Warbonnet

It’s almost like our locos have become buses, given how regularly they’ve been arriving in recent weeks! After kicking off the year with batches of Class 31s, we then saw the arrival of our all-new Class 50, and now our Buckjumpers and Class 89s aren’t far behind. Also not far behind is our all-new Class 60, which will mark the fifth all-new tooled locomotive to arrive in stock from us in less than 12 months! We don’t think anyone has managed that rate of delivery in a long, long time. Launched just one year ago, the "Tugs" signified a change in our approach to releasing models—waiting until much later in development so customers have less time to wait for delivery. It’s a trend we’ve continued with our Hunslet Austerities and will maintain for non-collaborative projects (such as the Electrostar). So, where are we with our 60s? Well… they’re done! The production samples have been reviewed and approved by our team and are now en route to our warehouse from the factory. Our CAD developer and Project Manager, who is somewhat of an expert in Class 60s, having worked on the real locomotives, has faithfully captured the shape of these Brush brutes to a tee, using our now-standard laser scan as a base to ensure accurate shape and profile from every angle, as you can see from our CAD overlay on original 3D scan below! The Class 60's cab roof area is particularly tricky—it’s easy to make the shape appear too squat, which throws off the whole roof profile. Thankfully, we’ve avoided that pitfall. We've also nailed the crucial roof details such as the fine plates at the cab ends are there for all to see. Again, our CAD overlay on our 3D scan shows how we have correctly captured the shape of these beasts! Another challenge lies in the bogie area, with its plethora of pipework on the side frames. Our pre-production samples featured the twin tubing of the parking brake hydraulic lines, but they were incorrectly painted, making them look overscale. In the finished models, the lines are now correctly painted, consistent in diameter, and contribute to the 3D relief seen on the real locomotives’ bogies. We made a conscious effort to avoid flattened detailing or an inconsistent mix of moulded and separate parts when it came to representing a single piperun. When it comes to performance, our 60s match the rest of our diesel and electric range: they’re weighty! In fact, they’re our heaviest locomotive to date, weighing in at an incredible 820g. They give an O-gauge presence in a 00 model and will haul any prototype-length train you care to couple up. With the heft and presence of a kit-built model, few models will have the sheer on-track presence of an Accurascale Class 60! Naturally, this is paired with our usual spec: all-wheel drive and pickup for maximum pulling power, helical gearing for smooth operation and control, and our advanced electronics package including stay-alive capacitors, a full lighting suite, desk lights, radiator room lighting, and of course, full cab lighting—including the driver’s entrance corridor. Sound is another area where we aim to take our models to the next level, and the Tugs are no exception. Recorded on the mainline with a trailing load of over 2,000 tons, our sound set includes two distinct sound files depending on the era represented. One replicates the original startup sequence using the Woodward governor and ABB turbos. The second captures the later "Super 60" era, featuring Napier turbos and the Heinzmann governor. The Woodward system relied on building oil pressure from the crank sequence—requiring 100 psi—so it cranked longer. The Heinzmann, being electric, opens the fuel rack as soon as 100 rpm is reached, leading to a quicker reaction time and a cleaner-sounding startup. All of this comes through brilliantly with our Accurathrash sound setup. We’ll have a preview video for you very soon—stay tuned! Does the detail stop there? Absolutely not! Following in the footsteps of our recent Class 50, the Class 60 features under-bogie detailing, including representations of the traction motors. We’re also adding era-specific cab interior decoration and providing etched nameplates, arrows, and plaques (where appropriate) in the detail parts pack to give your loco that extra edge. Building on feedback from our Class 66, our Tugs come with fully detailed, replacement buffer beams included in the box. These feature a full plough representation—without cut-outs for NEM couplings—and are screw-in for added strength and peace of mind when using scale link couplings. We’ve also given attention to the “clean air room,” where our etched “Donaldson filters” really pop! A signature characteristic of the Class 60s is their large bodyside grilles, which gave rise to the nickname “doughnuts” as you could see right through them. True to life, you can also see through our models in this area. The grilles are made as a one-piece etch including the frame, ensuring the join is correctly positioned—on the frame, not inside it. Our production samples also reflect improvements over the first decorated versions. This includes scale-sized rivets around the windscreens, accurately replicating the M6 and M8 countersunk bolts (which scale down to 0.15–0.2mm diameter). We’ve also corrected the front lamp irons to their proper colour, and our tail light lenses are now suitably red! Our definitive Class 60 now nears the end of its journey from our factory and will begin landing with modellers and retailers from mid-late July. Excited? We certainly are! Keep an eye out for our sound preview and further delivery information in the coming weeks. Pre-order yours, from just £169.99 via the link below! Pre-Order Your Class 60 Here! View the full article

