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

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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! 

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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! 

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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!

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It's time to reveal the latest addition to our now extensive range of “Powering Britain” coal wagon models; the ubiquitous BR 16 ton Mineral Wagons in 00/4mm!

Replicating British Railways in model form, we've embarked on a massive programme of tooling, producing versions of the BR 16T all-steel mineral wagon never before produced in ready-to-run format. This is of course along with a new generation of 16 ton favourites which are a must for their ‘Powering Britain’ range of wagons which fuelled a nation.

ALREADY TOO EXCITED TO READ ON? CHECK OUT THE FULL RANGE BY CLICKING HERE!

With all the major British Railways’ 16T types designed and tooled, this first run follows the story of the unfitted Morton braked wagons, with 1/108, 1/109 and MCO rebodied versions being released in a variety of liveries and running gear combinations.

Models produced in this run exhibit the following variations:

• • Three types of end door; fabricated and two types of pressed steel.
• • Three types of buffer housings, including the Dowty Hydraulic Buffer.
• • Welded and rivetted original bodies.
• • Welded rebodies.
• • BR standard and square axle journals.
• • Standard and pressed steel handbrake handles.
• • Morton unfitted and double unfitted independent brakes.

Watch our launch video where Project Manger Paul Isles takes a closer look at the now legendary 'Windcutter' rake at the Great Central Railway and talks through our plans for the 16 tonners!

History

Even prior to the outbreak of war in 1939, the fleet of Private Owner coal wagons in use on the UK’s railway network was stretched to capacity, with the various designs of planked wagons being a nightmare to maintain, but with the requisition of all Private Owner wagons this problem became the sole responsibility of the Ministry of War Transport. The scarcity of materials available to repair them, allied to the lack of resources in terms of men and materials available to carry out the work led to a near catastrophic situation, especially with wagons being required for use on the newly liberated railways of Europe.

A new approach was called for.

In 1944, the MoWT, working to designs from Charles Roberts and Hurst Nelson (with modifications) created diagrams for two 9ft wheelbase, 16 ton, all-steel, end door mineral wagons and on December 29, 1944, contracts for the construction of 2500 wagons were issued to Hurst Nelson, P&W MacLellan, Butterley Engineering, Metro Cammell, Birmingham C&W and Cambrian, with eventual wartime production reaching 6652 wagons. A further 9200 wagons were also manufactured for the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF) by Metro Cammell, Chas. Roberts and Hurst Nelson to replace stock the French Railways had lost during the war and to aid the recovery of industry.

With the election of a Labour government in 1945, it was acknowledged that the railways would come under state control permanently and the attention turned to the demands for increased coal movements, and the wagon stock needed to move it. In the immediate aftermath of the war, existing orders for 16T type wagons were honoured by the Government and upon Nationalisation in 1948 a further 48,499 wagons had been ordered. In the interim period these wagons were registered as Private Owner wagons with the Railway Clearing House, but were then numbered into British Railways’ ‘B’ system from 1948, with British Railways classifying the different designs into Diagrams 1/100 to 1/105.

In France, by 1950, the wagons built for the SNCF had served their purpose and were superseded by larger, more efficient SNCF built hoppers. The remaining stock were therefore sold back to British Railways and once reconditioned, were allocated to diagrams 1/100, 1/112 and 1/113.

This wagon building programme was responsible for a huge influx of broadly similar new coal wagon types to the railway network, but what was to follow would eclipse any building programme, either before, or since.
It was the publication of the Railway Executive’s appointed Ideal Stocks Committee report in March 1950 that was to prove the catalyst; its stated recommendation being “the most important first step towards increasing the efficiency of the wagon stock is the elimination of the 253,500 grease lubricated wagons in existence at December 31st 1949”. This recommendation was to be enacted by 1956, so on 28 July 1950 British Railways placed orders for 14,161 wagons, to be built in 13 Lots, to a new ‘standard’ design, to be carried out by a large group of outside contractors.

This new ‘standard’ design was carried out to two diagrams: the welded bodywork 1/108 and rivetted bodywork 1/109, both of which (with a few exceptions) were equipped with unfitted Morton two-shoe brakegear and side top-flap doors. End doors were either fabricated, or pressed steel, depending on the contractor and the 1/109 type were nominally smaller, with a 646cu.ft capacity set against the 648 cu.ft capacity of the 1/108 type.

