Warbonnet

Hi everyone, After a period out of of stock, our EMD A Class sound decoder is back in stock! Grab one here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/products/a-class-emd-sound-decoder And before you ask; no. No news on the Crossley as yet. Cheers! Fran

It would also be scale size... #justsayin!

My Christmas present for @BosKonay...

Hi everyone, In the run up to Christmas and to respond to the heavy ESB and heating bills hitting us all we have left the blue Taras on offer for a little while longer. So, if that special someone wants to pick you up something IRM related for Christmas... https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/tara-mines/availability_in-stock? Cheers! Fran

Hi GM, We will have an update in week or two but can confirm won’t be this side of Christmas. Cheers! Fran

It's been a long time coming, but finally, there is some GREAT news regarding our first coach project; the lovely CAF Mark 5 and Mark 5a coaches. What is the news? Well, they are almost here! Our Caledonian Sleeper coaches dock and land in our warehouse W/C December 12th (subject to customs, naturally!) where they will be unloaded, have the pallets broken down, counted into stock, checked, then picked, packed and posted out to modellers around the world. Of course, with our Class 92s arriving at the same time, it's going to be a very busy period in our warehouse, but we will endeavor to get them all out to you in as a timely fashion as we can. We thank you in advance for your patience. So, that takes care of the sleepers. What about the TPE Mark 5s? Well it's more good news there too! Firstly, we need to get this off our chests; TPE livery is very challenging to paint and print in model form!!! It's a fantastic livery though, and although it took a long and complex process to get right, as you can see from the below shot taken last month at the factory it has been well worth the effort. Production of the TPE Mark 5s is also now complete, and they're also in transit to us. Due to land with us at the warehouse W/C December 19th. Once again, subject to customs checks and arrangements. They will also have to be unloaded, have the pallets broken down, counted into stock, checked, then picked, packed and posted out to modellers around the world. As this goes into Christmas week we will do our very best to get some dispatched before Christmas shut down, but the vast majority of orders will be dispatched after Christmas and into early January. We will do our very best to get the orders out as quick as we possibly can and try to work around postal strike action too as much as possible. So, our Mark 5 production odyssey is now at an end, and delivery is in the next few weeks! It's been a huge challenge, but we think you'll agree that they make for very, very pretty models indeed. Both have been so popular that only the TPE Mark 5 Pack 2 set is available on pre-order still. Pre-order these coaches exclusively from Accurascale today by clicking here. View the full article

Okay folks! After some teasing and an unveiling at the Warley show over the weekend, it's time to drop our badger on the internet. We're just catching our breath after an extremely busy 2022 Warley show, but every time we look at this sample it is taken away again! The 2022 Warley Model Railway Show at the NEC, Birmingham saw the unveiling of the first engineering prototype (EP) sample of our forthcoming Class 89 locomotive in 00 gauge, an exclusive edition model in association with Rails of Sheffield. Announced in late June of 2022, the unique design and mouth-watering specification of this special edition locomotive has captured the imagination of modellers, with a large volume of pre-orders being placed on announcement, and samples on both the Rails of Sheffield and Accurascale stands drawing much favourable comment and admiration. Both samples arrived early last week in time for the Warley show, and this week our design team will now run the rule over the samples, ensuring that the model delivers on the highest standards of quality and fidelity demanded by both Accurascale and Rails of Sheffield for our exclusive models. Initial impressions are very favourable, with a crispness to the mouldings which can be seen around the bogies in particular, along with some beautiful detail touches on the front, underframe and of course the pantograph well. Any tweaks will be fed back to the factory and rectified ahead of decorated samples due in early 2023. The project remains on schedule too, with delivery still anticipated for Q3 of 2023. Orders can be secured via the Accurascale and Rails of Sheffield websites for just a £30 deposit, with prices for the DCC Ready version priced at £229.99, and the DCC sound ESU Loksound 5 fitted models £329.99, reflecting the limited nature of this very special release. When ordering direct with us you can also select to pay a deposit and then the balance when the locomotives arrive in stock, or easy installments over six months at no extra cost! These buttons will appear in your cart ahead of check out. Pre-ordering is now open on both websites. Click here to order direct or order via Rails www.railsofsheffield.com View the full article

Sold out in 14 mins and was 3 times the amount of stock that we had at the show. Still an amazing deal on the blue ones (which are much nicer!) all weekend long, or while stocks last to console yourself with if you missed out on the rejects.

