Revolution Trains is delighted to announce that Simon Veasey has joined us as our Customer Services & Warranty supremo!
Photoshoot! Revolution Trains directors Mike Hale (L) and Ben Ando (R) present Simon with his new shirt!
With a background in customer-facing repair and support for electrical appliances, Simon’s role will be to improve Revolution’s customer care, speed up enquiry responses and enhance our after-market product support.
In addition he is an enthusiastic modeller and will be known to some for his DCC Sound fitting service in multiple scales.
He has also volunteered at the Colne Valley Railway in Essex, taking special responsibility for maintaining the attraction’s miniature railway, a 7¼” gauge line that runs parallel to the main line.
Simon’s skills will enable Revolution to provide a better experience on the occasions when a customer requires assistance or a model needs to be repaired. In addition his technical expertise will enable us to further refine the ease of repair and quality assurance aspects of our products.
Simon said: “I am delighted to be joining the guys at Revolution and helping to not only improve their customer service but also play a part in the design of the models to make them not just simpler to repair but also less likely to need attention”.
“Revolution is a small but exciting company with big plans – and not just in N gauge – and I look forward to being a part of that.”
Mike Hale said: “We identified a need for a dedicated customer support agent some time ago, and we think Simon’s skillset is a good fit for what Revolution needs to take our standard of customer service to the next level.
Revolution at Warley: L-R Mike Hale, Paul Churchill, Ben Ando, Mike Buick
Simon’s appointment takes the full-time Revolution team to four, as he joins company founders Ben Ando and Mike Hale and project designer Mike Buick, seen above with our Class 92 repairs supremo Paul Churchill.
Ben Ando added: “We have achieved a lot for such a small company and now is the time for us to take the next step in our growth. We have no intention of getting too big, but recruiting Simon will give us the opportunity to expand in a cautious, measured and sustainable way.”
Simon’s appointment will allow Mike Buick to focus on his core role researching and developing new models. We believe this will enable us to progress existing projects faster through the development stage and offer a wider variety of new items.
Simon will be making his ‘first team debut’ on the Revolution Trains stand at this weekend’s Celebration of N Gauge modelling organised by the N Gauge Society at the National Railway Museum in York, Come and meet him and the rest of the team attending!
Revolution Trains is heading north next week again to attend Model Rail Scotland 2023 this February 24th, 25th and 26th.
Come and find us on stand A21, near the front of the hall, and we’re very much looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.
We’ll have plenty to show, including a first outing for our decorated BR Blue Grey Class 313 units in N, 00 KSA EP1 samples, FNA-D nuclear flask carriers in 00 and N and latest news and samples of a host of existing and new projects in N and 00.
There will be free catalogues for all listing all our current projects, and with some good fortune and a fair wind there could be a couple of surprises too!
It’s always a thrill to pass Carlsle and see the Saltire!
Warley is back! The UK’s largest model railway show returns to the NEC after a forced three-year hiatus and Revolution will be there on stand C15 – come and see us!
We will have two new brochures free to collect – one dedicated to our offerings in 00 gauge, and one to N gauge.
We will have all the latest samples to view including the first decorated sample of our OO/4mm FNA-D nuclear flask carriers (we will publish more images on our website next week) and the first EP sample of the N gauge version as well as many other samples.
OO gauge/4mm scale FNA-D livery sample
N gauge/2mm scale engineering prototype (EP) sample
If you would like to collect an order for OO/4mm IPA car carriers or Ecofret container flats (or any other in stock items) please send us an email by 7pm Thursday 24 November – we will confirm if it is possible or not.
Revolution Trains is delighted to confirm we will be on Stand 18 at this weekend’s Great Electric Train Show in Milton Keynes.
With the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition cancelled Revolution took the decision to attend GETS which is st to be 2021’s largest model railway exhibition. For more information about the show and to pre-order tickets click here.
We will have several new items on show, and we will also be repeating the show bundle discounts which proved popular at The International N-Gauge Show earlier this month, as a thank-you to all who are getting back onto the exhibition circuit.
Highlight of our display will include the EP1 samples of our Class 128 parcels units, decorated samples of our Mk5 Caledonian Sleeper coaches and EP1 samples of our forthcoming BR Borail/Mullet/Parr/Super Tench flat wagons in N.
