Warbonnet

Must be honest, I'd be VERY interest to hear how that goes. Also had a deposit go walkies a number of years ago...

We're jumping for joy as the first samples of our hotly anticipated J67/68/69 ‘Buckjumper’ locomotives in 00/4mm scale have arrived for assessment. Initially announced ahead of the Alexandra Palace show back in March of this year, we outlined an ambitious plan to create an extensive tooling suite to cover all the major design variables of these cute and iconic tank engines in ready-to-run format. The first tooling samples have now arrived, showing the variants possible with the tooling suite and demonstrating the finesse and materials on offer in this high quality model. As ever, these first prototype samples are hastily assembled and will receive further refinement through the production process before the finished models arrive. This includes fit and finish, such as the cab beading area, the fit of the cab sheets and indeed the removable magnetic roof. Fit of the chimney will also require further fettling, as does the fit of the brake rigging. The G75 has some errant additions that need removing, as well as fitting the tool box to the LHS tank top. Also, the fine tuning of the bunker coal load is required. However, these are normal challenges at this stage of the development process, and especially so with steam locomotives which feature multiple versions of cab, bunker and tank combinations. Of course, there is much to celebrate, such as the overall look and feel of the locomotives. These really capture the distinctive nature of these characterful tank engines. Performance is excellent too, with superb pulling power for a locomotive of this size thanks to diecast materials used in construction and smooth power delivery also evident. The delivery date of Q2 2O24 for the finished models is still on course, 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. Check out our Buckjumper web page here for more information and pre-order via Accurascale direct for all the range including the Accurascale Exclusives model of Liverpool St. Pet 68619, available only direct via Accurascale, or via your local Accurascale stockist. PRE-ORDER YOUR BUCKJUMPER HERE! View the full article