Black Friday is here and our remaining stock of "Dicky Taras" are on sale. But that's not all, we have a very nice deal on their newer, prettier and better blue counterparts too. Sale runs until 5pm on Cyber Monday (November 28th), or whenever stock runs out! Deal 1: Dicky Taras Each pack will be €25 euro each, with FREE POSTAGE to Ireland and 3% rewards points earned! 10% Rake Deal applies when you buy two packs or more! Due to limited amount of stock and high demand, each customer is limited to a max of 2 packs per running number (10 packs total) Deal 2: Blue Tara Sale They're pretty, flawless and come with brass bearings, but we still have an amazing deal on them. 20% off each pack with Free Irish postage A further 10% off when you buy two packs or more 3% cashback on each pack through our loyalty points. SHOP FOR YOUR BLACK FRIDAY TARA DEALS RIGHT HERE View the full article

Fancy the chance to get 20% off any in stock item on our website this Black Friday on top of your bundle discounts and free postage and packaging, not to mention cash back for future orders? All you need to do is register an account with us and you can use the coupon code BLACKFRIDAY22 to receive your discount! If you already have an account, you're ready to go! 20% off All In Stock Items This Weekend Only Bundle Discount Still Applies! 3% Cash Back On Your Purchase! Free Postage and Packaging to the UK! One Use Per Customer No Minimum of Maximum Purchase Requirement Cannot Combine With Other Discounts Offer Runs from 9am, Friday 25th to 6pm Monday 28th Discount Will Be Displayed on Checkout Screen Click here to browse all our stock and make your purchases! View the full article

Hi everyone, We all know about our Dicky Tara sale beginning tomorrow at 9am, but we have another tempting offer concerning our lovely blue taras! They're pretty, flawless and come with brass bearings, but we still have an amazing deal on them. 20% off each pack with Free Irish and UK postage A further 10% off when you buy two packs or more 3% cashback on each pack through our loyalty points Offer open to Irish, international (on the IRM website!) and British customers (via the Accurascale site!) This incredible bargain runs between 9am Black Friday and 5pm Cyber Monday (28th November) or sell out, whichever comes first! Ireland, Northern Ireland and international customers: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/tara-mines Customers based in Britain: https://www.accurascale.com/collections/tara-mines Cheers! Fran

