Let's Raise £10,000 Together For Samaritans With Our Latest Class 66!

Warbonnet · December 20, 2023

The Festive Season is all about giving, and we thought we would reserve our final launch of this year for a very special exclusive model which, with your help, will raise much needed funds for a most important and valuable service.

We have already seen tremendous support for our Prostate Cancer UK Class 66 locomotive (which is now sold out!) so we have decided to try to raise another £10,000 for another special cause with your help. We wish to raise these funds and awareness using another one of our forthcoming Class 66 locomotives for a very worthy cause, this time focusing on mental health with Samaritans.

The locomotive in question is Class 66 no 66 415 in Freightliner orange livery with black striping. Named ‘You Are Never Alone’ at Ipswich Station in November 2019, the real 66 415 was dedicated through a collaborative effort between Freightliner, Greater Anglia and Samaritans to pay tribute and to raise awareness of the invaluable work the Samaritans do to help prevent suicide across the UK and Republic of Ireland.

The nameplate was unveiled by train drivers Steve Read and Dave Bray and Branch Director of Samaritans, Ipswich & East Suffolk, Judy Wright. The locomotive is plying its trade across the UK today proudly carrying its nameplate in the distinctive Genesee and Wyoming inspired Orange Freightliner livery.

We've unveiled this very special model was announced at the latest “Accurascale Take-Over” of Pete Waterman’s “Making Tracks” event at Cheshire Outdoors, Blakemere Village, where the model railway feast runs from December 16th until January 7th 2024. A pre-production sample of the locomotive will be put to the test hauling the heaviest trains on the layout.

According to the Office for National Statistics, around 5000 suicides are registered in England each year, with many more lives impacted. Males are around three times more likely to die by suicide than women, and men in their late 40s and early 50s are among those most at risk. Males of this age group make up a significant slice of Accurascale’s customer base, so the company approached Samaritans to raise awareness of their services in this novel and unique way.

With suicide rates as high now as they were 20 years ago, we feel that it is vitally important to raise awareness of the services of Samaritans for anyone who is struggling to cope and who needs someone to listen without judgement or pressure. Creating this exclusive locomotive means that not only can funds be generated to support vital services, but also will be a reminder of such services that will live long on modellers layouts or in their collections.

Speaking about the fundraising initiative, Richard Amos, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Samaritans, stated - "I'd like to say a massive thank you to Accurascale, for raising awareness and donating £10,000 from sales of their latest miniature locomotive model to Samaritans. This time of year can be an especially challenging time for many, and the special name of the locomotive 'You Are Not Alone', is a poignant reminder that Samaritans are there 24/7 every day of the year, to listen to anyone who is going through a difficult period in their lives or is struggling to cope. Their generous donation means that we can continue to be there for those who need us."

Fran Burke, Accurascale Director of Marketing, Sales and Public Relations added – “We’re delighted that our forthcoming model of the Class 66 can once again impress modellers, but also do good by helping others. Samaritans is a cause very much close to our hearts and we thank them and Freightliner UK for allowing us to work together to produce our museum quality model of the Class 66 and work with you, the British outline railway modelling public, to help raise £10,000 which can help others who are suffering.”

The model of 66415 is currently in production and will arrive with the rest of the first production run of the Class 66 locomotives and will arrive in the first quarter of 2024. It will come complete with presentation packaging and offered in both DC/DCC Ready and DCC Sound Fitted formats priced at £169.99 and £259.99 respectively. The locomotive will be available to order exclusively via the Accurascale website only and with production already underway stock is strictly limited, so early “no money down” pre-ordering is recommended to avoid disappointment.