Our stunning little J67/J68/J69 "Buckjumpers" will be arriving in stock at our warehouse late next week! That means you'll finally be able to get your hands on this slice of Great Eastern magnificence from then onwards. But how do they sound? What functions will be available on the digital versions? Wonder no more — we've put together a short preview video for you below: We're very excited to announce the arrival of our second steam locomotive designed from the ground up by our team! This follows the addition of the former Hattons P Class and Andrew Barclay tanks to our range. With our charming Pannier Tanks and rugged Hunslet Austerities already in the works — and more coal-fired machinery in development — things are certainly getting steamy around here! But what steam subjects would you like to see us tackle next? Let us know in the "More Model Ideas" thread on RMWeb, in the comments section of the video above, or on our Facebook posts! In the meantime, we’ll be releasing some excess Buckjumper stock once pre-orders have been dispatched. You can join the notification list for the locomotive you're interested in by clicking the link below. Just select the loco and click the "Notify me if this item returns into stock" button to enter your email address. Browse The Buckjumper Range Here View the full article

Our Clayhood wagon announcement was very well received when we revealed it to the public back in January. Once again, Accurascale was proud to serve the Cornish modeller with another iconic model representing that idyllic part of the world, known for its truly charismatic railways. However, we did make a small error during the tooling process—something that some of our more observant followers were quick to point out: the pitch and height of the hood were not quite right. And they were absolutely right. We had surveyed a preserved wagon that had a newly fabricated frame for its tarp. However, this frame was lower than the specification these wagons operated with during their working careers on the network. We always commend preservation groups for the tireless work they do in keeping these important parts of our railway heritage alive, but shows that sometimes elements can change compared to in-service condition. That should never take away from their efforts though! So, what do we do? Ordinarily, the company accountants might step in and say that the tooling budget has been spent and that we must press on. After all, that’s what many other model companies would do, right? Thankfully, we’re not staffed by accountants. We are a team of passionate railway enthusiasts with experience across the model industry, the real railway, and deep involvement in the preservation scene. It has to be right—so there was only one thing to do: change it. And change it we have. A new tarp has been tooled to the correct size, as shown below, compared with the previously tooled hood: A Significant Difference! With the corrected hood now tooled and in place, production of the clayhoods is in full swing, and we remain on track for delivery in Quarter 4 of 2025. Priced at just £89.95 per triple pack—with rake bundle discounts available—you can build your mega Cornish rake at excellent value for money, especially considering the multiple running numbers across the range. Pre-order yours below, and don’t forget to check out our other Cornish-themed models, such as our Class 50s, CDAs, and Pannier Tanks, as we continue to support Cornish modelling. You never know — we might have more up our sleeve in the future! Pre-Order Your Clayhoods Here! View the full article

