Warbonnet

Hi folks, Some prototype inspiration should you need it! Cheers! Fran

Great news! Hot on the heels of our Dublin Show announcement of the Bulleid Open wagons, our next wagon on the iconic triangulated underframe is the LB flat wagons, and the Permanent Way Department variants! We have some exciting updates coming on the Bulleid opens before Christmas, but for now let's turn our attentions to the second wagon on this platform. LB Flats As Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) continued its programme of rolling stock renewal under the tenure of Oliver Bulleid as its Chief Mechanical Engineer, Inchicore Works turned its attention to the construction of a humble but useful flat wagon with a 12-ton capacity. Utilising a version of Bulleid’s patented triangulated chassis developed as the basis for a variety of CIÉ wagons, a total of 79 were turned out between March and April 1958. Given the designation ‘LB’, these diminutive vehicles soon found their way into mixed goods trains the length and breadth of the Irish railway network. Featuring removable stanchions and anchor points for tethering chains, the wagons could be quickly adapted to carry a variety of large single-unit loads, and they were commonly spotted at yards and goods sheds with items such as cars, tractors and pre-ISO containers on board. They were also pressed into service on permanent way trains to carry equipment and even small amounts of ballast and spoil. The winding-down of wagonload goods traffic in favour of more lucrative and efficient trainload ‘liner’ operations in the 1970s meant that the LB flat wagons became a rare sight as the decade wore on, but they could still occasionally be found in maintenance trains until the early 1980s. PWD Flats The last development in the series of two-axle wagons produced by Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) to feature Oliver Bulleid’s triangulated underframe design is one the company’s then Chief Mechanical Engineer likely did not envisage while overseeing design and production of ‘H Vans’ during the 1950s. The rise of continuously-braked ‘liner’ trains in the 1970s heralded the demise of the quaint and old-fashioned wagonload approach and CIÉ found itself with hundreds of redundant wagons. The scale of this transition necessitated the establishment of a scrapping facility at the old Midland Great Western Railway permanent way yard in Mullingar, where most of these vehicles were broken up. However, an opportunity was recognised to repurpose the chassis of some H Vans which were at that time awaiting their fate. By simply removing the wooden body and retaining portions of the brackets at either end to act as stanchions, CIÉ’s Permanent Way Department took charge of a small number of flat wagons to supplement and replace older types. Quite likely a stop-gap measure until funding for fleet upgrades could be secured, these wagons remained in service for a further decade and found use carrying machinery, ballast and spoil in maintenance trains around the network. The Model A fully diecast floor makes up part of the underframe structure to allow the wagon to get some much needed weight in and assist with delivering excellent running characteristics. A wealth of separate plastic detail consisting of all the braking and underframe gear, stanchions, sprung buffers and brass bearing cups to allow the smoothest of running complete the make up of these beautifully detailed wagons. Available in our typical triple packs, our first production run covers both the LB and PWD flats, Priced at €89.95 per triple pack, and 10% off when you buy two packs or more, they are due to arrive in stock in Q3 of 2024. Click the link below to place your pre-order. Pre-ordering early is recommended to avoid disappointment as production slots will be limited. PRE-ORDER YOUR FLATS HERE! View the full article

Our next all new model due to arrive in stock is our massive Mark 2 coach project, beginning with the NIR and RPSI coach packs, and finishing with our IR and IE orange and black Mark 2c coach packs. We reported recently that the NIR coaches are complete and are winging their way to us. We had previously reported that we had hoped to have them in hand a few weeks ago. The NIR Mark 2 production completion has coincided with the busiest shipping period of the year, with the demand for shipping from China to Europe at its zenith. Therefore, it took longer than expected to secure their passage to our warehouse. They are well on the way now and will land with us at the end of December, and will be dispatched to customers from early January. These coach packs are currently sold out on pre-order, but keep an eye on our website when they stock arrives as some will likely be made available for sale once again. IR/IE Mark 2b and 2c Coach Packs Hot on the heels of our NIR Mark 2 coaches will be our quad packs of IR and IE Mark 2c coaches (with the odd Mark 2b thrown in for good measure!) As you can see below, they're currently at the printing stage at the factory, and heading towards final assembly. Our factory has confirmed with us that these coaches will be complete ahead of Chinese New Year in late January 2024, and will arrive in stock with us in March 2024. We still have a limited supply of these available for sale on the website, so if you fancy them, we recommend you get your name down ASAP to ensure you get your hands on them. PRE-ORDER YOUR IRM MARK 2 COACHES HERE View the full article

Great news! Production of our Mark 2b coaches is complete and they are now finally on their way from China to the UK. The demand for these coaches, never done before at a high quality level in OO gauge Ready-to-Run format, has been huge, with a production run to match! All now long sold out direct, and also via some retailers, the anticipation for them has been huge. Naturally, we would usually spam this blog with lots of photos of the finished coaches, but we thought we would try something a bit different this time. A few weeks back, we lent some pre-production samples of these coaches to Dave from Dean Park on YouTube, and he ran the camera over them to show the features, details, and them running on his wonderful layout, which you can watch below. It will give you a good idea of what to expect on the finished models! Excited? We certainly are! The coaches are due to end with us in late January, when we will QC them and then post them out to the masses of excited modellers who have been patiently waiting for us to fill this large gap in BR coaching stock. We are sold out direct, but we do have some of our similar Mark 2c coaches which are now being assembled still available, and when stock arrives of the Mark 2b there will surely be some that come up for grabs. Click the link below to browse our Mark 2 range, and get your name on the waiting list or pre-order list! BROWSE THE MARK 2 RANGE HERE! View the full article

Hi everyone, Black Friday starts now! Don't miss out on savings on selected items on our website for this weekend only! Fancy getting an ADDITIONAL 20% off some IRM goodies this Black Friday Weekend? We're offering a bonanza deal on selected lines of Wagon Packs, vehicles and accessories between now and 6pm, Cyber Monday. Buy two or more wagon packs and ALSO get our 10% Bundle discount on top, not to mention 3% back in Reward Points and free Irish postage and packaging on all orders! (While stocks last, discount will be automatically added at Checkout when you add two or more items to your cart!) SHOP HERE: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/black-friday-deal Cheers! Fran

We've been busy delivering a lot of new models in recent weeks and months, but what about the next projects? Well, one of those is the Class 89, our rather wonderful one-off prototype electric model that we are producing in association with Rails of Sheffield. Back in the summer we showed off the first decorated samples of our Badger, and they certainly got the modelling public salivating at the prospect of one gracing their layout or collection in the near future. We did at the time outline one particular difficult area that we needed to nail in order to sign off on this model and that was the DCC sound file. The real locomotive is unique as we know, but this extends to its innards, and the 89 as a result sounds like nothing else on the rails. We had hoped that the real locomotive would be back together and that we could record it in time, but this sadly has not been the case, despite the amazing skills and dedication to the people who are working on her. As a result of this, we had hung on as long as we can, but now we must defer to historical recordings to replicate the sound for our model. This is easy enough done, but waiting for the real locomotive to be repaired resulted in us missing our production slot at the factory. We also had some work to do with the pantograph, which sits higher than the Class 92s so some fettling was also required which came up in the testing phase. The good news is that these issues are no longer halting progress of our model, and it is now in production. However, this does mean there has been a further delay, with the finished models now due in stock in Q3, 2024. We sincerely apologise for this delay, but we really wanted the best sound file to match this unique locomotive to really take it to the next level. We're delighted that the sound file we are preparing will sound fantastic though, and will demonstrate it in the new year. In the meantime production has commenced and we can no longer add any more capacity to the production lines, so remaining stock is limited. If you fancy an 89, now is the time to place your pre-order to avoid disappointment. Order via our friends at Rails of Sheffield, or below! Pre-Order Your Class 89 Here! View the full article

