Iskra
Established Member
Finally someone has announced an Electrostar. Looks an excellent specification and they are seeking expressions of interest, so if you want one then please do express your interest.
railsofsheffield.com
Accurascale/ Rails 'Electrostar' Gets The Green Light!
Accurascale and Rails Of Sheffield are pleased to announce that we are looking for expressions of interest to produce newly tooled Electrostar EMUs in OO Gauge.
railsofsheffield.com
ACCURASCALE AND RAILS OF SHEFFIELD ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST IN PRODUCING THE ULTIMATE MODEL OF THE ELECTROSTAR FAMILY OF MODERN 4 CAR EMU UNITS IN 00/4MM SCALE.
The project follows hot on the heels of the successful Class 89 partnership, which is now nearing completion of manufacture. For our next project, both companies decided on yet another stand-out candidate, and something that will both impress on a technical level but also be something much desired within the hobby. One area that has been underrepresented when it comes to new models is the 4 car multiple unit area, particularly EMUs. The Electrostar familyhas been identified as once such area that requires a Ready-to-Run model, and Accurascale set to work on this ambitious project a number of years ago.
Accurascale’s development team identified that all variants of the Class 375, Class 377, Class 379 and Class 387 Electrostars will make up the tooling suite of Accurascale’sfirst unit. The sheer variation and myriad of detail differences across this large family of units makes it Accurascale’s biggest project to date in terms of tooling and cost, as well as development lead time. Excited by the prospect of being associated with such a groundbreaking and technologically innovative model, Rails of Sheffield was keen to partner up with Accurascale to bring the Electrostar to market and became involved in the embryonic stages of the project.
The launch of the project is being considered over two separate production runs. The most technologically complex dual-power versions, namely the 375/6s, the 377/2s and 377/5s, the 379s and the 387/1sand 387/2s will form the basis of the project. Should these be successful, other members of the Electrostar family will then be modelled at a later date.
WE ARE SEEKING EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
With a project of this scale of tooling variation, complexity and intricacy, a significant cost and therefore, risk is taken. To ensure that this risk is mitigated as much as possible, Accurascale and Rails are calling for concrete “expressions of interest” to be placed for this model before Friday, March 28 th 2025 at 5pm. A £50 reservation deposit is required.
Should Accurascale and Rails decide not to proceed with the project after this deadline, then all reservations will be refunded. Should the project go ahead, the reservation fee will be deducted from the final price and not be refundable.
Should the project get the green light from modellers, the CAD, which is ready to go to tooling, will be submitted to the factory and tooling will commence straight away. As part of our regular production updates, an expected delivery date will be available after the first, working sample is delivered and tested extensively, but both Accurascale and Rails ask modellers to bear in mind that delivery is likely to be 2-2.5 years away at least due to the complex development of the extensive specification required.
Total price is £499.95 for DC/DCC Silent Fitted 4 car unit, and £599.95 DCC Sound Fitted, with £50 reservation fees deducted from this total amount should the project go ahead. The balance will be taken once the models arrive in stock.
EXPLORE THE RANGE
Class 375 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 375610 SouthEastern White
£499.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 375 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 375610 SouthEastern White - DCC Sound
£599.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 375 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 375609 SouthEastern 'Networker' White & Blue
£499.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 375 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 375609 SouthEastern 'Networker' White & Blue - DCC Sound
£599.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 375 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 375617 SouthEastern Dark Blue
£499.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 375 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 375617 SouthEastern Dark Blue - DCC Sound
£599.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 375 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 375619 'Driver John Neve' SouthEastern Dark Blue
£499.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 375 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 375619 'Driver John Neve' SouthEastern Dark Blue - DCC Sound
£599.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 377 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 377205 Southern Green & White
£499.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 377 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 377205 Southern Green & White - DCC Sound
£599.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 377 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 377215 Southern Green & White
£499.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 377 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 377215 Southern Green & White - DCC Sound
£599.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 377 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 377208 Southern Green & White (with Thameslink Branding)
£499.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 377 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 377208 Southern Green & White (with Thameslink Branding) - DCC Sound
£599.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 377 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 377210 Southern Green & White (with Thameslink Branding)
£499.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 377 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 377210 Southern Green & White (with Thameslink Branding) - DCC Sound
£599.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 377 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 377515 First Capital Connect 'Urban Lights' Blue
£499.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 377 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 377515 First Capital Connect 'Urban Lights' Blue - DCC Sound
£599.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 377 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 377501 First Capital Connect 'Urban Lights' Blue
£499.95
SEE PRODUCT
Class 377 'Electrostar' 4-car EMU 377501 First Capital Connect 'Urban Lights' Blue - DCC Sound
£599.95
SEE PRODUCT
ABOUT THE PROJECT
ABOUT THE MODEL
The level of research required to execute these units correctly has exceeded even Accurascale’s expectations, becoming a truly collaborative project with Bombardier (later Alstom). Extensive drawing sets have been sourced, with the Alstom team at Ramsgate depot on hand to provide 100s of drawings, and a number of photographic/measuring surveys were undertaken at Ramsgate, Ashford, Brighton and Reading depots, as well as at Alstom’s own Derby works.
