Ellis Clark Trains

Hi All, Ellis here - apologies - my mistake on the set of 3 (12 coaches). 24 vehicles... anyone for a limited edition set of 6 quads... :D All the best, Ellis.

Hi Toby, They were indeed! :) Often ran in sets of three too, forming a 12 coach set. Hi Brian, My fantastic CAD designer, Nikki, came up with an ingenious solution. Picture below: Essentially, Suburban stock was slowly re-painted as it was seen as low priority. These would have been repainted into Crimson anytime from 1954 onwards. For running in a full 8-coach set, we're supplying a shorter coupling bar and replacement vestigial buffers (within the detail pack). Picture below :) Whoops! Changed this now and re-attached the correct chart :)

Afternoon All, Apologies for the delay in getting a post live on here! I've just made a brand new post with all the info and some renders :). All the best, Ellis.

Quad Arts! Our entrance into the 4mm OO Gauge market. That’s right, we’ve been working on our latest announcement for some time now and it’s probably not what you were expecting! We (Ellis Clark Trains) are producing these models exclusively for our sister company Clark Railworks, who are our OO wing of the family. These stunning models follow in the footsteps of our multi-award-winning Presflos, the Wickhams and the soon to be released Black 5, with the detail and quality we have become known for. We have worked very closely both with the M&GN Society and the NNR (North Norfolk Railway), who have been invaluable throughout the whole process. We'd like to express our sincere thanks to both, for all the advice, info, history and help they have given us to date. We've travelled down to the railway countless times over the past 18 months and simply couldn't have done it without them. It's humbling that they have enabled us to do these magnificent coaches justice in model form and we look forward to delivering the first models to them in person. Our Quad Arts are priced at £325 per set (4 coaches) and you can pre-order with no upfront payments. We’re expecting these coaches to be in stock by Q3 2024. You can head over to Clark Railworks to place your pre-order. Here’s a full spec list… if you fancy spending the time reading it! Bogies Finely detailed including wheel, brake rigging and underframe details Brass bearings Separate bogie variations for centre and end bogies Sprung centre bogie fixing so coaches run prototypically close Insert for end bogies if the coupling is removed Electrical pickups for lighting Chassis Fully detailed diecast chassis Detailed fittings and pipework under chassis Sprung centre connectors for radius 2 curves and points Unclippable NEM pocket Sprung buffers on Brake end coach Accurate and detailed paint and printing detail Separately fitted vacuum and battery box details EM/P4 on axle Spare brake sets for EM P4 Body Detailed bodies with separate door grab rails Highly detailed coach ends with lit destination boards on brake ends Fully “low glow” interior lighting with hidden circuit boards Fully detailed interior with etched luggage racks and correct height seats Fully detailed roofs with separately fitted vents and magnetic and push fit roofs Magnetic switched lighting in each carriage Accurate and detailed paint and printing detail Liveries LNER Teak BR Crimson BR Maroon

Afternoon all The latest batch of Wickhams are now in stock! This includes two of the limited edition models and some of the DCC sound versions! Here's the full list of Wickhams which are now in stock: E1016U BR Maroon 'Unnumbered' E1016US BR Maroon 'Unnumbered', DCC Sound The Plain Yellow, Yellow with Wasp Stripes, Ltd. ed. Choc & Cream & SR Green models, both DCC Ready & DCC Sound, are due to be in stock in around 3 - 4 weeks' time. E1016S BR Maroon 'B14W', DCC Sound E1021Z BR Maroon w/White Roof, Limited Edition E1021ZS BR Maroon w/White Roof, Limited Edition, DCC Sound E1022Z Black w/Wasp Stripes, Limited Edition E1022ZS Black w/Wasp Stripes, Limited Edition, DCC Sound E3021 BR Maroon Planked Trailer E3025 Plain Black Planked Trailer The Plain Yellow, Yellow with Wasp Stripes, Ltd. ed. Choc & Cream & SR Green models, both DCC Ready & DCC Sound, are due to be in stock in around 3 - 4 weeks' time. All the best, Ellis.