Class 128 EP sample
Mk5 Caledonian Sleeper decorated samples
In addition we will have test shots from our N-gauge Class 59 locomortives. These can be pre-ordered at the Early Bird price of £114.95 with free postage until MIDNIGHT ON THURSDAY.
This will be our first non-scale specific show since Model Rail Scotland in 2020, and for 00 enthusiasts we will also have samples of lots of other models that have been developed and put into production since then including our 00 IPA car carriers, FWA ‘Ecofret’ container flats and IWA vans and timber carriers. Plus we will be announcing a new 00 model at the show, and for those who can’t make the show it will also be unveiled here on our website at 0930 on Saturday.
Our popular show bundle discounts allow customers to combine various Revolution models for discounts of 5-10% and include our small remaining stocks of Class 92 locomotives, IPA car carriers, KFA container flats, Cemflo cement wagons and Sonic Models VEA vans. We are also including Revolution/Crail containers in this deal. Please note that stocks are limited, and some liveries are already gone.
Revolution Class 92 + IPA car twins x2, Class 92 + IPA quad set or or Class 92 + KFA triple pack are among the bundle deals available
The show opens at 10am on Saturday (0930 for advanced ticket holders) – see you there!
Revolution Trains will be hosting our first Facebook Live of 2021 next Tuesday February 23rd at 1930.
Please join us as we will be unveiling first samples of our forthcoming MMA/JNA ‘Ealnos’ box wagons, Drax Power IIA-D ‘Tafoos’ biomass hoppers, and first CADs for our Class 313/4 Electric Units.
We are also planning to open the order books on a couple of ongoing projects, so will be giving details of liveries and variations on offer.
And, subject to licencing agreement being finalised, we may be able to unveil our next locomotive project!
Plus we might be opening a bottle of fizz to celebrate being crowned Model Rail magazine’s N Gauge Manufacturer of the Year 2020.
On top of this we will try to give updates on all oustanding projects, and as usual we will be watching the comments and will answer any realtime questions you might have.
As ever, for those who can’t join we’ll record the session and post a link here, and of course news items detailing all the announcements will be publishing here on our website soon afterward.
Once again Revolution Trains will be attending Model Rail Scotland at the SECC in Glasgow over the weekend Friday February 21st to Sunday February 23rd.
If you’re visiting the show please come and say hello – we are on stand B57, next to Accurascale (B52.)
There’ll be lots to see in our new, larger display stand including EP1 samples of the forthcoming Class 320/321 units, KUA nuclear flask wagon and PCV Cemflo cement wagons in N, plus painted samples of the 00 IZA Cargowaggon twin vans, available exclusively from Kernow Model Rail Centre.
We’ll also have the latest news on the Sonic Models 56XX, the Mk5 coaching stock in TPE and Caledonian Sleeper sets and other projects including the IWA holdall vans and timber carriers, the Class 128 parcels unit, Class 313 and 314 units and Ecofret container flats.
We will also have on sale some stocks of OO JNA wagons, Sonic Models VEAs and our new N gauge HOAs, as well as very limited numbers of some previously produced models (usually cancellations or returns) including in Class B tankers (N), TEA tankers (00), IZA twins (N) and some assorted containers. We’ll list any stock left over on our website after the weekend including some additional HOAs.
Revolution Trains Class 390 Pendolino on “Eglington” at Model Rail Scotland 2019.
Model Rail Scotland is well known for the friendly atmosphere and quality of the layouts attending, this year including Law Junction, by the East Neuk MRC, which will be running Revolution Trains Pendolinos and KFA container flats.
Revolution Trains will have our newly arrived N-gauge KFA container flats – including a previously unannounced version – plus a small number of our previously supplied, and largely sold out, models in 00 and N available to buy at the NEC.
Revolution Trains is on stand C41 (for a map see further down the news page) but we should be easy to find – just look for Rapido’s full sized bus!
These are a combination of cancellations/returns we have had and stock found by Rapido in their warehouse.
Our long-awaited KFA container flats will be available for pre-order customers to collect – if you let us know by 12pm on 22/11 before the show – plus a limited number will be available to buy in the latest Touax-branded version of the livery.
These repaints only started after the project started, which is why they were not offered in the original selection.
Revolution Touax KFA
In N gauge we will have a small number of Pendolinos (nearly all DC but a couple with DCC Sound), IZA Cargowaggon vans, KFA container flats, Sonic VEA vans, 40′ hi-cubes in ONE pink and Hapag Lloyd orange, and our new 30′ bulk-tainers produced with C-Rail.
