Accurascale OO Scale Class 31 – D5501

Accurascale OO Scale Class 31 / English Electric Type 2 – D5501 in BR Green with Small Yellow Panel

New to 30A Stratford in November 1957, D5501 was only the second Type 2 to be released from Brush’s Falcon Works in Loughborough as part of the 20-strong Pilot Scheme batch of locomotives. The Hawker Siddeley-owned company was so proud of their new 1,250hp A1A-A1A machines that this particular example spent its first few weeks on display at its new acquired sister firm Mirrlees’ Hazel Grove factory, home of the 12-cylinder turbocharged JVS12T engine that was originally installed in the class. Mostly limited to East Anglia, with the odd cross-London or cross-country excursion it initially settled into a life of express and secondary passenger work as well as parcels and freight traffic, with the latter duties dominating as more powerful diesels were introduced onto the Great Eastern and Cambridge main lines. By the mid 1960s, D5501 had been repainted to match the production members of the class, losing its picked out window surrounds and duck egg blue body stripes, and that is how the Accurascale model is represented. Later renumbered 31001 it was among the first ‘Toffee Apples’ – so named because of the shape of the power handle – to be withdrawn, succumbing in July 1976 before being scrapped at Doncaster in January 1977.

Class 31 Common Features:

• Highly-detailed OO scale model, 1:76.2 scale on 16.5mm track
• Minimum radius 438mm (2nd radius set-track)
• Heavy die-cast metal chassis
• One truck (bogie) styles with separate footsteps, brake cylinders, speed recorder and end brake rigging
• RP25-110 profile OO gauge wheels
• Brake blocks on bogies in line with wheels
• Scale width wire handrails
• Etched metal/plastic detail parts, incl. grab handles, steps, wipers, etc.
• Etched metal roof grille
• Etched metal pre-painted nameplates, plaques and arrows (if applicable)
• Accurate high-fidelity miniature snowploughs, chassis fitted
• Full underbody battery box/air tank detail with pipework
• Extra cab front details for Network Rail locomotives
• Fully sprung buffers, multiple pipework variations and screw couplings
• Kinetic NEM coupler mounts at correct height with mini-tension-lock couplers

Deluxe Features:

• All models feature a fully working, scale speed roof fan, that will run on DC and DCC. On DCC control, the fan speed is fully programmed to simulate accurate motion
• All models feature a PowerPack supercapacitor Stay-Alive system for uninterrupted power and flicker free lighting and uninterruptible sound (works on DCC)

DCC Features:

• DCC ready [21-Pin MTX Socket]
• Factory-Installed DCC Sound available with ESU LokSound V5 fitted with large EM2 style speaker and sugarcube style speaker, with large sound capsules for best possible sound (DCC Sound models only)
• Wheel flange squeal sensor on DCC sound fitted locomotives for automatic flange squeal on sound programme

High Performance traction features:

• High quality 5-pole motor with two large flywheels
• Helical gearbox for maximum performance and slow speed running
• Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve a scale top speed of 90 mph (145 km/h)
• Outer axles on bogies are driven (sprung dummy centre axle) and all wheel pickup

Fully detailed Lighting Pack features:

• Directional lighting, DC and DCC
• Lighting clusters with appropriate day and night-time settings
• Switchable red and white marker lights (red can be switched individual lights or both on)
• Separately switched cab lighting and illuminated, driver’s desk with auto/off on movement