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Everything posted by Warbonnet
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Accurascale’s Class 92 electric locomotives have arrived to great fanfare and delight with modellers around the country and beyond, with a diverse range of “Dysons” carrying a plethora of colourful liveries as adorned by the real locomotives in their careers across the National network and beyond to France. However, there was one last locomotive to arrive in the exciting line up, and it’s likely the most eye-catching, and certainly the most complex of all; Class 92 017 “Bart the Engine” in the loud and proud Stobart Rail livery. This vibrant model, produced in association with Kernow Model Rail Centre, had proven quite the challenge to replicate in model form. With complex printing around the cab sides to capture the distinct fading of the real “Bart The Engine”, it required numerous passes on the tampo printing machine resulting in the models being the last to leave the factory. Thankfully the additional efforts required to capture this complex livery in model form have been worth the effort as they look spectacular in the flesh. They are now being distributed to pre-order customers with Kernow Model Rail Centre. Demand and interest in the model has been very strong since its announcement, with many Accurascale customers contacting direct asking if they could also purchase this model through the Accurascale website. With this in mind, and to cover demand from everyone, Kernow Model Rail Centre and Accurascale have joined forces and now you can buy the limited remaining stock on both websites. These locomotives are in stock, ready to ship and priced at £189.99 DC/DCC ready and £289.99 DCC sound fitted and feature the same great specification and attention to detail as the rest of the Accurascale Class 92 range. The entire production run is limited to just 350 locomotives and wont be repeated in this livery, so make sure you don’t miss out. Order via https://www.accurascale.com/collections/british-rail-class-92 or https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/ today while stocks last. View the full article
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Next week marks five years of Accurascale. It's been a wild ride for sure, as we have bought 22 newly tooled models to market (not including our IRM output) and placed them in modellers hands. We have 11 more tooled up that are either in production, or development and testing, and on top of that we have a lot more at drawing board and/or at research stage. So, to mark this occasion we thought it was best to bring back the model that we get asked about most; our awesome Deltics! So, it's the Class 55 for our 5th birthday. Considering the breakneck speed these locos sold out at when they arrived, and the serious premiums they command on the 2nd hand market, it was about time the Deltics made a return journey! SHOP FOR YOUR DELTIC BY CLICKING HERE! Tweaks and Enhancements We are always keen to push the boundaries on any model we do to improve standards and fidelity across the hobby and bring you the greatest replicas in miniature possible. However, we also listen to customer feedback from modellers and know we can always do better and improve. We have taken all the constructive feedback we received from the first run of the Deltics and built it into a list of tweaks and enhancements which we will now implement in the new production run. Firstly, the brake chains on the bogies have been redesigned to make them more robust and a simple process to remove them to take the body off the chassis for driver fitting an routine maintenance. They will be a push fit system, no longer requiring any glue and still give the great detail impression of the real locomotives. The corner step mounting and fuel tank parts have also been revised, with stronger mountings allowing for a more robust assembly. This will prevent them coming adrift in transit and be stronger under careful handling. We will also be improving the nose handrails to give them a more realistic appearance, the speaker baffle will be more secure and other gentle tweaks will ensure that the definitive Deltic is even better. New Identities (Mostly!) So, what Deltics are Accurascale doing? After all, they covered all 22 class members in the first production run, so we have mixed it up a bit for run two. There will be new livery and name combinations across five locomotives, and the return of a favourite from run one due to popular demand. A total of six Deltics make up this production run, with four in the main range and two which will be Accurascale Exclusives. Let's have a look at each one! Main Range D9018 Ballymoss Representing the classic mid 1960s era of English Electric’s finest is D9018 in two-tone green with small yellow panel. The Finsbury Park thoroughbred is still in mostly original condition, albeit with some exhaust and radiator grille modifications and the addition of top lamp irons on the nose ends. 55020 Nimbus One of just three Deltics to never receive plated headcode boxes, 55020 is also notable for retaining the mountings for the cab roof horns worn during the early 1960s. Our model is based on its 1976 condition with standard-sized domino headcodes, although alternative smaller dots will be provided. 55004 Queen's Own Highlander Much requested is our first Haymarket-allocated TOPS blue Deltic, represented here by 55004 in 1977 condition, just after having its headcode box plated over. Notably this was one of just four members of the fleet to feature unpainted front windscreen frames during the mid to late 1970s. 55013 The Black Watch Complementing 55022 from the first run is York’s 55013 in its similar special livery with silver fuel tanks, grey roof, red bufferbeams and white-painted extras, which it retained until its withdrawal in October 1981. It was repainted for the 1980 Rainhill Event, but was replaced on the bill by Tulyar. Accurascale Exclusives 55022 / D9000 Royal Scots Grey 'Virgin XC Condition' The star of our second run and the number one Deltic on many customers’ wishlists is the one and only RSG in its iconic preservation era two-tone green while operating Virgin CrossCountry services between 1997 and 1999. Our unique tooling for this locomotive incudes high visibility headlight. 9016 Gordon Highlander GORDON'S ALIVE! Unveiled in Porterbrook Leasing purple after overhaul at Brush Traction’s Loughborough Works in September 1999, 55016 also controversially received WIPAC light clusters at the same time. Main-line registered, it ran in this condition until it was repainted two-tone green in August 2003. It is back due to extremely popular demand! Price and Delivery What is the price and when can you take delivery of all this awesomeness? Well, prices will continue to be most reasonable for these high specification beasts, with £169.99 for DC/DCC ready and £259.99 for DCC Sound fitted with all the Accurathrash goodness! Delivery is slated for Q1 2024 with decorated samples due mid 2023. The four main range locomotives will be available both direct via our website and from your local Accurascale stockist, and the two Accurascale Exclusive models are available direct only 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. Place your pre-order by clicking here! View the full article
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Hi everyone! The voting for the 2022 Model Rail magazine Model of The Year Awards is now open. We're lucky enough to be nominated in several categories, along with sister brand Accurascale UK including: Category: ‘OO’ gauge diesel/electric locomotive or multiple unit BR Class 55 ‘Deltic’ Category: ‘OO’ gauge freight stock Irish Railway Models Tara Mines Wagons Irish Railway Models gypsum hoppers Irish Railway Models Magnesite hoppers Also – IRM is nominated for ‘OO’ and Overall Manufacturer of the Year categories! 2022 was a great year for us and we would be truly humbled if we have earned your vote for the last 12 months. The ballot box is open, so click the following link to cast your vote: www.model-rail.co.uk/model-of-the-year-2022 Cheers! Fran
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Our lovely little Coil A wagons were a big hit when we first announced them a couple of years ago. So, now they're back, with subtle improvements and new identities to reflect the diverse lives and eras of the real things. Welcome to the 2nd run of the BR diagram 1/412 to Lot 3450 Coil A wagons! Similar to the MDO and MDV production runs of wagons, our Coil A models are also receiving some slight tweaks to the chassis area, including 26mm axles to allow finescale conversion to be a little bit simpler. Two packs are on offer in this latest production run, both with TOPS marking of SFV and SFW respectively. To reflect the fragility of the tarp covers throughout their careers, our wagons feature patches and differing colours which are all based on prototype photos to cater for the varied nature of the real wagons. Pack D contains the SFV coded ex-CoilAs, all at the end of Era 7 (BR TOPS period), as SFV branding was carried by the remaining 29 wagons from 1984, all working from South Wales. B949134 circa 1985 at Newport Docks, still carrying its Coil-A-VB designation, as well as SFV. B949164 noted at Newport Docks 26/4/84 B949168 noted ‘out of area’ at Margham 27/4/86. Pack E contains the SFW coded ex-CoilAs, air piped conversions of Diagram 1/412, Lot 3450 Coil-A wagons in 1983. The SFW designated wagons worked Speedlink trains into Newport Docks and Poole, in Dorset, for export traffic, where they ran in block rakes, mixed with other steel wagons, but particularly with Coil B, Bogie Coil V and Bogie Strip Coil K wagons. A total of 29 wagons were converted to SFWs. As the Southern Region was all air brake only at this time, this may have been the main deciding factor for conversion. The SFWs remained in service until 1992, by which time the 21 survivors were all operating out of Llanwern. Both packs are priced at the same great price point as before, at just £74.95 per triple pack, with 10% off when you order two packs or more and free UK postage and packaging thrown in too when you order direct from Accurascale. Check out your local stockist, pre-order here for a Q2 2023 delivery! View the full article
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They will look very well with some Mark 2s behind them.... Very nice work!