00 modellers who missed out on our award-winning TEA tankers may get lucky – we have a very small number of each livery available including EWS – as well as our recent MMA/JNA wagons in DB Red, Ermewa grey, Ermewa Tarmac grey and VTG steel blue.
Once again Revolution Trains are delighted to be attending the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition at the NEC this weekend, November 23rd and 24th.
We will be on stand C41, towards the far end of the hall but easy to find as – like last year – we are next to the full-size bus being brought in by Rapido Trains.
Our stand does get busy but if you’re unable to speak to us when you arrive please circle back later as it usually quietens down after lunch – and there’s lots to see besides!
New items
In the run up to the show we are offering three new items – two in N, one in 00 – and these will each be unveiled on our website at 2100 in turn on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
If you’re a member of the N Gauge Forum, the N Gauge models will be revealed an hour earlier at 8pm tomorrow and Friday. You can view as a guest but if you’re an N Gauge enthusiast why not join? It’s a great way to share information and ideas and engage directly with traders, manufacturers and most importantly fellow modellers.
We will also have a new catalogue available to pick up free. This is our fourth, and lists all the models we are planning to deliver in the next 12 months, though as ever there are others under research that we cannot unveil just yet.
2019 Q4 will replace this version
Under development
We’ll have samples on display of upcoming items including the Class 321, Sturgeon production samples (the products are almost ready for shipping, but sadly won’t make the show) painted IPA car carriers in N and latest news on the 92, 313, Cemflo and Sfins wagons.
321 EP1IPA car carriers
Collect or buy at the show
We will also have the KFA wagons available for collection by anyone who has pre-ordered and confirmed by 12pm on Friday 22/11/19 that they wish to collect their order.
On top of this and available to buy we will have:
In N-gauge: A limited number of N-gauge 9-car and 11-car Pendolinos (these were sent over by Rapido who found them in their warehouse!) plus light bars, IZA Cargowaggon twins, hicubes and bulk-tainers and Sonic Models VEA vans.
Revolution/Rapido Class 390 “Poppylino”Sonic VEAs in BR Maroon, Railfrreight red/grey and RfD grey/yellow.revolution/C-Rail 30′ bulktainers
In 00 gauge: TEA tankers and MMA box wagons.
Revolution/Rapido TEAs in Greenergy livery. Others available.Revolution MMA in DB red. Also available in VTG blue, Ermewa and Ermewa/Tarmac.
Once again Revolution Trains is delighted to be attending Model Rail Scotland at the SECC in Glasgow, and we look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones on on stand B22.
We will have the first EP samples of our forthcoming Sturgeon engineer’s flat wagon in N on display. This model is being produced in two versions – with and without side doors – and both will be on show. These are unpainted test samples intended purely to check the fit and appearance of the mouldings; the next step will be finished, running deco samples.
Also on show for the first time will be the Railfreight red/grey and RfD yelllow/grey VEA munitions vans beng produced in association with new entrant Sonic Models. These, along with the original BR Maroon liveried version, are all now in production.
For 4mm modellers we have factory painted samples of our second 00 model, the widely used MMA/JNA box wagons, in DB, Tarmac, GBRf and the attractive silver VTG/Mendip Rail liveries.
These were unveiled at Warley fully tooled and are now ready to go into production. Reserve your DB red and Ermewa/Ermewa Tarmac grey ones here, or go to Kernow Model Rail Centre to order these models in GBRf and VTG/Mendip Rail liveries.
We will also have a small number of Class B tanker triple sets in Esso livery for sale from cancellations as well as limited remaining stocks of our 40′ hi-cube containers and 20′ tank containers, both produced in association with C-Rail.
With just a few days to go until the Warley 2018 model railway show at the NEC in Birmingham, we would like to invite you all to our stand (D53) to see our latest developments, pick up a catalogue and see our latest samples. We will have the first tooled sample of an all new OO/4mm product (which will be available for order in the Shop section of our website from Saturday morning).
We will also have on sale (all N gauge at the moment):
Class B 35T tanks (not many)
40′ hicube containers
20′ tanktainers – if you pre-ordered tanktainers and would like to collect at the show please bring a copy of your order with you as they arrived just after our deadline for arranging collection in advance, but we will do our best!