It's been all go here at Accurascale Towers, with the final batch of Class 37s, 21 ton mineral wagons and Manors arriving into stock, the first batch of Class 31s in production along with other goodies too and of course, Warley this weekend! But what about our Warley announcement from last year, the Class 50? Well, it's long overdue an update, and we are delighted to announce that the first of our decorated samples have arrived ahead of the show this weekend, and how fine they look too! Our first two decorated samples to land especially for the Warley show are 50014 "Warspite" in BR Large Logo livery with black roof, and 50008 "Thunderer" in her current and rather attractive Hanson and Hall grey scheme. As ever, fit and finish of these early samples requires some improvement, but our Accurahoover is shaping up very well indeed and it is always wonderful to reach the decorated milestone to see how paint sits on a locomotive. It also helps to show the depth to detail and mouldings. That removable roof panel needs to sit lower though, and will be addressed on the final models that will land on your layouts! The copper coloured pick ups behind the bogie frames will also be darkened on the final models, and the body will sit right on the chassis! Our Class 50 will follow in the footsteps of our Class 31 and feature a fully operational roof fan powered by a separate motor. It also looks the part, which always helps! We will have these pair of beauties on our stand at Warley for a closer look this coming weekend, and the other decorated samples for run one are will be with us in the next couple of weeks for assessment and we will bring you plenty of snaps of them too. Of course, we are 12 months on from our initial Class 50 announcement and had hoped to be further advanced with deliveries landing about now, but the ongoing semi-conductor shortage coupled with factory backlogs in completing production of other locomotives has slowed our pace somewhat. This has impacted the Class 50s but we are now at a stage where production can commence and will do shortly, once these samples are signed off, with a slot at the factory booked. This means that the revised delivery date for the Class 50 is now Q3 2024. We apologise for this delay but it has been beyond our control. With the Class 50 production slot now booked and quantities finalised there is only limited stock available left for sale as we cannot now increase the size of the production run. So, if you fancy one, make sure you place your pre-order with your local stockist, or direct via our website very soon before they sell out. Don't forget about our couple of very tasty Accurascale Exclusives too, along with limited editions for Rails of Sheffield and The Fifty Fund. Browse The 50 Range And Pre-Order Here! View the full article

Curious about Pannier tanks? Join our Project Manager Steve Purves as he takes us on a journey through the interesting and extensive history of these charismatic work horses! Background The pannier tank story starts in the early part of the 1900s when the Great Western Railway started to replace the round topped fireboxes on some of its older locomotives with more efficient Belpaire fireboxes. The Belpaire firebox is a square design and gives improved heat transfer from the fire to the water in the boiler however fitting a saddle tank over the top of such a design would prove unnecessarily difficult. Other railways had adopted side tanks in place of earlier saddle tanks, the tanks extending all the way down to the footplate. This is great for stability and water capacity but not so good when it comes to servicing the inside workings of a steam locomotive. The pannier tank was deemed to be a better all round decision and this was adopted as standard for almost all GWR 0-6-0 locomotives going forward. Rebuilds continued various elderly classes of locomotive right up to (and past) the grouping in 1923, this grouping brought a vast array of different designs of locomotive from 28 acquired companies. This created a nightmare for maintenance, crew training and rostering. A standard locomotive would be the answer. Concept and Early Orders What was required was a standard, go-anywhere lightweight yet powerful tank locomotive. One that everyone could be familiar with that’s easy to maintain and handle. The design drew from many now standard GWR features, Belpaire boiler, inside cylinders driven by Stephenson’s valve gear, enclosed cab and most notably, pannier tanks. From the design office of Charles B Collett, 100 locomotives were ordered, these were developed from the earlier rebuilt 2721 class and were designated the 5700 class. Of the first hundred locomotives, fifty were built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow (at both Hyde Park and Queens Park works) and fifty were built in the Great Westerns own workshops in Swindon. Almost immediately a further 200 locomotives were ordered, funded for by the British government as part of a work creation scheme. They 200 locomotives were split between 6 contractors: North British (50), Bagnall (50), Beyer-Peacock (25), Kerr-Stuart (25), Armstrong Whitworth (25) and Yorkshire Engine Co. (25). These 300 locomotives mostly formed class 5700 and became the standard pannier tank on the Great Western railway however they were not as standard as you think! 50 locomotives were built without steam heat, Vacuum braking and GWR ATC – This formed class 6700 and were used primarily for shunting and short trip freight work and as such weren’t equipped with screw couplings either, a simple 3 link chain was hung from the coupling hooks. The 9700’s Tagged on to the last batch of 5700 was a small build of ‘nearly’ pannier tanks that were built for working over London Transport metals to the Smithfield Market from Paddington. A radical departure from the appearance of the 5700, these had a shortened tank to make space for condensing equipment and weir pumps for feeding the boiler instead of injectors. To counter the loss of water capacity when the tanks were shortened, they were extended down to footplate level near the cab – which was also a new design with larger windows and more enclosed side sheets. Later Orders The larger and more comfortable cab on the 9700 class was incorporated into the latest breed of pannier tank. From 1933 the 8750 class was born. Nearly 500 locomotives followed to this basic design, right up until the last batch was completed by the Western region of British Railways in 1950. Like the 6700s before there was a further batch of no-heat and steam brake only locomotives, this time just ten were built and designated 6750 class. These, like the 6700s were outwardly identical to the parent class of which they belong. Operation The panniers benefitted from a low axle loading and were classified as ‘blue’ locomotives under the GWR’s route restriction policy. This allowed them to be utilised on pretty much the whole of the great western and later British Railways western region network. In fact, this blue coding was reduced to yellow in 1950 allowing them to reach even further branches around the country. The Great western also had its own power classification system which designated the panniers a ‘C’ which was later changed to 3F under the BR system. The combination of power and route availability was enough to ensure that the near 800 members of this type were fully employed. They could be found on almost every type of traffic thinkable, from local pick-up freight trains to shunting yards, branch line passenger services to ECS and pilot duties at the bigger stations. They really were the go-anywhere, do-anything locomotives of the western region. Withdrawals and post squadron service The first withdrawals started in 1956 and continued through until 1966 when the class were removed from squadron service. Many locomotives were cut and disposed of, but some found employment elsewhere. Thirteen locomotives were purchased by London Transport to work night-time infrastructure trains over the Metropolitan line. These locomotives were modified with reduced width cab roofs and the removal of steam heating. Trip cocks were fitted which allowed them to integrate with London Transport’s signalling system – these were small valves that were actuated by a ramp when a signal was passed at danger. These locomotives were used until the grand finale of LT steam in 1971, 3 years after steam on the main British Railways network was abolished. London transport was not the only purchaser, the National Coal Board took advantage of the good quality locomotives that were being withdrawn. The NCB locomotives were worked hard and soldiered on until the last was withdrawn 1975. Preservation The story does not stop there. Whilst some panniers were saved for preservation direct from BR the industrial and LT service gave preservationists a ‘second bite of the cherry’ and as a result many more locomotives were saved from the torch than would have been the case otherwise, in fact all surviving 5700s were preserved via this route. In total 16 locomotives, eight from the 5700 class and eight from the 8750 class are still with us. These 16 have enjoyed a relatively relaxing retirement pottering around on the countries many preserved branch lines but variously 4 have been re-certified for mainline use and have been seen on many excursion trains running at speeds of up to 45mph Browse The Accurascale Range Of Pannier Tanks Here! View the full article

