Accucraft UK Ltd

Fresh from the factory come samples of three re-liveried vehicles from our narrow gauge rolling stock range.  The Isle of Man four-wheelers will be available in an attractive green and cream colour scheme and the ‘Peate’ private owner wagon from the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway will also be here soon.

The Isle of Man 3rd Class four wheel coach in green and cream

The Isle of Man Guards four wheel coach in green and cream

These are models of the 4-wheel 3rd class and 4-wheel Brake/3rd class coach as originally supplied to the Isle of Man Railway.  The models features full internal seating and glazed windows. The roof is removable if required for customers to install their own interior detail, for example, miniature people, seat covers etc.  An additional set of 32mm wheels is also provided.  Although the models are 1:20.3 scale they look well with 1:19 scale equipment and are probably larger than the equivalent scale models of Talyllyn coaches!

Welshpool & Llanfair Railway ‘Peate’ wagon

Commissioned by Trackshack, on the Isle of Man, we have produced a limited run of private owner wagons based on those operated by Messrs. J. L. Peate & Sons, coal and lime merchants in Llanfair.  Private owner wagons on British narrow gauge systems were rare but Peates used five on the W & L, painted dark maroon with white lettering.  We are making four (No’s 2,5,6 & 7), based on our existing Welshpool & Llanfair open wagon, which are only be available from Trackshack.

This month we are pleased to say that good progress has been made on a number of key projects.  We have signed off ‘Lew’ (production will commence shortly) and we have received engineering samples of the B4, A3 and W & L cattle van which are illustrated here.  Finally we are issuing a last call for the Pennsylvania T1.

Gauge 1 LSWR/SR/BR B4 0-4-0T

The final version of the Gauge 1 B4

We have now authorised production of these little locos and hope to have delivery during the last quarter of 2012.  The final version incorporates changes to the cab profile, chimney, dome and cab roof to produce a very attractive Gauge 1 loco which we are sure will be popular.

Gauge 1 LNER/BR A3 4-6-2

The live steam Gauge 1 A3 – engineering sample

The engineering sample of the A3 has arrived and we have drawn up a surprisingly small ‘snag’ list for the factory.  The finish is most impressive and given the model’s ease of operation and power we are sure that these locos will give joy to all who own them, especially given their value for money price!  Make sure you have one on order.

16mm Scale Welshpool & Llanfair cattle van

Welshpool & Llanfair cattle van

A picture is worth a thousand words!  We have received the engineering sample of the new Welshpool and Llanfair cattle van and can safely say it’s a beauty.  With all the detail you’d expect from our rolling stock the vehicle is bound to be popular with those who have the rest of our W & L range.  Just add cows!

Gauge 1 Pennsylvania 4-4-4-4 T1

The magnificent Pennsylvania Railroad T1

With just a handful remaining unsold, we are making a last call for this extraordinary Gauge 1 Duplex loco.  The Pennsylvania Railroad’s 4-4-4-4 Class T1 passenger locomotives were their last steam locos. They were not articulated, but were Duplex drive and had poppet valves. The first two, #6110 and #6111, were built by Baldwin in 1942. These locomotives were considered successful and could pull 16 cars at 100 MPH. They were also technically advanced and more efficient than previous designs. Later, 50 more of these were built in 1945-46 for a total of 52. The large tenders carried 38.6 tons of coal, 19,200 gallons of water and could travel between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Chicago, Illinois with only one stop. The streamline design by Raymond Lowey was the inspiration for the Baldwin Lima “Shark Nose” diesels.

The model is 1:32 Scale, 45mm Gauge with a traditional spirit-fired firebox and has four cylinders with slide valves.  The boiler is rated at 60PSI and has a working pressure gauge, water level gauge, axle water pump with a bypass valve and a hand water pump located in the tender.  The loco is also fitted with a lubricator.  Minimum radius 10’.