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Hi everyone, In a recent memo from Paddy to traders before Christmas, he mentioned that the Mark IIs and the 141/181s will arrive first, expected in the middle of this year. Naturally we will be retailing them via the website, so when we have concrete info on delivery, stock numbers etc we will advertise them for pre-order. Cheers! Fran
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Great news! Our 21 ton mineral wagons (TOPS codes MDO and MDV) are coming back! Demand for these must have wagons has been massive since our first production run sold out rather quickly. A cornerstone of our famed "Powering Britain" range, these wagons are now also joined by the first time by the MDW through pipe variant. As we said, they have also been enhanced and improved, so what exactly have we done to spice them up? Well, firstly we listened to customer feedback. We had worked with the factory to make the first batch as friendly as possible to convert to finescale standards, both EM and P4. Unfortunately, mistakes were made here and instructions were literally lost in translation, so they became a bit more of a challenge than we had aimed for. So, we have gone back to the drawing board and totally redesigned and retooled the chassis on both models. Now we have 26mm axles and redesigned brake gear. While they will still require a small bit of fettling to upgrade to finescale surgery, it will be a keyhole style operation rather than extensive open heart surgery required for the previous run. Secondly, our rather strange phenomenon of the coupling hooks being on the wrong side of the tension lock couplings has also been resolved! We have also readdressed our lamp irons, with the MDVs now having lamp irons on both ends, and MDOs having none at all, just like the real wagons. Another area we have improved, and something we will be rolling out on future open wagons is an improvement in interior decoration. We are now going for a dirtier, more weathered appearance to better reflect the interiors of these wagons rather than clean, fully painted and pristine. Finally, we will now for the first time introduce the MDW, the through air pipe fitted MDVs adapted from 1985 to be used in air braked speedlink trains, mainly on scrap flows, lasting in service until the early 1990s. With the last of the MDVs and MDWs bowing out of front line services in 1992 on coal and scrap trains respectively, these add great options for something a bit different for the sectorisation. Two MDW packs of three wagons apiece will be included in this new production run. To top it all off we have three triple packs of MDO, three triple packs of MDV and two triple packs of MDW available to pre-order at just £74.95 per pack, the same great price as before, with both TOPS and pre-TOPS variants available (TOPS only for MDW as these wagons were converted in 1985). Delivery is slated for Q2 2023 and of course there will be the same usual 10% discount for two packs or more pre-ordered and free postage and packaging for UK orders. Production capacity is limited, so make sure you pre-order your pack today via your local stockist or direct right here! View the full article
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With our Class 92s now delivered along with our Mark 5 sleeper coaches, our TPE Mark 5 coaches due to arrive imminently, attention now turns to the delivery of our Class 37 locomotives, our most widely anticipated locomotives to date. We reported back in late October that our Class 37 production was halted due to a lack of required semi conductors to operate the locomotives. We also confirmed that these had been obtained through alternate means, tested and green lighted for production, with a big push to get production of batch one, the Scottish car headlight 37/0s and the modern 37/4s complete and shipped before Chinese New Year. So, that was the plan. How have we done? Well, we firstly need to celebrate and thank our factory staff for their dedication. They took on a night shift, they pulled out all the stops to get them made ahead of a January delivery, working to a tight deadline of Chinese New Year having completed Deltics, Class 92s, Mark 5 coaches, wagons and more this year. They have earned their Chinese New Year break which commenced yesterday. However, as you will have seen in the news, and reported by other manufacturers, COVID has ripped through China in recent weeks as they rescind their "zero COVID" policy. The BBC reports that 900 million people in China currently have COVID. (Read Here) Our factory is not exempt from this wave of COVID, with over 80% of the workers contracting the virus in recent weeks, seeing a near shut-down of production lines. Our factory workers welfare is a number one priority for us and we wish all those impacted a speedy and full, healthy recovery. For those who have avoided illness and continued working, we are indebted for their perseverance. Chinese New Year is now in full swing, with all businesses closed for a number of weeks. Unfortunately, this means our deadline fell back just as we entered the final straight. Our factories and the Class 37 production lines will be back in full swing in early/mid February and the revised delivery of our Class 37s will commence from late March as follows: Batch One - 37/4s and Scottish Car Headlight Class 37/0 - Delivery Late March/Early April 2023 Batch Two - Class 37/6 and 97301 - Delivery May 2023 Batch Three - Original EE Type 3 Green and BR Blue - Delivery June 2023 The assembly of the chassis is the last phase in the production process and this is the stage our first batch is at along with assembly of the bodies. By the time we finish production of these models, we will have made over one million passes with our tampo printing machines so reaching this stage is no small feat. We will share progress of this when the factory resumes after Chinese New Year. We apologise for this delay, and we hope that this is the last time COVID scuppers our plans. Our total Class 37 production run is larger than our Deltic and Class 92 combined, it has certainly been a colossal undertaking for the factory! Having seen what can be achieved with our recent Class 92 release, then you just know that these Tractors are going to be very special indeed. We are very confident you will decide they were worth the wait. We have more exciting variants of our Class 37s coming into stock after these batches later this year that we will have news on very soon. In the meantime, many thanks for your patience and understanding. We're so very close to the finish line, finally! View the full article
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The genesis of our "Powering Britain" range, the humble but rather cute Chaldron black waggons really took many modellers by surprise when we first announced them in the Autumn of 2021. Indeed, very few people saw us beyond being a "modern image" (worst term ever!) company, despite us working away on projects such as our Manor steam locomotives. Both eyebrows and questions were raised about the wisdom of doing such rolling stock. However, our gamble in our quest to tell the whole story of coal traffic in Britain during the history of the railways paid off, as they were very well received by pre-grouping and industrial modellers since their arrival into stock late last year. Some of the most popular liveries sold out in quicktime, while there was demand for other railway markings too. So, we are now filling that gap with a whole new run, bringing back favourites and announcing some new liveries! Pack M: Seaham Dock Co. - Three 4T ‘Black Waggons’, in three body styles, circa 1950s A pack that was very popular with industrial modellers was our first Seaham Harbour pack. Seaham Harbour was the final stronghold of the Chaldron waggon fleets and the Vane-Tempest/Londonderry/Seaham Dock Co. fleets could almost be considered to be one, such was the intertwined history of the collieries. To compliment the first pack, we have this latest pack with all new running numbers which once again is likely to be a big hit with 1950s industrial modellers. Pack L: North Eastern Railway - Three P1 style Chaldrons, circa 1890 Our most popular pack from the first run, and the railway most synonymous with the Chaldrons was of