Accurascale has received decorated samples of its forthcoming 'OO' gauge Class 55 'Deltic' Co-Co diesels for evaluation by the company's development team.
First announced at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition in November 2018, Accurascale revealed ambitious plans to produce 17 standard versions plus six exclusive special editions (see tables below), resulting in all 22 class members, 23 different models in total, appearing with accurate detail differences between them incorporated within the tooling suite. These differences include headcode panel arrangement, horn placement, bogie style, sandbox hatch variations, windscreen wiper arrangement, filling in of cabside windows where appropriate and much more.
Examples of colour schemes spanning the full release programme have been received for assessment, from BR two-tone green to the unique Porterbrook purple liveried 9016 Gordon Highlander. As well as checking the shades used, the team has also been evaluating the application of the overall paint finish together with the fitment and appearance of parts before giving the go-ahead for production.
The impressive specification calls for a heavy-diecast metal chassis, five-pole motor, twin flywheels, metal helical gearbox, 21-pin Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder socket, Powerpack capacitor for uninterrupted power, all-wheel drive and pick-up, directional lighting, switchable marker lights, cab and driver's console illumination, engine bay lighting and much more.
Further improvements have been identified to areas such as positioning of the cantrail stripe on certain models, engine room glazing fitment, seam line reductions, refined masking and the inclusion of blanked quarter panel windows on some examples. A further tweak is required to the shade of purple used on the Porterbrook example, but the development team have indicated that they are happy with the BR green, BR blue and warning panel yellow shades used on these samples.
In total, 23 models are planned for release initially - there will be two versions of D9002/55002 plus one each of the remaining class members - displaying various livery and detail combinations, split between Accurascale and the Deltic Preservation Society/Locomotion Models/Rails of Sheffield:
| Identity (General release) | Livery | Cat No. | Price | Supplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55001 St Paddy | BR blue | ACC2151D9001 | £160/£250* | A |
| 55003 Meld | BR blue | ACC2153D9003 | £160/£250* | A |
| D9004 | BR green | ACC2154D9004 | £160/£250* | A |
| 55005 The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire | BR blue | ACC2155D9005 | £160/£250* | A |
| D9006 The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry | BR green/full yellow ends | ACC2156D9006 | £160/£250* | A |
| D9007 Pinza | BR green | ACC2157D9007 | £160/£250* | A |
| D9010 The King's Own Scottish Borderer | BR green/full yellow ends | ACC2160D9010 | £160/£250* | A |
| 55011 The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers | BR blue | ACC2161D9011 | £160/£250* | A |
| D9012 Crepello | BR blue (pre-TOPS) | ACC2162D9012 | £160/£250* | A |
| D9013 The Black Watch | BR green/small yellow warning panels | ACC2163D9013 | £160/£250* | A |
| D9014 The Duke of Wellington's Regiment | BR green/full yellow ends | ACC2164D9014 | £160/£250* | A |
| 9016 Gordon Highlander | Porterbrook purple | ACC2166D9016 | £160/£250* | A |
| 55017 The Durham Light Infantry | BR blue | ACC2167D9017 | £160/£250* | A |
| 55018 Ballymoss | BR blue/white cabs | ACC2168D9018 | £160/£250* | A |
| D9020 Nimbus | BR green/small yellow warning panels | ACC2170D9020 | £160/£250 | A |
| 9021 Argyll and Sutherland Highlander | BR blue (pre-TOPS) | ACC2171D9021 | £160/£250* | A |
| 55022/D9000 Royal Scots Grey | BR blue with silver grilles (1981 condition) | ACC2172D9022 | £160/£250* | A |
| Identity (Special editions) | Livery | Cat No. | Price | Supplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D9002 The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry | BR green/small yellow warning panels (as preserved) | CL55 (D9002 Preserved) | £160/£250* | RoS/LM |
| 55002 The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry | BR green/full yellow ends (1980s) | CL55 (55002) | £160/£250* | RoS/LM |
| D9008 The Green Howards | ex-works BR green (1961 condition) | CL55 (D9008) | £160/£250* | RoS/DPS |
| D9009 Alycidon | BR blue (pre-TOPS - HI lights/mainline condition) | CL55 (D9009) | £160/£250* | RoS/DPS |
| 55015 Tulyar | BR blue/white cabs | CL55 (55015) | £160/£250* | RoS/DPS |
| D9019 Royal Highland Fusilier | BR green/small yellow warning panels (post-1965 condition) | CL55 (D9019) | £160/£250* | RoS/DPS |
Notes: *DCC Sound Fitted/A Accurascale/RoS Rails of Sheffield/LM Locomotion Models/DPS Deltic Preservation Society
Following amendments to the decoration and fitment of parts, production is expected to get underway in March with delivery anticipated during the Summer (late Q2/early Q3 2021). Prices are set at £160 for Digital Command Control (DCC) ready models and £250 for factory-fitted DCC Sound models.
Visit www.accurascale.co.uk for more information on standard models and www.thedps.co.uk www.locomotionmodels.com and www.railsofsheffield.com for more details on the special edition examples.
