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Accurascale ACC3197

BR Class 08/9 - EWS Maroon - 08993

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

Prototype Era
Era 9 (1995 to 2004) Initial Privatisation

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 08/9 EWS Maroon 08993 is a ready‑to‑run diesel shunter locomotive model representing the British Rail Class 08/9 low‑profile shunter from the period of initial privatisation. The model carries the manufacturer part number ACC3197 and includes interior lighting.

The prototype units were modified at Landore Depot in 1986 to operate on the height‑restricted Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley line in Wales, before later serving under EWS at locations such as Doncaster and Westbury. This model reproduces the reduced cab roof and bonnet profile characteristic of those conversions.

Power and performance are provided by a large‑diameter coreless motor coupled to a helical gearbox, enabling realistic slow‑speed shunting. A PowerPack/Stay‑Alive capacitor supplies uninterrupted power, while the ESU LokSound 5 decoder and twin “sugar cube” speakers deliver a full sound suite, including the unique audio of the Class 10 variant. Directional fibre‑optic and LED lighting offers a range of options, including marker lights, high‑intensity lamps, flashing beacons and separate cab lighting.

The locomotive is built on a die‑cast metal chassis and underframe for maximum weight and tractive effort, with an ABS body and cab, metal and wire detailing, and era‑specific tooling for doors, buffers and cab types. Accuracy has been reinforced through surveys with the Freightliner Group at Southampton Terminal and visits to preservation sites across the UK, ensuring faithful recreation of operational details.