Following the recent success and reaction to our GWR 78xx Manor Class locomotives, and the feedback following the launch of our GER Buckjumpers, we thought we would combine the love for GWR prototypes, with our new found knowledge of tank engines. This delicious recipe will bring you the ultimate model of one of the most iconic tank locomotives of them all, the GWR 57xx, 67xx and 8750 Class Pannier Tanks! The Accurascale pannier range is the product of several years of hard work and research. In order to select the variants we wanted to model, we had to look at all variations over the history of the class. However by doing this we soon realised that we would in fact do all of them! Where Our Pannier Differs Before anyone says the 'D' word (and we don't mean Duck!), we need to explain where our Pannier Tanks differ to what has gone before. Like our class 37 project, amongst others, we have done our Panniers in "The Accurascale Way", with lots of variations and detail differences. We have started by ‘filling the gaps’ and cover variants never before offered in ready-to-run format. This means locomotives with backplate feed (not top feed fitted) feature heavily in our launch range. Another striking variation amongst the contractor built locomotives was the use of rivets for constructing the tanks. Later modifications like the large “8750” cab is also included as is the 67xx sub class that were built without steam heat or vacuum brakes – with relevant pipes and equipment missing from the model as per prototype. One smaller but no less important change is around the cab area. When built the 57xx class didn’t have an external front handrail or bunker steps. The handrail was flush with the cab side and built into the beading, the steps were also a later addition which we have recreated on our model. It's not just big variations we have included. Smaller features like the whistles with or without a whistle guard, types of water filler which can either be screw down or clip down, position and number of spare lamp irons, cast or fabricated brake hangers, couplings were either screw link or 3 link and right down to the route of the injector overflow pipe, whether it ran through the running plate or around the outside, has been catered for. A vast suite of tools allows us the option to mix and match early and late features on the same locomotive, enabling a wide variety of prototypes to be recreated in faithful detail. Need to find out more? Check out our launch video as pannier Project Manager Steve Purves takes an indepth look at the real thing! Now with that explained, let's look at each model in our initial launch range! 5754. Great Western livery 5754 was the 4th member of the 57xx class to be built at Swindon. Outshopped in 1929, the locomotive represents a standard pannier from this early period. New to Old Oak Common shed and not relocating until the war years, it lasted just over 30 years in service. 5754 was withdrawn from Stourbridge shed and scrapped in 1960. Features: No top feed, early style cab handrails, no bunker steps, Injector overflow routed through running plate 6743. Great Western livery The 67xx was a subclass of panniers built without steam heat or vacuum brakes. The first 25 were built by Bagnall’s of Stafford but this one, from the second batch of 25, was outshopped from the Yorkshire Engine Company, Sheffield, in 1930. Initially allocated to Ebbw Junction, this loco spent its entire working life in South Wales before being withdrawn from Newport Pill shed in 1959 Features: No top feed, rivetted tanks, early cab style handrails, no bunker steps, Injector overflow routed through running plate 7755. GWR Shirt button Livery 7755 was a loco from the “Work Creation” orders. This engine was built in 1930 by North British Locomotive Co. at Queens Park works in Glasgow and was new to Neath shed. By the late 1930’s, 7755 gained the then new “shirt button” GWR logo and was transferred to Llanelly shed. A South Wales engine for its entire life, it was withdrawn from Aberbeeg shed in 1962 and scrapped. Features: No top feed, early cab style handrails, Bunker steps fitted, Injector overflow routed through running plate 5741. GWR Livery From the initial order of 50 locomotives from the North British Locomotive Works, 5741 emerged from Queens Park works, Glasgow in 1929. Initially allocated to Aberbeeg but transferred to Ebbw Junction whilst in the condition represented here. A relatively early withdrawal came in 1957 from Newport Pill Shed. It is reputed that 5741 was the inspiration for (and number carried by) “Duck” in the Rev. Awdry’s Railway Series. Features: No top feed, late cab style handrails, Bunker steps fitted, Injector overflow routed through running plate 9741. British Railways Green Livery With the introduction of what became the “8750” variations, this 1935 built locomotive emerged from Swindon works carrying a new enlarged cab but still retained some of the earlier style parts such as water fillers and backplate feed. Its initial allocation was Stafford Road shed (Wolverhampton) and can be seen here as it was outshopped in the early British Railways livery lettered livery with GWR "Egyptian" typeface. It was withdrawn from Wellington shed in 1962 before being scrapped Features: No top feed, 8750 style cab, Bunker steps fitted, Injector overflow routed through running plate. 8763. British Railways Lined black livery, with Early Emblem This locomotive was built at Swindon in 1933 and allocated to Old Oak Common where it spent its entire working life. By the early 1950s many panniers were fitted with top feed boilers. In contrast to the more common plain black livery, 8763 was treated to full mixed traffic lining as its duties included working empty coaching stock in and out of London Paddington. It was withdrawn in 1962. Features: Top feed boiler, 8750 style cab, Bunker steps fitted, Injector overflow routed outside running plate. 9681. British Railways Black Livery, Late Crest 9681 was one of the last pannier tanks to be built. Emerging from Swindon Works in 1949 under the ownership of British Railways it was part of the penultimate lot of 10 locomotives. Initially allocated to Tondu in South Wales, it spent periods at Oswestry and Hereford before being withdrawn from Cardiff East Dock after a 16 year working life. Luckily it was bought by scrap merchant Dai Woodham and spent a number of years languishing before being moved to the Dean Forest Railway and returned to steam in 1984. Features: Top feed boiler, 8750 style cab, Bunker steps fitted, Injector overflow routed outside running plate 7714. British Railways Black Livery, Early Emblem 7714 was an early “contractor” built locomotive, in this case, it was built by Kerr Stuart in Stoke on Trent in 1930. Initial allocation was to Tyseley but was soon sent North to Birkenhead. Withdrawn in 1959 it was purchased by the NCB and was sent to work at Penallta Colliery in South Wales. It worked here until it was purchased by the Severn Valley Railway in 1973. It was returned to steam and has been in service on and off ever since. Features: No top feed, Rivetted tanks, Injector overflow routed through running plate 7754. NCB Green Livery Another product of the North British Locomotive Company was 7754. Outshopped in 1930 it was allocated to Reading where it would be seen working all manner of trains. Following periods at Old Oak Common and Wellington it was withdrawn from service in 1959. Purchased by the NCB for use in South Wales, it went first to Talywain Colliery before being transferred to the new Mountain Ash system where it worked until 1975. Despite interest from many private individuals, the NCB donated it to the National Museum of Wales who placed it on permanent loan to the Llangollen Railway where it was restored to steam in 1994. It has just returned from a major overhaul and can be seen still working serviced on the Llangollen Railway Features: Top feed boiler, Bunker steps fitted, Injector overflow routed outside running plate, Toolbox and steam heat removed by NCB The Model Inside the model you will find our powerful coreless motor suitably geared to allow the pannier to perform just like the real thing. There is the usual twin LED firebox flicker arrangement and a pair of sugar cube speakers for authentic sound reproduction on DCC sound fitted models. The DCC decoder is accessed through a magnetically removable smokebox door and pull-out board for trouble free decoder fitting. As you can see from our lovely pics, the locomotive is now fully tooled, with first samples being on display on our stand at the 2023 Warley MRC Exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham this weekend. These samples are currently undergoing testing and evaluation by our technical team before they progress to the decoration and production stages. It is anticipated that the locomotives will arrive in stock in Q1, 2025. Our Pannier Tanks are priced at £139.95 for DC/DCC Ready models, and £239.95 for DCC Sound Fitted models. Locomotives can be pre-ordered via our website for no money down or via monthly instalments at no extra cost, or via our network of local stockists. A further announcement of an “Accurascale Exclusive” model, available exclusively via the Accurascale website only, will take place in the coming months. PRE-ORDER YOUR PANNIER RIGHT HERE AND BROWSE THE RANGE! Accurascale would like to thank the Dean Forest Railway, The Great Central Railway and The Severn Valley Railway for their help and assistance in producing this model. Detailed Specification Highly detailed 0-6-0PT 00 gauge model, 1:76.2 scale on 16.5mm track Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd radius set track) RP25-110 profile 00 gauge wheels Coreless motor with flywheel geared for maximum performance and slow speed running Die-cast metal chassis and pickups to all wheels. Next18 DCC ready or ESU LokSound V5 sound fitted, slot mounted in smokebox PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power Two quality sugar cube speakers contained in sound capsule located for best possible sound. Small, flexible neck NEM coupler mounts set at correct height, with mini-tension-lock couplers. Brake rigging factory fitted Brake blocks aligned with wheels Scale width wire handrails and sand pipes Fully detailed cab interior with twin LED pulsing/steady Firebox glow Etched metal/plastic detail parts, including grab handles, steps, buffer pipework, lamp irons etc. Turned brass whistles etched whistle shields (where fitted) Sliding roof ventilator Etched metal pre-painted number plates and works plates. Fully sprung metal buffers, factory-installed pipework and screw/3 link couplings Magnetically removable smoke box door View the full article

