Learn to Drive (a bit)

by Phil Cooper

Hello again, I started this blog a couple of months ago and quite a few of you have found me on Facebook and “friended” me. I automatically contact these “friends” to update them when the latest blog has been updated. You can “friend” me too by going to  https://www.facebook.com/philipgcooper and messaging me or “friending” me and you’ll become one of the chosen ones

I mentioned the book, “A Manual for Diesel Locomotive & DMU Drivers” and it could come be handy if you choose to have a go at train driving yourself. I would love to have a go but it’s not cheap.

On Google search “train experiences”.

Activitysuperstore.com offers the chance to drive a “Heritage Diesel” for £249. They throw in a free lunch but it’s still on the pricey side. This experience lasts 8 hours and your guests can ride in the brake van behind your diesel.

www.virginexperiencedays.co.uk  aren’t cheap either. They offer a Steam Driving Experience at Embsay & Bolton Valley Railway for £425 and you don’t get a meal! But you do get the chance to “fire” a steam locomotive for 9 back-breaking miles and then another 9 miles driving. I reckon that will take no more than an hour and I am sure you guys who love milk churns and Morris Minor police cars will love it. But £425 for an hour! I forgot to mention you also get a a certificate to commemorate your experience and up to 5 seats on the train you’re firing and driving for up to 5 passengers. A bargain?

Virgin also offer a cheaper experience, a Steam Train Driving Taster Experience at Sherwood Forest Railway for just £60. Concentrate on the word, “taster”.

Another Virgin Experience, this one costing £238 for 2 people is the Premium Standard Steam Train Experience for Two with The Steam Dreams Rail Co. This one offers complimentary tea and coffee and also the chance to purchase food and drink on-board, or bring your own. This one doesn’t offer the chance to drive the locomotive, You’re paying £238 for a couple of cups of coffee. Am I becoming just a little cynical!

£438 paid to Richard Bronson will also get you a Steam Train Experience with Premier Onboard Dining for Two with The Steam Dreams Rail Co. The blurb offers Start the day with a glass of Champagne, orange juice and pastries, followed by a delicious full English breakfast or brunch as you take in the beautiful British countryside en route to your chosen destination. Once there, the time’s yours to explore as you please.

Start the day with a glass of Champagne, orange juice and pastries, followed by a delicious full English breakfast or brunch as you take in the beautiful British countryside en route to your chosen destination. Once there, the time’s yours to explore as you please.

During your return journey you'll enjoy dinner in the comfortable 1960’s Restaurant Car. With the highest quality of customer service and a delicious four-course evening meal, it’s the perfect way to round off an unforgettable day.

Buyagift.co.UK invite you to Tenterden in Kent for a “Behind the Scenes Railway day for £149. They offer an exclusive behind-the-scenes glance at the goings on at Kent and East Sussex Railway – describing it as “a wonderful day out for any railway enthusiast!” and they go on to say that this experience promises to deliver a memorable day out. Your day includes visiting craftsmen at work in the Carriage and Wagon Workshop before exploring the railway's locomotive engineering facility, loco yard and signal box. In the middle of the day you'll stop for a delicious lunch at the restaurant before paying a visit to the Colonel Stephen's museum and taking a 21 mile round trip on the railway. If I had tpo choose one, I’d go for this. I spent a summer working in the Inverness shed. It was a huge laugh all day long. Railwaymen have a very dry sense of humour!

A NEW KID IN TOWN 1

In an earlier blog I reviewed magazines devoted to railway modelling  and also the real thing. Many of these magazines were published by Key Publishing who publish many modelling and rail magazines. Now Platform5 have joined them with “Today’s Railways UK and it’s brother, “Today’s Railways Europe. Platform5 are better known as a publisher of books such as “The Beaten Track” which is a must-read for anybody interested in trains. More recently they have published another must-read, "A Manual for Diesel Locomotive & DMU Drivers”. Unfortunately They have no plans to cover modelling in the magazine but it’s still a good read. The July issue consists of 82 pages of which just 2 pages are adverts and each of those carry a half page advert for their own material. Readers of the modelling magazines will be very aware of the large number of advertising pages they carry.

Articles include “Chiltern Railways’ modernisation plans, a review of Summer timetables, a Rail Rover ticket guide and a look at the refurbishing of Avanti Pendolinos. I have to admit I’m a sucker for any news on Pendolinos. Photos throughout are excellent. Paper used is of a good quality gloss enhancing the photos. All in all I found it to be a good read , full of information and I’m sure most of you would enjoy it too. Anyway good luck to them. It’s good to create any more interest in modelling and, in this case, REAL railways.

