Warbonnet

Hi everyone, After the pandemic it's great to see the gradual return of the shows so we can get out and meet you all again. We're setting up this thread to bring you the latest news on what shows we attend, and also future news of social events and launches we plan in the future. So, it's always worth checking in to see what we're at. So, first up, here's what's coming up over the next month... We will be attending two shows, both North and South of the border over the next four weeks! We're delighted to be sponsoring one of the shows too, where we will bring you news of an all new IRM announcement. On April 15th and 16th we will make our annual trip to Bangor for the North Down Model Railway Society show at Bangor Grammar School. We will have the latest news, our latest free catalogues and pre-production models on display. Please note we will be promoting IRM only, and not selling models at this show. Mayday! On April 30th and May 1st we will be back in the Sunny South East as we make our way to the Wexford Model Railway show at St. Joseph's Community Centre, which we are delighted to sponsor for the first time. Ahead of the show we will make an all new IRM announcement (or perhaps at the show, we haven't decided yet!) and have free catalogues and news of our latest models. We will also be selling current in stock models and have a 3D print of our ICR to show ahead of a tooling sample later this summer. So, if you find yourself near Bangor or Wexford on those dates, drop in and say hi! It will be great to see you all again and give you the latest news. Cheers! Fran

Hi Dave, No I'm afraid. At this point it would be economically unviable. Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, We have less than 20 packs of our lovely, humble little ballast hoppers left in stock, and it's going to be a long, long time before we do another run! With two running numbers left, just €99.95 per triple pack and 10% off when you buy two packs or more, along with FREE postage and packaging all around Ireland, they offer amazing value for money. Every layout needs permanent way trains, so you can justify these lovely wagons in massive rakes on your layout! UK customers can now also order direct via the IRM website once again too, with VAT removed and paid locally on point of entry. Order now before they go: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/ballast-hoppers/availability_in-stock Cheers! Fran

I have to say I disagree with that statement. A collector likes to collect, the thrill of the search and the chase, and they likely do not sell their collections, as if they do they're no longer a collector. I think "speculator" is a more fitting term.

Irish buses of this era are serious one off prototypes being unique designs that we loved and remember so much. So tooling and mass production cannot be offset with loads of liveries, UK versions etc. Therefore, resin and limited production runs are the only answer. The production runs are tiny, and a huge amount of research, time and effort and quality go into them. When you look at model cars at the higher end of the market they show these buses to be actually good value. They're also really well presented as mentioned above. Also, they appreciate, as when one comes up for sale (not too often) they go for serious money. So, you will at least get your money back, with a few quid on top, an accurate model of a bus that would otherwise never be made in model form and saves you countless hours in scratch or kit building something that wouldnt look as good. When you look at it from that point of view they're excellent value in my opinion. I'm glad I got my order in and gutted I missed out on some of the previous runs. I wont make that mistake again. Cheers! Fran

So, with our first Class 37s due to arrive very, very soon, and due to unprecedented demand from modellers, it's to reveal what our next run of our tractors will be. We're delighted to oblige, with something for almost everyone! So, from 1960s steam/diesel transition, to current operations, we have some tasty Type 3s in store for you all. There are eight locos in this batch, each with DC/DCC Ready and DCC Sound Options all for the same great price of £169.99 and £259.99 respectively. Oh, and an Accurascale Exclusive model to follow, but that shall be revealed in a few weeks. In the meantime, let's have a look at the eight main range locos one by one! D6600 Completed nearly six years after D6700 had left Vulcan Foundary, D6600 was the first of nine English Electric Type 3s to be numbered out of sequence as the fleet outgrew its allocated series and bumped up against the Western Regions D7000 'Hymek' locomotives. Delivered to 86A Cardiff Canton in August 1965 and then to Swansea Landore in 1971, later gaining the number 37300, it spent the first 20 years of its life primarily on freight duties in and around South Wales before eventually moving to Scotland at the start of 1985. It had barely settled in north of the border when it received the call to Crewe Works in the October for refurbishment as one of the Welsh-based Class 37/4s, 37429. D6600 wears its original BR green with small yellow warning panel and features its as-built nose condition with no riveted strengthening plate and WR-style lamp irons only. This has been one of the most requested conditions for our 37s to date and we are delighted to bring this variant into the range for the first time. D6956 One of the hits of our first Class 37 production run was D6704 in BR green with full yellow ends, which quickly established itself among the fastest selling versions and surprised us by outstripping liveries that we expected to be more popular. Thus we'd be remiss in not including a centre headcode version in the second run and our chosen subject is D6956, another stalwart South Wales freight machine. New to 86A Cardiff Canton in January 1965 and then to Swansea Landore in 1972, it was renumbered 37256 two years later and remained on the WR at Bristol Bath Road from 1983 until rebuilt by Crewe as 37678 in 1987. Another non-boiler loco, while this release shares the same nose configuration as D6600 it correctly rides on Deltic-style cast bogies. D6992 Although the last 75 or so EE Type 3s were delivered after the debut of the new British Rail 'corporate image' on Brush Type 4 D1733 in May 1964 all 309 locomotives were outshopped from Vulcan Foundry in BR green. Despite their relative youth, repaints into the new blue scheme were not uncommon before 1970 and a not insignificant number gained double arrows and Rail alphabet numbers on all four cabsides. D6992 was the highest numbered example, and was recorded in this livery variation - still with D-prefixed number - in the second half of 1969, just four years after debuting at 86A Cardiff Canton in July 1965 for freight work. It was redesignated as 37292 under TOPS and moved to Eastfield and then Motherwell in 1981, later receiving an experimental uprated 2,000hp 12CSVT same year. Incredibly this locomotive is still with us and even appeared in our first production run as DRS 'Regional Railways' heritage repaint 37425. 37140 March depot's 37140 was one of the first Class 37s to gain the high visibility headlight, being so fitted in mid-1986. It also gained an orange cantrail stripe later the same year before it moved back to Stratford in May 1987. Although allocated to East Anglian infrastructure duties it was no stranger to freight or passenger work, regularly featuring on the summer dated Norwich-Gt Yarmouth legs of services from London, the Midlands and the North East. The Accurascale model replicates the locomotive's late 1980s and early 1990s condition with headboard clips and standard lamp irons and when embellished with 'cockney sparrow' mascot logo and a yellow DCE flash under the secondman's cab windows. 37140 was a late survivor in BR blue, along with East London-based colleagues 37216 and 37219, eventually swapping its 'corporate image' for civil engineer's 'Dutch' in October 1991. 37258 Repainted in the controversial general grey paint scheme in May 1990, like the majority of locomotives to gain this livery 37258 quickly swapped it for the 'Dutch' variant, being outshopped with the upper body yellow band in September 1991, also receiving a high visibility headlight, cast double arrows and Cardiff Canton depot plaques at the same time. Other distinctive spotting features include cast bogies and Western Region and standard lamp irons. Although wearing the colours of the civil engineer's department, the locomotive saw regular freight use as well as deputising on the Cardiff-Bristol Temple Meads-Weymouth summer dated services and passenger trains to the Glastonbury Festival throughout the 1990s. It lost its cast accoutrements in 1997 and was renumbered as 37384 the following year after being shod with a set of regeared CP7 bogies. It was eventually stored in 1999, still in 'Dutch' colours. 37116 The Colas Rail Class 37 fleet is full of interesting oddballs but none come close to 37116, which made its triumphant return to the main line in late 2015 after being acquired from a preservation career at the Chinnor & Princes Risborough in January 2014. While the locomotive retained its unique flush rebuilt noses, replacement welded long range fuel tank and revised bodysides from its 1990s Transrail rebuild, its new owner also specified toughened windscreens, all details the Accurascale model accurately depicts. It was initially outshopped from HNRC's workshops at Barrow Hill in BR blue, but quickly repainted into the striking Colas livery at the start of 2016. Since then it has been one of the most reliable members of the fleet, primarily working Network Rail test trains all over the country. Our model wears the later style of Colas logo, applied in the second half of 2020. 37218 The highlight of the Direct Rail Services' annual open day in 2022 - the first such event since 2019 - was the official unveiling of 37218 in a 'heritage' livery backdating the centre headcode machine to its original DRS paint scheme with rectangular branding that it wore after departing Brush Traction, Loughborough in 2002. This was one of five Class 37/0s to be put through a major refurbishment in the early 2000s, which included extensive reworking to the nose ends with WIPAC light clusters, top headlight and DRS multiple working equipment as well as a full cab upgrade with new control desk and sound proofed partition to bring them up to an almost identical specification to the operator's Class 37/6 locos that featured heavily in our first production run. Although initially outshopped with plated headcode still extant this was removed on its repaint into the 'fade' scheme in 2014 and the Accurascale model will correctly feature the smoothed off nose, toughened windscreens and welded long range fuel tank of the real thing. 37422 Acquired as part of the mass transfer of Class 37/4s from DB Schenker to Direct Rail Services in 2011, 37422 is unique among the ETS-fitted EEs in having been repainted in the company's dark blue livery but having never received any ownership branding. Reworked for DRS service at Railcare's Glasgow Works with final rectification work undertaken at Barrow Hill, for a long time it looked like its repairs would never be completed. Finally returning to the main line towards the end of 2015, when demand for passenger Class 37s was its peak - with both Cumbrian and Anglia 'short sets' in action - the former D6966/37266 has been a stalwart member of the fleet ever since. Latterly embellished by DRS staff with tiny BR double arrows, cast Victorious nameplates, its pre-rebuild numbers and, most curiously, Stratford depot 'cockney sparrow' motifs, it differs compared to the Class 37/4s in our first run with bodyside windows still in situ, nose-mounted antenna, top lamp iron and no speedo cable. So, there is your Accurascale Class 37 run 2. Some excellent workaday locos, some colour and a lovely spread of eras, all with the same brilliant features and all for the same amazing price as before. These beauties will go into production when we complete run 1 in late spring, with decorated samples due in early summer and delivery due in Q1 2024. Pre-order today via your local stockist, or direct for no money down, flexible payment terms, or payment up front (the choice is yours!) via our website: https://www.accurascale.com/collections/class-37 View the full article

Nope. I asked for my deposit to be donated to focus Ireland as a refund and proof sent to me. Never got it.

