Accucraft UK Ltd

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

Following a lengthy gestation period, ‘Peveril’ is on the way, an electric ‘Caledonia’ is racking up the miles in Northumberland, more W.D. Baldwins are in production and we have news of the lovely Southern Pacific 4-6-0 that Accucraft (US) has recently released.

‘PEVERIL’ – LIVE STEAM AND ELECTRIC

Following fine tuning of the pre-production sample we are pleased to say that we have given the go-ahead for a run of both live steam and electric versions of this attractive Isle of Man 2-4-0T. This batch is being produced in Indian red only and should be available at your local retailer in February or March at an RRP of £1175.00 for the live steam loco and £895.00 for the electric version.  Reserve yours now to avoid missing out.  You can see the full specification here.

The Isle of Man Railway favoured locos built by Beyer Peacock with a 2-4-0 wheel arrangement.  No 6, ‘Peveril’ was built in 1874 and carried the standard Beyer Peacock characteristics – the outside framed bogie, the lack of a bunker behind the cab and the angled cylinders. Like most of them, ‘Peveril’ has its number in brass numerals on the chimney. She was withdrawn from service in 1960 and was stored for several years together with No. 5 “Mona” in Douglas carriage shed. She was cosmetically restored by members of the Isle Of Man Steam Railway Supporters’ Association in 1994 and is now resident in the railway museum at Port Erin carrying the Indian red livery of the post-war years.

‘CALEDONIA’ AT BARTER BOOKS, ALNWICK

This may be one of the most unusual railways running Accucraft locomotives and rolling stock!  Established by Mary and Stuart Manley, Barter Books in Alnwick is one of the most eclectic second-hand book shops in the UK.  The business is housed in Alnwick’s beautiful railway station designed by William Bell in 1887. At 32,000 sq. ft, the building is one of remarkable size and grandeur for a small market town. This is because, as seat of the Dukes of Northumberland, an imposing railway station was deemed necessary in the 19th century to impress visiting royalty. The branchline, itself, however, was closed in 1968 with the notorious Beeching cuts.

The shop has many features, open fires in the winter, coffee and cookies, a mini-cybercafé (well, two computers!), generous seating, a children’s room with enough toys to allow parents and grandparents to browse elsewhere in peace, a whole huge room lined with glass cases containing many of the more interesting antiquarian books. In addition to all this,there is a G scale model railway acting as a link between the book columns of the central room, round which now trundles an Accucraft ‘Caledonia’ and Isle of Man coaches!

‘Caledonia’ and Accucraft coaches crosses a bridge in front of a mural of famous writers

David Champion, who works at Barter Books, said, “Could this be Britain’s hardest working G scale railway? There are 3 circuits which operate 10 hours a day contionuously in Summer, and 8 hours a day continuously in winter – and the only day they get off is Christmas Day!  Rails have to be changed every 18 months when the head of the rail gets worn off due to the constant traffic. ‘Caledonia’ and her train are on the main circuit and travel 9 actual miles per day, (approx.200 scale miles), and she has already clocked up well over 300 actual miles without a hitch, indeed she has settled into her new task running increasingly sweetly.” David, founder of the A1 Steam Trust, is the happy owner of several Accucraft live steamers including his favourite, the 3 -cylinder Shay, which run on his private 175 yard long woodland railway in Northumberland.

Why not drop in to Barter Books?  Have a browse and watch the trains go by….

W.D. BALDWINS – AN UPDATE

In view of healthy demand for these popular locomotives we are bringing production of the next batch forward and anticipate getting them to our dealers by March.  Quite a number of this batch has been pre-ordered and there may not be much free stock when the consignment arrives.  We have held the RRP at £1295.00 – book yours now!  More details of the model can be found here.  Remember that these engines are not gauge-adjustable and need to be ordered according to your line’s requirements.  Watch out for the review in “Garden Rail”!

The ever popular W.D. Baldwin will be available again in early 2012

SOUTHERN PACIFIC 4-6-0 #8 & #9

While on the subject of Balwin 4-6-0′s, here’s another!  These attractive little 3′ gauge ten-wheelers were built by Baldwin in 1907 for the Nevada, California and Oregon Railroad and acquired by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1929.  The SP rebuilt them for oil-firing and used them in its 3′ gauge network on short lines such as the Owens Valley line and two have been preserved. Accucraft (US) made a  limited production run of the SP 4-6-0 in 1:20.3 scale and 45mm gauge in live steam. The chassis is constructed from brass and stainless steel. All valve gear, drive rods, and wheels are machined from stainless steel. Like other fine products from Accucraft, these models will be meticulously hand-crafted. Full details of the model can be seen here.  The live steam version is available for a very reasonable RRP of £2660.00 but the batch is nearly sold out – make your reservation today!  The model is also available in electric power form at an RRP of £2375.00.

We are happy to reveal some images of the pre-production engineering sample of ‘Lew’, however, there are some small changes still needed to ensure the final result is perfect but these shots should show what a handsome beast she’s going to be.  The full specification can be seen here.

The leading and trailing wheel-sets have removable blanking plates for those with large radii curves

The model features working cylinder drain cocks

The fully working Joy valve gear is, well, a ‘joy’ to behold!

