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Accurascale ACC3205-DCC

BR Class 08 - Freightliner Green - 08585 'Vicky' - DCC Sound

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 Freightliner Green 08585 ‘Vicky’ Diesel Shunter Locomotive – DCC Sound is a ready‑to‑run model of the British Rail Class 08 shunter, supplied with DCC Sound capability and interior lighting. The model carries the manufacturer part number ACC3205‑DCC and represents the period of the initial privatisation of the railway network.

The locomotive is fitted with a large‑diameter coreless motor and a helical gearbox, providing smooth power delivery and realistic slow‑speed running for shunting duties. A PowerPack/Stay‑Alive capacitor ensures uninterrupted operation over points and crossings. Sound is delivered via an ESU LokSound 5 decoder with twin “sugar cube” speakers, offering a full sound suite that includes separate engine‑type options.

Lighting is supplied by fibre‑optic and LED units, giving directional illumination such as marker lights, high‑intensity headlights, flashing beacons and distinct cab lighting configurations. The chassis and underframe are die‑cast metal for maximum weight and tractive effort, while the body and cab are made of ABS with metal and wire detailing appropriate to the era.

The model’s accuracy has been supported by extensive survey work across the United Kingdom, including access to Freightliner Group operations at Southampton Terminal and visits to preservation sites in County Durham, North Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Kent, East Sussex, Hampshire and Wiltshire. This collaboration has helped ensure that operational details of the shunter family are faithfully reproduced.