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Hi folks, We've now hit capacity and have no places left I'm afraid. Thank you to everyone who signed up, and we look forward to seeing you on Monday! If this goes well we will run more events in the future and aim for bigger venues. Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, 2025 marks the 10th year of IRM, and we thought we would celebrate this significant milestone in style! So, Accurascale/IRM cordially invites you to the launch of our latest locomotive project at an exclusive event at the Fry Model Railway Museum at the Casino, Malahide, Dublin, next Monday, March 10th from 7pm. This exciting event sees Accurascale/IRM launch our most ambitious locomotive yet to celebrate our 10th Birthday in 2025, and we want to share it with our supporters. It will feature a short talk from Paul Isles, Project Manager from Accurascale/IRM, and celebrated railway expert and historian Jonathan Beaumont, as well as a demonstration of the locomotive on the Casino layout. Places are strictly limited due to venue capacity and catering that will be provided. Because of this, anyone who wishes to attend the event MUST RSVP by 6pm on Wednesday, March 5th 2025. Failure to do so means you will not be permitted entry to the venue on the night. Due to the limited capacity, places are offered on a first come, first served basis. Please fill out the form below ASAP to avoid disappointment and note that you may still miss out if you complete the form. Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRFC_bIU_sAublSZfPZ3myJQ43HMO72hr7fDGRxGUAIY6HLQ/viewform We will confirm your attendance to the event via email later this week. We look forward to seeing you there and let the wild speculation begin! Cheers! Fran

There really is absolutely no need for comments like that.

Hi folks, We were offered these but decided against them as they just didnt fit in with what we would like to do livery wise. Good to see that they were picked up elsewhere. Cheers! Fran

It's been a little while since we gave a firm update on our lovely tank engine family of the J67/J68/J69 "Buckjumper" family. But, as these photos from the factory will attest to, the models are very nearly finished and are starting to roll off the production line! As you can see, great progress and the finishing line is now in sight! We've been informed that production will be complete in the coming weeks, and once they have passed our checks and QC tests with the final production samples, they will then be green lighted for delivery. Should all that go according to plan, then you will take delivery of your Buckjumper in Q2, 2025! Pre-order yours today via your local stockist, or direct via the link below! Pre-Order Your Buckjumper Here! View the full article

Hi Paul, Technically we never close out pre-orders on something. We only close them when we're sold out. I'm afraid as it's a new order no discount would be applied. Cheers! Fran

We took you all by surprise last week by announcing that we have teamed up with Rails of Sheffield to bring you the ultimate Electrostar family in OO gauge! We have opened expressions of interest to see what the demand for this large family of units is, and so far the response has been encouraging. However, we aren't there yet, and still need some more expressions of interest before our March 28th deadline. We know that almost £500 is a significant outlay, and sometimes it can be hard to manage within your hobby budget. We really cannot make them any cheaper than they are, and we have pulled the price down as far as it will go. However, we still want to help, so how about this? We have talked to our payment partners Partially, and we can now offer you flexible payment terms of up to 12 months on your electrostar pre-order! How Does It Work? When choosing your electrostar, hit the "Split Up To 12 Months" button as per above. You will then pay an initial 10% deposit, and can pay the balance anywhere between 1 and 12 months, at no extra cost! This means you can fund your Electrostar from just £37.50 per month on DCC Silent, or £53.33 per month for DCC Sound Fitted over 12 months. There is no additional interest to pay, no other fees, you still just pay the retail price of £499.95 or £599.95 respectively! Now, that does make things a bit easier. You do not want to miss out on these units. Pre-order via Rails of Sheffield, or below direct! Pre-Order Your Electrostar Here! View the full article

No sooner had batch 2 of our first Class 31 production arrived in stock (and mostly sold out again, we've very little left!) that we had received production samples of Batch 3, which contains all our exclusive models and all the limited editions for Rails of Sheffield, Model Rail Magazine and Key Model World/Hornby Magazine. Those outlets will reveal their production sample Class 31s in due course, but for now allow us to show off 31105 in Network Rail yellow, 31407 in Mainline Freight aircraft blue and 31466 in EWS maroon and gold. Photos of 31285 will be revealed separately, so keep an eye out for those soon! Batch three is approx. 3 weeks away from arrival, so make sure your invoice is paid up so we can get your locos dispatched to you promptly! As you can see from above, they're rather special. We are currently sold out, but if you do like the look of these, make sure you sign up to emails on the website to notify you of more stock going on sale, as it is likely that we will have a few spare too! Browse and sign up via the link below... Browse Class 31 Range Here View the full article

Ah, new model delays. It seems something that is always talked about in our hobby. And nobody has been more guilty about than us. We have been learning from our previously optimistic timelines though, and put some improvements in place to better gauge delivery times. Our O gauge Ruston for instance was delivered on time from our initial announcement. And now, we've gone crazy, and will deliver a model EARLY! Yes, our ICI hoppers which we billed as being due in Q3 of this year? Well, they're finished, and will leave the factory in the coming days. So, they will now land in Q2! While not every project forevermore will be like this, and indeed we are sure some will be late again in the future despite our best efforts, it does show that sometimes a project can come together nicely. A special mention to our factory too, who made these for the first time but to an excellent standard and finish. Let's indulge in some photos of the production samples! Twin packs of these in-demand wagons are priced at £74.95 each, with 10% off when you buy two-four packs and 15% off when you buy five or more packs! They are available direct from our website only, with limited stock remaining. Make sure you don't miss out, order below! Pre-Order Your ICI Wagons Here! View the full article

Hi Phil, Yes, it's going to take about a week to sort everything. Thanks for your patience! Cheers! Fran

Obligatory boxes pics!

