TOPs HUO Hoppers Now Available to Pre-order
With the pre-TOPs HOP 24 / HUO production nearing completion at our factory, we are now taking pre-orders for the TOPs variant ahead of a September 2018 release.
A total of 5,263 of these wagons were built by BR from 1954 for transporting coal and coke throughout Britain until their withdrawal in the mid-1980s.
The model is of the 3121 (1958), 3221 (1959), 3314 (1960), 3374 (1961), 3426 (1962 – listed 1/154 pattern but the design is actually identical), and 3437 (1962) pattern. The surviving prototypes were surveyed by us at the Tanfield Railway, near Stanley, County Durham in mid-October 2017.
This latest release will see the wagon in its post-1973 condition, with TOPs panel and numbering. The HUOs wore these identities throughout the mid-70s until their careers ended among the last loose coupled trains on the BR network in the mid-1980s. They were widespread across the BR network, found in Scotland, the North East, Midlands, South East and in Wales.
As with our first release of these iconic wagons, which have never been done in ready-to-run form previously, the TOPs HUO will feature a high level of detail, consisting of an impressive 73 separate parts per wagon. They will be sold in packs of three wagons, with six different packs on offer. Each wagon per pack is uniquely numbered, allowing modellers to form an impressive block train of 18 differently numbered wagons for the ultimate fidelity and accuracy.
The impressive specification of these wagons includes:
- Sprung buffers with spindle, self-contained and oleo hydraulic all being catered for, depending on prototype
- NEM coupling housing at correct height
- 110 darkened profile wheel sets
- Factory-fitted wire handrails
- Extra fine factory-fitted detail plastic parts
- Individual lettering and markings from real wagons for authenticity
- Built to scale tolerances to allow easy, drop in conversion to EM and P4 gauge
These wagons are available exclusively from our website and are now on pre-pay pre-order, priced at £59.95 per pack of three, offering excellent value for such a highly detailed set of wagons. A rake bundle is also on offer, with all 18 wagons for £325.00, or £18.05 per wagon. Free shipping is available on all orders over £100 from our site to the UK and Ireland. You can place your order now: https://accurascale.co.uk/product-category/wagons/