The next few months will see a flurry of brand-new locomotives arriving from our stable. Whether steam, diesel, or electric, we have a jam-packed schedule of arrivals ahead. Our brand-new Class 50s have just landed, and for steam fans, the J67/J68 and J69 Buckjumpers are only weeks away. Hot on their heels are the Class 89, Class 60, and our next run of Class 66s—plenty to be excited about, and plenty of hard work ahead. But what about the next steam locomotive following the Buckjumpers—our much-loved Pannier Tanks? When will they arrive? Previously, we discussed a potential delay to correct the dome and ensure it sits fully straight—an intricate tooling challenge that we’re pleased to say has been successfully overcome. However, we didn’t talk about another, perhaps even more dramatic update—one not visible to modellers until the body is removed for maintenance. The original chassis, designed by the factory, was somewhat of a wiring tangle—messy and less than ideal. This simply would not do. This was the first steam project we undertook with this factory, and to their credit, they took our feedback seriously. They head-hunted a dedicated designer and worked closely with our partners at ESU to simplify the wiring and circuitry. The result is a far cleaner, more streamlined design. By using the pogo-pin connections first introduced in our diesel models and relocating the stay-alive capacitors, we’ve created a much tidier chassis. Servicing is now significantly easier. Decoder fitting is also a breeze. We've followed the Buckjumper example by implementing a magnetic, removable smokebox door with a sliding mechanism—no need to remove the body! Speaker fitting was another priority, especially in such a compact loco. We wanted the Panniers to capture that iconic bark, and by fully utilising the tanks, we’ve managed to fit sugar cube speakers neatly and effectively. With these chassis improvements in place—and following another project that took longer than expected—our Panniers have experienced a slight delay. They are now scheduled to arrive in Q3 2025. We apologise for this short delay, but believe it’s essential to deliver the best possible model in both accuracy and functionality. Pre-order your Pannier today—limited stock remains through retailers, or register your interest on our cancellation list via the link below, in case one becomes available. Register Pannier Interest Here! View the full article

NIR HUNSLET PRODUCTION UPDATE! Hi everyone, Our NIR Hunslet locomotives are racing through production, with moulding and painting complete. Next up is printing of the various logos, chevrons etc before final assembly takes place, keeping us on schedule for our Q4 2025 delivery date! Pre-Order Yours Today: https://www.accurascale.com/collections/nir-101-dl-class-hunslet Cheers! Fran

Creating an accurate OO gauge diesel locomotive to run on HO track is a challenge for any manufacturer—and one we relish. Producing a model of an English Electric class machine is even tougher. Why? Well, aside from the beautiful and complex shapes and curves that our 1960s classics from the Vulcan Foundry present (which we capture precisely using our laser scanning techniques), there's one other styling cue that makes life even more difficult for manufacturers: the way the tops of the wheelsets are tucked under the body sides on locomotives like the Deltics, Class 37s, and Class 50s. This presents an engineering challenge, as the industry-accepted minimum radius for OO is radius 2. The bodyside hinders the rotation of the bogies due to the wheelsets making contact with the underside of the bodyside, thus restricting movement. So, what do we do? For the Class 37, we were able to engineer the model with scale-sized wheelsets in OO, as the bodyshell does not taper as dramatically as that of a Deltic or Class 50—no problems there! However, to maintain a prototypically accurate body shape for both our Class 55 and Class 50, we had to fit them with slightly smaller radius wheels as a compromise in OO gauge. This typically doesn't present an issue, as the tops of the wheels are usually hidden beneath the bodyside—except when viewed very closely. Taking feedback from our Deltic model, we understand that finescale modellers working in EM and P4 gauges generally use layouts with more generous curvature than in OO. As a result, we’ve developed a clever ride height solution that allows finescale modellers to fit scale-sized wheels while maintaining the correct ride height for the Class 50. Check out our videos below to learn how to change the wheelsets and adjust the ride height! While not a "drop-in" solution, EM and P4 modellers should have the requisite skill sets to handle the conversion without too much difficulty using our step-by-step guide. Ride Height Conversion Finescale Wheelset Conversion Thankfully, our other locomotives—such as Brush products like the Class 31, 60, 89, and 92, or indeed our EMD Class 66—do not present the same engineering challenges as English Electric's finest machines. However, we have always aimed to tackle the most difficult locomotives to produce in OO gauge and to engineer effective solutions for them. After all, we do love a challenge! Our finescale conversion kits are now available for pre-order and are due in stock in late July. Each kit includes wheels, lowering plates, and brake rigging for the adjustment. OO gauge fans can also get involved — we've included a kit compatible with OO gauge wheels! Please note that the required radius is quite large. We recommend these kits primarily for display purposes or for end-to-end layouts without curves — or with very, very generous curvature. However, it will give scale wheels and the correct relationship between the bogies and lower body that is impossible when trying to cater to R2 curves. Pre-order yours below and don't miss out on the last of the Class 50s, which are 98% sold out directly from Accurascale. Run 2 will be announced very shortly! Pre-Order Your Finescale Conversion Kits Here! View the full article