You may have noted in recent days that we have sent you an email from accurascale with an account being set up for you. This isn't spam or a scam. We are just making some changes to IRM and how we work as we grow. We've been running two warehouses and two different websites, and it takes a lot of work and manpower to cover it all. So, what we are doing is merging it all into one, with warehousing and websites now being hosted in one central location. This means that you will be ordering your IRM goodies via the accurascale website, and your goodies will be sent from the UK. "But what about customs???" You may ask. Well, there is no need to worry. All of that is now taken care by us when you order, so you will not be charged anything on your doorstep if you live in Ireland. We will also maintain our current shipping rates. Loyalty bonus points from the IRM accounts will also be transferred to your new account on the accurascale website so you don't lose out either. However, to facilitate this, we need you to open the emails we've sent you and "activate" your account following the instructions in the email. Overall, this transition will have no impact on you. All you will do is now buy from Accurascale, but still in euro prices. You will also be able to use your IRM points on Accurascale products, should something British outline take your fancy. Pricing will remain exactly the same, in Euro with Irish / EU VAT as applicable, so there are no changes there! If you have an accurascale account already then you don't need to do anything, you are already set up! Over the next week all your IRM orders that are open will be in the same log in. Thereafter, you can still type in irishrailwaymodels.com and find the accurascale website, but you will need to activate your new account to login and keep your points. We look forward to seeing you at accurascale.com! View the full article