Such was the quest to replace the former Private Owner wooden bodied wagons, that by end of April 1955, 55 Lot numbers had been issued, resulting in the construction of 127,159 wagons.

1955 was an important year in the history of the standard 16T wagon. The Ideal Stocks Committee were unable to recommend adoption of fitted brakes, resulting in the 16T being unfitted from adoption, but British Railways’ own 1955 Modernisation Plan called for all wagons to be so fitted and so a period of some confusion ensued. Orders that were in the process of being constructed could have the equipment fitted before being sent to traffic, but the options for retrospective fitting to the tens of thousands of existing wagons could only be carried out while in workshops for general repair.

The first ‘new’ fitted 16T wagons appeared from the works of Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Co. in 1957, being fitted with vacuum operated clasp brakes, but this period saw wagons being fitted with a variety of clasp brakes, double brakes, single cylinders, double cylinders, inner vee-hangers fitted without cylinders and even clasp brakes without cylinders. Such was the confusion, accurate production records were impossible, but barely 12,000 16T wagons appear to have been put into service, before a host of operating problems caused the programme to be suspended.

Corrosion and bad handling were the curse of the mineral wagon, so from 1971 onwards, a policy of rebodying those wagons whose underframes were deemed to have a service life of 10 years plus was put into place. All the rebodies were of the welded type, and the bottom of the body was curved to try and offset the causes of corrosion, as well as the removal of the top door, either by replating, or plating over.

Withdrawals, or more correctly condemnations (given the wear and tear on mineral wagons) began in the 1960s; first with the wartime era wagons, then the 1/109 rivetted wagons. As coal traffic declined, and the method of transporting coal by rail evolved, more and more were withdrawn, many finding their way into Internal User, or Departmental traffic. The annihilation of Britain’s collieries and their associated rail systems in the early 1980s led to the wholesale scrapping of the National Coal Board’s wagons and although some were still to be found in Engineers’ trains, by the mid-1980s, the humble 16T wagon had disappeared from the network.

Between 1951, and 1959, records show 221,123 1/108 and 1/109 16T mineral wagons being built, the biggest wagon building programme in the history of Britain’s railways. Even in condemnation, and their removal to Barry for scrapping, the humble 16T wagon has had a massive bearing on our railway history, as it was Barry’s concentration on cutting and scrapping wagons that gave the various fledgling preservation groups the chance to step in and rescue many steam locomotives before they suffered the cutters’ torch.

The Model

Seen as very much the ‘missing link’ in the ‘Powering Britain’ range, the 16 ton mineral wagon is an essential addition to our range to tell the story of coal traffic on the railways throughout the ages. Work commenced on these stalwarts of British Railways two years ago, as the research into these extensive and varied wagons provided a great challenge. Coverage of versions never before offered in ready-to-run format as well as a new generation model of some of the old favourites of the 16 ton range were added to the tooling suite.

Separately applied bottom and top doors allows us to capture the interior detail of the wagon and give it real depth. Brake assemblies and door bangers are also separate parts to allow for flexibility in catering for various types of brake types and add extra relief to the detail. Our end doors are also separately applied to capture the detail once again, with some of the detail missing off our first samples which will be present on the finished models. Three types of buffer will also be represented on this first run, just like our first wagon, the 24.5 ton HUO hopper we released 5 years ago. Different journal boxes on the axles are also offered, with all these details specific to each wagon as studied from photographs and extensive research of the real wagons. 

Tooling is now complete with the first samples arriving for assessment earlier this summer. While the models are shaping up nicely feedback on fit and finish of some parts as well areas such as the wheels, which are currently missing their characteristic holes, will also be addressed. Some parts are also missing from the samples.

Our 16t family with be sold in triple packs at a cost of £74.95 per pack,with delivery is anticipated for Q3 2024. With a mammoth 20 different packs to make up the first run between general releases in BR livery, a selection of private owner sets reflecting later use in industrial railway settings (a great passion of ours!) and Accurascale Exclusive packs (announced later this year) it gives the modeller great potential to build large prototypical rakes along with a few wagons to add to a classic mixed freight operation.