More good news! Our very lovely and pretty little Buckjumpers are now complete and on the way from the factory in China. With that news shared, let's take a closer look at them in all their finery! As you can see, these are looking very tasty indeed! You may note that each locomotive does not come with a coal load. Due to the shape of the bunkers, the variance in coal consistency and the detail within the bunkers, we have decided to omit a plastic simulated load as it would be too difficult to remove and also omit that lovely detail. We encourage modellers to add their own real coal loads to add that extra touch or realism. Not only that, but they're already well underway on their trip to this side of the world, and will be in our warehouse before the end of June. Keep an eye on any surplus stock being added to the website when they arrive by clicking the link below: Browse the J67/j68/j69 Buckjumper Range Here! View the full article

Okay folks, I think we can leave the politics element there. While it does impact our hobby in this instance for some (in this case our American residents) we do like to keep this place politics free to keep this as a haven away from such stresses of the world and focus on model railways, and our wonderful hobbies we use to escape such everyday grinds. From an official IRM point of view to our US customers, we advise to keep your pre orders with us and then assess as they come into stock and decide what your best course of action is. Remember too that they will be shipped from the UK, so that is where to keep an eye on when it comes to knowing what to expect. Cheers! Fran

Hi Noel, They were perfectly visible, and we have seen mixed orders for Accurascale UK and IRM models in one order. We have now also opened up IRM models to UK retail outlets like Rails of Sheffield, further spreading the gospel. Thanks, Fran

Well that's most disrespectful. Where did I call Americans stupid? I merely pointed out that they had little understanding of tariffs, which I found surprising. That doesn't make them stupid, just that they were ill informed or perhaps misled by their leaders. Please do not make assumptions based on your own outlook. I have spent a lot of time in America and admire a great many of American achievements and culture. Enough of your gaslighting please. The Chinese exporters will pay none of it, unless it's to the same Chinese company importing it at the other end. It will then be passed onto the end consumer pays it and it goes into the exchequer. If I sell you a locomotive tomorrow from here and you live in the US, the 23% VAT will be removed from your purchase price (as it always has been) and the 30% of tariff imposed by your government will be added, along with whatever other charges. It's as simple as that. We have no control over it. Still, 30% is better than what it was, thanks to the climb down in recent days.

A fantastic achievement by the SDMRC, and what amazing club rooms they established too. Really are a joy to visit. From an IRM perspective we are especially grateful to the club and Paul in particular for giving us a spot in their Blackrock show so we could advertise our idea of doing a CIE Ballast Hopper in OO gauge back in October 2015. Not many people knew us then, but we have since grown a bit.... Now here we are 10 years later as those little acorns grew, and we are looking forward to marking our 10th anniversary further with the club at the show!

Correct. What this whole experience has taught me is just how much Americans do not understand tariffs and how they work. It's nothing to do with companies, it's basically a tax imposed by Governments.