Possibly a handful of Pendolino sets
If you’ve requested pickup of an order then you should have had confirmation – if you haven’t had confirmation then we can’t guarantee that we will have your order with us! If you have had confirmation that we can fit your order in then you’ll be able to pick it up on Saturday or Sunday.
You can find us on stand D53 next to the bus that our friends at Rapido Trains Inc have brought into the show.
It’s been a tiring but rewarding weekend at The International N Gauge Show at Leamington.
As many will know our IZA Cargowaggon twin vans arrived with seconds to spare on Friday evening, meaning that our normally tidy stand became a scene of model mayhem – at least for the first few hours – with a combination of those keen to see our new offerings and those who’d come to collect their wagons.
Fortunately on both Saturday and Sunday things calmed down a little after lunch and we were able to see something of the show.
Cargowaggon vans waiting to be unloaded in the yard on Annston, a wonderfully atmospheric layout depicting a secondary line in the Midlands.
Most rewarding was seeing our Pendolinos, TEA tankers, Class B tankers and now Cargowaggon vans giving pleasure on so many of the layouts.
Back on the Revolution stand many came to see the factory painted samples of the new VEA vans. Once we have received and checked painted samples of all the variations in BR Maroon, BR Railfreight Red/Grey and RfD dark grey and yellow these models will go into production, and are expected by Q1 2019.
VEA van in the colour officially known as BR Maroon that really looks like brown.
The door handles are stamped metal to make them the correct profile, rather than the usual wire.
Many visitors commented on the exquisite underframe detail – such a distinctive feature of the prototype.
Those who were not admiring the VEAs or collecting Cargowaggons came to pick up our first “catalogue” – or rather, 4-page leaflet – showing all our plans for the next few months.
Below are all four pages so those who did not attend the show can see what we are offering:
P1
P2
P3
P4
In terms of timings, we are expecting to close the order book for the KFA container flats at the end of this month, and the Class 92s probably 4-6 weeks later.
We’ll most likely open the order book for the Sturgeon and HOA in a couple of weeks or so, followed by the Class 128, Cemflo and IPA toward the end of the year.
As well as offering what we hope our fellow enthusiasts will want, we are also trying to stagger our products to give supporters a chance to budget!
The Class 320/321 is expected to go to tooling very soon. Unfortunately Rapido trains are no longer able to produce this model for us, so we have decided to switch production to another manufacturer. Although we are sad Rapido will no longer be involved we would like to publicly thank them for their superb work so far which will help to ensure the finished model is of high quality.
Revolution Trains will once again be at The International N Gauge Show again this year with an exciting display showing latest developments of various new models.
Come and see us on Stand 16.
We will have:
first samples of an as yet unannounced project;
our first catalogue;
updates on all our existing projects;
and potentially our IZA Cargowaggon twins available for collection* for customers who pre-ordered (subject to the shipment arriving from China and clearing customs in time).
We will also have exciting news of the first of our proposed projects for 2019 – come and see us on Stand 16!
* if you have pre-ordered IZA Cargowaggons twins from us and the models have arrived in time for the show then you can arrange to collect your order (and pay any balance due) at the show by dropping us an email (please don’t send a carrier pigeon or use any other exotic method of trying to contact us!). We will be restricted in the amount of stock that we can fit in the vehicle without Paul having to sit on the roof and we won’t know if delivery is likely until the end of the week so please do not make a special journey to collect your wagons. If it is looking likely that we will be able to offer your order for collection then we will confirm that to you before the show – no confirmation, no guarantee that your wagons will be available!
It was a busy show at Warley for Revolution, and for our main manufacturing partner Rapido Trains, who were showing off several new models both for themselves and other customers.
However, with the Pendolino poised for delivery, and other models set to follow in turn, Rapido did tell us that for the next 12 months at least they anticipate that they will have a Revolution Trains item in production at all times at one of their two factories.
The rough schedule for 2018 is the 00 TEA tankers (spring), N KFA (early summer), N 92 (late summer) and N HOA hopper (late autumn) though of course this is subject to change. The Class 321 unit will follow on from the HOA if it reaches minimum order numbers.
IZA Cargowaggon twin van
Announced in June at the DEMU Showcase exhibition, the arrival of first tooled samples of the IZA Cargowaggon twin vans just five months later is something of a record for Revolution Trains.
This has come about because of the large number of orders we have already received – so thanks to everyone who has stepped forward to make this happen.
These models feature standard N gauge couplers on each end and a representation of the prototype’s screw coupling in the centre. The use of kinematic coupler pockets means the vehicles can be authentically close coupled without bufferlock or derailments on trainset curves.