Model Specification

• Die-cast metal chassis with plastic body. Weight of 37g (excluding coal load).
• Scale length of 78mm over buffers, and 34.53mm wide.
• Wheelbase of 36mm, allowing operation over a minimum radius of 371mm (1st radius set-track).
• Separately fitted side doors, top doors and end doors.
• Metal 3-hole wheels; chemically blackened 00 Gauge RP25-110 standard, set in blackened brass bearings and conforming to Accurascale standards of 14.4mm back-to-back, on 2mm axles over 26mm pinpoints.
• Eroded metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including handrails, grab handles, side-door handles, lamp brackets, brake gear, draw gear, 3-link and Instanter couplings.
• Turned metal sprung buffers

BROWSE THE FULL RANGE BY CLICKING HERE!

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3 hours ago, Noel said:

Confess was stuffed for a deposit some years ago by one of the former cottage model makers before they decided to go into hiding. Small claims court next. 

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

We're jumping for joy as the first samples of our hotly anticipated J67/68/69 ‘Buckjumper’ locomotives in 00/4mm scale have arrived for assessment.

Initially announced ahead of the Alexandra Palace show back in March of this year, we outlined an ambitious plan to create an extensive tooling suite to cover all the major design variables of these cute and iconic tank engines in ready-to-run format.

The first tooling samples have now arrived, showing the variants possible with the tooling suite and demonstrating the finesse and materials on offer in this high quality model.

As ever, these first prototype samples are hastily assembled and will receive further refinement through the production process before the finished models arrive. This includes fit and finish, such as the cab beading area, the fit of the cab sheets and indeed the removable magnetic roof. Fit of the chimney will also require further fettling, as does the fit of the brake rigging.

The G75 has some errant additions that need removing, as well as fitting the tool box to the LHS tank top. Also, the fine tuning of the bunker coal load is required. However, these are normal challenges at this stage of the development process, and especially so with steam locomotives which feature multiple versions of cab, bunker and tank combinations.

Of course, there is much to celebrate, such as the overall look and feel of the locomotives. These really capture the distinctive nature of these characterful tank engines. Performance is excellent too, with superb pulling power for a locomotive of this size thanks to diecast materials used in construction and smooth power delivery also evident.

The delivery date of Q2 2O24 for the finished models is still on course, with decorated samples due in the winter. Price for the models is £139.99 DC/DCC ready and £239.99 DCC sound fitted with our powerbank set of stay alive capacitors.

Check out our Buckjumper web page here for more information and pre-order via Accurascale direct for all the range including the Accurascale Exclusives model of Liverpool St. Pet 68619, available only direct via Accurascale, or via your local Accurascale stockist.

PRE-ORDER YOUR BUCKJUMPER HERE!

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If one variant from our first production run could be described as the catalyst for  our English Electric Type 3 it is the Class 37/6.

Not to be confused with the centre headcode Class 37/5s numbered in the 376xx series, the 12 ex-European Passenger Services, later Eurostar, locomotives numbered 37601-37612 were originally converted in the mid-1990s to haul the pan-European ‘Nightstar’ services away from the wires in the UK. While all variants in our first run were new to OO gauge when announced, it is this sub-class that was the real missing link in the range of available privatisation era diesels.

While the EE machines were no strangers to sleeper services there were still a few eyebrows raised when 12 freight Class 37/5s, nine former ‘splitbox’ and three centre headcode, were transferred to EPS in 1994. Pairs of Type 3s were proposed to sandwich a Mk.3 generator vehicle on trains between Plymouth/Swansea and Kensington Olympia, before the sections combined behind a Class 92 for the run through the Channel Tunnel. Additional locomotives were required for diversionary purposes on the ECML and WCML routes, or for hauling Class 373 ‘Eurostar’ trains with the assistance of a barrier vehicle.

BRML Doncaster undertook the modifications which included re-geared and refurbished 90mph bogies from withdrawn Class 50s, ETS (electric train supply) through cables and exterior control buttons, RCH communication jumpers and the removal of vacuum-brake equipment. The first to be completed were 37601 and 37602 – former Thornaby celebrities 37501 and 37502 – in January and February 1995, while the final member of the fleet, 37606 (ex-37508), was released the following July.