If one variant from our first production run could be described as the catalyst for our English Electric Type 3 it is the Class 37/6. Not to be confused with the centre headcode Class 37/5s numbered in the 376xx series, the 12 ex-European Passenger Services, later Eurostar, locomotives numbered 37601-37612 were originally converted in the mid-1990s to haul the pan-European ‘Nightstar’ services away from the wires in the UK. While all variants in our first run were new to OO gauge when announced, it is this sub-class that was the real missing link in the range of available privatisation era diesels. While the EE machines were no strangers to sleeper services there were still a few eyebrows raised when 12 freight Class 37/5s, nine former ‘splitbox’ and three centre headcode, were transferred to EPS in 1994. Pairs of Type 3s were proposed to sandwich a Mk.3 generator vehicle on trains between Plymouth/Swansea and Kensington Olympia, before the sections combined behind a Class 92 for the run through the Channel Tunnel. Additional locomotives were required for diversionary purposes on the ECML and WCML routes, or for hauling Class 373 ‘Eurostar’ trains with the assistance of a barrier vehicle. BRML Doncaster undertook the modifications which included re-geared and refurbished 90mph bogies from withdrawn Class 50s, ETS (electric train supply) through cables and exterior control buttons, RCH communication jumpers and the removal of vacuum-brake equipment. The first to be completed were 37601 and 37602 – former Thornaby celebrities 37501 and 37502 – in January and February 1995, while the final member of the fleet, 37606 (ex-37508), was released the following July. Incredibly after spending over £100 million on the ‘Nightstar’ trains the venture was cancelled in June 1997, which came at an opportune time for the fledgling rail freight operator Direct Rail Services, a subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL). With the nuclear flask contract with EWS due to end in early 1999, DRS was desperate for motive power to supplement its existing fleet of Class 20/3s. Acquiring 37607-12 in July 1997, they initially retained their EPS triple-grey livery with the addition of dark blue DRS logos ahead of being hired to Freightliner to work in pairs on container services. All six were repainted in the original DRS scheme in early 1998, gaining multiple working sockets in the nose at the same time. The following year, 37608 and 37612 became the first examples to be rebuilt at Brush Loughborough with WIPAC light clusters, top headlight and refurbished cabs with revised drivers desk and a new partition to improve soundproofing. Toughened cab front windows were next, from around 2001. Three further Class 37/6s were acquired the following April, 37602, 37605 and 37606 and they were also upgraded at Brush with the same modifications. Over time some also saw the reskinning of the nose to remove plated doors or obsolete headcode panels. 37601 and 37603, made the move to DRS in November 2007, while the final member of the sub class, 37604, transferred across exactly a year later. This final trio kept their unique Eurostar modified square tail light housings, only gaining a DRS multiple working socket to replace the large spotlights and nose-mounted cabling. They were also the only three Class 37/6s to debut in the new Compass branding in September and October 2008, with the rest of the fleet gaining the new look between October 2007 and August 2012. The livery was further revised in 2014 and was inspired by the ‘fade’ vinyls applied to the new Class 68s, although only 37609 from this sub class received them. As well as their appearance, their duties radically changed over time. In its first year or so, DRS’ small portfolio included nuclear operations between Barrow Docks and Sellafield only, the ‘milkliner’ between Penrith and Cricklewood, and acid tanks between Ince and Sellafield. By the early 2000s, DRS had added intermodal services for the Malcolm Group to its range of ex-EWS nuclear diagrams, while Network Rail test train work commenced in 2005. By the end of the decade, DRS Type 3 operations had expanded to include a wide array of charter work, scrap metal, stock moves and numerous other temporary or trial freight flows. With the Class 37/6s having provided the backbone of the DRS fleet in its early years, the arrival of new Class 68s along with a second tranche of Class 37/4s from 2016 saw 37601, 37608 and 37611 move to Europhoenix. They were followed by 37607 and 37612 to Harry Needle in June 2017, which also acquired 37610 from Locomotive Services in 2019. The remaining half dozen would be stopped and placed into store over the same period, with the last, 37602 and 37609, taken out of service in September 2019. In 2022, DRS sold off the six remaining locos. HNRC added 37602, 37603, 37604 and 37609 to its existing roster, 37606 went to the owner of Loram Rail-hired 37418, while 37605 has moved to the GCR for use as a spares donor for the Heavy Traction Group’s 37714 and the NRM’s D6700. It has since been scrapped. The current operational fleet includes the Europhoenix trio, all of which are allocated to Rail Operations Group for stock moves – with 37611 now wearing the operator’s blue ‘PCB’ scheme – and HNRC’s recently ‘tangoed’ 37607, blue/yellow 37610 and unbranded DRS blue 37612, which are all hired to Colas Rail. 37602 and 37609 are also hoped to return to traffic in 2023. Meanwhile, 37606 has also been cosmetically backdated to original Railfreight livery as 37508 at Nemesis Rail, Burton-upon-Trent, but as of August 2023 had yet to return to the main line. With three decades of service behind them and drawn from all all major variations of split and centre headcode machines, including both EE and RCH-built, the 12 donor Class 37/5s were already individually unique before emerging from Doncaster as Class 37/6s. Rebuilt and modified several times for Direct Rail Services and more recent owners like Europhoenix the sub class is essentially a completely new locomotive compared to a Class 37/0 and presented a formidable challenge to any model manufacturer. We have risen to the challenge with number-specific body, roof and nose tooling with a wide range of different separately-added plastic and etched metal parts, these authentic replicas also sport correct Class 50-style cast bogies, two styles of buffer, single or double nose multiple working sockets, a range of fuel tank, kick plate, bodyside window, step and nose grille combinations and optional miniature snowploughs. Our eagerly anticipated Class 37/6 locomotives have now arrived in stock and we are currently prepping orders to begin shipping later this week. While we are currently sold out on pre-order, it is worth checking back on the website for cancellations and clicking the 'Notify me if item becomes available' button should any become available. BROWSE THE CLASS 37 RANGE HERE AND REGISTER YOUR INTEREST! View the full article