Great news! Do to a deluge of requests from modellers, and to mark the recent withdrawal from service of the real wagons, we are delighted to announce an all new run of our beautiful CDA hopper wagons in the iconic English China Clay (ECC) livery as they first appeared in service in early 1988. Can it get any more classic Cornwall than these? Join us as we look at the history of these icons of railfreight as well as our stunning models below! History Replacing the famous ‘clay hoods’, the wooden-bodied UCV/OOV covered opens that dated from the 1950s, the distinctive CDA china clay hoppers featured striking blue framing and canopies, galvanised steel bodies and large English China Clays branding. Debuting at a ceremony at BREL Doncaster Works on September 2, 1987, the new fleet perfectly complemented the recently refurbished Railfreight red-stripe Class 37/5s being outshopped from Crewe Works and created an iconic new look for the services that had previously relied on wagons that were little changed from their GWR predecessors. The air-braked CDAs were derived from the ubiquitous HAA merry-go-round hopper design with a similar 32-tonne capacity and were preceded by a prototype, modified from No. 353224 in early 1987. This led to BR’s Speedlink Distribution division placing an initial £4.5 million contract for 124 purpose-built covered hoppers, numbered 375000-375123. Following trials, the first revenue-earning movement of CDAs took place on January 26, 1988, and this allowed the ‘clay hoods’ to be taken out of service just two weeks later. A second batch of 14 followed in 1989, Nos. 375124-375137 all being rebuilt at RFS Doncaster from MGR hoppers. The introduction of the CDAs coincided with the wider application of the new Roundel triple-grey scheme to the Class 37 fleet, which had seen Laira’s own No. 37673 repainted in Railfreight Distribution livery for the launch in October 1987. It wasn’t until 1989-91 that the other members of the St Blazey out-based group, Nos. 37669-37672, 37674 and 37675 would be similarly treated, by which point Scottish outcasts Nos. 37411 and 37412 had also been transferred to the south west for clay work. Experimental No. 50149 was also drafted in for over a year to provide cover while Nos. 37670 and 37671 were away for repairs after a derailment at Tavistock Junction in November 1987. In their first years of operation the CDAs were loaded at a diverse range of locations in Cornwall, including Burngullow, Crugwallins, Drinnick Mill, Goonbarrow, Kernick/Treviscoe, Marsh Mills, Moorswater, Parkandillack and Trelavour. They were usually tripped to Lostwithiel for onward movement to Carne Point/Fowey for unloading for export. From the early 1990s, the CDAs began to lose their ECC branding and the clay-stained fleet passed to the ‘shadow’ freight operator Transrail in 1994. By this point Laira had handed over responsibility for the St Blazey Class 37s to Cardiff Canton and the reshuffled pool included Nos. 37229, 37413, 37416, 37521, 37668-37674, 37695 and 37696, most of which would eventually also gain big ‘T’ brandings. Following the EWS takeover in 1996 the Wisconsin Central-owned operator was very proactive in repainting the frames of the CDAs maroon and applying branding, although notably several vehicles managed to retain their original blue. The Class 37s continued to soldier on, with the pool now consisting of Nos. 37521, 37668-37674 and 37696, several of which gained EWS livery. However, it couldn’t last and Class 66s eventually took over full time from July 1999. The sale of ECC to the French company Imerys in the same year saw a major revamp to the appearance of the rest of the china clay fleet, but the railway-owned CDAs were unchanged until DB Cargo acquired EWS in 2009. The same period also saw the first CDAs retired and by the time DB stickers began to appear on the wagons, four of the original batch had been deleted while 11 of the HAA conversions were stored or cut up. The other three were retained for internal use as barriers at Fowey Docks. By 2015 just two rakes of 38 wagons were required for the Imerys contract and DB released the remaining wagons for scrap or component recovery. Further reductions in the active roster have taken place over the intervening eight years and by the start of 2023 over 30 wagons were in store at St Blazey, with the three internal users still at Fowey. Sadly, just a few weeks shy of the 36th anniversary since their debut, DB took the remaining CDAs out of service. The last move from Goonbarrow took place on August 8, 2023. The last move from Parkandillack took place three days later on August 11, the 6P24 15.25 to Fowey Docks, comprising a full 38-vehicle set of CDAs. The wagons returned to St Blazey and into store, and have now all been cut up. Happily at least 12 have been preserved, prototype No. 353224 at Chasewater, No. 375088 at the former Barry Tourist Railway site, No. 375030 at the Plym Valley, Nos. 375050/061/063/067/090/091/113/117 by the National Wagon Preservation Group/Bodmin & Wenford and No. 375102 by a private buyer. The surviving china clay traffic will remain on the rails and now utilises the same Arbel Fauvet-built bogie covered hoppers as the Exeter Riverside-Cliffe Vale flow. These have been supplemented by five ex-Tarmac JGAs. The Model As you can see in the photos above, our CDA wagons feature a wealth of detail and crispness which signifies 'The Accurascale Way'. A diecast chassis, brass bearings and 26mm pinpoint axles means smooth running and excellent performance on your layout. Particular attention has been paid to the detail differences over the traditional HAA wagons these were based on, such as the equipment at the wagon end, holes in the bodyside on one side, the underframe and of course, the hood/canopy. Given the flexibility of our tooling we can also cater for those wagons as built as CDAs from new, as well as those converted from HAA hoppers, giving the modellers a true variety in their wagon rake. Tempted? At a price of just £79.95 for 3 wagons, and 10% off when you order two packs or more, why wouldn't you be? Pre-order yours via your local stockist, or direct below for a Q3 2024 delivery. Pre-Order Your ECC CDAs Right Here Model Specifications Highly-detailed OO gauge model, 1:76.2 scale on 16.5mm track Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track) Weight 40g Die-cast chassis for ideal weight Detailed interior with rivets, framing, strapping and accurately profiled door 'horns' RP25-110 profile OO gauge wheels with separate brake blocks in line with tread Sprung metal buffers and dummy instanter couplings Super fine plastic parts, incl. air pipes, lamp irons, safety catches, clasp and disc brakes, hopper door operating equipment, etc. Etched metal details, incl. brake lever, chassis plates, etc. Removable, Kinetic NEM coupler mounts at correct height with mini-tension-lock couplers provided with scale Instanters included Numerous individual differences between wagon types Two styles of hopper door: 'X' pattern on coal variants and 'straight beam' pattern on CDA Heavy duty buffers CDA correctly features large end air cylinder and above solebar mounted brake distributor, end ventilator boxes, highly detailed roof with textured canvas cover and chassis mounted operating handles View the full article

The good news keeps coming in waves here at IRM, and hot on the tail of the Mark 2 coaches and ICR, our Park Royal coaches are also progressing nicely. Announced at the Wexford Model Railway show over the May Bank Holiday, we have just received the first tooling samples which we can now share with you all. As you can see, they look very tasty indeed. We've been on a mission to do these distinctive coaches justice, and are delighted to report that these samples only need minimal tweaking before we proceed to decorated samples ahead of production. Therefore, they're on track for our envisaged delivery date of Q2 2024. Revisions include tweaking the interior lighting and some fit and finish, which is completely normal at this stage. Anyway, enough words, more pictures! The Park Royals have been extremely popular on pre-order, and it's easy to see why. The real coaches were eye-catching and iconic from the golden age of CIE, and the models are shaping up nicely to catch the essence of these carriages as they were in service. Limited numbers are remaining and we are unlikely to be able to increase production volume at this late stage, so pre-ordering is advised to avoid disappointment. Browse the range via the link below, and place your preorder, either no money down until they arrive in stock, or spread the payments over 6 months via our partial.ly service at no extra cost! Pre-Order Your Park Royal Coaches Here! View the full article

Announced at the 2022 Dublin show in Raheny, we're delighted to bring you the first tooled samples of our all new Rotem ICR 22000 Intercity Railcars at the 2023 show at Blackrock College this October Bank Holiday weekend! There is some improvements to be made to the tooling, such as fit and finish, particularly the removable roof sections. We are also looking at the fine tuning of the underframe equipment and improving the car-to-car connections. However, pictures tell a story of a thousand words, so feast your eyes below! As well as the ICR tooling, we also have the first samples of the Sculfort shunting tractor. This little loco is un-powered and comes free with each ICR 6 car pack, based of the shunting tractor in Portlaoise Depot. Our ICRs are on course for delivery in Summer of 2024! As you can see, the first high quality ready-to-run model of an Irish railcar that is prototypically accurate is shaping up rather well indeed! Due to the size of the sets, production is limited, so we advise any of you thinking of placing an order to do so very soon to avoid disappointment. Browse the range of 3, 4 and 6 car sets via the link below, and place your preorder, either no money down until they arrive in stock, or spread the payments over 6 months via our partial.ly service at no extra cost! Pre-Order Your 22000 ICR Here! View the full article