Warley is back! And as is known, we like to make a bit of a splash ahead of the big Brum show. It's also been a bit of an EE theme for us, having previously announced the Deltic and the 37 around the biggest show on the calendar. So, let's complete the set; welcome to the Class 50, from Accurascale. 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! Browse the range and pre-order yours direct by clicking right here! Why the 50? Check out our video with Hornby Magazine! Prototype History The class developed a huge following towards the end of the 1980s as older locomotives fell by the wayside and the ‘Hoovers’ were lined up to be the next major victim of ‘Sprinterisation’. With just 50 examples built and all – initially – wearing evocative names drawn from Royal Navy warships that were applied from the late 1970s, many enthusiasts developed intense bonds with individual Class 50s that rivalled even the last days of the ‘Deltics’. Although the final withdrawals came in 1994, this passion for the class was happily translated into preservation and 18 examples are still extant with five currently main line registered. Delivered from Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, between September 1967 and December 1968, the new 100mph diesel-electrics were developed from EE’s successful DP2 prototype with the intention of speeding up services north of Crewe to complement the accelerated electric timetable on the southern section of the West Coast Main Line. They were numbered D400-449, later 50001-50050 under TOPS, and were initially allocated to Crewe, albeit leased to British Rail as part of an innovative deal that made their approval much more palatable to government officials. The 2,700hp locomotives were the first class to be entirely delivered in BR corporate blue and later gained the ‘Hoover’ nickname due to the intense sucking sound created by the twin inertial filters at the No.2 end. The fleet was initially deployed on passenger and parcels services between Crewe and Glasgow, with forays north as far as Inverness, as well as trains to Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester. Notably they were also fitted with rheostatic braking – already common on electric locos – that was particularly useful on the long down grades from the summits at Beattock and Shap. As the wires began to march north again from 1970, multiple working equipment was installed fleet wide while freight work became a greater part of their remit, their slow speed control kit proving particularly useful for MGR coal operations to Ironbridge and other power stations. Although EE had hoped to deliver what would have essentially been a fleet of ultra-reliable DP2s in a restyled carbody – courtesy of the Design Panel – BR eventually settled on a substantially revised specification that was packed with electronics and would prove to be the Achilles heel of the class, especially when they began to move to the Western Region from October 1972, initially just 400 (the ‘D’ prefix having been dropped from the late 1960s) spending seven months at Bristol Bath Road for training purposes. In 1973, the lease deal ended with the fleet becoming BR property and by the end of the following year – which had seen the introduction of the full Euston-Glasgow electric timetable as well as the new TOPS numbers – almost three quarters of the class had transferred south, with Bath Road, Old Oak Common and Plymouth Laira taking over maintenance. They replaced the ‘Westerns’ on Paddington-Bristol and Penzance workings, as well as other West of England services and parcels duties. The whole fleet was reunited on the WR by the end of 1976, which also saw a nadir in performance; just 38% of the class being active, a far cry from the 84% that EE had promised in its original availability guarantee, or the 75% achieved during their last year of LMR service. The problems were not easily solved. While routine maintenance issues could be mostly overcome as the former diesel hydraulic depots became used to their new charges, their complicated mixed traffic design was susceptible to spares shortages and frustrated WR bosses that were looking for a more thoroughbred passenger loco, while the internal electrical equipment was plagued by the ingress of dirt and oil via the inertial filters. Although HSTs were starting to take over on the principle expresses in 1976, retiring the Class 50s was not a serious option. The result was an extensive refurbishment that would strip superfluous kit to a minimum and resolve contamination issues, as well as introduce several cosmetic improvements and bring forward various upgrades that would have typically come due during half-life overhauls a few years later. No. 50006 was the first to enter BREL Doncaster in September 1977, but it would be November 1979 before it would be released. By the time No. 50014 – the last to be refurbished – arrived in South Yorkshire in May 1983, the time had been slashed to just over six months, and Warspite returned to traffic in December of the same year. Notably, all but the first six locos in the programme were released in the new ‘large logo’ livery. By the early 1980s class was mostly employed on secondary services, such as Paddington to Birmingham, Cheltenham, Hereford, Gloucester, Oxford, Worcester and South Wales destinations, Waterloo-Exeter, inter-regionals (South West to Gloucester or Birmingham, and Bournemouth or Poole to Reading) and South West locals, like Penzance to Plymouth. The run-up to the Great Western 150 celebrations in 1985 included No. 50007, which was repainted in lined brunswick green with cast numbers and double arrow in February 1984, controversially losing its Hercules name to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of the composer Sir Edward Elgar, who had no connection with the GWR. Rumoured to be the first of a series of locomotives renamed after famous people, the intense backlash put paid to any future rededications! The implementation of sectorisation in 1986 co-incided with the colourful launch of Network SouthEast – the blue, white and red scheme