No 103. Accurascales NEW Class 37 against Bachmann & ViTrains 37's. Which one is value for money? 

Accurascale certainly have brought a new level of model and at a reasonable price for the amount of detail your getting for the money.

Nice comparison review, I like the look of the Accurascale one, seems really smart on quality. All the best. Brian

Nice video Andrew. Vi trians came form the embers of Lima , the story goes that when they went bust they where in the process of reworking the 37/47. Hornby upon buying up the tooling just bought what was already made etc & that was that. Vi trains just carried on with the 2 projects for 00 & left it at that. Probably felt that given the prices back then they could'nt compete with the Chinese made models. When the Bachmann 37/4 first came out it was £49.95 , a Lima one was £49.95, the whole point of the move to China to take advantage of the faster / advanced tooling tech they had & to slash manufacturing costs. Peter Binger who was in charge at Riko International - Lima's UK distributor / specified the models, was quite adamant that back in 1998 modellers in the UK would'nt stomach £75 for 4 axle drive / can motor / lights model of a class 66 , or £15 -£17.50 for a bogie aggregate wagon or intermodal flat for it to haul. Had many a heated debate with him back then about the matter, let alone with Hornby about what was on the horizon. Bachmann making a clear statement of intent with the 158 in 1995 with its 4 axle drive / lights etc. Only a fool would think that Bachmann wasnt going to go further , they inherited a fantastic model in the mainline class 42 & they just made it even better when they got the can motor & 4 axle drive in it. The stupid thing with Lima is how good their HO models where & yet Riko just wouldnt up the game in 00 & when Lima did change to the 4 axle drive with the 67 it was to little to late. Bachmann have had it to good for to long, the eager / keen company of 1995-2004 is long gone. When they fully got stuck in with the 37 , the wagons , you just couldnt get to the model shop quick enough to buy the models, the EWS HTA / BYA / JGA & multifrets all between £15.95 & £21.95 for the twin set multifret. Bachamnn do make lovely models , but this idea that concentrating on Rolls Royce models at Rolls Royce prices is all good & well but theyre becoming detached from reality, Marklin costs what it does because its Marklin , Bachamnn are no Marklin, for a long time they where a second rate US railroad model outfit well behind Aethearn & Walthers etc. Full marks to the guys at Accurascale who are giving it a real go. Theyve totaly pulled the rug from under Hornbys feet , with Cavalex merely out with the thumbscrews in the coffin of Hornby making diesel locomotives ever again. For the money vs features Accurascale are miles in front. Then again Accurascale dont have fancy offices / marketing managers etc or huge overheads to cover. At the moment theyre a lean / keen outfit , closely following Bachmanns early path of making the big hitters & the rolling stock & undercutting their rivals. As for the models , you could argue that they are trying to cram on to much stuff on models, the Bachmann 37 has the edge on the bonnet doors, the accurascale ones hinges on the engine access panels are a bit to chunky. The Vi trains is bascially the Lima 37 with the can motor / standard HO practise of sticking the fiddlies on yourself. Roco etc all do this even now. I bought a Roco VTG ferrywaggon in 1988 & it came with a bag of handrails / brake wheels etc to fasten on. , first Roco model i ever bought , & it was real eyeopener of what £9.95 wagon did vs what a £5.95 Hornby or Lima one came with at the time. Theres a big market for budget models thats not being tapped properly , the railroad range is a dogs breakfast, to be brutally honest theyve never really had a clue at Margate , worst days work ever when they bought Lima as you knew full well that theyd trash the models. With the 3 models youve shown you pays your money & you take your choice , the only problem with Accurascale is the rationing of product , the whipping up of hype / expectation & theyre just not producing enough models. Im not into all this pre ordering etc , pretty old school of going to a shop & buying something , not the youtube launches & the frenzy of the website. Once a gain a nice video & all the best :) LSJ

Hi Andy, great comparison. I have just received my Accurascale class 37 and I am so impressed with it, also have a Bachmann 37 which is very good but not on the level of Accurascale. This is my 2nd Accurascale loco and already got pre orders in for 3 more. As you said their pricing is very good, they have really shaken up the OO gauge diesel locomotive market and long may it continue. All the best David

Hi Andy - An informative comparison and a fair appraisal . Funnily enough I was at the club last night I had my Dapol Class 59 and another member had his Hornby 59 . Up close and next to each other the difference in quality and detail was obvious but when run on the layout viewed from a normal viewing distance you could hardly tell the difference, Accurascale at the moment wins because of their customer service and I hope that continues. Cheers Kev

Hi Andy this is exactly one if the topics I discussed yesterday on my live broadcast . It is such a joke that we have arrived at this crossroads where Hatton’s is closing ( going to a U.S. operated on line business) while companies like Hornby and Bachmann insult us with these inflated prices. As I said, they must think we are stupid

My only bugbears of the Accurascale 37 is the roof panel of mine doesn't sit flush, which stands out like a turd in a pee pot on the large logo livery where the grey to blue seam doesn't line up near the fan grille...and I can see yours looks the same there too. That and the silvered buffer shanks. I really don't know why they did this, the real things don't have silvered shanks unless they have the large round OLEO buffers. I think the Accura roof seam balances out with Bachmanns new tooled 37 unsightly nose end seam, I don't know which looks worse in that regard. Between the new tool Bachy 37 and the Accura 37 for me it comes down to availability. You can buy the Bachmann models all over the place and they're appearing in bargain bins for less than the Accura model, the Accura ones are hard to find and seldom discounted.