A very special locomotive needs our help. Today marks the 80th anniversary since the first book from the Railway Series of children's books was published, and one of the locomotives which inspired one of the very special characters needs some help. Will you join us in rescuing this wonderful piece of railway history and funding a brighter future for him? WATCH: We Visit Wibert With Our Model And Tell You Our Plan! Our friend Wilbert is currently looking very sorry for itself at the end of a siding, awaiting funds to help put him back together and receive new paintwork. You can help make it happen by buying our latest exclusive model of this very special engine! History 'Wilbert’ as we have come to know him, was built by Hunslet, Leeds, in 1953. It was one of a number of post-war "Austerities", ordered by the National Coal Board. Wilbert was delivered in December that year to Rawnsley loco shed, Staffordshire for its first employment in the South Staffordshire coalfield and was painted a light green colour. Works number ‘3806’ led an average working life, moving around the coalfield to Cannock shed, and then West Cannock. At some point during its working career, it was fitted with non-standard ‘enclosed side’ steps for the running board. The locomotive was acquired by a group of members from the Dean Forest Railway and was delivered to Parkend in 1976. Here ‘3806’ sat awaiting its turn to be restored, which was realised a few years later, after its transfer to Norchard and ownership transferred to the Dean Forest Railway company – becoming the first locomotive to be owned by the railway. Now fitted with vacuum braking and pained in an attractive dark blue, lined red livery, ‘3806’ received its first name in August 1981, this was to be “G. B. Keeling” after the first chief mechanical engineer of the Severn and Wye Railway, which later was to become the Dean Forest Railway. On the 13th of September 1987, the locomotive was renamed “Wilbert” In honour of the Reverend Wilbert Awdry, creator of the Railway series and Thomas the tank engine who was the Chairman of the Dean Forest Railway at the time. There was a small ceremony where Wilbert Awdry unveiled the new name to his friends, family and invited guests. In 1994, Christopher Awdry published book number 38 in the Railway series (the writing of which he had taken over from his Father) entitled “Wilbert the Forest Engine” which was four short stories about “Wilbert” visiting the Island of Sodor from his home railway in the Forest of Dean (another Austerity, “Sixteen” is described in this book which bears a striking resemblance to “Warrior, also located at the DFR and available in our main range!) Wibert continued to work on the DFR and out on loan, visiting the Swanage Railway, Weardale Railway and Peak Rail amongst others. The last boiler ticket expired in 2016 when Wilbert was placed in store pending overhaul. This overhaul started later in the year by the removal of parts, including the boiler but was soon sidetracked as the railway had more pressing issues to finance and there was no immediate requirement for another operational Austerity. The Covid 19 pandemic placed the overhaul on hold indefinitely and Wilbert was shunted to the end of a siding. In 2021, there was a glimmer of hope in that the Dean Forest Railway Society had agreed to purchase 50% of the shares of the Wilbert from the Railway company and an overhaul would be subject to fundraising. With an estimated cost of over £100k this was to be no mean feat and sadly stalled again. How We're Going To Help Together! In 2024, we approached the Family of the Reverend Awdry to ask for their blessing to make a model of the locomotive bearing Wilbert’s name and it was suggested to them we could use the funds raised from the sales of the model to donate towards the real locomotive at the Dean Forest Railway. The family were in agreement that it would be a wonderful idea so discussions with the DFR society then started. Quotes were received for a full cosmetic (non-operational) overhaul and the railway agreed that following the overhaul, Wilbert would be placed in a prominent position at Norchard station along with interpretation boards to tell the story of Wilbert Awdry (the man), Wilbert (the locomotive) and to welcome guests and visitors to the railway. We hope that by restoring Wilbert, he will continue to inspire future enthusiasts in the same way that many of us were inspired ourselves. So, how can you help? Simple! Buy one of our limited edition Wilbert locomotives, and we will donate the proceeds to the restoration. To cosmetically restore Wilbert, we need to raise £7.500. Sales of our limited edition model, featuring our now famous "Accurascale Exclusives" packaging and bonus material, including a letter from the Awdry family, and certificate will be included in the box too. Priced at £149.95 for DC/DCC Ready and £249.95 for DCC Sound fitted. Our Wilberts will arrive with the rest of our first run of Austerities in Q2 2026 and once sold out, we will then donate the money to get the restoration underway. Thank you to everyone in advance who can assist in funding its restoration and we will keep you up to date with progress. Pre-order your Wilbert, available only direct via the Accurascale website via the link below! Pre-Order Wilbert Here! View the full article

God remember the days when everyone was just overjoyed about a new Irish model coming out? I really miss those days!

Thankfully there is sensible people running EU countries and economies, so we can enjoy Chinese expertise for a while yet, and now with additional capacity as American companies are forced to put the brakes on their plans. I really feel for those companies, as they're small companies and this is a serious threat to their liability. They'll be long dead before any alternative arrangements can be put in place. Having been to China, and having welcomed our factory partners here on a number of occasions now, all I can report is that they're brilliant people to work with. Their army was 3 million strong long before they started manufacturing model trains too.