New Announcement! Cemflo, by Accurascale
After the warm and positive reception our HUOs have received from customers, we thought we better crack on and announce our second model for the British market. So, welcome to the iconic APCM Cemflo/PCV wagon in 4mm scale by Accurascale.
A total of 285 of these bulk cement wagons were constructed for Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (APCM) between 1961 and 1965. When introduced, they carried the company’s Blue Circle Cement branding.
The first lot of wagons were built by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company (diagram 6/433, TOPS design code PC 001A), with a later batch manufactured by Metropolitan-Cammell (diagram 6/430, design code PC 003A). It is the latter type which our model represents.
The wagons are probably best known for their use on cement trains from Cliffe, near Gravesend in Kent, to Uddingston on the outskirts of Glasgow. This train was unusual as it was hauled by BRCW Type 3 (later class 33) diesels of BR’s Southern Region, often working in pairs, which would haul the train as far as York. With reversals required as it made its way around London, these trains were also notable for having a brake van at either end of the rake of 30+ wagons.
Cemflo wagons were also utilised to haul cement from Holborough Cement Works in Kent’s Medway Valley to Widnes in Lancashire. By 1969, the Cemflo fleet migrated north, where they handled traffic from Eastgate in Durham, Hope in the Peak District, and Oxwellmains works near Dunbar in Scotland. Cemflos from Eastgate served Grangemouth and the APCM terminal at Sunderland South Dock, while the wagons assigned to Hope served Dewsbury and Widnes (the latter saw them run mixedvwith Presflo wagons). Meanwhile, Cemflos from Oxwellmains carried cement to Aberdeen, Dundee, Grangemouth, and Uddingston. Several types of locomotives were observed hauling Cemflos during their time in service, including class 25s, class 26s, class 27s, class 31s, class 33s, class 37s, class 40s, class 45s, class 47s… even 9Fs and A4s!
The last of the Cemflo fleet were withdrawn in mid-1988, and today only a single wagon (a Met-Cammell example) survives, preserved by the Darlington Railway Preservation Society. We conducted a survey of this wagon earlier this year and would like to thank the society for facilitating the surveying of the prototype.
CAD is complete, and tooling will shortly commence for the Cemflo, which will maintain the high standards set by our HUO wagon. There will be seven packs of three wagons in pre-TOPS condition, with another six packs in TOPS guise. There will also be a single wagon pack on offer in both pre-TOPS and TOPS condition. Delivery is anticipated for late October 2018 for pre-TOPS, and December for TOPS packs. The price for triple packs is £73.95 for a triple pack and £25.95 for a single wagon. Customers who pre-order a pre TOPS or TOPS rake from our website before stock arrives will get the single wagon thrown in for free, with a reduced rate rake deal for a limited time as a special thank you for your support! You can order direct right now athttps://accurascale.co.uk/product-category/wagons/cemflo/