AL97-101 Pennsylvania T1 4-4-4-4 Spirit-fired Live Steam only                                     RRP £5350.00

This month we have news of the imminent arrival of the terrific Whitcomb diesels and the first Lynton & Barnstaple coaches, confirmation that we will produce ‘Lew’ in electric form and even better news for those of you who have been awaiting the next batch of Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons.

Last call for the Whitcomb diesels!

These handsome 3′ gauge diesels are rolling off the production line now and there are still as few available to be shipped in June / July.  Contact your local dealer right now to make your reservation for one of these great value diesels.

Between October 1942 and September 1945 the Whitcomb Locomotive Works produced 37 type 45DE27b locomotives at their Rochelle Illinois plant. This designation, 45DE27b, indicates a 45 ton (45) diesel electric locomotive (DE) of design 27, variant b. All of these locomotives were ordered for use by the military or war related critical industries. Six 45DE27b’s were built for the U.S. Navy’s “District Rail Transportation Coordinator” (DRTC) located at Pearl Harbor Hawaii and were 36 inch gauge. These six locomotives joined the DRTC “pool” and although used primarily by the Navy, some were occasionally leased to the Oahu Railway and Land Company to supplement their war time operations. Following the end of World War Two four of these locomotives were assigned to the Naval Ammunition Depot, Lualualei, Hawaii and two to Naval Ammunition Station, West Loch, Hawaii. In 1948 one locomotive was sold to the Kahuku Plantation on the North Shore of Oahu. The remaining five stayed in service at Lualualei and West Loch until the end of the Navy’s rail operations in 1974. Three of the now surplus locomotives were purchased by Dulien Steel Inc. of Seattle Washington and two were donated by the Navy to the Hawaiian Railway Society where they remain in operation.

The Whitcomb 45DE27b is 25 feet 6 inches long over the end sills, 9 feet wide and 11 feet 6 inches high at the cab roof. They are powered by two HBI 600 Cummins 150 HP diesel engines driving Westinghouse 189-R7 230 volt direct current generators. There is one Westinghouse 1443-A traction motor per truck with power being transmitted by side rods to the unpowered axle. Electrical control is Westinghouse. Locomotive and train brakes are Westinghouse Air Brake Co. and supplied by two Quincy 30 CFM belt driven air compressors located in the cab.

Specifications:

• Scale: 1:20.3
• Gauge: 45mm
• Minimum Radius: 1.2 M, 48 in.
• Power: 0-24V DC
• Construction: Brass
• Full underbody design, Constant lighting, Operating couplers

Colours available, subject to production batch:

AC78-531 Whitcomb 45T Side Rod DieselGrey, Unlettered
AC78-532 Whitcomb 45T Side Rod Diesel Caterpillar Yellow, Unlettered
AC78-533 Whitcomb 45T Side Rod Diesel Blue, Unlettered
AC78-534 Whitcomb 45T Side Rod Diesel Green, Unlettered

The model is due for release now with an RRP of £875. The full specification can be downloaded as a PDF file WHITCOMB 45T SIDE ROD DIESEL

Lynton & Barnstaple coaches

The first tranche of these gorgeous coaches are due to land in early June and your local retailer should have stock by the middle of the month.  Initially we are shipping the all third and the brake composite.  With the larger portion of the batch pre-sold we expect demand to be high so make sure you have yours ordered today!

The Lynton & Barnstaple brake composite coach

‘Lew’ – electric version confirmed

Following our announcement that we were looking at producing a limited run of ‘Lew’ in electric form last month, sufficient interest has been shown to encourage us to make a small number.  Because there is limited demand this will be a very small batch and these are sure to become rare and sought after models.  Contact your local dealer to reserve one soon.  We are aiming at a target RRP of £1275.00 and will offer the model in the following liveries:

E19-17 L & B ‘Lew’ in Southern Green
E19-18 L & B ‘Lew’ in plain black

Welshpool & Llanfair open wagons

We have now commissioned a further run of these popular wagons and the good news is that they will carry different running numbers to the first versions we released which means you can have a rake of eight W & L or GWR liveried wagons with individual running numbers.  The W & L light grey wagons will now carry numbers  15, 16, 17 & 18, the GWR set will have numbers 34161, 34163, 34168 & 34170.  Please remember that this batch will also include the limited run of ‘Peate’ private owner wagons which will be exclusively available from Trackshack on the Isle of Man.