When casting around for Class 37 subjects for the first production run the guiding philosophy to was to provide variants that were all new, which turned out to be surprisingly easy. For 1960s and early 1970s modellers, the cantrail grilles on D6700-D6704 (later 37119, 37001-37004) really stood out and had never been tooled in their as-built configuration. But what is distinctive about them that sets them apart from the rest? While most enthusiasts are aware that you can tell which of the two builders manufactured a particular Class 37 based on these grilles, the story is somewhat complicated by the non-standard arrangement exhibited by the first six locomotives to be completed. For the rest of the class, longer single-piece grilles were a signature of English Electric at Newton-le-Willows, while those with dividing bars were products of Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns workshops in Darlington. EE-built D6705/37004 confusingly also sported the latter grille style, but it was the unique cantrail configuration that was similar to the RSH version but with riveted straps framing the apertures that really made the first five locomotives stand out. The Accurascale model perfectly represents the characteristic riveted multi-part cantrail grilles as well as a range of other as-built features. These include four-character headcode display (with pre-fitted examples and a large selection of alternatives for customers to install), frost grille, double-riveted roof, bufferbeam cowling with large round Oleo buffers, bodyside water filler access door and steps, accurate early bufferbeam configuration with vacuum/steam/control piping only. There are also optional nose corner grabs, boiler exhaust panel (open or plated – with alternative provided in a parts bag) and boiler water tank sight glass depending on locomotive number. Delivered from the famed Vulcan Foundry between 2 December 1960 and 6 January 1961, all five were delivered to Stratford in East London. Their duties included Great Eastern main line passenger diagrams, inter-regional turns, particularly the Harwich ‘boat’ train, and parcels and freight services. In April 1963, D6703 and D6704 became two of three members of the class to be fitted with nameplates, albeit covered up. These were dedicated First East Anglian Regiment and Second East Anglian Regiment respectively, with D6707 being honoured after the Third East Anglian Regiment. They were never unofficially unveiled, although D6703 did run around for several weeks with them uncovered, giving us the opportunity to provide etched nameplates for the customer to install if desired. By the end of 1967, D6701-D6704 had been transferred away from the Great Eastern, moving to Tinsley/Darnell via a short spell at Wath. Their new life revolved around freight work and all four would surrender their boilers within the next 14 months. The doyen of the fleet, D6700, had a more colourful life, which included spells at Derby RTC, Stratford and Haymarket before returning to March in East Anglia in October 1969, by this time wearing Rail blue. Nos. 6702 and 6703 were repainted during a similar time period, with the other pair still in green, albeit with full yellow ends. All five locomotives were together again at Thornaby after the move of No. 6700 to the North East in October 1971, although the other four had transferred there in May 1970. The reunion would only last a year as No. 6700 was back at March exactly a year later, and would be the last time the five would be allocated to the same location at the same time. In February and March 1974, the quintet gained five-digit TOPS identification, and within the next couple of years all five would lose their bodyside water fillers and steps, that would take them out of the range of this variant of the Accurascale model. All three locomotives plus the remainder of Run one arrive on Monday (28th August). If you missed out of pre-ordering, make sure you hit the 'Notify me if item becomes avaliable' button to be the first to know if any spares become available. View the full article

Hi everyone, Great news! Production of our Mark 2 coaches in NIR and RPSI livery is almost complete and we have been signing off the production samples. First up is a look at our special edition RPSI triple pack, long sold out and raising much needed funds for the society. Shipping from the factory in China will commence next week and we hope to have them in stock in late October ahead of the three day Dublin show. The RPSI sets along with the NIR sets are all sold out on pre-order, but some sets will become available when pre-orders are dispatched. Make sure you click the button to register your interest via email for when they come into stock via the following link: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/mark-2-coaches/products/rpsi-set-1 Also, look out for previews of the NIR coaches in the coming days! Cheers! Fran

Hi Chris, It is our understanding that all the coaches are due in stock together. Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, Get your Murphy Models Mark 2d pre-orders in via IRM! Murphy Models has announced that their new range of Mark 2d coaches are due in stock later this year and will feature both IR livery with white stripes and orange roof and the classic Galway livery. Priced at €59.95 per coach, you can place your pre-order with no money down by selecting the coaches below. Once we have updated images from Murphy Models we will share them too! Pre-Order here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/murphy-models-mark-2d-coaches/availability_pre-order Cheers! Fran

The Accurascale Class 37 tooling suite is full of parts that are specific to individual locomotives, some of which have been announced and some that we’ve kept to brighten up a rainy day in the future. However, in a first run full of unique releases, there is one that shines brighter than the rest, Network Rail’s 97301. Built as D6800, later 37100, one of just 23 split headcode EE Type 3s with the smooth welded style roof, this was rebuilt by HNRC at Barrow Hill in February 2008 as the first of a fleet of four ETCS (European Train Control System) equipped locomotives for use on the Cambrian Line from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth/Pwllheli. Already one of a kind having lost its splitboxes at the No.2 end in 1983 and its redundant boiler water tank in 1987, its new look for NR included toughened windscreeens, the removal the obsolete connecting doors and the rebuild of the No.1 end to match the other. While its colleagues 97302-97304 received their Ansaldo-made onboard ETCS equipment in 2009, it wasn’t until the end of 2012 that 97301 would get the distinctive underframe-mounted radar and roof antennas/cutouts (which are of course features of our model) part of a prototype fit-out of Hitachi kit that was not compatible with the Cambrian system. Our exclusive limited edition model will come with a numbered certificate and rather impressive special box. Although our model of 97301 has sold out to preorder its worth clicking the 'Notify me if item becomes avaliable' button should any become available. Check out the full range of Accurascale Class 37s here: https://www.accurascale.com/collections/class-37 View the full article

