Accurascale and Rails of Sheffield can today confirm that one of our most exciting and ambitious projects to date, the legendary Class 89, is nearing production completion with a delivery date to customers now also confirmed.
Launched officially just over 2 years ago, Accurascale has been on quite the journey with the "Badger" but the finishing line for this charismatic prototype is now in sight.
Earlier this month, the factory sent Accurascale progress reports, including images of the locomotives in production. Since these images were taken, the locomotives have been progressing through the decoration stage and are now moving onto final assembly.
The factory have informed Accurascale that production will be complete in early December and shipment from the factory in China will commence then. They will arrive with Accurascale and Rails of Sheffield in mid-late February 2025 for dispatch to customers.
We have limited supply of all models remaining, so if you wish to avail of one we recommend pre-ordering ASAP to avoid disappointment. Place your pre-order today!
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Product Features
Highly-detailed OO scale model in 1:76.2 scale with separately-applied etched metal/plastic detail parts, including grab handles, steps, wipers, etc. + Scale width wire handrails
Die-cast metal chassis
Full underframe tank detail with brackets and pipework
Fully sprung metal buffers and bufferplate, factory-fitted pipework and screw couplings (for display)
DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power (DCC ready [21-Pin MTX Socket] or Factory-Fitted DCC Sound options)
Five-Pole motor with two flywheels with metal Helical Gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running
Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve minimum scale top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h)
All wheel drive (sprung centre axle) and all wheel pickup
Scale-sized Brecknall-Willis High Speed pantograph raised and lowered by DCC control (auto up and down operation in DC with power on/off)
PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power
Customised Dual-Speaker Technology with large ‘Accurathrash’ Style Bass Speaker and smaller 'iphone' style cube for higher frequencies (on DCC Sound-fitted models only)
Hall sensor for flange squeal effect (on DCC Sound-fitted models only)
Directional lighting, DC and DCC
Switchable Red and white marker lights with day/night options
Separately switched cab lighting and illuminated, driver’s desk, auto/off on movement
Dummy knuckle coupler provided in polybag
Kinetic NEM coupler mounts at correct height and mini-tension-lock couplers
Watch the Launch Video
Prototype Information
Designed by Brush Traction and constructed by British Rail Engineering Ltd at Crewe Works in 1986, the unique Class 89 was the prototype for a planned fleet of locomotives that would take over from the HSTs on the electrified ECML and supplement existing motive power on the WCML.
Unfortunately, British Rail changed its requirements before the locomotive was even completed, eventually ordering Class 90s and 91s instead. The Class 89 design was later considered for Channel Tunnel use, but was superseded by what eventually became the Brush Class 92.
Used as a test bed between 1986 and 1988 on both the East and West Coast routes, it eventually settled into service working between Kings Cross and Leeds. Delivered in the InterCity Executive scheme, it was repainted in the new Swallow livery in December 1988 and named ‘Avocet’ by the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher the following month. It continued in this duty until July 1992 when it was side-lined following a failure.
It was subsequently purchased for preservation and wore de-named Swallow livery until, in a shock move, it was acquired by privatised ECML operator GNER in 1997 to help with a drastic motive power shortage. Repainted into GNER dark blue, it returned to operation on Kings Cross to Leeds and Bradford trains. Withdrawn for a second time in 2001 it joined the AC Locomotive Group’s preserved fleet at the end of 2006 and repainted back into its original InterCity livery the following year.
The Class 89 story does not end there. The ACLG is currently restoring this locomotive back to operational condition with plans to fit it with the necessary equipment for a return to the national network. In December 2021 it announced a partnership with Locomotive Services Ltd to fund the final stages of 89001’s rebuild that will also see the unique machine join LSL’s stunning fleet of main line certified electric locomotives for a period of five years.