Accurascale OO Scale Class 37 – 37421

Accurascale OO Scale Class 37 – 37421 in Colas Rail livery

Stored by EWS at Motherwell in March 2005 and sold for preservation at the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway in 2009, No. 37421 was one of four Class 37s that was purchased by Colas Rail in 2013 for a return to the main line, along with Nos. 37116, 37175 and 37219. While the latter pair debuted for their new owner in the middle of 2014, it would be another year before No. 37421 would re-enter traffic along with BR green-liveried former Harry Needle Class 37/0 No. 37057/D6757, just in time to assist on the newly acquired Network Rail infrastructure monitoring contract.

For the next four years, the Colas Class 37/4 was a solid performer on various test formations, until called to South Wales in May 2019 to provide power for Cardiff-Rhymney line commuter turns along with hired-in Nos. 37025 and 37418. This followed a fallow few months when the locomotive was under repair and eventually returned after a bogie swap with No. 37175. The Rhymney workings ended in March 2020 and it was back to test train work, mixed in with NR saloon duties with No. 975025 Caroline and the odd infrastructure duty.

Cosmetically, towards the end of that same year it swapped its Colas ‘hard hat’ logos for new diamond stickers, although it has stubbornly retained its unique arrangement of single lamp irons on different sides of the locomotive at each end. Despite the increasing number of Colas HST power cars on the NR services, No. 37421 is still a regular atop PLPR (Plain Line Pattern Recognition) and UTU (Ultrasonic Testing Unit) formations and is expected to remain a key component of the operator’s fleet for several years to come.

Common Features:

• Highly detailed OO scale model, 1:76.2
• Heavy die-cast metal chassis
• Accurate tumbleholme, nose, cab roof and cantrail curves taken from 3D Laser scan and extensive surveys
• Timeframe-specific details, including but not limited to;
• Bogies (Fabricated and three variations of Cast)
• Fuel tanks (As built and with later smooth-sided long-range fuel tank)
• Early Class 37/0 features a frost grille, boiler filler panel and access steps
• Early Class 37/0 features illuminated split headcode displays with a selection of different four-character headcodes
• Class 37/6 have operational WIPAC light clusters and top headlight and numerous different nose slides all including multiple working socket
• Three styles of buffer: large round Oleo, oval and squared oval
• Three styles of nose grilles: as built, refurbished ‘split’ and refurbished ‘single piece’
• Boiler exhaust, and two styles of plated boiler panel
• With or without bufferbeam skirts
• With or without cab roof vents and bodyside windows
• Nose and roof aerials and antennas (where applicable)
• Three styles of windscreen: standard, centre toughened and all toughened
• Three styles of cab interior: as built, refurbished and modern DRS locos
• Four bufferbeam variations with different piping configurations
• Door kickplates where applicable

Multiple body and nose slides to accurately represent almost every member of the class, including three variations of cantrail grille: early EE (for D6700-D6704), later EE and RSH.

Four roof styles: Original double riveted, single riveted, welded and welded with antennas.

Separately applied etched metal and high-fidelity plastic detail parts, including grab handles, aerials, steps, wipers, nameplates, crests and more.

Etched metal door kickplates (where applicable), ‘frost’ grille (where applicable) & super fine etched metal roof grille

Scale-width wire handrails

Turned brass roof-mounted horns on centre headcode examples

Full underbody tank detail with brackets and pipework

Bogies feature separate footsteps, etched footsteps, brake cylinders, speed recorder, end brake rigging and very fine brake chain

Brake blocks on trucks (bogies) in line with wheels (can be moved for EM/P4 gauges)

Numerous other locomotive-specific details are yet to be revealed!

RP25-110 profile OO gauge wheels with fine-scale ‘drop in’ EM (18.2mm gauge) and P4 (18.83mm gauge) wheels are available separately

Accurate high-fidelity miniature snowploughs

Fully sprung metal buffers, extra-fine factory-installed pipework and screw couplings

Correct height mini-tension-lock couplers with NEM socket as well as a fully detailed bufferbeam

High-Performance traction, to include;

• High-quality five-pole motor with two flywheels
• Metal Helical Gear box for maximum performance and slow-speed running
• Gearing is arranged so the locomotive can achieve a scale top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h)
• DCC ready with PowerPack Super-capacitor for uninterrupted power and super low-speed running
• All-wheel drive and all-wheel pickup