Accurascale today announces their latest ‘Accurascale Exclusive’ model, one that the model railway manufacturer will produce to raise £10,000 for a very worthy cause; Prostate Cancer UK. A special edition model of Class 66 no 66769 in the GBRf “Prostate Cancer UK” livery has been launched at the Accurascale ‘take-over’ of Pete Waterman’s “Making Tracks 3” event at Chester Cathedral with a fully working pre-production sample in operation on the layout. The real 66769 arrived as part of the penultimate delivery of class 66s. Now being delivered from EMD’s Muncie plant in Indiana, it was unloaded from its transatlantic crossing at Newport in early December 2014. Originally an anonymous member of the class 66 family, albeit with the late configuration of parts that show it originated from the US plant over its Canadian cousins, it set to work for GBRf with little fuss. In 2021 GBRf ran its annual Charity railtour and 769 was selected to wear a special livery and be an integral part of the tour. The locomotive was unveiled in its special black livery in connection with Prostate Cancer UK during August before becoming the flagship for the September tour. Unusually it was dual named, in recognition of GBRF contracts manager, Paul Taylor, who was battling prostate cancer, and also the League Managers Association. The GBRF 2021 tour raised over £147,000 for Prostate Cancer UK. Sadly Paul Taylor lost his battle in 2022 and this locomotive serves a fitting tribute to him and continues to raise awareness of this very important cause. 66769 has settled back into squadron service with other members of the GBRf class 66 family and can be seen working all manner of trains across the length and breadth of the country, proudly still wearing its charity livery. While the livery adorning 66769 is certainly attractive and distinctive, it also carries a very important message in both prototype and model form. One in eight men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, with men over 50 being at increased risk of suffering from the disease. Accurascale felt it that 66769 was an essential locomotive to add to their Class 66 release programme, not only to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK, but to raise awareness of this illness among their largest customer base. 66769 marks the beginning of a new initiative for Accurascale, with certain exclusive models raising awareness and much needed funds for special causes other than railway preservation (which will continue to benefit from Accurascale in the future.) Discussing the model, Accurascale PR and Marketing Director Fran Burke stated; “We are absolutely delighted to work with Prostate Cancer UK and help raise £10,000 for this fantastic cause. Not only does 66769 look spectacular in both prototype and model form, but it carries a most important message that raises awareness for this cause. As we see from model railway exhibitions we attend and indeed our own customer base, a significant portion of people in this hobby are males over 50, so hopefully this model can be enjoyed, but also help to raise awareness about getting checked out. It is also a cause that means a lot to many of us on the Accurascale team, having seen loved ones suffer and indeed be lost to this dreadful illness. We sincerely thank Prostate Cancer UK, The LMA and of course GBRf for working with us on this model.” Prostate Cancer UK spokesperson Jake Maloney-Cox stated: "We are thrilled to see the Man of Men logo featured on the brand new Accurascale Class 66 model. We are especially proud to see that the live saving journey started by GB Railfreight and Paul Taylor with their incredible railtour continues to this day. Every 45 minutes one man dies from prostate cancer in the UK, and it is the most common cancer in men. We are incredibly grateful to Accurascale who will support our lifesaving work, raising funds for vital research into better tests and treatments, and also sparking life-saving conversations about prostate cancer” This limited edition model is now available for pre-order via the Accurascale website and will come in special presentation packaging and containing literature concerning prostate cancer and the services of Prostate Cancer UK. Delivery will be with the rest of the announced Class 66 first run models in Q1 2024. Priced at £169.99 for DC/DCC ready and £259.99 for DCC sound fitted, with no money down pre-ordering available, as well as flexible monthly payments over 6 months via partially, proceeds of the model will be donated to Prostate Cancer UK with the aim of raising £10,000 for this worthy cause. Pre-order your Class 66 and help in the battle against Prostate Cancer today by clicking below. Pre-Order Your Class 66 By Clicking Here! View the full article