Incredibly after spending over £100 million on the ‘Nightstar’ trains the venture was cancelled in June 1997, which came at an opportune time for the fledgling rail freight operator Direct Rail Services, a subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuels (BNFL). With the nuclear flask contract with EWS due to end in early 1999, DRS was desperate for motive power to supplement its existing fleet of Class 20/3s. Acquiring 37607-12 in July 1997, they initially retained their EPS triple-grey livery with the addition of dark blue DRS logos ahead of being hired to Freightliner to work in pairs on container services.

All six were repainted in the original DRS scheme in early 1998, gaining multiple working sockets in the nose at the same time. The following year, 37608 and 37612 became the first examples to be rebuilt at Brush Loughborough with WIPAC light clusters, top headlight and refurbished cabs with revised drivers desk and a new partition to improve soundproofing. Toughened cab front windows were next, from around 2001. Three further Class 37/6s were acquired the following April, 37602, 37605 and 37606 and they were also upgraded at Brush with the same modifications. Over time some also saw the reskinning of the nose to remove plated doors or obsolete headcode panels.

37601 and 37603, made the move to DRS in November 2007, while the final member of the sub class, 37604, transferred across exactly a year later. This final trio kept their unique Eurostar modified square tail light housings, only gaining a DRS multiple working socket to replace the large spotlights and nose-mounted cabling. They were also the only three Class 37/6s to debut in the new Compass branding in September and October 2008, with the rest of the fleet gaining the new look between October 2007 and August 2012. The livery was further revised in 2014 and was inspired by the ‘fade’ vinyls applied to the new Class 68s, although only 37609 from this sub class received them.

As well as their appearance, their duties radically changed over time. In its first year or so, DRS’ small portfolio included nuclear operations between Barrow Docks and Sellafield only, the ‘milkliner’ between Penrith and Cricklewood, and acid tanks between Ince and Sellafield. By the early 2000s, DRS had added intermodal services for the Malcolm Group to its range of ex-EWS nuclear diagrams, while Network Rail test train work commenced in 2005. By the end of the decade, DRS Type 3 operations had expanded to include a wide array of charter work, scrap metal, stock moves and numerous other temporary or trial freight flows.

With the Class 37/6s having provided the backbone of the DRS fleet in its early years, the arrival of new Class 68s along with a second tranche of Class 37/4s from 2016 saw 37601, 37608 and 37611 move to Europhoenix. They were followed by 37607 and 37612 to Harry Needle in June 2017, which also acquired 37610 from Locomotive Services in 2019. The remaining half dozen would be stopped and placed into store over the same period, with the last, 37602 and 37609, taken out of service in September 2019.

In 2022, DRS sold off the six remaining locos. HNRC added 37602, 37603, 37604 and 37609 to its existing roster, 37606 went to the owner of Loram Rail-hired 37418, while 37605 has moved to the GCR for use as a spares donor for the Heavy Traction Group’s 37714 and the NRM’s D6700. It has since been scrapped.

The current operational fleet includes the Europhoenix trio, all of which are allocated to Rail Operations Group for stock moves – with 37611 now wearing the operator’s blue ‘PCB’ scheme – and HNRC’s recently ‘tangoed’ 37607, blue/yellow 37610 and unbranded DRS blue 37612, which are all hired to Colas Rail. 37602 and 37609 are also hoped to return to traffic in 2023. Meanwhile, 37606 has also been cosmetically backdated to original Railfreight livery as 37508 at Nemesis Rail, Burton-upon-Trent, but as of August 2023 had yet to return to the main line.

With three decades of service behind them and drawn from all all major variations of split and centre headcode machines, including both EE and RCH-built, the 12 donor Class 37/5s were already individually unique before emerging from Doncaster as Class 37/6s. Rebuilt and modified several times for Direct Rail Services and more recent owners like Europhoenix the sub class is essentially a completely new locomotive compared to a Class 37/0 and presented a formidable challenge to any model manufacturer. We have risen to the challenge with number-specific body, roof and nose tooling with a wide range of different separately-added plastic and etched metal parts, these authentic replicas also sport correct Class 50-style cast bogies, two styles of buffer, single or double nose multiple working sockets, a range of fuel tank, kick plate, bodyside window, step and nose grille combinations and optional miniature snowploughs.