Just the right amount of rivet detail too!

LAST CALL FOR ‘GALLOPING GOOSE’ #4

Accucraft (US) are just about to put this model into production, with delivery expected early next year. This superbly detailed and articulated model is completely constructed with brass and stainless steel. An American made Pittman motor powers the middle truck with a reliable die cast metal gear box. The model is finished with museum quality paint finish and lettering.   AC78-138 is the only Goose likely to appear for many months; only a few remain unsold at a bargain RRP of £565.00 so make sure you reserve yours now!

In the 1930′s, Colorado’s famous Rio Grande Southern Railroad introduced the “Galloping Goose”, a curious combination of Pierce-Arrow automobile parts and a mechanic’s imagination that could carry passengers, freight and mail with a one man crew. The “Galloping Goose” provided the Rio Grande Southern Railroad with real operating economy allowing the railroad to operate for another twenty years while endearing itself to generations of railfans and tourists.

EAST BROAD TOP LIVE STEAM 2-8-2 #12

Accucraft are about to release these attractive 3’ gauge 2-8-2’s in 1:20.3 scale.  Nestling among the Allegheny Mountains in south central Pennsylvania, the East Broad Top railroad was founded in 1856 to tap into the vast coal fields located on Broad Top Mountain, the EBT dutifully carried coal to fuel the booming iron furnaces located in Rockhill Furnace, PA. The East Broad Top was abandoned in April 1956 and the future looked grim. However, in the summer of 1960, the railroad was resurrected during the Bicentennial of the twin boroughs of Orbisonia and Rockhill Furnace, the home operating base of the East Broad Top. No. 12 was the first loco to enter the preserved EBT’s roster.  Built by Baldwin in 1911 she was capable of hauling up to fifteen loaded coal hoppers.  The full specification of the Accucraft model can be seen here.  The live steam version of the model carries an RRP of £3430.00 – don’t miss out!

W & L COUNTESSES

We have just received a batch of live steam ‘Countesses’ and are currently sending them out to our dealers.  It is likely that this will be the last run of these locos for quite a while, given that our production schedule is now planned for the next eighteen months to two years.  If you require one of these models we suggest you contact your local retailer before they sell out again.

Green and black ‘Countesses’ are currently available

CHOPPER COUPLINGS

It is clear that our choppers have become the coupling of choice among discerning narrow gauge modellers.  Judging by sales to date there are literally thousands of garden scale models out there sporting them!  We have just had a new shipment in so make sure you order yours before this lot is hoovered up as quickly as the last batch.

OPEN DAY AT CHURCH STRETTON

Don’t forget that that we are holding an Open Day at our new premises in Church Stretton on the 15th of October.  Some of our dealers will be present as well as other attractions and we look forward to seeing you then.  Full details and a map can be found as a PDF file here ACCUCRAFT OPEN DAY.

*STOP PRESS* We should have the first engineering sample of our new L & B ‘Lew’ available for inspection at our open day!

ACCUCRAFT (US) D&RGW 2-8-2′s

I can remember, as a young man, standing on the fire escape at the rear of the Strater Hotel in Durango as a K28 blasted up the back street with the first departure of the day for Silverton, its mournful whistle sounding at every side road and its exhaust leaving a pall of coal smoke hanging in Main Street through which the rising sun could barely shine…..

You could recreate that scene with one of the stunning new, coal-fired K28 2-8-2′s.  These wonderful models are due for release this winter and are the ultimate in 1:20.3 scale live steam power.  They are available to pre-order at an RRP of £6490.00 from your local retailer.

D&RGW K-28 was a product of the American Locomotive Works (ALCO), delivered to the Denver & Rio Grande Western in 1923. A total of ten K-28’s (470-479) were purchased to assist the very successful by now severely overworked K-27’s.  Since the delivery of the K-27’s in 1903 the technology and complexity of steam locomotive had advanced considerably.  When delivered these locomotives were assigned to the Gunnison Division, and although they did pull freight trains, they were often found at the head of passenger trains, particularly on the Alamosa line. During World War II, seven of the K-28 class were requisitioned by the U.S. Army and shipped to Skagway, Alaska to run on the White Pass and Yukon Railroad. After the end of the war these locomotives were returned to the states of Washington and Utah to be scrapped.

However, the good news is that three (473, 476 & 478) of the original D&RGW K-28 class are still in existence and are now under the ownership of the Durango & Silverton Railroad. They are still running over the same rails as they did over eighty years ago, climbing towards Silverton along the banks of the Rio de Las Animas Perdidas.  More information about the Accucraft model can be found here.

Accucraft have recently released a batch of K36 2-8-2′s and such has been their popularity that stocks are already running low.  If you want one of these attractive locos we suggest you order one soon!  The UK RRP is £5225.00 for the live steam version.  For the full specification plus footage of one running click here.

The K36′s were built by Baldwin’s and delivered to the D&RGW in 1925.  Mainly based at Alamosa they worked to Durango and Farmington as well as on the Monarch branch.  Remarkably nine of the original ten locos survive today (#485 fell into the Salida turntable pit and was subsequently scrapped), four are based at Durango and five on the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad.