Accurascale Fran

Hi everyone, I think the important thing to remember here is if we didnt produce the 92 in 4mm we wouldnt have been able to produce the Caledonian Sleeper stock. This was a bundle deal. Cheers! Fran

Oh it will be 5 pole, skew wound, twin flywheels and lots of pulling power with plenty of weight and helical gearing. with 16 coaches to pull they need to be strong! Cheers, Fran

Hi everyone, Thanks for the positive feedback! We are doing 11 different locos in our first run in numerous liveries. They will be offered DCC ready or DCC Sound Fitted with ESU Loksound 5. They will have detail differences where applicable, such as the deliner coupling mod to match our Mark 5s on the appropriate locos. We are due a full concrete price after CNY which we would have had in place for Glasgow, but as you now all know this news was leaked early so we cant firm it up totally yet. However, expect it to be in around the Deltic prices. We are operating the deposit scheme for these too, and if you want to take the leap of faith you can now place your orders for £30 per loco on our site: https://accurascale.co.uk/collections/british-rail-class-92 Delivery is slated for early 2020. Cheers! Fran

Hi Jools, Our 92 is designed by us with research done by ourselves and with kind help from Revolution Trains who had extensive work done for their N gauge locomotive. Cheers! Fran

We are making them suitable for DC operation too, but we will have more info in due course. Thanks for the positive comments everyone. We feel that this is our most ambitious project yet. Exciting times!

Hi Craig, Since this was announced early by one of the magazines while we were still firming up details we havent got an exact retail price just yet, but once we do we will publish it and let you all know! Cheers, Fran

Our second locomotive for the British market is the Brush Class 92 dual-voltage electric. Having decided to produce the Mark 5 coaches, a necessity to produce suitable motive power was required for the sleeper stock, with the Class 92 selected. With a high-quality model in the pipeline in N gauge from Revolution/Rapido, it seemed right that OO gauge modellers should enjoy a high specification model with excellent detail, an array of features and excellent fidelity as modellers come to expect from Accurascale. A high quality model locomotive was a requirement in securing the rights to produce the sleeper stock from the outset. A total of 46 of these interesting and complex locomotives were built between 1993 and 1996 as part of the landmark Channel Tunnel project, to convey freight and sleeper trains between Britain and France across the 25kv AC overhead and 750v DC third rail network. The locomotives have enjoyed chequered careers, with some of the work they were built for, such as the ‘Nightstar’ sleeper trains seeing cancellation before services could start and the 92s built for the role languishing in storage for many years. Luckily, the locomotives have acquitted themselves well on intermodal, steel and general freight traffic for BR, EWS, DB and GBRf over the past 25 years and belatedly find themselves on sleeper services with the Caledonian Sleeper, some 20 years after they were built for such trains. It is the Caledonian Sleeper that has led Accurascale to choose the Class 92 as its second locomotive. Accurascale has teamed up with the exciting and innovative brand Revolution Trains to design and manufacture the new CAF built Mark 5 coaching stock, which will be used on the Caledonian Sleeper as well as TPE services. Accurascale will produce and retail the coaches in OO gauge, while Revolution will do the same in N gauge under their crowdfunding model. Extensive research on the locomotives has been complete with CAD design at an advanced stage. Tooling will commence shortly and livery permissions have been obtained. The first run of locomotives will see multiple releases in railfreight with different markings, EWS, DB Schenker, and GBRf, with DCC ready and DCC sound options available on all running numbers. Specification will mirror that of the Accurascale Deltic locomotives, with heavy tungsten alloy chassis, an extensive array of separately applied detail, detail differences catered for between locomotives and numerous operating features including motorised raising and lowering pantographs and DCC ready and DCC sound fitted options using ESU’s latest Loksound 5 chip. Accurascale would like to thank Revolution Trains for their assistance in this project. Prices and delivery are TBC. Preorders can be made via the Accurascale website: https://accurascale.co.uk/collections/british-rail-class-92