The prototypes have the brake gear split across the wagons and cannot be operated individually. This was to take advantage of European grants available when they were manufactured in the mid 1980s. Naturally the Revolution model depicts these differences, with both air tanks on one wagon, and the hanbrakes on the other:
The model also features protypical differences in the ends, with single dumb buffers on the inner faces, and the frames are separate parts to allow the distinctive circular cut outs to be present:
These mouldings will now be checked and assessed, and any minor amendments made, before livery samples are prepared.
Please note that these models are assembled or test purposes from mouldings only, an do not feature the fine wire handrails at the ends and the springing in the couplers, which will be self-centering on production models.
For those who handled them at Warley they will also be weighted, as with all our models, to NMRA standards.
We expect them to go into production February – March 2018, with the order book closing shortly beforehand.
HOA stone hopper
We had not expected to show any progress on these models at Warley, but Rapido surprised us by bringing two 3D prints produced from the recently approved CAD drawings.
These show both variants – the original EWS Construction type at the rear, with the body-mounted handbrakewheel and four strengthening plates on the sides, and the new built VTG versions with bogie mounted handbrakewheels and six plates.
Being 3D prints they are a little rough in parts, and lack the finesse and structural strength of plastic moulded parts (so some of the thinner components are slightly deformed) but they indicate to us that the design looks good, sits well and that the bogies and couplers being reused from our TEA tankers look right.
VTG new build version
EWS construction original type
These models are expected to go into production after the Class 92s scheduled for next summer.
We will be opening the order book shortly, and as ever would urge our supporters to order early as this generates the funding to complete the tooling and development work all the quicker.
KFA container flat
These models are undergoing final running tests in Canada and are ready to go into production in late February – March 2018.
Livery drawings are being worked on at the moment, but for these wagons the painting and lettering is far more straightforward than for the Pendolino or TEA tankers.
Class 320/321 EMU
CAD drawings of this model are now complete and if the orders had been satisfactory this model would now be in tooling. However, orders have not matched the expressions of interest we received when we first proposed this model. This is a pity as we are sure, given the quality of the models from Rapido so far and the CAD drawings they have sent us, that they’ll make a superb job of this train.
Class 321 DTCO
Class 320/321 DTSO
The model will have full interior detail and provision for the fitting of lightbars, along with numerous separate parts on the underframes of the trailer cars.
Class 321 DTCO interior
The power chassis mechanism is also hidden below window height, and this model will feature a Next 18 decoder meaning that sound options are more straightforward.
Class 320/321 PMSO interior showing chassis arrangement and decoder
For smoother running power will be collected from all wheels, as on our Pendolino, and all bogies, including those on the power car, will feature low drag axle-point pick ups.
Class 320/321 power bogie with outer mouldings removed to show pick-ups
We’d like to thank all those who’ve ordered extra sets in an effort to “help it over the line” but we really need to get the message to those who said they want one but haven’t yet ordered.
Revolution takes each model as a separate project, and we need to impress upon supporters that while we have enjoyed considerable success with “big ticket” models such as the Pendolino and Class 92, they should not assume that models will automatically happen.
We need people to step forward and order the models they want!
Suburban commuter EMUs may not have the cachet of the Pendolino, but they are an important part of the current scene and to model a complete railway we need the humdrum as well as the glamorous.
Also, the drivetrain, chassis and bogies from the 321 will lead us to a number of other useful models should it reach production.
We do understand that funds are sometimes limited, which is why we have introduced a staggered payment plan, and that some customers may be waiting for their Pendolinos before committing, so we are we will make a final decision on the 320 / 321 based on orders at 31 March 2018. If by then we have reached the minimum order numbers needed then we’ll go ahead; if not then we will reluctantly have to refund everyone who has put money into this model.
As a reminder here are the livery options and prices:
Please note current Northern livery is also still available to order.
It was great to see so many of our friends and supporters at the Warley National Model Railway exhibtion at the NEC last weekend.
This was our stand on Friday – before the show opened – and the only time it was quiet until the show ended on Sunday evening!
Revolution Pendolino
The big news is that our stunning Class 390 Pendolino model – made by our friends (and show neighbours) Rapido Trains of Canada – should be leaving the factory within the next 7-10 days. Allowing 4-6 weeks for shipping, and some extra time for customs clearance, the models should be here by Jan/Feb.