A NEW KID IN TOWN 2

Accurascale aren’t new. In fact they began trading in the UK in 2019 and Ireland in 2015 so compared to the like of Hornby (1901) they are the new kids in town but they have boldly announced their intentions with what I think could be the “Model of The Year”, their Deltic Class55. It’s stunning. Few locomotives have captured the imaginations of enthusiasts quite like British Rail’s English Electric Type 5/class 55 ‘Deltics’. First introduced in 1961, their twin Napier Deltic engines generated 3,300 horsepower, making them the most powerful single unit diesel locomotives yet produced at that time. Accurascale’s rendition is beautiful. Regular readers will know that I’m not a great admirer of steam, preferring diesels and EMUs. So I love this one. It costs £160 which is the basic price. I understand that it can be changed to DCC control and has sound too.

This is what one admirer thought about it- “This is an absolutely superb model with wonderful detail, it runs smoothly in both directions and the sound is brilliant. This is my first Accurascale model Thank you.” 

That was from”Dave”.

Another admirer is even more in love with it but offers advice.

This is from Neil in Scotland, “I must say I was very impressed with the presentation of the packaging for the model the best I have ever seen. now the model it run's great and the detail is top class, having said that I think the design of the chain need's changing for future model's as mine keep's coming off and it is almost impossible to glue back on so I think over time it will fall off and be gone. the way I think you could improve it is by spitting the chain into upper and lower section's i.e. one part attached to the body and the other part to the underframe.I thing a really liked was how easy the decoder was to fit to the model. but here's an idea for the headcode boxes could you maybe put the nose end's on magnets similar to how the roof is so it is easy to change the headcode letters. I also think you need to be careful how much detail you put on the model's to make sure they are more robust when being handed. All in all it's a great model and I will be buying another model in the future (Maybe something from the Caledonian Railway?)”

My choice would be “The Black Watch” named after one of Scotland’s most famous and feared regiments.

Accurascale Deltic

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Hornby have their own version due Spring 2023 for just £120.99 and it’s good but it’s not as perfect as the Accurascale model which, for me, is well worth the extra £39.01. I have to admit that I feel almost traitorous here against my beloved Margate marvels but Accurascale have manufactured a very special locomotive.

Hornby Deltic

• That extra £39.01 gets you:
• BR green with yellow nose panels
• Headcode: alpha-numeric
• Windscreen wipers: two per pane
• Train heating: steam heat
• Leading cab side window: present
• Horn position: buffer beam

• Nose front sandbox hatches: present

• Battery compartment louvres: not fitted

• High intensity headlight: not fitted

• Windshield air vents: not fitted

• Upper central lamp iron: fitted

• Bogies: fabricated

Common Features:

• Highly detailed OO scale model, 1:76.2

• Die-cast Alloy metal chassis

• Provided DCC ready [21Pin MTX Socket] or Factory DCC Sound Fitted

• Timeframe specific details, including but not limited to;

  • Bogies (Cast and Fabricated)

  • Horn positions

  • Exhaust ports

  • Headcode panels

  • Windscreen wipers

  • Cab side windows

  • Sandbox hatches

  • Louvres

  • Headlights

  • Cab air vents

  • Train heating equipment

  • Lamp irons

  • Shed codes

• Separately applied etched metal and high fidelity plastic detail parts, including grab handles, steps, wipers, nameplates, crests and more.

• Correct height mini-tension-lock couplers with NEM socket as well as a fully detailed bufferbeam

• High Performance traction, to include;

  • Five-Pole motor with two flywheels

  • Metal Helical Gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running

  • Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve a scale top speed of 120 mph (193 km/h)

  • DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power

  • All wheel drive and all wheel pickup

• Fully detailed Lighting Pack, including:

  • Directional lighting, DC and DCC

  • Marker lights can be turned off when train is coupled to loco

  • High intensity headlight function where applicable

  • Separately switched cab lighting and illuminated, details driver’s console, auto off on movement

  • Engine bay lighting

• RP25-110 wheels OO wheels with provision for re-gauging to p4 and EM gauge

• Two quality speakers with large sound capsules for best possible sound (*on sound fitted models)

• Fully sprung metal buffers

• Extra fine factory-fitted pipework

• And just so you don’t get caught out like I was with my Blue javelin it can only be used on 2^ND Radius, or greater curves

• Much as I love Hornby I’m going to get the Accurascale model ASAP. Sorry Simon!

Quality control is obviously important at Accurascale. Tooling of the locomotive took longer than originally anticipated due to the sheer number of detail variations the boys and girls at Accurascale made. They also made several corrections to the CAD along the way to get it 100% correct

But the bad news is that it’s sold out already as are many of their Deltics.

Mr Hornby, Mr Accurascale please take your firing positions.

Accurascale also sell model drivers for just £9.95

But that’s not all from Accurascale who also have these items available soon.

The Class 59 Locomotives - Due August

GWR 78xx Class Manor Locomotives - Due July

The GWR Manor was a versatile 4-6-0 configured locomotive designed with a lighter axle loading than the existing and popular Grange class which enabled the Manor to operate in regions of the GWR where this was not possible with a locomotive of comparable power.

You can find out more on Accurascale and buy their stuff on their website- Accurascale.com

See you soon

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The views and opinions expressed within the content are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of Trackside Signs or its affiliates.