Time for a quick update on our lovely Class 66s which have been progressing nicely though the Accurascale works! Having taken on the excellent Hattons Class 66 tooling, we documented how we made several tweaks to these models, unlocking more detail variations and taking on customer feedback. This has been very well received. But, as some modellers pointed out, there was an extra yard we could go to to really bring the best out of our shed So we listened, assessed, designed and implemented some further tweaks on these already brilliant models to make them truly special. All lighting units have been revised. We were unsure about changing these early on for the EP and we held out to see what they looked like on the decorated samples. The size of the units have been changed as well as the internal light guides to give a better appearance. We also now have the option of both types of LED light cluster. The Freightliner green has been revised to the proper shade of green for this period. Previously the backing to the Freightliner logo on our first decorated sample was a different shade of green. In order to replicate this properly, we have used the same shade of paint with different gloss levels. It's very subtle but the camera flash shows it to good effect. Both styles of cab interior have been modelled, featuring either wrap around desk or central "pedestal". The correct shade of grey for the roof of the DB liveried locos has now been used. Warning panel yellows have been tweaked. There are actually three different shades used over the period the 66 covers. Here are two of the them! We have tooled an additional buffer beam plate (centre) to correct the position of the lashing eyes on the first 200 EWS machines. 66001 (and 2's) unique arrangement can be seen on the left. and the later "standard" on the right. Among the other smaller and subtle tweaks we have also looked at and improved the fit of the handrails on the bodyside for the doors to give them a more realistic appearance. With all these tweaks in place we can now confirm that the production run is signed off and underway. Not only that, but we are still on course for delivery for Q1, 2024 as originally announced back in February. Pre-order your ultimate Class 66 via our network of retailers, or direct via our website below, with no money down pre-ordering or monthly installments at no extra cost available. At just £169.99 DC/DCC Ready and £259.99 DCC sound fitted they represent excellent value for money considering the ultimate specification of these models. Make sure you don't miss out. PRE-ORDER YOUR ACCURASCALE CLASS 66 HERE! View the full article

Hi everyone, Just a message to extend a massive thanks to everyone who purchased our sound decoders, almost 70% of them have now sold so they have proven very popular indedd! Don't miss out on yours here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/dcc-decoders Cheers! Fran

Making Tracks is back! Today sees the return of the Making Tracks summer exhibition at Chester Cathedral with Pete Waterman and the Railnuts team. We're delighted to be sponsoring this wonderful event for the first time as the team look to raise much needed funds for the magnificent Cathedral which provides the venue for this wonderful layout. This year we’re treated to the biggest undertaking yet as the team recreates Milton Keynes station on the West Coast Mainline through a massive 64ft ‘OO’ gauge layout. The layout fiddle yard will be filled with all the latest stock from Accurascale which will be put through its paces running 7 hours per day for 6 weeks straight! The best part is visitors can take to the controls and drive our full rakes around the layout themselves. Further to this, we will be hosting an ‘Accurascale Takeover’ on the 4th & 5th of August where we’ll be showcasing early samples of our anticipated Class 50, Class 31, Class 89 and perhaps a new announcement... The Accurascale team will also be on hand to discuss all things Accurascale, so please come along and meet some of our gang! Don’t miss your chance to join Pete Waterman OBE and the Railnuts team for the third instalment of Making Tracks at Chester Cathedral from 26th July to 2nd September. Making Tracks 3 will run from 10am to 5pm Mondays to Saturdays, Tickets are priced at £3 per person with free entry for children under 5. All proceeds go to Chester Cathedral. View the full article

Hi everyone, 90% of Magnesite Wagons Sold - Got Yours Yet? Our magnesite wagons have proven to be one of the more quirky wagons in our range, but have indeed proved popular among modellers. So much so that only 10% of the production run now remains in stock. So, if you fancy some, or wish to build your rake further, then make sure you grab your packs while you can. Four different packs with different wagon numbers are currently available. Remember, there is 10% off when you buy two packs or more, and free postage and packaging around Ireland. Shop here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/magnesite-wagons Cheers! Fran

As above! Audio recording from the 1960s.