"We need more EMUs!" "More modern stock please! Nobody is making four car units!" Well, we've listened, and here is what so many of you have been calling for. We're teaming up with Rails Of Sheffield to produce the ultimate Electrostar. And we mean ultimate. We're looking for expressions of interest in producing the ultimate model of the Electrostar family of modern 4 car EMU units in 00/4mm scale. The project follows hot on the heels of our successful Class 89 partnership, which is now nearing completion of manufacture. For our next joint project, both companies decided on yet another stand-out candidate, and something that will both impress on a technical level but also be something much desired within the hobby. One area that has been underrepresented when it comes to new models is the 4 car multiple unit area, particularly EMUs. The Electrostar family has been identified as once such area that requires a Ready-to-Run model, so we set to work on this ambitious project a number of years ago (pre-COVID!) Our Development Team identified the opportunity to include all variants of the Class 375, Class 377, Class 379 and Class 387 Electrostars, which will make up the tooling suite of our first EMU. The sheer variation and myriad of detail differences across this large family of units makes it our biggest project to date in terms of tooling and cost, as well as development lead time. Excited by the prospect of being associated with such a groundbreaking and technologically innovative model, Rails of Sheffield was keen to partner up with us to bring the Electrostar to market and became involved in the embryonic stages of the project. The launch of the project is being considered over two separate production runs. The most technologically complex dual-power versions, namely the 375/6s, the 377/2s and 377/5s, the 379s and the 387/1s and 387/2s will form the basis of the project. Should these be successful, other members of the Electrostar family will then be modelled at a later date. History In Autumn 1999, just as our Electrostar Project Manager Paul Isles was about to leave his job in London and finish with the daily commute from the Kent coast, rumours began to circulate that the slam door stock that we loathed as commuters (and loved as enthusiasts) would soon be replaced by a new class of more modern (and hopefully, more reliable) Electric Multiple Unit. The occasional 4-car Class 465 Networker EMU ventured down to Dover, but on the whole, Kent Coast commuters were still living the life of travelling in noisy, draughty, weatherbeaten and past-their-best 4-CIGs and 4-VEPs. But when the Class 375 Electrostars finally arrived on the routes in 2000, everything changed for the better. The Electrostar story spans a manufacturing period of 18 years, seven different classes, a multitude of sub-classes, three different manufacturers’ names above the door, over 650 sets in service and a geographical spread across southern Britain, and still the story continues. The privatisation of the United Kingdom’s rail market in the mid-1990s was more akin to the 1889 Oklahoma land rush, with a horde of new franchises poised to take over the rail network, and manufacturers saw the opportunity to create more modern passenger train designs to fulfil their needs, with Siemens, Alstom and ADtranz being the prominent players in the market. ADtranz, in particular, saw the potential in creating a modular design based on a common body to suit both suburban and outer-suburban markets, with differing seating layouts, traction sources and train lengths, and to meet this concept, the Turbostar (diesel powered) and Electrostar (AC/DC powered) families were created. Bodies were built as aluminium monocoques, with steel ends for energy absorption (the cabs being GRP and steel), with one piece aluminium roofs and the underframe equipment being suspended from a ‘raft’, allowing for flexibility in equipment layout. Two pairs of bi-parting doors on each side of the vehicles allows for rapid entry/exit of passengers and an integrated seating rail in the body design allows for different seating configurations of 2+1, 2+2 and 2+3 laterally, or even longitudinal seating. Traction for the Electrostars can be via 750V DC bogie mounted Third Rail provision, or 25kV AC overhead power collection via the pantograph and where AC power is not required, the pantograph equipment is simply omitted, leaving a blank well on those TSOL vehicles. The bogies themselves were ADTranz’s own design, being the P3-25 powered bogie, or the T3-25 trailer bogie. The first of the Electrostar family built were the Class 357 4-car sets, constructed by ADTranz and entering service in 2000, and these were followed by the Class 375 family of 3-car 375/3 units, and 375/6, 375/7, 375/8 and 375/9 4-car units, being built by ADTranz (subsequently Bombardier) for the Kent Coast services under Connex, then SouthEastern. At the same time, the South Central franchise (later Southern) also required replacements for its slamdoor stock and although these Tightlock equipped sets were initially delivered as Class 375, a change to Dellner couplings resulted in a change of classification, becoming the Class 377 family of 4-car 377/1, 377/2, 377/4 and 377/5 units, and the 3-car 377/3 units. Subsequently, Southern also added 5-car units to the fleet in 2013 to cover delayed Thameslink stock, resulting in the addition of 377/6 and 377/7 variants. Electrostars were also built to serve the high volume services in South-East London, North Kent and London Overground, resulting in the 5-car Class 376 sets and Class 378 ‘Capitalstar’ sets of the mid-2000s. At the end of the 21st century’s first decade, National Express East Anglia ordered Electrostar sets for the Stansted Express and Cambridge services and with their extended luggage accommodation and low density seating, these 4-car sets became Class 379, setting the standard for the last of the Electrostar family to enter service. The final member of the family was the 4-car Class 387; a development of the Class 377 and Class 379 fleets that was capable of running at 110mph and suitable for long distance workings. Originally ordered for Thameslink as Class 387/1, the Class has extended to another two variants; 377/2 and 377/3 as the type have gone on to serve Great Western Railway, Gatwick Express, Heathrow Express, Great Northern, c2c and recently, Southern. The Model Such is the level of research required to execute these units correctly, we employed a new approach to scanning. In addition to the common exterior scans to create an overall cloudpoint model, our Development Team also employed the services of a rail head scanning specialist for the bogies and underframe, to ensure that those areas which are normally in a digital ‘shadow’ were covered to give the ultimate in underframe detailing. This ensures that the underframe detailing and cabinets are very visible from side views and to get placement perfectly aligned, We needed to scan the underframe ‘raft’, with and without equipment attached. How in-depth are we going? Let Paul show you in our launch video! Extensive drawing sets being provided and the number of surveys undertaken. The Alstom team at Ramsgate depot were on hand to provide 100s of drawings, and photographic/measuring surveys were undertaken at Ramsgate, Ashford, Brighton and Reading depots, as well as at Alstom’s Derby works. This has resulted in a whole new approach to UK outline multiple units, with an extensive tooling suite to cover the exhaustive list of detail variations over the life of these units. Our vision for our first UK outline multiple unit is equally ambitious, with a desire to bring the highest specification possible to the Electrostar model. The model will feature DCC operating pantographs, operating CDL lights, motors driving the leading and trailing axles of the DMCOs, which also have working magnetic front mounted Tightlock, or Dellner couplings (depending on variant). Each sound fitted unit will have a speaker mounted in every car to give a full surround sound experience of the real trains. Full interior lighting with each car having a power bank of capacitors for flicker free lighting. Each unit will have correct seating arrangements depending on class and operator, and all the DCC functions will be controlled by one central DCC decoder only. Our tried and trusted method of helical gearing, unique in UK outline, will be employed in these units too, giving a constant mesh and offer smooth, near silent, running. Fully directional lighting, with full range of light options for day/night running and shunting/yard configurations, and of course, separate cab lighting at each end along with front and side lit destination boards. A total of ten running numbers across three different operators and from Classes 375 and 377 form the first run, with Classes 379 and 387 arriving in the second run. Express Your Interest And Pre-Order A project of this scale of tooling variation, complexity and intricacy incurs a significant cost and therefore, considerable risk is taken. To ensure that this risk is mitigated as much as possible, both Rails and ourselves are calling for concrete “expressions of interest” to be placed for this model, with a £50 reservation fee required when placing an order per unit before Friday, March 28th 2025 at 5pm. Should we decide not to proceed with the project after this deadline, then all reservations will be refunded. Should the project go ahead, the reservation fee will be deducted from the final price and will not be refundable. If this project gets the green light from modellers, the CAD, which is ready to go to tooling, will be submitted to the factory and tooling will commence straight away after the March 28th deadline. As part of our regular production updates, an expected delivery date will be available after the first, working sample is delivered and tested extensively, but we ask modellers to bear in mind that delivery is likely to be 2-2.5 years away at least due to the complex development of the extensive specification required. As per the Class 89, the models will be available exclusively via the Accurascale and Rails of Sheffield websites, and the Rails of Sheffield shop. Total price is £499.95 for DC/DCC Silent Fitted 4 car unit, and £599.95 DCC Sound Fitted, with £50 reservation fees deducted from this total amount should the project go ahead. The balance will be taken once the models arrive in stock. DC modellers will be able to use either configuration on their layouts, with limited sound functionality with the DCC sound variants. You can place your expression of interest and browse the first proposed first production run on both the Accurascale and Rails of Sheffield websites. Pre-Order Direct From Accurascale Here MODEL SPECIFICATION: Die-cast metal chassis, with ABS plastic body Low mounted, high quality 5-pole skew-wound motor, with single flywheel, driving the lead bogie of the DMCO only. This means that each 4-car unit is powered from the front and rear cars Helical gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running Gearing arranged so unit can achieve a scale maximum top speed of 100 mph (128.75 km/h) as a 2 x 4-car unit Supplied as DCC Silent Fitted, or DCC Sound fitted (Both Will Run On DC) Scale lengths: DMCO: Scale length of 262.24mm over body ends, and 36.745mm wide MSOL and PTSOL: Scale length of 258.4mm over body ends, and 36.745mm width Bogie centres at 186mm, allowing operation over a minimum radius of 438mm (2nd radius set-track) Single style of 11mm solid wheel, to the new profile blackened 00 Gauge RP25-110 standard, set in blackened brass bearings or contact strips and conforming to Accurascale standards of 14.4mm back-to-back, on 2mm axles over 26mm pinpoints. Brake discs to be inset separate items Fully detailed die-cast underframes with all cylinders, battery boxes, cabinets and piping applied separately Seating layouts modelled to specific classes/sub-classes Leading Cars (DMCO) have working magnetic front mounted Tightlock, or Dellner couplings (depending on variant) Inter-car connection by 10-pin custom designed male/female connectors, allowing the operation of all functions, across all cars, from A SINGLE DECODER MSOL and PTSOL/TSOL are un-motored (or dummy) cars, but retain full lighting features, being DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power PTSOL to feature DCC operated Pantograph, a slimline roof mounted development of the successful Accurascale unit used in the Class 92 and 89 projects Eroded metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including (but not limited to) roof details, handrails, door handles, kick plates, lamp brackets, brake gear, brake discs, draw gear, vents and louvres Prism free flush glazing Easy access to PCB for decoder fitting Designed to work with the ESU LOKSOUND V5 21-PIN Decoder with easy access. Blanking plate to carry switches for limited DC lighting options Fully directional lighting, with full range of light options for day/night running and shunting/yard configurations Separate cab lighting Full passenger interior lighting in all vehicles, set at correct colour temperature, with hidden stay-alive capacitors Operable Central Door Locking (CDL) lights on bodysides Supplied DCC Sound Ready, with fitted ESU 22mm x 42mm x 8.0mm rectangular 4Ω speakers and Passive Radiators, in all vehicles View the full article

