of delivery. Delivery will be early March 2025. J67/J68/J69 Buckjumper Our gorgeous little Buckjumpers are progressing through production as we speak, but they will not be finished ahead of the Chinese New Year factory close down. They will now arrive in Q2 2025. CDA Wagons Accompanying the Class 31s are the CDA wagons, which will also arrive in stock with us in mid January 2025 and be dispatched to direct and retail customers following the second batch of Class 31s. Remember, you can pre-order any of these models (subject to availability, the Class 89 only direct or via Rails of Sheffield) from our retail partners, or direct via the link below! NER 20T Hopper Wagons Another project that is now in production are or rather lovely NER 20T hopper wagons. The completion date for these rather interesting entry into our "Powering Britain" range of coal wagons is March, which means they will arrive in stock with us in May of 2025. Pre-Order Your Accurascale Goodies Here! View the full article

Hi everyone, The team here at IRM/Accurascale was very sorry to hear of the untimely passing of Chris Dyer over the weekend. As anyone familiar with the Irish modelling scene would know, Chris ran toy fairs, commissioned reworked models and sold model trains, both new and secondhand at various shows across the island of Ireland for many years. He also ran a brilliant toy fair in Stillorgan with his good buddy, Dave Bracken for many years before COVID lockdowns and Brexit put a spanner in the works. He was also an early supporter of IRM and what we set out to do, with him being only one of our very select few trade partners. He also gave us space at the Stillorgan fair to promote and sell our models and meet the public. He will be greatly missed by those in the hobby, but not as much as he will be by his wonderful family and friends. Thanks very much for all your help and support, Chris, and the odd bargain too. Ar Dheis De go Raibh aHainm Dhilis. Thanks, Fran

Our Class 60 launch certainly took many modellers by surprise when we unveiled our latest diesel project back in the summer. It signified our switch to announcing later in the development process too, so waiting times for modellers could be reduced from announcement to delivery (see also our NIR Hunslet and Hunslet Austerity locos decorated samples due very soon, and 37/9s!) However, we still allow a little room for improvements based on customer feedback, and indeed our own input. While the decorated samples looked splendid, and many modellers were most impressed with how they look, there were some tweaks we wanted to implement. We were starting from a very strong position thankfully, as can be seen with the beautifully weathered and renumbered example by James Makin running on "Loftus Road". He really took one of our decorated samples to the next level. Look out for a full "step-by-step" guide on our website when the models arrive in stock. We have received much constructive feedback on our Tugs at shows, on RMWeb and of course Social Media, as well as our own review processes as we progress throughout the development process. Once such area that drew feedback and debate was the addition of the bolt heads visible on the window frames on the front windscreens of the real locomotives. We had initially elected to leave this feature off on the model (as had been done on previous renditions of the OO gauge model) for one simple reason; the recess of the bolt heads is max 2mm, but mostly flush M6 inner frame, M8 outer frame flat head bolts (we measured!). This scales down to a max 0.026mm in 4mm scale for 00 gauge locomotives. This is impossible to tool to scale, and we did not want the front of the loco looking like overscale swiss cheese! However, we thought we would have a go at trying to replicate it again and came up with the below... Beautifully subtle, just like the real locomotives and pleasing to the eye, we printed the bolt heads to the correct scale size to give that subtle representation which can be caught by the light and it really sets the "face" of the loco off rather nicely! Another area we were not overly happy with when the decoration samples were delivered was some of the piping on the bogies, with the hydraulic pipes being a little ill defined and lacking relief. It ended up looking like one big pipe, instead of two smaller ones run side-by-side. Thankfully, this was a rather easy fix! Before: After (EXTREME CLOSE-UP!): Much better! One outstanding element in the creation of our Class 60 was recording of the sound file. We felt it was of vital importance to record a Tug at what it does best; hauling heavy trains on the mainline. It has taken months of planning and signing off, but thanks to those brilliant people at DCR we were able to record 6Z60 1034 Willesden DC Rail Sidings to Merehead Quarry empties and return loaded 6M18 1613 Merehead Quarry (Fhh) to Willesden DC Rail Sidings. They even facilitated us by turning the locomotive to have it at the right end for optimum sound recording when working loaded. We had to work very hard to respect all the rules and safety considerations of recording a locomotive working hard at its day job, and all recording was done with trained railwaymen who are trained to operate in such areas with full safety training. Having such folk as part of our team allows us to go that extra mile to secure the very best sound recordings for our locomotives. The hard work has paid off though, as nothing can really capture the powerful sound of a locomotive working hard, at speed, on the mainline. (Our sound man Jamie and trusty microphone safely tucked into the loading gauge in the rear cab of 60 029 as she blasts through Twyford on loaded 6M18 1613 Merehead Quarry (Fhh) to Willesden DC Rail Sidings, hauling a 2,500 ton trailing load and working hard!) With a trailing load of 2500 tons at speeds of up to 60mph, the resulting sound file will portray our Class 60 doing what they were designed for; moving mountains. We look forward to previewing the sound file for you on the production samples when they land with us! We would like extend our sincere thanks to Danny Sladdin and the team at DCR for making this possible! With production in full swing we have a very limited amount of Class 60s remaining on pre-order. We advise getting your no money down pre-order in today direct or via your local Accurascale stockist to avoid disappointment. Pre-order for just £169.99 DC/DCC Ready and £269.99 DCC sound fitted with our mainline sound recording and full "Accurathrash" speaker package. Pre-Order Your Class 60 Here! View the full article