Hi everyone, After much pain, suffering and wild goose chases, we are delighted to announce that finally(!) we have a sound chip for the Crossley powered A Class locomotives! These consist of: A1 A12 A15 A30 A42 A46 A55 This is thanks to a rare recording unearthed in recent months and sent onto us. ESU have worked their magic and created a full fat sound chip to finally unleash the potential of these locos. We will have a proper, nice video of these in the next week or so, but here is a rough and ready thrash in the meantime (and before anyone says it; Yes, we know it's an EMD model, but it was all our sound man had to hand!) IMG_7495.MOV Whatsmore, these decoders are now IN STOCK and ready to order via our website for immediate dispatch right here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/dcc-decoders/products/a-class-crossley-sound-decoder Cheers! Fran

New turbo required!

One thing we would point out is that you very rarely, if ever, see smoke come out of a Class 66, a bit like our own 071s and 201s. But I'm biased... The ESU model is diecast, but our own model is no lightweight, in fact it's pretty darn heavy, has twin speakers, loksound 5 (same sound chip so!), hall sensors, stay alive all for a lot less... Cheers! Fran

With the Accurascale Manor just around the corner, we couldn't help but share these images of production sample '7801 Anthony Manor'! We're particularly proud of the finer detail on the running plate, inside the cab and the matt paint around the Smokebox. Of course, none of these projects are ever plain saling, and our inspection did throw up one mistake. Despite our artworks being correct, the tunnel on the firemans side has been painted black instead of green. Thankfully, this is a really easy fix, and the factory has corrected it on all models. We felt that this was worthwhile and did not want to locos to fall at the last hurdle. The models are now being packed up and prepared for shipping by air to the UK. We are currently waiting our logistics partner to confirm details and will share that in due course. They are coming in two batches one week apart. Batch one includes 7800, 7801, 7802, 7808 and 7812, with the remainder following on approx one week later. Keep an eye on our social media for more updates and prepare yourself for your Manor arrival this July! Missed out? Check out your local stockist for availability or sign up to email updates on any of the locos on our website coming back into stock. Just click on the locomotive that interests you and enter your email address on the right hand side. VIEW THE MANOR RANGE HERE! View the full article

Hi everyone, Production of our NIR and RPSI Mark 2 coaches is nearing completion at the factory! We are due production samples of these lovely coaches in the next couple of weeks and expect the models to arrive in late August/Early September in stock. We are all sold out, but you can register your interest for the remaining stock to go on sale on our website and you can also pre-order the orange and black Mark 2s due later in the year right here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/mark-2-coaches Cheers! Fran

Our next coaching stock to join the range following the lovely Mark 5s and our Siphon Gs will be our hotly anticipated Mark 2B coaches. Never before done to a high standard in OO/4mm, the Mark 2b coaches have been in huge demand since we first announced them to the point of selling out some months ago. A joint venture with our Irish outline brand IRM, we covered the specific tooling required for the cross-border 'Enterprise' trains which were operated by NIR from the early 1970s until the late 1990s. Production has been progressing well across coaches for both ranges, with the NIR coaches from IRM in the final stages of production and will begin shipping from the factory in July. The BR variants are not far behind this, with them currently at the painting stage. These will be complete in August and will arrive at our warehouse in the latter part of September. In further good news, we have received the first decorated samples of our BR Mark 2c coaches in recent weeks and are currently assessing them before greenlighting production. Look out for a look at them in all their painted glory in the coming weeks. We are fully sold out on Mark 2b coaches, so check our retailer network for availability. However, we still have availability on our Mark 2c coaches. Pre-order below! Pre-Order Your Mark 2c Coaches Here! View the full article

After 4 years of trying we have given up on Australia and it's from historical recordings, some of which were recently unearthed. Cheers! Fran

Don't worry Sean, once we're a bit more happy with it a full video will be provided of it!