Our eagerly anticipated Class 37/6 locomotives have now arrived in stock and we are currently prepping orders to begin shipping later this week. While we are currently sold out on pre-order, it is worth checking back on the website for cancellations and clicking the 'Notify me if item becomes available' button should any become available. 

BROWSE THE CLASS 37 RANGE HERE AND REGISTER YOUR INTEREST!

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When casting around for Class 37 subjects for the first production run the guiding philosophy to was to provide variants that were all new, which turned out to be surprisingly easy. For 1960s and early 1970s modellers, the cantrail grilles on D6700-D6704 (later 37119, 37001-37004) really stood out and had never been tooled in their as-built configuration. But what is distinctive about them that sets them apart from the rest?

    While most enthusiasts are aware that you can tell which of the two builders manufactured a particular Class 37 based on these grilles, the story is somewhat complicated by the non-standard arrangement exhibited by the first six locomotives to be completed. For the rest of the class, longer single-piece grilles were a signature of English Electric at Newton-le-Willows, while those with dividing bars were products of Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns workshops in Darlington. EE-built D6705/37004 confusingly also sported the latter grille style, but it was the unique cantrail configuration that was similar to the RSH version but with riveted straps framing the apertures that really made the first five locomotives stand out.

    The Accurascale model perfectly represents the characteristic riveted multi-part cantrail grilles as well as a range of other as-built features. These include four-character headcode display (with pre-fitted examples and a large selection of alternatives for customers to install), frost grille, double-riveted roof, bufferbeam cowling with large round Oleo buffers, bodyside water filler access door and steps, accurate early bufferbeam configuration with vacuum/steam/control piping only. There are also optional nose corner grabs, boiler exhaust panel (open or plated – with alternative provided in a parts bag) and boiler water tank sight glass depending on locomotive number.

Delivered from the famed Vulcan Foundry between 2 December 1960 and 6 January 1961, all five were delivered to Stratford in East London. Their duties included Great Eastern main line passenger diagrams, inter-regional turns, particularly the Harwich ‘boat’ train, and parcels and freight services. In April 1963, D6703 and D6704 became two of three members of the class to be fitted with nameplates, albeit covered up. These were dedicated First East Anglian Regiment and Second East Anglian Regiment respectively, with D6707 being honoured after the Third East Anglian Regiment. They were never unofficially unveiled, although D6703 did run around for several weeks with them uncovered, giving us the opportunity to provide etched nameplates for the customer to install if desired.

By the end of 1967, D6701-D6704 had been transferred away from the Great Eastern, moving to Tinsley/Darnell via a short spell at Wath. Their new life revolved around freight work and all four would surrender their boilers within the next 14 months. The doyen of the fleet, D6700, had a more colourful life, which included spells at Derby RTC, Stratford and Haymarket before returning to March in East Anglia in October 1969, by this time wearing Rail blue. Nos. 6702 and 6703 were repainted during a similar time period, with the other pair still in green, albeit with full yellow ends.
    All five locomotives were together again at Thornaby after the move of No. 6700 to the North East in October 1971, although the other four had transferred there in May 1970. The reunion would only last a year as No. 6700 was back at March exactly a year later, and would be the last time the five would be allocated to the same location at the same time. In February and March 1974, the quintet gained five-digit TOPS identification, and within the next couple of years all five would lose their bodyside water fillers and steps, that would take them out of the range of this variant of the Accurascale model.

All three locomotives plus the remainder of Run one arrive on Monday (28th August). If you missed out of pre-ordering, make sure you hit the 'Notify me if item becomes avaliable' button to be the first to know if any spares become available. 

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Hi everyone,

Great news! Production of our Mark 2 coaches in NIR and RPSI livery is almost complete and we have been signing off the production samples. First up is a look at our special edition RPSI triple pack, long sold out and raising much needed funds for the society.

Shipping from the factory in China will commence next week and we hope to have them in stock in late October ahead of the three day Dublin show.

The RPSI sets along with the NIR sets are all sold out on pre-order, but some sets will become available when pre-orders are dispatched. Make sure you click the button to register your interest via email for when they come into stock via the following link: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/mark-2-coaches/products/rpsi-set-1

Also, look out for previews of the NIR coaches in the coming days!