eventually being rolled out on around half the class – and the fleet found itself split between passenger, parcels and departmental work. Several years on from refurbishment and the extensive rebuild was not the panacea that had been hoped. While reliability was improved, generator issues continued to hamper the class, an earlier plan to replace this with an alternator having been shelved due to cost. A lack of spares and a reduced workload meant the first withdrawals took place in 1987, Nos. 50006, 50011 and 50014 all being switched off, the latter pair scandalously having only been refurbished four years earlier! The same year, Laira out-shopped Defiance in the stunning new Railfreight General livery with re-geared CP7 bogies and new 50149 number heralding a potential freight future for the class. After just under two years of use, the project was cancelled partially due to poor wheelslip protection and lack of sanding equipment, both ironically removed during refurbishment. It was the arrival of ex-Great Eastern Class 47/4s between 1987-90 and Class 47/7s from Edinburgh-Glasgow services from 1989 that really sounded the death knell. Taking over on Paddington semi-fasts, the Class 50s were down to half strength by the end of 1990. Faltering reliability saw further inroads as the ‘Brush 4s’ began to encroach on the ‘Mule’ during 1991, the arrival of the new NSE ‘Turbo’ DMUs in 1992 releasing enough Class 47s to almost finish the job by June 1992. This wasn’t entirely the end as Nos. 50050 (running as D400), 50007 and 50033 were retained until March 1994 for railtours and open days, all three subsequently passing into preservation along with numerous other favourites. While many locomotives have enjoyed long preservation careers, seven of the class have returned to the main line, with an eighth expected to head back out in due course. Incredibly five are still active on Network Rail metals, the Class 50 Alliance’s Nos. 50007 Hercules (running as 50034 Furious on one side) and 50049 that both wear GBRf livery along with No. 50044 Exeter (cosmetically backdated to pre-refurbished condition), Hanson & Hall’s No. 50008 Thunderer and Boden Rail’s No. 50050 Fearless. Our Model 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. The Class 50 Alliance also graciously allowed us to visit their fleet based at Kidderminster Diesel Depot on the Severn Valley Railway on several occasions, even raising No. 50044 on jacks to allow the our research team unprecedented access to the underframe! The full gamut of changes experienced by this class have been included on our extensive tooling suite to create the definitive Class 50. This includes optional multiple working equipment, missing handrails on D400, original headcode or plated with marker lights or sealed beam lights, no headlight, blanked headlight and headlight, wind deflectors, sandbox fillers, ‘grilled’ windows on refurbished locomotives (including the first pair which retained the window grommet for several years), early or late cast bogies, dynamic brakes, roof scavenger port, NRN or GSM-R radio equipment/fittings, seven- or 12-blade radiator fan and roof walkways. Tooling is almost complete but due to a local COVID shutdown in China the first sample has been delayed in arriving in time for the 2022 Warley show. This first sample will follow early in the new year. Six locomotives make up the first announcement, with some Accurascale Exclusives to follow soon. Prices range from £189.99 for the DC/DCC ready examples to £299.99 for the DCC Accurathrash sound fitted models. Delivery is slated for late Q4 2023. Locomotives can now be pre-ordered via your local stockist, or direct via the Accurascale website, where you can spread the cost using our flexible payment terms over 6 months or less, depending on your requirements. Just click on the basket at checkout and follow the simple steps. Browse the range and pre-order yours direct by clicking right here! Specification Highly-detailed OO scale model, 1:76.2 scale Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track) in OO Die-cast metal chassis RP25-110 profile OO wheels with provision for re-gauging with scale-sized wheels for P4/EM gauges – with simple ride height adjustment – and ability to set brake blocks in line with wheels Separately-applied etched metal/plastic detail parts, including grab handles, steps, wipers, etc. Scale width wire handrails Etched metal pre-painted nameplates and crests (where applicable) provided for customer to install Interchangeable printed headcodes with full description covering the first nine years of the class plus preservation era Scale-sized and mounted snowploughs provided for customer to install, with one-piece NEM mounted option Full underframe tank, battery box and full-formed compressor detail with extensive pipework and other separate parts Fully sprung buffers, super-fine pipework and screw couplings (for display) Kinetic NEM coupler mounts at correct height and mini-tension-lock couplers Separately powered working radiator fan with different speed settings DCC ready [21-Pin MTX Socket] or Factory-Fitted DCC Sound options High Performance traction, to include; Five-Pole motor with two flywheels Metal Helical Gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve minimum scale top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h) DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power All wheel drive (sprung centre axle) and all wheel pickup Fully detailed Lighting Pack, including: Directional lighting, DC and DCC Switchable Red and white marker lights with correctly configured lights for preservation era oddballs 50008 and 50044 Separately switched cab lighting and illuminated, driver’s desk, auto/off on movement Interior lighting with cast electrical compartment and engine bay detail on metal motor enclosure Customised Dual-Speaker Technology with large "Accurathrash" Bass Speaker and smaller ‘iphone’ style cube for higher frequencies (on DCC Sound-fitted models only) Hall sensor for flange squeal effect (on DCC Sound-fitted models only) View the full article