Where do you even begin when trying to summarise the history of the Great Eastern Railway’s ‘Buckjumpers’? Built, then rebuilt, with new orders then being built to a similar design, then improved again, and again, and again. Boiler swaps, reclassifications galore and a celebrity loco that was lovingly cared for by its crews and which wore several faux liveries, only to be scrapped rather than enter preservation. And of course, just to muddy the waters, despite being a design that is unequivocally connected to the Liverpool Street ‘Jazz’ services, the locomotives were in use across the country from East Anglia, to Stratford, to Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, to Scotland and on to Manchester, Liverpool and Wrexham. And designs differed between Passenger and Goods versions! Is it any wonder that no one has attempted to model these in Ready-to-Run 00 gauge. Until now. James Holden’s T18 Class of 0-6-0Ts (the LNER J66s) had proved that the shunting design was also more than suited to the rigors of high intensity suburban commuter traffic and so Holden looked at how he best improve the locomotives, resulting in the 1890 R24 Class 0-6-0T; a locomotive almost identical to the T18 apart from a lengthened wheelbase (but yet a shortened overall length) and a more forward placement of the side tanks. Between 1890 and 1901, 14 batches of R24 Class locomotives were built at Stratford; a total of 140 engines split 100/40 in favour of passenger types over goods/shunting locomotives. Passenger locomotives were built with Westinghouse brakes, 160lb. boilers with 2-column safety-valves on the firebox, 10 spoke balanced wheels, ‘straight’ outside brake rigging, screw reverse, screw couplings and with later groups that were fitted with condensing gear, some with low side tanks, some with stepped sides to hide the gear. All were finished in the GER’s Ultramarine Blue livery, with Vermillion lining. The goods/shunting locomotives were fitted with hand brakes, the same 160lb. boiler with 2-column safety-valves on the firebox, 15-spoke unbalanced wheels, ‘cranked’ outside brake rigging, lever reverse, 3-link couplings and later batches were fitted with steam brakes from new, with existing engines modified in the same manner from the late 1890s. These locomotives were finished in the GER’s standard unlined Black, although there were instances of Vermillion lining being added. As suburban traffic increased, the GER modified its 4-wheel coaching stock by widening them and increasing the seating capacity, which naturally led to an increase in overall train weight. This necessitated an improvement in haulage capacity and so, between 1902 and 1921, an improvement programme resulted in the rebuilding of 95 R24 Class locomotives to R24r types. The locomotives selected were rebuilt with 180lb boilers and larger sidetanks, resulting in the firebox extending further into the cab, the fitting of 4-column safety-valves on the rear of the boiler barrel and the widening of the sidetanks by 5” on each side, with the footplating widened throughout to suit. The valancing remained in position, but the footsteps had to be cranked outwards to take into account the increase in width. During the same period, in 1904, a further 20 passenger fitted locomotives were built, the S56 class, as further passenger 0-6-0Ts were required by the GER to meet the growing demand. These were identical to the rebuilt R24rs but featured wider cabs and bunkers to match the wider side tanks, while the cab doorway was of a symmetrical ‘keyhole’ shape due to the extended firebox into the cab. A further ten 0-6-0T shunting engines were deemed by the GER to be needed in 1912, but the decision was taken instead to build a further ten passenger engines and to convert the ten oldest R24s as shunters. Taking the opportunity to update the S56 design with the latest ‘cosmetic’ features, a side window cab with high, arched roof and rectangular windows with quasi-elliptical tops was added, with bars over the lower half of the rear cab windows. In other respects, these locomotives were identical to the S56 class and were known as the C72 class. More shunters were required the following year and so ten more C72 class locomotives were built as shunters and another ten were delivered after Grouping in 1923. These shunters had the usual lever reverse, but were fitted as steam/hand brake only, no condenser with level tank tops and 15-spoke unbalanced wheels. So, by 1923, there were 190 Buckjumpers in the Great Eastern’s fleet (the Buckjumper name had come about due to the type’s lively ride, which had been compared to a bucking horse by some crews), in variety of builds. The LNER took the step of classifying those locomotives with 180lb boilers as J69s, while those with 160lb boilers were classed as J67s. The C72s, although virtually identical, were classed separately as J68s. And this is where it gets rather more complicated and is what makes creating a tooling suite for the J67/J68/J69s a very complex project. Following Grouping the initial LNER alterations to the R24 Class included the fitting of vacuum ejectors and/or steam heating gear to some of the passenger engines. However, from 1926, most of the passenger engines were converted for shunting and those converted for goods shunting were stripped of their condensers (retaining the condensing chambers and vent pipes also in many cases), fitted with lever reverse and three-link couplings and then converted from Westinghouse to steam brakes. Some of these conversions retained their vacuum ejectors and screw couplings if they were already fitted, or else were retrofitted later so that they could be used for carriage shunting. These locomotives retained their 180lb boilers and 10 spoke wheels at the time of conversion. Many of the remaining passenger engines later lost their condensers, although a few were later refitted. Some of the 180lb engines (both passenger and shunter types) were later fitted with 160 lb boilers and reclassified as J67s, but most reverted to 180lb and the J69 class in due course. A few of the original 160lb shunting engines were also fitted with 180lb boilers from the late 1940s onwards and these then became J69 class. The S56 class were reclassified as J69, along with the R24r Class and during the 1927-33 period, some locomotives were converted to shunting types by removing the condensing gear, substituting steam brakes for the Westinghouse equipment and lever reverse for the screw pattern. Of these, a few later received vacuum ejectors, as did all of the remaining ‘passenger’ engines between 1924 and 1939, as well as being fitted with steam heating gear. Most of the latter eventually had their condensers removed. As mentioned previously, the C72 class were reclassified as J68, even though they were mechanically identical to the S56 class. None of the passenger engines were converted to shunters, although they did later lose their condensers (except for No. 41, which was sold to the War Department in 1940, and 43, which was still fitted when withdrawn in 1959). Cab roofs continued to be modified and all the passenger engines received vacuum ejectors between 1923-1929. Of the shunters, all bar three also received vacuum ejectors between 1923-1940. One oddity was No.47, which was fitted with a 160lb boiler in 1939 and reclassified as a J67. It was then refitted with a 180lb boiler and reinstated to the J68 class in 1945. Withdrawal from service for the Classes gathered pace through the mid-to-late 1950s, and by 1962 all had been withdrawn, with just 68633 surviving into preservation as part of the National Collection, now being housed at Bressingham Steam Museum in a restored GER S56 condition and numbered as 87. Several people and Societies have assisted Accurascale during the research phase of the project, notably the Great Eastern Railway Society and Bressingham Steam Museum, but special mention must go to the late Iain Rice, who despite being ill gave his time and knowledge freely and made his own research available. He is sorely missed by the hobby. View the full article