Cheers!

Fran

12 hours ago, chris said:

Is it correct that 5232 and 5411 are due a year later than all the rest or an error?

Want to be sure before ordering as these two make it go a bit weird

Hi Chris,

It is our understanding that all the coaches are due in stock together.

Cheers!

Fran

Hi everyone,

Get your Murphy Models Mark 2d pre-orders in via IRM!

Murphy Models has announced that their new range of Mark 2d coaches are due in stock later this year and will feature both IR livery with white stripes and orange roof and the classic Galway livery.

Priced at €59.95 per coach, you can place your pre-order with no money down by selecting the coaches below. Once we have updated images from Murphy Models we will share them too!

Pre-Order here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/murphy-models-mark-2d-coaches/availability_pre-order

Cheers!

Fran

The Accurascale Class 37 tooling suite is full of parts that are specific to individual locomotives, some of which have been announced and some that we’ve kept to brighten up a rainy day in the future.

However, in a first run full of unique releases, there is one that shines brighter than the rest, Network Rail’s 97301.

Built as D6800, later 37100, one of just 23 split headcode EE Type 3s with the smooth welded style roof, this was rebuilt by HNRC at Barrow Hill in February 2008 as the first of a fleet of four ETCS (European Train Control System) equipped locomotives for use on the Cambrian Line from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth/Pwllheli.

Already one of a kind having lost its splitboxes at the No.2 end in 1983 and its redundant boiler water tank in 1987, its new look for NR included toughened windscreeens, the removal the obsolete connecting doors and the rebuild of the No.1 end to match the other. While its colleagues 97302-97304 received their Ansaldo-made onboard ETCS equipment in 2009, it wasn’t until the end of 2012 that 97301 would get the distinctive underframe-mounted radar and roof antennas/cutouts (which are of course features of our model) part of a prototype fit-out of Hitachi kit that was not compatible with the Cambrian system.

Our exclusive limited edition model will come with a numbered certificate and rather impressive special box. Although our model of 97301 has sold out to preorder its worth clicking the 'Notify me if item becomes avaliable' button should any become available. 

Check out the full range of Accurascale Class 37s here: https://www.accurascale.com/collections/class-37

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Accurascale today announces their latest ‘Accurascale Exclusive’ model, one that the model railway manufacturer will produce to raise £10,000 for a very worthy cause; Prostate Cancer UK.

A special edition model of Class 66 no 66769 in the GBRf “Prostate Cancer UK” livery has been launched at the Accurascale ‘take-over’ of Pete Waterman’s “Making Tracks 3” event at Chester Cathedral with a fully working pre-production sample in operation on the layout.

The real 66769 arrived as part of the penultimate delivery of class 66s. Now being delivered from EMD’s Muncie plant in Indiana, it was unloaded from its transatlantic crossing at Newport in early December 2014. Originally an anonymous member of the class 66 family, albeit with the late configuration of parts that show it originated from the US plant over its Canadian cousins, it set to work for GBRf with little fuss. In 2021 GBRf ran its annual Charity railtour and 769 was selected to wear a special livery and be an integral part of the tour.

The locomotive was unveiled in its special black livery in connection with Prostate Cancer UK during August before becoming the flagship for the September tour. Unusually it was dual named, in recognition of GBRF contracts manager, Paul Taylor, who was battling prostate cancer, and also the League Managers Association. The GBRF 2021 tour raised over £147,000 for Prostate Cancer UK. Sadly Paul Taylor lost his battle in 2022 and this locomotive serves a fitting tribute to him and continues to raise awareness of this very important cause. 66769 has settled back into squadron service with other members of the GBRf class 66 family and can be seen working all manner of trains across the length and breadth of the country, proudly still wearing its charity livery.

While the livery adorning 66769 is certainly attractive and distinctive, it also carries a very important message in both prototype and model form. One in eight men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, with men over 50 being at increased risk of suffering from the disease. Accurascale felt it that 66769 was an essential locomotive to add to their Class 66 release programme, not only to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK, but to raise awareness of this illness among their largest customer base.

