The J67/68/69 ‘Buckjumper’, By Accurascale

[Islesy]

19 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

 

 

Could E8619 be produced asa special edition?

In time, quite possibly. For now, in this run, no.

Personally, I’m not a fan of having the same loco repeated in the same run when there’s such a large number of locos to go at yet.

Of course, the 89 is an exception, and to stoke the froth, my next two project announcements ‘may’ have multiples of the same number 😉

[Accurascale Fran]

1 hour ago, nightstar.train said:

 

Speaking of packaging I presume these will come in a smaller box than the rest of your locos? Ideally one the same width and height, but half the length so that two small Accurascale locos will stack with one large. 

Hi @nightstar.train,

 

It will indeed come in a smaller box. Think along the lines of the Hattons P and Andrew Barclay run as an idea of what to expect.

 

Cheers!

 

Fran

[Jol Wilkinson]

3 hours ago, Bucoops said:

 

Assuming excluding Markits (who do the 10 spoke but not in P4 of course) then there is Gibson who do the 15 spoke (shunting/freight) version. The OO/EM part number is 4848G. Phoenix Precision list all three spoke counts, but not sure on crank throw etc - and they do warn that the tooling is very worn. I think the 12 spoke was a later "catch all" replacement wheel design, not sure when it first appeared, whether is was LNER or BR.

 

Not sure if the axle diameter is knpwn yet for the Accurascale model.

I was shown recently some Sharman wheels from a one off batch produced about 15/18 months ago for a larger size (J15?). The problem with them was not, as far as I could tell, with the moulded centre but with the steel tyre. The running surfaces were okay but the rear of the tyre edge where the centre is moulded in was very poorly machined, with lots of "flash". So they would run okay but it didn't look very good. A coat of paint on the wheel centre should hide it.

 

If the wheels you want are old stock, then they would probably be okay. The difficulty is that they are 1/8" axles (the standard for driving wheels produced for kits) not the 2mm  on this model. Perhaps the chassis can be bored out to take 1/8" bearings but I think it is unlikely that anyone will bother to produce any of the alternative wheel sizes for 2m axles.

[Bucoops]

1 hour ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

I was shown recently some Sharman wheels from a one off batch produced about 15/18 months ago for a larger size (J15?). The problem with them was not, as far as I could tell, with the moulded centre but with the steel tyre. The running surfaces were okay but the rear of the tyre edge where the centre is moulded in was very poorly machined, with lots of "flash". So they would run okay but it didn't look very good. A coat of paint on the wheel centre should hide it.

 

If the wheels you want are old stock, then they would probably be okay. The difficulty is that they are 1/8" axles (the standard for driving wheels produced for kits) not the 2mm  on this model. Perhaps the chassis can be bored out to take 1/8" bearings but I think it is unlikely that anyone will bother to produce any of the alternative wheel sizes for 2m axles.

 

Interesting. I do have some Sharman wheels, but I do not know their history - the kit the are with is a Blacksmith D16, I am not sure when Mallard changed to Blacksmith. Certainly as I have had the kit c20 years the wheels are not recent! They look OK, but have the wrong number of spokes.

 

I would hope that P4 peeps are resourceful - it shouldn't be too hard to turn up a 1/8" to 2mm bush of some kind?

[steve45]

6 hours ago, Islesy said:

Run Two will, indeed, include several East Anglian shedded examples.

J68 suitable for the Kelverdon and Tollesbury branch please, that's 68638, 68641 or 68644, they will go nicely with the Rapido W&U tramcars

[Jol Wilkinson]

1 hour ago, steve45 said:

J68 suitable for the Kelverdon and Tollesbury branch please, that's 68638, 68641 or 68644, they will go nicely with the Rapido W&U tramcars

Perhaps the answer to various request for this or that loco would be for manufacturers to supply the model finished but not numbered, with a sheet of numbers for the purchaser to affix for themselves to get the one they want.

[Islesy]

14 minutes ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

Perhaps the answer to various request for this or that loco would be for manufacturers to supply the model finished but not numbered, with a sheet of numbers for the purchaser to affix for themselves to get the one they want.