After a period of locomotives, coaches and railcars, we are going back to our roots and will now bring you a whole new range of beautifully detailed, uniquely Irish wagons. We have been famed with making use of common chassis for wagon ranges since our inception, and it is a number of years since our last mammoth wagon project, the hugely successful "Project 42". So, where do we go this time? Well, we wanted a range of wagons that would be widely useful to modellers, widespread across the network and eras, and uniquely Irish. So, we decided there was only one place to go, the Bulleid triangulated chassis, starting with the CIE corrugated open wagons. History In 1950 the board of Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) appointed Oliver Bulleid as its Chief Mechanical Engineer. Bulleid, renowned as designer of the distinctive Merchant Navy and Light Pacific locomotives during his tenure with the Southern Railway in England, did not have an opportunity to pursue his legendary innovativeness to the same extent in Ireland, but his arrival nonetheless heralded a period of modernisation and standardisation. Apart from implementing the complete transition to diesel motive power, he also set about standardising CIÉ’s fleet of rolling stock with his patented triangulated underframe providing the basis. Perhaps the most recognisable of the goods vehicles was the humble open wagon with its galvanised pressed metal body. More than 2,500 were constructed at Inchicore between 1956 and 1969, with up to twelve being outshopped each week at the height of production. They quickly replaced older wooden-built equivalents, many of which had entered service with CIÉ’s predecessor, the Great Southern Railways, or its constituent companies. The welded construction of the underframe provided excellent strength despite being relatively light and the pressed metal panels used to create the bodywork were both durable and easily replaceable, resulting in a hard-wearing wagon which could cope with rough treatment in unfitted trains and less-than-careful handling during loading and unloading. The wagons were a common sight across the entire CIÉ network, from major yards in Dublin and Cork to the most rural of branch lines, carrying a wide variety of loads ranging from peat briquettes to gypsum, pre-ISO shipping containers and farm machinery. However, their most famous duty was the conveyance of sugar beet during the annual autumn-winter harvest season, when trainloads of the crop would be transferred from loading points across the country to plants at Carlow, Mallow, Thurles and Tuam. Even as more modern continuously-braked goods stock was introduced in the 1970s, rakes of these open wagons were retained for beet season, persevering in traffic until replaced by vacuum-braked wagons in the 1980s. Wagons were initially outshopped with ‘Flying Snail’ totems before giving way to the CIE ‘Broken Wheel’ logo during the 1960s. Typically for Irish Rail, the wagons were rarely, if ever, repainted, with many of the wagons ending their careers with the earlier Flying Snail logos in the 1980s! The Model With an abundance of recent locomotive releases, particularly in the CIE era of the 1950s-1980s timeframe in recent years, we felt it necessary to provide the most numerous and important wagons from this golden era to help the modeller to build accurate trains. The Bulleid triangulated underframe was a standard unit that gave birth to a whole host of wagons, which will be reflected in our range in the months and years to come. We kicked off this adventure with the Bulleid open, oft our most requested wagon model for IRM and one that reached every corner of the network from the mid 1950s all the way to the 1980s when they made up the now legendary sugar beet trains. An essential wagon for any Irish modeller with Silver, green, grey, black, black and tan and supertrain locos, these are a must and the first step in our CIE unfitted wagon range, which will feature other wagons yet to be announced. We took a trip to Dunsandle over the summer of 2021 to survey their excellent open wagon undergoing restoration. A big thanks to Maurice Mitchell at Dunsandle for facilitating our visit and survey. The open wagon may seem like a fairly simple wagon to produce, and for the most part it is. However, there is one tricky piece to the puzzle, and something that is essential to capture the essence of these characterful wagons; the interior. Due to their corrugated construction, the inside of the wagon required extra tooling to capture the distinctive ribbing inside. Our factory came to the rescue here, with intelligent toolmaking to ensure this was achieved. We also wanted to get some weight into the wagon, but not compromise with a false floor to spoil the look of the wagon interior, so we have a fully diecast floor as part of the underframe structure. A wealth of separate plastic detail consisting of all the braking and underframe gear, door bangers, sprung buffers and brass bearing cups to allow the smoothest of running complete the make up of these beautifully detailed wagons as you come to expect from IRM. Available in our typical triple packs, our first production run covers a variety of eras, from original flying snail, to CIE roundel and then both beet and permanent way packs. Priced at €89.95 per triple pack, and 10% off when you buy two packs or more, they are due to arrive in stock in Q3 of 2024. Click the link below to place your pre-order. Pre-ordering early is recommended to avoid disappointment as production slots will be limited. Pre-Order Your Bulleid Open Wagons Here! View the full article

Hi everyone, It's show prep day so just one final post ahead of the show to inform you all that all stock on our stand for sale this weekend (excluding the Crossley Sound decoders, but we will do a smaller deal there if you ask!) is 20% off the RRP! Please note that stock on the stand will be limited to what our cars can carry (not a huge amount) so if you want the bargain please get to us as soon as you can. This will also include some Accurascale items such as locomotives and wagons. See you there! Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, SEE OUR FIRST ICR AND PARK ROYAL SAMPLES THIS WEEKEND All set for the 3 Day Dublin Show? As well as an all new announcement, complete with tooling sample, we have the first sample of our 22000 ICRs in hand and we're very excited to show you all how it's progressing. As you can see from the teaser below, it's looking rather lovely! We will also have the first samples of our Park Royal coaches, so make sure you pop along to our stand to see both and find out the latest news on both. Make sure you visit our stand this weekend at Blackrock College between 11am and 5pm to see all these lovely goodies in the flesh! Pre-order your ICR: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/railcar-class-22000-icr Cheers! Fran

NEW IRM ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEKEND! It's the week of the biggest event of the Irish railway modelling calendar, the three day Dublin show. This bank holiday weekend, South Dublin Model Railway Club are our hosts at Blackrock College, where there will be a feast of model railways for all the family. We will be there, as ever, with some special offers, our latest free catalogues and we will reveal the first samples of our ICR 22000 class rail cars, and our park royal coaches. Not only that, but we will have an all new announcement of our latest railway item with a sample to show you all. It is in the pic below. Feel free to guess what it is, but it earmarks a whole new range for us that will bring joy to many! Look out for more info on what to expect on our stand during the week and feel free to widely speculate below in the comments on what we are revealing this weekend See you there! Fran

You love '2c' it, right? Progress that is. Well, here is some awesome progress - decorated samples of our hotly anticipated Mark 2c coaches! Received last month and first unveiled at the Great Electric Train Show last weekend, the decorated samples pick up with the decorated samples of the Mark 2b coaches left off. With the Mark 2b coaches now almost complete and due to ship from China very soon (look out for an update there in the next week or so!) the factory moved straight onto the Mark 2c coaches and are making rapid progress there too. The first batch of Mark 2c coaches for our sister brand Irish Railway Models in Irish rail classic orange and black livery with white stripes is currently in assembly, and immediately after this finishes we move onto the BR variants, which have finished the moulding stage and are now at the painting stage milestone. With production in full swing, delivery can now be predicted for early Q2 2024 for arrival at our warehouse. These much needed prototypes are perfect for BR era modellers of the 1970s, 80s and 90s, with some fantastic rake building opportunities as well as exclusive one-off models included in the first run. Stock is getting close to sell-out, so if you fancy some, now is the time to act. Pre-order yours today via your local stockist, or below! Order Your Mark 2c Coaches Here! View the full article

