We’ve been going wagon-crazy at Accurascale as we kick off 2026 with a full programme of rolling stock announcements.
For our latest release, we’ve gone back into the archives and revisited the second wagon we ever produced under the Accurascale name.
It’s time to bring back the Cemflo!
History
A total of 285 bulk cement wagons were built for Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (APCM) between 1961 and 1965, carrying the familiar Blue Circle Cement branding when new.
The first batch was constructed by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company to diagram 6/433 (TOPS code PC 001A), followed by a later batch built by Metropolitan-Cammell to diagram 6/430 (TOPS code PC 003A). It is this later design that our model represents.
The wagons are perhaps best remembered for their work on cement trains running from Cliffe, near Gravesend in Kent, to Uddingston on the outskirts of Glasgow. These services were unusual in being hauled by BRCW Type 3 locomotives, later known as Class 33s, from BR’s Southern Region. Often working in pairs, they hauled the trains as far as York. Because the route required several reversals around London, the trains were also distinctive for carrying a brake van at each end of rakes that could exceed 30 wagons.
Cemflos were also used to move cement from Holborough Cement Works in Kent’s Medway Valley to Widnes in Lancashire. By 1969, the fleet had migrated north to handle traffic from Eastgate in County Durham, Hope in the Peak District and Oxwellmains near Dunbar in Scotland.
From Eastgate, wagons worked to Grangemouth and the APCM terminal at Sunderland South Dock. Those allocated to Hope served Dewsbury and Widnes, where they often ran in mixed formations with Presflo wagons. From Oxwellmains, Cemflos carried cement to Aberdeen, Dundee, Grangemouth and Uddingston.
Over the years, a wide range of motive power could be seen on Cemflo workings. These included Classes 25, 26, 27, 31, 33, 37, 40, 45 and 47, as well as steam locomotives such as 9Fs and even A4s.
The final Cemflo wagons were withdrawn in mid-1988. Today, just one example survives, a Metropolitan-Cammell-built wagon preserved by the Darlington Railway Preservation Society.
The Model
Our new Cemflo captures the distinctive appearance of the later Metropolitan-Cammell-built wagons and is packed with fine detail throughout. Each model features a wide range of factory-fitted parts, including brake pipes and lamp irons, along with etched solebar detailing and fully fitted pipework. Sprung buffers are fitted as standard, while the underframe is fully detailed with brake rigging and hangers.
Our release will focus on branded Blue Circle variants, showing these wagons at their most iconic best.
To ensure smooth and reliable running, the wagon is fitted with blackened metal 12.6mm three-hole disc wheels on metal axles, using the RP25.110 profile, and NEM coupler pockets with narrow tension-lock couplers.
This production run of cemflos will be small in quantity and priced at just £69.98 per pack, with 10% off when you order two-four packs and 15% off when you order five or more packs. Delivery is slated for Q1 2027.
Pre-order your Cemflos, available direct only from Accurascale, via the link below!
