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Bit late to party on these!!

Having lost interest for several years and only getting back into the hobby when forced to stay at home two years ago I missed the announcement of these! 

My planned layout area and era being around Sheffield in the mid to late 80s - the Hope to Dewsbury cement is a key train.

It went over to PCA around 88/89 judging by photos and I’d assembled a rake of Bachmann PCAs during lockdown with the thought I’d have to stretch the realism  a bit and use them for the earlier period!

A bit of Google searching last week revealed that you’d released the PCV, but then the website was, unsurprisingly, showing them as all sold out. However a bit of searching and I’ve now sourced a complete set of TOPs wagons and now have in my possession my very first Accurascale models, which is very long overdue! Although I thought the Deltic was going to get that honour! 
 

They’re cracking models and means that the PCAs will be heading off to eBay shortly! 🙂

I’m hoping at some stage you’ll have another release of these as the Dewsbury seems to have had around 36 wagons so could do with another 6 sets of TOPS era please!! 😉 

Looking forward to a steady stream of AS  deliveries going forward, although hopefully as you announce more it’ll become a raging river! 

Just now, G-BOAF said:

I didn't mean 'unrefurbing' a working example. But if they bought one as as a spares donor, and then cosmetically restored it after donating useful parts (similar to what has been done with D9016 and 47841, both now in Margate), this could be an opportunity to externally restore the loco to 'as built' condition.

Agh I see! 
 

5 hours ago, G-BOAF said:

The refurb definitely makes restoration to original intercity livery impossible (and 19 has smaller a Intercity logo to match the reduced space of the extra grill). I wonder if we will see Locomotive Services buying one and cosmetically restoring it to as-built condition without the extra grills. 

I presume they will end up with a couple of Class 91s for charter use on the basis of their acquisition of 87s, 90s and involvement in the 89.

I’m sure there must have been good reason for adding the extra grill originally  I would have thought? Improved cooling and therefore reliability I would imagine.

I can’t imagine LSL, should they ever have any, wanting to make them less reliable by removing the grill just for a very slightly larger logo? But who knows! 

8 hours ago, Dave-5-5-7 said:

Charlie, I'm very happy with that. As I want 2 fitted with sound etc the longer you take the quieter the explosion will be on the savings account thus I won't need to distract the missus. 

 

Afraid the orange ones or the skippers rarely made it to the East Coast and the Prov ones are a bit out of my time period of the early 90s. 

 

Any idea on a rough estimate so I can be poised like a coiled gazelle? 

Still a lot of Provincial liveried ones around in mid 90s - although a lot seem to have the door mod by then, there does appear to be some still with 4 piece doors!

And depends where you mean by East Coast?!  Certainly plenty of pics of chocolate and cream at or going to places like York, Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Morpeth, Scarborough etc! 

I think the idea is a good one, my only concern - and I get why they’re doing it - is that Bachmann RRP could, I imagine, put as many people off the hobby as the shop concept attracts! 
 

If I was a kid now I think £450 on a PlayStation 5 (Argos online price at moment) or for a Deluxe 47 and a Mk2F coach I know where I’d be going! 

10 hours ago, adb968008 said:

And you thought it was all over….

 

 

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/798622/
 

The new batch of 50 class 66’s for Egypt has a new design of bogie too..

 

Looking at the livery I thought they were for Transport for Wales! 😉

On 19/03/2022 at 15:55, wombatofludham said:

I do wonder if there is any mileage in doing a definitive Mk2D after the 2b and c? Although the old Airfix models in the Hornby range were brilliant when launched, I was at secondary school when they first emerged and I'm 60 next birthday, so they are due a rethink.  Whilst Bachmann have done a good job on the 2F, so probably not worth tackling them, a 2d would be very useful, especially the BFK.  They also did get intermingled with 2b and 2c types pretty much all the way through the 70s and 80s and were adapted into micro-buffets and super mini-buffets (the six converted for the Cross London services to serve hot microwave ping meals).  It could be an air conditioned coach which is an open goal and not going toe to toe with the Bachmann models.

Before anyone piles in the 2D is a different beast to the 2e and f, and given the detail in these models, would stand out against Hornby's offers enough to attract sales, especially at these prices.

That’s a great call - I’d be happy with a fleet of AS Mk2Ds and would be quite happy using them in lieu of E/Fs from the other lot to be honest!

The detail on the Bs is just gorgeous so having them do the Ds too would be amazing! :-)

3 hours ago, charliepetty said:

 

Yes with 4 Leaf Doors !!!!

Excellent!! Thank you!

A GM PTE with Sheffield/Manchester would be great too! ;-)

9 hours ago, McC said:

 

Indeed yes, we provide a sheet of suitable head codes and dominos with all applicable locos. 

Thanks McC, although I’ve just spotted the front doors look to be split on the artwork - but they all seem to have been plated over by the early 80s - bu**er! 
 

Aghh well, maybe a later version could be 31245 with plated front doors which also retained BR Blue and tablet catchers into 1986?! 