It's been a while coming, but we're delighted to reveal that our first O Gauge locomotive will be the venerable Ruston and Hornsby 88DS diesel mechanical shunter! Why? Well, is there a more useful engine possible in 7mm? We wanted to "dip our toe" further into the O gauge water, and offering a cute small shunting locomotive for a very competitive price seems the ideal place to start! Pre-Order Your Ruston and Hornsby 88DS Here! A model that we begun work on in the days before the pandemic, the Ruston 88DS has been a long time in development as we look to further build our range in O gauge. Following surveys of a couple of prototype subjects, not to mention our usual extensive research and development, we kicked off our tooling earlier this year with the first tooling sample was just received ahead of the "Great Electric Train Show" this weekend. Prototype History Ruston & Hornsby Ltd, of Lincoln, was formed as the result of the merger between Ruston, Proctor & Co. Ltd and Richard Hornsby & Sons Ltd on September 11, 1918 and their first narrow gauge diesel locomotive left the works on September 1, 1931. In the summer of 1932, production was moved to the larger Boultham Works, where the firm were eventually to become Britain’s largest builder of diesel locomotives, with over 6,500 being built by the time production ceased in 1969. Almost as soon as the firm’s 44/48HP 0-4-0 locomotives were making an appearance, an upgraded, more powerful 0-4-0 was on the drawing board. Although many of the features of the 44/48HP were retained for the new 80/88HP, such as the chain drive and running gear, a new type of transmission was fitted, along with Westinghouse airbrakes. The new power unit, Ruston’s own 4VPB, delivered 80BHP at 1000rpm and was later supplanted by Ruston’s improved 4VPH that delivered 88BHP, but it required compressed air to be injected into the cylinders to be able to start. While running, an air reservoir was kept charged via the braking system, but after standing idle for a period the reservoir depleted and a secondary source was required to recharge the reservoir. This was achieved by fitting a small, secondary 1½HP ‘donkey’ engine, giving rise to a distinctive raised cover on the right hand side of the engine compartment, that differed in size and placement depending on the make of engine used. Two basic weight options were offered for the 80/88HP, 17 tons and 20 tons; the difference being achieved by attaching weights to the outside frames, as well as to the front and rear buffer beams. In 1941, Ruston’s locomotive classifications were changed, with the 80/88HP becoming 88DS (with the narrow gauge versions being assigned the DSM and DSN suffix, and the broader gauges assigned DSW). Outward appearance changes to the ‘standard’ locomotives were mainly confined to the cab area, with examples from mid-1947 replacing the open cab with a fully enclosed cab that featured several ad-hoc styles of windows and fittings, depending on the customers’ requirements. As a shunter, the 88DS was never going to be a greyhound in terms of speed, the four-speed gearbox delivering a maximum speed of just under 15½ mph, but it could deliver some impressive haulage figures, being capable of shifting a 510 ton train from a standing start on the level, down to a 56 ton load on a 1:20 incline. With the widespread delivery of the type, to all areas of industry and use, it is difficult to give an idea of a typical train, but photos showing consists of 8 covered vans, or mixed open/van consists of a similar number are common. The first 88 to leave Ruston’s works was 192325 on 27 June 1938, bound for Tunnel Cement at Grays in Essex and the subsequent orders were spread across the country; from Kent and Dorset in the South, through the Home Counties, East Anglia and the Midlands, to the North of England and into the far reaches of Scotland. Customers tended to be those whose industries were reliant on internal railway systems, so the 88DS were in common use in various Gas Works, Paper Mills, Manufacturing Works, Refineries, Chemical Works, Quarries, Steelworks, Power Stations and Collieries. The War Department/Ministry of Supply were a large customer for the type, with the 88DS being employed in Ordnance and Maintenance duties, often being flameproofed or provided with spark arrestors as a minimum. British Rail also took a number of 88DS into service, notably working at Reading and in the North-East from York and Hartlepool, to Newcastle. Ruston also widely exported a large number of 88DS types: to Ireland, France, Holland, Portugal, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Kenya, Brazil, Argentina, India, Burma, Ceylon, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Rhodesia, South Africa and even Mauritius and Alderney! The final 88DS, 518494, left Boultham Works on 29 November 1967, ending a production run of 271 locomotives, but a significant number have survived into preservation, albeit in varying states of completeness or operation. Watch Our Launch Video To Find Out More! Our First Production Run Ruston 262997 was built new for the West Midlands Joint Electricity Authority, leaving Boultham Works on 27 January 1949 for the Birchills Power Station in Walsall. Birchills came under the control of the WMJEA in 1925 and in 1944 it was decided that a new Station, Birchills B, should be constructed. The new power station, called 'Walsall B', officially opened on 30th September, 1949, and 262997 was responsible for shunting at the new Power Station, still carrying its WMJEA legend despite nationalisation of the industry in 1948, where Birchills became part of the Midlands Region of the Central Electricity Generating Board. Birchalls burned ‘slack’ coal, a mixture of coal and coal dust which was delivered by road, rail, and canal. Located to the south of the former Midland Railway’s Wolverhampton to Walsall (Ryecroft Junction) line, the railway sidings and coal storage areas could be accessed from both east and west directions. The Power Station closed in October 1982 and the stub of railway serving it was closed at the same time. Ruston 432477 was built new for British Railways, being delivered to the North Eastern Region Civil Engineer’s Department at Etherley Tip in Witton, County Durham on 5 January 1959. Expired track ballast and materials were dumped at Etherley in the post-war years, with the ballast being removed from the wagons, then passed over a screen to separate the 'fines' and muck from the bigger bits of stone. The fines would be dumped in the nearest low spot, whilst the ballast would be sold off for use as foundation material. The North Eastern Region employed a number of 88DS in the Civil Engineering Department, mainly being used for Permanent Way work, and 432477 was utilised around the region. By late 1969, the locomotive was laid up at Heaton depot and was finally scrapped in 1970. Ruston 408493 was built new for British Railways Western Region, for use at the Signalling & Telecommunications Department workshops at Reading and was delivered on 19 January 1957. Taking the Departmental number 20, the locomotive spent its entire lifetime at Reading, housed under the Vastern Road bridge when not in use. Renumbered in 1973 under TOPS, to 97020, withdrawal came in April 1981 and the shunter was disposed of at Reading by Cartrights of Tipton in August 1982, being replaced by a Barclay Class 06 No. 06003, which was transferred to Reading from the Scottish Region. Ruston 338413 was built new for the National Coal Board, for use at the East Cannock Colliery in Staffordshire, leaving the works on 23 April 1953. The locomotive stayed in the area for its working life, spending most of it in and around the NCB’s Hem Heath wagon workshops, where it was finally dismantled during 1982. Ruston 412427 was built new for Bowaters Packaging Ltd, for use at their newly expanded Northfleet site in Kent, leaving Boultham on 25 March 1957. The Thames Mills site at Northfleet had resumed producing newsprint at the end of 1945, with supplies of pulpwood coming from Canada and Scandinavia, and the manufacturing output had doubled by 1957. The pulpwood was unloaded from the ships berthed at the deep water jetty on the Thames and from there, the raw material was conveyed to the mills by the internal railway system. With the gradual decline in newsprint production, Thames Mills was closed and transferred into the ownership of Bowaters’ Northfleet Terminals Ltd group and in 1981 412427 was donated by NTL to the fledging North Downs Steam Railway, then to Chatham Dockyard, Stone (Dartford), and Tunbridge Wells, before finally moving to Oswestry, Shropshire in 2007 for use on the Cambrian Railway. Ruston 245034 was built new for the firm of Babcox & Wilcox Ltd in Refrewshire, leaving the works on 1 December 1947, where it was part of a fleet of 88DS utilised by the Boilermakers. The works opened in 1895 and covered 180 acres, one of the largest boiler making works in the world at the time, which was accessed from the 3 mile long Paisley & Renfrew line running from the east bank of the River Cart at Paisley to a wharf at Renfrew on the south bank of the River Clyde. Although B&W Renfrew manufactured huge boilers for both conventional and nuclear power stations, the line was completely shut in 1977, the same year that production at Renfrew was scaled back due to the recession, with 1100 workers losing their jobs. Ruston 441934 was built new for Rowntree & Co. Ltd of York, being delivered on 14 April 1960 to join R&H 421419/1958 and 432479/1959 in the confectionery company’s fleet of locomotives as No. 3. In 1979, the York factory bought a new 0-6-0 locomotive and No.3 was transferred to Rowntree’s Fawdon factory in Newcastle. Rail services at Fawdon came to a halt on 30 January 1987, with No. 3 being handed over to the North York Moors Railway for preservation and after some years being moved about, in 2013 it was purchased by two members of the Derwent Valley Light Railway, Glynnis and Tony Frith. 441934 has now been named Ken Cooke, in honour of the former Rowntree’s York employee, D-Day veteran and holder of France’s highest military honour, the Legion d’Honneur. Ruston 408496 was built new for the firm of Shanks & Co. Ltd at Longpark Pottery in Hillhead, Kilmarnock, leaving the works at Boultham on 24 January 1957. The locomotive was sold on, eventually ending up with NEI-Clarke Chapman at their Horseley Bridge works and has survived into preservation, currently residing at the Foxfield Railway. Price, Delivery And Availability Our adorable little Ruston is progressing nicely, with tooling already completed and testing of the first prototype samples well underway. We will continue this testing process and then progress to decoration stage, before signing off for production. Delivery at this time is envisaged for Quarter 1 of 2025. Both DC/DCC Ready and DCC Factory Sound fitted variants will be offered, with the latter making use of an ESU loksound 5 decoder and our own bespoke recordings of a real 80DS. RRP will be £229.95 for the DC/DCC ready locomotive and £319.99 for the DCC sound fitted loco. Pre-order via our network of local stockists, or direct for no money down, or using our partial.ly system of flexible monthly payments at no extra cost below! Pre-Order Your Ruston and Hornsby 88DS Here! DESIGN SPECIFICATION and CONSIDERATIONS Die-cast metal chassis, body frame and footplate, with plastic cab and engine panels. Target weight of 475g. Scale length of 143.8mm over buffers, 54.85mm wide and height over cab of 70mm. Wheelbase of 40.54mm, for all vehicles, allowing operation over a minimum radius of 1020mm (2nd radius set-track). Choice of metal 3-link, or screw couplings for prototypical coupling. Brake blocks fitted and aligned with wheel centres for 0 Gauge, ensuring that they do not rub on wheel rims. Single style of 21mm solid wheel, correctly profiled both on the inside and outside and chemically blackened, set in blackened brass bearings or contact strips and conforming to Accurascale standards of 29.2mm back-to-back, on 4.763mm diameter axles. Fully detailed die-cast underframe with all cylinders, linkages and piping applied separately Eroded metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including (but not limited to) handrails, door handles, lamp brackets, brake gear, brake discs, draw gear, vents, louvres, radiator grilles and builders’ plates. Prism free flush glazing. Easily removable cab roof, to allow access to cab interior for customer detailing. Sprung metal buffers, and draw hooks. Authentic livery, markings and numbers, accurate to time period modelled, achieved by use of part painting and pad printing. HIGH PERFORMANCE TRACTION and MECHANISM, TO INCLUDE: Centrally mounted, best quality 5-pole skew-wound motor, with flywheel, driving both axles. All-wheel pickup. Helical gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running. Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve a scale maximum top speed of 15.4 mph (24.78 kmh), with a load of 1.1kg. DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power, or similar stay alive arrangement. LIGHTING and DCC FEATURES, TO INCLUDE: Designed around PluX22 ESU Decoders with easy access to decoder via removable bonnet. Switchable shunting lights. Full cab interior lighting, set at correct colour temperature. Permanently fitted speakers. View the full article

