Class 31, by Accurascale - It's time 2 Brush Up!

[GordonC]

6 minutes ago, toby_tl10 said:

I noticed newly announced DCC Sound variants are now separate items from the DCC Ready versions on the website, a nice little change I sppose. Maybe it should be carried over to older models, because for example, I click Class 92, I see 92001 Victor Hugo from £189.99 and only 18 left, I click into it, only to find out what's left are the DCC Sound versions at £279.99.

 

But I gotta say the Accurascale website is probably the most user friendly site of a manufacturer. Some manufacturers, (sigh), their websites are so unbrowsable, can't find anything, I don't know what they're trying to show us, maybe they just don't want us to browse their sites.

 

If I gotta complain about the Accurascale website, there are 2 things:

1. With the ever growing product range, the drop down list for "Wagons" is now longer than my screen can show (has been for a while). I can use Ctrl Minus to make the page smaller, but that's not gonna work when the range keeps growing.

2. The "Project Status" page is a great invention, only if it's constantly updated (the 89 is still missing, and some very fresh ones). And perhaps those delivered can leave that page.

(Sorry for nitpicking, but I know you guys strive for excellence)

 

(I'm posting here because I saw that change while browsing for the 31)

 

The Class 89 is perhaps complicated if its being treated as a 'Rails of Sheffield' development rather than a pure Accurascale one.

[Michael Hodgson]

16 minutes ago, GordonC said:

 

The Class 89 is perhaps complicated if its being treated as a 'Rails of Sheffield' development rather than a pure Accurascale one.

If a manufacturer is making a product, or more commonly a special version, as an exclusive for some retailer, it seems to me it would be to the advantage of both manufacturer and retailer to list it on their site with of course a pointer to that the retailer's site.  Obviously subject to any contractual clauses which might forbid that.

[Nconsistent]

Tempted by a green one. But my layout is roughly '60s south London. I know they worked out of Stratford, and I actually saw a Fragonset one at Selhurst depot, but were they ever seen south of the river on a regular or even sporadic basis?  

[GordonC]

11 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

If a manufacturer is making a product, or more commonly a special version, as an exclusive for some retailer, it seems to me it would be to the advantage of both manufacturer and retailer to list it on their site with of course a pointer to that the retailer's site.  Obviously subject to any contractual clauses which might forbid that.

 

You would think, but I know if something has been commissioned as an exclusive by a retailer that questions on when its available are normally directed towards that retailer rather than the manufacturer. In this case if both are selling it you'd think it would appear on both and in things like project status.

[Accurascale Fran]

48 minutes ago, toby_tl10 said:

I noticed newly announced DCC Sound variants are now separate items from the DCC Ready versions on the website, a nice little change I sppose. Maybe it should be carried over to older models, because for example, I click Class 92, I see 92001 Victor Hugo from £189.99 and only 18 left, I click into it, only to find out what's left are the DCC Sound versions at £279.99.

 

But I gotta say the Accurascale website is probably the most user friendly site of a manufacturer. Some manufacturers, (sigh), their websites are so unbrowsable, can't find anything, I don't know what they're trying to show us, maybe they just don't want us to browse their sites.

 

If I gotta complain about the Accurascale website, there are 2 things:

1. With the ever growing product range, the drop down list for "Wagons" is now longer than my screen can show (has been for a while). I can use Ctrl Minus to make the page smaller, but that's not gonna work when the range keeps growing.

2. The "Project Status" page is a great invention, only if it's constantly updated (the 89 is still missing, and some very fresh ones). And perhaps those delivered can leave that page.

(Sorry for nitpicking, but I know you guys strive for excellence)

 

(I'm posting here because I saw that change while browsing for the 31)

 

Hi Toby,

 

Many thanks for the feedback, it's much appreciated. Regarding the sound and ready locos, it's coming down to a barcode system we recently adopted, so all new locos going forward with have it split out by DCC ready and sound. 

 

Agree re wagons, and we are working on this list. Only going to get longer after all, so we are looking at ways to make it cleaner. Should have it in a couple of weeks.

 

Project status; 100% agreed and the 89 should be on there. We will get that sorted.

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

[ruggedpeak]

Good to hear the wagon list is being tackled.

 

One great feature of your website is the ability to toggle In stock, pre-order, and OOS. Something Amazon, Argos and some other model railway sites could learn from!!

[brushman47544]

15 hours ago, Accurascale Fran said:

Hi @Ajax50046,

 

Haha me too! I saw loadhaul first, and coming from this side of the Irish Sea was in full agreement that orange and black looked good on locos! 
 

Then again I remember seeing a picture of 56049 in transrail Dutch and really fell for that combination. 
 

I still love sector era most of all but this mixes in well with the 94-98 era. And of course, the returning of preserved diesels to the mainline and indeed mainline duties like D9000 and hoovers (and of course our favoured Purple Gordon emerged 🤣🤣!)

 

Cheers!

 

Fran

Never understood how Porterbrook could devise a colour scheme of purple and white for its locos. Weren’t they a management buy out so traditional railwaymen? Shades of the purple steaming thing (sorry WC) which looks equally ridiculous in those colours (although I think the idea/purpose of that is good)
 

signed traditionalist :-)

[Michael Hodgson]

33 minutes ago, ruggedpeak said:

Good to hear the wagon list is being tackled.

 

The drop down list has got out of hand, and I don't think it's ideal anyway, because you have to know what an MHA is anyway.

If you click on "Wagons", you do get  pictures already, but they are not grouped  as a type - there's several of one model in its different liveries, then another etc, which means you may have to to scroll through several pages to find the one you want.  It would be easier to navigate if all the wagoons of each type were grouped together under a single heading with a picture, only opening out to the individual products later.