As we grow as a company we have been slowly ticking off our "firsts" as we go on year by year. First wagon, first loco, first coach, and so on. One "first" we have yet to achieve is a train pack. However, we're delighted to announce that we are about to change that with the announcement of our first ever train pack, based on the Longmoor Military Railway (LMR) sphere of operations. It will feature on of our rather lovely Hunslet Austerity locomotives and a pair of our delicious Mark 1 Suburban coaches. History of the LMR Starting life as the Woolmer Instructional Railway in 1909, for sixty years the British Army operated a railway dedicated to training soldiers how to operate a complete strategic rail supply system. A self-contained system, the Longmoor Military Railway became ever more popular with rail enthusiasts, culminating in the hugely popular open days and special trains to the site during the 1960s that influenced the appearance and allocation of internal rolling stock. Post-war, as training commitments reduced, worn out rolling stock was replaced, rather than repaired, with British Railways’ rolling stock being purchased by 1 Rly Gp Royal Engineers and in the mid-1960s, mindful that higher capacity passenger trains were required for Open Days and Special Events, this included surplus Mk.1 Non-Gangway compartment stock; these ex-BR vehicles even being painted into the LMR Oxford Blue livery to maintain appearances. The Locomotive Hunslet Engine 3796 was completed in 1953 to the wartime Austerity design. Deemed surplus almost immediately, the locomotive was placed in store at Longmoor and then at Bicester. The locomotive entered traffic in 1955 and spent time working at Honeybourne, Bicester and Longmoor variously until it was called upon for its first filming role. In 1965, the Longmoor military railway was chosen as the set for the filming of the “Great St Trinians train robbery”, and 3796 was painted black and numbered as 68011 to represent a BR J94. After filming, the number 196 was reinstated as was the typical Longmoor Military railway lined blue livery (although 68011 was still visible, painted on the smokebox door!) The second starring role for 196 happened in 167 when once again the Longmoor railway was used as a set. This time for the movie “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, 196 appeared in blue this time but had GWR lettering on the tank to cover the LMR, it also had its dome cover painted brass and a farcically tall chimney extension. Of interest here is that the real car that the story was based upon, was owned and raced by Count Louis Zborowski, a railway enthusiast who had a passion for 15 inch gauge railways and partnered with Captain J E P Howey to build the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway (sadly Zborowski never saw the railway completed). In January of 1968, 196 was chosen to carry the name of Major General Errol Lonsdale who was the then chief of Army transport. 196 became the last locomotive to be named at Longmoor and was given the full white wheel treatment ahead of gaining its nameplates. When Longmoor closed in 1970 the 196 was purchased by the Kent and East Sussex railway before moving to the Mid Hants railway in 1976 and was rededicated with its Errol Lonsdale nameplates in 1978. Latterly it spent time running in BR black at the South Devon railway, numbered as its film star role, 68011. By 2009 the locomotive was again out of traffic and was sold to the Stoomcentrum in Maldegem, Belgium where it has been restored to full working condition and painted in its original WD Green livery The Coaches Records from the LMR show that 13 ex-BR Midland Region Mk.1s were transferred to Longmoor in either 1965, or 1968, comprising 11 x Brake Seconds and 2 x Seconds, although cross-referencing this list against Hugh Longworth’s book tells another story. According to the LMR, the Brake Seconds were M43231, M43233, M43234, M43235, M43239, M43245, M43258, M43269, M43275, M43286 and M43296, while the Seconds were M46069 and M46070. However, according to Longworth, 18 ex-BR Midland Region Mk.1s were transferred, these being Brake Seconds M43231, M43233, M43234, M43235, M43239, M43245, M43249, M43254, M43258, M43259, M43289, M43291, M43296 and M43309, along with Seconds M46069, M46070, M46075 and M46079. Of these, M43233, M43234 and 43235 were never renumbered into the LMR’s numbering scheme, while the remaining coaches received either the AD prefix (1965 transfers), or the later ARMY prefix (1968 transfers). The AD prefixed coaches later assumed the ARMY prefix from 1968. On arrival at the LMR, the coaches were all in BR lined Maroon, most still carrying their ‘condemned’ cross within a circle. M43233, M43234 and 43235 were never repainted, and although M43245 received AD and ARMY prefixes, there is no record of any livery changes. The 1965 arrivals remained in their BR Maroon until being repainted into LMR Oxford Blue in 1967/68. Of the 1968 arrivals, only M46070 wore LMR Blue, the others going straight into Olive Drab after arrival. Upon closure in 1969, the surviving Mk.1 stock was either transferred to other MoD outposts, such as Radway Green or Marshwood, or listed for auction. Those not sold were scrapped on site at Longmoor, while others sold into preservation have since mostly been scrapped, although there have been some notable exceptions, such as M43289 (ARMY 5310) which is preserved on the Great Central Railway. Our two LMR Mk.1 models represent Brake Second ARMY 5301 (ex-M43231) and Second ARMY 3302 (Ex-M46070) in 1968, when both were wearing the LMR Oxford Blue livery. ARMY 5301 was built at Doncaster under Lot 30093 in 1954, originally being numbered as M53231 until a conflict with DMU numbering led to British Railways renumbering the 53xxx vehicles into the 43xxx range to avoid confusion. Taken out of service in October 1964, the vehicle was transferred to the LMR on 22 February 1965, being numbered as AD 03031 in 1966, before renumbering as AD 3031 in 1967 and ARMY 5301 in 1968. Initially painted Olive Drab in 1966, it was repainted into LMR Oxford Blue in 1967. At closure of the LMR, the coach was preserved first at the East Somerset Railway, and then at the Keighley & Worth Valley, before finally being scrapped in June 1982. Second ARMY 3302 (ex-M46070) was built at Derby under Lot 30051 in 1954 and was also taken out of service in October 1964, the vehicle transferring to the LMR in early 1968 and being numbered ARMY 3302 from the start. Repainted into LMR Oxford Blue at the same time, the vehicle was sold to the East Somerset Railway upon closure of the LMR, but was scrapped in February 1971 at Liss. The Set Based upon two of our latest model ranges, the LMR train pack consists of two of our fabulous Mark 1 suburban coaches, widely lauded as some of the finest coaches ever produced in 00/4mm scale and one of our very cute forthcoming Hunslet Austerity tank locomotives. An Accurascale Exclusives release, and therefore only available direct via our website, this special limited edition set will of course come in our much loved and coveted special presentation packaging and features etched nameplates and additional features such as distressed coach roof printing and running numbers that will never be available outside of this set. Both DC/DCC ready and DCC Sound Fitted sets will be offered, priced at £299.95 and £399.95 respectively. Delivery is Q2 2026. Pre-order yours only direct via our website below! Pre-order Your LMR Train Pack Here! View the full article