Yes, we've listened! Following our first foray into steam traction with the Manor (due very, very soon!) it is time to tackle another steam locomotive and spread our love to another part of the country. We fancied something a bit different, not done before. A challenge! Something cute. Something amazingly tooling heavy, an something rather pretty. There was only one thing for it, it was time to buck the trend. It was time to do the Buckjumper! Check out the 3D print of the CAD drawing below, and read on to learn all about our littlest loco yet. Click Here For Buckjumper History With Project Manager, Paul Isles Just Want To Pre-Order? Click Here! The Model Never afraid of a challenge, we're delighted to be able to bring these delightful tank engines to the RTR market for the first time, with this first batch of five models covering several of the important changes undergone by the classes between 1890 and 1962. A full 3D scan of the sole survivor of the class GER no. 87 at Bressignham, which provided an excellent basis to design the model across its vast array of detail variants. As always, the tooling suite developed by Accurascale is comprehensive, and covers R24, R24r, S56 (J67 and J69) classes and C72 (J68) class. Variations includes (but is not limited to) options for narrow and wide cabs, asymmetrical and symmetrical doorways, alternative cab roof ellipses, narrow and wide bunkers, alternative coal rail fitting, differing side tank capacities and profiles, fitting of condensing apparatus, fitting of trip-cock gear, alternative safety valve types and positions, differing chimney types, alternative boiler mounted hardware including handrails, differing smokebox door types, 10 and 15 spoke wheels, brake type variations, alternative positioning of injectors, alternative positioning of Macallan Blast Pipe rodding, alternative positioning of blower valves and variations on step details. Taking a ‘high quality’ approach to their first ever tank engine, we have specified a diecast boiler and chassis for added weight, factory fitted brake rigging, a fully detailed cab with magnetic roof and sliding ventilator, flickering firebox glow, full sound provision with twin sugarcube speakers on DCC sound fitted model and powerful coreless motor with next18 DCC interface. Helical gearing also to ensure smooth running qualities as per our other locomotives. The first production run consists of five models, with four main range models covering the extensive career of these locomotives, supplemented with the celebrity BR J69 68619 which will be an “Accurascale Exclusives” model which will be available in limited numbers direct only via our website and will feature special certificate and presentation packaging. S56 Class No. 84 – GER Ultramarine Blue S56 Class No. 84 was one of the last batch of ten locomotives built for the Great Eastern Railway, to Order P57, at Stratford in 1904 and incorporated many of the improvements made to the R24 Class in the 1902 Improvement Programme. No.84 is portrayed in the classic GER livery of Ultramarine Blue with Vermillion lining and shaded lettering, as it operated from Stratford Shed until being repainted into the GER’s ‘austerity’ grey livery in 1915. LNER J69 No. 359 – LNER Lined Black LNER J69 No. 359 came from an earlier batch of ten locomotives built at Stratford in 1892 and was rebuilt in 1904 into the R24r Class, gaining new safety valves, a new boiler design and 1180 gallon side tanks, but retaining the original narrow cab and coal bunker. No. 359 is portrayed in the earliest 1923 version of the LNER livery of Black with Red Lining, with fully shaded L&NER initials. BR J69 68535 – BR Black Early Crest BR J69 68535 was from the same 1892 batch as No. 359, being originally numbered as 358 under the GER and 7358 under the LNER and was also rebuilt as R24r in 1904. Along with 19 other J69 locomotives, 7358 was transferred to the Scottish Area during 1927/28 and while 11 of those locomotives were returned to the South between 1944 and 1952, the now renumbered 68535 remained in Scotland allocated to Dundee Shed 32B, until withdrawal in August 1959. BR J68 68646 – BR Black Late Crest BR J68 68646 was built in September 1912, part of the first batch of A.J Hill’s improved C72 Class, the final development of Holden’s 0-6-0T classes. First numbered as 50 under the GER, then 7050 under the LNER, 68646 spent its life working the ‘classic’ Buckjumper suburban services out of Stratford shed; firstly, on the Enfield Town and Chingford ‘Jazz’ services and then in places such as North Woolwich, Palace Gates and Blackheath. 68646 was, along with 68649, the only J68 to receive the ‘late’ British Railways crest. BR J69 68619 – Liverpool St. Passenger Pilot (Accurascale Exclusive) BR J69 68619 was the ‘celebrity’ Buckjumper and undoubtedly the most photographed member of the class, due to being the Liverpool Street Passenger Pilot and was kept immaculately presented by its crews and Stratford Shed. Carrying several presentation liveries, 68619 is probably best recognised in its 1959 faux-GER fully lined livery with GER crest addition, which it carried to withdrawal in October 1961. Tooling is now underway with a delivery date slated for Q2 2O24 for the finished models. The first tooling sample is expected this summer with decorated samples due in the winter. Price for the models is £139.99 DC/DCC ready and £239.99 DCC sound fitted with our powerbank set of stay alive capacitors. Several people and Societies have assisted us during the research phase of the project, notably the Great Eastern Railway Society and Bressingham Steam Museum, but special mention must go to the late Iain Rice, who despite being ill gave his time and knowledge freely and made his own research available. He is sorely missed by the hobby. The Buckjumpers can be pre-ordered from your local Accurascale stockist, or direct right here, where you can order for no money down until they arrive in stock, or pay the cost via partial.ly over 6, monthly installments (or in other flexible ways to suit your budget including deposits!) to spread the cost, at no extra cost, or up front. Whatever you prefer! Specification and Features Scale length of 110.66mm over headstocks, 36mm across body. Minimum Radius Operation: 438mm (2nd radius set-track). Die-cast metal chassis and boiler. Factory fitted brake rigging. All wheel pickup, DCC ready with stay alive arrangement. Scale width wire handrails and sand pipes. Fully detailed cab area, with easily removable roof, fixed by magnets. Fully detailed bunker area. Moveable roof ventilator. Eroded metal/plastic detail parts, including grab handles, steps, buffer pipework, lamp irons etc. Brass turned whistles/valves fitted. Etched metal pre-painted numberplates and plaques (where applicable). Fully sprung metal buffers, factory-installed pipework, and screw couplings. Accurate liveries including fully lined where applicable, and detailed crests/emblems. Magnetically removable smoke box door for access to decoder. Small, flexible neck NEM compliant coupler mounts set at correct height, with mini-tension-lock couplers. Next18 DCC ready (to suit ESU LokSound V5 Micro, or similar), slot mounted in smokebox. Factory installed DCC Sound option, with two quality sugarcube speakers contained in sound capsules located for best possible sound, in the side tanks (DCC Sound models only). Flickering/steady Firebox glow (depending on DCC fitting). Large coreless motor, for a haulage capacity of not less than 1kg, from a standing start, on a 3% incline. Helical gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running. Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve a scale maximum top speed of 50 mph (80 kmh). View the full article

Great news! Production of our first steam locomotives, the GWR/BR 78xx Manor Class locomotives is now nearing an end and delivery is getting tantalisingly close! It's fair to say that there have been a couple of bumps in the road since we first announced our Manors, but launching any model in the middle of a global pandemic is bound to put a few obstacles in our way. However, we have persevered and now we are almost at journey's end. In our last update in November we advised on a delivery date of late March. In that time we had a Covid lockdown at the factory in China (just when we were darkening the wheels, which then took longer to complete) we had to redesign and retool the speaker enclosure for better optimised sound quality. Despite these setbacks, the factory has pulled out all the stops to minimise the impact on the delivery schedule. Their amazing hard work means that while the delivery date has slipped, it's only a few weeks rather than months. Therefore, samples are now expected in April, with production completion towards the end of April. Once they are signed off by our production team, they will be loaded on a plane and flown to the UK to avoid any further delay of final delivery. Chassis construction is almost complete with final assembly is underway which is always the final chapter in locomotive production. Once again we thank you for your continued patience and our factory workers in China for their amazing hard work to get these here to us as soon as humanly possible. Several variants are sold out direct with us here at Accurascale, but you can browse the remaining range by clicking here and get your pre-order in on the remaining few! View the full article

It's been a while since we added a wagon to our famed "Accurascale Exclusives" line of short run models available in special presentation packaging direct in limited numbers from our website only. Our latest run of our 21 ton mineral MDV wagons gives us the perfect opportunity to do something a little bit different, and we like our departmental subjects. So. welcome to our ZDV wagon LDB311717! ZDV no. LDB311717 was noted as being used by the Electrification Engineers for collecting scrap metal during the latter stages of the Birmingham Cross City Electrification scheme between Lichfield and Ridditch, in the period between May 1991 (when the first electrification mast was planted) and June 1993 (when load bank testing was completed). Very few photographs exist of LDB311717, other than the common view of the wagon in the yard at Kings Norton in January 1993, although a later photograph exists showing it in use as a spoil/scrap dump (probably at Three Bridges); rusting and immobile, and by 2005 it had been removed from TOPS. Very few MDVs are known to have been used in Departmental traffic, where they would have been recorded as ZDV or ZYV and by 1999 just LDB311717 survived, being allocated to contractor Fastline at Doncaster. A real survivor that hung on well into the 2000s! Our model faithfully captures the worn look of this long lived wagon, featuring slapdash paint work and markings including its TOPS reclassification. This model is now in production alongside the rest of our MDO and MDV run and will be in stock with us in Q2 2023 at a price of £24.95 per wagon. Our usual deal of 10% off when you buy two or more also applies! Each model comes in special presentation packaging with a certificate and the entire run is limited to just 500 models. Pre-order yours by clicking below! View the full article

Another exciting milestone day here at Accurascale as we can reveal the first production samples of our Class 37 locomotives! The best thing about production samples means that they're close, oh so close to delivery. Production samples are sent to us for sign off and acceptance of the locomotives from the factory into stock. So, our first Class 37s are ready to go! We've been busy assessing, testing and also fitting the separately applied parts, such as hoses and the gorgeous body mounted ploughs (bogie mounted ploughs also provided) as well as the etched nameplates which will also come with each loco, so you can see them fully dressed. Some issues did crop up with these samples and are being adjusted for the finished models. This includes the correct bogies on 37419, adjustments to the fit of the handles/grabs on the roof of all models and the lamp irons on 37423 have also been adjusted. As reported in previous updates, our Class 37 production run is so large we had to split it into three separate delivery batches. Batch one will consist of the modernised Class 37/4 and Scottish car headlight class members. Within that batch they will be arriving with us in three separate lots. The first three locomotives to arrive in stock will be the three featured here; 37425, 37419 and 37423. These will be in stock in the first week of April and dispatch to direct customers and trade will commence that week. Following that, 37026, 37027, 37051 will arrive into stock in mid-April, and then finally in late April the BR Large logo trip of 37403, 37402 and 37409 will arrive, completing batch 1 delivery. Batch 2 and 3 remain on schedule and we will keep you all updated as their production samples roll in. Batch Two - Class 37/6 and 97301 - Delivery May 2023 Batch Three - Original EE Type 3 Green and BR Blue - Delivery June 2023 Excited? We certainly are! We know it's been a long road to get to this juncture, with global pandemics and chip shortages throwing spanners into our works along the way, but we're now at the end of the road with the first models now on the way. We would like to sincerely thank all our customers for your patience and understanding as we faced these unprecedented delays and we hope the models that will be in your hands in a couple of weeks' time will make it worthwhile! We still have a limited supply of our newly launched BR Green D6703 in DC/DCC ready format for sale on our website. Some stockists may still have the rest of our Class 37 range on sale but many of these running numbers are now sold out. Check with your local stockist, or order D67003 direct by clicking here! View the full article

