Class 60 Progress - The Best Just Got Better Thanks To Your Feedback
Our Class 60 launch certainly took many modellers by surprise when we unveiled our latest diesel project back in the summer. It signified our switch to announcing later in the development process too, so waiting times for modellers could be reduced from announcement to delivery (see also our NIR Hunslet and Hunslet Austerity locos decorated samples due very soon, and 37/9s!)
However, we still allow a little room for improvements based on customer feedback, and indeed our own input.
While the decorated samples looked splendid, and many modellers were most impressed with how they look, there were some tweaks we wanted to implement.
We were starting from a very strong position thankfully, as can be seen with the beautifully weathered and renumbered example by James Makin running on "Loftus Road". He really took one of our decorated samples to the next level. Look out for a full "step-by-step" guide on our website when the models arrive in stock.
We have received much constructive feedback on our Tugs at shows, on RMWeb and of course Social Media, as well as our own review processes as we progress throughout the development process.
Once such area that drew feedback and debate was the addition of the bolt heads visible on the window frames on the front windscreens of the real locomotives. We had initially elected to leave this feature off on the model (as had been done on previous renditions of the OO gauge model) for one simple reason; the recess of the bolt heads is max 2mm, but mostly flush M6 inner frame, M8 outer frame flat head bolts (we measured!). This scales down to a max 0.026mm in 4mm scale for 00 gauge locomotives. This is impossible to tool to scale, and we did not want the front of the loco looking like overscale swiss cheese!
However, we thought we would have a go at trying to replicate it again and came up with the below...
Beautifully subtle, just like the real locomotives and pleasing to the eye, we printed the bolt heads to the correct scale size to give that subtle representation which can be caught by the light and it really sets the "face" of the loco off rather nicely!
Another area we were not overly happy with when the decoration samples were delivered was some of the piping on the bogies, with the hydraulic pipes being a little ill defined and lacking relief. It ended up looking like one big pipe, instead of two smaller ones run side-by-side. Thankfully, this was a rather easy fix!
Before:
After (EXTREME CLOSE-UP!):
Much better!
One outstanding element in the creation of our Class 60 was recording of the sound file. We felt it was of vital importance to record a Tug at what it does best; hauling heavy trains on the mainline.
It has taken months of planning and signing off, but thanks to those brilliant people at DCR we were able to record 6Z60 1034 Willesden DC Rail Sidings to Merehead Quarry empties and return loaded 6M18 1613 Merehead Quarry (Fhh) to Willesden DC Rail Sidings. They even facilitated us by turning the locomotive to have it at the right end for optimum sound recording when working loaded.
We had to work very hard to respect all the rules and safety considerations of recording a locomotive working hard at its day job, and all recording was done with trained railwaymen who are trained to operate in such areas with full safety training. Having such folk as part of our team allows us to go that extra mile to secure the very best sound recordings for our locomotives.
The hard work has paid off though, as nothing can really capture the powerful sound of a locomotive working hard, at speed, on the mainline.
(Our sound man Jamie and trusty microphone safely tucked into the loading gauge in the rear cab of 60 029 as she blasts through Twyford on loaded 6M18 1613 Merehead Quarry (Fhh) to Willesden DC Rail Sidings, hauling a 2,500 ton trailing load and working hard!)
With a trailing load of 2500 tons at speeds of up to 60mph, the resulting sound file will portray our Class 60 doing what they were designed for; moving mountains. We look forward to previewing the sound file for you on the production samples when they land with us! We would like extend our sincere thanks to Danny Sladdin and the team at DCR for making this possible!
With production in full swing we have a very limited amount of Class 60s remaining on pre-order. We advise getting your no money down pre-order in today direct or via your local Accurascale stockist to avoid disappointment. Pre-order for just £169.99 DC/DCC Ready and £269.99 DCC sound fitted with our mainline sound recording and full "Accurathrash" speaker package.