Aside from the fact that there are very few ‘standard’ Buckjumpers that could be treated thus, the fact is that unnumbered rolling stock, of any ilk, simply does not sell.

[Izzy]

12 hours ago, Bucoops said:

 

Interesting. I do have some Sharman wheels, but I do not know their history - the kit the are with is a Blacksmith D16, I am not sure when Mallard changed to Blacksmith. Certainly as I have had the kit c20 years the wheels are not recent! They look OK, but have the wrong number of spokes.

 

I would hope that P4 peeps are resourceful - it shouldn't be too hard to turn up a 1/8" to 2mm bush of some kind?

If you look around and are lucky you might find shots of various locos with the 12 spoke wheels. My understanding is that they were a LNER version used as a replacement for both the 10 & 15 spoke. I found for example that in the last days of BR  J68 68639 had them which suited me just fine for my etched P4 one. 
 

Two options for those with a lathe exist for P4 conversions. Machine the wheels it comes with - if this is possible. Or turn up bushes to adapt Gibson/Sharman. Given the issue of keeping them concentric and true they would need to provide a good seating for the wheels to sit square on them, so a good flange at the rear. As said not impossible in such as brass, tufnol, or some such. Having suitable longer 2mm stock for the axles would of course be key for any type of conversion. No longer requiring one myself I won’t be investigating.

 

Bob

[Bernard Lamb]

11 hours ago, Islesy said:

Aside from the fact that there are very few ‘standard’ Buckjumpers that could be treated thus, the fact is that unnumbered rolling stock, of any ilk, simply does not sell.

I suppose a batch of the J68s, which is the sub set mentioned, might just about be possible.

However some people are likely to apply the transfers rather badly and other people will see what they have done and blame the factory. Blank vehicles are not a good PR exercise as I see it.

Bernard

[Islesy]

2 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said:

However some people are likely to apply the transfers rather badly and other people will see what they have done and blame the factory

Absolutely this Bernard. Social media, and forums are not exactly renowned for being able to disseminate information logically and accurately, so the first shouts will always be 'look at how bad that livery is applied', or 'they've got the wrong details for that particular example'. I've even seen comments on 3D samples lambasting the manufacturer concerned for poor manufacturing, so I see little hope 😆

[MikeParkin65]

I keep hovering over that 'pre order' button for a J67/8/9 for which I have very little use but they will definitely sell out when the livery samples appear!  Might have just talked myself into it lol

 

UPDATE - and there we are - sound fitted Liverpool St pet preordered 😎

Edited June 24 by MikeParkin65
Self fulfilling prophecy!

[trevor7598]

23 hours ago, Accurascale Fran said:

Hi @nightstar.train,

 

It will indeed come in a smaller box. Think along the lines of the Hattons P and Andrew Barclay run as an idea of what to expect.

 

Cheers!

 

Fran

Superb products and high quality packaging with excellent presentation value,

you just know there will be something special inside. But can the boxes be made smaller?

I have a Manor, EE Type 3, a syphon and three sets of  three wagons, and those boxes alone

have filled a cupboard and that's without anyone else's boxes.

 

Not a moan, just a plea !

Wishing all at Accurascale well.

[MikeParkin65]

2 minutes ago, trevor7598 said:

Superb products and high quality packaging with excellent presentation value,

you just know there will be something special inside. But can the boxes be made smaller?

I have a Manor, EE Type 3, a syphon and three sets of  three wagons, and those boxes alone

have filled a cupboard and that's without anyone else's boxes.

 

Not a moan, just a plea !

Wishing all at Accurascale well.

Swings and roundies I'm afraid - smaller boxes can and does equal more likelihood of damage. I struggle with storage too but must say when my 37 had to go back for repair it was reassuring to know how well t he model was protected from whatever the parcels services could throw at it (or it at for that matter!) 

[Steamport Southport]

Gibson will probably do replacement drop in wheels if there is demand.

 

They already do most currently available RTR. Look at page 29 to 31 of the current catalogue.

 

http://www.alangibsonworkshop.com/

 

 

Jason

[Captain Kernow]

On 23/06/2024 at 18:31, Bucoops said:

I would hope that P4 peeps are resourceful - it shouldn't be too hard to turn up a 1/8" to 2mm bush of some kind?

