D9020 Nimbus

Beautiful models I bought two D9020 and 55018 fantastic detail, smooth and quiet running best quality Deltic ever produced really pleased with them.

This is my first purchase from Accurascale and, its mind blowing. It’s not my era nor livery (I’m more interested in the 1990’s onwards) so I was quite ambivalent about the 55s but having read so much about this loco, I convinced myself that it’ll be a ‘conservation’ loco on my layout. I ordered one from the Irish guys and was not disappointed. I was so impressed I immediately bought another, unused 2nd hand, from a colleague on a forum. So now I have two preservation locos.

Looks mean a lot to people (just ask my wife), but you can see, hear and feel the quality all over this model.

I can’t wait for their modern liveries of the 37s, as I have no more space for preservation models.

Superb model bristling with detail and features other manufactures cant match.
You wont be disappointed with this Deltic they are worth every penny and great value.

I have tried on numerous occasions to purchase the Class 55 from Accurascale. Finally successful I have not been disappointed. This is an outstanding model, detail and finish are excellent. Unfortunately mine arrived with minor transit damage however; the reply to my email was prompt and a return label sent that morning. I'm now awaiting the repair and return of the model. So far my experience of Accurascale's products and customer service have been outstanding.

'Nimbus' is my second Accurascale Deltic and, if anything, is even better than the 'Pinza' that I already have (the small yellow warning panels and highlighted axleboxes make all the difference). Thoroughly recommended.

I have 2 models from the first batch. D9020 that came direct from Accurascale and D9008, a DPS special that came from Rails (would have bought from the DPS direct but couldn’t make head nor tails of their website!)

Straight from the box the model has the ‘wow factor’. The model captures the overall shape of the prototype absolutely perfectly. It is without doubt the most ‘correct’ looking RtR Deltic delivered to date in any scale. Close examination of the model brings a second ‘wow’ because this model is bristling with detail both obvious and hidden. It has a completeness and depth that suggest no compromise has been made at any stage in its development - just look at those bogies or the engine detail visible through the body side windows. Visually these models are special and represent a new high water mark for UK rtr.

The livery is well applied with mostly sharp or very sharp definition between colour changes. The finish is more matte than most other 4mm rtr diesels and whilst the colours are spot on I do think just a touch more sheen would give more life to the model.

For me though it doesn’t matter how well a model looks - it has to equal that standard when running. I am happy to report that the mechanism is silky smooth and silent in operation. D9008 had a rhythmic knock on initial running in and reports on RMWEB suggested others had found the same and diagnosed glue or similar on one or more wheel. 1 hour running in in both directions totally eliminated this with no need for wheel scraping. The only sound to be heard thereon is that of steel wheel against rail.

There are a few ‘snagging’ issues that needed to be addressed and should be mentioned.

First both of my models were delivered with some small detailing unattached in the bottom of the packaging. This seems to be the experience of many. The model delivered from Accurascale directly via DHL was noticeably less well packed than the other delivered by Rails. Both had loose parts though.

Second, both of my models are factory fitted with ESU DCC sound. With the sound on or off neither will move at speed step 1 as supplied - it took until speed step 7. Further, at that speed step there was a noticeable stutter until speed step 10. Adjustment of CV 2 (start voltage) from the factory set 1 to 3 successfully moves the loco at speed step 1 and eradicates the stutter. The start is smooth but a little too fast - it is not the almost imperceptible movement that Zimo does so well and which mimics the way a real 100t loco moves. I suspect this may improve with running in and/or further CV tweaking and may be a characteristic of the chip rather than the mechanism.

Thirdly the models are both heavy, very detailed and in some parts delicate. I have not had the bodies off yet (necessary to add a crew which Accurascale sell separately) but I can see already that the bogie to body chains are going to be a challenge to remove and refit - in fact both of my models were delivered with a chain unattached and both have temporary black tack repairs at the moment.

None of the snagging issues I have found are serious and I am sure Accurascale would have resolved them had I chosen to avail myself of their very thorough support offer. I am an experienced modeller and am happy within reason to fettle a loco to get it into traffic.

These are superb models. I will definitely be adding at least one more Deltic from the next batch and am looking forward to the forthcoming EE Type 3 (and the Manor - I have that sort of ‘rule 1’ flexibility over what runs on my ’60’s in the North' layout!).

Highly recommended and future production will no doubt benefit from the lessons learned from the first batch.

Really well detailed model at a very a very competitive price when compared to othe manufacturers. Very powerful it can pull 7 hornby dublo coaches with ease. Only improvement i would make if given the chance is to have a switch for cab lighting and engine room lighting to work on analogue tracks. Also it would be helpful to know the PIN number that turns on cab and engine room lights on the blanking chip. All in all really satisfied with my purchase. Great service all around with such quick delivery a really easy and smooth transaction.

