Our Class 50s have certainly struck a chord since arriving in stock a few weeks ago, with our latest English Electric delight being put to work on layouts across the UK and beyond, settling into traffic seamlessly.

With so few units from Run 1 still available, we’ve been inundated with requests for details on Run 2. So—do we know what’s coming up?

Of course we do! In fact, we already have decorated samples ready to show you.

The full main range will be revealed next week, but first, we’re thrilled to unveil a rather special pairing as part of our Accurascale Exclusive release for Run 2: the GBRf pair!

Check out their prototype history below:

50007 / 50034 Hercules / Furious – GB Railfreight

Reunited with its original Hercules name at Washwood Heath in 2014—after being acquired by Boden Rail the previous year—50007 has become one of the busiest Class 50s in preservation. Originally retired by British Rail in March 1994 (for the second and final time), its first withdrawal came in July 1991. However, this was rescinded in 1992 so it could operate railtours.

Initially sold to the Class 40 Appeal at the Midland Railway Centre, it retained its celebrity GW150 paint job and the still-controversial Sir Edward Elgar name, applied in February 1984.

As part of the Neil Boden fleet—alongside 50017 and 50050—it returned to Network Rail metals in May 2014 in BR blue, which it had last worn before its refurbishment at Doncaster Works in February 1983. After two and a half years of occasional service with Colas Rail, it was sold to the 50 Alliance, a partnership between the Fifty Fund and Project Defiance. This acquisition gave the group a second operational main line locomotive, alongside 50049.

50049 Defiance – GB Railfreight

Withdrawn in August 1991, 50049 was acquired in December of the same year by the Class 50 Society—later known as Project Defiance. It was restarted in preservation in May 1992.

Still remembered for its Class 50/1 conversion, the locomotive was returned to its popular Railfreight General livery in August 1993. It was also formally twinned with its Royal Navy namesake at an event at Laira, receiving a crest above each nameplate—an upgrade from BR days, where it only wore one.

In May 1994, it moved to the West Somerset Railway for a power unit lift and main generator repair. These were completed by October, and it ran its first preserved trains shortly after. In 2000, it returned to the main line in BR blue. A large logo repaint followed in 2004, and it was partnered with the Fifty Fund’s 50031 Hood, becoming a key representative of the class on the national network.

This was cemented in 2006 when the pair were hired by Arriva Trains Wales for summer services between Cardiff and Fishguard Harbour, along with other specials and reliefs. Although the arrangement lasted just one year, Defiance has remained a regular on the main line ever since, primarily for railtours and stock transfers.

Working with GB Railfreight

Sealing a productive partnership with GB Railfreight, 50007 and 50049 were outshopped in the operator’s striking steel blue and orange livery in March 2019—a privatisation-era update that surprisingly suited the pair and echoed the much-loved large logo scheme.

They were regularly rostered for GBRf staff charters and stock movements, in addition to their usual railtour duties. Initially, 50007 wore its Hercules plates on just one side, while the other (five-grille side) displayed the Warspite name from 50014. In 2022, this was replaced by a Furious nameplate from 50034 in memory of preservationist Paul Taylor, who passed away that year.

Following the end of their five-year deal, both locomotives returned to Arlington Fleet Services at Eastleigh Works in August 2024, where they were repainted in large logo blue. They remain fully equipped for main line operation, with TPWS, OTMR, and GSM-R systems.

The Model, Price And Availability 

Leading our second production run of our acclaimed Class 50s, the GBRf pair will be part of the Accurascale Exclusives range and available exclusively via our website. Each model will come in special presentation packaging with limited edition certification and features the same superb specification from Run 1, including:

• Our acclaimed “Accurathrash” sound system
• Working fan
• Stay-alive powerbank
• Automatic flange squeal sensors
• And much more!

Delivery will coincide with the rest of Run 2 (which will be announced next week!) and is scheduled for Q4 2026. Pricing remains the same as Run 1:

• £189.99 (DC/DCC Ready)
• £299.99 (DCC Sound Fitted)

Pre-order yours below!

Pre-Order Your Class 50 Here!

View the full article

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!

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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

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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!

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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!

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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!

 

 

 

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 

5 minutes ago, ttc0169 said:

With all due respect Andrew….as I have said in a previous thread- IRM models were not too visible at recent UK model exhibitions.  

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 

9 hours ago, James Regan said:

Of course the stupid American archetype is your go to which says more about you and the peanut gallery than anything about Americans… 

so let me spell it out for you in simple terms… Your product is now 30% more expensive to sell to the US… we Americans can do math see, so a $300 locomotive is now $390. 

If your answer to that is tough, we will continue to offer the product at that price, with no adjustment for the US market thats your prerogative. Just know that attitude may have consequences.

 

 

 

Actually most tariffs are imposed at the wholesale price so it wont be a 30% impact at retail. Also there will be price adjustments along the whole supply chain, so yes the Chinese exporters will pay some of it.