Building on the success of our 78xx Manors, which of course was our first steam locomotive, we announced our large family of 57xx/67xx and 8750 range of the GWR/BR Pannier tanks to great fanfare at the final Warley show in late 2023. Since then we have moved swiftly from tooling samples to painted samples as we showed off in the Autumn, including our lovely pair of officially licenced Accurascale Exclusive pair of London Transport panniers. It was not until we put some colour on our panniers that it was noted that a couple of details were not quite right. These were identified and discussed at length on our thread on RMWeb, where several experts provided assistance to help us with a couple of detail corrections. Our original samples were black, which is the one colour we dislike having samples in, as it can "hide" some errors, making them more difficult to spot. The splash of colour of LT maroon and GWR green helped bring these to the fore. It was noted that the straps on the smokebox door were too close together and that the dome was slightly angled and not vertical at the sides. We discussed the latter with the factory, and it was confirmed that this was to assist with mould release, a part of the manufacturing process to help the part release from the injection moulding machine correctly. Many, many steam models have a very, very gentle slope, almost unrecognisable to the eye to assist in this process. However, if it was noticeable in our photos published of these samples then we felt it stuck out too much. So, we went back to the factory and after some head scratching and brain storming, they came up with a fantastic solution to active a perfectly vertical angle so the dome could be replicated correctly on our model. We have since received a sample showcasing these improvements and we are blown away with the subtle but definitive difference it has made as can be seen above (all the other images in this blog feature samples with the incorrect details). It can always be easy for manufacturers to "blame" the factory for anything that goes wrong. Of course, they can make mistakes like us all, and they're only human too, but their expertise, knowledge, talent and engineering skills are unbelievable and when they can come up with solutions like above they should be duly commended for their efforts. Naturally, the tooling changes left us with a dilemma that we often face. Do we ignore, plough on, and deliver on time? Or, do we take the time to correct it and add in a slight delay to delivery? These delays can be frustrating for customers, and have massive financial implications for manufacturers as it means waiting even longer to recoup your return on investment. And this investment is huge, indeed without much change from half a million quid. You can see why some models proceed without errors being corrected as a result. However, detail issues and mistakes can be even more frustrating for modellers, and we know our customers would rather the best pannier they can have, rather than the quickest. After all, it will be in your collection and in service on your layout for many years to come, you want it to be right. Right? We would find them frustrating too. So, we bit the bullet and made the corrections. So, what does this mean for the timeline, as they're supposed to be arriving in Q1 2025 which is between now and the end of March. Well, they will now arrive in late Q2, which is looking at late June of 2025. We apologise for this delay, but we hope the above offers some clarity. Our exquisite panniers will be a wonderful model when they land on your layout, and at just £139.95 DC/DCC ready and £239.99 DCC sound fitted they also offer exceptional value for money in todays market. Pre-order via your local stockist, or direct below! Pre-Order Your Panniers Here! View the full article