Accurascale have also employed a new approach to scanning, as in addition to the common exterior scans that create an overall cloudpoint model, Accurascale’s Development Team have also employed the services of a rail head scanning specialist for the bogies and underframe, to ensure that those areas which are normally in a digital ‘shadow’ were covered to give the ultimate in underframe detailing. This ensures that the underframe detailing and cabinets (which are very visible from side views) are placed perfectly in alignment and to do this, Accurascale needed to scan the underframe ‘raft’, with and without the equipment attached.
This has resulted in a whole new approach to UK outline multiple units, with an extensive tooling suite to cover the exhaustive list of detail variations over the life of these units. Accurascale’s vision for their first UK outline multiple unit is equally ambitious, with a desire to bring the highest specification possible to the Electrostar model. The model will feature DCC operating pantographs, operating CDL lights, motors driving the leading and trailing axles of the DMCOs, which also have working magnetic front mounted Tightlock, or Dellner couplings (depending on variant).
Each sound fitted unit will have a speaker mounted in every car to give a full surround sound experience of the real trains. Full interior lighting with each car having a power bank of capacitors for flicker free lighting. Each unit will have correct seating arrangements depending on class and operator, and all the DCC functions will be controlled by one central DCC decoder only. Accurascale’s tried and trusted method of helical gearing, unique in UK outline, will be employed in these units too, giving a constant mesh and offer smooth, near silent, running. Fully directional lighting, with full range of light options for day/night running and shunting/yard configurations, and of course, separate cab lighting at each end along with front and side lit destination boards.
A total of ten running numbers across three different operators and from Classes 375 and 377 form the first run, with Classes 379 and 387 arriving in the second run.
PRODUCT FEATURES
Die-cast metal chassis, with ABS plastic body.
Low mounted, high quality 5-pole skew-wound motor, with single flywheel, driving the lead bogie of the DMCO only. This means that each 4-car unit is powered from the front and rear cars.
Helical gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running.
Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve a scale maximum top speed of 100 mph (128.75 km/h) as a 2 x 4-car unit.
Supplied as DCC Sound Ready, or DCC Sound fitted.
Scale lengths:
- DMCO: Scale length of 262.24mm over body ends, and 36.745mm wide.
- MSOL and PTSOL: Scale length of 258.4mm over body ends, and 36.745mm wide.
Bogie centres at 186mm, allowing operation over a minimum radius of 438mm (2nd radius set-track).
Single style of 11mm solid wheel, to the new profile blackened 00 Gauge RP25-110 standard, set in blackened brass bearings or contact strips and conforming to Accurascale standards of 14.4mm back-to-back, on 2mm axles over 26mm pinpoints. Brake discs to be inset separate items.
Fully detailed die-cast underframes with all cylinders, battery boxes, cabinets and piping applied separately.
Seating layouts modelled to specific classes/sub-classes.
Leading Cars (DMCO) have working magnetic front mounted Tightlock, or Dellner couplings (depending on variant).
Inter-car connection by 10-pin custom designed male/female connectors, allowing the operation of all functions, across all cars, from A SINGLE DECODER.
MSOL and PTSOL/TSOL are un-motored (or dummy) cars, but retain full lighting features, being DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power.