Since we unveiled our line up of 37/4s in classic BR era condition and liveries, there has been much call to know what the other part of our Class 37 run 3 line up would look like? Of course, while it's easy to shout "duplication" because we did a Class 37, it did miss the point that we pride ourselves on; we did the variants that had never been done before. Okay, so the original Class 37/4s were done before, but market demands dictated that we go there. The calls for us to do them were huge, so we obliged. However, the other side of this run is us sticking true to our principles of breaking new Class 37 ground, and we go somewhere that no manufacturer has been before; The Mirrlees powered Class 37/9s! History Introduced in 1986-7, the repowered Class 37/9s were an off-shoot of the ill-fated ‘Class 38’ project, a proposed 1,800-2,250hp Class 31/33/37 replacement with the haulage capability of a Class 56 or 58. As many as 500 units were planned, which attracted significant interest from locomotive builders and engine manufacturers from the UK, Europe and the USA. Two British manufacturers quickly established themselves among the front runners with engine designs that boasted incredible fuel efficiency. The Mirrlees Blackstone MB275T from Hawker Siddeley and the Ruston RK270T from GEC Transportation, could both develop over 2,000hp from a straight six cylinder layout, providing a significant reduction in maintenance costs. Having both passed BR’s punishing approval process, a further further two-year trial was undertaken using six Class 37 donors that were undergoing ‘refurbishment’ at BREL Crewe Works. As the Mirrlees unit was slightly heavier than the English Electric 12CSVT they were replacing, they were included in the 120-tonne ballasted group, otherwise known as ‘heavyweights’. Hawker Siddeley offered four engines for Nos. 37901-4 and these were mated to a Brush BA1005A alternator, while the Ruston in Nos. 37905/6 was partnered with GEC G546AZ electrical equipment. Both engines were set to deliver just 1,800hp to avoid overloading the existing EE traction motors. There were external modifications too. The Mirrlees unit with silencer was longer and taller than unit it replaced, resulting in a new ‘peaked’ roof, while the Ruston, which tipped the scales at just 13.75 tons, also featured a revised roof to accommodate a new silencer layout. The first pair, Nos. 37901/2 (ex-37150 and 37148), left Crewe at the end of October 1986, while the two Rustons (ex-37136 and 37206) were completed by mid-December. Nos. 37903 (ex-37249) and 37904 (ex-37125) followed in February and April 1987 respectively. Cardiff Canton was chosen to look after the small fleet and these were allocated to the Metals sub-sector for local steel operations, although they were also fitted with slow-speed control for coal duties. All were delivered in Railfreight grey, with No. 37901 quickly being named Mirrlees Pioneer and No. 37905 Vulcan Enterprise. The Class 37/9s quickly found their feet, despite being intensively diagrammed, and working in pairs had no problem taking over from the double-headed Class 56s on the 3,060-tonne Port Talbot-Llanwern iron ore trains. However, they were found to load much more slowly leading to the ‘slug’ nickname for the class. Their reliability was also impressive, although some issues were experienced with both the turbochargers and the silencer configurations on both designs. The latter resulted in both types receiving modified roof layouts. Unfortunately, the ‘Class 38’ project was cancelled in December 1987. Despite this setback, BR chose to purchase the engines rather than return them to standard condition. Happily, the incredible fuel efficiency and extended maintenance periodicity displayed by the Mirrlees design likely contributed to Brush winning the Class 60 contract in 1988, and this was specified with the eight-cylinder version of the power unit. By August 1988, Nos. 37903/6 had both been outshopped in the new triple-grey Metals scheme, with Nos. 37904/5 being similarly repainted in 1990 and Nos. 37901/2 in March 1991, by which point the fleet was beginning to wander much further afield. However, it wasn’t long before their non-standard nature began to count against them and nearly all spent periods in store during the 1990s. While all six passed to Trainload Freight South West / Transrail in 1994, with Nos. 37901/6 also receiving big ‘T’ logos, No. 37904 was the first to be permanently stopped at Canton in April 1996. The resurgence of freight in the early EWS era saw regular work return for the remaining quintet, but with Class 66s starting to arrive the inevitable was held off only until November and December 1998 when Nos. 37901 and 37903/5 were also sidelined. The final pair, Nos. 37902/6, were switched off in January 1999, although unofficially named No. 37906 Star of the East was reprieved as part of the