course the North Eastern Railway (NER). Once again we have gone for three all new running numbers to compliment the last pack and capture the look of these wagons around the 1890s. Pack O: The Harton Coal Company With two sets of Staiths on the River Tyne, the area around South Shields was the centre of the Harton Coal Company’s operations, its pits being linked by an extensive railway system. This system was electrified in 1907, and the Chaldrons were a common sight on the system until the inter-war years, when the fleet was disbanded, with a number of differing lettering styles being utilised. Two P1 style Chaldrons and an S&DR style Chaldron, circa 1910. Pack N: The Throckley Coal Company Formed in 1867, the Throckley Coal Company owned a number of pits to the west of Newcastle, on the north bank of the River Tyne, and were linked to Staiths situated at Leamington by two separate railway branches. Throckley’s fleet of Chaldrons were in use right up to 1947, when they were scrapped by burning, and the company was one of the few that fitted their ex-NER P1 Chaldrons with additional ‘greedy boards’.Three P1 style Chaldrons, two fitted with additional ‘Greedy Boards’, circa 1946. "So, four lovely packs, but when are they due? Surely it's ages and ages away?" Well, no! They're currently in production and due in stock in Q2 of this year. "Well, okay then, that's pretty quick. But I bet the prices have gone up, right?" Nope, same great price of just £44.99 per triple pack and our same great 10% off when you buy two packs or more and free postage and packaging. This however is a small production so they are only available direct via the Accurascale website. We also have limited amounts of remaining packs on offer, so be sure to check them out too. Check out the Chaldrons by clicking here! View the full article
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Great News! Following the arrival of our Mark 5 Sleeper coaches, we have been asked if the highly detailed, magnetic Dellner couplings could be had as an accessory pack to convert other models. Well, we anticipated your every move! We have produced three different styles to cover various styles and needs. In addition to the magnetic Dellner, we also have a fixed bar style for fixed rakes, which looks equally neat for those trains you don't wish to uncouple too often. Finally, we have our magnetic bar couplings as per the TPE Mark 5 sets (yes, there is two different coupling systems on the real Mark 5s) which are perfect for push-pull rakes. The pack of 8 magnetic Dellner and bar couplings are £9.95 per pack and the fixed Dellner is a pack of 4 which retails at £6.95 per pack. Just simply slot them into your NEM pockets and couple up. These items are due in stock at the end of this month. Pre-order below! https://www.accurascale.com/collections/couplers View the full article
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We've reached the end of 2022, and what a year it has been! While there has been all sorts of crazy things happening domestically and internationally, it's been our busiest year to date. This year saw us return to the big shows on the exhibition calendar, the arrival of some lovely wagons and some exciting announcements too! So, prepare that turkey sandwich, and that cup of tea and join us as we review IRM's 2022! NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS CIE Mangesite Wagons We kicked off 2022 with a wagon that was likely to shock many. It was certainly a wagon many modellers thought they would never see in RTR format. However, we had the chassis, so we said "why not?" The magnesite wagons are certainly the most interesting an unusual wagon we have done to date, and one that packs detail. A winner with Cork and south east modellers, not to mention collectors, we even went mad and did a single wagon pack to commemorate the last train in 1982. We still have a limited supply in stock, so make sure you don't miss out! ORDER YOUR MAGNESITE WAGONS HERE Coastal Tours Bus We have become known for our commissions of Britbus Irish themed buses in recent years and our fourth commission was a duo in the attractive cream and green "coastal tours" livery which adorned two Dublin Bus Volvo Olympians in the late 1990s. We have more bus commissions planned for 2023 and would love to hear what liveries you would love to see us do! ORDER COASTAL TOURS BUS HERE RPSI Mark 2 Coach Pack Our railway heritage would be nothing without preservation societies and groups. The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) was formed in 1964 to preserve Irish steam locomotives, carriages and rolling stock and to operate them on the Irish railway network for everyone to see, appreciate, enjoy and travel on. Due to COVID19 restrictions, the vital revenue resource of rail tours was cut off from the organisation following two years of postponed trips on the mainline. However in recent years, the RPSI has also received funding from a series of limited edition models which have provided a vital income stream. We have now teamed up with the RPSI to produce our first model in conjunction with them which will be a three car pack of their Mark 2 railtour rake of coaches. Sales since launch back in February were blistering and we soon sold out. Delivery will be in Q2 of 2023! CIE Forklift Pack Accessories have been hugely popular among modellers since we started IRM, as they looked to detail their layouts and yard scenes. We added a new accessory pack, the CIE forklift pack back in the summer, which made a cheap and simple addition to any yard or depot scene. They proved very popular indeed, and have since sold out. Would you like to see another production run? Perhaps in different colours or branding? Let us know! Return of the Ferts 2022 saw the return of some old favourites to the range, including one wagon we never made enough of in its first run. Our fertiliser wagons sold out in rapid fashion when first announced a couple of years ago, so it was time we brought these go anywhere stalwarts back into the range. Arriving in November, they have since sold out completely again! We guess the reduced price of €89.95 per twin pack saw to that! Yer Only Man - The Return of The Keg Liners Another much missed return to the range was our keg liner wagons. Arriving at the same time as the ferts, they were also not produced in enough numbers first time round, so we done another run. Thankfully we have managed to keep some of these in stock, but they have been massively popular with their reduced price too. ORDER YOUR KEG WAGONS HERE Quali-tea Liners Returned The final rerun of 2022 was our container wagons coming back for another run, featuring CIE containers marked out for Harp Larger trains and Lyons Tea twin packs, as well as another triple pack of empty wagons to add your existing containers to. Just like the first run of container liner wagons, these proved hugely popular and sold out almost instantly. We still have the CIE 20ft container packs for sale, which make a great item for yards and lorry loads, as well as for your IRM flats. ORDER YOUR CIE CONTAINERS HERE IR And IE Mark 2 Coaches Part one of our Dublin show mega announcement extravaganza was the unveiling of our Mark 2 coaches in IR and IE liveries. These coaches are based on our latest Mark 2C tooling and are available to pre-order in packs of four coaches. We recently received decorated samples which we revealed on Christmas Eve! With an amazing spec of highly detailed interiors, interior lighting, correctly gauged bogies, a wealth of separately applied parts, realistic close coupling and more, these will be the perfect passenger stock for your layout. They have also been hugely popular on pre-order, so if you fancy some, make sure you get your order in soon. Delivery is slated for Q3 2023! PRE-ORDER IRISH RAIL MARK 2 COACHES HERE The 22000 Intercity Railcars It had been a whole 12 months since our lovely A Class locomotives arrived in stock, and as we know, they sold out rapidly. So, it was about time we announced another powered model. It's our most ambitious announcement ever, but it was about time there was a proper, accurate Irish railcar offered to the model buying public and the ICRs are a massive gap. We have been working on the ICRs for almost a year before we announced, and tooling is underway. We expect to see samples ahead of the Bangor and Wexford shows in April/May 2023, so keep an eye out at those shows! Doing a railcar was a massive gamble, and a much bigger capital investment than any locomotive due to their multiple cars and complex nature, but the reaction and pre-orders have been very strong. So, thank you so much for supporting us so far. Oh, and don't forget the little Sculfort rail tractor from Portlaoise depot, free with every 6 car pack! PRE-ORDER YOUR ICRS HERE PROGRESS UPDATE Enterprise Mark 2s We announced our Mark 2Bs to an amazing reception in late August of 2021, with the models of all variations already tooled in both Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) BR and guise for our sister brand, Accurascale. While overall they looked very impressive, we were unhappy with several areas, mainly around the bogies and some aspects where tooling could be improved. We then completed this work, but getting it spot on took longer than we liked. Delivery of the Mark 2B coaches will now be in Q2 2023, with Chinese New Year close down impacting on our delivery timeline. We apologise for this delay, but we want these coaches to operate and function correctly, as well as looking the very best they can. We're confident that they will set a whole new standard when it comes to Mark 2 coaches in model form. We are fully sold out on pre-order, but some stock should free up when they arrive with us due to cancellations, so keep an eye on the website if you fancy some! 2022 Shows Bangor 2022 After a long COVID layoff, the exhibitions came back with a vengeance in 2022 and we were back in our favourite haunts! First up was Bangor in April, where we took the rather apt opportunity to debut the decorated samples of our NIR Enterprise coaches. They went down rather well! Inchicore Works Open Day In May we took our place alongside our good friends at the Model Railway Society of Ireland for the historic Inchicore Open Day, a very rare opening of the gates of the most historic site in Irish railways to the public. We were there with a display of our models, including our A Classes which were stabled and re-engineered on the site, along with our wagons which were designed and built there too! It was also pretty awesome to see the exhibits positioned into place ahead of opening. The even itself was a huge success and we hope that it will be repeated some time again in the future. Licking the locos is certainly not a good idea though! (Don't worry, he didn't actually lick the loco!) MRSI Dublin Show The biggest show of the year returned in October with the annual three day show taking place in Dublin. The show was hosted this year at the St. Paul's, Raheny as hosted by the Model Railway Society of Ireland. The show was clearly missed as the crowds were unbelievable. It was the setting for us to announce our ICRs and Mark 2 coaches, but it also lead to mass queues as we sold off our "Dicky Taras"; the reject wagons sitting in the corner of a storage unit for many, many years. They sold out rather rapidly and we saw further sales of them during Black Friday, when they were put on our website. Sponsorship Raising Money To Save Ballast Wagons Together During the month of August we asked you all to dig deep to help us raise funds for the Downpatrick and Co. Down Railway to save some ballast hoppers and a plough van. These vehicles obviously have a special place in our hearts, being where it all began for us here at IRM. However, they are the perfect vehicles to help the DCDR gang to maintain their infrastructure and will work for a living for many years to come. We pledged to donate €10 from every sale of ballast hopper and magnesite wagon for the month of August to the cause to cover transportation costs. You guys dug deep, and raised €2000 for the cause. Above is our Gareth with Mike Beckett of the DCDR after the wagons safely arrived in Co Down! Tailte Tours - We Sponsor Our First Railtour In August the newly formed Tailte Tours operated its first railtour and broke some historic ground! It saw a 201 and Mark 4 set operate from Connolly to Killarney and Tralee and back and we were delighted to both be on board and support this event through sponsorship including IRM goodies for the on board raffle. We enjoyed the day out immensely with proceeds going to various Irish preservation causes across the country. Another railtour is to operate in 2023, so keep an eye out for news on that one and we hope to see you on board it again! And Finally... A massive, sincere and special thank you to you, the Irish railway modellers across the globe, for supporting us with purchases, pre-orders and well wishes as well as constructive feedback this year. Our goal is to push the hobby forward in finesse, features, accuracy and innovations for a reasonable price, but none of that is possible without your support. You all make this possible, so thank you! 2022 was a quiet year for us in some respects as we recovered from the impact of COVID on our plans and production, but as you can see above, we still achieved a lot. With all this firmly behind us now though, you can expect A LOT more. 2023 is going to be our biggest ever, with some seriously impressive and tasty new items to be revealed. We're going to make your wallets howl in pain. Keep an eye on our website, our newsletter, our social media and the pages of magazines and of course the IRM forum to keep up to date on all the news as it comes. In the meantime we hope you have had a very Merry Christmas, have enjoyed playing with some IRM toys during 2022 and now have a peaceful and safe New Year, and we will see you again in 2023! View the full article
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We've reached the end of 2022, and what a year it has been! While there has been all sorts of crazy things happening domestically and internationally, it's been our busiest year to date. This year saw us return to the big shows on the exhibition calendar, the arrival of the first (and second!) Accurascale locomotives and some exciting announcements too! So, prepare that turkey sandwich, and that cup of tea and join us as we review Accurascale's 2022! New Model Arrivals HYA/Cutdown HYA and IIA Bogie Hoppers Our first newly tooled model arrival of 2022 was the family of HYA, cut down HYA and IIA Biomass modern hopper wagons. These popular family of wagons landed in early April and soon went to work on layouts across the land. They have proven very popular indeed, with the cutdown packs selling out in very quick time, and only a smattering of HYAs and IIA hoppers left in stock. Look out for news of another run of these in 2023! We have a smattering of HYAs and IIAs left, and at just £74.95 per twin pack with 10% off when you buy two packs or more. These were an integral part of our "Powering Britain" range of coal wagons across the ages, and more on that theme was to come... ORDER HYA WAGONS HERE ORDER IIA BIOMASS WAGONS HERE HAA Family of Wagons Our second "Powering Britain" family of wagons were the classic MGRs; HAA, HBA, HCA, HDA and HMA hopper wagons. These have been the most requested wagons from modellers since we started Accurascale almost five years ago and are an integral part of our range for years to come. The original bodied HAAs arrived in early May and flew off the shelves, with the hooded HCAs arriving soon after. Our HCAs, HDAs and HMAs would then arrive in the Autumn to give you a taste of what's to follow in the coming years as we offer a comprehensive family of these iconic wagons. We still have a smattering of types left, with more to come next year! Check out the website via the link below to order yours ORDER MGR WAGONS HERE Class 55 Deltic Locomotives A massive milestone in the life of Accurascale occurred in early June, as our Deltics began to arrive with customers! After a development process that was impacted by COVID lockdowns, it was really satisfying to land our first ever Accurascale locomotive. Thankfully they were very well received, even scooping up the coveted "OO Locomotive of The Year" award from the readers of Hornby Magazine. In June we were able to visit the place where our Deltic journey began; the Deltic Preservation Society at Barrow Hill. We couldn't resist taking the finished models back to where we first began surveying and measuring