I think Accurascale, to make them THE premier product, could have drivers pre fitted in the cab! BACHMANN do this, and personally, their class 47, is outstanding. If BACHMANN tweak their class 37 sound slightly, then theses two companies are going head to head

Great video. Very informative 👏 thank you 😊

Very informative, thank you.

Would have been nice to hear the sound. Good video.

Well, that was a very fair and in-depth comparison of three models. You gave pros and cons of each. Clearly, Accurascale are making a big wake in the ocean of UK OO. All 3 looked sharp enough, with definitive differences. Nicely done, Andrew! Brilliant video! All the best to you and yours!

Excellent video fair comments about all 3 manufacturers. Someone really does need to bring out a cheaper range of models to bring more youngsters into the hobby .

Hi Andy, I love the class 37 and it was great to watch your comparison review of these models. Take care all the best.

Hi Andy you have to buy a speaker they go in the top next to the decoder lovely loco’s I’ve got the Steven Middelmore one waiting for Loch Loman to arrive cheers Al

Nice comparison. Absolutely agreed with respect to the fine detail not showing when the loco is running round the layout. I prioritize running performance over detail for my purchases - which certainly helps me save money. A well weathered "railroad" model can be £100 less than the full fat version (same for second hand Bachmann vs new), and yet can run well, and look just as good from 3 ft.

I’ve got 026 and 402 and they are stunning!! Game changer and a steal for the money compared to the competition

A good comparison of what's available and a fair view of them, with all things considered. Are ViTrains anticipating travel and handling risks of breakage or just bits coming loose in transit? They are popular just now, the class 37 models. Here's to change as long as it has the longevity of the older models. Thanks Andrew. Cheers!

Great comparison Andy, first class stuff...Andy HDP

Hi. Speakers are purchased separately but currently your unable to buy the speaker Brackets though I have spoken with Accurascale and they assured me these are on order. Also I see you have some magnets missing in the body

I’m very impressed with my Accurascale 37, i do still love my 2 trusty Bachmann DRS versions though aswell. Even though they aren’t the latest tooling. Weathering is the next step for my Accurascale version 👍. Good video

Hi Andy hope you're well? I've not received my accurascale 37s yet so I can't compare as yet. However I do like my bachmann 37s although I've fitted roads n rails sound with 2 mega base speakers. If you compare the new bachmann price to that of accurascale then the bachmann is a bit more expensive. Sound fitted accurascale is £259 compared to bachmann at around £292 or £325 deluxe. Having said that I've got both, or will have when my accurascale arrive. Atb Andy

Hi Andrew. Good man Accurascale do the best locos as I have two on order from Accurascale which are next years batch in HNRC 37405 & DRS Heritage 37218. I saw 37418 last Tuesday for real as for the Bachmann model it does look good which I used to have an Bachmann 37 but I gave it to someone. I haven't owned a VI Trains loco before but would like one if I see one which the 37 does look great. From Josh

Hi, I received my 37402 yesterday, but also have the deluxe bachmann 37430. Both are very good, incredible detail, but if you fit the 3 part snowplough, the NEM pocket catches it going around curves causing the loco to derail. IMO the Bachmann has edged it. Solid reliable working fan which I can see, I didnt ask for the instrument panel to be lit I can see it. I think Im feeling grumpy today, lol

Fair point about building cost comparison but you also have to take into account if some of the assembl is done by machinary and also the quantity produced. This does not forgive the likes of other manufacturers to get away with it though, if Accurascale can produce the loco to this quality and price then why can't others. One thing to remember though, there has been lots of problems with failures, especially with the Deltic, after mine was returned for repair it came back worse, it now lives in the bin, I have not even opened ythe box containing the TPE coaches that went back at the same time. Accurascale do seem to deal with the issues but I would like to see what the long term result will be. By the way, have you got magnets missing from the roof cover?

Ldone hi friend really soooo greeeet and wonderful new another video sharing friend 👌👌stay connect friend 🌹

I was very disappointed with accurascale class 37. Everyone keeps blowing smoke up there a#s but to buy a model these days for £170 without a speaker fitted is not great to say the least! If they are charging £100 to buy the sound chip separately why is there not a speaker fitted as standard. 🤷🏻

For me it would be ViTrains as Not Made In China🙂