Hi everyone, Just a quick update re Crossley sound decoders; we currently have one in testing. Tweaks will be required but it's shaping up nicely. Once we have tweaks completed a delivery date will be confirmed and pre-ordering shall commence. Cheers! Fran

More good news! The next three running numbers of our awesome new Class 37 are about to arrive in stock. Due at our warehouse early next week, the three running numbers consist of the hugely popular 37043 'Loch Lomond', in 1980s guise with Scottish car headlight, 37409 'Lord Hinton' in current condition as a modernised Class 37/4 and "Accurascale Exclusive" no 37402 'Stephen Middlemore', again a modernised Class 37/4 in current condition. All three wear the iconic BR Large Logo Blue, and well... we'll let the following images do the rest of the talking! These will be checked, packed and shipped and begin arriving with you towards the end of next week. As you know, we are currently sold out on pre-order, but there should be some stock left over for sale! This will be offered for sale after all pre-orders and stock to shops are sent out, so make sure you sign up to the email notifications on the website for the running number you fancy once they go on sale. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST FOR YOUR CLASS 37 HERE! View the full article

We are very happy to reveal a pair of very special Class 31s in our Accurascale Exclusives range, Nos. 31105 and 31285 in Network Rail yellow. Like many past models in this series, such as ‘Deltic’ No. 9016 Gordon Highlander in Porterbrook purple and Class 97/3 No. 97301, these additional releases showcase a considerable amount of unique tooling to accurately depict these locomotives in 4mm scale. The acquisition of the venerable Brush Type 2s by Network Rail, which eventually totalled five locomotives, was something of a formalisation of the previous arrangement between its predecessor Railtrack and Fragonset to provide motive power for infrastructure monitoring trains. This deal had even seen one member of the class, No. 31190, repainted in Railtrack’s blue and green house colours before the company was forced into administration. No. 31285 was the first Class 31 to be outshopped in NR yellow, being released from Fragonset’s workshops at the former RTC site in Derby in October 2003. While the livery was striking enough, even more dramatic was the addition of five large spotlight brackets (two on the lower cab front and three on the cab roof) and a forward facing camera in the plated nose door at the No.2 end. The ultra violet spotlights – of various designs over time – gave it the nickname ‘scooter’ and were deployed when running with the Structure Gauging Train and were also fitted to Nos. 31233 and 31602 (cab roof only). Meanwhile, the No.1 end also featured various sockets for connecting to the test coaches. At the start of 2008, No. 31285 debuted new larger LED tail lights and, at the same time, lost its original windscreen washer jets and baffles in favour of new wiper-mounted versions. After 12 years of service with NR and some 54 years after being delivered to Tinsley as D5817 in October 1961, it was retired and sold to Harry Needle in August 2015. It has been based at the Weardale Railway ever since, still with full light package, and is operational. No. 31105 was the third of Network Rail’s Class 31s to return to traffic and the only former disc headcode-fitted locomotive in the fleet, although it could often be found partnered with Howard Johnston’s hired in Fragonset, later BR blue-liveried, ‘skinhead’ No. 31106 on test trains. The former D5523, new to Stratford in March 1959 and withdrawn from Bescot in May 1997, was selected in 2002 for rebirth in NR’s QADD pool along with No. 31107. While the latter fell by the wayside, No. 31105 was released from Derby in yellow in August 2004, externally almost unchanged from its previous condition, even retaining the extra lamp iron on its plated nose doors. However, by the second half of 2005, Derby had taken the opportunity to remove the cab roof vent cover from the No.1 end cab roof to match the No.2 end that had been rebuilt in early 1984. While in late 2007, the front ends were further modified with same LED tail lights and the washer jet modifications described above with No. 31285. All good things come to an end though and No. 31105 was withdrawn for the second time in February 2015, leaving just No. 31233 still active for NR. Still in working order, it was occasionally used as a shunter at the RTC site before being sold into preservation at the Mangapps Railway in Essex in October 2018. Accurascale’s extensive Class 31 tooling suite has been designed to cover Nos. 31105 and 31285 and Network Rail’s other trio of Brush machines, Nos. 31233, 31465 and 31602. As well as the modified cab roofs, fully functioning spotlights and No. 31105’s additional lamp irons, other never before produced tooling on our initial NR pairing correctly dates these locomotives to the period from 2008 onwards with LED tail lights / washer jet modifications. Of course, the lights should be more purple in hue and they will be on the finished production models. The brightness will also be dulled down on the production models too. This latest pair of 'Peds' are now available to pre-order direct via the Accurascale website only in both DC/DCC Ready and DCC sound fitted formats. We are due decoration samples towards the end of this year and delivery will take place in Q3 2024. As will all Accurascale Exclusives, both locomotives will be complete with special presentation packaging. Pre-order with no money down by clicking the link below! Pre-Order Your Network Rail Class 31 Here View the full article