Designed by Brush Traction and constructed by British Rail Engineering Ltd at Crewe Works in 1986, the unique Class 89 was the prototype for a planned fleet of locomotives that would take over from the HSTs on the electrified ECML and supplement existing motive power on the WCML. Unfortunately, British Rail changed its requirements before the locomotive was even completed, eventually ordering Class 90s and 91s instead. The Class 89 design was later considered for Channel Tunnel use, but was superceded by what eventually became the Brush Class 92.

Used as a test bed between 1986 and 1988 on both the East and West Coast routes, it eventually settled into service working between Kings Cross and Leeds. Delivered in the InterCity Executive scheme it was repainted in the new Swallow livery in December 1988 and named Avocet by the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher the following month. It continued in this duty until July 1992 when it was sidelined following a failure.

It was subsequently purchased for preservation and wore denamed Swallow livery until, in a shock move, it was acquired by privatised ECML operator GNER in 1997 to help with a drastic motive power shortage. Repainted into GNER dark blue, it returned to operation on Kings Cross to Leeds and Bradford trains. Withdrawn for a second time in 2001 it joined the AC Locomotive Group’s preserved fleet at the end of 2006 and repainted back into its original InterCity livery the following year.

The Class 89 story does not end there. The ACLG is currently restoring this locomotive back to operational condition with plans to fit it with the necessary equipment for a return to the national network. The group is tight lipped about its plans. However, after extensive restoration work at Barrow Hill the locomotive was recently moved to Toton for a repaint which may give some hint about its future use.

The Class 89 model will be based on Accurascale’s existing Class 92 platform, with all-wheel powered six-axle bogies and a pantograph that can be raised or lowered almost silently under DC or DCC control.

- Highly-detailed OO scale model, 1:76.2 scale
- Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track)
- Die-cast metal chassis
- RP25-110 profile OO wheels with provision in bogies for re-gauging to P4/EM gauges and ability to set brake blocks in line with wheels
- Separately-applied etched metal/plastic detail parts, including grab handles, steps, wipers, etc.
- Scale width wire handrails
- Etched metal pre-painted nameplates provided for customer to install (of factory fitted if possible)
- Full underframe tank detail with brackets and pipework
- Fully sprung metal buffers and bufferplate, factory-fitted pipework and screw couplings (for display)
- Dummy knuckle coupler provided in polybag
- Kinetic NEM coupler mounts at correct height and mini-tension-lock couplers
- DCC ready [21-Pin MTX Socket] or Factory- Fitted DCC Sound options
- High Performance traction, to include;
- Five-Pole motor with two flywheels
- Metal Helical Gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running
- Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve minimum scale top speed of 125 mph (200 km/h) - DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power
- All wheel drive (sprung centre axle) and all wheel pickup
- Fully detailed Lighting Pack, including:
- Directional lighting, DC and DCC
- Switchable Red and white marker lights
- Separately switched cab lighting and illuminated, driver’s desk, auto/off on movement
- Scale-sized Brecknall-Willis High Speed pantographs raised and lowered by DCC control (auto up and down operation in DC with power on/off)
- Two quality speakers with large sound capsules for best possible sound (on DCC Sound-fitted models)

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