Spring is here (although judging by the weather that may be a bold statement!) bringing further changes to the Accucraft (UK) range. After a successful run, ‘Lawley’ and ‘Leader’ have now sold out (although dealers still have stock) which gives us the opportunity to re-arrange the range, so to speak.  ‘Lew’ is to be made available in electric form and ‘Caledonia’ keeps racking up the miles at Barter Books.

‘Mortimer’ and ‘Joan’ are coming back

After a three year interval we are re-introducing ‘Mortimer’, our ever popular 0-4-0 saddle tank. The model will now feature our standard hinged cab roof and chopper couplings and will be offered in green, maroon, blue and black liveries as standard. RRP will be £825.00 for the manual loco, £1075 for the radio control fitted model.  You can see more details here.

‘Mortimer’

‘Joan’ has had an even longer sabbatical and hasn’t been produced for over six years. The model will effectively replace ‘Lawley’ in our range and will feature a hinged cab roof, chopper couplings, a choice of chimneys (straight or balloon) and will be available in green, maroon, black and blue. The model will carry an RRP of £1100.00 for the manual version, £1350.00 for the radio controlled model.  Full details here.

‘Joan’

‘Ragleth’ will be available again in August and forward orders are encouraging so make sure you reserve yours soon.  We hope to see ‘Mortimer’ arriving in late 2012 and ‘Joan’ in 2013 and suggest you let your local dealer know if you would like one – we anticipate strong demand for the initial batch!

An electric ‘Lew’!

We have decided to see if there is sufficient demand to produce a very limited batch of electric ‘Lews’.  The model would feature the enhanced cab detail carried by all our electric models and would be finished to the same high standard as the live steam version.  We are aiming at a target RRP of £1275.00 and will offer the model in the following liveries:

E19-17 L & B ‘Lew’ in Southern Green
E19-18 L & B ‘Lew’ in plain black

Please contact your local retailer to make a reservation as soon as possible.

‘Lew’ in Southern Green (live steam version illustrated)

‘Caledonia’ – 1,000 miles and counting!

The electric ‘Caledonia’ that we supplied to Barter Books at Alnwick has now completed a thousand actual miles of running on their circuit.  This has been achieved with only minor attention and lubrication during a period when all the rails on the circuit have had to be replaced because of wear and tare!

1,000 miles + on the clock – ‘Caledonia’ at Barter Books

This month we have news of the power unit competition and announce the start of a new one for 2012/13 to include entries in a class dedicated to out new gauge 1 B4 power unit, interesting news from Garden Railway Centres and Anything Narrow Gauge.  We are delighted to announce the winners of our 2011/12 Accucraft Power Unit Competition, judged by none other than Tag Gorton (all complaints, therefore, to him!):

First place was given to Sandy Cowan’s delightful take on the Darjeeling Railway, “Chai Wallah” in 7/8ths scale:

In second place was Geoff Ellis’ lovely “Hawaiian #7” based on a Lawley chassis:

And finally, in a worthy third place, was Nigel Town’s impressive Ceylon Garratt:

Sandy receives his prize (another power unit!) from Tag Gorton

We are now taking entries for the 2012/13 competition, the rules for which can be seen here ACCUCRAFT POWER UNIT COMPETITION 2013 as a ‘Word’ document or here ACCUCRAFT POWER UNIT COMPETITION 2013 as a PDF file.  We will also be accepting Gauge 1 entries using our new B4 power unit!

Garden Railway Centres Friday running sessions

Every Friday from 13th April until 28th September GRC will be having open running sessions on both their layouts.  They have a large 45mm layout which is essentially American narrow gauge but could, with a little imagination, become any mountain railway you want. Because this is a very long line it is only practical to run battery powered or live steam locos preferably radio controlled.  They have also just built a 32mm layout with a scale model of Lynton station from the Lynton & Barnstaple railway. This line is level so manual live steam or battery powered locos can be run.  Customers are welcome to bring their own items to run but are equally welcome to come and see others running. Numbers are limited so please telephone first.

