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Something for Christmas and last posting dates

Looking for a present for a loved one or something for yourself? Our stock system doesn’t easily allow people to see what we have physically available for immediate despatch versus projects that are open for pre-orders as both use the “In Stock” status to allow orders to be placed (NB we indicate in the product descriptions if something is a pre-order for a model awaiting production), so we thought it might be useful to give a quick summary of models we have in stock for immediate dispatch.

We realise that it has been an unusual and tough year for many and we’d like to spread a bit of Christmas cheer, so in the spirit of Christmas we’re offering a 5% discount for orders over £100 between now and 17 December on in stock items (please note that this discount is only applicable for in stock items and won’t work for orders for future products). To get the discount place your order as normal and in the discount code box use the code: 5XMAS2020. The code will only apply to in stock items listed below and we reserve the right to refund any orders mixing in stock and future orders – all orders for models in development should continue to be placed as separate orders per product range.

The last date we can guarantee delivery before Christmas is if we receive your order by 17 December 2020 (for UK orders only, for international orders some of the last guaranteed posting dates have already passed so we can’t guarantee that non-UK orders will be delivered before Christmas but we will do our best).

In stock items (available for immediate dispatch):

N gauge

IPA car carriers: limited remaining stock now on sale!

OO gauge

Please remember the discount code only applies to the items listed on this page and please don’t mix with orders for future projects – thanks!

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Touax KFA among Revolution models for sale at the NEC…

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.

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Revolution Round-up 2018

Four models delivered, three new manufacturers identified and two new powered models offered has made for one amazing year!

As ever we should acknowledge that we could not do any of this without those who have supported us – with time, with expertise, with generosity but most of all with orders.  It is only because modellers are prepared to pre-order on trust that we can make all this happen.

And we’d like to say thanks to Rapido Trains for their amazing work, our new manufacturing partner Sonic Models, two other factories we have been using and those traders who’ve supported us including C&M, Cheltenham Model Centre, Collett’s Models, Kernow Model Rail Centre, Plus Daughters, Rails of Sheffield, Osborn’s and Trains4U.

In February our first model aimed at transition era enthusiasts – the Class B tanker – arrived.  The wagon had struggled to generate enough interest and came close to being cancelled, but when we saw the quality the factory had achieved we were delighted it had made it – and judging from the comments from so were those who’d supported the project!

Recently we were sent a photo by Ian at Mercig studios of a superb Esso class B he’d weathered. In the accompanying note he wrote:  “..this is the best N Gauge wagon I’ve ever worked on!”

Esso Class B weathered by Mercig Studio

Then, in March, the main event – the arrival of the Pendolinos.

This was the culmination of the dream that we and our supporters had bought into back in 2015 when we began the project – and boy did Rapido Trains deliver.  Everything about these models was stunning – from the trains themselves to the manual and the book-case packaging.

Pallets full of Pendos…

But we had little time to admire the models when there were hundreds of fellow modellers waiting for them – and we’d like to thank our friends Paul Churchill and Gareth Atkinson who came up that first weekend and helped pick, pack and post the first hundred and fifty or so.  We also owe a large debt of gratitude to Allen Pearson – inventor of the amazing Nelevation vertical fiddle yard – for kindly allowing us to use his storage unit to keep the Pendos safe.

At the York show some customers were able to collect their Pendolinos (thanks Abbie) but the majority were posted.  This was a massive task, especially as the majority of the work was done just by the two of us in our spare time.  They were dispatched as best we could in chronological order of purchase and we would like to thank all our supporters for their patience waiting for their models.

However, seeing an 11-car set tackling the graceful, sweeping curves of Heworth Sidings, by the Yorkshire Area Group of the N Gauge Society, made it all worthwhile!

Poppy Pendo on Heworth Sidings at the York show

Even as we celebrated the success of the Pendolinos the IZA Cargowaggon twins were en route and they arrived just in time for The International N Gauge Show at Leamington – arguably the premier show of the N Gauge year.

Revolution IZA Cargowaggons in single and triple packs

 

At just over a year from announcement to delivery these were our fastest model yet.  With the innovative factory-fitted flashing tail lamp option they have proved hugely popular and prompted Kernow to join us in offering a 4mm version which is currently under development.

4mm IZA CAD

It did mean that our planned TINGS display was slightly obscured by the piles of wagons being collected by customers, but we were able to show painted samples of another new model; the VEA munitions van, which is our first non-crowdfunded model and is being produced in association with Sonic models.

Sonic/Revolution VEA vans – painted samples.

The man behind Sonic is a former Kader engineer who designed some of Graham Farish’s best N gauge models, and this is the first time a Chinese manufacturer has sought to market their own brand British outline models directly in the UK.

We also offered three new models including a second powered model – the Class 128 Parcels diesel railcar in N.  The other two were both wagons: the IPA car carrying twin flats – in plain, side-staked and covered versions, and the Cemflo cement wagon in association with Accurascale, the Dublin based manufacturer making a big splash in 00.  Both of these are now at the CAD stage, but we have not yet opened the order books.

M55990 at Manchester Victoria. Photo courtesy Mark Carter.

 

IPA CAD image – this is the flat version with stakes.

 

Cemflo CAD courtesy Accurascale.

By the middle of November we were preparing for the arrival of our first 00 models, the TEA tankers by Rapido Trains, and once again we prevailed on our friend Allen as five large pallets were airfreighted in.

Their arrival just in time for the Warley National Model Railway show at the NEC meant that as well as supplying those ordered by Kernow models and Trains4U once again we had to enlist help once again from our friends Paul, Gareth and Abbie to hand out those that customers had arranged to collect.