Excellent performance and quality of finish straight out of the box. Yes, some of the tiny detail fixings were not secured to the loco' but hardly a problem. Supporting literature including web based guidance more than adequate. My second purchase, D9009 Alycidon, unfortunately failed after one month's intensive use but excellent after sales service attending to that.

I've never bought a model Deltic before because I was never happy with how they looked; there was just something not quite right. The moment I saw the CADs for the Accurascale version, I could tell this was going to be the business and I duly pre-ordered D9020 NIMBUS. Having now received it, there are plusses and minuses, but I really can't fault the overall look of it, it really is a stunning model.

Unfortunately my first experience of it after receiving it wasn't great. It had been "delivered" on a day we were away. I got an e-mail from DHL informing me it had been delivered and accepted by me in person. Upon returning home the next day, the first thing I saw was the box several yards down our concrete driveway, having been hurled over our seven-foot wrought iron gates. Fortunately it hadn't rained! I actually got out the car feeling sick (and very angry!) Upon opening it, apart from some impact damage to the actual box, the contents seemed to be ok. On closer inspection, I discovered three of the brake chains and three of the footsteps had come away. One of the valves underneath the fuel tank had also broken off.

I gave it a run and it performed flawlessly. I'm old school DC, so all I really need it to do is go backwards and forwards, which it does very smoothly, even at low speeds. I fitted all the bufferbeam detail with no issues, although the loco arrived with the wrong bufferbeam at each end.

So, to the fine detailed bits which had broken off. These really are not easy to fix. The chains, to be quite frank are a complete pain to attach. Two of them have now come away more than once and I'm considering abandoning them altogether. I've got to the point where I'm really reluctant to handle the loco at all. My crew arrived today and I really don't relish taking the loco apart to install them. If I do, I suspect the chains will stay off.

In conclusion, this really is a superb model, no question and overall I'm very happy with it. Does such intricate detail on an OO gauge model make for a practical runner on a layout, or is it best left as a static exhibit in a display case? I'm not sure to be honest, which is why I've given it four stars instead of five, but I think Accurascale should be applauded for going to some considerable effort in producing what in my view, is the ultimate model of a Deltic.

First off - this was a locomotive worth waiting for. At first look, this is a stunning reproduction in miniature of a famous class. The detail is exquisite, it has a visually silent mechanism that is powerful and responsive. The weight is impressive, and though I have not yet been able to put it through its paces on the main line, it certainly feels it could pull anything hung behind it. The sound system was similarly impressive, with a full suite of beautifully captured effects in the project. The two-tone livery was beautifully applied, and the set of etched plates lovely to see. The packing was impressive as well, the locomotive nestled in its protective ice tray, foam lined box and plastic sleeve. But when I opened the box and released the model, I found a myriad of small detail parts had been detached, including the bogie chains on bth sides of the loco, front corner steps at both ends and the hatch hiding the decoder missing the set of magnets, leaving it loose in the box. This was all the more surprising since the packaging was so good. Even as I examined it, more detail parts that seemed poorly glued detached themselves. I will be required to find, relocate and reglue all the stray items I can find before the loco can be run in on the layout.
So 10/10 on looks, performance and detail, 6/10 on fit and finish

Fantastic model. Beautiful presentation, first deltic with correct shaped nose and windows. Ultimate level of detail. Two downsides. 1) Are the wheels too small? There has to be a compromise somewhere and you don't really see the wheels, the sit and ride is spot on. Still this is the one area that Bachmann scores higher (needs user to adjust ride height though). 2) The box! It's 0 gauge! Actually this does become a problem, they need to be stored somewhere. (surely a Dapol sized 00 box is OK, or is that why bits fall off in transit?) Also big and heavy does push up the shipping weight for airmail to distant places. My deltic has already travelled about 20,000 miles to get to NZ from China via Ireland! Looking forward to the next one, and please keep the pricing keen if you can, train purchase is getting quite selective for some of us these days. Well done and worth the wait.

Beautiful model. Great sounds.
Product manual lacking in important information.

Very happy that both my Deltics made it to Seattle safely - and quickly (less than 48hrs in transit). D9020 "Nimbus" in green looks great - the detail - as many have said - is outrageous. It all survived the journey ... except for one front step (my other arrived in perfect condition). Still awaiting a long run on a friends basement-sized HO layout. A remarkable model at a very fair price.