Please see the GRC website or call for conditions which apply.

Garden Railway Centres, Capel Orchard, Capel Lane, London Road, Cheltenham, GL52 6UZ
Tel: 01242 519770 E-Mail: sales@gardenrailwaycentres.co.uk  Web: www.gardenrailwaycentres.co.uk

Anything Narrow Gauge has a website!

Since re-locating his business to the wilds of Exmoor, Simon Whenmouth has been building his business up, recently acquiring PPS Steam Models and launching a new website here

Two dates for your diary this month!  Firstly on Saturday March 17th and Sunday the 18th there is the Midlands Garden Railway Show at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre on the Fosse Way.  We’ll be attending this large scale model railway show and look forward to seeing you there – more details can be found here.  Then at the end of the month there is the annual 16mm Scale Association National Garden Railway Show at Peterborough; running for one day on the Saturday 31st March, we’ll be attending and awarding prizes for the Accucraft power unit competition at 11.00am, the entries for which can be seen here.  More details of the 16mm show can be found here.

By a piece of profound good luck, the day we went to Boston Lodge to present our ‘Lew’ to ‘Lyd’ the Ffestiniog Railway was steaming the Quarry Hunslet ‘Hugh Napier’ for the first time in nearly sixty years. ‘Hugh Napier’ worked at Penrhyn Quarries, where it was part of the ‘Large Quarry’ class on which we are basing our 7/8ths model. The loco had been part of the collection at Penrhyn Castle since 1966 and has been the subject of a long-term effort to return it to working order. In July 2011, the locomotive and its new boiler were transported to Boston Lodge Works for restoration to working order after which it will become a roving ambassador for the National Trust, visiting locations around the UK. Our model will be available in two colours, plain red or plain black! The initial batch is almost completely spoken for so if you want one this year we suggest you contact your local retailer.

Ian Pearse gets down with ‘Hugh Napier’ at Boston Lodge Works

We now have the first image of the pre-production model of Denver & Rio Grande Western #375, the “Baby Mudhen” as it was known by engineers on that line.  Built in 1903, No. 375 started life as Crystal River RR #432 before being absorbed and rebuilt by the D&RGW in 1916.  Although the loco was unique on that railroad, the class was a standard Baldwin design and as such was supplied to many other 3′ and metre gauge railways around the world, so it would be ideal for any freelance short line. The model carries a UK RRP of £3430.00 for the live steam version and £2850.00 for the electric model, available for pre-order through your local retailer. You can see more of the live steam loco here and the electric version here.

Accucraft (UK), on behalf of the Ffestiniog Railway, is to offer a strictly limited edition of the new-build ‘Lyd’ in 16mm (1:19) scale. The live steam model is based on our highly successful and very popular ‘Lew’ but incorporates all the small detail differences carried by ‘Lyd’, from the painted numbers and ‘Lyd’ name plates, the subtly different livery details and the unique Boston Lodge builder’s plates. The model represents ‘Lyd’ equipped with her Lynton & Barnstaple cab profile set to the L & B loading gauge. It is being produced exclusively for the Ffestiniog Railway by Accucraft (UK) and will only be available through the Ffestiniog shop or direct from Accucraft (UK). The retail profit from every model sold will go towards the final construction phase of the prototype loco and to keep her in traffic. There will be two versions in a strictly limited batch of 100 models, lined Southern green and fully lined British Railways black, each with its own numbered certificate of authenticity.