Hi everyone, Black Friday is only a few days away, and many of you are dying for our incredible sale of our Dicky Taras. These are the wagons which have a slight cosmetic design flaw, but otherwise are perfectly functioning, highly detailed models, going for an absolute, never to be repeated, bargain price! So, here is how it will go down: Each pack will be €25 euro each, with FREE POSTAGE to Ireland and 3% rewards points earned! 10% Rake Deal applies when you buy two packs or more! Due to limited amount of stock and high demand, each customer is limited to a max of 2 packs per running number (10 packs total) Unfortunately it is not economically viable to ship these to our UK warehouse for onward orders to comply with UK post Brexit customs arrangements, so sadly we cannot offer this deal to UK customers. Sale begins at 9am GMT this Friday and runs all weekend or when we sell out. Whichever comes first! We cannot reserve any packs ahead of the sale and all packs are sold as seen, factory seconds. They will be for sale from Friday right here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/tara-mines Cheers! Fran

Great news! Production of our first steam locomotive, the GWR 78xx Manor Class, is well underway at the factory. As can be seen in the photos below, production has been underway for some time now, with the parts cast and moulded, and decoration now under way. the tampo printing process is now beginning as can be seen with the lining on the cab side in the above photo documenting the process. This begun late last week. It's been great progress since production commenced early last month. While production progress by the factory has been excellent, swift and efficient, our hopes of having them in stock by the end of this year has proven to be a smidge ambitious. However, 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! With several Manors already sold out on pre-order we expect the remaining stock to do the same in the coming weeks ahead of delivery. Don't miss out on this next level of steam locomotive, pre-order via your local stockist or direct by clicking here. View the full article

Fantastic news! Our Class 92 electric locomotives are on the final leg of their journey, and are arriving at our warehouse W/C Nov 28th 2022! We will follow this epic news with some equally exciting delivery news about our Mark 5 coaches next week! Our Class 92s promise to be a whole new level in RTR British outline locomotives, with quality seen in the highest end continental locomotives at a more realistic price point. When you see the twin motorised pantographs, the illuminated cab control desk, the wealth of detail on the roof and bogies, the stunning performance which will include our signature powerbank stay alive features, the various light modes, twin speaker set up and etched components, you will conclude the same. These have been very popular indeed and will be a talking point on any layout, so make sure you grab what remaining stock there is while you can. Who knows when we will produce them again. Check out Rails of Sheffield and Kernow Model centre for limited editions, our retailer network for main range and below for Accurascale Exclusives and remaining stock. SHOP HERE View the full article