Hi there, Just to let you know that prices must be included with any sales listings. Could you update your post with prices? Cheers! Fran

Hi George, We've exceeded 20% pre-sold already, so we're quite happy with progress in a few months. End of the day, these are the trains people see every day across the country and have done for over 15 years now. I'm sure we'll get round to the 2600 in time Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, Fantastic News! Our ICRs are now in the tooling room and the creation of the moulds is well under way! We will have a 3D print of the final CAD to show at the upcoming North Down Model Railway Society show at Bangor in April and the Wexford Model Railway Club show in early May. The first tooling sample will be with us over the summer, and we may look to organise an event to premiere it for the first time... In the meantime pre-orders have been coming thick and fast for what promises to be an exquisite model, the very first bespoke Irish Railcar in high quality, ready-to-run format. We're over 20% already sold on pre-order, so don't hang about! Ordered yours yet? Get your order in today: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/railcar-class-22000-icr

Since we announced our second run of Deltics, the question we get asked most often is; "When can I order a Class 37?" We've got our second production run waiting to announce once the first tractors arrive, and the first production run is long sold out. Or is it? Well, we actually have one from that first production run that we never announced. So welcome to our latest "Accurascale Exclusives" locomotive, available only direct via Accurascale; D6703 in BR Green with small yellow warning panels! Our ‘early’ split headcode Class 37/0 with its characteristic riveted multi-part cantrail grilles proved to be one of the breakout hits of our first production run, being among the first versions to sell out. This variant represents the first five English Electric Type 3s, D6700-6704, constructed at Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, between December 1960 and January 1961. However, there was one omission from the previously announced examples, with one loco glaring by its absence. Therefore, we are very pleased to reveal the last member of this quintet, and the final release in our first production run, D6703 in British Railways green with small yellow panels. The locomotive is finished in early 1960s condition as allocated to 30A Stratford and during its glory days of passenger service on the Great Eastern main line and in charge of such iconic workings as the Liverpool-Harwich boat trains. As an extra special treat and recognising this loco's historic position as the first of the class to be named, we're including etched 'First East Anglian Regiment' nameplates that it carried for several months in mid-1963 before being removed. The plates will not be printed on the locomotive but are provided as optional accessories. Never before produced accurately in any scale, the Accurascale model sports four-character headcode displays with etched winding gear, pre-fitted headcodes and a range of pre-cut alternatives for customers to install. Other optional parts depending on running number include nose corner grabs, boiler exhaust panel (open or plated) and boiler water tank sight glass. Other key spotting features are the double-riveted roof, bodyside water filler access door and steps, bufferbeam cowling with large round Oleo buffers, and correct early bufferbeam configuration with vacuum/steam/control piping only. D6703 will arrive in special presentation packaging like you have come to expect from our exclusives range and will arrive as part of "Batch 3", due for delivery in June 2023. The production run is limited to 550 pieces split between DC/DCC Ready and DCC sound, so pre-ordering is recommended to avoid disappointment. Pre-order yours with a £30 deposit with balance due later, pay in full now or spread the cost across 3 months using our flexible term options at no extra cost right here: DC/DCC Ready: https://www.accurascale.com/products/d6703 DCC Sound Fitted: https://www.accurascale.com/products/d6703-dcc-sound-fitted (Please note that locomotive in the images provided is first decoration sample, with slight improvements to fit and finish made on production models you will receive) View the full article

Our NER 20t coal hoppers are the latest chapter in our 'Powering Britain' range of coal wagons through the ages. Announced in November, they have proven very popular indeed, covering a variant of wagon never before adequately catered for by Ready-to-Run (RTR) models. The first batch of wagons have been very popular, with 8 packs covering various diagrams. However, many modellers were disappointed not to see many LNER era packs with the famed 'NE' branding. So, it's about time we made up for that and bring you batch two, along with some additional industrial and BR goodness too! Let's have a look at what's coming up, with 8 new packs on offer... BROWSE AND PREORDER THE RANGE BY CLICKING HERE! The NER P7 Hoppers; 52528, 55985 and L86, are shown in the 1911-1922 NER livery of Mid Grey, with unshaded 12" N.E.R initials. End braked, these hoppers served under the Central Division of the North Eastern Railway and the ‘Plimsoll’ type marking on the top plank at the sides shows that a section of the lower end planking had been removed, to save wear and tear on the hoppers when working cable hauled on inclines. Under the LNER, P6 Hoppers were classified as DGM 11, with the P7 type Hoppers being classified as DGM 12 and the vehicles continued to be built in some numbers after Grouping in 1923. Typically recognised by the replacement of the wooden end stanchions with stanchions made of metal, by and large the type were unchanged from their NER origins, being repainted into darker grey, with 18" x 12" N.E initials, at the earliest opportunity. We have four new triple packs reflecting this era, from pristine to distressed/patched finishes with later BR numbers. A large number of the 20t Hoppers made it through into the Nationalisation period, post-1948, some even surviving long enough to be painted into BR Freight Grey in the 1956-58 period, with black wagon information panels being added along with the painting of the handbrake handle ends into white. By the late 1950s, wooden 20t hoppers had largely been removed from mainline use, with survivors either being scrapped, or sold on to Private Owner, or Internal Users. Two such Internal Use liveries are featured in this second batch; one being the ‘industrial’ green paintwork exhibited by examples used at Cantley Sugar Beet Factory between Norwich and Great Yarmouth during the early 1970s and the other being the blue grey livery worn by those 20t hoppers used at the Workington Steel Works. By 1972, wagons at Workington could be seen with a variety of different bodyside legends, from the Workington Iron & Steel Co. to United Steel Corporation initials and even to a handful featuring the new British Steel Corporation logo. So, another eight new packs to choose from that will form our second production run of these wonderfully varied and distinctive coal hopper wagons. Due for delivery in Q2 2024, these wagons are priced at £84.95 per triple pack, with 10% off and free UK postage and packaging, not to mention rewards club points when you buy direct from Accurascale. Browse the range and place your pre-order by clicking here or via your local Accurascale stockist! View the full article

We are delighted to announce today that the Accurascale/IRM family grows larger – Richard Watson joins the A team as Digital Manager! Having spent several years as the Associate Editor at Hornby Magazine, Richard has been at the heart of the model railway industry, particularly with Accurascale. No doubt you’ll have seen Richard’s video launches, photography and reviews of our award-winning models. Relishing the prospect of working with Accurascale/IRM, Richard said: “Watching Accurascale grow over the years, seeing how hard the team work and the passion they drive into every project makes the new role a fantastic opportunity. Both professionally and as a hobbyist Accurascale has been a breath of fresh air to the industry and I look forward to getting stuck in!” As well as working with Accurascale/IRM, Richard will continue to entertain us with his YouTube channel and alter ego ‘New Junction’ (https://www.youtube.com/@NewJunction). We look forward to seeing progress on his 4-track East coast mainline themed home and exhibition layout and what possible new goodies we can bring out to suit. Likewise, Accurascale/IRM Director Fran Buke is delighted to welcome Richard on board; “We are delighted to welcome Richard as the latest member of the ‘a’ team. We have been a great admirer of his content and professionalism while with Hornby Magazine and also his excellent video content and modelling on his ‘New Junction’ YouTube channel. We can’t wait to see where he takes the Accurascale and IRM brands and what great news he will bring to modelers in the coming weeks, months and years”. Look out for even more Accurascale/IRM projects with Richard’s digital stamp on them coming very soon! View the full article