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! 

3 hours ago, BRBlue said:

I do not think you understand how tarriffs work. It is not up to IRM or any other company based outside the US to collect tariffs for the US government. A company based in Europe, for example, can sell product to a customer in the US at exacrly the same price that they would sell it to anyone else. When that package enters the US, the tariff or any other local taxes are imposed by the US government at whatever rate the Mango coloured man-child has decided that week. The purchaser in the US then has to pay those charges.  IRM will not be paying any tariffs or deciding whether or not to pass them on. The issue would only apply if tariffs where being applied to goods coming into Europe from China or wherever, which is not the case here.

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!

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God remember the days when everyone was just overjoyed about a new Irish model coming out?

 I really miss those days! 

11 minutes ago, James Regan said:

Getting back to where to build, Thailand and Malaysia must be contenders. I’ll quote Fran above - It would still be assembled in China, or a similar country labour cost wise. Time to make contingency plans boys. And yes borrowing Chinese money to pay for anything isn't a good long term strategy - see West Africa and Laos for examples. In Laos they even got a 1:1 scale train set. 

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. 

Continuing our odyssey into the quintessential wagon load trains of the CIE era, and the maximum usage of the legendary Bulleid triangulated underframe, we are delighted to announce the humble H Van, this time in its widespread, "unfitted" format.   

History

As part of the programme of standardisation and rolling stock renewal instigated by Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ)’s Chief Mechanical Engineer, Oliver Bulleid, in the 1950s, a fleet of over 1,300 H vans was introduced. With a body resembling earlier CIÉ types but mated to an underframe constructed to Bulleid’s patented triangulated design, these wagons quickly became a common sight across the entirety of the Irish railway system, being found at practically every station where goods were transhipped, from remote branch lines to the busiest yards, and could even be observed on through workings in Northern Ireland.

The loads conveyed in these vehicles was varied, often being employed to carry a broad range of wagonload sundries, as well as serving higher volume flows such as bottles and barrels from the Guinness brewery at St James’s Gate in Dubbin, and beet pulp from sugar factories to be used as fodder. H vans were commonly observed on a wide range of workings, from short branch services consisting of one or two wagons in the company of the locomotive and a brake van, to long rakes of vans or mixed wagon types, and even on mixed trains on branch and secondary lines.

The rise of fitted trainload ‘liner’ trains in the 1970s heralded the demise of CIE’s wagonload services, and the H Van fleet became increasingly redundant, with most being withdrawn by the latter half of the 1970s. Today, a single complete example has been preserved and is to be found at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, though numerous bodies still survive, having been sold on by CIÉ upon withdrawal, mostly to farmers for use as animal shelters or equipment sheds.

The Model

The unfitted H Vans marks the latest, and one of the most numerous wagons using the famous CIE Bulleid triangulated underframe design which helped standardise Irish freight stock from their introduction in the 1950s. It's our aim to offer all wagons based on this underframe design.

Featuring prototypically accurate simplified brake rigging compared to its rarer, fitted sisters, these wagons reached the four corners of the network, often seen in long mixed goods trains, and were a feature of almost every siding and freight spur around the country.

Coming in our famed triple packs, we have six different packs to offer modellers, featuring original grey with Flying Snails, grey with CIE roundels and brown with CIE roundels, giving a wide range of possibilities and variety for the modeller. 

Due in Q3 2025, these models are already nearing production completion at our factory. Priced at £109.95 per triple pack, and 10% off when you buy two or more packs, you can order them below direct, or via your local Accurascale/IRM stockist. 

Pre-Order Your Unfitted H Vans Here!

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21 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

I think I read on Facebook.....something about an announcement..........? 

tune in tomorrow morning, folks! 

Hi folks,

I will be there spreading the gospel according to Accurascale/IRM, and will have the 800, Hunslets, Park Royals, Bubbles and more on display over the weekend, so be sure to come by for a look.

Please note that we will no longer be retailing at shows, and just promoting only, but of course everything is available in stock online or with traders at the show.

See you then!

Fran 

Another milestone has been reached here at Accurascale as our Class 89 locomotives have reached production sample stage.

We recently brought you a full update on the Class 89s including our visit to the factory to oversee production progress (which you can read by clicking here!). Since our visit the first models have now been fully completed and we can share them with you all. 

Check out those specially themed boxes!

As per the last update, these are currently due in late Q2 of 2025, and will soon depart the factory for their trip to our warehouse! Watch out for a sound demonstration video coming very soon, too! 

We have a limited amount remaining on pre-order, so if you don't want to miss out, get your pre-order in below or via Rails of Sheffield with a £30 deposit!

Pre-Order Your Class 89 Here!

View the full article

On 26/4/2025 at 10:57 PM, Gabhal Luimnigh said:

Not surprised Noel 

Hi @Gabhal Luimnigh,

Still awaiting your feedback/fleshing out of this statement. 

