The deadline for pre-orders for the Revolution Trains Class 59 diesel locomotive of midnight on Friday March 31st is fast approaching.
And now we can reveal an exciting update on the light and sound arrangements for the models. In association with ESU the Revolution Classs 59 will be the British launch model for a new DCC interface which supercedes the existing Next-18 and is set to be known as Next 28.

Let there be (lots of) light!
The Next-28 interface – coded E24 by ESU themselves – was developed for the North American market where Next-18 does not offer the functionality required. (And no, we have no idea why E24 becomes Next-28.)
We made the tricky decision to change the decoder socket from Next 18 to the new and improved Next 28 (ESU E24) decoder socket so that we could offer our customers a fuller range of prototypical lighting functions.
It means the Revolution Trains Class 59s can replicate all the lighting functions of the prototypes including operational directional day and night time main lights, red tail lights when running light engine, two different shunt modes, park mode and cab interior lighting. All are outlined in this short video:
Lights on the Class 59/0s are significantly different to that of the later Class 59/1s and 59/2s.

By the time the Class 59/1s and 59/2s were built, in the early 1990s, the railways had settled on the WIPAC-type light cluster.

Photo Dave58282/Creative Commons.
As the video explains, our models will enable DCC users to drive their locomotive with full lighting control and entirely prototypically, whether running a train on the mainline, light engine or shunting back and forth in the yard.
The decoders required for this interface are the ESU Loksound 5 Nano (Sound) and Lokpilot 5 Nano (Silent).
For DC users the DCC blanking plate will incorporate switches that allow the directional red tail lights and cab interior lights to be independently switched on or off.
DCC Sound
We have not overlooked sound, and all Revolution DCC Sound supplied models will feature a Legomanbiffo sound project which we recorded at Freightliner’s Merehead TMD last year.

Revolution Trains model features high levels of detailing and we have tooled five different bodyshell configurations allowing us to represent each of the three different subclasses at various stages in their service lives.

These variations include:
- Two different bogie designs
- Left or Right side exhausts
- Locomotives with our without NRN roof pods in sub-class specific rebates
- Three different designs of roof access panel
- Three different solebar fitment components
- Single or twin-handled cab doors
In addition all models have a heavy diecast chassis with low friction, low geared drivetrain, numerous separately fitted and photo-etched parts and kinematic NEM couplers sockets with superdetailed bufferbeam at one end with alternate open air dam supplied for customers requiring working couplers at both ends.

The Prototype
The Class 59s were both the first privately-owned locomotives to operate on the British Rail network, and the first to be designed and built in North America. Based on EMD’s established SD-40-2, but adapted to fit a body shell designed for the British loading gauge, they heralded a new era of reliability and power on entering service, and were the predecessor’s the now ubiquitous Class 66.

Introduced in 1986, the first four locomotives are approaching their fortieth birthdays still doing the work they were designed for: hauling heavy stone trains on the gradients around the Mendip hills.

Though 59003, now in GBRf ownership, does have a more varied work pattern.

Deadline Day Approaching
This pre-order deadline for these models is midnight on Friday, March 31st 2023.
This is the last date customers can order models for the low locked-in price of just £124.95. After this the MSRP rises to £154.95, though for those who prefer not to pre-order we anticipate selected retailers will carry stocks.
As well as the 16 different locomotives in eight liveries being offered by Revolution Trains, there are four retailer commissions.
59003 in two versions of GBRf livery can be ordered from Rails of Sheffield.

Rainbow Railways have commissioned a ‘First and Last’ twin pack covering 59201, with its US-style bell at the No.1 end, and 59206 to commemorate the introduction of the Class 59/2 sub-class in the eye-catching National Power livery.

59002 in Mendip Rail and 59101 in Revised ARC livery can be ordered from Kernow Model Rail Centre.


You can order as many 59s as you like, but please don’t mix in wagons or other Revolution Trains products as they are likely to arrive at different times and this will increase admin for us and in turn delay processing of your models!