55 For 5 - We Bring Back Our Deltics To Celebrate Our 5th Birthday!

[Warbonnet]

Next week marks five years of Accurascale. It's been a wild ride for sure, as we have bought 22 newly tooled models to market (not including our IRM output) and placed them in modellers hands. We have 11 more tooled up that are either in production, or development and testing, and on top of that we have a lot more at drawing board and/or at research stage.

So, to mark this occasion we thought it was best to bring back the model that we get asked about most; our awesome Deltics! So, it's the Class 55 for our 5th birthday.

Considering the breakneck speed these locos sold out at when they arrived, and the serious premiums they command on the 2nd hand market, it was about time the Deltics made a return journey!

SHOP FOR YOUR DELTIC BY CLICKING HERE!

Tweaks and Enhancements

We are always keen to push the boundaries on any model we do to improve standards and fidelity across the hobby and bring you the greatest replicas in miniature possible. However, we also listen to customer feedback from modellers and know we can always do better and improve. We have taken all the constructive feedback we received from the first run of the Deltics and built it into a list of tweaks and enhancements which we will now implement in the new production run.

Firstly, the brake chains on the bogies have been redesigned to make them more robust and a simple process to remove them to take the body off the chassis for driver fitting an routine maintenance. They will be a push fit system, no longer requiring any glue and still give the great detail impression of the real locomotives. 

The corner step mounting and fuel tank parts have also been revised, with stronger mountings allowing for a more robust assembly. This will prevent them coming adrift in transit and be stronger under careful handling. 

We will also be improving the nose handrails to give them a more realistic appearance, the speaker baffle will be more secure and other gentle tweaks will ensure that the definitive Deltic is even better.

New Identities (Mostly!)

So, what Deltics are Accurascale doing? After all, they covered all 22 class members in the first production run, so we have mixed it up a bit for run two. There will be new livery and name combinations across five locomotives, and the return of a favourite from run one due to popular demand.

A total of six Deltics make up this production run, with four in the main range and two which will be Accurascale Exclusives.

Let's have a look at each one!

Main Range

D9018 Ballymoss

Representing the classic mid 1960s era of English Electric’s finest is D9018 in two-tone green with small yellow panel. The Finsbury Park thoroughbred is still in mostly original condition, albeit with some exhaust and radiator grille modifications and the addition of top lamp irons on the nose ends.

55020 Nimbus

One of just three Deltics to never receive plated headcode boxes, 55020 is also notable for retaining the mountings for the cab roof horns worn during the early 1960s. Our model is based on its 1976 condition with standard-sized domino headcodes, although alternative smaller dots will be provided.

55004 Queen's Own Highlander

Much requested is our first Haymarket-allocated TOPS blue Deltic, represented here by 55004 in 1977 condition, just after having its headcode box plated over. Notably this was one of just four members of the fleet to feature unpainted front windscreen frames during the mid to late 1970s.

55013 The Black Watch

Complementing 55022 from the first run is York’s 55013 in its similar special livery with silver fuel tanks, grey roof, red bufferbeams and white-painted extras, which it retained until its withdrawal in October 1981. It was repainted for the 1980 Rainhill Event, but was replaced on the bill by Tulyar.

Accurascale Exclusives

55022 / D9000 Royal Scots Grey 'Virgin XC Condition'

The star of our second run and the number one Deltic on many customers’ wishlists is the one and only RSG in its iconic preservation era two-tone green while operating Virgin CrossCountry services between 1997 and 1999. Our unique tooling for this locomotive incudes high visibility headlight.

9016 Gordon Highlander

GORDON'S ALIVE! Unveiled in Porterbrook Leasing purple after overhaul at Brush Traction’s Loughborough Works in September 1999, 55016 also controversially received WIPAC light clusters at the same time. Main-line registered, it ran in this condition until it was repainted two-tone green in August 2003.

It is back due to extremely popular demand!

Price and Delivery

What is the price and when can you take delivery of all this awesomeness? Well, prices will continue to be most reasonable for these high specification beasts, with £169.99 for DC/DCC ready and £259.99 for DCC Sound fitted with all the Accurathrash goodness! 

Delivery is slated for Q1 2024 with decorated samples due mid 2023. The four main range locomotives will be available both direct via our website and from your local Accurascale stockist, and the two Accurascale Exclusive models are available direct only via the Accurascale website.

You can spread the cost using our flexible payment terms over 6 months or less, depending on your requirements when ordering direct via our website. Just click on the basket at checkout and follow the simple steps.

Place your pre-order by clicking here!

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[Westcorkrailway]

Fantastic news 

[Chris Morris]

Will these be on the EU site at all?

Chris

[DJ Dangerous]

Awesome news for the weekend!

The way you have specified the year for each loco is very useful for me, at least, and probably a few others, as I have been lost with which UK livery ran when, until now.

A question:

My original Deltics are still in transit, so I'm ignorant as the the improvements. Are the tweaks made to the second generation aplicable to the first generation via spare parts, or are they in compatible? Sorry if it seems a dumb question but I haven't yet seen one in person, never mind handled one.