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Accurascale ACC3176-DCC

Longmoor Military Railway Train Pack - DCC Sound Fitted

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest

Manufacturer description

The Locomotive
Hunslet Engine 3796 was completed in 1953 to the wartime Austerity design. Deemed surplus almost immediately, the locomotive was placed in store at Longmoor and then at Bicester. The locomotive entered traffic in 1955 and spent time working at Honeybourne, Bicester and Longmoor variously until it was called upon for its first filming role.
In 1965, the Longmoor military railway was chosen as the set for the filming of the “Great St Trinians train robbery”, and 3796 was painted black and numbered as 68011 to represent a BR J94. After filming, the number 196 was reinstated as was the typical Longmoor Military railway lined blue livery (although 68011 was still visible, painted on the smokebox door!) The second starring role for 196 happened in 167 when once again the Longmoor railway was used as a set. This time for the movie “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, 196 appeared in blue this time but had GWR lettering on the tank to cover the LMR, it also had its dome cover painted brass and a farcically tall chimney extension.
In January of 1968, 196 was chosen to carry the name of Major General Errol Lonsdale who was the then chief of Army transport. 196 became the last locomotive to be named at Longmoor and was given the full white wheel treatment ahead of gaining its nameplates.
When Longmoor closed in 1970 the 196 was purchased by the Kent and East Sussex railway before moving to the Mid Hants railway in 1976 and was rededicated with its Errol Lonsdale nameplates in 1978. Latterly it spent time running in BR black at the South Devon railway, numbered as its film star role, 68011. By 2009 the locomotive was again out of traffic and was sold to the Stoomcentrum in Maldegem, Belgium where it has been restored to full working condition and painted in its original WD Green livery.

The Coaches
Our two LMR Mk.1 models represent Brake Second ARMY 5301 (ex-M43231) and Second ARMY 3302 (Ex-M46070) in 1968, when both were wearing the LMR Oxford Blue livery. ARMY 5301 was built at Doncaster under Lot 30093 in 1954, originally being numbered as M53231 until a conflict with DMU numbering led to British Railways renumbering the 53xxx vehicles into the 43xxx range to avoid confusion. Taken out of service in October 1964, the vehicle was transferred to the LMR on 22 February 1965, being numbered as AD 03031 in 1966, before renumbering as AD 3031 in 1967 and ARMY 5301 in 1968. Initially painted Olive Drab in 1966, it was repainted into LMR Oxford Blue in 1967. At closure of the LMR, the coach was preserved first at the East Somerset Railway, and then at the Keighley & Worth Valley, before finally being scrapped in June 1982.
Second ARMY 3302 (ex-M46070) was built at Derby under Lot 30051 in 1954 and was also taken out of service in October 1964, the vehicle transferring to the LMR in early 1968 and being numbered ARMY 3302 from the start. Repainted into LMR Oxford Blue at the same time, the vehicle was sold to the East Somerset Railway upon closure of the LMR, but was scrapped in February 1971 at Liss.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

Accurascale Longmoor Military Railway Train Pack – DCC Sound Fitted. This kit is fitted with DCC sound, represents a Hunslet Austerity ST (builder’s number 3796) and carries the Accurascale part number ACC3176-DCC. It models the British Railways Late Crest period.

The locomotive is a 1953 Hunslet Engine 3796, built to the wartime Austerity design. After a short storage period it entered service in 1955, working on the Longmoor Military Railway and at locations such as Honeybourne and Bicester. The engine featured in two films – as 68011 in “The Great St Trinian’s Train Robbery” (1965) and in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1969) – before being named Major General Errol Lonsdale in January 1968 and gaining a white‑wheel treatment. Following the closure of Longmoor in 1970 the locomotive changed hands several times, operating on the Kent and East Sussex Railway, the Mid Hants Railway and the South Devon Railway, before being sold to Stoomcentrum Maldegem in Belgium in 2009 where it was restored to its original WD Green livery.

The pack also includes two LMR Mk.1 coaches in the 1968 Oxford Blue livery. Brake Second ARMY 5301 (ex‑M43231) was built at Doncaster in 1954, transferred to the Longmoor Railway in February 1965 and renumbered ARMY 5301 in 1968. Second ARMY 3302 (ex‑M46070) was also built in 1954, at Derby, and entered Longmoor service in early 1968 with the same number. Both coaches were originally painted in Olive Drab before being repainted in Oxford Blue for the LMR. After the line’s closure the coaches were preserved at various heritage railways before being scrapped in June 1982 (5301) and February 1971 (3302).