It's been about 20 minutes since we announced a new model for our highly regarded "Powering Britain" range of coal wagons, so let's fill in a huge missing link in ready-to-run format. Today we're announcing the family of NER 4 wheeled hoppers as the latest addition to our lovely wagon range. 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! Check out our announcement video with our friends at Hornby Magazine below! I Don't Need Any Further Convincing, Take Me To The Range Now! The Prototypes Having been influenced by witnessing coal haulage operations in the United States, where tradition did not hinder working practices and facilities, the Board of the NER decided to improve the ratio between capacity and tare weight of their waggons by building larger capacity rolling stock. Ideally, this would have meant moving to steel bodied bogie hopper wagons, with a 40 to 60 ton capacity, but the restrictions placed upon wagon stock by the cramped rail layouts of many of the collieries, the height of the loading screens and the investment required in modernising the shipping staithes and coal depots under its control meant that the NER needed to standardise on wooden bodied 20/23 ton 4-wheel hopper types. Still mindful that colliery owners would resist investing in new facilities, the first of the new enlarged vehicles to be ordered was the Diagram P6 hopper in April 1902, with a capacity of 15 tons, a wheelbase of 10’ 6”, a length of 20’ 0” and 8’ 3” in height. 1,800 vehicles of this type were produced with both side and end brakes, but they were essentially an interim design, created to make the new approach palatable to the colliery owners. Within a month, in May 1902, a 20 ton prototype version was created, fitted with higher sides at 9’ 10” and better suited to incline operations. The Diagram P7 hopper was built in huge quantities, the majority by Shildon; the original order for 550 vehicles increasing to over 12,000 by Grouping in 1923 and again, both side and end braked versions were built, as well as with modifications to the end panels that made for safer operation on curved inclines in the Central and Northern Divisions. A further development by the NER saw the fitting of anti-friction rollers to the type, resulting in an increase in capacity to 23 tons, creating the Diagram P8 hopper. The friction rollers decreased the starting resistance of a train and from 1906 around 6,400 wagons were fitted in this manner, before having the friction gear removed around the time of Grouping, when they reverted to the classification of diagram P7 and a reduction in capacity to 20 tons. As with the haulage of commercial coal, the transportation of locomotive coal was transformed at the beginning of the 20th century by the development of the Diagram Q3 loco coal waggon, based on the P7 type. The Q3 was introduced in 1902 and featured a flat floor and a single set of doors on each side for the unloading of the coal, although the NER required them to be convertible for use with ordinary coal trade traffic and so hinged sloping floor panels were fitted, along with two latitudinal bracing struts to maintain the wooden body’s integrity. Like the P8 hoppers, the Q3 hoppers were originally built with friction rollers and a 23 ton capacity, but by Grouping the friction gear had been removed and the capacity reduced to 20 tons. 8 plank, 15 ton Diagram P6. Two types of end stanchion tooled: NER wooden or LNER metal ‘T’ bar type from 1925 onwards. After 1926, the bottom sections of any remaining wooden stanchions were removed. Side chains were fitted to NER Northern Division examples until 1916 and have been catered for. Five types of axle-box: 3A Grease, Iron-Oil S1 (9” x 4.25”), Iron-Oil S2 (9.5” x 4.25”), No.3 (10” x 5”) & S4 single (10” x 5”), all of which have been tooled. Differing brake arrangements tooled: Morton single shoe per wheel pattern brakes and Morton Cam pattern (diagonally opposed). Handbrakes can be end, or side fitted, with two types of side handbrake arrangement catered for. Body ends will feature the removed central section of bottom plank for Northern and Central Division incline hauled hoppers, as well as the Southern Division solid end. 8 plank, 20 ton Diagram P7. Two types of end stanchion tooled: NER wooden or LNER metal ‘T’ bar type from 1925 onwards. After 1926, the bottom sections of any remaining wooden stanchions were removed. Side chains were fitted to NER Northern Division examples until 1916 and have been catered for. Two type types of axle-box tooled: S4 double axleguard (10” x 5”) covering 1909 to 1912 and No.3 (10” x 5”) covering 1912 to 1930. Double axle-guards, as fitted to new wagons between 1904 until circa 1916, have been tooled for. Differing brake arrangements tooled: Morton single shoe per wheel pattern brakes and Morton Cam pattern (diagonally opposed), as well as 4-shoe clasp on one side of wagon. Handbrakes can be end, or side fitted, with two types of side handbrake arrangement catered for. Body ends will feature the removed central section of bottom plank for Northern and Central Division incline hauled hoppers, as well as the Southern Division solid end. Different corner step arrangements: Left hand opposed corner steps fitted from the end of 1903 onwards, but if Morton Duplex brakes were fitted, steps were put at opposite end. If end handbrake fitted, steps fitted to all corners. 