Accurascale

If you like the look of the products, they will be no more or less risky than those from other manufacturers. The models are all manufactured in the same Chinese production system, and experience shows that perfectly competent designs are not a guarantee of the manufactured product being right. It only needs something as trivial as an electronic component supplied to the wrong spec., a component with inadequate dimensional control, or a minor error or misalignment at assembly. That's the event that reveals the calibre of the business that got the model made.

I am in the happy position of not needing any of their announced models to date, (have Bachmann Deltics with scale diameter wheels, so not impressed at the underscale wheel diameter fudge Accurascale have adopted) so will sit on the sidelines and wait on the 'field test' commentary from the first owners.

34C said:

... there's a full programme this weekend, commencing with the special (oh be joyful) over 65 flu jab.

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All previous plans are off, goodness knows what they put in the over 65 flu jab formulation this year, but I have never had a reaction like it, very sore upper arm, aching joints, slightly elevated temperature. I suppose that proves it 'did something'?

So I have had some available play time with the 21 tonners, and very good they are too.

I feel Accurascale have made one mistake, by supplying them with tension lock couplers fitted. These are inadequate in swinging NEM coupler pocket mountings, and quickly prove it if propelling. They should consider the Roco pattern 'rigid bar' coupler in my opinion, as this coupler head already has some UK presence via Hornby. The tension lock can be offered as an alternative in the box, with a recommendation that the coupler mount be secured rigid if the tension lock is used. I will write to them on this matter.

I have had the flu jab every year since it became available, never had a reaction like this previously. Better than actually catching influenza of course; had the real thing once, and that was quite enough. (Had to buy a new mattress after it had finished with me, because the fortnight of sweat staining was simply gross. Too much information?) It will pass.

John Edge said:

...I’m getting away from Accurascale somewhat but so much British stock is now (sensibly) fitted with NEM pockets, why not utilise them?

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Quite so. When I was pleasantly surprised to find the close coupling mechanism on Bachmann's mk1 coaches, now over 20 years ago, I consulted one of my Dutch model railway enthusiast cousins, and he advised. As you describe, with a suitable 'rigid bar' coupler installed you can stably propel any length of train up to the limit of traction of the loco, and it stays on the rails.

Neither Bachmann or Hornby have ever explained to their customers how to obtain best performance, so far as I am aware. Hornby have at least included a Roco pattern coupler head with their coaches, but on a long mount which doesn't produce the best effect. (By happy chance it compensates near perfectly for the mispositioned (too far inboard) Bachmann coupler pockets, a real moment of serendipity for some of us...)

I still have a use for the crude tension lock in its 'miniature' form however. For the UK's one time crude* unfitted freight stock operation, it is actually a good fit if mounted 'off-standard', which the NEM pocket makes very simple. The short hook of the Bachmann version produces 2mm of slack, perfect for the 6" between bufferheads of loose coupled wagons. Shorten the pocket and coupler mount so the bufferheads and front faces of the 'bumper bars' are in contact when pushing, and there's a scale gap between wagons when pulling, and full protection against buffer locking when propelling around curves. This requires a 30" minimum radius if there are to be no restrictions on LWB wagons.

*I believe the last BR traincrew fatalities from an unfitted freight runaway occurred as late as 1979. Truly unacceptable.