66769 marks the beginning of a new initiative for Accurascale, with certain exclusive models raising awareness and much needed funds for special causes other than railway preservation (which will continue to benefit from Accurascale in the future.) 

Discussing the model, Accurascale PR and Marketing Director Fran Burke stated; “We are absolutely delighted to work with Prostate Cancer UK and help raise £10,000 for this fantastic cause. Not only does 66769 look spectacular in both prototype and model form, but it carries a most important message that raises awareness for this cause. As we see from model railway exhibitions we attend and indeed our own customer base, a significant portion of people in this hobby are males over 50, so hopefully this model can be enjoyed, but also help to raise awareness about getting checked out. It is also a cause that means a lot to many of us on the Accurascale team, having seen loved ones suffer and indeed be lost to this dreadful illness. We sincerely thank Prostate Cancer UK, The LMA and of course GBRf for working with us on this model.”

Prostate Cancer UK spokesperson Jake Maloney-Cox stated: "We are thrilled to see the Man of Men logo featured on the brand new Accurascale Class 66 model. We are especially proud to see that the live saving journey started by GB Railfreight and Paul Taylor with their incredible railtour continues to this day.

Every 45 minutes one man dies from prostate cancer in the UK, and it is the most common cancer in men. We are incredibly grateful to Accurascale who will support our lifesaving work, raising funds for vital research into better tests and treatments, and also sparking life-saving conversations about prostate cancer”

This limited edition model is now available for pre-order via the Accurascale website and will come in special presentation packaging and containing literature concerning prostate cancer and the services of Prostate Cancer UK. Delivery will be with the rest of the announced Class 66 first run models in Q1 2024. Priced at £169.99 for DC/DCC ready and £259.99 for DCC sound fitted, with no money down pre-ordering available, as well as flexible monthly payments over 6 months via partially, proceeds of the model will be donated to Prostate Cancer UK with the aim of raising £10,000 for this worthy cause.

Pre-order your Class 66 and help in the battle against Prostate Cancer today by clicking below.

Pre-Order Your Class 66 By Clicking Here!

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Time for a quick update on our lovely Class 66s which have been progressing nicely though the Accurascale works! Having taken on the excellent Hattons Class 66 tooling, we documented how we made several tweaks to these models, unlocking more detail variations and taking on customer feedback.

This has been very well received. But, as some modellers pointed out, there was an extra yard we could go to to really bring the best out of our shed So we listened, assessed, designed and implemented some further tweaks on these already brilliant models to make them truly special. 

All lighting units have been revised. We were unsure about changing these early on for the EP and we held out to see what they looked like on the decorated samples. The size of the units have been changed as well as the internal light guides to give a better appearance. We also now have the option of both types of LED light cluster.

The Freightliner green has been revised to the proper shade of green for this period. Previously the backing to the Freightliner logo on our first decorated sample was a different shade of green. In order to replicate this properly, we have used the same shade of paint with different gloss levels. It's very subtle but the camera flash shows it to good effect.

Both styles of cab interior have been modelled, featuring either wrap around desk or central "pedestal".

The correct shade of grey for the roof of the DB liveried locos has now been used.

Warning panel yellows have been tweaked. There are actually three different shades used over the period the 66 covers. Here are two of the them!

We have tooled an additional buffer beam plate (centre) to correct the position of the lashing eyes on the first 200 EWS machines. 66001 (and 2's) unique arrangement can be seen on the left. and the later "standard" on the right.

Among the other smaller and subtle tweaks we have also looked at and improved the fit of the handrails on the bodyside for the doors to give them a more realistic appearance.

With all these tweaks in place we can now confirm that the production run is signed off and underway. Not only that, but we are still on course for delivery for Q1, 2024 as originally announced back in February.

Pre-order your ultimate Class 66 via our network of retailers, or direct via our website below, with no money down pre-ordering or monthly installments at no extra cost available. At just £169.99 DC/DCC Ready and £259.99 DCC sound fitted they represent excellent value for money considering the ultimate specification of these models. Make sure you don't miss out.

PRE-ORDER YOUR ACCURASCALE CLASS 66 HERE!

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Hi everyone,

Just a message to extend a massive thanks to everyone who purchased our sound decoders, almost 70% of them have now sold so they have proven very popular indedd!