Kernow Model Rail Centre’s Chris Trerise with a small fraction of his TEAs!

The remainder are being sent out by us but twice the scale means eight times the volume, and the sheer size of the 00 models in comparison to the N gauge products we are used to has meant new packaging solutions and dispatching all the models has taken much longer.

Those who visited us at Warley may remember that we were right next to a double decker bus brought in by our friends at Rapido Trains to publicise their latest new model – this gave us an excellent location for a meeting where we were able to examine the final version of the Class 92 locomotive ahead of production and confirm production of another run of Class 390 Pendolinos in Virgin’s latest “flowing silk” livery, as we as more TEAs in N.  These will be available to pre-order early in the new year.

 

Class 92 final test sample by Rapido Trains.

At Warley were were also able to unveil our first steam locomotive – the GWR 56XX in N produced with Sonic models – along with the latest CADs for the HOA hopper and an all-new 4mm model – the MMA/JNA box wagon.  These are again not crowdfunded but being produced after we were approached by an investor.  We are offering three variants in DB red and Ermewa and Tarmac grey liveries, while models in VTG/Mendip Rail silver and GBRf blue will be available exclusively from Kernow.

Handpainted sample of MMA wagon in DB red.

First CAD of 56XX steam locomotive.

We also took delivery of the 20′ Tank Containers in N that we produced in conjunction with C-Rail.  These, along with the 40′ hi-cube containers last year, have been very well received and we will be producing another new RTR container next year.  This came, coincidentally, shortly before we closed the order book for the KFA container flats accompanying them which are in production now.

Revolution/C-Rail tank containers in Stolt, Nichicon, Bulkhaul and Hoyer liveries

To conclude, here is a quick reference progress chart summarising 2018.  We anticipate that the next models to be delivered will be the 00 MMA/JNA, N KFA and N 92.

Amazingly, 2019 will mark Revolution’s 5th anniversary (we can’t believe it either!) and we are looking forward to next year being our biggest and best year yet!  But as ever, we couldn’t do any of this without our fellow enthusiasts, so once again we’d like to thank you for your support.

 

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Revised CADs for Twins – let there be lights!

Revolution has received revised CADs for the forthcoming IZA Cargowaggon twin vans, and now the version with flashing tail lamp has also been included.

The main correction was adding the distinctive holes in the angled frames on each end, and this has been done too.  Also, the models now correctly have the parking brake wheel on one of the pair only.

Other minor corrections include the addition of the small corner footstep and grab handles below the buffers, as well as an improved centre coupler.

 

But the main event is that the model now has provision for the working flashing tail lamp option.

The lamp is a plastic moulding, while the lens protrudes from inside the wagon where the PCB with battery holder, LED and flashing control circuits is placed.

Both standard versions and flashing tail lamp versions can be reserved and as ever we will only produce enough models to supply those who order before the deadline.

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It’s twins for Revolution Trains

Revolution Trains is offering the ubiquitous Cargowaggon twin ferry van as its next RTR model in British N-gauge 1:148 scale.

IZA twin 27 80 2794 008-3 at Hoo Junction December 1986. Courtesy Paul Bartlett.

100 twin sets were built by Duewag of Germany for Cargowaggon in 1986, and the vast majority remain in service.

92036 “Bertolt Brecht” with a rake of IZAs carrying mineral water at Soulbury in 2013.Courtesy Andrew Chambers.

Coded IZA under TOPS, under the continental UIC system they were initially designated Habbfis, though this was later changed to Hfirrs 3.  Their success led to further builds of 50 pairs each in 1989 and 1991.

When introduced they were used on the Dover-Calais train ferries and they are certified for Channel Tunnel use.  The primary traffic for these wagons from the continent is mineral water, however they are or have been used to transport a wide variety of goods within Britain including bagged clay, newsprint, whisky, beer, cider, pet-food and metal.

A pair of IZA twin vans and two bogie vans behind 31142 on a Norwich-Whitemoor train at March in 1989. Courtesy Mick Page.

They have been recorded across the network, from Cornwall to the north of Scotland, from Kent to South Wales, from East Anglia to the Midlands and North West, and to the south of France, the Netherlands and Germany.

They can be seen both in block trains, or in smaller cuts in Enterprise (formerly Connectrail) wagonload trains, as well as MOD services.

47200 with three Cargowaggon twin sets immediately behind carrying cider between Exeter and Mossend, 1992. Courtesy Mick Page.

They were built in permanently coupled pairs to take advantage of European grants available at the time aimed at encouraging the use of wagons with 4 axles.  The brake gear is such that the they cannot operate separately; if one derails then the pair must be taken out of service.

Courtesy Ernie Puddick

When introduced, the majority carried Cargowaggon branding, though a small number of sets carried the Perrier logo as they were used on mineral water traffic from central and southern France to Britain.

We will be offering both liveries, along with the slightly revised Cargowaggon livery brought in later, when the wagons were given modified lettering and the ferry hooks and axleboxes were painted yellow.

We are working with Touax, the present owners of these wagons, to ensure our model is as accurate as possible and we would like to thank them for all their assistance in drawings and site visits.

Our model will feature expected levels of fidelity and detail, with injection-moulded plastic bodies, separately fitted detail parts and handrails, kinematic NEM couplers on the outer ends and a inner coupler ensuring the wagons are a scale distance apart.

We are also offering one pack with a factory fitted, battery powered flashing tail lamp at one end, for additional authenticity and realism.

Look out for the flashing tail light option!

The models are priced at £36 for each twin, £108 for a triple pack with different numbers and £40 for the twin fitted with a flashing tail lamp.

Once we have enough pre-orders we will authorise tooling to begin and, as ever, we will only produce enough models to satisfy pre-orders.