Rapido did bring three models to the show – airfreighted to Canada a few days beforehand – and two were loaned to the layouts Kinlet Wharf and Horseley Fields.
Pendolino gliding through Kinlet Wharf…
…and hurrying through Horseley Fields. Apologies for shaky camera!
The third – in Alstom livery – spent the weekend on our display layout and can be seen whizzing behind the packaging which was also on show and follows the style we created with the TEA tankers last year.
The 9- and 11-car versions will be in book-case style packs with two trays with opening lids surrounded by a card sheath. The top tray contains shaped apertures for the two power cars, the two pantograph cars and the named car, with the remaining four or six cars in the lower tray.
The 5-car pack will simply comprise the top tray in a thinner card sheath.
For those who missed out Rapido have advised us that a small number of surplus models are available and these will be put up for sale via our website once we have an indication of liveries and numbers.
Class B tankers
The Class B tankers are now in production with our alternate factory and are sheduled to be leaving the factory before Chinese New Year in February, with delivery to customers likely in March/April depending on shipping and customs times.
For those who missed out several retailers have taken an allocation – the list can be found elsewhere on our website.
00 tankers
These are also in production by Rapido now, and timings are likely to be similar as the Class B tankers. As with the Class B tankers, some of our partner retailers have pre-ordered an allocation so those who missed the deadline can still obtain models.
Class 92 locomotive
This model is also being produced by Rapido and we are expecting the next sample with finalised motor/drivetrain, PCB and lighting. Once this is approved we will be ready to check liveries and close the order book ready for production. It’s likely this will be in late Spring 2018.
For the show we assembled one of the earlier samples Rapido had sent, and this was put on Kinlet Wharf with their superb – and appropriate – Caledonian Sleeper rake.
92018 carries slumbering passengers south as a narrow boat passes below the line on Kinlet Wharf
Please note this model was handpainted and is not factory-finished. It also lacks some of the metal parts such as the cab door handrails and photo-etched pantograph heads.
In our next post we will update the latest news on our other projects, including first samples of our exciting new IZA Cargowaggon twin vans, the KFA container flat, HOA hopper wagons and Class 321 EMU.
Once again Revolution Trains is attending the Warley National Model Railway exhibition at the NEC this coming weekend (November 25th and 26th) – arguably the #1 event in the modelling calendar.
Revolution have become Warley regulars over the last three years as we feel it’s a great opportunity for us to meet and listen to fellow enthusiasts, answer any questions, and thank those who have already supported us.
This year we will be debuting our new exhibition stand which should make us a little easier to see!
You can find us on stand B-029, next to our friends from Rapido Trains of Canada on stand B-028.
As the floor plan shows, stand B-029 is pretty much straight ahead and slightly to the right as you enter the exbibition, about half way down the hall.
There will be boxed Pendolinos to see (being brought over from Canada ahead of the main production batch) and while we are refraining from making any new announcements we will be showing significant progress on our existing projects.
If you are at the show, arguably the #1 event in the UK modelling calendar, then please come and say hello and we do our best to answer any questions about our existing projects and possibly our plans for 2018.
If you can’t make it then please come back here after the weekend as we will be posting photographs and updates on all our ongoing projects.
Revolution Trains have been delighted to support Project Railway Honour and we are pleased to report that Dapol have completed production of the models of 66418 Patriot. Below are a couple of photos of the completed production model.
If you have pre-ordered one of the models then we will send it out to you as soon as we receive the models after the Easter weekend, alternatively if you are coming along to York (and we have received the models before we leave!) then you will be able to collect your model at the show.
UPDATE: we had hoped to receive the models just prior to Easter but the shipment was delayed in transit and unfortunately Gareth has been posted away from his normal base. As a result Revolution Trains will process the despatch of the models. The models are now in the UK (3 May 2017) and we will post an update as soon as we are ready to start sending them out to people. Please do not ask us to give you an update when you will receive your model – that will only slow down the despatch process! Alternatively you can collect your model at DEMU’s Showcase exhibition on 3/4 June 2017 at Burton.
Revolution and Project Railway Honour will be at the York Model Railway Show over the Easter weekend. We will have news on our projects and hopefully the first sample of our 35T class B tank wagon.
You can see us on the mezzanine at Stand 97 – if you come to the show please come along and say hello.
This year for the first time Revolution Trains will be attending Scotland’s Premier Model Railway Show – Model Rail Scotland at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow.
