# Accucraft BR45 in Gauge 1 live-steam



## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Afternoom, All - this was waiting for me this morning as I opened up my email from Lorenz Schug over in Detzem - 

http://www.accucraft.de/Produkte/1_...team_.html

I bleeve that this is the very first mas-produced live-steam model of this heavy freight locomotive ever made.

The price is not half-bad either - on a par with the SP F4/5 of recent production.

Sure to be a hit!

tac
http://www.ovgrs.org/
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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## iceclimber (Aug 8, 2010)

So what is the price?


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, Sir, according to the link I posted above, it is 4600,- Euro if you order one now - could be more later. 

...and for those whose German is a little rusty - 

This exceptionally-detailed model will be made exclusively for us, MBV Schug, in a production run limited to 100 examples worldwide. It is comprised of brass and stainless steel components. 

Technical data:
[/b] 
Scale/Gauge: 1:32, Gauge 1

Length over couplings: 801.4mm/31.55 inches

Height: 5.6 inches

Wheel arrangement 2-10-2, with all wheels isolated

Minimum radius: 2.4m/8 feet 

Fuel: butane from tender-located gas-tank 

Cylinders: Piston valves, fully working valve gear, operated from the cab

Boiler type: Dual flue 

Working pressure: 100 psi

Propulsion: 3 cylinders, the outer two equipped with draincocks

Water supply: Hand-pump in the tender and auxiliary axle-pump

Fittings: Water sight glass, safety valve, superheater tube, pressure gauge.

Super heater tube, 

Note – the manufacturer retains the right to alter the design and technical details.

Ordering information:[/b]

BR45 Live Steam, pre-delivery order price 4600,- Euro 

Please note that this model from ACL will only be produced to order and will be available in 2011.

tac 
www.ovgrs.org 
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration fund


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## dampfmaschinenjoe1967 (Dec 21, 2010)

Hi, Terry, 
Interesting engine but absolutely out of my range ! 

cheers Joe


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Yo Joe - mine too, but the three-cylinder configuration is very interesting, doncha think? Aster did it with their beautiful 'Mallard' and 'Flying Scotsman', using derived motion from a conjugating link and then with three sets of Walschaert gear for their BoB Spam Can, but I seem to recall that the Germans used an internal Walschaert or Heusinger gear for the inside cylinder. 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org 
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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## dampfmaschinenjoe1967 (Dec 21, 2010)

Hi, Terry,
don´t you think that the more sophistcateddrive mechanism of a loco is built the more an increase of the endprice of a product might be? I am very impressed what ´s possible in modelrailroading but do they keep their customers in mind ? Technical overkill can only be bought by a chosen few . It might turn off some people from our hobby as they see the prices a loco cost . Example given :My family can´t understand that I am adicted to live steam , they think I am a bit weird. I don´t do boozefighting , I take no drugs I spend my hard earned money in steam engines and be proud of it. When I see the announcements of the big Live steam engineering companies I want to cry out loud when it comes to see the pricetags.It´s no turn back: Most of the engines advertised are engines to dream of and they will always be !


cheers

Joe


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Guess that you're right there, Joe. It reminds me of the real meaning of the word sophistication...not to say I wouldn't like it to go along with my Aster BR01 and S3/6. 

Best 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org 
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Posted By tacfoley on 27 Dec 2010 01:06 PM 
Yo Joe - mine too, but the three-cylinder configuration is very interesting, doncha think? Aster did it with their beautiful 'Mallard' and 'Flying Scotsman', using derived motion from a conjugating link and then with three sets of Walschaert gear for their BoB Spam Can, but I seem to recall that the Germans used an internal Walschaert or Heusinger gear for the inside cylinder. 

tac 
www.ovgrs.org 
Supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund 
Sorry Tac,
The Aster three cylinder Streaks (Mallard, Sir Nigel Gresley and Silver Link), and the DB BR44/SCNF 150X all used a slip eccentric for the inside cylinder.
I don't know about any of the others. 
All the best,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## dampfmaschinenjoe1967 (Dec 21, 2010)

Hi, David, 
the three cylinder engines might be definatly more sophisticated than my slipeccentric driven 0-4-0 branchline engines : I definately love to see the German Class 45 Loco beause it was running on the line from Emden harbour to the Ruhr River Heavy Industrial area hauling gondolas with ore to the steel factories down there . The problem of modelwise sophistication is the increase of the prices ! Finscale is not available for less money. I like the more toyish looks and the lover prices of engines i can afford but I have to admit that I am heavily impressed by such lovely finescale engines.