Hi guys, Sorry for the confusion on uncoupling our Drophead Buckeyes. For uncoupling in the horizontal (buckeye) position, I've made a little video - although it's too large to upload, so please email myself (ellis@ellisclarktrains.com) if you would like a copy of it. In terms of dropping the coupling, I'll admit it is a bit trickier. If honest, it probably is better to pick up the one coach in the rake you would like to drop the coupling on and lift, slide and drop with fingers. It is a difficult one with this project, as they needed to be strong, well detailed, to scale and of course, work in dropped or knuckle position. If they were looser or required less lift to slide and drop, then coaches would be forever uncoupling. Essentially, this was the best middle ground we could find, but we understand they won't be for everyone. Hope this helps shed some light on the couplings. All the best, Ellis.

BIG NEWS! The first batch of our eagerly anticipated Wickhams have just come into stock and are now live on the website! This includes the BR maroon version (Our Ref E1016) and the flatbed trailers (E3031). The DCC Ready Wickham comes with a trailer for £150. The Flatbed Trailers are priced at £28 each. The DCC Sound variants, alongside all other liveries, are due in stock over the coming 8 weeks! We're just starting to work through pre-orders and we'll even be taking a few boxes up to Model Rail Scotland this weekend! All the best, Ellis.

Good afternoon, Hope you're all keeping well! Good news - our Working Drophead Buckeye Couplings are now in stock and live on the website. You can read all about them/watch a little demo video on our website, or by clicking HERE. All the best, Ellis.

Evening everyone, I've just posted another update on the black, which can be read by clicking here. Unfortunately, we have decided to remove smoke as an option on the model (DCC Sound of course remains). I've pasted the text regarding this from my newsletter below. All the best, Ellis.

Good afternoon all, It's been a while since the announcement of our finescale O Gauge Black 5, and it would be fair to say it has been quite the journey with many changes, barriers, dedication and hard work along the way. Well, today is a rather special and important milestone as we have now received the first sample from the factory. To us, it has been crucial to ensuring that every single aspect of this project is as close to perfect as possible, as not only is it of paramount importance to create the best possible Black 5, but this locomotive also lays the foundations for future models we want to produce. I'm sure by now you have scrolled past me waffling on to see the pictures of the first sample... but if not, thank you for reading and please let me know what you think! Of course, please bear in mind that this is the first sample and so there will be imperfections both in assembly and some castings, however, these, like all first samples, will be corrected come production and we are of course making a list of improvements and alterations. As we are now at the stage of submitting artwork and beginning work on the decorated samples, we thought it would be a good opportunity to fully update the list of available models. A few changes to note here, which I have listed below: 1. All the Reference Numbers (Product SKUs/Codes) have been updated to fall in line with our simplified product code system, as seen on the Presflos and Wickhams. 2. E71-1-1A No. '5225' has been replaced by E1001 '5241' - this is because there were more pictures and evidence available for '5241' to enable us to get the artwork spot on. If you have a pre-order for '5225' and would still like this, we are happy to custom number E1001U to this free of charge. 3. We're now not producing any plain black LMS locomotives and instead are producing plain black locomotives with transfers for both LMS and BR. This is due to the LMS black livery being short-lived and producing models in just plain black with both LMS and BR transfers gives both us and you the flexibility of choice. 4. E71-1-3A has been replaced by E1003 '45430'. Again, this is due to having more information and pictures on the latter, making it easier to create an accurate model. 5. E1003Y is a brand new limited-edition model! This represents No. '45428' 'Eric Treacy' as it was running in 1980 - 2017 preservation. 6. E71-1-5A has been removed and replaced with E1007 No. '45337' I suppose the question on everyone's lips is, what happens next and when can I expect to have my model?! Currently, we are working through our 'reviews and alterations' document. This will go back to the factory this week as they begin to return from Chinese New Year. We will then discuss any alterations and improvements we feel need making to the model. The factory will then go away and make any alterations to parts and moulds and will produce a fully working running model. Now, it's worth mentioning at this stage, and to put your minds at rest... We have actually done some early-stage running tests and both the motor, and the motion work seamlessly, so we're very confident that the running sample will impress! After that will come the decorated samples and from there the final revisions and production with a targeted delivery date for the first batch of Q3/4 this year.

