Minding Our Manors - Fully Tooled First Sample Revealed!

We announced our first steam locomotive project, the GWR 78xx Manor Class 4-6-0 tender locomotives, back in early February and showed an early test shot of the completed tooling. Since that announcement we have made further progress, and can now show off a fully tooled sample with detail parts and etchings in place.

Please note that this is a first casting from our tooling. There will be further refinements to plastic, die cast and etched parts, as well as tweaks to the tooling based on this first sample. However, we think you will agree that it is shaping up quite nicely indeed.

As you can see, much use has been made of diecasting to ensure we pack as much weight as possible into the locomotive to aid traction as well as smooth and reliable running. High fidelity etched and plastic components add that extra finesse to elevate this model to the next level, giving our Manor a quality and robust feel.

Of course, the first sample is a process of evaluating and assessing the tooling, and looking at what improvements can be made to the design. We have also listened to feedback from modellers, and along with our own improvements will be implementing as many of these upgrades as possible. This will include alternative driving wheels with no webbed areas opposite the balance weights and an alternative "1952" style firebox washout plug arrangement.

We're also aiming to make the slidebars thicker to more accurately represent the real thing, remove the "cutouts" from the front of the cylinders, add the valve gear splashplate on the fireman's side, reinstate the missing central pipe on the cab backhead, reduce the length of the elongated rivets on the front running plate and add the lip to the front and rear of the raised section of the running plate over the cylinders.

Last week saw us achieve another milestone with our Manor project as we travelled to the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway and recorded the sound of the beautiful 7820 "Dinmore Manor" for our DCC sound fitted locomotives. This locomotive is owned by Dinmore Manor Ltd. who have her in excellent fettle! 

She put on a cracking run under load for us so we could capture her bark when worked in anger. Check out both of these smashing preservation organisations and the fantastic work they do to keep our railway heritage alive.

We consider sound accuracy a vital component in capturing any model, and we have some nice innovations planned for our Manors, just like our diesel and electric locomotives that we look forward to sharing with you as we progress with the project.

Overall the model is progressing well and on schedule. We will bring you decorated and sound fitted samples very soon, and we are on course to deliver the finished models in Q4 2021.

Excited? We are! you can place your order for your Accurascale Manor with your local stockist, or direct with a £30 deposit by clicking here.