Accurascale and Revolution Trains are teaming up to produce Mk5 coaches in 00 and N gauge. The two companies are co-operating on research and development and will be producing complete ranges of the Mk5s operated by Caledonian Sleeper and Trans Pennine Express's Mk5a vehicles. Both types of Mk5 are being manufactured by CAF of Spain, and they are the first loco-hauled vehicles built for Britain's rail network since the Mk4 Inter-City 225s which entered service three decades ago. Those for Caledonian Sleeper comprise Sleeper, Accessible Sleeper, Club Car and Lounge Car while TPE will operate theirs in fixed sets of five with a driving trailer, three intermediate standard cars and a first class/guard's vehicle. Although the Mk5 and Mk5a vehicles share many design features and common components, there are also significant differences - primarily the Caledonian Sleeper vehicles are slightly wider to offer more room in the side corridor. Revolution and Accurascale have CAD work on their design is now well underway. As part of this exciting new project, Accurascale will also introduce a high specification Class 92, with Revolution providing valuable research assistance. Fran Burke of Accurascale said: “It has been an amazing first year for Accurascale and we are delighted to add our first electric locomotive and coaching stock to our range. Both the 92 and the Mk5 will be done the Accurascale way - with absolute attention to detail and quality. We’re delighted to be working with Revolution Trains again on another exciting project for both companies.” Accurascale's Patrick Conboy added: "We want these models to set a new standard for the British market, and they will be the perfect accompaniment for our forthcoming Class 92 in 00." Exact specifications for the coaches are yet to be finalised, but modellers can expect switchable interior lighting, fully detailed and painted interiors and accurately modelled detail differences in the roofs, underframes and bodyshells. Both Beacon Rail, who own the TPE vehicles, and Caledonian Sleeper have been hugely helpful with drawings, CAD designs and facilitating visits to both Longsight and Polmadie depots to enable us to photograph and measure every inch of these attractive and stylish vehicles. Mike Hale of Revolution Trains said: "Revolution and Accurascale have a similar approach and when the opportunity arose to work together on the Mk5s we did not hesitate. We will be focussing on the N gauge models, as you'd expect, but we are certain that co-operating like this will benefit both 2mm and 4mm modellers." And Revolution's Ben Ando added: "We'd very much like to thank Beacon, Caledonian Sleeper and of course the makers CAF for providing such detailed and comprehensive research material. These coaches will go very well with high-end models already on the market - such as the Dapol Class 68 and Revolution's own Class 92 - so they were a logical choice for us." Caledonian Sleeper operate two trains each night from London to destinations in Scotland - the Lowlander, with 8 coaches each for Edinburgh and Glasgow, and the Highlander with six coaches for Aberdeen, six for Inverness and four for Fort William. Both companies anticipate that book sets will be offered with separate sections, allowing a complete train to be assembled. Similarly, once introduced TPE plan to operate their Mk5a vehicles in fixed formations of 5 between Liverpool, Manchester Airport, Scarborough and Middlesbrough. Again, these will be packaged as complete rakes in book sets. Development of the models is underway, with first samples in both scales expected by Autumn. For more information on the N gauge project, visit www.revolutiontrains.com and www.accurascale.co.uk for the OO models.

Hi everyone, Well, so much for my day off! We have the announcements here: https://accurascale.co.uk/blogs/news/a-bunch-of-mark-fives-from-accurascale-and-revolution and here: https://accurascale.co.uk/blogs/news/accurascale-announces-class-92-in-oo I am going to form separate threads for them in a couple of minutes and I think it would do everyone a favour if we keep comments for each in each thread, mods, us, and people searching for info. so please bare with me! Cheers, Fran

Block trains of our wagons makes our accountant very happy Phil, and means we can pay for more tooling of more models! Everyone’s a winner as Delboy Trotter used to say. Cheers! Fran

Hi Jaf, im sure we will do new numbers in pre TOPS guise at some point in the future! Cheers! Fran

I know you are Clive, I said it in jest as a response to Stubby's joke. We always appreciate help. Cheers! Fran

It's easy to be brave when you know you're right but I do enjoy a debate. Mind you, my previous work in political communication was a cake walk compared to working for a model railway manufacturer! Cheers, Fran

Great Clive, if you drop over to our stand on the Friday or the Saturday you can meet our designer who will be able to talk you through everything before he returns home on Saturday evening. Cheers! Fran

Hi Clive, not 100% sure I’ll be there yet, but we are at Glasgow? I will say that the CAD used for the print has had corrections made to it (as that is its purpose of course) but I think the CAD overlay on the image above is pretty conclusive evidence that it is correct, is it not? It is certainly the CAD that is being used for tooling as it has been extensively bench pressed, but if I am there certainly drop by for a chat and look. Always good to put faces to names and have a natter! Cheers! Fran

Hi Robin, They are currently en route through a couple of air freight flights and once the spot checks are completed the pre-order dispatch will begin next week! Cheers, Fran

Very nice, you need some nice high quality rolling stock to go behind it now. I know a man....

Hi Clive, We don't bite, honest! Attached is our cad overlaid onto a photo of the real thing to demonstrate that the cantrail is indeed correct. It can be difficult to decipher on white on white CAD renders when it comes to shape etc. We should have a blog detailing processes on developing it in the coming days actually. Cheers, Fran

Hahaha some day! I should point out though that it is an Accurascale project, so British outline and in this case both are 4mm. All our IRM announcements are done at Irish shows. Cheers! Fran

It's certainly more modern than Met stock.

Sorry mate, but it isn’t a 37, that’s one thing I can confirm!

Ah go ahead on then, it goes with the rolling stock we’re also announcing. That’s all we’re saying! Cheers! Fran

They’re the smaller 21 tonners, Michael. Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, Our next UK show is of course the fabulous Model Rail Scotland, where we will have the last of our 4mm pre TOPS HUOs (if they last that long!) for sale, along with TOPS and NCB packs, as well as the brand new 7mm HUOs for sale on our stand across the weekend. We will also have decorated samples of our PCA and Cemflos and our Deltic print on show and accessory packs in both 4mm and 7mm and our Irish Tara Mines wagons on sale too. We will also be able to take pre-orders on cemflos, PCAs and Deltics should you wish to place them in person and we will be on hand to answer any queries and have a chat. What's more, we will be making TWO major announcements at the show on Friday at 11am. One is our next locomotive, and the second is some rolling stock. It will be our most ambitious plan yet, so make sure you drop by and see what it is. I promise I'll keep the speech really short this time! Cheers, Fran

Hi Michael, It sure is, just is an earlier pattern to ours, hence straight strake in middle and different braking arrangement. Great pic! Cheers, Fran