The new arrivals keep rolling off the production line and into our hands here at Accurascale Towers as we continue to catch up on our backlog and finally see some light at the end of the tunnel. Back-log is rather apt, as today we reveal our production sample Class 50s! Demand for our hoovers has been huge. So much so, we had to extend the size of the first production run of these iconic beats twice over. This resulted in the delivery delay (as well as some tooling refinements throughout the process) but we are delighted to announce that production is now complete on our EE Type 4s! We received the production samples just before Chinese New Year began last month, and have been assessing them ever since. Overall, the decoration, fit and finish, as well as build quality and performance are excellent and we are delighted with how they have turned out. We have observed some minor fettling points such as fit of the removable roof hatch and some smaller details, and have asked for these to be improved before delivery. This will be fed back to the factory once they open next week, but we do not foresee it causing any major delivery delays. Once we hear back from the factory as they assess our feedback and make a plan of implementation, we will have a confirmed delivery date which we will then share with you. But, they're very close to setting off from the factory to our warehouse! In the meantime, let's check oogle our vacs! With the recent arrival of our Mark 2c coaches, these 50s make a very timely appearance in our quest to build out full train formations in a joined up range of models. We are currently sold out pre-order, but will likely have some stock back on sale after they arrive with us, and your local stockist may still have availability too, so be sure to check them out! Watch out for a more accurate delivery date within the next two weeks, but look forward to a spring delivery for your hoover! View the full article

Hold on, I’ll get my crystal ball out and check….