the real beasts some 4 years previously. Remaining stock of the Deltic sold out within 24 hours of the models arriving in stock and pre-orders were dispatched which was simply incredible and a testament to the popularity of the model. We have been asked time and again about an all new run, so look out for that featuring improvements to the bogie chains and underside detail in the new year. You have been warned! CDA Wagons Although an extension of our MGR range of wagons, we classify the China Clay carrying CDAs as separate wagons in their own right due to their unique bodies and hooded canopies, as well as other slight detail differences. Our CDAs arrived in stock in July to an amazing reception as part of our second delivery of our MGR project (along with HCA hoppers!) and focus was on EWS and DB variants, allowing for current era operations. Look out for classic ECC variants in the near future! In the meantime, check out your local stockist or direct below for EWS and DB liveried CDAs. ORDER CDA WAGONS HERE PFA Wagons With Newly Tooled Nuclear Waste Loads We brought back and old favourite in summer 2022, with the return of our lovely little PFA flat wagons with favourite loads such as our Cawoods containers. However, we also brought a fresh angle to them and tooled a plethora of new loads representing a multitude of low level nuclear waste loads which are synonymous with the current era operations of these distinctive wagons. Dragons, Novapaks and Nupaks as well as differing styles of 20ft containers allowed us to create distinctive wagon packs which form prototypically short trains of colourful interest for modellers and make the perfect bedfellows for our Class 37/6 locomotives as well as the modernised Class 37/4s and other DRS locos. Some have since sold out, but we still have some interesting packs remaining which you can order below! ORDER YOUR PFA WAGONS HERE 4t Chaldron Black Waggons In September we took delivery of what is arguably our most leftfield model announcement to date, but one that was absolutely essential for British outline OO/4mm ready to run models, and our "Powering Britain" range. Our NER 4t Chaldron wagons saw our first step into the world of pre-grouping models and further enhanced our industrial modelling range. They proved a hit with modellers too, with the production run already largely sold out. Grab what's left, including our "Accurascale Exclusives" NCB pack on our website below, and perhaps look out for more packs in 2023! ORDER YOUR CHALDRONS HERE MHA Ballast Spoil Wagons Engineering wagons was new ground for us to break and we finally did so in October with the arrival of our MHA "Coalfish" wagons. These MHAs were built using redundant HAA underframes by RFS(E) Doncaster in 1997. An initial order for 250 extended several times until eventually over 1,150 wagons were converted using two distinct body styles. Early examples wore the fish-kind name "Coalfish" and some are still in use today with DB. Our first run with diecast chassis, brass bearings and a body style not previously available in a OO ready to run model has made them immensely popular. Available in both DB and EWS guises which the remaining wagons are found in today. ORDER YOUR MHA WAGONS HERE Class 92 Our second locomotive delivery of 2022 took place in early December as our Class 92 Electric locomotives arrived in stock! After a long period of testing and development to make the most technologically groundbreaking locomotive ever seen in OO/4mm gauge, it has been a utter joy to see our Dysons arrive and bring joy to so many people as they run along layouts across the land and indeed around the world. Check out the in depth review above by Dean Park to see it in action. We have less than 10% of the production run remaining in stock, so if you want one it's best to move fast as they're selling quickly! ORDER YOUR CLASS 92 LOCOMOTIVE HERE Newly Tooled Model Announcements While there were plenty of new arrivals in 2022, we were also working away on creating the new models for 2023 and beyond! This included three all new locomotives, along with some delectable coach and wagon stock which form essential cornerstones in our growing range! Class 31 We kicked off our 2022 announcements with a rather large bang, as we announced our all new Class 31/Brush Type 2 locomotives in OO/4mm scale in February ahead of Model Rail Scotland. Introducing what may be our most extensive tooling suite yet, our model aims to be the definitive representation model of the classic BR mixed traffic design and covers almost every detail variant that existed throughout their 65-year life, including trip cock fitted variants, the classic skinhead and headcode box fitted variants, refurbished, ETH fitted, original Mirrlees and re-engineered English Electric variants and more. As well as our standard and well regarded traction, light and sound package, our Class 31 introduces working radiator fans – driven from a separate motor – and separately switched tail lights, allowing not just the either end to be illuminated as required, but also individual tail lights or both depending on era. This is on top of our standard spec which includes powerbank capacitors, illuminated control desk and and there will be a flange squeal sensor included on DCC sound fitted versions. So, as per usual we've gone out! In the Autumn we did receive some decorated samples with some very poorly applied paint. The finish was so bad that we haven't really showed them off, but you can rest assured that the finished models will be to our highest standards. Roll on the summer of 2023 when they arrive on our shores. PRE-ORDER YOUR CLASS 31 HERE Mark 1 Suburban 56ft 11' Coaches Well, we needed something to go with our newly announced Class 31s, so we decided to tackle the star of 'wish lists' across the land. The people movers of the 50s. 60s, and 70s. The unsung heroes of the Mark 1 family. It was. of course, the 56ft 11" Mark 1 suburban coaches, announced in June! As you can imagine, we have gone to town on these coaches, offering all the body variants so you can build up a prototypical rake for your layout. Not only that, but we have a fully lit, fully detailed interior with easy access and other innovations, beautifully detailed underframe, bogies and bodysides as these distinctive carriages get the full Accurascale treatment. Multiple running numbers in both BR Carmine and BR Blue make up the first run, with runs in BR Maroon to follow later. Delivery is anticipated for Q3 2023. PRE-ORDER YOUR MARK 1 SUBS HERE A Glimpse of Our Next Class 37s With 37/7s In June we previewed where our Class 37 range goes next with the unveiling of the limited edition model of the Heavy Tractor Group's 37714. This was the very loco used as a basis for our 3D scan at the start of the Class 37 design and a key subclass which will cater for some truly excellent class members. It was great to visit the real thing once again at the Great Central Railway and reveal the model with the HTG gang, while getting a quick tour of the real thing! PRE-ORDER YOUR 37/7 HERE Class 89 In Partnership With Rails of Sheffield Remember when we asked about doing the Class 89 alongside Rails of Sheffield a couple of years ago? Well, in late June we formally confirmed that it's going ahead! The 'Badger' had long been a subject on our roadmap that we longed to do, with pretty much everyone in Accurascale Towers a fan of the unique Brush beast. Teaming up with Rails of Sheffield allowed us to bring the model to market and it's had an amazing reaction with pre-orders flying in. We teamed up with our friends at Hornby Magazine to reveal the locomotive which was filmed at Barrow Hill Roundhouse (A big thank you to Mervin at Barrow Hill for hosting us!) We showed off the first tooled samples at Warley in November, and decorated samples are due early 2023 and then delivery slated for Q3 2023. Orders can be secured via the Accurascale and Rails of Sheffield websites for just a £30 deposit, so make sure you get your pre-order in soon! PRE-ORDER YOUR CLASS 89 HERE SR D1478 and D1479 Diagram Banana Vans We went bananas in October with two different wagon announcements for the Great Electric Train Show exhibition at Milton Keynes. First up was another big gap in grouping era models with two flavours of Southern Railways banana vans