Many thanks,

Fran 

13 hours ago, ttc0169 said:

Thanks Fran and Stephen for your contribution,

Just on point 4 above….would it not make more sense to have one dedicated cabinet solely for the Irish models and not have them mixed up with the UK models at the UK exhibitions??

Hi Noel,

Another way to look at it is; previously we had an IRM dedicated cabinet at these shows, and people hardly paid any notice. Now it is mixed in with Accurascale models which are more familiar to the average UK punter, it drew more eyes on them as they had a closer look at something "different". We definitely got more "what's that?" questions since we started doing it. 

Cheers!

Fran  

Hi folks,

Instead of slipping down the dark hole of conspiracy, there is some very simple explanations to this.

1. The 800 and Park Royals were being transported to the UK to me here in Dublin via a IRM customer for the Wexford show next weekend, hence them not being on display. We only have 2 800 samples, the other being with ESU to finalise the PCB. We have Hunslets and bubbles here, so were able to leave them in the UK for display purposes at the show.

2.  The ICR is also in ESU in Germany testing the electronics, hence was not on display. 

3. As seen in recent months, IRM is being folded into Accurascale as a brand.

4. If you see Accurascale at a show, you can be sure that IRM products will be on display at our shows. Whatsmore, our designer of those items will be on hand to discuss them with you and give you a great insight into them as products. 

5. The UK market by and large (97% of them) do not really care about Irish outline, but we always have some on display to show them what they are missing out on. 

On 27/4/2025 at 10:15 AM, Tractionman said:

Perhaps an indication of the differing levels of product interest can be gauged looking at rmweb and the Accurascale/IRM posts there and responses to these, the Hunslets have 5.6k views and the 800 class 5.5k views, both seem the highest of the Irish IRM products of late but the Banana Vans thread has 53.4k views by way of comparison!

Rmweb is mainly inhabited by UK based modellers, though not entirely of course.

Cheers,

 

Keith 

Exactly Keith.

End of the day, British show goers want to see British outline models. We cannot stress enough just how small the Irish market is. It's barely viable, and DJ Dangerous assessment of it slowing down is accurate. We have seen that over the last 18 months, and remember; it's not just IRM that we sell. Accurascale UK outline subsidises IRM. The more we sell of that, the longer we can continue to do Irish outline. Sales of Irish models is the biggest key though!   

I'm sure those of you who visit the Dublin shows, or see us at Wexford this weekend will not that there will be little or indeed no BR outline models on our stand, and only Irish models get promoted. In Ireland, Irish outline is our main focus of promotion. In the UK, it's British outline. 

On 26/4/2025 at 10:57 PM, Gabhal Luimnigh said:

Not surprised Noel 

Sorry, could you flesh out this point please, and let us know your thoughts? I'm intrigued. 

Many thanks,

Fran 

I have one. It's very nice indeed! 

20 hours ago, Noel said:

[quote=glenderg]There was no issue with coupling height, it was all done to NEM standards, and if not, this rake would have ruined itself when the video was taken on the 16th November 2017, some 8 years ago..[/quote]

Hi Richie. Respectfully there was an error with the coupling height on the ballast wagons and the cement bubbles (inc ploughs that shared a common chassis). IRM even had a fix page on their web site back then with a solution. It wasn’t about running problems, it was about NEM compliance and incompatibility with Kadee couplings.  It wasn’t a problem if one used the supplied gull wing mini tension lock couplings but was incorrect for Kadee’s as the NEM pocket height was incorrect. All other IRM stock since then had had perfect NEM pockets in terms of height from the rail top.  I got around the problem by gluing kadee no 18s to the underside of the NEM pockets to get the correct height for kadee coupling height guage and kadee uncoupling magnets. It was a right royal PITA having to do it to two rakes of ballasts and two rakes of cement bubbles. This might have been a hangover of the unfortunate DJ input to IRMs first product which were the ballasts. Murphy Models had a similar fault with their craven coaching stock when the NEM pockets were also at the wrong height and needed fettling to use with popular kadee couplings. First world problem, but given the re-runs it might have been an opportunity to correct the tooling as that chassis is shared by carious IRM wagons (ballasts, cement, plough vans, magnesite’s, gypsum, etc).  Photo below illustrated the problem.

 

The manual fix. A pity the couplings could not be use correctly when plugged into the NEM pockets

Hi Noel,

Respectfully, an error is usually something made unconsciously, thinking it was correct to begin with. For the ballast and cement bubbles, we consciously decided to go with the cranked coupler solution to maintain prototype fidelity of the under frame. It was not an error, it was a conscious decision.
 

We explained it at the time, at considerable length to you. And again on subsequent releases of these wagons. Other posters on here remember our explanation as demonstrated above. I’m surprised you haven’t, when it was explained in answer to your queries, countless times. I’m absolutely certain you’re not trolling of course. That would be rather pointless and silly for a grown man to do. 
 

Cheers!

Fran