 

17 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

Gibson will probably do replacement drop in wheels if there is demand.

 

They already do most currently available RTR. Look at page 29 to 31 of the current catalogue.

 

http://www.alangibsonworkshop.com/

The fact that the axles will be 2mm is a bit of a blow for the P4 conversion I was planning.

 

Alan Gibson do already do (or certainly have done) some 1/8" to 2mm bushes and I know that Re6/6 used some in his conversion of the Rapido 16XX to P4, but such bushes needs to be absolutely concentric and the use of them must not introduce the slightest bit if non-concentricity to the wheel rotation.

 

I'm now thinking that the best option might be a complete replacement P4 chassis.... (but not sure if anyone does one?).

 

I'm now wondering whether the panniers will also have 2mm axles? This does seem to be the 'new normal' for some manufacturers now, but I suspect virtually all RTR manufacturers would have to switch to 2mm axles for firms like Alan Gibson to introduce their own versions...

 

[McC]

On 24/06/2024 at 17:29, trevor7598 said:

Superb products and high quality packaging with excellent presentation value,

you just know there will be something special inside. But can the boxes be made smaller?

I have a Manor, EE Type 3, a syphon and three sets of  three wagons, and those boxes alone

have filled a cupboard and that's without anyone else's boxes.

 

Not a moan, just a plea !

Wishing all at Accurascale well.

 

After liberal and extensive testing the short answer is ‘no’. Our boxes are big and luxurious but most importantly of all have been fully tested for our stock and locomotive weight ranges to effectively guarantee safe and secure delivery to you. 

[toby_tl10]

A tiny reminder that we are now on the last day of Q2 2024 and the Project Status page still shows the J67/J68/J69 slated for Q2 2024 (along with the Class 31, Mk2C, and Mk1 suburbans).

 

Not a complaint. In all honesty, my wallet isn't in a hurry to get drained. Just hoping to get revised schedules (which delays are perfectly reasonable) so that everyone, not just me, knows what to expect and the Project Status page doesn't become a joke that displays outdated information for people to ridicule.

 

I must stress I really like the idea of the Project Status page, provided that it gets updated when necessary.

[Islesy]

1 hour ago, toby_tl10 said:

A tiny reminder that we are now on the last day of Q2 2024 and the Project Status page still shows the J67/J68/J69 slated for Q2 2024 (along with the Class 31, Mk2C, and Mk1 suburbans).

A reminder is unnecessary Toby, in fact all will be updated tomorrow as we bring the project status right up to date, and show you the fruits of our, and the factory's, labours.

 

The emboldening of the 'provided that' text would suggest you are complaining 😆

 

However, it's the weekend; I've had an excellent day's site visit and survey for a future project, Shania Twain has just completed what will almost certainly go down as an all time classic Glastonbury set, the football is on (OK, maybe not so good!) and I have a cider or three chilling, so enjoy the rest of your weekend, safe in the knowledge that all your questions will be answered tomorrow!

 

All the best,

Paul.

😁

Edited June 30 by Islesy

[NHY 581]

 

1 hour ago, toby_tl10 said:

A tiny reminder that we are now on the last day of Q2 2024 and the Project Status page still shows the J67/J68/J69 slated for Q2 2024 (along with the Class 31, Mk2C, and Mk1 suburbans).

 

Not a complaint. In all honesty, my wallet isn't in a hurry to get drained. Just hoping to get revised schedules (which delays are perfectly reasonable) so that everyone, not just me, knows what to expect and the Project Status page doesn't become a joke that displays outdated information for people to ridicule.

 

I must stress I really like the idea of the Project Status page, provided that it gets updated when necessary.

 

 

 

 

[toby_tl10]

13 hours ago, Islesy said:

The emboldening of the 'provided that' text would suggest you are complaining 😆

I was perhaps complaining on that part, I agree. But I certainly do not mind the models being delayed.

 

Looking forward to all the good news.

