Class 66, By Accurascale

[Ncarter2]

1 hour ago, KDG said:

Don't Hattons do the wagon and track panel module?

I don’t think this is one of the type Hattons did, this looks like one of the recent additions hired from Wascosa. Swiss based company, they had the wagons built by Greenbrier. They are maintained by GBRF under a 10 year deal. 

[Roy Langridge]

2 hours ago, DRS Crewe On A Mission said:

So there isn’t too much play in the movement of the couplings and they don’t droop? 
 

I don’t have the A Class, 55 or 92 but I do have some 37s on order with you. 

 

I’m assuming the 66 will go through testing too to ensure that it doesn’t derail wagons and other locos when coupled up and when reversing etc? 
 

The reason I mention it is because this was an issue with the original Hattons batch and I just want to be sure you have made the appropriate modifications to ensure these issues aren’t present on your model. I also want to mention it so that you are aware of the issues when it comes to testing the 66. 
 

Obviously I’m not undermining your knowledge or competence with the 66 it’s just that in the announcement video and the specification in relation to modifications/upgrades made to the model the coupling mechanism upgrade wasn’t mentioned, so I just wanted to mention it to ensure modifications had been made and to keep an eye on the model in this area when testing it, to ensure any issues/snags are ironed out before the first batch are put into production. 
 

Thank you. 
 

Kind Regards, 

 

Danny. 
 

 

Just relax Danny. The guys know what they are doing. Keep asking the same question / making the same point won’t change the result. 
 

Roy

[Creampot Junction]

4 hours ago, Shoey said:

I’ll just leave these here… 😉

 

 

 

I also second for this livery and was disappointed that Freightliner chose this one. As one of the very first to be painted into the New G&W Orange livery. Which I am not really a fan of.

[Bearwood West Yard]

7 hours ago, NickL2008 said:

 

 

If you model the current scene, I got this rather interesting consist yesterday behind 66846 at Worting junction heading to Eastleigh, not sure who makes the Network rail flat?

 

1 hour ago, Ncarter2 said:

I don’t think this is one of the type Hattons did, this looks like one of the recent additions hired from Wascosa. Swiss based company, they had the wagons built by Greenbrier. They are maintained by GBRF under a 10 year deal. 

The yellow wagon pictured is one of the recently delivered FEA-W wagons. Dapol produced the FEA-B twin spine, while Hatton’s produced the FEA-E and FEA-S singular spine wagons - which did include a Freightliner FEA-E with two 30ft removable panels for carrying track. I couldn’t tell you the difference between the E and S variants other than the operators. The FEA-W in the picture as Ncarter2 has said is a recent Wascosa hire. 
The -W retains the same spine as a standard FEA-E/S I believe; but the ends are more alike the FWA Ecofrets in style. The changing requirements of a modern railway and the cost savings of operational flexibility have led to intermodal wagon bases being used more commonly on departmental workings. As having a single consist that can take different types of module (track panel floors, removable ballast boxes, workshop container to name but a few) is more beneficial and tidy than the same but as 3 or 4 consists. Then it’s all down to planning and organisation to ensure the right modules are fitted and deployed. 
Models of the FEA-W don’t exist currently, but given that Bachmann have only just done the Lobsters (which started appearing up to 7 years ago) I’d give it until the latter half of the 10 year contract before we see them in model. 

[rob D2]

1 hour ago, Creampot Junction said:

 

I also second for this livery and was disappointed that Freightliner chose this one. As one of the very first to be painted into the New G&W Orange livery. Which I am not really a fan of.

I guess the respray as it was non standard….would be better in its proper form with Barton titles 

[Bearwood West Yard]

1 minute ago, rob D2 said:

I guess the respray as it was non standard….would be better in its proper form with Barton titles 

I would agree with that. If it was anything like Shanks 66 522, the paintwork having been in the livery for considerable time would be looking quite tatty up close and in need of some work. Respraying into the new corporate colours is two birds one stone, making the loco look more appealing cosmetically while also broadening the new corporate image. Livery opinions aside that is.

[ERIC ALLTORQUE]

So is the axle end detail a cap on a longer axle now? and will the plastic detail be avalable as a spare,asking for a friend........while im on why is the gear tower not metal as putting the weight directly on the wheels has to be an advantage. @Accurascale Franor @McC

Edited February 27, 2023 by ERIC ALLTORQUE

[nightstar.train]

12 hours ago, scottrains29 said:

I would tend to agree. I have both 66s so wouldn't want one personally but if someone were to tool up a realistic Royal Scotsman pullman, with accurate interiors, all modifications including end veranda, at a realistic price, I'm sure there would be huge demand for the corresponding 66s again and also class 37s to represent the earlier formations.