Warehouse Relocation Sale - 40% off EVERYTHING IN STOCK NOW Due to a warehouse move in February, we are running an absolutely amazing, one-off sale on all items between now and the moving date of February 7th! How about 40% off everything in stock right now? This includes coaches, wagons, accessories, vehicles like our exclusive buses, the lot! The less we have to carry with us to our new location, the better, so fill your boots via the link below. https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/in-stock

Hi folks, The ship is taking longer than envisaged to arrive at port. We are looking at a Mid February delivery now I'm afraid! Re missing stuff on the website; we'll look into it! Cheers! Fran

Great news! Our first ever O gauge locomotive, the Ruston 88DS Diesel Mechanical shunter, has arrived and is now in stock on our website and with your local accurascale stockist! Our first run is a colourful bunch of models, signifying the long and varied careers of these industrial little powerhouses. From BR to a wealth of industries, they offer a wild variety of possibilities of new and fun small O Gauge layouts, as well as fitting in on your established railway, shunting some industrial or engineering workings. n Colourful and perhaps (?) even cute, check out what you get when you purchase an Accurascale O gauge locomotive! With a powerful motor and diecast chassis, these little beauties can also haul well beyond the capacity the real locomotives were expected to move, ensuring excellent performance on your layout. With our powerbank capacitors on board too, you can be guaranteed that the mighty little Ruston will perform without interruption across pointwork, despite its short wheelbase (works on DCC only). With all liveries offered in straight DC/DCC Ready as well as DCC sound fitted guises, and liveries which cover a wide range of industries, there really is something for every O gauge enthusiast, or someone looking for something new or different to do with their modelling ideas! Order yours now via your local stockist, or direct via the link below. We are the only place to get your Tarmac locomotive in special presentation packaging too, so don't miss out on that! Order today direct via the link below! Order Your Ruston 88DS In O Gauge Here! View the full article

The side grilles are oversized too, and for me spoils the look even more so than the bogies in the wrong place. Well made and neatly finished by the factory, but some clangers when it comes to prototypical accuracy sadly! Now, the SLW Class 25. There's a different story!

Our first announcement of 2025 is a 21st century rendition of a truly iconic wagon that is much needed in 00/4mm; the BR 1/051 China Clay "Clayhood" Wagons! History BR built a total of 875 of these wagons across several batches from 1954 up until 1960. These wagons were built to complement and eventually replace the GWR O.13 clay wagons that were nearing 40 years old at the time. To be compatible with existing China clay infrastructure, the wagons are dimensionally similar to their predecessors and featured a 9ft wheelbase. Cornwall and South Devon had a rich history in the production of China clay and many small branches were opened to allow the railways to carry this important product. Small engines would be working these often lightly laid branches carrying wagons loaded with China clay down to yards on the main line. These would eventually link up with the docks for transhipment to boats or for full trainloads of China clay to be sent to the potteries or further afield. Although associated with China clay, this wasn’t all that was carried in this fleet of wagons, ball clay was also transported. Ball clay was used for the “body” of much clay product and was transported wet, China clay powder was used in the glazing process and had to be transported dry. Tarpaulin sheets were added to the wagons to keep the precious cargo dry resulting in the familiar name “clay hoods”. The first 3 batches of wagons, totalling 300, were built without vacuum fittings and were independently braked. They would have been outshopped in the traditional BR unfitted grey like other wagons of the era. The nature of China clay meant it had to be transported dry and the “hoods” became a feature of these wagons. A tarpaulin sheet would be fitted once loading was completed and when the wagon ran back empty, the sheet would simply be folded up and travel back either in the bottom of the empty wagon or in a dedicated box van marshalled in the train just for carrying wagon sheets. During 1958 the initial 300 unfitted wagons were listed for works visits to have vacuum brake equipment fitted and the brakes changed to the BR Morton type. With this conversion came a repaint into the BR Bauxite worn by BR vacuum fitted vehicles. The next change came to the wagons with the advent of TOPS (total operations processing system), this meant the 13t China clay wagons gained a new name, they became classified as UCV. Many small changes to the wagon fleet happened over time, as with other fleets of wagons. Axle box styles differed, as did buffers – some were even fitted with roller bearing axle boxes for travelling at higher speeds. The flat hood had worked fine in principle but problems with the British weather meant that sometimes the rainwater would “pool” in depressed areas around the load and could be problematic when removing the sheet resulting in the china clay becoming damp. From 1975 wagons were modified with the familiar “pent” hood they have become associated with. This work involved fitting a tarpaulin bar to the wagon and a custom made wagon sheet that would fit snugly over the bar allowing rainwater to simply run off. From this modification it was also now stipulated that the sheet should not be removed when the wagon was empty, it must be always fitted. This change did not happen to all wagons overnight, or even at all, and the two types could be seen running together for quite some time. As mentioned earlier, China clay was not the only product to be carried in these wagons, ball clay was also transported. The nature of ball clay, being a wet, lumpy product meant that ideally the wagons would not be mixed up and as such, legends “for China clay only” or “for ball clay only” were applied to the wagon’s sides specifying their intended traffic. Sometimes, this text was not visible under the bottom edges of the hood, so on the new “pent” hood types, a yellow stripe was applied to the bottom edge of the blue hood to those wagons intended to carry ball clay. The final change for the wagons came in 1983 when the there was a mass TOPS recoding of wagons. The UCVs were listed to be changed to OOV and as such the new code was applied to the wagons at the next works visit. Sadly, the fleets days were numbered, and this staple of Cornish railway scene was to be withdrawn and replaced by the air braked CDA wagons in 1988. The Iconic nature of the “Clayhoods” ensured several have survived into preservation. Some have been plinthed as a memorial to the China clay industry and others have been restored as part of a working China clay train on the Bodmin and Wenford Railway with several others scattered around various railway museums. The Model The Accurascale clay hood is able to reproduce these wagons from when they were first built, across various modifications right up to the point of withdrawal. We have the ability to model different axle boxes, buffers and hood configurations including the tie down hooks that were added for the later pent hoods in a different position to the earlier “discs” that had been used for the tarpaulin sheets. The sheets/hoods on our wagons are removable showing a fully detailed interior and tarpaulin bar (if fitted) with correctly oriented longitudinal floor planks. The wagons feature a diecast underframe and axles running in brass bearings for super smooth running. As you can see from the photos and via our exclusive reveal via Hornby magazine, we are well advanced with these wagons being at the decorated stage. Production is now under way with an envisaged guide delivery date of Q4 of 2025. Priced at just £89.95 per triple pack, these wagons are of course available with our bundle discount rakes of 10% off when you order 2-4 packs, and 15% off when you order 5 packs or more. With these beauties running up to 50 wagons in length that makes for a very healthy and handy saving. Pre-order yours via your local stockist, or via the link below to order direct for no money down! Pre-order Your Clayhood Wagons Here! Specification Highly detailed model constructed from plastic and die-cast metal 42g Weight per Wagon RP25.110 chemically blackened OO gauge wheel sets Blackened brass bearings conforming to Accurascale standard of 14.4mm back-to-back on 2mm axles over 26mm pinpoints. Etched metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including, but not limited to, handrails, grab handles, door handles, lamp brackets, brake hoses, though pipes, and brake gear. Turned sprung metal buffers Two buffer types – standard heavy duty and OLEO NEM standard coupler pockets Narrow tension lock couplers included Individual lettering and codes from real wagons for authenticity Accessory Bag included which contains instanter couplings View the full article