The Class 66 has become ubiquitous across the British railway network and 2023 see’s the 25th anniversary of the introduction of the class. The first Class 66 actually arrived in Britain on April 18th, 1998. It has since been joined by several hundreds more and they have become a vital part of the todays network. This story began with the English Welsh and Scottish Railway Company (EWS) back in 1996. The then new company needed to upgrade its fleet of increasingly unreliable locomotives that it had inherited from the takeover of five of the British Rail businesses (Loadhaul, Mainline, Transrail, Rail Express Systems and Railfreight Distribution). Company Chairman Ed Burkhardt reviewed the UK motive power situation, with low availability, high maintenance costs and a low degree of standardisation. His conclusion was not good. Mr. Burkhardt was also chair of Wisconsin Central over in the USA, where he was used to freights being 20,000 tons or more when 4000 tons would be considered huge in the UK - those heaviest of trains were handled by the EMD Class 59. EWS approached General Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM), which had designed and produced the impressively reliable Class 59 and were asked to design the new loco which was to become Class 66 (EWS wanted it to be class 61 but were refused). The company requested a more modern version of the Class 59, capable of hauling freight trains at 75mph, a maximum of Route Availability 7 category and with a high fuel capacity. Classified JT42CWR by GM, the class 66 design drew heavily of the style of the 59 to ease the certification process for gauging but that is where the similarity stopped. A different engine was fitted (12-cyl against the class 59’s 16-cyl) which made the Class 66 mechanically a closer relation to the Iarnród Éireann 201 Class – with an updated electronics package. Another key area of upgrade was the ‘trucks’ (bogies), The class 66 were the first in the UK to be fitted with the High Traction Radial Bogie (HTRB) type, which steer the wheels into a curve to reduce the force on them, improving ride quality and reducing flange wear. Dubbed the ‘biggest locomotive order since the steam era’ EWS placed £350,000,000 on the table and ordered 250 right off the bat. Design work was completed in October 1996 with work beginning on 66001 in May 1997 at GM’s works in London, Ontario, Canada. Just 9 months later, 66001 was complete and was moved to Albany, New Jersey by rail and loaded onto Jumbo Shipping’s MV Fairload. Following a 2-week sailing, the ship docked at the port of Immingham and 66001 touched down on British soil at 08:53 on 18th April 1998. The loco was taken to Immingham depot to be officially unveiled to the press before moving to Toton to be thoroughly inspected. Following further tests at Derby, 66001 returned to Toton, from which it hauled its first test train to Buxton and back on May 27 before final testing ahead of its first revenue-earning trip on a Bentwick to Drakelow coal train June 2 (with 58049 for insurance) at the same time as this, 66002 was just beginning trials at the Transportation Technology centre in Pueblo, Colorado. With testing proving positive, GM started work on the first batch of 248 production locomotives (66001 and 002 were always considered ‘prototypes’) and, by mid-June, 14 had already been laid out, with 66003 and 66004 almost complete. On July 3, 66001 was moved to Cardiff Canton for staff training. With the rest of the class due for delivery into Newport Docks, it was necessary to train local fitters there. With efficiency at the heart of EWS’ plans, testing on the rest of the batch would be completed before they were loaded onto Jumbo Shipping’s vessels (which could transport up to 11 ‘66s’ at a time) so that only routine checks and fuelling were needed when they arrived. This meant they could be sent straight into traffic once they were unloaded. As an aside, 66002 was kept in America for testing for a year, which is why it did not come over with the second batch. Deliveries continued apace and this allowed EWS to implement widespread withdrawal of older types – initially those that the 66’s were intended to replace but latterly even second generation BR freight locomotives were in the frame. Class 47’s were the worst hit in numbers but the ‘Red Death’ (as it was dubbed by enthusiasts at the time) allowed EWS to withdraw the last of the class 31 and 33 and reduce numbers of class 37s and 73’s too. Between 1998 and 2000 - the height of the phase, the withdrawal ratio could be as high as five old locos withdrawn for every one Class 66 off the boat. The successful introduction of Class 66 was starting to ruffle feathers amongst other freight operators. Freightliner had first-hand experience of using GM power plants having previously had 12 of its class 47s re-engineered to class 57 as part of a reliability programme with reconditioned power units. Whilst cost effective this was only ever a ‘stop-gap’ and Freightliner ordered their first 5 locomotives in March 1999 with a follow up order for another 15 locomotives shortly after. The final EWS Class 66, 66250, was delivered on June 21, 2000, just 26 months after the first, itself, arriving alongside Freightliner’s 66506-66510. These arrivals allowed Freightliner to also withdraw their aging class 47s, Not only did the new class 66’s offer nearly double the fuel range, but Freightliner posted a regular availability of 98% and an average of 70,000 miles between failures, meaning Class 66s were far outperforming the Class 57’s at 30,000 miles between failures and just 7,000 miles of the class 47’s. A new precedent had been set. So dramatic were the operational improvements for EWS and Freightliner, that over the next decade even some of the smaller and younger freight operators would order new Class 66s over older, second-hand locomotives (often displaced by the introduction of class 66’s elsewhere). At the start of 2000, GB Railways (who then operated the Anglia passenger franchise) moved into the freight market with an order for seven class 66’s. These were to be numbered in the 66/7 range and, like the Freightliner 66/5s were identical to the EWS 66/0s. GBR was to use these for its recently set-up freight arm, GB Railfreight (GBRf), which had won a deal with Railtrack to supply seven brand new locomotives to move infrastructure trains in Anglia and the southeast. Up until 2000, all class 66’s that had been built were to the same specification. The 250 for EWS, 20 for Freightliner and 7 for GBRf were all pretty much interchangeable however the first major change came when Freightliner specified and order for locomotives with a lower gear ratio and a higher tractive effort than standard, for use on heavier block trains. This batch of 25 eventually were to become 66/6s. 2002 saw another operator turn to class 66. Direct Rail Services who had originally used Class 20s, 33s and 37s for its traffic but as the company was expanding its operations more locomotives were needed to compete for intermodal business. As a result, an initial order for 10 locomotives was placed in 2002 – these happened to be some the last of the ‘standard’ class 66s to be delivered as the International Union of Railways (UIC) regulations passed a ruling that all locomotives ordered after December 2002 would have to meet new emissions requirements. This new rule meant no fewer than 53 Class 66s were added to GM’s order book in a single day on December 31 2002! This created a backlog, and which took years to clear. The final ‘standard’ 66 was delivered in 2006, 66622 for Freightliner (which was also their 100th class 66). Fortunately, GM had already developed a low-emission variant of the class 66. This was achieved by making changes to the engine cooling system to allow it to run at a lower temperature. Modifications were made also to injectors and the pistons; A bigger cooling group was fitted, and the fuel tank size was reduced to meet weight restrictions. After much discussion about the classification of the new low-emission version (EWS wanted to classify them as Class 68s but the Rolling Stock Library disagreed) they were classified as 66/9s. In April 2006, General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division was sold to a consortium that included Greenbriar Equity Group and Berkshire Partners. It became Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD). There were few issues with the 66, with several hundred now in traffic. Early issues with the self-steering bogies had been rectified however many complaints about the driving cabs had been made to union ASLEF. Excessive heat and noise were the main niggles which led to GBRf requesting modifications for its next batch of locomotives, starting with 66708. A new cab layout with wrap around desks, a new drivers seat, improved sound deadening and air conditioning transformed the working environment on these locomotive for divers. Fastline Freight who had used refurbished class 56’s expanded their operations and required more traction, the obvious choice being to jump on the class 66 bandwagon, they would eventually acquire 6 before their parent companies bankruptcy forced them to close. The 6 locomotives were transferred to DRS. They were among the last examples to be delivered from EMD. In a similar story, Advenza Freight leased four class 66’s in May 2009 at the height of the economic downturn and by October that year Advenza had gone bust and the ‘66s’ were returned to Porterbrook. The final freight to join ‘club 66’ was Colas Rail back in October 2009 to use on intermodal and fly ash trains From this point on, the history and allocation of class 66’s becomes rather interesting. The standardised nature has seen locomotives swap operators, be renumbered, swap again and so on. EWS sent a number of locomotives to France under the ‘Euro Cargo Rail’ banner – some of which have returned, Freightliner likewise sent a number of locomotives to work for its Polish division (as has DB, the successor to EWS) The success of the Class 66/JT42CWR type didn’t go unnoticed on the world stage, the design has been sought after internationally, with orders going in from across Europe and Egypt, over 650 units have been produced for the worldwide market of which 480 were built for the UK. Not all changes have been exports either, an upturn in traffic for GBRf saw them acquire euro-spec class 66’s and bring them to the UK. This has resulted in many smaller variations to the class as not all euro models were identical, nor retro fitted identically. The final batch of class 66’s was ordered 10 years ago now, back in 2013 by GBRf. By this stage, production had moved from London, Ontario to Muncie, Indiana. This shift added new variations to some of the body features and the locomotives from this last production differ from all the others. The final class 66 built, 66779, was painted in a special British Railways green livery, mirroring that of the last British Railways steam locomotive built, Evening Star. 66779 was named to match its coal burning counterpart at the National Railway Museum on the 10th of May, 2016 bringing the curtain down on class 66 production worldwide. A gesture made at that unveiling by GBRf CEO, John Smith, was promising the locomotive to the national collection upon its projected withdrawal following its predicted 40 year working life. Who would have thought 25 years ago, the dreaded shed, the locomotive that EWS foresaw as a game-changer has been exactly that. In over two decades, the type has not seen any significant challenge to its supremacy. The leap of faith taken by the then young EWS company with Ed Burkhardt at the helm paid off and has achieved something that no domestic build locomotive has ever managed to do and spread its success to the continent. Maybe enthusiasts have learned to love a 66, after all there is a whole generation who would know nothing different. Perhaps we should look back with fondness at the dawn of a new era for British rail freight. Not Read Death as they said but Red Revolution. Excited about the Accurascale Class 66? Place your pre-order via your local stockist, or right here! View the full article