in OO/4mm. Both diagrams D1478 and D1479 were selected with differing bodies catered for in the range, with early and late versions of both to give a full range of these distinctive wagons which roamed far and wide beyond SR metals. The chassis and running gear are of a common design across both diagrams, however the bodies differ in profile and width. Further differences across the range include no fewer than three different styles of wheel design catered for; split spoke, single spoke and 3-hole disc. The detail is there too, with plenty of separate eroded metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including (but not limited to) separate handrails, grab handles, door handles, lamp brackets, vacuum and steam pipes, through pipes, steam heating cock and brake gear. Turned metal sprung buffers set off these beautiful little vans. Due in stock this time next year, they're offered in a wide variety of liveries, running numbers and markings, with some exclusive packs offered by our friends at TMC. PRE-ORDER YOUR BANANA VANS HERE FNA-D Nuclear Flask Carrier Our second all-new model announcement at GETS in October was the modern day FNA-D nuclear flask wagon. An essential addition to our growing nuclear wagon range and the logical progression following delivery of our new PFA nuclear range, the FNA-D is the latest addition to our very popular “Powering Britain” range of freight stock which focuses on energising a nation. Each twin pack is priced at £74.95 with 10% off when you buy two packs or more direct via our website. Pre-ordering is now open via local stockists and Accurascale direct, with an anticipated delivery date of Q3 2023. PRE-ORDER YOUR FNA WAGONS HERE NER 20T Coal Hopper Wagons Having delivered our full range of wagons apart from the newly announced SR Banana vans and FNA-D, it was time we got some new projects out there. Our next chapter in our "Powering Britain" story was another wagon which has long been overlooked in the ready to run market and one that offers long life and bags of character. It is, of course, the distinctive NER 20t hopper wagons. Of course we could've just announced one type to satisfy the market with. But no, that's not the Accurascale way! This family is made up of the P6, P7, P8 and Q3 variants of these distinctive 20 ton hopper wagons. Four different types, with differences within the range, based on period. A variety of liveries are offered across our traditional triple packs. Tooling is complete with improvements and tweaks fed back to the factory, with a delivery date of Q1 2024 slated for delivery. PRE-ORDER YOUR NER COAL HOPPERS HERE BR Class 50 Our final new model announcement for 2022 was a big one. Well, a massive one in fact. Our announcement ahead of the 2022 Warley show at the NEC was one that surprised nobody; the Class 50! The Class 50 is the third and final member of our iconic English Electric (EE) six-axle trio that began with the Class 55 in 2018 and the Class 37 in 2019. With our award-winning ‘Deltic’ now in customers’ hands and the first of the much anticipated Type 3s due to leave our factory in the coming weeks, it is now time to reveal the full details of the next classic main line locomotive to join our growing roster. It's also the most requested loco we've had for the last three years, so it's about time we obliged! Our Class 50 is the culmination of over three years of development that began with a 3D laser scan of No. 50017 at the Great Central Railway in 2019. Building on our growing range of diesel and electric locomotives, the EE Type 4 features their most impressive specification yet, with our ground shaking twin-speaker set up, working radiator fan, flange squeal sensor, full lighting package that includes preservation era oddballs, engine room and cab lighting with auto off feature and eight cab configurations with illuminated driver’s control desk. Our Hoovers are due for delivery at the end of 2023, with the first tooling sample due in the new year. Prices are £189.99 for DC/DCC ready and £299.99 for DCC sound fitted with all the bells and whistles. Look out for further limited edition and "Accurascale Exclusives" in 2023 too! PRE-ORDER YOUR CLASS 50 HERE New Accessories AccuraFolk In Partnership With Modelu During 2022 we teamed up with the innovative people at Modelu and began developing drivers packs for our locomotives including the Deltic and Class 92. These will be followed up with drivers packs for the Class 37 and Manors in early 2023, and of course 31s, 89s and 50s beyond that. We had some great fun getting scanned too! We've also done a "Accurascale Research Pack" which features members of the Accurascale team conducting a research survey, perfect for your layout if you want to drop us suggestions on what we do next as a model. We're even running a competition! All you have to do is pick up one of our survey packs, pose it on your layout and send us a photo. The most interestingly placed crew as deemed by the Accurascale team wins a £50 voucher! Order Accurafolk Here Accurathrash We go big on the spec of our DCC sound fitted models, and sometimes modellers miss out on the sound fitted variants, or they decide to upgrade later on. Well, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on all the great features of our sound fitted models. We now sell our DCC sound decoders for our Deltics (and will do the same on other sound fitted models apart from the Class 92, which you can source from Legomanbiffo) as well as our larger Accurathrash speaker, which just plugs directly into the circuit board, so no soldering required! Modellers have also been using our speakers in other manufacturers locos too. We are also growing our range of DCC lokpilot non sound decoders to give you all the lighting and feature functionality for our models. Expect this range to grow further in 2023! Order DCC And Accurathrash Here Progress Updates Mark 5 Coaches They've taken forever and a day to complete their voyage but we can confirm that our Mark 5 sleeper coaches are now in the UK an have been released by customs! Dispatch will commence from January 4th so make sure your pre-order is fully paid up so you can take delivery. We will put some packs back on sale when the pre-orders have been sent out, so keep an eye out for those as they will be very limited in supply. Our TPE coaches will arrive in stock in another two weeks, so dispatch will begin shortly after for delivery to customers in mid-January. We really cannot wait for them to get on your layout! We still have some TPE Coach Pack 2 left, so make sure you get ordering before the sell out! Order TPE Mark 5 Rake Here Class 37 The Deltic arrived, the 92s have landed and we'd hoped to complete a hat trick with the 37s landing end of year but it wasn't quite to be. However, the debut of our hotly anticipated EE Type 3s is now getting tantalisingly close. Chips and COVID have done their upmost to derail all delivery schedules but we have been pulling out all the stops to get these landed as follows: Batch 1 is the Scottish Headlamp 37/0s and modern 37/4s. January 2023 Batch 2 is the 37/6s and the Yellow 97/3. March 2023 Batch 3 is the Blue/Green 37/0s. April 2023 Following the reception of the Class 92 in recent days you just know that the wait will be worth it! Look out for news on Run 2 in early 2023! Siphon G One project that has quietly rumbled on in the background and progressed swiftly is our lovely range of Siphon G vans. Announced late in 2021, they have been previewed at decoration stage a few months ago and now production is nearing completion for a delivery date right on schedule of Q1 2023. As is customary with our Accurascale Exclusives, we do bespoke packaging for our limited edition models as an extra bonus, so the Enparts van has been so treated. However, we did bend the rules a bit, and couldn't resist giving the ambulance version a bit of special treatment too, despite it being a main range item. Tim, our graphic designer extraordinaire, has excelled himself once again! Look out for delivery around March 2023! PRE-ORDER SIPHON G HERE 78xx Manor Class Locomotives Production of our first steam locomotive, the GWR 78xx Manor Class, is well underway at the factory. While it did not arrive in 2022 as we previously hoped, it is now in the final leg of its development and brings with