The DRS Class 66 is one of those locomotives that immediately catches the eye, and Accurascale has done an excellent job of reproducing it. The livery is beautifully finished, with sharp printing, vibrant colours and an exceptional level of separately fitted detail that gives the model a real presence on the layout.
The factory-fitted ESU LokSound decoder is excellent, producing a rich and authentic Class 66 soundtrack with plenty of depth and volume. Performance is equally impressive, with silky-smooth slow-speed running, dependable pickups and a stay-alive that performs exactly as it should, allowing the locomotive to glide confidently over pointwork and less-than-perfect track.
What has particularly impressed me is the consistency of the Class 66 compared with my experience of Accurascale’s Class 37 Batch 3 run. I purchased all of the Class 37 Batch 3 variants, and around 40% of the sound-fitted examples I received had issues of some kind, including detail parts not fitted correctly at the factory, excessive oil, or parts missing. By contrast, I have not had any of those issues with the Accurascale Class 66 locomotives I have purchased.
The lighting functions further enhance the realism, while the quality of construction and finish gives the model a genuine premium feel. Everything works together exactly as you would hope from a flagship ready-to-run locomotive.
Having built up a collection of more than 55 Accurascale locomotives, I continue to find that their larger diesel locomotives can represent some of the very best models on the market when the quality control is right. This Class 66 is an excellent example of what the company is capable of when everything comes together.
A superb locomotive that looks fantastic, sounds excellent and performs reliably. Highly recommended.
