Class 50s – from Accurascale

Accurascale has made public its plans to manufacture 1:76 scale / 4mm:1ft scale models of the English Electric Class 50. The models are to be the third and final member of its English Electric (EE) six-axle trio that began with the Class 55 in 2018 and the Class 37 in 2019.

Tooling is almost complete but due to a local COVID shutdown in China the first sample has been delayed for the 2022 Warley show. This first sample will follow early in the new year.

Six locomotives make up the first announcement, with some Accurascale Exclusives to follow soon. Prices range from £189.99 for the DC/DCC ready examples to £299.99 for the DCC 'Accurathras' sound-fitted models. Delivery is expected late Q4 2023.

First run locomotives

• D423 BR Blue (no MU, arrows on both cab sides)
• 50006 Neptune BR blue (early refurbishment)
• 50008 Thunderer Hanson+Hall
• 50014 Warspite Large logo w/black roof
• 50017 Royal Oak original NSE
• 50021 Rodney large logo w/grey roof & orange cantrail stripe

The Accurascale Class 50 model began with a 3D laser scan of 50017 at the Great Central Railway in 2019. Building on its growing range of diesel and electric locomotives, the EE Type 4 features its most impressive specification yet, with its twin-speaker set up, working radiator fan, flange squeal sensor, and full lighting package that includes preservation-era oddballs, engine room and cab lighting with auto off feature, and eight cab configurations with illuminated driver’s control desk.

The Class 50 Alliance also allowed Accurascale to visit its fleet based at Kidderminster Diesel Depot on the Severn Valley Railway on several occasions, even raising 50044 on jacks to allow the Accurascale research team unprecedented access to the underframe. The "full gamut of changes" experienced by this class has been included on its extensive tooling suite to create "the definitive Class 50", including optional multiple-working equipment, missing handrails on D400, original headcode or plated with marker lights or sealed beam lights, no headlight, blanked headlight and headlight, wind deflectors, sandbox fillers, ‘grilled’ windows on refurbished locomotives (including the first pair which retained the window grommit for several years), early or late cast bogies, dynamic brakes, roof scavenger port, NRN or GSM-R radio equipment/fittings, seven- or 12-blade radiator fan and roof walkways.

 

Specification

• Highly-detailed OO scale model, 1:76.2 scale
• Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track) in OO
• Die-cast metal chassis
• RP25-110 profile OO wheels with provision for re-gauging with scale-sized wheels for P4/EM gauges – with simple ride height adjustment – and ability to set brake blocks in line with wheels
• Separately-applied etched metal/plastic detail parts, including grab handles, steps, wipers, etc.
• Scale width wire handrails
• Etched metal pre-painted nameplates and crests (where applicable) provided for customer to install
• Interchangeable printed headcodes with full description covering the first nine years of the class plus preservation era
• Scale-sized and mounted snowploughs provided for customer to install, with one-piece NEM mounted option
• Full underframe tank, battery box and full-formed compressor detail with extensive pipework and other separate parts
• Fully sprung buffers, super-fine pipework and screw couplings (for display)
• Kinetic NEM coupler mounts at correct height and mini-tension-lock couplers
• Separately powered working radiator fan with different speed settings
• DCC ready [21-Pin MTX Socket] or Factory-Fitted DCC Sound options
• High Performance traction with a five-pole motor with two flywheels, 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)
• DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power
• All-wheel drive (sprung centre axle) and all-wheel pick-up
• Detailed lighting pack, including: directional lighting, DC and DCC, switchable red and white marker lights with configured lights for preservation-era 'oddballs' 50008 and 50044, separately switched cab lighting and illuminated, driver’s desk, auto/off on movement
• Interior lighting with cast electrical compartment and engine bay detail on metal motor enclosure
• Customised dual-speaker technology with large EM2 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)

Locomotives can be pre-ordered via local stockists, or direct via the Accurascale website.