Accurascale Announce OO HUO - NEW PRE-TOPS RUN ANNOUNCED 23/07/2020

[Accurascale Fran]

 

 

 

Hi folks,

 

Well, since the cat is out of the bag in one of the magazines, we've decided to bring the first Accurascale announcement forward to, err, now!

 

Our first model for the British market will be the 24.5-ton coal hopper wagon, which later received the TOPs code ‘HUO’.

 

A total of 5,263 wagons were built by BR from 1954 for transporting coal and coke throughout Britain until their withdrawal in the 1980s, with many entering private use at collieries upon retirement by British Rail.

 

The model, which is of the 3121 (1958), 3221 (1959), 3314 (1960), 3374 (1961), 3426 (1962 - listed 1/154 pattern but the design is actually identical), and 3437 (1962) pattern, has just finished tooling and an engineering sample is currently en route from our factory in China. The surviving prototypes were surveyed at the Tanfield Railway, near Stanley, County Durham in mid-October 2017. Following the survey, highly detailed CAD was produced locally and reviewed by wagon experts who had first-hand operational and survey experience of the prototypes when in service. We would like to thank the Tanfield Railway for the assistance we received and have made a donation to the railway to help with preservation of railway heritage for future generations.

 

Flows which utilised HUOs include coke from East London to Wellingborough, Kirkby- Staythorpe, Killingworth to Stella, Kincardine, Stella North / Stella South / Dunston / Blyth, Thorpe Marsh Tunstead Works - Smaledale Works and Hessle Quarry to Hull Wilmington. They were also synonymous with coke flows from South Wales coking plants to Barry Docks.

 

Our rendition of the HUO will feature the correct offset brake hanger arrangement and the following high level of specification, enjoyed by the customers of sister company IRM, whose Irish outline models are the most highly detailed on the market:

 

·        Sprung buffers with spindle, self contained and Oleo types all being catered for, depending on prototype

·        NEM coupling housing

·        RP25.110 darkened profile wheel sets

·        Factory-fitted wire handrails

·        Extra fine factory-fitted detail plastic parts

·        Individual lettering and markings from real wagons for authenticity

·        Built to scale tolerances to allow easy conversion to EM and P4 standards

 

The HUO will go on sale in Q2 2018 in packs of three, with pre-TOPs, TOPs and private owner packs arriving on a staggered release basis throughout 2018 in a variety of liveries, such as BR freight grey and private owner wagons. They will also feature individual markings and detail faithful to research of the real wagons. The first release will see five different packs of three individually numbered wagons in BR grey with pre-TOPs markings so the modeller can build a 12-wagon train without duplication. Prices will be £59.95 for each pack of three wagons.

 

In addition to the HUO, the various buffers used by the wagons throughout their lives will also be offered as separate detail parts for the detail-minded modeller. This will be sold in packs of eight for £2.95. This will be the first in a series of detail part packs offered by Accurascale for modellers.

 

Both the HUO and the buffer detail packs are available to buy exclusively on the Accurascale website direct or from the Accurascale stand at various UK exhibitions from the second half of 2018.  Orders will commence on February 1st.

 

Pictures of tooling which is nearing completion 

 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by Accurascale Fran

[BMacdermott]

Hello Accurascale

 

Well done on your first announcement! I wish you all the best for the future.

 

Brian

[Accurascale Fran]

Further 3D render showing the chassis and under hopper detail.

 

 

We will have pack numbers and livery information for packs available on February 1st!  

[Stephen Freeman]

Hi, you have missed the "u" out of your link, which should be http:\\www.accurascale.co.uk

[Accurascale Fran]

Hi, you have missed the "u" out of your link, which should be http:\\www.accurascale.co.uk

 

Thanks Stephen, it has been amended! 

[Miss Prism]

Excellent choice of prototype. Ordinary, numerous and typical.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Miss Prism

[bescotbeast]

Great entry to the British market, I'll watch this with interest

[MGR Hooper!]

Impressive, personally one of the most detailed OO gauge wagons I've come across for the price being offered. Sometimes hard to imagine that it's CAD for a OO gauge wagon.

 

All the best with this venture. Not really a wagon I need but I will see if I can buy some just to support your venture.

[robertcwp]

Excellent news. I plan to have a train of these but will wait for the TOPS livery.

[Edwardian]

Good to see this prototype in safe hands.

[Accurascale Fran]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, nice to see that the announcement is finding favour. We feel that your feedback is rewarding our bravery!  

[37081LochLong]

I will be getting a few packs of these once the TOPS versions are released

[Edwardian]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, nice to see that the announcement is finding favour. We feel that your feedback is rewarding our bravery!

 

Well, you know who Fortune favours.    

[Enterprisingwestern]

Buffer beam detailing packs, hmmm, interesting.

Are you doing more than just buffers?

 

Mike.

[Porcy Mane]

Hmmmmmmmmm! Interesting indeed.

 

First there were non...  then there were three. I await future announcments with some curiosity.

 

P

Edited January 26, 2018 by Porcy Mane

[Colin_McLeod]

A super choice of first model. I will be looking forward to this. Will you be producing a limited run of 5,263 ?

[Fat Controller]

You wouldn't like to follow this up with a BR 21t Mineral Wagon to Diagram 1/107, would you?

[bazjones1711]

Nice choice of wagon , maybe you could include  a wagon label like this with the model ?

[Accurascale Fran]

Buffer beam detailing packs, hmmm, interesting.

Are you doing more than just buffers?

 

Mike.

Hi Mike,

 

We will be offering the buffer heads and shanks themselves as separate packs. The HUOs we have identified to model have various buffers, with some even having two or three different patterns. Our models will replicate this where appropriate and we will sell the different buffers separately which can be used on kits or detailing projects.

 

We will look to release more detail parts as we grow too.

Edited January 27, 2018 by 071

[Phil Bullock]

Woo hoo

 

Two pre TOPs packs for us please

 

Phil

[davefrk]

Hi Mike,

 

We will be offering the buffer heads themselves as separate packs. The HUOs we have identified to model have various buffers, with some even having two or three different patterns. Our models will replicate this where appropriate and we will sell the different buffers separately which can be used on kits or detailing projects.

 

We will look to release more detail parts as we grow too.

 

Oh goody, I can retire now....

 

Dave Franks.

[adb968008]

With 17 numbers from an identical Lot / Diagram from DJModels and 12 from Accurascale of the same Lot / Diagram one can now have a 29 wagon train of differently numbered wagons, out of the box.

Edited January 26, 2018 by adb968008

[macgeordie]

I'm beginning to wonder why I bother !!!!!!

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/120874-br-diagram-1148-huo-245-ton-coal-hopper/

[Downendian]

Very nice, these made it to Avonmouth to the RTZ smelter when the coke hoppers rotted away.

I will certainly be buying a few.

Neil

[jjnewitt]

Oh goody, I can retire now....

I hope not. It remains to be seen how good they actually are. There isn't exactly a great track record of decent RTR buffers. Accuarascale will be doing very well to get halfway near your quality and anyhow I can't solder plastic to brass. 

 

I'm beginning to wonder why I bother !!!!!!

 

I get that to. Plate wagons, gunpowder vans... It's probably going to continue. Sadly by the time the RTR market implodes (which it one day will) they'll be no kit makers left to provide anything different because they'll have got fed up.