Accurascale have just announced a new batch of their popular OO Gauge Class 66 diesel locomotives in all new guises not seen in the range previously!

Accurascale have announced their latest run of Class 66 diesel locomotives. Now in their third production run, these double award-winning models have proven highly popular with modellers and collectors alike, thanks to their high specification and striking range of liveries.

This new release celebrates the Class 66’s 28 years of service on the UK network, with carefully selected prototypes spanning from their introduction in 1998 through to their modern-day appearances. A comprehensive suite of tooling refinements ensures each locomotive is accurately represented, capturing the subtle variations seen across the class throughout its working life.

Star of the third run is DB Cargo’s 66091 accurascale – the locomotive being named after Accurascale in July 2025 in recognition of the extensive charity work carried out by the model manufacturer towards a range of worthy causes including Martin House Children’s Hospice. All of these new models are set to arrive in Q3 2027.

Aside from these newly announced models - we also have a range of models available from Accurascale's previous batches.

TOOLING ENHANCEMENTS FOR 2027

Alongside the new liveries, Accurascale has implemented a number of refinements to the Class 66 tooling to ensure the models remain faithful to the evolving real-world fleet. Enhancements include a newly tooled exhaust silencer with improved profile and detailing, revised handbrake linkages moulded in the off position, and an etched middle handrail bracket on the cab fronts for locomotives that carry this feature. Additional updates include the ability to represent roof-mounted Wi-Fi pods, Freightliner cab-door handle modifications, and locomotives fitted with BMAC-replacement lighting units. New buffer-plate combinations have also been introduced, allowing additional prototype variations to be accurately represented within the range.

Exclusively available from Rails is Class 66/7 66747 'Made in Sheffield' in the striking Newell & Wright Group colour scheme. Celebrating the partnership between NWT and GB Railfreight, this distinctively liveried locomotive was unveiled in July 2019 and sees daily use across the entirety of GBRf's services. It has even hauled passenger services as part of the Caledonian Sleeper trains!

Based in Masborough, NWT are the largest privately owned haulage contractor in South Yorkshire, and are just as proud of their local heritage as we are at Rails, as showcased by the locomotive's name "Made In Sheffield".

The Class 66 is a six-axle diesel-electric freight locomotive, somewhat based on the earlier Class 59 locomotives. The class has proved to be highly successful with a total production run of 480 in the UK (with additional locos imported from overseas following this) and alternative versions of the loco being marketed to Europe as the EMD Class 66. 

Upon privatisation, a number of newly-privatised rail freight companies; Transrail, Mainline, Loadhaul, Railfreight Distribution, and RES were bought out and became EWS. EWS inherited a fleet of 1,600 mostly diesel locomotives, including many Class 47s which had to be overhauled every 7 years at a cost of £400,000. In an effort to reduce their operating costs, EWS approached Electro-Motive Diesel to build new locomotives based on the Class 59 bodyshell but with a different engine and traction motors to enable higher speed running - leading to the commissioning of the Class 66. 

EWS ordered 250 Class 66 locos, in what was termed "the biggest British loco order since steam days". Further orders were placed by Freightliner, GB Railfreight, and Direct Rail Services in later years. 66779 was the last Class 66 to be built as the design could no longer meet the stringent stage 3b emissions regulations. The locomotives have proved to be extremely reliable and adaptable, being used for across a huge spectrum of UK freight operations.

(Information provided via Wikipedia)