Ian Pearse (Accucraft) and Paul Lewin (Ffestiniog Rly) with ‘Lyd’ and our ‘Lew’

This is our first collaboration with a preservation society and enables us to put something back into a movement which allows us to continue to enjoy the sights and sounds of narrow gauge steam.  Paul Lewin, General Manager of the Ffestiniog Railway and one of the project team responsible for ‘Lyd’, said, “It’s been a real pleasure to work with Accucraft and to be able to give them the opportunity to study details on the full-sized locomotive in the preparation of this excellent model”.  We are extremely grateful for the assistance given us by Paul and his team in production of our ‘Lew’.  Ian Pearse, on behalf of Accucraft (UK), is enthusiastic about the joint project, “Having access to ‘Lyd’ has ensured that our L & B 2-6-2T is as accurate as possible and we hope that we can make a worthwhile contribution to her through sales of this limited edition”.

‘Lew’ for illustration purposes only!

The model is internally gas fired and available either manually controlled or fitted with radio control. The engine is gauge adjustable for either 32mm (‘0’ gauge) or 45mm (‘1’ gauge) – the parts for this are supplied with the model; this operation can be undertaken by the owner and only takes a few minutes. The loco is supplied with blanking plates for the cut-outs in the frames but these are really for display only, severely restricting the choice of track curvature if used in operation. The cab roof lifts up to give access to the gas, water and lubricator fillers. The boiler is fitted with a water level check valve and the lubricator has an under floor drain. The model is fitted with slide valves. The cylinders are drilled, tapped and plugged to accept DJB Engineering’s automatic drain cocks. The wheels are spoked and insulated as standard. The model is built from stainless steel and brass, and with the correct maintenance, will give a lifetime of pleasure. The first delivery of these models will be in November 2012.  You can download the order form here as a PDF file or here as a ‘Word’ document.

S19-20       ‘Lyd’ in lined Southern green £1550.00
S19-20RC   ‘Lyd’ in lined Southern green with radio control £1850.00
S19-21        ‘Lyd’ in lined British Railways black £1550.00
S19-21RC   ‘Lyd’ in lined British Railways black with radio control £1850.00

This month we have some really exciting news – four new locos in Gauge 1!  In addition we are launching our first collaboration with one of our dealers and are unveiling plans for our first adventure in 7/8ths scale.

We are delighted to say that we are developing four more Gauge 1 live steam locomotives. In addition to the A3 and B4 which caused so much excitement in Mississippi we are working up a family of Great Western Railway locos, a 61XX 2-6-2T, a 43XX 2-6-0 (with the later Collett 7322 variant), a 68XX 4-6-0 ‘Grange Class’ and the magnificent 47XX 2-8-0. These models clearly demonstrate Accucraft’s commitment to 1:32 scale and our ambition to supply reliable, affordable live steam engines for this gauge. We are aiming at target prices from £1600 for the ‘Prairie’ tank to £2500 for the ‘Grange’ and 47XX.  As they say, “watch this space”!

61XX 2-6-2 suburban or branch line tank locomotive

43XX 2-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive

68XX ‘Grange’ Class 4-6-0 passenger locomotive

47XX 2-8-0 express freight / mixed traffic locomotive

1:32 SCALE B4

Our “introductory” model in Gauge 1, the little L&SWR B4 tank engine, was extremely well received at the International Steam Up at Diamondhead, Mississippi, the prototype model running faultlessly for lap after lap while hauling a heavy load of six bogie coaches.  Footage of the trials can be seen here.  It looks as though a large percentage of the first batch may be heading to the United States!  With a UK RRP of just £800 we expect these engines to be very popular – so don’t miss out on the first batch.

1:32 SCALE A3

Also popular at Diamondhead was our pre-production ‘Flying Scotsman’ which proved to be a smooth-running, powerful machine.  The model showed it had good endurance and controllability while wowing the crowd of hardened U.S. live steam fans.  Video of the loco running can be seen here.  The initial batch will be available for a UK RRP of just £2495 and will appear in four liveries, make sure you reserve one soon!

‘LEW’ – SOME REVISIONS

Responding to feedback concerning the fitting of working drain cocks to ‘Lew’ we have decided not to proceed with the factory fitted items but to provide the locos with pre-drilled and tapped cylinders (plugged) ready for equipping with DJB Engineering’s automatic drain cocks.  The pre-production prototype ran superbly at Diamondhead, footage of which can be seen here.  With the first batch sold out we are now taking orders for the second batch, likely to be shipped in the autumn, which includes the all black version S19-18.  Please be advised that the second batch is already well filled.