So, who guessed right? Welcome to Shed Heaven! The latest locomotive to join our growing range in 00/4mm – the EMD Class 66 diesel electric, is an essential one for our range. It's the perfect accompaniment to haul our now extensive range of high quality modern wagon models. With so many Irishmen in the Accurascale family too, it was about time an EMD locomotive was added to the range, considering they have dominated the Irish scene for 60 years! (Obligatory delicious pic from our friends at Hornby Mag!) So, welcome to the AccuraShed. But how has this come about? WOW - THAT'S THE TASTIEST SHED THIS SIDE OF B&Q! TAKE ME DIRECT TO THE PREORDER PAGE SO I CAN BROWSE THE RANGE! When entering the British outline market five years ago, we were aware of the highly impressive model of the Class 66 that Hattons Model Railways had developed in house and released onto the market. This model received great acclaim, winning numerous awards. In late 2022 a deal was struck between Accurascale and Hattons for Accurascale to take on the Hattons Class 66 tooling, and further enhance the locomotive in running characteristics, build quality, detail variation and electronics to match it to the level of the rest of our locomotive range. This model will now be a part of our range going forwards. So our GM has indeed been Genetically Modified! Don't fancy reading about it? Then check out the sample in action as Steve and Mike Wild of Hornby Magazine discuss the model below: Enhanced features include: Axle boxes have been redesigned to make them more secure and ensure smooth running (drawing on experience with the IRM A Class). There are still some improvements required here with them currently being a tad too long, but these are currently being further refined. Decoder Access has been improved by the provision of a lift off roof section which also reveals the switches for DC operation. Enhanced PCB featuring pogo connectors and twin speakers; a sugar cube speaker and Accurathrash bass reflex speaker. Lighting revised to provide accurate representation of Day, night and yard mode in all configurations. Hall sensor fitted to DCC sound models to automatically activate flange squeal on tighter radii. Cab bulkheads and control pedestal are now moulded with details in relief each end is correct with either single or twin entrance door. Coil springs on the bogie now rotating in the correct direction. Cab access step and handrails have been moved from body mount to chassis mount to allow for breakage free access to chassis (for when fitting crew etc). Roof Radiator fan grille redesigned to be secured better to the model (and be further refined than these pre-production etches show!) The tooling suite for the Class 66 was already extensive, allowing for multiple different evolutions across the life of the real locomotives. However, as with doing models “The Accurascale Way”, further modifications have been carried out to add even greater variation to the range, featuring; Addition of a second style of cab interior, relevant to the model. Either the original pedestal type cab or later wrap around desk Two different types of sandpipe fixture on the bogie; angled or straight. Addition of square cut outs guard irons for relevant locos Cab Front Handrails now have the option of 5 point or 7 point mounting with correct round profile handrail mounts. Parts to cover recent "Euro Imports" currently being tooled and will feature in future production runs. A total of six different locomotives make up the first production run as follows: 66004 – DB Climate Hero Livery The third class 66 to land on British soil back in 1998, 66004 was treated to its eye catching ‘Climate Hero’ livery during 2021 as part of a program to promote freight on rail by owners DB. The real 66004 runs on a diet of Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, living up to its ‘climate hero’ credentials. 66167 – DB Traffic Red The ‘red revolution’ is slowly changing shade. 66167 is carrying the current vibrant house colours of owner DB. Testament to the quality of repaint back in 2019 the loco still looks fresh today and can be seen all across the network. 66171 – EWS Maroon and Gold Approaching 25 years old and still in its original maroon and gold, 66171 has had a few additional warning labels but still carries the moniker of its original owner, EWS. A real go anywhere locomotive and is suitable for use right up to the present day. 66122 - DRS Out of Sequence! The universal nature of the Class 66 means that transfers and sales between owners/operators are relatively common. 66122 is one of those. It was one of several locomotives hired by DRS and as such carries DB modifications like auto couplers and wing mirrors but the house colours of new operator DRS. 66507 – Freightliner Green and Yellow Freightliner were the second operating company to enter the class 66 game with the first of their locomotives arriving in 1999. Nicknamed 'freds' - a portmanteau of Freightliner and Shed, 66507 represents the standard freightliner class 66 of the early noughties, 66763 - GBRf Nearing the end of class 66 orders, production was shifted to Muncie in the USA. This change carried with it some subtle differences that we can see on this model. Named ‘Severn Valley Railway’ in 2016, it can be seen here with the current day ‘europorte’ branding removed. The modification to the tooling is now complete and production for the first batch of six different running numbers/liveries will soon begin, with some “Accurascale Exclusives” special editions to follow later in the year, so keep an eye out for them! Delivery is slated for Q1 2024, with prices of £169.99 for DC/DCC ready and £259.99 DCC Sound fitted. Check out the range and pre-order with your local stockist, or right here! View the full article

A couple of weeks ago we dropped our initial batch of 10 Mark 2c coaches in iconic blue and grey BR livery. It's the first time these coaches have been produced in OO/4mm scale in ready-to-run format and they have certainly gone down a treat, with pre-orders absolutely flying out the door. However, some modellers suggested other liveries from different eras that they would like to see. So, to paraphrase Blue Peter; Here's some we made earlier! CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER YOUR MARK 2C COACHES Network Southeast BFK 17132 With 'West of England' Route Branding NSE TSO(T) 6500 Our first Mk.2 production run includes Mk.2b TSO and FK in Network SouthEast-livery, perfect for operations on 'The Mule' (Waterloo-Exeter) as well as other South Western division loco-hauled trains. However, these formations are not complete without this pair of Mk.2c coaches, which provide much required brake and catering services on these trains. TSO(T) 6500 was the first of 30 TSO converted in 1980-1 to provide 'third level' food provision and roughly a third of the fleet was based at Laira for these trains. Meanwhile, BFK 17132 wears the attractive West of England route branding designed for NSE by Edward Pond. Intercity Scotrail SK (ex FK) SC7551 BSO 9446 Just ahead of Model Rail Scotland it is appropriate to reveal a pair of our phase II Mk.2c coaches with a north of the border theme. While none of this Mk.2 sub type received the iconic ScotRail livery, many vehicles allocated to internal Scottish services did gain appropriate branding. One of the highlights of this new announcement is Corridor Composite SC7551, one of five FK converted in 1985 for Glasgow-Edinburgh to Inverness services and this wears blue/grey with Inter-City ScotRail branding. Also included is BSO 9446, which carries the ScotRail lettering only. Intercity BFK M17130 While many pressure ventilated Mk.2s were still allocated to the InterCity sector in the mid 1980s, repaints into the new 'raspberry ripple' livery were rare. A requirement for BFK vehicles for charter and special train services saw a number of coaches outshopped in the operator's colourful paint scheme with the bulk of the pool drawn from the Mk.2c contingent. Wolverhampton Oxley's M17130 could also be found in WCML and cross-country IC services. Regional Railways TSO 5554 BSO 9458 The remaining Mk.2b and Mk.2c coaches were marked for withdrawal by the early 1990s but a small fleet did gain Regional Railways, mostly former Provincial-liveried vehicles freshened up with new branding. Longsight TSO 5554 and BSO 9458 were usually found on North Western loco-hauled services from Liverpool and Manchester to Blackpool, the famed 'club trains', with the brake coach notably being the last member of the 250-strong Mk.2c to remain in service with BR. Provincial With Transpennine Branding TSO 5614 Provincial-liveried 5614 is one of two TSO allocated to Heaton depot in the 1980s-early 1990s for Trans-Pennine services. These were regularly mixed with Mk.2a and Mk.2b TSOs, Mk.2a and Mk.2c FKs and Mk.1 brakes behind Peaks and Class 47/4s on the North Wales and Liverpool/Manchester to Newcastle/York/Scarborough routes. West Coast Railways TSO(T) 6528 BSO 9440 West Coast Railway's eclectic fleet of Mk.2s includes a range of vehicles that are unique survivors on the main line in the privatisation era, particularly its Mk.2b and Mk.2c examples. TSO(T) 6528 is still operational today and was recorded as recently as March 2022 on the main line. Its colleague, 9440, is one of just two Mk.2c BSO to have escaped the scrapman, and both returned to WCR for charter use after extensive use on the South Wales & West loco-hauled services in the late 1990s. The Model Our Mark 2c coaches build on the research from our Mark 2b coaches, with both variants surveyed together as we embarked on creating a wide reaching and flexible tooling suite for these missing links in the Mark 2 coach family. This was achieved using surveys of numerous surviving vehicles around the UK along with works drawings and even a partial 3D scan to ensure that the characteristic tumblehome and shape of the ends is as accurate as possible. The survey extended to the interiors with particular attention being paid to differences of interior layout, seating styles and areas like the TSOT across the range. A perfect complement to our Mark 2b range which is currently in production, we kick off the 2c range with 10 differently numbered coaches in the iconic BR Blue/Grey livery. The Mark 2c was quite varied, with Tourist Second Open (TSO), Corridor First (FK), Open First (FO), Brake Corridor First (BFK) and Brake Open Second (BSO) formats. In the 1980s four further types were introduced, SK and SO (declassified from first class), Corridor Composite (converted from FK for Scottish Region services) and a mini buffet with trolley space, known as TSO(T). All nine of these versions feature in our tooling suite. Common Features: Highly-detailed OO Gauge / 1:76.2 Scale Models on 16.5mm track Extremely fine exterior rivet detail on roof and coach ends Separately-applied etched metal and high-fidelity plastic parts, including handrails, brake/steam heat pipes, ETH cabling and sockets, footsteps, dummy drophead knuckle coupler, and roof vents Prism Free Glazing Pre-painted etched metal water filler covers provided for customer to install Fully-detailed underframe with numerous separate parts, pipe runs and accurate differences between versions The most accurate B4 bogies ever produced, with provision for re-gauging to EM or P4 (18.83mm) gauges Blackened RP25.110 profile wheel-sets with 14.4mm back-to-back measurements, and 26mm over pinpoints Different buffers for retracted and non-retracted positions Accurate interiors with characteristic 'winged' headrests, separate metal interior handrails on the brake and corridor vehicles and fully-detailed guard's compartment Correct height NEM standard coupling sockets with mini tension lock couplers and kinematic close-coupling Easy conversion to Kadee-compatiable knuckle couplers Full lighting package, including magnet 'wand' controlled interior lighting 'Stay-Alive' capacitor in all coaches Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track) Coach Length: 269mm These coaches are primed for production and will begin once the Mark 2b production run is complete. They will arrive in stock in Q4 2023 and are the same great price of just £59.95 each and 10% off when you order direct via the Accurascale website. You can spread the cost using our flexible payment terms over 6 months or less, depending on your requirements when ordering direct via our website. Just click on the basket at checkout and follow the simple steps. Pre-order yours via your local stockist, or direct by clicking right here! View the full article