On the versions with headcode numbers is it possible to change these to dominos using the interchangeable headcodes or is there more to it than that?!

Just wondering if I can make 31248 more mid 80s condition as photos on Flickr show it still with the door tablet cut outs in 1986! 

Hi Charlie

142027 Sheffield - York will be great but as you haven’t said four leaf doors I’m assuming this one is going to have yellow two leaf doors? Although hoping it’s four leaf doors as well! 

My mum would prefer gin! Lol. 
 

Although in the extremely unlikely event that she’s been secretly hiding a layout in the loft I think I’d at least have to buy her something decent from the likes of Accurascale rather than some Hornby tat!! 
 

It would be like giving her a bunch of dandelions rather than some decent flowers! 

24 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

Putting on the top shelf when in the shops?

Hopefully that’s a reinforced shelf otherwise it won’t be up there for long!! 

4 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

TBH, neither do I (other than anything in Yorkshire but they aren't likely to be made IMO other than 319 or 321)

321 would also be a good all rounder I think - 320/321/322 and a good range of liveries/areas covered over the years! 

22 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

I aren't sure what you mean by that. For starters the delays on stuff from "less agile manufacturers" over the last couple of years are comparable (IMO) to the delays faced by Accurascale. I aren't sure that agile is the right word to be honest, I aren't complaining but I think as of tomorrow (when something Hornby turns up) the longest waits I have for things sit with AS.

 

What I would describe AS as is thorough. We see painted samples well in advance of production and we often get an explanation as to how they are going to be improved upon. I don't think we get that from many others. I'd rather wait and it be right.

 

Hornby seem to throw a painted sample onto the Engine Shed a few months before the stuff arrives which makes me think they are more like early production samples, or they have been sitting on them and not letting us armchair experts pick fault (which if I was a manufacturer I would be very keen to do, let the enthusiasts do your work for you).

I guess the biggest delay must be Dapols 59 - if it takes much longer it’ll be due an upgraded version before its even arrived! 
 

You’re right though, one of the things where AS really do blow most of the others out of the water is on the coms and interaction - they show everyone what’s happening, explain what’s changing etc. But they’re also on top of it to start with anyway, so they’re pushing for it to be correct in the first place, so there’s very little if anything to find fault with.

Unlike Dapol it seems, who it looks like have just produced a batch of Strathclyde 156s all with the BR logo inverted! Major ooops!! Maybe they had been looking at pictures of Sealink ferries beforehand?! Lol. 

16 minutes ago, TomScrut said:

 

If the manufacturers don't know how many people want additional coaches to make long trains then that definitely rules out them exclusively making long trains for the sake of accuracy as that's a far bigger risk. I was simply saying a shorter pack plus coaches was a safer compromise IMO.

 

Ultimately they don't have a crystal ball for any sales, but I would hazard a guess that the market for a 12 car EMU is far smaller than that for a 4 car one.

Cards on the table - I have no need for any EMUs on the potential layout!

But I’d think some of the ex BR units would be far better subjects and have wider appeal (and I agree on the market is probably bigger for shorter!) than things like 700s (in any length!).

A 313 would I guess form the basis of a 314/315 and 507/508 so covering a much wider geographical area from the South Coast to Merseyside and Scotland - plus many liveries. 
 

Then the 317/318/455 family with a similar range of area/liveries to pick from! I may even justify one or two on a delivery run from York! 
 

That said if there is a desperate need for AS to do a MU then weren’t the HSTs classed as such at the beginning?! Also solves the length issue as you just buy the coaches you need! Sorted!! 

4 hours ago, TomScrut said:

 

Yes, APTs were pretty much sold out I think when they were imminent, could have bought plenty of them at the Doncaster show!

I was thinking the same in a Glasgow - nearly every trader seemed to have them! 
 

Although having felt how cheap feeling the coaches were, and all the issues with the motor coach I’d read about on here, mine was promptly returned without even taking it out the box - along with the 4 coach packs delivered last year!

Not sure how widespread returns have been but may explain a lot of the stock on sale! 
 

These really do look great! 
 

Can’t wait to see the 80s/90s samples, just one problem and that’s they’re really going to show up how basic all the other manufacturers versions are (particularly inside) so you’re going to have to do a full range of Mk1s and 2s to go with them now! :-)

On 11/03/2022 at 17:30, Accurascale Fran said:

 

Hi @StuAllen,

 

We will indeed have a small announcement, with a nice geographical tie in to the area too.

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

Personally hoping ‘small announcement’ is actually downplaying a ‘HUGE announcement’! ;-)

Bounds Green being across the road and the geographical tie for a splendid new HST! (I can but hope!) 

Alternatively, maybe the tie is Hornsey and a 313?! Not that small either I guess, although smaller than an HST! 

17 hours ago, TomScrut said:

 

I completely agree with all of this. AS have not given us any reason to doubt their ability to deliver, but ultimately they are still unproven and if the clock was wound back 2 years this model was the best thing since sliced bread and look how it turned out. I don't think it will have been a disaster but not a roaring success story either.