‘PEVERIL’ – LIVE STEAM VERSION

We were delighted with the way our final pre-production sample of this loco ran at Diamondhead, working smoothly and swiftly round one of the test tracks there.  With the sample signed off the factory has commenced construction of the first batch, 80% of which is spoken for!  If you haven’t reserved one yet, we suggest you contact your local retailer as soon as possible.  You can see how ‘Peveril’ performed here.

WELSHPOOL & LLANFAIR ‘PEATE’ WAGONS

Trackshack, on the Isle of Man, has commissioned a limited run of private owner wagons based on those operated by Messrs. J. L. Peate & Sons, coal and lime merchants in Llanfair.  Private owner wagons on British narrow gauge systems were rare but Peates used five on the W & L, painted dark maroon with white lettering.  We’ll be producing four (No’s 2,5,6 & 7), based on our existing Welshpool & Llanfair open wagon, which will only be available from Trackshack at a target price of £45 each.

7/8ths SCALE QUARRY HUNSLET

In light of the growing popularity of this scale, used to represent 2′ gauge on 45mm track and 18″ gauge on 32mm track, we have decided to take the plunge and produce our first live steam locomotive for this market.  The more generous proportions of models in this scale have given us the opportunity to look at prototypes which would be rather too small in 1:19 scale but which we have long hankered to produce.  At the top of this wish list is the archetypal North Wales ‘Quarry’ Hunslet. The model will be gas fired and be fitted with a water top up valve, water check valve, miniature pressure gauge; constructed of stainless steel and etched brass, the loco will have an enhanced level of detail made possible by this scale and be gauge-adjustable between 45mm and 32mm gauges. We are aiming to bring this model to the market with a target price under a thousand pounds.

By the mid 19th century, the North Wales’ slate mines and quarries had a requirement for small, powerful and rugged locos to work the galleries and tramways in what was by then a rapidly expanding industry.  Various manufacturers supplied narrow gauge motive power to these businesses but none became more synonymous with the area than the saddle tanks supplied by the Hunslet Engine Co. of Leeds.  These sturdy little locos were ideal for the roughly laid, temporary lines in the quarries and the class evolved from the first design, produced in 1870, to encompass a variety of sizes and types which found work at Penrhyn, Dinorwic (where many acquired the names of racehorses!) and the Nantlle valley.  Remarkably the majority of those locos still in service in the 1960’s survived to be preserved, some of them in America and Canada.  Today Quarry Hunslets are still be produced in limited numbers by the new Hunslet Engine Co. based at the Statfold Barn Railway.

Happy New Year to you all.  Not too much news this month, but we have the first image of the W & L cattle van, a very sweet little American switcher to persuade some of you to make the move into US live steam and news of some On3 / On30 models due soon.  May we remind you about the power unit competition?  Entries for this have now closed and the models submitted can be viewed here.

WELSHPOOL & LLANFAIR CATTLE VANS

We are pleased to be able to show you the first CAD image of the W & L cattle van (in original form) which is now in the tooling stage.  Advance orders for this vehicle have been strong, presumably because our customers wish to have a “full house” of Welshpool & Llanfair stock!  Because the Great Western rebuilt the wagons shortly after taking the line over, we are offering three versions, fully-lettered in W & L light grey, No. 7 or 8, and data only in light and dark grey.  The RRP is £60.00 – make sure you have some reserved!

B & O 0-4-0 SWITCHER WITH SLOPE-BACK TENDER

Four switchers (96~99) were built in 1912 by Baldwin for the B&O.  Initially constructed as saddle tanks, some were given slope tenders and new cabs in later years.  The diminutive size and short wheelbase were required to handle the tight curves where these locomotives were used.  These live steam models are butane gas fired and constructed in brass & stainless steel.  Each copper boiler is certified by pressure tests to three times the normal working pressure.  The boiler is fitted with a water level glass, steam valve, water injection valve and pressure gauge.  The cab roof lifts up and tilts sideways to give easy access to the cab interior.  This little 1:29 scale model is an ideal starter loco with an RRP of only £1420.00, ready to ship from San Francisco with our next delivery.