PTSOL to feature DCC operated Pantograph, a slimline roof mounted development of the successful Accurascale unit used in the Class 92 and 89 projects.
Eroded metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including (but not limited to) roof details, handrails, door handles, kick plates, lamp brackets, brake gear, brake discs, draw gear, vents and louvres.
Prism free flush glazing.
Easy access to PCB for decoder fitting.
Designed to work with the ESU LOKSOUND V5 21-PIN Decoder with easy access. Blanking plate to carry switches for limited DC lighting options.
Fully directional lighting, with full range of light options for day/night running and shunting/yard configurations.
Separate cab lighting.
Full passenger interior lighting in all vehicles, set at correct colour temperature, with hidden stay-alive capacitors.
Operable Central Door Locking (CDL) lights on bodysides.
Supplied DCC Sound Ready, with fitted ESU 22mm x 42mm x 8.0mm rectangular 4Ω speakers and Passive Radiators, in all vehicles.
PROTOTYPE INFORMATION
Image by Hugh Llewelyn
The Electrostar story spans a manufacturing period of 18 years, seven different classes, a multitude of sub-classes, three different manufacturers’ names above the door, over 650 sets in service and a geographical spread across southern Britain, and still the story continues.
The privatisation of the United Kingdom’s rail market in the mid-1990s was more akin to the 1889 Oklahoma land rush, with a horde of new franchises poised to take over the rail network, and manufacturers saw the opportunity to create more modern passenger train designs to fulfil their needs, with Siemens, Alstom and ADtranz being the prominent players in the market. ADtranz, in particular, saw the potential in creating a modular design based on a common body to suit both suburban and outer-suburban markets, with differing seating layouts, traction sources and train lengths, and to meet this concept, the Turbostar (diesel powered) and Electrostar (AC/DC powered) families were created.
Bodies were built as aluminium monocoques, with steel ends for energy absorption (the cabs being GRP and steel), with one piece aluminium roofs and the underframe equipment being suspended from a ‘raft’, allowing for flexibility in equipment layout. Two pairs of bi-parting doors on each side of the vehicles allows for rapid entry/exit of passengers and an integrated seating rail in the body design allows for different seating configurations of 2+1, 2+2 and 2+3 laterally, or even longitudinal seating.
Image by Train Photos
Traction for the Electrostars can be via 750V DC bogie mounted Third Rail provision, or 25kV AC overhead power collection via the pantograph and where AC power is not required, the pantograph equipment is simply omitted, leaving a blank well on those TSOL vehicles. The bogies themselves were ADTranz’s own design, being the P3-25 powered bogie, or the T3-25 trailer bogie. The first of the Electrostar family built were the Class 357 4-car sets, constructed by ADTranz and entering service in 2000, and these were followed by the Class 375 family of 3-car 375/3 units, and 375/6, 375/7, 375/8 and 375/9 4-car units, being built by ADTranz (subsequently Bombardier) for the Kent Coast services under Connex, then SouthEastern.
At the same time, the South Central franchise (later Southern) also required replacements for its slamdoor stock and although these Tightlock equipped sets were initially delivered as Class 375, a change to Dellner couplings resulted in a change of classification, becoming the Class 377 family of 4-car 377/1, 377/2, 377/4 and 377/5 units, and the 3-car 377/3 units. Subsequently, Southern also added 5-car units to the fleet in 2013 to cover delayed Thameslink stock, resulting in the addition of 377/6 and 377/7 variants.
Electrostars were also built to serve the high volume services in South-East London, North Kent and London Overground, resulting in the 5-car Class 376 sets and Class 378 ‘Capitalstar’ sets of the mid-2000s. At the end of the 21st century’s first decade, National Express East Anglia ordered Electrostar sets for the Stansted Express and Cambridge services and with their extended luggage accommodation and low density seating, these 4-car sets became Class 379, setting the standard for the last of the Electrostar family to enter service.
The final member of the family was the 4-car Class 387; a development of the Class 377 and Class 379 fleets that was capable of running at 110mph and suitable for long distance workings. Originally ordered for Thameslink as Class 387/1, the Class has extended to another two variants; 377/2 and 377/3 as the type have gone on to serve Great Western Railway, Gatwick Express, Heathrow Express, Great Northern, c2c and recently, Southern.
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