 

One feature of the site that I particularly like is the way they continue to list products which have sold out and are now unlikely to be produced again under the same running numbers - I am assuming continuation of the policy that any rerun of common wagons like the minerals will have different numbers.  It allows me to check whether I already have a wagon with a given running number.  I wonder whether that will continue to be the practice in years to come as more and more products sell.  I suppose it is understandable that other bigger manufacturers clean up their sites and only continue to list the ones that they still offer.  I guess that collectors in particular will find it helpful if the database of old products continues on line.

[Accurascale Fran]

38 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

The drop down list has got out of hand, and I don't think it's ideal anyway, because you have to know what an MHA is anyway.

If you click on "Wagons", you do get  pictures already, but they are not grouped  as a type - there's several of one model in its different liveries, then another etc, which means you may have to to scroll through several pages to find the one you want.  It would be easier to navigate if all the wagoons of each type were grouped together under a single heading with a picture, only opening out to the individual products later.

 

One feature of the site that I particularly like is the way they continue to list products which have sold out and are now unlikely to be produced again under the same running numbers - I am assuming continuation of the policy that any rerun of common wagons like the minerals will have different numbers.  It allows me to check whether I already have a wagon with a given running number.  I wonder whether that will continue to be the practice in years to come as more and more products sell.  I suppose it is understandable that other bigger manufacturers clean up their sites and only continue to list the ones that they still offer.  I guess that collectors in particular will find it helpful if the database of old products continues on line.

 

Hi Michael,

 

We have no plans to change the policy of keeping a library of previous packs that have sold out, but as we grow in the coming years after a few reruns we may have to think of moving some to some sort of archive section or similar. Something for further down the road I guess!

 

All in all the website works wonderfully due to the serious hard work and dedication of @McC, but then again it isn't his first rodeo either in that dept. 

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

[Markn]

Back to the 31's ... 😉

 

When are the other 2 exclusives being announced?

 

Dying to see if one of them is in NR Yellow with the working Infra-red lights!

Edited February 3, 2023 by Markn

[nightstar.train]

4 minutes ago, Markn said:

Back to the 31's ... 😉

 

When are the other 2 exclusives being announced?

 

Dying to see if one of them is in NR Yellow with the working Infra-red lights!

 

I'll take one of those, and a Wessex trains pink one too please! 

[GordonC]

2 hours ago, brushman47544 said:

Never understood how Porterbrook could devise a colour scheme of purple and white for its locos. Weren’t they a management buy out so traditional railwaymen? Shades of the purple steaming thing (sorry WC) which looks equally ridiculous in those colours (although I think the idea/purpose of that is good)
 

signed traditionalist :-)

 

It stood out, if it was just a 'traditional' shade of green or red or blue would you still be remembering it 25+ years later? The Deltic looked good and I'd suggest it was the WIPAC lights that would have caused as many of the the complaints as the actual colour. I wasn't keen on the 87 version but the 47s looked good too

[norfolkchinaclay]

3 hours ago, Markn said:

Dying to see if one of them is in NR Yellow with the working Infra-red lights!

Surely not? With Accurascale anything seems possible...

Just one in NR yellow will be nice though even if the extra lights don’t work.

[norfolkchinaclay]

23 hours ago, Magna Junction said:

Hi Fran,

 

Class 58's always looked good in Mainline blue, hint, hint! 😁

 

No doubt the one at Leicester has already been scanned! 😊🤞

[Krieghoff]

Come on guys. Lets have a 31 in Coal Sector livery.......PLEASE !!

[norfolkchinaclay]

22 hours ago, IRC said:

Or construction…..or petroleum…..or the single distribution (160 was it?).

Got to be a trainload one in there sometime soon hasn’t there?!?

 
Yes 31160 in RF Distribution livery called “Phoenix”. I had a Lima one which was recently discovered and donated to a charity shop.

 

Personally I liked the 31/4s when Ex-works in Engineers Grey (without  the “Dutch” style yellow band).

[norfolkchinaclay]

5 minutes ago, Krieghoff said:

Come on guys. Lets have a 31 in Coal Sector livery.......PLEASE !!

Got to be one or two coming!

[StuAllen]

That would be a dilemma - what would I do if they were to release a coal sector version and a network rail version?

[Roy Langridge]

While we are on suggestions for improvement on the website, any chance of fixing the black text on a nearly black background I get on a mobile. See “Log in” here:

 

 

Roy

[McC]

45 minutes ago, Roy Langridge said:

While we are on suggestions for improvement on the website, any chance of fixing the black text on a nearly black background I get on a mobile. See “Log in” here:

 

 

Roy

 

Try as I might, I'm unable to fix that - which is why there is also a login under the 'Support' option in the header. 

[CazRail]

EWS 31... Accurascale saw me coming 😆

[Colin_McLeod]

My suggested improvement relates to 'my orders' .  Would it be possible for the orders (and pre orders) to show the item orderd without having to view the order?  That would make finding a specific order a lot easier.

[McC]

1 minute ago, Colin_McLeod said:

My suggested improvement relates to 'my orders' .  Would it be possible for the orders (and pre orders) to show the item orderd without having to view the order?  That would make finding a specific order a lot easier.

 

That is how it works at the moment.

"Live / pending" orders are highlighted, and every order shows the thumbnails of it's contents

 

[Krieghoff]

Ive bought the EWS exclusive as well. NYMR on shed. Couldnt not have this one so close to my doorstep 

[Ian J.]

Still waiting for plain old, nothing unusual banger blue 31/4. Just sayin... 😉