Very impressed with the look and shape of the locomotive, and level of detail is superb. the livery is applied immaculately, and the loco works perfectly out of the box. The sound system is also impressive, capturing the Napier tone perfectly. Sadly another example with a footstep broken off in transit, they do seem to be rather delicate, but otherwise the loco is in perfect condition.

This is my replacement Nimbus as the first had an issue with a coupler, but Accurascale were really helpful and changed it without issue straight away, I cannot believe the amount of detail on these models and the sound is amazing, I am not hesitating buying again from AS, in fact I have three more Locos on order and a rake of coaches.

Rather than a specific review of D9020, I'm sharing my views on the Accurascale Deltics in general as I ordered 7 in total. Overall, I'm very pleased with the models- the attention to locomotive specific accuracy is first class, not just to rather obvious things (though the first time on a model of a Deltic) like the absence or inclusion of additional grills above the nameplates or correct bogies, but even down to nos. 19,20 & 21 having the remains of fixings for the roof mounted horns they carried when first delivered. The number of fine and separately fitted details is astonishing given that the price is very competitive compared to other manufacturers. This detail, however, can be a problem in that some can become easily dislodged in transit. All seven of my models had at least one part broken off and some had several. Nothing I haven't been able to fix myself with a good illuminated magnifier and a steady hand! Overall, I'd say that these models are amongst the best I have even bearing in mind the small amount of repairing necessary. Well done Accurascale and I look forward to my pre-ordered class 37s, 31s and Manors.

This is not a full review as I've only run it on my Club's DC roundy-round layout once. Upon opening the overly large box & getting the loco out of the clam-shell, I noticed two tiny black parts laying behind against the white interior of the box. I identified these as two of the four steps mounted on each corner of the loco near the buffer beams, knocked off by the clam-shell I suspect. I'll glue them back on once I get around to properly running it in, probably on my DCC rolling road. Anyway, on the DC layout, it worked fine from a movement point of view, but I was hoping the sound would work, albeit in a restricted fashion, as many DCC sound locos do. Nah, nothing until it stopped, when it made a subtle air release noise. Its also extremely heavy, so much so, that I can predict some owners may well drop it in their attempt to pick it up gingerly because of all the detail. That's currently my experience of ownership so far.

I am generally very pleased with my Deltic. It looks just right, the sound is great (takes me back to walking into Kings X in my younger days) and the haulage capacity far exceeds anything I can hang on the coupling!

My only reservation has been the tendency for some of the fine detail parts to drop or break off despite my very careful handling. Particularly irritating has been finding a part on the mat immediately after replacing the previous escapee! This could become an issue as I suspect that a significant number of purchasers will (like me) be of an age that the necessary eye-sight and manual dexterity for such fine repairs is beginning to desert them.

Overall an excellent model.

This is an amazing model loco but not without issues. When I first opened it I found that some of the steps under the corners had broken off and were loose in the packaging. The detailed parts appear to be so small and fragile. Whilst I commend the efforts to reproduce all the detailing of the real loco perhaps things have gone too far now. Maybe we need a compromise between detail and durability/usability.

After running in I found that the very slow speed running (crawling) was not smooth but rather juddering. The sound is amazing but I have an annoying vibration on the speaker that somewhat spoils it. I may try turning the volume down in the CVs.

I have emailed Accurascale about these issues but so far have not received a response.

So whilst this is a beautiful model that really captures the look of the Deltic the niggles mentioned above have slightly tainted the experience for me. I hope the Class 37 and Class 31 I have on pre-order prove to be less troublesome.

Well worth the wait! I am very appreciative of the care taken to produce the finest detail on this model. It runs smoothly too but I am content just looking at it in all its glorious detail!

Great model and really good to have so many separate details factory-fitted but there were too many parts snapped off for me to repair so I sent it back. There is a tipping point at which the amount of detail goes over the top, things fall off during delivery and the client becomes too scared to use the model for fear of breaking it. I suggest that you get some detailed feedback about where that tipping point is. If customers suggest taking a step back, make sure that fitting instructions for the detail are easy to understand.

Accurascale brilliantly detailed, Class 55 Deltic in BR Green.
Only issue for me was i bought Dcc only, still waiting for order and delivery ofDcc Decoder to arrive.

The model is a superb reproduction of the original locomotive. It runs very well and sounds just as I remember the Deltics in days gone by. Only issues are the 4 bogie chains, which have to be detached and re-bonded whenever the body shell is removed. Also at extreme volume I found some minor sound distortion, which was eliminated by improving the clearance above the speaker and solidly bonding the adjacent LED PCB to the roof underside. Just waiting for the crew to arrive to complete a fantastic model!