[Accurascale Fran]

Buck Me - Let's Jump For Joy At This Little Stunner

 

 

Hi folks,

 

It's been rather a long time since we offered any kind of update on our second ever steam locomotive; the vast group of detail variances that are the J67/68/69 "Buckjumper" class of locomotives. 

 

These variances alone which makes what seems to be a little tank engine quite the incredibly complex beast, and it has taken a long while to get it to the standard that we demand of all our models.

 

However, when we received the decorated samples in recent weeks all we could say is; WOW! 

 

So, without further ado, check out these absolute beauties, and if you want to know more, keep scrolling to what we are fixing and find out when they are coming!

 

 

Tasty, right?

 

With any samples at this stage, there needs to be some corrections and tweaks made, and our beautiful little Buckjumpers are certainly no different. Thankfully, they're all relatively minor and already well under way.

 

The drawbar hook will be changed to allow for easy fitting and removing of our exquisite 3 link/screw couplings. The destination boards are proving to be a bit of a tight fit, so these are being fine tuned ahead of release to make changing in and out more straightforward. Each model will get a full selection of destination boards included in the box.

 

The chemical blackening on the buffers and wheels alone does not render them dark enough, so faces will be painted, and finish adjusted to a deep matt finish, just like the wheels on our beautiful Manor steam locomotives. This will give them a beautiful rich colour and make them look even more realistic.

 As ever, the application of paint highlights areas where tolerances are very tight. These have now been adjusted to take into account paint layers. Worst affected areas were the cab roof, the drilled holes where optional fit pipes need to go and the fitting of the door trim.

The application of paint has also revealed witness marks where the moulds separate. This is entirely normal and highlights where the moulds need additional polishing. Additional paint application will also make the world of difference to the finished models. 

The design and fitting of the PCB was based on one example with a deeper internal recess on the smokebox door, which has affected the fit of alternative smokebox doors. This is now being amended by our friends at ESU.

Due to the complexity of tampo printing the lining, it was decided to pre-approve body paint samples, which was done successfully. This wasn’t a photogenic process, and so no updates were issued at what was, effectively, first decoration stage. We then took delivery of the full suite of decorated samples and it has to be said, our factory team have done an amazing job in capturing the intricate lining, numbering and lettering of these beauties.

 

Additional livery research was required in certain areas, which was undertaken with the kind assistance of the Great Eastern Railway Society, along with Adrian Marks and Mike Bootman. We would like to thank them for all their input and assistance in the research and creation of these models, alongside some excellent chat and debates! 

These decorated samples also show the vast array of detail differences across each loco, particularly when it comes to cabs, tanks and chimney options alone. We estimate that it might just be the biggest tooling suite ever created for a tank locomotive, or certainly one of the biggest at least. The amount of parts and variations to make up this class is simply staggering, and it has taken a long time to get them all correctly proportioned and have them fit together in a manner that gives us a museum quality model.

We understand that delays are frustrating, and they really frustrate our product development, marketing and accounts teams too, but we entered this industry with the intention of producing the very best models we can so we can take models and the hobby to a new level. This does mean that it can take more time to develop the models, to get the finish as close to perfection as we can get with the skills and technology we have available to us and produce the top of the tree models we have become known for. We will not compromise our standards and sell mediocre models, even if this does mean taking extra time to get it right. We know that the vast majority of you, the modelling public, understand and agree with our viewpoint on this matter.

 

As you can see, the final result tends to be a bit special, and these are very special indeed!

So, when are they getting here? Well, the exciting news is that production is now underway and delivery is now slated for the end of this year, so Q4 2024 is when tour buckjumpers leap into service on your layout. Pre-order yours via 150 Accurascale stockists around the world, or direct (including our two Accurascale Exclusives) via our website: https://www.accurascale.com/collections/j67-j68-j69

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

[D3489gibson]

7 minutes ago, Accurascale Fran said:

Buck Me - Let's Jump For Joy At This Little Stunner

 

 

Hi folks,

 

It's been rather a long time since we offered any kind of update on our second ever steam locomotive; the vast group of detail variances that are the J67/68/69 "Buckjumper" class of locomotives. 

