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Accurascale ACC3193

BR Class 08 - BR Blue (Red Running Plate) - 08912

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

Prototype Era
Era 7 (1972 to 1982) British Rail Blue (TOPS)

Manufacturer description

English Electric’s 1934 diesel-electric shunter No. 7079 for the LMS proved highly successful and led to further orders across all the “Big Four” railways. Its lineage fed directly into British Railways’ push, after 1948 nationalisation, to create a standardised large shunting locomotive. Drawing heavily on the LMS 350 hp design but incorporating improvements and flexibility for different engines and electrical equipment, the resulting BR standard 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunter—later known as the Class 08—entered production in 1952 as No. 13000.

Between 1950 and 1962, 1,193 locomotives were built at several BR workshops, with multiple engine/electrical pairings and a higher-geared variant for the Southern Region that became the Class 09. The locomotives evolved through different liveries, safety markings and braking systems, and by the 1970s were allocated TOPS classifications: Class 08, 09 and 10. As yards declined in the 1980s–90s, the fleet shrank, though hundreds survived into privatisation.

Today, around 250 examples remain in service or preservation, with some still working for Freightliner and others being converted for modern green traction, proving the enduring flexibility of the original design.

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 Class 08 BR Blue with Wasp stripes and red running plate (model number 08912) is a ready‑to‑run 4 mm scale diesel shunter locomotive. The model represents British Rail’s Class 08 in the Blue TOPS livery and includes interior lighting as standard. It carries the manufacturer part number ACC3193 and is marketed as part of the “Accuragronk” range, which aims to provide historically significant British railway variants.

The model reproduces the distinctive appearance of the ubiquitous Class 08 shunter, complete with die‑cast metal chassis and underframe for added weight and tractive effort. The body and cab are constructed from ABS plastic with separate metal and wire detailing, and era‑specific tooling covers variations in cab doors, buffer beams and roof profiles.

Power is delivered by a large‑diameter coreless motor mated to a helical gearbox, offering smooth, slow‑speed performance ideal for shunting operation. Each unit is fitted with a PowerPack/Stay‑Alive capacitor to maintain uninterrupted running over points and crossings. Sound and lighting are supplied by an ESU LokSound 5 decoder with twin “sugar‑cube” speakers, providing a full sound suite that includes the unique engine tones of the Class 10 variant. Directional fibre‑optic and LED lighting options include marker lights, high‑intensity headlights, flashing beacons and separate cab lighting configurations.

Accurascale’s development involved extensive survey work across the United Kingdom, with support from Freightliner Group at Southampton Terminal and visits to preservation sites in County Durham, North Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Kent, East Sussex, Hampshire and Wiltshire. This collaboration ensures that the operational and visual details of the shunter family are faithfully reproduced.