 

I've been looking at doing this myself and I think it's an almost impossible ask RTR. In the current train there are 10 vehicles comprising 8 different bodies. So the tooling costs would be enormous. I don't think you could get a 10 car set for less than £1200 - £1500. If you want to model pre 2016 (when they introduced the spa car) you could drop that down to 9 coaches of 7 types. But if you go further back pre 2012, when they switched the dining saloon, then you've got yet another type of coach plus slight detail changes to the staff car. 

[KDG]

2 hours ago, Ncarter2 said:

I don’t think this is one of the type Hattons did, this looks like one of the recent additions hired from Wascosa. Swiss based company, they had the wagons built by Greenbrier. They are maintained by GBRF under a 10 year deal. 

Ah ok, thanks for the info. 

[KDG]

1 hour ago, Bearwood West Yard said:

 

The yellow wagon pictured is one of the recently delivered FEA-W wagons. Dapol produced the FEA-B twin spine, while Hatton’s produced the FEA-E and FEA-S singular spine wagons - which did include a Freightliner FEA-E with two 30ft removable panels for carrying track. I couldn’t tell you the difference between the E and S variants other than the operators. The FEA-W in the picture as Ncarter2 has said is a recent Wascosa hire. 
The -W retains the same spine as a standard FEA-E/S I believe; but the ends are more alike the FWA Ecofrets in style. The changing requirements of a modern railway and the cost savings of operational flexibility have led to intermodal wagon bases being used more commonly on departmental workings. As having a single consist that can take different types of module (track panel floors, removable ballast boxes, workshop container to name but a few) is more beneficial and tidy than the same but as 3 or 4 consists. Then it’s all down to planning and organisation to ensure the right modules are fitted and deployed. 
Models of the FEA-W don’t exist currently, but given that Bachmann have only just done the Lobsters (which started appearing up to 7 years ago) I’d give it until the latter half of the 10 year contract before we see them in model. 

Thanks Jordan,  great info.

[KDG]

Hi Fran and team. Now you've sorted out the class 66, you may as well do the 59 too. I mean, they're practically the same anyway........

[PieGuyRob]

I might get the Freightliner one, but, I really do have to pay off other stuff first.

[Bearwood West Yard]

I finally re-watched the announcement video last night. The sound on the sample loco sounded very much like the Jamie Goodman sound file (imo the best 66 file out there). Sorry to add to the bombardment of questions @McC, will this be the default sound option or is the AccuraShed sound project yet to recorded? 

[Dorset33]

9 hours ago, KDG said:

Hi Fran and team. Now you've sorted out the class 66, you may as well do the 59 too. I mean, they're practically the same anyway........

Lets hope & pray!! 🙏

[McC]

20 minutes ago, Bearwood West Yard said:

I finally re-watched the announcement video last night. The sound on the sample loco sounded very much like the Jamie Goodman sound file (imo the best 66 file out there). Sorry to add to the bombardment of questions @McC, will this be the default sound option or is the AccuraShed sound project yet to recorded? 

 

Well Jamie is a member of the team now so it will be a range of new accurascale files building on his expertise :) 

[Bearwood West Yard]

2 minutes ago, McC said:

 

Well Jamie is a member of the team now so it will be a range of new accurascale files building on his expertise :) 

Excellent! Accurascale really is becoming the Dream Team! 😊

[adb968008]

13 hours ago, Ncarter2 said:

I don’t think this is one of the type Hattons did, this looks like one of the recent additions hired from Wascosa. Swiss based company, they had the wagons built by Greenbrier. They are maintained by GBRF under a 10 year deal. 

I was looking at the image too, but wasnt quite sure it was one if those wascosa flats.

 

I do think though those flats (and the various containers) would make a great rtr model.

 

heres a set of flats on delivery .., 500+ to come, each flat accomodates modules (containers) to purpose the wagons use.

 

 

A 73/9 to go with would be nice too.

Edited February 28, 2023 by adb968008

[scottrains29]

1 hour ago, Bearwood West Yard said:

Excellent! Accurascale really is becoming the Dream Team! 😊

I noticed on Facebook yesterday that Richard Watson, previously associate editor of Hornby Magazine has also joined the Accurascale team.