Launched at Model Rail Scotland in 2022, our Class 30 and 31 has been cooking way while our Class 37 and Manor arrive in stock. We're still playing catch-up with factory schedules due to COVID lockdowns in China in early 2023, but recently we travelled to China to see our Class 31 progress into assembly. As reported in June, we had to go through the first EP samples with a fine toothcomb. On the surface, they looked lovely, and many of you will have seen them in our cabinets at recent shows. However, a lot of work was required to get them spot on. We executed 99% of this successfully, but following our last update, there was one area that modellers pointed out still just was not quite right; the bodyside grilles. Unfortunately the consistency of the bodyside grilles was incorrect, with an uneven fitting of slats. It has taken more work and altering than we would've liked to get this correct, but we have finally got it spot on following some tooling alterations. As we saw in the factory, it is now where we want them to be. Another area of improvement of fit and finish required was around the bufferbeam area, which has also now been solved to our satisfaction. While we were working on the fit and finish of these areas we were able to work to improve the locomotive on the electronics side. Oddly, our first sample with fully working cab dials came with them in red, offering a rather odd and bright appearance. These are now corrected to a colour consistent with out Class 37, 92 and Deltic. Hellfire! (but for all the wrong reasons!) We have also taken an opportunity to up the already extensive lighting functions present on our current locomotives even further, with an industry first! From the 50s to the late '80s/early '90s, the drivers head light was operated as a single light - either side. The 31s kept individual switches for tail lights, so there is a L/H tail light switch that is ON-OFF and a R/H tail light switch that is ON-OFF. Our model will be able to faithfully capture this prototypical feature, on both DC/DCC! Not only that, but our working fan, although powered by a separate motor, can also work on DC as well as DCC! For DC users, it will be controllable with the switches under the magnetic roof panel. For DCC users, your decoder will have all this functionality. We have just returned from visiting the factory in China and we saw that production is well under way. Everything has been cast and moulded and painting is almost complete for batch 1, with assembly about to get underway. Batch 2 is also moulded and painting is underway. They're wheely coming along! (sorry!) Body shells awaiting painting as part of batch 2. Chassis blocks being prepped before paint. In further good news, we brought the factory the specifications required for our drop-in EM and P4 wheelsets, so look out for updates on those ahead of delivery for you fine scale modellers. And finally, the biggest news of all; we managed to finally track down a high quality sound recording of the original Mirrlees power unit and we are in the final stages of perfecting the sound file for these original Brush Type 2s. Watch out for a video preview of these in the coming weeks! It will be offered as a separate plug and play decoder which modellers can install along with a large Accurathrash speaker for full effect! So, the big questions are; when? Is the loco delayed further? Yes, there is a further slight delay. We're really disappointed about that, and we know you are too. The 31 has proven to be a massive challenge to get right. Could we have just accepted it as a 98% model with the grilles buffer beam and put it out there? Perhaps, but we just couldn't be cynical and do it. We see how many people love the standard of our locomotives, and we just cannot let the standards diminish. So, we take that extra time to make it better. It's our way. We hate delays, but it has got to be where we are happy with it before we can put it out there. Now it is in a place where we are happy with it. So, the updated schedule is as follows; Batch 1: ACC2741-5544 ACC2742-5544DCC ACC2745-31248 ACC2746-31248DCC ACC2749-31409 ACC2750-31409DCC ACC2753-31402 ACC2754-31402DCC ACC2761-31432 ACC2762-31432DCC ACC2781-31128 ACC2782-31128DCC These will arrive in stock at our warehouse in Q1 2024. Batch 2: ACC2729-D5549 ACC2735-D5615 ACC2737-5803 ACC2738-5803DCC ACC2739-5674 ACC2740-5674DCC ACC2755-31110 ACC2756-31110DCC ACC2769-31420 ACC2770-31420DCC ACC2771-31514 ACC2772-31514DCC ACC2773-31421 ACC2774-31421DCC These models are due late Q2 2024. Our exclusives including 31407, 31466, our Network Rail pair and limited edition models for Hornby Magazine, Model Rail Magazine and Rails of Sheffield will be Q3 2024. We apologise for this delay, but with production now well underway delivery will be smooth. For those of you who know what to expect following delivery of our Class 37, 92, Manor or Deltic, you know that getting it right now ahead of delivery will be well worth waiting for. Most of these locos are sold out direct, but we still have some of our exclusives available. Make sure you check them out via the link below! Pre-order Your Class 31 Here! View the full article