8 plank, 23 ton Diagram P8. Two types of end stanchion tooled: NER wooden or LNER metal ‘T’ bar type from 1925 onwards. After 1926, the bottom sections of any remaining wooden stanchions were removed. Side chains were fitted to NER Northern Division examples until 1916 and have been catered for. Tooling for anti-friction gear, with double axle-guards, as fitted to new wagons between 1904 until circa 1916 and retained when anti-friction gear removed. Differing brake arrangements tooled: Morton single shoe per wheel pattern brakes and Morton Cam pattern (diagonally opposed), as well as 4-shoe clasp on one side of wagon. Handbrakes can be end, or side fitted, with two types of side handbrake arrangement catered for. Body ends will feature the removed central section of bottom plank for Northern and Central Division incline hauled hoppers, as well as the Southern Division solid end. Two types of axle-box tooled: S4 double axleguard (10” x 5”) and No.3 (10” x 5”) when ant-friction gear removed. 8 plank, 23 ton Diagram Q3. Two types of end stanchion tooled: NER wooden or LNER metal ‘T’ bar type from 1925 onwards. After 1926, the bottom sections of any remaining wooden stanchions were removed. Side chains were fitted to NER Northern Division examples until 1916 and have been catered for. Tooling for anti-friction gear, with double axle-guards, as fitted to new wagons between 1904 until circa 1916 and retained when anti-friction gear removed. Differing brake arrangements tooled: Built with Morton double shoe per wheel clasp brakes, then with Morton single shoe per wheel pattern brakes when anti-friction gear removed. Handbrakes can be end, or side fitted, with two types of side handbrake arrangement catered for. Two types of axle-box tooled: S4 double axleguard (10” x 5”) and No.3 (10” x 5”) when anti-friction gear removed. The Models A long-time missing link in ready-to-run models in 00/4mm, the NER 20t hoppers were identified as a pivotal chapter in our famous “Powering Britain” range, telling the story of the movement of coal by rail through the ages. Work began on these models with surveys by our team in mid-February 2021, at a time when the country was once more under severe Covid restrictions, and the only people on site at Beamish were contractors and skeleton operational staff. Normally a bustling, vibrant location, the P7 wagons were surveyed at Rowley Station with just birdsong to interrupt the silence, while Buzzards circled above and Deer grazed on the Events Field and Parkfield. Certainly an experience that will surely (and hopefully) never be repeated, but one that was carried out adhering to all protocols and safety guidelines. This range of NER Hopper wagons, completely new to the RTR 00 market, bridge the gap between the use of small Victorian, wooden planked waggons, like our lovely little Chaldron waggons, and the arrival of the much improved steel bodied hoppers for the transportation of coal and coke in Northern England and the Borders. As such, they represent an important period of modernisation for mineral wagons as the railway companies evolved their designs from the Victorian era, and fully deserve their place in our “Powering Britain” range of models depicting the coal wagons which fuelled a nation by rail. While it would’ve been simple to just offer one type of NER hopper, these wagons will instead see a complete range of variety, as another worthy subject is done “The Accurascale Way”. With four variants (P6, P7, P8 and Q3) in the line up, modellers will enjoy a wide range of variation over these important wagons. This will include modifications across their careers from NER service, through LNER and BR careers and onto their final days plying their trade in NCB collieries. A fully die cast chassis, separately applied wire handrails, brake gear, chains and more are also included where appropriate. A variety of liveries will be offered across our traditional triple packs, priced at £84.95 each with 10% off when you buy two packs or more via our website and participating retailers. Tooling is complete with improvements and tweaks fed back to the factory, with a delivery date of Q1 2024 slated for delivery. We must thank David Williamson and the North Eastern Railway Association for their help in providing photographs, drawings and insights for the project, which made the task of wading through additional drawings at Search Engine a far less daunting task. Equally, we must also thank Paul Jarman and Beamish; The Living Museum of the North for allowing us unfettered access to the wagon collection at what was a very difficult time for the Museum. Browse the range and place your pre-orders here MODEL SPECIFICATION Die-cast metal chassis with plastic body. Target weight of 35g Scale length of 80mm over headstocks for all four types, 30.67 wide for P6 and 32mm for P7, P8 and Q3. Wheelbase of 42mm, allowing operation over a minimum radius of 371mm (1st radius set-track). Three different body designs, with tooling variations to cover the NER, LNER and Early BR periods, as well as NCB and Internal User patterns. Brake blocks fitted and aligned with wheels. Variety of axle journals catered for, depending on time period and usage pattern. Side and end handbrakes catered for. Split spoke wheels, to a blackened 00 Gauge RP25-110 profile, set in blackened brass bearings Eroded metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including (but not limited to) handrails, grab handles, side-door handles, lamp brackets, brake gear, draw gear and anti-friction gear. Accurate representation of internal body detail and hopper door detail. Turned metal sprung buffers. Wagons connected via small tension locks, set into small, self-centring NEM housings. Authentic livery, markings and numbers, accurate to time period modelled. View the full article

