PRE ORDER Accurascale Deltics!
Posted by Oliver Davies on
New Accurascale Class 55 Locomotives in OO Gauge
Update 19/06/23 - Accurascale have set a order deadline for the range as Friday 23rd June. You can continue to pre order from Rails until our allocation has sold out.
Version 'Ballymoss' already SOLD OUT on pre orders leaving 'The Queens Own Highlander', 'Black Watch' and 'Nimbus' left available.
Accurascale have today announced a second production run of its Class 55 Deltic locomotives to celebrate their fifth birthday.
The Accurascale Deltics have been their most requested model for re-release to date, with unprecedented demand driving premium prices on the second hand market.
Tweaks and Enhancements
Accurascale is always keen to push the boundaries on any model they create to improve realism and fidelity across the hobby, and bring modellers the greatest replicas in miniature possible. However, they also listen to customer feedback from modellers and know that they can always do better and improve. Accurascale have taken all the constructive feedback received from the first Deltic production run and built it into a list of tweaks and enhancements they will now implement in the latest production batch.
Firstly, the brake chains on the bogies have been redesigned to make them more robust and a simple process to remove them to take the body off the chassis for driver fitting an routine maintenance. They will be a push fit system, meaning easy to remove and attach and no longer requiring any glue. They will still give the great detail impression of the real locomotives.
The corner step mounting and fuel tank parts have also been revised, with stronger mountings allowing for a more robust assembly. This will prevent them coming adrift in transit and be stronger under careful handling. Nose handrails will also be improved to give them a more realistic appearance, the speaker baffle will be more secure and other gentle tweaks will ensure that the definitive Deltic is even better.
Firstly, the brake chains on the bogies have been redesigned to make them more robust and a simple process to remove them to take the body off the chassis for driver fitting an routine maintenance. They will be a push fit system, meaning easy to remove and attach and no longer requiring any glue. They will still give the great detail impression of the real locomotives.
The corner step mounting and fuel tank parts have also been revised, with stronger mountings allowing for a more robust assembly. This will prevent them coming adrift in transit and be stronger under careful handling. Nose handrails will also be improved to give them a more realistic appearance, the speaker baffle will be more secure and other gentle tweaks will ensure that the definitive Deltic is even better.
New Identity Combinations
So, what Deltics are Accurascale doing? After all, they covered all 22 class members in the first production run, so Accurascale have mixed it up a bit for run two. There will be new livery and name combinations across four locomotives,
D9018 Ballymoss
Representing the classic mid 1960s era of English Electric’s finest is D9018 in two-tone green with small yellow panel. The Finsbury Park thoroughbred is still in mostly original condition, albeit with some exhaust and radiator grille modifications and the addition of top lamp irons on the nose ends.
55020 Nimbus
One of just three Deltics to never receive plated headcode boxes, 55020 is also notable for retaining the mountings for the cab roof horns worn during the early 1960s. Our model is based on its 1976 condition with standard-sized domino headcodes, although alternative smaller dots will be provided.
55004 Queen's Own Highlander
Much requested is our first Haymarket-allocated TOPS blue Deltic, represented here by 55004 in 1977 condition, just after having its headcode box plated over. Notably this was one of just four members of the fleet to feature
55013 The Black Watch
Complementing 55022 from the first run is York’s 55013 in its similar special livery with silver fuel tanks, grey roof, red bufferbeams and white-painted extras, which it retained until its withdrawal in October 1981. It was repainted for the 1980 Rainhill Event, but was replaced on the bill by Tulyar.