Can only be more good news for all us modern image modellers! I do enjoy watching his ECML 'new junction' layout videos.

[McC]

3 minutes ago, scottrains29 said:

I noticed on Facebook yesterday that Richard Watson, previously associate editor of Hornby Magazine has also joined the Accurascale team.

Can only be more good news for all us modern image modellers! I do enjoy watching his ECML 'new junction' layout videos.

Indeed! https://www.accurascale.com/blogs/news/the-accurascale-irm-family-continues-to-grow

[Bearwood West Yard]

7 minutes ago, scottrains29 said:

I noticed on Facebook yesterday that Richard Watson, previously associate editor of Hornby Magazine has also joined the Accurascale team.

Can only be more good news for all us modern image modellers! I do enjoy watching his ECML 'new junction' layout videos.

Yes! I had noticed that since joining Hornby Mag that Richard had been spending more time doing work related model things than spending time on his own layout, through less uploaded content. But still, it’s great to see Richard join the Accurascale team and hopefully he feels personally better off for it 😊

[ERIC ALLTORQUE]

4 hours ago, Bearwood West Yard said:

Dream Team!

They think its all over,it is now,that kind of thing,the stand will have to play Tina Turner at the shows.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC5E8ie2pdM

 

[Torbay Express]

On 27/02/2023 at 07:00, Roy Langridge said:

I would say Royal Scotsman 66s would be a bad idea. Yes they had lighting issues, but the same issues didn’t stop other liveries selling out long before the Scotsman version. 
 

Even when 66746 appears on ebay, it tends to be one of the cheaper versions. 
 

66s have worn so many liveries that are yet to be modelled, why do such a risky version?

Roy

On 27/02/2023 at 04:43, DRS Crewe On A Mission said:

Hi McC, 

 

I appreciate you will have had a busy weekend but when you get a chance please could you make us a video of the 66 attached to wagons and other 66s specifically focusing on the couplings and there movement and so we can see if they droop as much as they did originally. This is the only slight reservation I have before deciding which models to pre-order. 
 

Also I forgot to mention the other day that 743 and 746 when produced by Hattons in Royal Scotsman livery didn’t have all of the lighting operational, as there was an error when producing the locos with this lighting configuration. That’s one reason why I mentioned about you reproducing models from the Hattons batch in the same livery and with the same numbers. That reason and because some people like me missed out on some versions due to so many different models and liveries arriving at the same time. Is this something that you may do and you aren’t ruling out, or is this a no go? 
 

Any help is greatly appreciated. 
 

Thank you in advance. 
 

Kind Regards, 

 

Danny. 

 

Hi Danny, there is a lighting mod I believe that is available I think from illuminated models, to fix the bug eyes.  From seeing a you tube clip of it, it's pretty simple to do. 

 

Personally I don't think that any of the special liveries produced by Hattons will be different enough under the Accurascale banner to warrant another run of the same locomotives.  However there are plenty of others that can be done. 

 

Really want a 66747....

 

Best wishes. 

[No Decorum]

3 hours ago, McC said:

Indeed! https://www.accurascale.com/blogs/news/the-accurascale-irm-family-continues-to-grow

I love the pic at the end in which Richard is getting measured by the little chaps! 🤣

[Shoey]

I’ve just been watching the announcement video of the Accurascale 66 on the Hornby Magazine YouTube channel and taken a few screenshots that’ll I post below. I’m sure the lighting will be true to life but thought I’d post images just to highlight my thoughts/feelings plus a couple of side on shots of the coupling for Danny which I’m hoping will help settle his thoughts a little on that matter. Going by the model that is being demonstrated the lighting is of the incorrect colours and the top marker light doesn’t match the intensity of the bottom two, plus I feel the main daytime headlight could do with being a little brighter. I know from talking to Alex at illuminated models (regarding the ‘Hattons 66’) you loose quite a lot of the intensity via using plastic light piping from the small square lighting board located in the middle. Hence why Alex manufactured new lighting boards which replaced the original and placed tiny LED’s behind the actual light openings which gave a rather realistic look. This also eliminated any light bleed caused from having a cluster of lights in one small area. I can’t help but think that having a longer lighting board directly behind the marker and headlights would give a better representation of the real locos (just as Bachmann do with their current class 66’s)  I have no doubt that you guys at Accurascale will produce a flawless class 66 and already have 3 ordered up 👍

[Shoey]

Sorry Danny @DRS Crewe On A Mission here are the coupling shots 👍