No sleep till Warley! And in a few days @Garfield will have no sleep for the next 18 years or so...

It's been suggested on Twitter that it is an old Douglas Tugmaster, and going off the script on the front grille I reckon they are correct. Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, The Oxford Diecast Scania Iziar Coach is now complete, and our stock is currently in transit from our wholesaler to us. We expect the first batch to arrive in stock with us mid next week. Orders will then be processed by time and date order. We have had a huge amount of pre-orders for these so dispatch will take a number of days to complete. Thank you for your patience! Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, Just a quick note to say that we're delighted to be able to sponsor the Wexford show for the first time and we'll be there with wares for sale and by then we should have an all working ICR sample too! We may even have an small announcement for the show, but we shall see nearer the time! Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, We're delighted with the reaction to these so far. They really went down well at the show and it seems on here too. At the show we had a resin print of the cab which we blew up to 8mm ft (I believe!) and painted it up. This acts as a guide for us to ensure the cab curves and contours are correct on the model, and it looks cool too! In other news sales sailed past the 10% mark for the total envisaged run by Saturday night and have been steady ever since. Thank you to everyone who has ordered so far! Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, Just a short note to say a sincere thank you to everyone who came to see us during the show over the weekend. We are slowly recovering (my voice is still gone a bit!) and apologies if we didn't get to talk to you for too long as we were quite mobbed during parts of the weekend. Also a sincere thanks to the MRSI and the organising team. It's the first Dublin show in three years, and it was missed by all of us, both traders and hobbyists alike. I think the additional attendance is reflective of the growth in the hobby, and indeed in our chats with Paddy Murphy we can see from our own POV that the market has grown. On the flip side, I talked to representatives of a number of clubs and they all reported that membership is down since the pandemic. Some seem to have lost more members than others, but there have been big hits in some cases. It is the clubs who organise and run these shows, on a complete voluntary basis for our enjoyment and as a fundraiser to sustain themselves. I think the job they do, particularly in these strange post-COVID times (less people to help out) has to be commended. As a trader I was there for set up on Friday and clear up on Monday eve, and (I really hope nobody gets offended by this) I saw a lot of weary souls, one or two of them old enough to be my grandfather (and I aint no spring chicken myself). They worked their backsides off, building layouts all year, taking them apart, carrying them up and down stairs, loading vans, transporting them to the venue, setting them up, operating them, taking them apart, then bringing them home. In between that they manned the doors, cleaned up and looked after us traders, exhibitors and the public. I found their efforts hugely inspiring. They do an amazing job and sadly I have seen a couple of people put the boot into them elsewhere (not here!) which must be hugely dispiriting. I think if these shows are to continue (and improve, always room for improvement and constructive criticism) we need our clubs to flourish. No clubs, no shows after all. So, if you can, get involved. I've always found both Dublin and Wexford clubs most welcoming and fun places to be on club nights, where I have had patient members teach me new skills and spread their knowledge. It's also a place to run your trains if you havent a layout at home. It will be the best way to drive the shows forward by getting involved. Cheers! Fran

Hi Kevin, Sincerest apologies, I took a couple of days off after the show, working 15 days on the bounce can be tiring... As we are offering sound fitted models we do not plan to sell sound decoders separately at this time. The distribution of sound is to be finalised once we have a working sample. Cheers! Fran

Still, we got our revenge!

Hi everyone, Thank you to everyone who came by to the stand today to say hello and make purchases. It was incredibly busy, probably the busiest we’ve ever been at the Dublin shows (I never thought the bubble arrival would ever be topped!) but our cheap taras and announcements really went down well. I tried this evening to liberate more dicky Tara’s from the storage unit for tomorrow and Monday but due to the Bank holiday they are now closed till Tuesday. So, all the remaining stock will be on the website for the Black Friday sale. Sorry! Looking forward to seeing more of you all tomorrow! Cheers! Fran