EWS ‘heritage fleet’ for galas and open days and was even repainted back into Railfreight grey ahead of the Old Oak Common open day in August 2000. No. 37903 was scrapped at Crewe Diesel in October 2005, while No. 37904 suffered the same fate at CF Booth, Rotherham, in November 2004. No. 37902 was acquired by Direct Rail Services in 2002, which then disposed of it to Sims Metals, Beeston, in April 2005 after cancelling its overhaul. Happily, No. 37901 was saved in 2003 and was a regular performer in preservation before being acquired by Colas Rail and then Europhoenix in 2016 and gaining the operator’s house colours. It subsequently returned to main line operations in 2022 for the EP Rail ‘spot hire’ subsidiary and was recently repainted back into Railfreight Metals livery. The two Ruston locos also both worked in preservation at various points over the last 20 years, although they are now owned by UK Rail Leasing and are undergoing a slow return back to operational, albeit non main line, condition. WATCH: Learn The History And Take A Closer Look At The Model With Senior Project Manager Gareth Bayer The Model The first release of the Accurascale Class 37/9 covers three of the Mirrlees examples over the full life of the sub class, from original conversion, through their classic late sectorisation period right through to the present day. Let's look at the three locomotives on offer. 37901 Mirrlees Pioneer When the six-cylinder Mirrlees Blackstone MB275T power unit was first lowered into carbody of the former 37150 it is unlikely that anyone involved in the re-engineering project envisioned it would still be working 38 years later, especially as the Class 38 project for which the engines were intended would be cancelled only a few months later. Built as D6850 in 1963 and already 23 years old when it was plucked from obscurity to become 37901, the doyen of the Class 37/9s, the conversion at BREL Crewe Works was completed in October 1986. Finished in Railfreight grey and quickly named Mirrlees Pioneer, like all six members of the sub class it was allocated to Cardiff Canton, who intensively diagrammed their new charges on Railfreight Metals sector services. This included doubled up on the heavy iron ore trains between Port Talbot and Llanwern, a duty previously in the hands of Class 56s. The last to gain a full repaint into the Railfreight Metal scheme in March 1991, it swapped its sub sector decals for Transrail’s big ‘T’ branding in 1995. The fun couldn’t last and it was stored unserviceable by new owners EWS in November 1998 after being stopped with radiator issues a few weeks earlier. Fortunately, 37901 was acquired for preservation in September 2002 and moved to the Llangollen Railway in October 2003 where it was restored to working order. Always a popular presence at diesel galas, a sale to Colas Rail in 2016 and then Europhoenix in 2018, who quickly repainted it in their house colours prompting hopes for a speedy return to the main line. However, it wasn’t until June 2022 that it would achieve this goal, albeit flying under the flag of the EP Rail ‘spot hire’ subsidiary. Currently hired to Rail Operations Group to cover for overhauls to their existing fleet of Class 37s, 37901 was repainted back into Railfreight Metals livery in July 2024. 37902 British Steel Llanwern Released to traffic in repowered form at the same time as Mirrlees Pioneer in October 1986, 37902 was rebuilt from 37148/D6848 and other than niggling silencer and turbocharger issues quickly showed the impressive reliability and fuel efficiency of the MB275T and Brush BA1005A alternator combination. Like several members of the Class 37/9 sub class it was initially repainted in the unbranded version of the new Roundel-designed triple-grey Railfreight image, and retained this appearance until the first months of 1991 when Metals sub sector branding was applied. The livery was further enhanced the following July by its naming British Steel Llanwern and the addition of British Steel crests and Cardiff Canton depot plaques. The name lasted just 15 months before being removed during a period of store and swapped onto 56054. Returned to traffic in early 1993, the locomotive retained its plaques into 1997, and was a regular performer on steel trains into the Midlands into the early EWS era. One of the last pair to be retired in January 1999 along with No. 37906, there would be no EWS heritage fleet reprieve and preservation for 37902. While there was a brief burst of optimism in 2002 when it was purchased by Direct Rail Services as an engine test bed, plans for a return to service were quashed and it was despatched to Sims Metals at Beeston in March 2005 for disposal. 37903 Flying the flag for their as-converted condition in Railfreight grey is 37903, the former 37249/D6949. Outshopped from BREL Crewe in February 1987, the former Eastern Regional machine quickly readjusted to its return to South Wales, having been delivered to Cardiff Canton in December 1964. Dedicated to Railfreight Metals duties, albeit with the odd coal turn, it was one of the first pair of Class 37/9s to gain the Roundel triple-grey livery in August 1988, although curiously with BR arrow decals rather than the aluminium castings afforded to most other repaints. Happily this was rectified by 1989, although Canton never did go so far as to apply depot plaques at the other end. Despite joining the Trainload Freight West fleet, later Transrail, in 1994, it retained its Metals brandings right to the final curtain in December 1998, EWS deciding not to authorise a required ‘C’ exam required for it to remain in traffic. Another victim of the non-standard nature of the Class 37/9s combined with accelerating Class 66 deliveries. 