Specification:

Construction: Brass, steel, and die-cast metal
Wheel Arrangement: 0-4-0
Minimum Radius: 2 ft.
Dimensions: 22.69″ (582 mm) x 4.02″ (102 mm) x 5.83″ (148 mm)
Power: Butane gas fired
Features: Piston valves, Safety valve, Water level glass, Pressure gauge, Displacement lubricator, Hand operated water pump in tender, Gas Tank in Tender

On3 & On30 MODELS

You may not be aware of it but Accucraft (US) make a beautiful range of brass models in these gauges and are about to release the iconic D&RGW C-16 2-8-0 in this scale.

One of the most popular series of locomotives that once worked on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad was the small, C-16 Consolidations, which served for decades. Built in 1881-82 by both Grant and Baldwin, more than 80 units were delivered and were the largest narrow gauge locomotives available at the time. Because they had a weight on the drivers of some 60,000 pounds, the D&RG designated them as Class 60 engines. These were later labelled “C-16” (“C” for “Consolidation” and “16” as an index of their tractive effort, about 16,000 pounds) and some lasted for as long as 70 years in both freight and passenger service. It is now one of the most famous narrow gauge locomotives of the Far West.  The model has an RRP of £590.

Specification:

Scale/Gauge: On3/On30 Scale
Minimum Radius: 24″ (On3), 18″ (On30)
Construction: Brass, Stainless Steel
Power: 0~12V DC
Length: 350 mm (13 3/4 in.)
Width: 60 mm (2 3/8 in.)
Height: 89 mm (3 1/2 in.)
Weight: 0.91 kg (2 lbs)
Features: DCC Ready, Sound Ready, Operating Lights, Working Couplers, Full Cab Interior with Lights

Accucraft (US) also produce a range of matching rolling stock (contact your local dealer for details)

D&RGW Jackson Sharpe coaches

 RGS Box Car

Conoco Tank Car

Happy Christmas to all our customers!  This month we have news of an alternative livery for ‘Lew’, developments with ‘Peveril’ and the Baguley Drewery diesels and, for those with large Gauge 1 lines, two incredible American locos to straighten your curves!

‘LEW’ IN THE BLACK

Having had a number of requests, we have decided to produce ‘Lew’ in limited numbers in plain black with no lettering or numbers.  This will allow individuals to apply their own livery or maybe “SOUTHERN” in sunshine lettering or fully lined B.R. livery for those who have a yearning to see how the railway would have looked had it been nationalised.  The first batch has been completely pre-sold and will only be shipped in Southern green so the black ‘uns will follow with the second batch which is likely to appear in November 2012.  Please order part number S19-18 from your local retailer if you would like an example of ‘Lew’ in plain black.

‘PEVERIL’ – TO BE AVAILABLE IN RADIO CONTROL FORM

Having analysed the method of fitting radio control into the confined space available, we are now able to say that we will be offering the live steam version of this loco with radio control fitted.  This will add £300 to the RRP to give a price of £1475.00 for the radio control fitted model. Needless to say the part number for the R/C version of ‘Peveril’ will be S20-3RC.

BAGULEY DREWRY DIESELS – ANY COLOUR YOU LIKE!

With the batch of Baguley Drewry diesels in the final stages of production we can illustrate some of the lovely new liveries. The all-metal chassis model will be available in black, red, yellow, green and blue.  Forward orders have already been strong for these so make sure you have one reserved from the initial batch.  The chassis will also be available in the same red-framed format.

