Visually, this is an absolutely superb model. The detail, finish and overall appearance are excellent, and in terms of looks I really cannot fault it. It captures the character of the locomotive beautifully.
Unfortunately, the DCC sound is very disappointing. Compared with other Accurascale sound-fitted models I own, including the Class 89, Class 66 and Class 60, this sounds thin and tinny. I appreciate this is a smaller locomotive with less space for a larger speaker, but I still expected better.
The bigger issue is the running. I have three different versions of this model and they all suffer from intermittent running, with the sound cutting in and out and the loco stopping at times. On a DCC sound-fitted model, reliable electrical pickup is essential because it affects the motor, sound and decoder functions.
Accurascale advised me that the colouring or coating applied to the wheel surfaces during production can be too heavy, which may prevent proper electrical contact with the rails, and that the wheels may need light attention to improve pickup.
For a premium DCC sound-fitted model, that is disappointing. However beautiful the model is, the one thing you expect above all else is reliable running, and this falls short on that side.
That said, the visual detail really is excellent. If the running and sound issues could be resolved, this would be a very impressive model indeed. If that had been addressed then this would be a five star review.