 

I would like Hattons to do more of them. If they are minus the issues of the first ones they will be fantastic.

Whilst no loco has arrived with AS on the box yet I don’t agree, and think slightly unfair, with saying they're unproven as the IRM model clearly shows the standard and care that AS/IRM are putting into their models, and the standard we can expect from something with AS on the box.

I don’t recall hundreds of pages of complaints about the A Class arriving as a kit and I find this thread quite interesting in seeing how different companies deal with issues.

Hattons way was clearly to bury head in sand and just keep quiet whilst one dodgy loco after another arrived with customers. And for that reason I don’t think I’d trust them either to deliver or deal with anything going forward - even if they announced something I really wanted I think I’d pass! 

AS in contrast would, I believe, be all over any issues, in the unlikely event of there being any, and not just hoping the problem goes away.

5 hours ago, Accurascale Fran said:

Hi everyone,

 

Just to extend a sincere and big thank you to everyone who popped by to see us on our stand at Model Rail Scotland. We were delighted to meet old friends who we had not seen for a couple of years, and make some new friends too! A big shout out to the show organisers too for being such a pleasure to deal with as always.

 

Next up is The London Festival of Railway Modelling in Alexandra Palace in just a few weeks. We look forward to seeing you there.

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

Was great to meet you and the team on Friday - really approachable, and the knowledge and enthusiasm for the products is infectious!

Oh and the products look (and feel!) amazing too!

Certainly a contrast to some of the other manufacturers nearby! 

51 minutes ago, jonnyuk said:

i'm sure the first batch were water slides. I only know this because my garage roof leaked and soaked the coaches, the transfer all started coming away.

Ive long since sold my original dynamic lines but think you maybe correct on the lines, I wonder if the logo part was printed though as don’t recall it being so noticeable with the carrier film before?

13 minutes ago, WILLIAM said:

Looking forward to these.

 

Question for our friends at Accurascale. A couple of people have mentioned wanting to model a late 1980s 31/4. I'm in the same boat but the headlight on 31432 makes it theortically only suitable for 1991 onwards. Has any consideration been given to supplying the headlights as seperately fitted parts for the user to attach if required? This would also make renumbering an easier proposition for centrally or offset headlight prototypes.

I don’t think that would work with the lighting to be honest. And I’m with you on the non headlight version but think I’d be happier waiting than having the front compromised. 

The batch 446-455 seems to have been fitted with headlights in the offset position under drivers window around 86ish so that would be also be on my wish list! The centre light on 432 seems to have more of a 90s thing! 

19 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

'Coming soon' alas means all things to all modellers and in my view  in this day age should really only apply to stuff which is actually on the ship and nearing a UK port  of unloading because that is the only time it is likely to be correct.   Information the items are ready to be shipped or have been shipped from - as Rapido UK has recenytly show in their newsletters is obviously good news because it means things are well along towards moving towards us.  It's great fun to follow the ship as it makes its way towards the Channel once it has crossed the Indian Ocean giving us a hint of when it might be here assuming the container doesn't have to be s transhipped enroute so all that sort of information is helpful when we're expecting something.  

 

But in present manufacturing and shipping circumstances. let alone Putin on the warpath potentially adding other imponderables such as further price increases etc, the words 'coming soon' don't really mean much at all unless they are qualified with meaningful detail.    And so far I reckon Rapido UK have given us real progress information complete with pics and that means a lot more to me than a rather nebulous 'coming soon'. which might be no more valid than a promise in January of 3rd quarter delivery )like we get from some sources).

When I wrote it I was thinking only about the announcements themselves but yes, I agree, it would probably be confused with the product itself!

9 hours ago, Accurascale Fran said:

Morning @PrestburyJack,

 

Your wish is our command (well Gareth’s!) 

 

Dates for the first ten Class 30/31 locos:

Class 31/1    5544    BR blue (pre-TOPS)     Early 1970s
Class 30    D5549    BR green (as delivered)     1959-early 1960s
Class 31/1    5803    BR green w/FYE, Double Arrow    Late 1960s
Class 31/1    31110    Railfreight (white cantrail stripe)      1985-1989
Class 31/1    31128    BR blue (privatisation era)     2009-present
Class 31/4    31409    BR blue w/white stripe    1980-1985
Class 31/4    31420    InterCity Mainline    1992-1995
Class 31/4    31421    Regional Railways    1992-1997
Class 31/4    31432    BR blue (cantrail stripe)    1989-1996
Class 31/5    31514    Civil Engineer's Dutch    1992-1996

Note that these are dates for the liveries as shown by the artwork. In some cases with slight livery modification the period can be extended.

 

Cheers!

 

Fran

After doing a bit more searching on 432 (disclaimer : it was on Flickr!) it looks like it got its headlight sometime early 1991 - there is a photo dated Feb 91 where it doesn’t have it but the other pics from 91 do! All pics from 1990 show it without a headlight so would seem to confirm fitting around Winter/Spring 91?