 

These variances alone which makes what seems to be a little tank engine quite the incredibly complex beast, and it has taken a long while to get it to the standard that we demand of all our models.

 

However, when we received the decorated samples in recent weeks all we could say is; WOW! 

 

So, without further ado, check out these absolute beauties, and if you want to know more, keep scrolling to what we are fixing and find out when they are coming!

 

 

Tasty, right?

 

With any samples at this stage, there needs to be some corrections and tweaks made, and our beautiful little Buckjumpers are certainly no different. Thankfully, they're all relatively minor and already well under way.

 

The drawbar hook will be changed to allow for easy fitting and removing of our exquisite 3 link/screw couplings. The destination boards are proving to be a bit of a tight fit, so these are being fine tuned ahead of release to make changing in and out more straightforward. Each model will get a full selection of destination boards included in the box.

 

The chemical blackening on the buffers and wheels alone does not render them dark enough, so faces will be painted, and finish adjusted to a deep matt finish, just like the wheels on our beautiful Manor steam locomotives. This will give them a beautiful rich colour and make them look even more realistic.

 As ever, the application of paint highlights areas where tolerances are very tight. These have now been adjusted to take into account paint layers. Worst affected areas were the cab roof, the drilled holes where optional fit pipes need to go and the fitting of the door trim.

The application of paint has also revealed witness marks where the moulds separate. This is entirely normal and highlights where the moulds need additional polishing. Additional paint application will also make the world of difference to the finished models. 

The design and fitting of the PCB was based on one example with a deeper internal recess on the smokebox door, which has affected the fit of alternative smokebox doors. This is now being amended by our friends at ESU.

Due to the complexity of tampo printing the lining, it was decided to pre-approve body paint samples, which was done successfully. This wasn’t a photogenic process, and so no updates were issued at what was, effectively, first decoration stage. We then took delivery of the full suite of decorated samples and it has to be said, our factory team have done an amazing job in capturing the intricate lining, numbering and lettering of these beauties.

 

Additional livery research was required in certain areas, which was undertaken with the kind assistance of the Great Eastern Railway Society, along with Adrian Marks and Mike Bootman. We would like to thank them for all their input and assistance in the research and creation of these models, alongside some excellent chat and debates! 

These decorated samples also show the vast array of detail differences across each loco, particularly when it comes to cabs, tanks and chimney options alone. We estimate that it might just be the biggest tooling suite ever created for a tank locomotive, or certainly one of the biggest at least. The amount of parts and variations to make up this class is simply staggering, and it has taken a long time to get them all correctly proportioned and have them fit together in a manner that gives us a museum quality model.

We understand that delays are frustrating, and they really frustrate our product development, marketing and accounts teams too, but we entered this industry with the intention of producing the very best models we can so we can take models and the hobby to a new level. This does mean that it can take more time to develop the models, to get the finish as close to perfection as we can get with the skills and technology we have available to us and produce the top of the tree models we have become known for. We will not compromise our standards and sell mediocre models, even if this does mean taking extra time to get it right. We know that the vast majority of you, the modelling public, understand and agree with our viewpoint on this matter.

 

As you can see, the final result tends to be a bit special, and these are very special indeed!

So, when are they getting here? Well, the exciting news is that production is now underway and delivery is now slated for the end of this year, so Q4 2024 is when tour buckjumpers leap into service on your layout. Pre-order yours via 150 Accurascale stockists around the world, or direct (including our two Accurascale Exclusives) via our website: https://www.accurascale.com/collections/j67-j68-j69

 

Cheers!

 

Fran 

 

They look amazing!!!!! Can't wait to get the two I've preordered!!!! Any chances of GER stock to go with them in the future??? 😅😅

 

Nathan

[Bucoops]

Woah 😍

[RailwayModeller927]

Oh my. I literally just got the email from Rails of Sheffield about the decorated samples. I legitimately had to double check here to see if I was just seeing things.

 

My word, they look absolutely stunning and I really can't wait for mine to arrive at the end of the year.

[RailwayModeller927]

You guys are now seriously making me really consider preordering a 2nd one now.

 

All I have to do is decide whether to get the NRM Exclusive or the GER Ultramarine one.