37903 hung on until April 2005 and was the last to be scrapped, cutting being undertaken by a Harry Needle team at Crewe Diesel Depot. Each of the three versions is unique with different silencer configurations and nose side grilles depending on period, and they also feature the whole host of upgrades afforded to the other models in the third run which includes working roof fan on both DCC ready and DCC sound versions, switchable tail lights (right on, left on, both on), revised bonnet top doors, see-through radiator shutters with radiators behind, and engine room detail visible through the windows. Saving the best to last, a comprehensive new sound project has been recorded with assistance from Europhoenix and UK Rail Leasing. Both BR versions will be available both direct and through Accurascale's network of stockists, while 37901 in Europhoenix livery will be an "Accurascale Exclusive", coming with special presentation packaging, a limited edition certificate and available only direct via the Accurascale website. DC/DCC Ready locomotives are priced at £189.99 and the DCC Sound Fitted locomotives are priced at £289.99, in line with our recent launch of the other batch 3 locomotives and delivery is Q4 2025! Pre-order your Class 37/9s below, or via your local stockist! Pre-order Your Class 37/9 Locos Here! View the full article

Hi Phil, Underside of the model: Well Joe, if these sell well we can look to other runs in the future. The power is in the hands of the Irish model railway buying public! Cheers! Fran

Full details here, folks! Many thanks for the guesses! Cheers! Fran

We love a good collaboration here at IRM, and we are delighted to team up with our Danish friends at Heljan to bring you a run of the former BR Oil tankers bought by CIE in the late 1960s and modified for Irish operations. Synonymous on the "Sligo Oil" trains, these B Class tank wagons were modified with additional bracing between the tank barrel and chassis which we have tooled up to make these authentic for the Irish variants of these distinct wagons. Operating in block trains until 2003, and as part of the Sligo liner for a couple more years, the Sligo oil train operated from North Wall to Sligo at a steady pace of just 35 miles per hour. To replicate these workings, we have commissioned Heljan to produce 3 packs of four wagons for the Esso train in block formation. Using photos and other historical data, we have developed a block train formation of these characterful wagons, so you can replicate these iconic workings that were very much an everyday scene of Irish railfreight for many, many years. Coming in 3 packs of 4 wagons, there are 12 differently numbered tankers available in this strictly limited, one off run. Each pack is priced at €169.99 per 4 wagons with 10% off when you buy two or more. As these are a commission from Heljan, they are only available direct via the IRM and Accurascale website. The tank wagons are now manufactured and will be in stock with us in Q1 2025. Pre-order yours today via the link below! Pre-order Your Esso Tank Wagons Here! View the full article

Hi everyone, We have one more IRM announcement to round off 2024 in famous fashion! Tomorrow at 11am we will announce and all new wagon that will be added to the range. The most exciting part is that it is produced and about to ship from the factory, so due in stock in the new year. What will it be? Feel free to speculate below, and check back here tomorrow morning to find out! Cheers Fran

Hi everyone, We've been known to "throw the kitchen sink" into models in our range, and the term can become quite literal with our coaches. Those familiar with our Enterprise Mark 2 coaches will attest to this, and now our Park Royals can boast the same with their snack car conversions. Showing our fully decorated interiors against our integral interior lighting just sets these classic CIE coaches off a treat. Pre-ordered yours yet? Our order book is filling up fast, so we recommend you get your n pre-order in fast to avoid disappointment! PRE-ORDER NOW: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/park-royal-coaches Cheers! Fran

Welcome to our next 00/4mm scale steam locomotive project, one that very much fits in with our range of wagons and is a cornerstone of our "Powering Britain" range of models that fuelled a nation. It is, of course, the Hunslet 18” x 26” “Austerity” 0-6-0 saddle tank locomotives! Check out the launch video with Project Manager Steve Purves below, and read on for the history of these pocket-sized powerhouses by scrolling onwards! History (All prototype photos thanks to Derek Huntriss) The Hunslet Austerity is arguably one of the most instantly recognisable tank locomotives in the country, with around 485 built and nearly 60 surviving to preservation. Its popularity in preservation means that many enthusiasts will have encountered these simple but powerful machines in action over the last 50 years. The moniker “Austerity” can be argued as an unfortunate one, as it’s a word which was very much in vogue at the time of their construction in the early 1940s. Thought as simple, rough and almost unwanted machines built for a short term purpose, they were seen as an almost throw away locomotive. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth, with some working until the very end of UK industrial steam in the early 1980s. During the early part of the 1940s, the Ministry of Supply was on the lookout for a “heavy shunting locomotive” to complement the larger mainline types also being built. Initially the LMS 3F “jinty” was considered but it was Edgar Alcock, Chairman of Hunslet locomotive works in Leeds, that convinced them that a development of their 50550 class was the way forward. One benefit of the Hunslet product was the shorter wheelbase, which would be more forgiving on poorly laid track. Another advantage was the locomotive being a saddle tank. Although this raised the centre of gravity, it gave easier access to the inside motion for maintenance and servicing. One key requirement was that the locomotives would be able to give 2 years of intensive service, regardless of operating conditions. These punchy little tank engines were required to start a train of over 1000 tons on the level and at least 300 tons on a 1 in 50 grade. The pruning of the original 50550 specifications had resulted in quite a formidable machine, seemingly without compromising performance. The first Austerity steamed at Hunslet’s works on the 1st of January 1943. This was followed by another 149 locomotives over the next 3 years although not all were built by the Leeds based firm. Many were outsourced to builders such as Barclay’s of Kilmarnock, Bagnall’s of Stafford, Yorkshire engine company of Sheffield, Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns of Newcastle and Vulcan Foundry of Newton le Willows, who all fitted their respective builders plates to the locomotives they built to the Hunslet designs. The livery was originally a striking “desert sand” colour as specified by the Ministry but later this was changed to a dark green colour. The first were sent to Longmoor and the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire railway (these being fitted with vacuum brakes for passenger working) but they soon found themselves employed in Army depots and shunting yards the length and breadth of the allied rail network. With the cessation of Hostilities in 1945, many of these locomotives were deemed surplus and offered for sale or hire. A total of 27 were hired immediately by the Nederlandsche Spoorwegen (Dutch State Railway) who later went on to purchase them outright, a further 11 went to the Nederlandsche Staatsmijen (Dutch State Mines), two of which were returned later to the WD, the remaining nine becoming the property of the Staatsmijen. Aside from the Dutch locomotives, many simply went in to storage and eventually disappeared from recognition. There were a few taken on by French industrial railways as temporary “power” and there were 6 sold to Chemins de Fer Tunisiens (Tunisian railways) in North Africa. One of the larger acquisitions was of the 75 locomotives purchased by the LNER. Some of these were second-hand machines but many came “new” from storage and were pressed virtually straight into service, classified as J94’s. Some J94s even retained their WD livery with LNER lettering applied. These LNER locomotives would be passed to British Railways a few years later and they would survive in mainline operation until the mid-1960’s. However, the LNER wasn’t the biggest customer of the War Dept’s sales. The National Coal Board adopted the design as their “standard” shunter and despatched locomotives to every corner of its operations. From the coalfields of Kent to Scotland, not many NCB sites didn’t house an Austerity (or two). The War Dept didn’t dispose of all of their stock of Austerities and kept 90 of them on the books for working the various depots around the country, notably Longmoor who’s well known lined blue livery was soon applied to their allocation. So successful was the design, it had proved a reliable performer and simple to maintain that further locomotives were ordered direct from Hunslet for the NCB, War Dept and United steel companies (for Exton Park, although the latter were built by the Yorkshire engine company and had a different wheel centre to the earlier Hunslet built machines working at Scunthorpe.) The standardised nature of the Austerity type meant it was ripe for experimentation and a number of locomotives were fitted with different blastpipe and chimney arrangements in the pursuit of efficiency. First was the Giesl ejector multiple blast pipe arrangement, recognised by its “flat” chimney, locomotives so fitted offered a noticeable reduction in coal usage. A later development was implemented by Hunslet themselves in an attempt to overcome the production of black smoke, as outlawed by the clean air act. This involved a streamlined blast pipe and chimney as pioneered by the Argentinian engineer Livio Dante Porta. Porta had devised number of ways to make the burning of fuel more efficient. The blast nozzle, a Kylpor (Kyläla – Porta) was fitted which gave the exhaust a unique sound, almost like that of a Kylchap (Kyläla – Chapelon) as fitted to LNER A3’s and A4’s. Another feature of the Porta modified Austerities were the over-fire air holes in the sides of the firebox, this allowed additional air to aid the full combustion of firebox gasses before reaching the tubes, also fitted at the time was a mechanical underfeed stoker to enable single man operation. The last Austerity was built to this design and was rolled out of the Hunslet works in Leeds during 1964. Numbered 3890, this became the very last standard gauge steam locomotive built for use in the British Isles until Tornado was completed in 2008. The number of Austerities in regular service up to and through the 1970s proved to be a real boon to the fledgling preservation scene. Often when locomotives were withdrawn from industrial use they were picked up for scrap value in operational condition by these newly founded preserved railways resulting in nearly 60 overall being saved. They proved invaluable in providing motive power whilst the more glamourous ex-BR types were restored from Barry scrapyard wrecks. Sadly, for the seemingly unstoppable Austerities, time was called for many and one by one they fell out of use and were shunted to the back of the yards as the more glamourous mainline