LAST CALL FOR THE ACCUCRAFT POWER UNIT COMPETITION

May we remind you that the closing date for our self-build competition is 31st December, we have already had some interesting entries and the standard is very high.  You can see the current contenders here. Models must be based on the ‘Lawley’ or ‘Ragleth/Edrig’ power units and will be judged by Tag Gorton of Garden Rail magazine with the winners being given their prizes at the 16mm Association Show in April. The rules are available here ACCUCRAFT POWER UNIT COMPETITION

TWO AMERICAN MONSTERS

For those of you with large stockings (and equally large gardens!), we thought we’d showcase a couple of outstanding new 1:32 scale models due out next year.  First up is the mighty Pennsylvania T1. The Pennsylvania Railroad’s 4-4-4-4 Class T1 passenger locomotives were their last steam locos. They were not articulated, but were Duplex drive and had poppet valves. The first two, #6110 and #6111, were built by Baldwin in 1942. These locomotives were considered successful and could pull 16 cars at 100 MPH. They were also technically advanced and more efficient than previous designs. Later, 50 more of these were built in 1945-46 for a total of 52. The large tenders carried 38.6 tons of coal, 19,200 gallons of water and could travel between Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Chicago, Illinois with only one stop. The streamline design by Raymond Lowey was the inspiration for the Baldwin Lima “Shark Nose” diesels.

The model is 1:32 Scale, 45mm Gauge, spirit-fired and has four cylinders with slide valves.  The boiler is rated at 60PSI and has a working pressure gauge, water level gauge, axle water pump with a bypass valve and a hand water pump located in the tender.  The loco is also fitted with a lubricator. Minimum radius 10′, you can see the full specification here. RRP £5350.00

AL97-101 Pennsylvania T1 4-4-4-4, Live Steam

Next up is the incredible Chesapeake & Ohio H8 Allegheny 2-6-6-6.  The debate as to which is the largest steam locomotive ever built goes on to this day. It has always been between Union Pacific’s Big Boy and the C&O Allegheny. How can a 4-8-8-4 weigh less than a 2-6-6-6? The answer may come from the fact that the Allegheny’s boiler is a bit larger than the Big Boy! The listed figure of weight on the Allegheny is 724,500 lbs however this figure goes as high as 778,000lbs on engines 1600-1609 for the 1941 Lima built locomotives. The general published weight on the Big Boy is 772,250 lbs. Since the Allegheny produced 7,498 horsepower compared to 6,900 for the Big Boy, the race for the biggest and most powerful starts to lean toward the Allegheny. However the jury is still out on this subject, and it’s safe to say that both machines were awesome, and represent the pinnacle of steam locomotive development in North America.

The live steam model is 1:32 scale, 45mm gauge and is butane-fired with four cylinders with slide valves, working Baker valve gear, double safety valves, an axle water pump, a hand operated water pump in the tender, water drain valve, water level glass, super-heater, pressure gauge, adjustable hydrostatic lubricator, and is R/C ready. RRP for the live steam version is £6760.00. The model is also available in electric form with 0~24 V DC, Pittman motors operating lights, working couplers, ball bearing tender wheels and much more – sound ready or with factory installed sound fitted. Minimum radius 10′. You can see the full specification here. RRP £4490.00 or £4760.00 with factory fitted sound. Don’t forget to write to Santa!

AL98-411 Allegheny 2-6-6-6, Early Version in 1941 C&O 1601 (electric)
AL98-412 Allegheny 2-6-6-6, Early Version in 1941 C&O 1601 (electric with sound)
AL98-413 Allegheny 2-6-6-6, Late Version in 1948 C&O 1647 (electric)
AL98-414 Allegheny 2-6-6-6, Late Version in 1948 C&O 1647 (electric with sound)
AL98-415 Allegheny 2-6-6-6, Virginian #900 (electric)
AL98-416 Allegheny 2-6-6-6, Virginian #900 (electric with sound)
AL97-411 Allegheny 2-6-6-6, Early Version in 1941 C&O 1601, Live Steam
AL97-413 Allegheny 2-6-6-6, Late Version in 1948 C&O 1647, Live Steam
AL97-415 Allegheny 2-6-6-6, Virginian #900, Live Steam