cheers Joe


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By David Leech on 27 Dec 2010 02:52 PM 

Sorry Tac,
The Aster three cylinder Streaks (Mallard, Sir Nigel Gresley and Silver Link), and the DB BR44/SCNF 150X all used a slip eccentric for the inside cylinder.
I don't know about any of the others. 
All the best,
David Leech, Delta, Canada 

Oh no, wrong again. Well, partly. From the Aster Hobbies UK site - ' *
*'Flying Scotsman' :[/b] Walschaert valve gear to outside cylinders, Gresley / Holcroft conjugated valve gear to inside cylinder. 
And from a builder, as well as the G1 newsletter - *'Battle of Britain' Class* - Valve gear: Three sets of Walschaert-type valve-gear assembled in 'cassette' form. 


I'll have to rely on somebody to tell me about the BR45 since I'm unlikely to ever clap my eyes on one.

tac
www.ovgrs.org


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

tac 

David specifically identified the "Streaks" of the LNER which was the streamilined A4. Aster made these in 1984 and 1987. No mention was made in his post of the later A3 [Flying Scotsman] from 2003 or SR Bullied light pacifics from 2006. The DB BR-44 / SNCF 150X 2-10-0 from 1985 uses slip eccentric for the inside cylinder. One of the first Aster locomotives, the Southern Ry [UK] 4-4-0 Schools class produced in 1975, is a model of a three cylinder locomotive built with only the outside cylinders. It uses slip return cranks. 

Joe 

One of the appealing aspects of large modern live steam locomotives in Ga 1 is the ability to create in model form, reasonable representations of the complex workings of the prototype. For many, the fact that the "steam machinery" drives a support frame that makes it move under its own power, guided by rails is secondary to the steam plant, valve gear and reciprocating parts. You will find lots of "live steam" folks that also have stationary steam plants and steam boats. For them, the railroad aspect is much less important. I would agree that IF the primary focus is to have a steam powered railroad locomotive where the appearance is primary, and the replication of the prototype propulsion system is unimportant, then much less expensive models might be produced. Aster attempted that with a small 0-6-0 tank engine in 1980. See this link ==> http://www.southernsteamtrains.com/etat.htm. Some owners have viewed this locomotive as a challenge as it was considered somewhat temperamental. See this link for a review by Marc Horovitz ===> http://www.sidestreetbannerworks.com/locos/loco26.html 

I do not expect to see larger mainline locomotives commercially produced for prices under $3,000 to $3,500 because of the small production runs and significant development cost. I have said before on other threads that a major cost difference between Accucraft locos and Aster is the additional engineering design to produce a kit that can be successfully assembled by a modeler with limited skill and only a few tools, along with the added expense of producing detailed drawings and assembly instructions. If you compare Aster to a company like Barrett Engineering [UK], the level of skill expected by Barrett is much higher. Their kits require metal forming, soldering, drilling, tapping, and other model engineering skills not expected of Aster builders. In fairness, Barrett also has some "beginners kits", but they are models of less complex locomotive designs. 

The BR standard class 7 Britannia from Gauge One Model Co is in fact built like you describe: a reasonable level of cosmetic detail, good paint work, but uses slip eccentrics rather than more complex valve gear. Its US price is $3,500, plus getting the proper shed plates, and name and number plates from a company like Guilplates or John Lythgoe for $40 to $60. 

As Charles has often stated, "you can always build the locomotive yourself". There are several suppliers of wheels, frames, and boilers that are suitable for conversion to other than British prototype. Live steam does not have to be a "check book" hobby, but to save the money, you must invest the time to develop the skill to do it yourself. In this day, that often is the key to the trade off. 

Regards


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Dr Rivet on 30 Dec 2010 07:29 AM 
tac 

David specifically identified the "Streaks" of the LNER which was the streamilined A4. Aster made these in 1984 and 1987. No mention was made in his post of the later A3 [Flying Scotsman] from 2003 or SR Bullied light pacifics from 2006. The DB BR-44 / SNCF 150X 2-10-0 from 1985 uses slip eccentric for the inside cylinder. One of the first Aster locomotives, the Southern Ry [UK] 4-4-0 Schools class produced in 1975, is a model of a three cylinder locomotive built with only the outside cylinders. It uses slip return cranks. 

Regards 

Ah, Dr Rivet - a slight misunderstanding here, I think. Let me just re-write the first line of my post so that it causes less offence - and actually reflects my original intention. W

What I actually meant was - 'Oh no, *I'm* wrong again.' 
*
*
tac
www.ovgrs.org


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