engines trod the boards with only a few keeping their wheels turning. In more recent years however, the increasing costs for railways, has meant it being largely uneconomical to steam a Class 8 locomotive for a 5 mile trundle with 4 Mk1’s in tow. Things have moved full circle for the Austerity, as second-hand prices have been increasing with railways seeing the true value of an engine that can shift 1000t of train on a ‘few’ buckets of coal. The Model Our Austerity takes the spirit of the real locomotive and is designed to move heavy trains with the minimum of fuss. An all-up weight of nearly 250g and a powerful coreless motor ensures that this locomotive can do just that. Backed up by an on board stay alive power bank, it gives the our Austerity the reliability to carry on, moving over imperfect track whilst keeping the sounds playing through its pre-fitted twin speakers and the flickering firebox illuminating the highly detailed cab interior. It’s not just the mechanical and electrical side that impresses. Our tooling suite is designed to do this class justice for the first time in 4mm scale. We have the capability of covering most modifications since the introduction of the type, from the LNER modifications to the bunkers and tank steps, the NCB and Hunslet draughting changes, the cut down cabs of the NCB locomotives working on the Philadelphia system in County Durham and even preservation era modifications. This makes sure that every issue of our Austerities will be able to bring something “new” to the party. A total of six locomotives will make up the main range for the first production cycle of the our Austerity, with an Accurascale Exclusive announcement model to follow later. Below is a brief history of each loco in this first, main range production cycle; ACC3099 Austerity - United Steel company - WGB2762 - 18 This attractively liveried Austerity was built in 1945 by W. G. Bagnall in Stafford and was one of the 377 locomotives built for the War Department and originally carried the number 75174. When demobbed, the locomotives was purchased by the United Steel Companies and put to work on the steelworks system at Scunthorpe. Externally a virtually standard Austerity, our model carries the heavy duty “Yorkshire” buffers that were fitted to the prototype when it was in service. ACC3100 Austerity - BR Early Emblem - HC1775 - 68025 This locomotive was one of a batch of 36 Austerities by Hudswell Clarke of Leeds. This particular one was completed in November 1944 and carried the WD number 71498. Purchased by the LNER in June 1946 the locomotive was classified as a J94 and numbered 8025. The distinctive extended bunker was fitted in November 1949 when it was renumbered 68025 and gained the early BR emblem. The locomotive was based at Darlington 51A until withdrawal in 1963. The locomotive did not survive and was cut up shortly after. The model replicates the period after 1949 and carries the extended bunker, smokebox numberplate and additional steps and handrails on the tank ACC3101 Austerity - LNER - HE3151 - 8008 The earliest built Austerity in our launch range, this one was built by the Hunslet engine company, Leeds in Feb 1944, and numbered WD 75101. Acquired by the LNER in July 1946 and classified as J94, this locomotive was one of several to retain its desert sand livery with the addition of LNER numerals. At its first shopping date it would be repainted in the standard LNER black livery of the time. The locomotive would be passed to BR and renumbered 68008 before being finally withdrawn in December 1963. Our model represents a “standard” Austerity, with no modifications fitted. ACC3106 Austerity - NCB South Wales - HE3810 - Glendower Glendower was one of the 93 locomotives completed by Hunslet in the years after the war. Works number 3810 was completed in 1954 and sold directly to the NCB. This locomotive was moved directly to the coalfields of South Wales and gained the name “Glendower”. It was withdrawn from Hafodyrynys, Crumlin in 1973. The engine was purchased from the NCB and moved to the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh in 1978. It returned to traffic and proved a valuable member of the working fleet until its last boiler ticket expired in 1995. It is still at Buckfastleigh, cosmetically restored in non-operational condition. Glendower recreates a typical post war Austerity in unmodified condition. ACC3107 Austerity - NCB North East - VF5300 - 59 This Austerity was another wartime product, this time from the Vulcan foundry, Newton-le-Willows. It was completed in 1945 and allocated the WD number 75310. Following war dept service, the locomotive was purchased by the NCB and allocated to number 6 area, North West Durham. Particular to this area is the cut back cabs on all locomotives for working the restricted clearance of the tunnel on the entrance to Lambton coal drops at the port of Sunderland. Another smaller feature on this locomotive was the relocation of the injectors to above the running plate ahead of the cab. Both of these features are faithfully recreated on the model ACC3108 Austerity - NCB North West - HE3823 - Warrior New to the NCB in September 1954, 3823 was allocated to the North West division, initially at Walkden Railways in Lancashire. It was fitted with a Giesl ejector and underfeed stoker sometime in 1966 before transferring to Bickerhsaw Colliery in Leigh and allocated the rather catchy number 63/000/432. Here it worked until withdrawal in 1983 although for the last couple of years carried the unofficial name of “Fred” chalked on the tank sides, along with a “locally made” squared Giesl ejector. Warrior was sold into preservation in 1984 to the Dean Forest Railway but has not run yet. Tooling has been complete