Class 89 Update - We Visit The Factory To Oversee Production Completion

Warbonnet · March 6

With our Class 31s now landing with customers and the final batch arriving in stock, attention now turns to our other current locomotive projects. It has indeed been a very busy period for us and we have four locomotives coming close to completion at the factories in China. Namely, the Class 50, Class 60, the J67/J68/J69 "Buckjumpers" and the subject of todays update; the Class 89.

With so many locomotives coming to the end of their production cycle, we decided to send a delegation to China to oversee the final stages of these locos at the various different factories that are producing them, so we can bring you a real time update on where we are at with them.

So, Accurascale Director Patrick Conboy, Production Manager Steve Nicholls, and Senior Project Manager (and man responsible for the Class 89!) Gareth Bayer have travelled to the Far East to make sure everything is how it should be.

This factory in particular is working on several of our projects, including the HYA wagons.

Upon receiving the first production samples earlier this year (more on that later!) we identified a couple of minor tweaks required to the locomotives to reach that museum quality level we required from these stand out models. We're happy to say that the factory have been busy implementing these, and they're almost complete.

One key area for attention is the operation of the raising and lowering pantograph. We have refined this operation and look following on from our Class 92, and while the original design worked, it left the pan head in an non-prototypical position. Our friends at Making Tracks were able to assist us in this feedback, and although the Class 92 and Caledonian sleeper train was hitting the highest mileage of any locomotive on the layout, it was the one area they said they'd love to see improved.

We've worked hard to improve the finesse of the 89 pantograph after such feedback, with features such as a metal, scale head and new hidden 'clip-down' technology for DC users, but as as result the fine tuning in the set up, notably with the wonderful ESU mechanisms, has been a slow and iterative process.

However, working closely with the internal and external engineers, we have now nailed this, and the new design is currently being manufactured ahead of fitting to the otherwise finished Class 89s.

See how the springing and the pan head in particular now swivels to stay in contact at all times.

These are a highly intricate and complex part, that need to be highly calibrated and hand-tuned at the factory, and cannot be rushed. This now puts delivery of the 89 to our warehouse to Q2 2025. While this slight delay is regrettable, this is likely the only chance the British modelling public will ever get to obtain a top tier model of the Badger, so we are determined to make it as perfect as it can be.

One variant we have yet to show was GNER livery with gold lettering, but we are delighted to present it now in its production sample state.

We still have pre-ordering open for the Class 89, as do our counterparts at Rails of Sheffield, but please note that we will close them very soon as delivery edges ever closer. So, if you want one, place your pre-order today with a £30 deposit via Rails, or below, to avoid disappointment.