it the excitement of being our first ever steam locomotive! delivery is really not to far away, with completion of production expected just after Chinese New Year, which commences in early January and then testing and shipping which will see delivery in late Q1, March 2023. We apologise for this further slight delay, but as you can see, we are really on the home straight now and these will arrive just after our first batch of Class 37s. Our first steam locomotive has been a learning curve for us, but a very enjoyable one. The response from modellers has been hugely positive too, so expect more steam from us in 2023! PRE-ORDER MANOR HERE Mark 2B Coaches We announced our Mark 2Bs to an amazing reception in late August of 2021, with the models of all variations already tooled in both BR and Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) guise for our sister brand, Irish Railway Models. While overall they looked very impressive, we were unhappy with several areas, mainly around the bogies and some aspects where tooling could be improved. We then completed this work, but getting it spot on took longer than we liked. Delivery of the Mark 2B coaches will now be in Q2 2023, with Chinese New Year close down impacting on our delivery timeline. We apologise for this delay, but we want these coaches to operate and function correctly, as well as looking the very best they can. We're confident that they will set a whole new standard when it comes to Mark 2 coaches in model form. These models are completely sold out on pre-order. We should probably get going on the next chapter in our Mark 2 journey pretty soon! New Additions To the 'A' Team! 2022 saw the Accurascale team grow larger as our business and range grew too. Simon Howard - Engineer And Support Simon has been a member of the Accurascale team for a few years now, operating on our warranty repairs on a part time basis. However, this year Simon became a full time member of the team adding technical support and testing to his role. If you have any issues with any Accurascale model, make sure you email us so Simon can give you the benefit of his expertise from many years as a professional model maker to troubleshoot and rectify your issue! Steve Purves - Project Manager Steve joined the A Team in September as a Project Manger. Having spent seven years with Bachmann Europe as a Project Engineer, Steve has overseen the research, design and development of a range of locomotives, wagons, coaches and accessories across OO, N and 009 gauges. Many of these models have won various industry awards and won plaudits from across the hobby. Previous to his experience in the model railway industry, Steve has also worked in various roles within the real railway. Working for WH Davis Ltd, Steve was responsible for and maintained a fleet of 50 PHA/JGA Bardon Aggregates hopper wagons, developing an expert, in-depth knowledge of them during this time. Steve also worked for EWS as a fitter at Toton, working with locomotives, undertaking periodical exams and preparing them for tyre turning. We look forward to unveiling Steve's projects during 2023! AWARDS! This year has been a very productive one for us in delivering new models as well as working on and announcing new projects, landing our first locomotives and seeing our business grow with new team members and more people experiencing Accurascale models for the first time as we stretch across different eras. It's been hugely rewarding work for us all. However, the awards that you, the modelling public have festooned upon us really blew our minds. We began the year winning "Overall Manufacturer of the Year", "OO Manufacturer of The Year" and "OO Rolling Stock of the Year" for our KUA flask wagons from Model Rail magazine readers back in February. We were also honoured to be asked to provide a Deltic for the cover shot of their 300th issue in May! In March We took home the "OO Wagon of the Year" with our KUA flask carrier, and narrowly missed out on "Overall Manufacturer of the Year" by just 0.3% in the British Railway Modelling Awards. In October it was time for the Hornby Magazine awards and we did very well indeed, with our Deltic picking up "OO Locomotive of the Year" as well as "Innovation of the Year" for our powerbank capacitor system and a hat trick of "Manufacturer of the Year". As you can see, we were absolutely beaming, but of course someone appeared from nowhere to try grab some of the plaudits! Thank you to everyone who took time out to vote for us this year. We really do appreciate it and it has made some very memorable times for us during 2022. We're immensely proud of them all and humbled too! And Finally... A massive, sincere and special thank you to you, the British railway modellers across the globe, for supporting us with purchases, pre-orders, votes and well wishes as well as constructive feedback this year. Our goal is to push the hobby forward in finesse, features, accuracy and innovations for a reasonable price, but none of that is possible without your support. You all make this possible, so thank you! 2022 was our greatest year to date, seeing us deliver our first locomotives, grow the team further, new announcements and more models to come in 2023 and beyond. In 2023 Accurascale will celebrate its fifth birthday, and will do so by sponsoring the magnificent Model Rail Scotland, our first big show! We will be there with a new, special announcement too to celebrate this significant milestone. If you thought 2022 was action packed, just wait till you see next year... Keep an eye on our website, our newsletter, our social media and the pages of magazines and RMWeb to keep up to date on all the news as it comes. In the meantime we hope you have had a very Merry Christmas, have enjoyed playing with some Accurascale toys during 2022 and now have a peaceful and safe New Year, and we will see you again in 2023! View the full article
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Hi everyone, Thank you all for your fantastic support of both this forum and IRM during 2022. You all help to make this a thriving modelling community and encourage us to push Irish Railway Models further and further. We have a VERY exciting 2023 planned with some exciting and eclectic announcements in store, as well as progress on current models like our ICR. Cheers! Fran
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Merry Christmas from the IRM team! It's been another exciting year for us (which we will detail in our review of the year next week) and we hope you are all settling down to have an excellent and relaxing festive season with your family, friends, and of course playing trains too! However, we couldn't let Christmas pass without bringing some more cheer, so we are offering a first look at decorated samples of our lovely IR and IE Mark 2C coaches. These beauties were announced at the Dublin show in October and decorated samples arrived with us last week for inspection. As you can see, they're shaping up very nicely indeed. With an amazing spec of highly detailed interiors, interior lighting, correctly gauged bogies, a wealth of separately applied parts, realistic close coupling and more, these will be the perfect passenger stock for your layout. They have also been hugely popular on pre-order, so if you fancy some, make sure you get your order in soon. Delivery is slated for Q3 2023 and you can pre-order right here! View the full article
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Hi everyone, BACK IN STOCK in very limited numbers is the Bus Éireann Expressway Scania Irizar tri axle coach. Perfect for your OO layout and/or your bus collections, this popular item continues to sell out double quick but we have secured further, limited supplies. We cannot guarantee Christmas delivery, but it's worth grabbing one before they sell out! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/products/irizar-i6-bus-eireann-expressway-tri-axle-coach-route-x8-dublin-airport?_pos=1&_sid=8c74d7d4a&_ss=r Don't forget our own exclusive commissions of the Britbus Dublin Bus Olympian double deck bus in coastal tours livery, with stock running low. More commissions coming in 2023! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/exclusive-irm-buses/availability_in-stock? Cheers! Fran