Hi Ozzy, We're currently still working on the method of uncoupling. The challenge here is keeping them as close to the prototype as possible, whilst enabling easy uncoupling. We will be posting an update on here as soon as we know :). All the best, Ellis.

Hi all, Firstly, very sorry for the radio silence on this. I've been waiting to hear back from the factory for a definitive answer before commenting. I put out a newsletter last night outlining the current status and time frame for all of our projects, but yes, we are looking at delivery in February 2022. In terms of the the yellow Blue Circle livery and how long this lasted, there's a couple of things here. Firstly, allot of pictures where it appears as though they are in the grey livery they are actually in yellow! Basically, after years of cement overspill and the impossible task of cleaning cement off a wagon, they ended up looking grey anyway - which you'll see in some pictures. In terms of official dates for repainting/transition of livery, 1976 was when the majority were repainted from yellow to grey, after being introduced in the yellow livery circa 1960. Hope this helps :). All the best, Ellis.

Good evening, Earlier today we went live on Facebook to update you on our Ellis Clark Trains Finescale O Gauge Wickham Trolley & Trailers. In case you missed it, or you're not on Facebook, below is everything we updated... enjoy! First EP Lands Many of you have already seen these, but there's no harm in posting them again! New Liveries Enter the Line-up Having spent further hours researching and visiting Wickhams in preservation, we have decided to add some new limited edition liveries to our Wickham line-up! These include the following: E1020Z | Choc & Cream | Preserved at 'Didcot Railway Centre' E1021Z | BR Maroon with White Roof 'B40W' | Preserved at 'The Somerset & Dorset Railway' E1022Z | Black with Wasp Stripes | Preserved at Mangapps Un-Numbered Variants Alongside adding three new liveries, we have also created an un-numbered version of the BR Maroon, SR Green, BR Yellow & Engineer's Yellow variants. These are available for pre-order on the website by visiting the 'Shop Wickhams' page, selecting your chosen livery and choosing the 'Un-numbered' option from the drop-down menu. You're now free to have multiple Wickhams with different running numbers scurrying around your layout! Furthermore, each un-numbered Wickham will come supplied with a transfer sheet, including both preset, and a selection of individual numbers. Flatbed Trailer Now Available Another announcement for this project is the addition of a Wickham flatbed trailer. These, finished in black with wooden planking, can be added onto any Wickham trolley or trailer by it's hook couplings, or simply put in the siding of your railway! These trailers would often be found in the sidings and would often be used with Wickhams for transporting machinery and tools. These can now be pre-ordered with no upfront payments! They will be £32.95 each and can be found by clicking the blue button below. DCC Sound Fitted Wickhams Many were asking, and many more thought it wouldn't be possible... but we've done it! We're now happy to announce that all our Wickhams can be purchased with DCC sound, fitted with a Zimo chip and a sugar cube speaker - which is located in the engine bay. These are priced at £289.95 and can be pre-ordered through the website with no up-front payments! Simply click on any Wickham Trolley listing and from the drop-down menu select 'DCC Sound' Simplified Product Codes I suppose this is rather boring, so I'll keep it swift! We're changing our product codes to make them simpler, both for us and you! Below is a new production chart for the Wickham Trolleys, Planked Trailers, and Flatbed Trailers, for your reference. Apparently only I (Ellis) could understand our old product codes... Simple & straightforward it is!

Good afternoon, Modellers have forever debated the finish of both teak and 'simulated' teak (for metal coaches painted in a teak finish) in scale models. It's taken ourselves and Darstaed a while to perfect our finish on the teak Thompson coaches, however we have just received our first decorated sample from the factory and we have to say, we're incredibly impressed! These are due Q1/2 next year following delivery of the blood & custard coaches in the winter of this year, and the lined maroon coaches due early next year. for a refresher course in the range we're offering, please click HERE, which will take you to our blog post containing all the information on the full range of Darstaed Thompson coaches. The big question then... What do you think?

Hi there, They will indeed come with different running numbers. In terms of shed plates - we're still looking at the best way of doing this. It might be that we carry a stock of many different plates, which you may then choose from :). All the best, Ellis.

Hi there, We're currently expecting deliveries in September :). All the best, Ellis.