Our first tank engine, the beautiful 'Buckjumpers', have been very well received since we announced them earlier this year at the London Festival of Modelling at Alexandra Palace. This has gone up another level since we previewed our first tooling samples in late August, with the modelling public very much enjoying the first glimpse at the depth of our tooling suite, covering the wide variety of detailing differences among each loco. But, some modellers felt that there was something missing. A small gap in our range. The lack of a later LNER liveried model. Well, fear not. Here it is, due to popular demand, and another for our "Accurascale Exclusives" fleet! HILL G75 (LNER J68) 0-6-0T No. 7027. The second batch of Hill’s ‘improved’ 0-6-0T locomotives, GER Nos.21-30 to Order G75, differed from the initial C72 order by being designated for shunting duties and differed in build accordingly. Sixteen spoke, unbalanced cast iron wheels were fitted, along with lever reverse and the side tanks were straight topped, lacking the raised chambers of the passenger tanks. Steam brakes were fitted from new, along with a wide-rimmed, parallel sided chimney, but the high arched, wooden cab roof was retained; a feature removed from the final I89 order which were fitted with elliptical wooden cab roofs. Built at Stratford,as GER No.27, in December 1913, the locomotive was allocated to Cambridge Shed from new and by Grouping was present at Peterborough East on shunting duties, before being renumbered as 7027 under the LNER. The distinctive high arched roof was removed in August 1928, being replaced by an LNER pattern elliptical steel roof and the three bunker rails were filled during September 1931. 7027 was also the pioneer locomotive for the trial fitting of grease lubrication to the coupling pins and connecting rods in 1936. At Grouping 7027 was still in GER Austerity Grey but from 1925 carried the LNER goods livery of unlined standard black with shaded 7.5" LNER lettering and 12" numbering, unlike the final I89 order that were painted in standard black with red lining, along with the ‘E’ area number suffix and either L&NER or LNER. Pre-order your LNER 7027 in DC/DCC Ready or DCC Sound Fitted formats direct only via our website, with no money down and options to spread the payments over 6 months ahead of delivery to make the purchase kinder to your wallet. Pre-Order Your Buckjumper Here! We've been putting our Buckjumpers through their paces in recent weeks to ensure they live up to our expectations. Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel to get all the latest news and info on our projects in development, Plus watch out for our future Buckjumper running video. View the full article

Hi everyone, The biggest event on the Irish model railway calendar is just over 4 weeks away as South Dublin Model Railway Club host us for the annual three day Dublin show at Blackrock College. We are delighted to sponsor this event and support our clubs, and will have an action packed stand this year full of delights and treats. These include: 1. Production samples of our new NIR Enterprise coaches (which are due in stock around this time!) 2. FIRST tooling sample of our 22000 ICRs (spoiler alert, it looks AMAZING!) 3. FIRST tooling sample of our Park Royal Coaches (also looks splendid) 4. An all new tooling announcement (perhaps even 2!) We will also of course have stock for sale including wagons and buses, and some highlights from our sister brand Accurascale UK for all you British outline lovers. Excited? We are! Make sure you drop by and see us there! Feel free to wildly speculate too. Cheers! Fran

With our highly anticipated Class 37/6 locomotives now arriving on layouts across the land (and beyond!) and the last part of our first production run, the original 5 pilot scheme locos on the high seas and due in stock next month, we have our second production run of Class 37s progressing well. In fact they are now in production! We recently received these decorated samples from our factory and have assessed them ahead of signing off production. We have a total of 9 diverse machines catering for multiple eras, from the 1960s to the present day making up this run, along with the limited edition model for the Heavy Tractor Group of 37714. Before we look at the models, we have identified and made the following changes to these pre-production models before we signed off for production; Buffer shanks will not be silver, they will be black-brown Some samples have the wrong etched kickplates, these will be corrected for production The marker lights on 37140/37258 will gain their missing their black surrounds and the fit of the lens will be improved 37218 has a subtly wrong bodyshell with the former boiler access panel still in situ and we have already approved the replacement correct bodyshell 37422 has an rogue red fuel gauge blanking plate. This will be corrected for production And now to the photos of each! Delivery for these locomotives is slated for Q2, 2024 due to their popularity and the finishing of run 1 locomotives taking longer than anticipated. Unfortunately, we are now pretty much sold out an almost all running numbers on pre-order direct, but check out your local retailer, or our website for what is left, along with a small supply of our new Class 37/6s which are currently in stock. Be quick, they're moving fast! Click below. BROWSE THE CLASS 37 RANGE HERE View the full article

You're new 78XX Accurascale Manor locomotive has arrived and with the simple addition of our UK-made GWR 'Manor' Driver/Fireman packs, you can enhance your model even further. Step 1: Unpack your figures and check all bodily features are still attached. Step 2: Using a pair of tweezers, it's a good idea to have a dry run with the fitting of your crew before getting the glue out. In this instance, the driver goes in from the open cab, while the fireman is best positioned via the side window. Step 3: With the test fitting complete, it's time to glue the crew in place. We'd recommend PVA glue or if you're more confident, Super glue. Step 4: Apply the glue to the contact points on the figures, If standing apply to the feet and if sitting to the driver's seat. Step 5: Once in place, check you're happy with how the crew are positioned and keep checking back while the glue drys. Now all thats left to do is enjoy your new Locomotive and crew on your layout! View the full article

We have a pile of new models arriving in the coming weeks, so instead of cluttering up your inbox with multiple emails, we are going to put them together in one large update! So, read on for the latest news on our second delivery of 78xx Manors, Our last delivery of Class 37s featuring the first five machines built in original condition, our new 21 ton mineral wagons of MDO/MDV TOPS designations, our Coil A wagons and our all new SR Banana vans. Let's Go! 78xx Manor Locomotives There has been great hype and buzz about the arrival of our first steam locomotive, the GWR/BR 78xx Manor Class locomotives a couple of weeks ago. Five of the running numbers have arrived, but what about the rest? Due to further changing of completion schedules by the factory, they have not arrived as soon as we wanted, but we can now confirm that the rest of the Manors are due with us W/C September 25th. We have a limited amount of the first drop left in stock if you're tempted. Grab them below! Order Your Manor Here! Class 37 Locomotives Our penultimate drop from our first production run of Class 37s, the 37/6 locomotives, are currently being dispatched to customers and retailers across the UK and will continue into next week before all pre-orders are fulfilled. This leaves the original 5, D6700-D6704 and 37001 as the last of the first production run of Class 37s to be delivered. These have taken longer than anticipated to complete, but we are delighted to report that they are finished and now in transit. We had hoped to transport them by air to mitigate any delays, but due to the commencement of the Christmas shipping season from China, freight rates by air for such a large consignment of products has skyrocketed and not viable. Therefore, they are on the high seas and due to land at port in mid-October. These locomotives are sold out here at Accurascale, and with most retailers. However, check out our Class 37 page for batch two availability, which is currently in production and due early next year. Browse The Class 37 Range 21 Ton Mineral (MDO & MDV) & Coil A Wagons Our second production run of our lovely 21 ton mineral wagons and Coil A steel wagons is now complete and they are also on the high seas, with delivery due in mid October. This also includes our Accurascale Exclusive ZDV engineers wagon. We still have some packs left on pre-order, with our usual 10% off when you buy two packs or more and free UK postage and packaging. Check them out below! Browse Our 21 Ton Mineral Wagons Browse Our Coil A Wagons SR Banana Vans Our lovely SR/BR banana vans are also getting closer to production completion, with production due to be complete in 4 weeks' time. Delivery is now slated for the end of this year in Q4.Sound 'A-peeling' to you? Pre-order them below! Pre-Order Your SR Banana Vans Here Keep an eye out on the website in the coming weeks for more updates regarding arrivals of other models! View the full article

Great news! Our first batch for of our mammoth Mark 2 project, covering Mark 2b and Mark 2c coaches, is complete, with the Northern Irish versions now on the high seas for our sister brand, IRM. And most splendid they look too. Being a much smaller production run, they were completed ahead of their Accurascale counterparts. However, what does this mean for our BR variants for Accurascale? Well, they are hot on the heels of their IRM sisters, with final stages of production now under way and due to be complete at the end of September. We had hoped to have them completed now, but the sheer demand and size of the production run for these coaches has been unprecedented and the factory has been working tirelessly to finish them to the highest standards that we demand for our models. We are due final production samples in a couple of weeks, which we will show here. Delivery to modellers will be around the Warley show in November. After that, it will be straight into Mark 2c production for both IRM and Accurascale. We are completely sold out of Accurascale Mark 2b coaches, but still have some Mark 2c coaches available. Grab them below while you still can, as they are very close to selling out too. PRE-ORDER YOUR MARK 2C COACHES HERE! View the full article