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Hi everyone, Looking for that last minute purchase and need the goodies before Christmas? Well, you have just over 24 hours left for all domestic Irish orders! Our deadline for orders ahead of Christmas Day for Ireland is tomorrow, Wednesday, December 21st at 2pm. So, if you need to get shopping, get clicking on our in-stock items below. Remember; 10% off when you buy two or more wagon packs, free postage and packaging and the best value in town. Check out some highlights below, and treat someone interested in model railways, or yourself! SHOP HERE: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/wagons/availability_in-stock? Cheers! Fran
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As the year draws to a close it's time we issue a delivery update on our Class 92 and Mark 5 coaches, two models that are highly anticipated in our range! Class 92 As of today all running numbers apart from 92010, 92020 and sound equipped version 92043 have arrived in stock. The latest information we have on these final three locomotives is that they will arrive in our warehouse this coming Wednesday (21st Dec) and we will work to get as many sent out to customers as possible before Christmas cut off. However, we cannot guarantee that these locomotives arriving before Christmas. We apologise for this delay, but will do our very best to get them out as fast as possible. Any orders for multiple locomotives which include 92010, 92020 and 92043 are getting split out, so the in stock items will be sent today/tomorrow and then the outstanding locomotives will be sent in a separate parcel when they come into stock. Once these pre-orders are cleared the remaining stock of these last three locomotives we be available to purchase on our website and 020 and 043 will also be available from Accurascale retailers (010 is an Accurascale Exclusive) The two limited editions for Rails have arrived at our warehouse and are being checked before sending onto Rails, while the Stobart Rail Class 92 for Kernow Model Centre will be the final locomotive to arrive in early January 2023. 92022 and 92032 are fully sold out, while some others are sold out in DCC sound or DC/DCC ready guise and are shifting fast. Order yours here! Mark 5 Coaches Our Caledonian sleeper coaches are still with customs and we have now been advised by our shipping company that they will arrive at our warehouse on December 30th. This is a bitterly disappointing delay on the final straight for us after trying to pull out all the stops to get them here ahead of Christmas, but logistics and customs issues have slowed delivery to a crawl. Dispatch of the sleeper coaches will begin first week of January 2023. The TPE coaches are approx 10 days behind the sleepers, and will be dispatched from mid January 2023. Pre-order your TPE set here! View the full article
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Hi @mmie353, Nothing has been decided yet, just canvassing opinions. If we were to push ahead delivery would likely be in the second half of the year. Cheers! Fran
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Time for another project update, and this time we turn our attentions to our lovely Mark 2 NIR Enterprise coaches; a subject that has been crying out for a high fidelity, up to date model of this classic, crossborder service. So, where are we at? We announced our Mark 2Bs to an amazing reception in late August of 2021, with the models of all variations already tooled in both Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) BR and guise for our sister brand, Accurascale. While overall they looked very impressive, we were unhappy with several areas, mainly around the bogies and some aspects where tooling could be improved. We then completed this work, but getting it spot on took longer than we liked. Another area that needed improving was the internal lighting, which while very effective looking was causing an odd issue. We noted that with extensive testing that the lighting board was causing heat issues which could distort the detail, so these had to be redesigned and further tested. We're delighted that the boards now do not suffer from excessive heat and perform excellently. Production was scheduled to be completed by now with the models arriving in stock. However, the longer time than envisaged to complete the Accurascale Mark 5 coaches has also impacted this schedule. The good news is that production is now well underway. Delivery of the Mark 2B coaches will now be in Q2 2023, with Chinese New Year close down impacting on our delivery timeline. We apologise for this delay, but we want these coaches to operate and function correctly, as well as looking the very best they can. We're confident that they will set a whole new standard when it comes to Mark 2 coaches in model form. We are completely sold out on our Enterprise and RPSI coaches on pre-order. However, you can pre-order the next chapter of our Mark 2 odyssey, the IR and IE Mark 2C coaches, due in stock in Q3 2023 right here. View the full article
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Time for another project update, and this time we turn our attentions to our lovely Mark 2B coaches; a subject that has been crying out for a high fidelity, up to date model and the perfect companions for our new Class 50 locomotives due in late 2023. So, where are we at? We announced our Mark 2Bs to an amazing reception in late August of 2021, with the models of all variations already tooled in both BR and Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) guise for our sister brand, Irish Railway Models. While overall they looked very impressive, we were unhappy with several areas, mainly around the bogies and some aspects where tooling could be improved. We then completed this work, but getting it spot on took longer than we liked. Another area that needed improving was the internal lighting, which while very effective looking was causing an odd issue. We noted that with extensive testing that the lighting board was causing heat issues which could distort the detail, so these had to be redesigned and further tested. We're delighted that the boards now do not suffer from excessive heat and perform excellently. Production was scheduled to be completed by now with the models arriving in stock. However, the longer time than envisaged to complete the Mark 5 coaches has also impacted this schedule. The good news is that production is now well underway. Delivery of the Mark 2B coaches will now be in Q2 2023, with Chinese New Year close down impacting on our delivery timeline. We apologise for this delay, but we want these coaches to operate and function correctly, as well as looking the very best they can. We're confident that they will set a whole new standard when it comes to Mark 2 coaches in model form. We are completely sold out on our Mark 2B coaches on pre-order, but your local Accurascale stockist may still have availability, so be sure to check them out! In the meantime, you can keep abreast of all our latest news and updates, including the next chapter of our Mark 2 odyssey by signing up to our newsletter by clicking here. View the full article
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Hi everyone, There might be another bubble run in 2023! Let us know what liveries you would like to see! Ivory with CIE roundel (new numbers) Ivory with Irish Cement branding (would be same numbers again as we can only find evidence of 6!) Orange Grey Happy to listen and take on feedback. Cheers! Fran
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Interestingly Overland Models stopped commissioning brass models about 7 or 8 years ago, citing that the latest generation of plastic injection moulded models now carried as much bells and whistles for a much lower price point. Their speciality was diesels, and the models then coming from the main US manufacturers were of excellent fidelity and quality. They also ran properly out of the box, something which brass trains in many cases needing some adjustment. Others seem to produce in the steam sphere still, but as you say it's mainly collector market and a lot smaller than it once was. Indeed, in our earlier days of IRM we did establish contact with a brass model train producer, just in case any special projects warranted such attention. Cheers! Fran