Hi Fred, Currently, we're just doing the top feed on the 3rd ring with the dome. We're always looking for others to make in the future though! All the best, Ellis.

Evening everyone, An exciting day in the office today... May I present to you, the decorated samples of our forthcoming Presflos! As shown below, we have received a sample of (using our refs): E73-1-3A Blue Circle, Yellow (Pre-TOPS) E73-1-6A Blue Circle, Bauxite (TOPS) What do you all think? We've already highlighted some areas for refinement/improvement for the production models. Delivery is still expected for Summer this Year. All the best, Ellis

Evening all, Just a quick note to let everyone know that the 'Motorail' versions of the Carflats are now complete and in stock. Neil has also been busy weathering up a small batch in an attempt to cater for demand. We've got around 20 left in clean finish and 10 or so weathered, with a few held back in case we've missed any preorders. With that in mind, if you have a preorder and we haven't yet been in touch, please call the office tomorrow :). All the best, Ellis.

Fantastic news - great to hear you're pleased with them :). All the best, Ellis.

Morning everyone, Just a quick note to let you all know that the wooden ended carflats are now complete and in stock. The metal ended 'Motorail' versions should be ready by the middle of next week. We have a few people to ring round this morning and fulfil preorders, so if you have some on order but haven't yet had the call, fear not! . All the best, Ellis.

Hi there, They will be fitted in the bogie side frames. Totally agree regarding the 'pivoting' system, which is something we had to carry tests out on and what led to us choosing a high end bearing which can cope with 360 movement (some bearings are suited for maintaining the same position at all times). The ends of the axle will be turned down to 'slot' into the bearing. Hope this helps! All the best, Ellis.

Hi Frank, I must admit - this is my fault. I had been rather optimistic with the completion date of the carflats and in reality, it took quite a while longer to source parts, paint and build. The other reason is that they we're far more popular than first envisaged, and I wanted to be able to fulfil all preorders at once, as a pose to in small lots. The good news is that on Monday we are calling round all pre-orders! - so you've just beaten me to it :). What we have left in stock should be going on the website on Wednesday. All the best, Ellis.

Afternoon all, As you know, I'm always asking for feedback and, where possible I always act upon it... I can therefore announce that we are including with the Thompson production run a range of upgraded bogies, factory fitted with ball bearings. Excuse me for copying and pasting the info below from my email newsletter, which just went out, but all the relevant information is below: What's available, how much and how will it work? The price for a pair of bogies on their own is £55. We also offer an 'upgrade service' whereby if you pre-order, have pre-ordered or purchase once in stock, any Thompson coaches we will replace the standard bogies with ball bearing bogies for an extra £20 per coach. However, if purchasing one of the limited edition Elizabethan 11-coach sets then we will fit all 11 coaches for £200. As always, we do not take any payments upfront for pre-ordering. The following three types of bogies will be available in pairs, both sold as a stand-alone purchase and as an in-house upgrade: D24-A01 8' 0" Heavy Bogies D24-A02 8' 6" Light Bogies D24-A03 8' 6" Heavy Bogies If you would like to pre-order these as an upgrade for a new or pre-existing pre-order, please pre-order your chosen bogies and include within the notes section of the order a bogie 'upgrade' request and quote your original Order No. We are expecting these with the first delivery of coaches in the Summer of this year (2021). Specifications As always, we believe in producing models, parts and components to an exacting, high standard, but maintaining what we believe to be fair retail prices. We have certainly done our research and although there are cheaper bearings on the market, we have opted for high-end Japanese variants which will persevere with undulations, inclines and declines in trackwork - although please don't think I'm criticizing anyone's track laying skills! These bogies are therefore being produced with the following specifications: Super detailed die-cast construction, with plastic brake rod detailing High-quality Japanese bearings Tilt suspension Axle box detailing Turned brass wheels, chemically blackened Fully assembled and supplied in packaging If purchased as a stand-alone pair of bogies, we will supply them both free-running without pick-ups. As always, if you have any questions, fire away! All the best, Ellis.

Hi there, So, bit of a tricky one and a decision we originally made the Mk1s. We actually opted to place the Kadee at prototypical height as a pose to the Kadee height. We do however offer free of charge a 'lowering' kit for the kadees :). All the best, Ellis.