for some time now, with initial testing also finished. Our Project Manager and engineering team performed tooling tweaks since these initial engineering prototypes were first delivered. This includes the wheels, the engraved detail was missing from the fronts of the tanks on all EP's and the LNER buffers have been improved. The shape of the distinctive Lambton NCB cab has also been corrected and the Gisel has also been improved. Decorated samples demonstrating these corrections are due in the new year and delivery of the finished models will be in Q2 2026. Price for the DC/DCC models is £149.95 and £249.95 for the DCC sound fitted versions. The initial launch range is now available to pre-order via your local Accurascale stockist or direct via the Accurascale website. An Accurascale Exclusives model will also be announced in early 2025 which will be available direct only via us on our website. Pre-order yours today by clicking the link below! Pre-order Your Hunslet Austerity Here! Locomotive Specification Highly detailed 0-6-0ST 00 gauge model, 1:76.2 scale on 16.5mm track Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd radius set track) RP25-110 profile 00 gauge wheels Coreless motor with flywheel geared for maximum performance and slow speed running Die-cast metal chassis and pickups to all wheels. Next18 DCC ready or ESU LokSound V5 sound fitted, slot mounted in smokebox PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power Two quality sugar cube speakers contained in sound capsule located for best possible sound. Small, flexible neck NEM coupler mounts set at correct height, with mini-tension-lock couplers. Brake rigging factory fitted Brake blocks aligned with wheels Scale width wire handrails and sand pipes Fully detailed cab interior with twin LED pulsing/steady Firebox glow Etched metal/plastic detail parts, including grab handles, steps, pipework, lamp irons etc. Sliding roof ventilator Etched metal pre-painted name plates and works plates. Fully sprung metal buffers, factory-installed pipework and screw/3 link couplings Magnetically removable smoke box door for DCC decoder access View the full article

The latest entry in our "Powering Britain" range comprises of the most numerous wagon built for British Railways; the 16 Ton Mineral Wagons. Announced in September last year, our first run follows the story of the unfitted Morton braked wagons, with 1/108, 1/109 and MCO rebodied versions being released in a variety of liveries and running gear combinations. Models produced in this run exhibit the following variations: • Three types of end door; fabricated and two types of pressed steel. • Three types of buffer housings, including the Dowty Hydraulic Buffer. • Welded and rivetted original bodies. • Welded rebodies. • BR standard and square axle journals. • Standard and pressed steel handbrake handles. • Morton unfitted and double unfitted independent brakes. Production is now complete and the models are on the high seas. We have reviewed and signed off on these production samples, which you can feast your eyes on below! Of course, we also cannot resist some private owner, industrial and internal user options when it comes to our wagons for additional interest, and one variant is called POO it makes it all the more fun to do! Our 16 tonner stunners are now well under way on their voyage from the factory and are due in stock with us approx December 12th 2024. We will of course endeavour to get as many parcels out to customers as we can before the Christmas break, but some may spill over into the new year. Fancy some to add to your wagon collections, or build a new train behind your latest Accurascale Class 31, 37 or even Andrew Barclay saddle tank? Pre-order yours now below, or via your local Accurascale stockist! Pre-Order Your 16 Ton Mineral Wagons Here! View the full article

Hi Colin, So you want me to produce evidence, but do not to engage further? Right. Okay. Just give up using the provocative and confrontational language, and nobody will have a problem. Talk to people as you would talk to them if you were visiting them in their home. That's all we ask. Cheers! Fran

Hi Gibbo, You referred to people as numpties in your last post (which I hid, not deleted.) In the above you call people cretins. That is not in keeping in the tone of the website and community we share here. Not to mention posts dripping with passive aggression as above. I like your modelling, but the tone needs to be a bit more friendly. If that's too much for you, then you know where the door is. Cheers! Fran

Hi folks, Can we keep this forum for all things model trains and leave the provocative language and sniping outside please? We all come here to avoid such things. Let's leave terms like woke at the door, and talk about vac braking and soldering techniques etc instead. If that's too much to ask, then please find another website. Cheers! Fran