Who said austerity has to be drab? With the wide variety of colour schemes our lovely little Austerity tanks received over the years, the last thing they can be accused of now is being drab! Arriving over Christmas, our decorated samples of our lovely Hunslets in OO/4mm gauge are looking very sharp indeed, and follow our newer practice of announcing later in the project timeline, meaning shorter waits for delivery to customers. There are some corrections to be made, with sandbox lids white instead of the correct black they should be, and the motion is currently unpainted, which will be updated on the finished models. We also have some corrections to make to Glendower, but these will all be sorted for production. Updated artwork below (sample displays original incorrect artwork) We have also taken the opportunity with the Austerities to make the humble and rather ugly tension lock couplings, so sworn by by many, and sworn at by others a bit more unobtrusive by moulding the loop in clear plastic. We're not going to call it exactly an innovation, but welcome to the Accurascale Invisilocks! Anyway, enough of all that. Let's take a closer look! Looking pretty good so far! We're delighted to report that we are on schedule with these handsome little tanks for delivery in Q2 of 2026. Also, look out for an "Accurascale Exclusives" model announced very soon! Pre-order yours via your local stockist, or direct for no money down with free UK postage and packaging and cashback points via the link below! Pre-Order Your Austerity Tanks Here! View the full article

Thank you for your patience and understanding around the utterly frustrating issues with the clamshell packaging and motor clips which have affected some of our AB models. It has been unfortunate to say the least that your shiny new model arrived damaged or not operating and we fully understand the frustration around that. We have been utterly frustrated too and was something that took us by surprise. These things can happen when taking over a project already underway, but still, it was equally frustrating for us that our latest locomotive release was upsetting customers. We took this feedback on board and went back to the factory who were keen to work with us to put things right. So, over the Christmas period, all remaining AB tanks in stock have had remanufactured motor clips added as well as a revised clamshell plastic packaging to prevent in transit damage. All AB tanks currently on sale have these improvements so you can now buy them with confidence. But, what about those of you who bought locos already? Well, never fear. Firstly, your lifetime warranty has you covered should you have any issues, and if they arise, we will either send you the replacement clip and packaging, or when you send the loco back for repair should it need it, then it will come back with these new parts and packaging included. Once again, sincere apologies for this issue and we hope the above goes some way to restore confidence in our cute little tank locos. We also have DCC decoders and crews now in stock, so grab them while you can too. Order below! Order Your Andrew Barclay Saddle Tank Here You can order yours now that they are back on sale here: View the full article

Following on from the arrival of the BR Blue Mark 1 subs in the Autumn of 2024 and now the Carmine variants arriving just after Christmas (and are currently being dispatched to customers!) we have just received the decorated samples of the much desired maroon livery. Let's take a closer look below! Looking pretty tasty, right? Perfect for our green Brush Type 2s, or a multitude of other pioneer diesel classes and the twilight years of steam, these coaches have been highly acclaimed since they began to arrive on layouts and in collections in their BR Blue and Carmine liveries. Lined and unlined Maroon livery now completes the BR era story for these characterful people carriers. These livery samples have been signed off for production which will now commence post Chinese New Year, with a delivery date of Q3 of 2025. Place your pre-order with your local stockist, or below! Pre-Order Your Maroon Mark 1 Sub Coaches Here! View the full article