Over the past couple of years we have had to prepare to facilitate our customers from overseas as best as we can with Brexit being implemented. This has lead to us trying several remedies, including have separate European hubs and websites, but this has caused significant delay in moving stock between the two. So, we're going back to basics.This means you can now order from accurascale.com anywhere in the world! No more separate websites, different logins and entering details time and again, accurascale.com is now your one stop shop. Can I order without VAT from outside the UK? All of our website prices are listed dynamically inclusive of VAT (Sales Tax) inside the UK. If you are purchasing from outside the United Kingdom, VAT is not payable and should be automatically deducted by geo-locating your IP address. When browsing the website, you will see the suffix 'inc. VAT' on all prices if you are inside the UK and VAT is payable. If you do not see this suffix, then you are seeing the 'ex. VAT' price by default. Once you get to the Checkout, simply enter your non UK Shipping / Billing Address, and the website will dynamically remove all VAT from your order if it has failed to do so automatically, reducing the cost appropriately! We also ship to the European Union, Delivered at Place (DAP) which means you will pay Import VAT / Tax (but no Duty) when the goods arrive in your country Postage We provide free shipping throughout the UK on all orders DHL Next Day Tracked service which is FREE Shipping to UK Islands including the following is £19.95 flat rate and VAT will not be charged where relevant, automatically Gibraltar Geurnsey Isle of Man Jersey We also ship to the European Union Delivered at Place (DAP) which means you will pay Import VAT / Tax (but no Duty) when the goods arrive in your country Orders up to £100 are charged at a flat rate of £4.95 Orders over £100 are FREE Additionally we ship to the following 'Rest of World' locations at a flat charge of £25 Australia Canada New Zealand South Africa USA If your location is not on the list and you would like to purchase, please get in touch. Please note that if you order pre-Orders and in stock items in the same order, all items will be held and shipped together unless you get in touch and request otherwise. Splitting deliveries may incur additional cost. Currency/Local Payments As well as GBP, you can now shop on accurascale with prices in AUD, CAD, EUR, NZD and USD, with ‘locked in’ pricing when you buy (even with partial.ly) and the price will be billed and remain in your local currency! So, if you're based anywhere other than the UK, what are you waiting for? Get ordering now! View the full article

Following on from our highly anticipated Mark 2b coaches, we are excited to reveal the latest addition to our eagerly-anticipated range of 4mm/OO gauge Mk.2 coaching stock, the late-style Mk.2c variant with their characteristic small 'air con'-style toilet windows. If you paid attention to our sister brand IRM, then you will have spotted that the Mark 2c coaches were popping up in exotic liveries such as Irish Rail and Northern Ireland Railways. We tooled both types together, giving us great flexibility in our Mark 2 range and offering variants never previously offered in ready-to-run (RTR) format or coaches that have not been available in RTR for decades. So, it's great '2c' them finally emerge in OO/4mm, but what are they exactly? Let's look back on their history... CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER YOUR MARK 2C COACHES Prototype History Initially considered a follow on order of the Mk.2b and classified as such, the 250 Mk.2c vehicles built at Litchurch Lane, Derby, during 1969-70 were quickly redesignated as a sub type in their own right. Three of the configurations, Tourist Second Open (TSO), Corridor First (FK) and Brake Corridor First (BFK), were operationally identical to their predecessors, while the Brake Open Second (BSO) variant returned to the fleet having been skipped for the Mk.2b order. A fifth type, an Open First (FO), completed the range, and was introduced to supplement and replace ageing Mk.1s usually partnered with catering vehicles. The Mk.2b was expected to be retro-fitted with air-conditioning when it became available, a modification that never took place, and following builds were to be installed with this feature from new. However continuing delays sourcing the equipment resulted in the Mk.2c being another stop gap with the intention – yet again – of fitting it in due course. To make this conversion easier the design was modified, which notably included removable roof access panels and lowered interior ceilings to accommodate the ventilation ducting. The alterations were in vain as the kit was never installed. As well as the roof panel, the dome vents of the earlier Mk.2, Mk.2a and Mk.2b were replaced with three different types throughout the build, with the FK receiving both ‘GM’ and Roe-Vac TW50 vents, the former being similar to that found on the cab roof of a Class 37, amongst other locomotive types. The FO and BSO were both fitted with the Roe-Vac type, while the BFK and TSO were initially installed with the comically large ‘G’ vent as well as the ‘GM’ and Roe-Vac. The final spotting feature only applied to the final 150 vehicles built, which were fitted with a smaller, squarer toilet window not dissimilar to that found on later air-conditioned stock. This variant is described by us as the primary spotting feature to distinguish Phase I from Phase II vehicles. There was also a separate rectangular vent positioned above at the right hand end only, and in the same corner on the non-toilet side. Many of these were later plated over as corrosion issues plagued the fleet. All five types were fitted with the smaller window in varying numbers, with all BSO and FO coaches being so equipped. While the Mk.2b had been primarily allocated to the Western Region, all but 30 BSO in the Mk.2c order were put into service on the London Midland, being immediately associated with pairs of double-headed Class 50 locomotives on the accelerated WCML Anglo-Scottish timetable, as well as electric-hauled Euston-Liverpool/Manchester services. The remainder went to the WR and were partnered with other Mk.2 variants on Paddington-Bristol, South Wales and West of England trains. All were delivered in blue/grey and the second half of the build were the first to wear the famous Inter-City branding from new. The introduction of the air-conditioned Mk.2d, Mk.2e and Mk.2f along with HSTs on the WR in the middle of the 1970s saw most of the Mk.2c cascaded to secondary Inter-City and inter-regional services, although brake vehicles in particular seemed to find themselves regularly rostered in formations of air-con stock. In 1977, eight TSOs were sold to Israel Railways, while a further seven FO/TSO were acquired by Northern Ireland Railways in the 1980s to supplement the operator’s existing Mk.2b/c ‘Enterprise’ fleet, three examples being rebuilt as 80 Class DEMU cars as replacements for bomb-damaged vehicles. In the early 1980s, 30 TSO were converted as mini buffet cars – redesignated TSO(T) – with a small counter and a trolley space and these versatile coaches quickly found themselves allocated to all five regions, notably becoming almost the sole catering provision on Waterloo-Exeter and internal Scottish Region diagrams. Three further types were introduced in the middle of the decade, SK and SO (declassified from first class, and later dominating on cross-country trains), and a Corridor Composite (converted from FK) also for Scottish Region services, complete with ScotRail branding. Of the rest of the fleet, the TSOs were still principally allocated to the LMR, with the rest north of the border and a handful on the Trans-Pennine route. Meanwhile, the BFK and BSOs were spread to all corners of the network, while the remaining FK were primarily split between ‘The Mule’ (Waterloo-Exeter) and cross-country/Trans-Pennine operations. Liveries included Network SouthEast, Provincial and, even, Inter-City Executive on many of the BFKs. In the early 1990s several also gained Regional Railways, while at least one BSO gained the Swallow variant of InterCity. By the end of the decade withdrawals were beginning to bite. Irish Rail, never one to pass up a bargain, even snapped up seven Mk.2c FO and FK straight from the scrap yard, along with further nine coaches of earlier marks. Repainted in the classic orange Intercity scheme they were used on secondary services to Drogheda, Galway, Limerick, Tralee, Westport and Waterford until the early 2000s. As ‘Sprinterisation’ gathered pace the number of retirements increased. Between 1989 and 1993, cross country, Trans Pennine, internal Scottish and Network SouthEast loco-hauled trains were almost entirely axed leaving BSO No. 9458 as the sole representative of the once 250-strong fleet in daily BR service, principally mixed in with Mk.2a stock in the North West. The huge number of vehicles being axed at the same time was a bonanza for BR’s departmental sector which grabbed a selection of vehicles for use as dead loads in test trains and for other purposes. Most only had a short life before being stopped again. There was something of a reprieve in 1996 as the new shadow South Wales & West franchise hired in a small fleet of Mk.2b and 2c coaches from a predecessor of West Coast Railways to replace its fleet of Regional Railways Mk.2a stock that had been transferred away. Returning to the main line that summer they worked diagrams that took in Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New St-Cardiff Central, Cardiff-Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol/Westbury-Weymouth mostly with Class 37/4 power. Taken over by Prism Rail’s Wales & West franchise in October 1996 the Mk.2b and 2c coaches continued in regular operation until replaced by DMUs in September 1999. After a short time out they were back in action in South Wales from 2001 under the aegis of the new National Express-operated Wales & Borders franchise, and the coaches were used extensively on Rhymney-Cardiff-Fishguard trains until replaced by ex-Virgin air-conditioned coaches in 2004. The coaches returned to WCR at Carnforth and several saw regular railtour use right through until the early 2010s. The Model Our Mark 2c coaches build on the research from our Mark 2b coaches, with both variants surveyed together as we embarked on creating a wide reaching and flexible tooling suite for these missing links in the Mark 2 coach family. This was achieved using surveys of numerous surviving vehicles around the UK along with works drawings and even a partial 3D scan to ensure that the characteristic tumblehome and shape of the ends is as accurate as possible. The survey extended to the interiors with particular attention being paid to differences of interior layout, seating styles and areas like the TSOT across the range. A perfect complement to our Mark 2b range which is currently in production, we kick off the 2c range with 10 differently numbered coaches in the iconic BR Blue/Grey livery. The Mark 2c was quite varied, with Tourist Second Open (TSO), Corridor First (FK), Open First (FO), Brake Corridor First (BFK) and Brake Open Second (BSO) formats. In the 1980s four further types were introduced, SK and SO (declassified from first class), Corridor Composite (converted from FK for Scottish Region services) and a mini buffet with trolley space, known as TSO(T). All nine of these versions feature in our tooling suite. Common Features: Highly-detailed OO Gauge / 1:76.2 Scale Models on 16.5mm track Extremely fine exterior rivet detail on roof and coach ends Separately-applied etched metal and high-fidelity plastic parts, including handrails, brake/steam heat pipes, ETH cabling and sockets, footsteps, dummy drophead knuckle coupler, and roof vents Prism Free Glazing Pre-painted etched metal water filler covers provided for customer to install Fully-detailed underframe with numerous separate parts, pipe runs and accurate differences between versions The most accurate B4 bogies ever produced, with provision for re-gauging to EM or P4 (18.83mm) gauges Blackened RP25.110 profile wheel-sets with 14.4mm back-to-back measurements, and 26mm over pinpoints Different buffers for retracted and non-retracted positions Accurate interiors with characteristic 'winged' headrests, separate metal interior handrails on the brake and corridor vehicles and fully-detailed guard's compartment Correct height NEM standard coupling sockets with mini tension lock couplers and kinematic close-coupling Easy conversion to Kadee-compatiable knuckle couplers Full lighting package, including magnet 'wand' controlled interior lighting 'Stay-Alive' capacitor in all coaches Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track) Coach Length: 269mm These coaches are primed for production and will begin once the Mark 2b production run is complete. They will arrive in stock in Q4 2023 and are the same great price of just £59.95 each and 10% off when you order direct via the Accurascale website. You can spread the cost using our flexible payment terms over 6 months or less, depending on your requirements when ordering direct via our website. Just click on the basket at checkout and follow the simple steps. Pre-order yours via your local stockist, or direct by clicking right here! View the full article