It's that time of year again; the nights draw in, the heating goes on and modelling gets done! But also, we think of the dreaded winter conditions and adverse weather, such as snow. Thankfully, it does not affect our attic empires, as the trains still run on time and even continue in summer conditions. However, we can prepare you for the worst with our Beilhack ZZA Snowploughs! History The 'Beilhack' ZZA Snowplough dates back to 1982, when BR identified a need for medium sized snowploughs on the network. BR already had a fleet of around 40 of the larger ‘Independent’ ZZV/ZZA snowploughs which were built on old tender chassis during the mid 1960s to deal with heavy snow drifts, and obviously a large number of locomotives were fitted with ‘miniature’ 3 piece snowploughs on their bufferbeams to deal with smaller amounts of snow without having to call in a full sized plough. There was a need for a medium sized snowplough to deal with amounts of snow that the small 3 piece loco mounted ploughs couldn’t handle. With the support of specialist German company Beilhack, the plough blades were originally intended to be mounted to locomotive bufferbeams. Trials were carried out in Scotland between 1982-1984, but the ploughs proved to be too heavy for Class 37 bufferbeams as these weren’t the strongest out there to support the weight/stresses of the heavy plough. The ploughs were however successfully mounted to Class 20s as they had a stronger bufferbeam, but the need to remove the buffers to fit the ploughs and essentially have a small fleet of dedicated locomotives semi-permanently fitted with large ploughs proved operationally inconvenient and a better solution was sought. A novel solution was found using redundant bogies from withdrawn Class 40 and 45 locomotives, which were fitted with the Beilhack plough blade at the inner end, thus leaving the original locomotive bufferbeam at the other end for haulage. This design also gave the driver of the locomotive an unobstructed view over the plough. Extra weight was added to the ex locomotive bogies in the form of a large ballast box, the pony wheels removed, and a conventional air brake system fitted. A total of 10 were built – the first six examples ADB965576-81 converted at Stratford during 1984-5 from Class 40 bogies, and a further four ADB966096-99 again by Stratford using Class 45 bogies in 1989-1990. All 10 Beilhack ploughs were finished in all over yellow from new, and during British Rail days ADB965576/77/80/81 were typically found at the northern end of the WCML with the other six based at Stratford, Ashford and Eastleigh. The latter received Network SouthEast lettering as the sector had paid for the work, as well as the famous ADB965579 ‘Stratford Shark’. As built, ADB965576/77 had a flat top ballast box, the more usual triangular type being fitted to the rest of the build and the first two were subsequently modified to match. Although rarely pictured, the plough blade could be reconfigured with the central panel on one side or the other being extended outwards and downwards at an angle and then braced from behind with a substantial bar. This then allowed snow to be ejected clear of the line to one side only rather than both sides in the normal ‘V’ position. Seemingly only ever deployed on the Scottish based Beilhacks, it is unclear weather the ploughs still have this ability. Like the BR standard ‘independent’ snowploughs, they were all overhauled in the early 2000s, being outshopped in all over black with RAILTRACK branding, with yellow ploughs and red buffer shanks. They had solar panels and electrical boxes fitted at this time in readiness for head and tail lights to be fitted at the plough end, but some never received the lights themselves before being overhauled in 2011 and this equipment was removed. With the demise of Railtrack, Network Rail took over the operation of the Beilhacks, they stayed in the all over black livery with yellow blades and red buffer shanks, but with stencilled or full Network Rail branding applied alongside the old Railtrack slogan ‘the heart of the railway’ which was left in place. The Railtrack era solar head/tail lighting equipment was mostly removed during the late 2000s, with conventional battery white and red head/tail lamps being used on the lamp brackets. All remaining ploughs saw works overhaul in 2011 via Brodie Engineering at Kilmarnock, with ADB966096/97 being scrapped as parts donors during this period. Overhauls had started again in 2021, and the ploughs are placed in strategic locations on the West Coast and East Coast mainlines including Doncaster, Crewe and Motherwell. They are favoured on routes with overhead electrification due to their low height. The livery has remained unchanged, all over black with Network Rail branding, yellow plough blades and red buffer shanks. The Beilhack company was acquired by Swiss based aebi Schmidt group in 2005, and their 150 year history and experience continues under this name, aebi Schmidt itself was founded as far back as 1883. Only two Beilhack ploughs have been scrapped to date, and it looks like their mainline duties could potentially last for decades to come. The Model Another member of the "Hattons Originals" range we took over earlier this year, the ZZA snow ploughs feature a large amount of diecast construction, along with some rather tasty detail separately applied and etched metal parts. Picking up the baton from the Hattons closure and the cancelled production run of these finely detailed models, we are delighted to add them to our range, and prepare your layout for winter and provide you with a prototypically short train. Not only have the ploughs been used for snow clearance, they have also featured in test runs in preparation for adverse conditions, so can be seen running on the network in normal, no snowy conditions. They are also seen in yards and depots, adding some extra interest to your TMD layouts. Available in four twin packs to replicate their top and tail formation when running, our packs cover varying eras when these ploughs were in operation up to the present day, so a perfect match for our Class 37s and 66s, among others! Each twin pack is priced at just £69.95 and as with our other releases from the Hattons Originals range, are available as exclusives direct only from our website. Delivery is slated for Q4 2025 and production numbers are strictly limited, so early pre-ordering is advised. Pre-order yours for no money down, or payment spread over up to 6 months at no extra cost below! Pre-Order Your Snow Ploughs Here! View the full article