Buck Me - Let's Jump For Joy At This Little Stunner
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 the link below!