Don't miss out on yours here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/dcc-decoders

Cheers!

Fran 

Making Tracks is back! Today sees the return of the Making Tracks summer exhibition at Chester Cathedral with Pete Waterman and the Railnuts team.

We're delighted to be sponsoring this wonderful event for the first time as the team look to raise much needed funds for the magnificent Cathedral which provides the venue for this wonderful layout.

This year we’re treated to the biggest undertaking yet as the team recreates Milton Keynes station on the West Coast Mainline through a massive 64ft ‘OO’ gauge layout.

The layout fiddle yard will be filled with all the latest stock from Accurascale which will be put through its paces running 7 hours per day for 6 weeks straight! The best part is visitors can take to the controls and drive our full rakes around the layout themselves.

Further to this, we will be hosting an ‘Accurascale Takeover’ on the 4th & 5th of August where we’ll be showcasing early samples of our anticipated Class 50, Class 31, Class 89 and perhaps a new announcement... 

The Accurascale team will also be on hand to discuss all things Accurascale, so please come along and meet some of our gang! 

Don’t miss your chance to join Pete Waterman OBE and the Railnuts team for the third instalment of Making Tracks at Chester Cathedral from 26th July to 2nd September.

Making Tracks 3 will run from 10am to 5pm Mondays to Saturdays, Tickets are priced at £3 per person with free entry for children under 5. All proceeds go to Chester Cathedral.

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Hi everyone,

90% of Magnesite Wagons Sold - Got Yours Yet?

Our magnesite wagons have proven to be one of the more quirky wagons in our range, but have indeed proved popular among modellers. So much so that only 10% of the production run now remains in stock.

So, if you fancy some, or wish to build your rake further, then make sure you grab your packs while you can. Four different packs with different wagon numbers are currently available.

Remember, there is 10% off when you buy two packs or more, and free postage and packaging around Ireland.

Shop here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/magnesite-wagons 

Cheers!

Fran

12 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

How was the sound aquired in the end? From the Australian locomotive or made from scratch?

Quote

This is thanks to a rare recording unearthed in recent months and sent onto us. ESU have worked their magic and created a full fat sound chip to finally unleash the potential of these locos. 

As above! Audio recording from the 1960s. 

6 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

Challenge accepted Boys! Muttenz , Switzerland April 2008 Mind you I don't remember seeing another but then these days I basically don't remember much!

New turbo required! 

One thing we would point out is that you very rarely, if ever, see smoke come out of a Class 66, a bit like our own 071s and 201s. 

But I'm biased...  

The ESU model is diecast, but our own model is no lightweight, in fact it's pretty darn heavy, has twin speakers, loksound 5 (same sound chip so!), hall sensors, stay alive all for a lot less...

Cheers!

Fran 

yes actually  

With the Accurascale Manor just around the corner, we couldn't help but share these images of production sample '7801 Anthony Manor'!

We're particularly proud of the finer detail on the running plate, inside the cab and the matt paint around the Smokebox.

Of course, none of these projects are ever plain saling, and our inspection did throw up one mistake. Despite our artworks being correct, the tunnel on the firemans side has been painted black instead of green.

Thankfully, this is a really easy fix, and the factory has corrected it on all models. We felt that this was worthwhile and did not want to locos to fall at the last hurdle.

The models are now being packed up and prepared for shipping by air to the UK. We are currently waiting our logistics partner to confirm details and will share that in due course. They are coming in two batches one week apart. Batch one includes 7800, 7801, 7802, 7808 and 7812, with the remainder following on approx one week later.

Keep an eye on our social media for more updates and prepare yourself for your Manor arrival this July!

Missed out? Check out your local stockist for availability or sign up to email updates on any of the locos on our website coming back into stock. Just click on the locomotive that interests you and enter your email address on the right hand side.

VIEW THE MANOR RANGE HERE!

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Hi everyone,

Production of our NIR and RPSI Mark 2 coaches is nearing completion at the factory! We are due production samples of these lovely coaches in the next couple of weeks and expect the models to arrive in late August/Early September in stock.

We are all sold out, but you can register your interest for the remaining stock to go on sale on our website and you can also pre-order the orange and black Mark 2s due later in the year right here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/mark-2-coaches

Cheers!

Fran