The SECC is an excellent venue and Model Rail Scotland is always a friendly, lively show with high quality layouts and impressive trade support.
Last year the operators of East Neuk MRC’s Law Junction layout were kind enough to allow us to give the first sample of our Pendolino a thorough work out over the three days of the exhibition.
This year the Pendolinos are now in full production and we look forward to answering questions about them and our other projects.
We will have updates on the Class 92 and Class 321 models, first CAD drawings of the HOA hopper and the latest on the proposed Class B tanker wagon.
We’d also be happy to chat about potential future projects, however we are not announcing any new items this weekend.
We are on stand A19 – just inside the door – please come and say hello.
Revolution are honoured and thrilled to have been awarded the 2016 Gwyn Humphreys Memorial Trophy at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibtion at the NEC.
The Gwyn Humprhys Trophy accompanied by our three currently tooled crowdfunded models – the N Gauge TEA, Pendolino and new TEA in OO.
The presentation was made by Pete Waterman and is designed to recognise innovation in the world of model railways, citing our success in being the first company to successfully bring a crowdfunded model to market, namely the TEA tanker.
We would like to thank the judging committee Trevor Webster, Les Richardson, Geoff Warren, Alf Hodgkin, Simon Richardson, Jim Ross and Bob Lockey for selecting us.
And of course a special thank-you to the late Gwyn Humphrey, in whose memory the award is made.
We should also add that while we are very happy to have been recognised in this way, nothing would have happened without the support of the modelling community and everyone who joined us to make the crowdfunding concept, and the models in the photograph, a reality.
Having just returned from an exhausting but enjoyable Warley weekend, and we will be updating our website very soon with images of the newly arrive samples of the TEA tankers in 00.
Revolution Trains had a busy weekend on stand 34 at The International N Gauge Show at Leamington.
Rail Revolutionaries: L to R Paul Churchill, Mike Hale, Gareth Atkinson (Project Railway Honour)
TINGS, as it’s known, is arguably the most important show of the year for the N Gauge community, and it’s the place to meet our supporters and and update them on progress.
As well as announcing our two new models (see news items below) we had the latest sample of our upcoming Pendolino on show.
In full 11-car mode we were able to play with the DCC Sound functions and demonstrate the approved couplers with working electrical connections and the customer-fit light bars.
The coupler problem has taken three iterations, each taking several weeks of redesign, head scratching and testing.
We are now finalising some of the chassis performance issues around the interface between the DCC Sound chip and the motor performance, and then it’ll be time for final painted samples and production.
The most common question all weekend was “when will the model be here?”
The honest answer is we don’t know exactly how long it will take the factory to manufacture 10,000 separate vehicles. Our best guess is that customers will start receiving models in Q1 next year, meaning that from when we first laser scanned the train to delivery will be a fraction under two years.
Compared to others, and not withstanding some of the development issues, we feel Rapido have done a pretty amazing job to get this far so quickly, and we are very happy with the quality they have achieved.
The models are still available to order (that was the second most popular question asked all weekend!) but the order book will probably be closing in the next 6 weeks or so.
The Dalston tanks by Revolution – pulled reliably all weekend by a Graham Farish Colas Class 60
Production versions of all our TEA tankers – plucked from the production line and air-freighted in from China for the show – were also on display as the main batch was preparing to leave the factory for the journey to Britain – and then on to the layouts of our supporters.
Indeed, on Sunday Rapido emailed us an image showing the entire production leaving the factory ready for the journey west:
It feels like we didn’t stop talking all weekend (and by Sunday evening we all had sore throats) but it was great to meet so many existing customers – and hopefully draw in a few new ones.
Our next show will be the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition at the NEC on Saturday November 26th and Sunday November 27th.
Come and see us when we will be offering at least two new items including our next powered model.
Please come along to our stand 34 at the International N Gauge Show (TINGS) this weekend (10 and 11 September) to see and hear about our latest product developments (production samples of the TEA tank wagons and the final development sample of the Pendolino) along with a couple of new announcements.
We’ve focussed our energy recently on finishing development and production for our earlier projects so our announcements are not perhaps the major announcement that we have been holding back on until we had started to deliver products to our customers. Nevertheless we continue to work on new ideas so that we have a rolling development cycle and we think that our two new announcements will have widespread appeal to modellers (and we will have an exciting announcement at Warley)!