Last week we revealed a couple of our Class 31 "Accurascale Exclusives" which have gone down very well indeed. So, hot on the heels of our special edition peds, we thought we better get the hoovers out and reveal the Class 50 exclusives! When it comes to specials, the 50s really have us spoiled. So, we can say that there will certainly be more exclusives Class 50s in the future. But, in the meantime, here is the first two; 50007 "Sir Edward Elgar" in GWR inspired Green and 50149 "Defiance" in Railfreight General subsector livery. PRE-ORDER YOURS RIGHT HERE! 50007 - Sir Edward Elgar Still controversial almost four decades after being repainted, 50007 was outshopped in Great Western Railway lined green with cast numbers and double arrow in February 1984 as part of the GW150 celebrations that were planned for the following year. At the same time, it lost its Hercules name in order to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of the composer Sir Edward Elgar – who had no connection with Brunel’s famous railway. Rumoured to be the first of a series of Class 50s renamed after famous people, the intense backlash put paid to any future rededications! Refreshed several times up until its final withdrawal in 1994 its livery subtly changed each time and our model represents the classic Network SouthEast 1988-91 period with full-length orange cantrail stripe. 50149 Defiance The second half of the 1980s saw a potential new direction for the Class 50s as passenger work began to dry up. While 1987 brought sad news with the first three examples switched off, Plymouth’s Laira depot also outshopped the former 50049 Defiance in the stunning new Railfreight General livery with re-geared CP7 bogies and new 50149 number. The sole member of the Class 50/1 sub class, it was primarily used in the South West on china clay and Speedlink wagonload duties before the project was cancelled. This was partially due to poor wheelslip protection and lack of sanding equipment, both ironically removed during refurbishment and considered too expensive to reinstate. It was returned to standard condition in February 1989 and repainted in the revised NSE scheme. Naturally, these pair of beauties follow the industry leading specification that can be found on our main range locomotives, including; Highly-detailed OO scale model, 1:76.2 scale Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track) in OO Die-cast metal chassis RP25-110 profile OO wheels with provision for re-gauging with scale-sized wheels for P4/EM gauges – with simple ride height adjustment – and ability to set brake blocks in line with wheels Separately-applied etched metal/plastic detail parts, including grab handles, steps, wipers, etc. Scale width wire handrails Etched metal pre-painted nameplates and crests (where applicable) provided for customer to install Interchangeable printed headcodes with full description covering the first nine years of the class plus preservation era Scale-sized and mounted snowploughs provided for customer to install, with one-piece NEM mounted option Full underframe tank, battery box and full-formed compressor detail with extensive pipework and other separate parts Fully sprung buffers, super-fine pipework and screw couplings (for display) Kinetic NEM coupler mounts at correct height and mini-tension-lock couplers Separately powered working radiator fan with different speed settings DCC ready [21-Pin MTX Socket] or Factory-Fitted DCC Sound options High Performance traction, to include; Five-Pole motor with two flywheels Metal Helical Gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve minimum scale top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h) DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power All wheel drive (sprung centre axle) and all wheel pickup Fully detailed Lighting Pack, including: Directional lighting, DC and DCC Switchable Red and white marker lights with correctly configured lights for preservation era oddballs 50008 and 50044 Separately switched cab lighting and illuminated, driver’s desk, auto/off on movement Interior lighting with cast electrical compartment and engine bay detail on metal motor enclosure Customised Dual-Speaker Technology with large "Accurathrash" Bass Speaker and smaller ‘iphone’ style cube for higher frequencies (on DCC Sound-fitted models only) Hall sensor for flange squeal effect (on DCC Sound-fitted models only) Delivery is slated for after the delivery of main range locomotives, with the exclusives arriving in Q1 2024. Each loco will come in bespoke presentation packaging to make it feel that extra bit special too! You can spread the cost using our flexible payment terms over 6 months or less, depending on your requirements. Just click on the basket at checkout and follow the simple steps. Remember, our Accurascale Exclusives series of models are open to all customers, and do not require the expense and hassle of joining a club to purchase. Place your pre-order for your EE slab of magnificence by clicking here! View the full article

Our Class 31s have been warmly received since they were announced just under 12 months ago. Our main range has been flying off the shelves at pre-order stage and we are about to enter production in the coming weeks. Everyone also knows that we like a couple of "Accurascale Exclusives"; or series of special edition locos available only direct from our website, open to all without the need for club fees and fair prices that are in keeping with our main range. So, it's about time we revealed our Accurascale Exclusives Class 31s! PRE-ORDER YOURS RIGHT HERE! First up is 31407 in the elegant Mainline Freight livery Second up is 31466 in the the striking colours of EWS Both locomotives capture that mid 1990s era, which was one of great change for Britain's railways as privatisation commenced, with a plethora of colourful liveries adoring heritage stock as new companies made themselves known. It was also the twilight of many Class 31s, as they were withdrawn and stored with the advent of the Class 66 in the late 1990s and they became life expired. This pairing makes up one half of our Accurascale Exclusives Class 31 range, with another pair to be announced soon. They also follow our main range with an industry leading specification; - Highly-detailed OO gauge model, 1:76.2 scale on 16.5mm track - Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track) - Die-cast metal chassis - Bogie with separate footsteps, brake cylinders, speed recorder and end brake rigging - RP25-110 profile OO gauge wheels - Brake blocks on bogies in line with wheels - Scale width wire handrails - Etched metal/plastic detail parts, incl. grab handles, steps, wipers, etc. - Etched metal roof grille - Etched metal pre-painted nameplates, plaques and arrows (if applicable) - Accurate high-fidelity miniature snowploughs - Full underbody battery box/air tank detail with pipework - Fully sprung buffers, multiple pipework variations and screw couplings - Kinetic NEM coupler mounts at correct height with mini-tension-lock couplers - DCC ready [21-Pin MTX Socket] or Factory-Installed DCC Sound options - Two quality speakers with large sound capsules for best possible sound (DCC Sound models only) - Wheel flange squeal sensor on DCC sound fitted locomotives - Working radiator fan, driven from separate motor High Performance traction, to include; - High quality 5-pole motor with two large flywheels - Helical Gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running - Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve a scale top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h) - DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power - Outer axles on bogies are driven (sprung dummy centre axle) and all wheel pickup Fully detailed Lighting Pack, including: - Directional lighting, DC and DCC - Switchable Red and white marker lights (red can be switched individual lights or both on) - Separately switched cab lighting and illuminated, driver’s desk with auto/off on movement These two locomotives will enter production after our main range and arrive in stock in Q1 2024. They are priced at £169.99 DC/DCC Ready and £269.99 DCC Sound Fitted. Both are only available direct via our website and you can pre-order by clicking here! View the full article