AC EMU's

[Perry745]

Some AC EMU's would be great, class 304/305/308 and 309, there are no ready to run examples available, a nice gap in the market.

[Private_Siding]

I think it will stay a gap. There is a call for a pantograph system before any of them appear.
The first generation EMU’s have only just started being produced by the rtr company’s, but the SR have first dabs on that one - They have been patient.
The

302/307 looked the same after the 302’s were refurbished in the NSE era with the head code blanked over so these units livery could be form BR Green to Blue to Blue/grey to NSE.
The 304/305/308 share a lot of similarities with the 504 class (third rail)

units, so a good choice to mould you would think. They spanned all the liveries above and went into regional Railways / Privatisation livery as well.
The 309 is a no hoper. Wrap round windows was a big problem, so they got rid of them. Lots of liveries

though.

[LCDR]

A RTR 350 unit is promised elsewhere. DC Kits do include first generation AC units in their range of plastic kits, including some of the BR designs with sloped cab windows. Overhead electrification is not seen as difficult by European model train manufacturers,

so perhaps the wait may not be quite as long as it is feared.

[Ozexpatriate]

Private_Siding said:
I think it will stay a gap. There is a call for a pantograph system before any of them appear.

Why do you need a working catenery overhead? Power from the rails with a non-electrically attached pantograph and catenery

system used only for appearance solves a lot of connectivity / wear problems you otherwise encounter with a working catenary.

I don't follow developments in this space, but I thought that there were model catenary systems available.

[LCDR]

Yes there are, mostly of European origin, but another has been promised by a certain West of England track manufacturer. Most of the OHL exhibition layouts I have seen actually use dummy overhead for reasons of reliability, but there are people who persevere

at home to make it work. One day I will try and get my old Tri-ang catenary (with the punched steel sections) to work, but I fear that corrosion may get the better of me!

[fatwalletboy]

its more case of 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. you cant have ac emus without catenary and likewise you can have catenary without ac emus (or any ac locos).
dapol have started to bring in easy to fit catenary masts and i believe the range is

set to expand.

with most of the 3rd rail emus now being modelled my view is that overhead versions is the natural progression unless RTR manufacturers stop it there and simply go back and revise and/or retool old existing models as they come round

for a revamp and they leave overhead models as pipe dreams. I dont think they will.

[Postman Prat]

I don't think that you can say that "with most of the 3rd rail emus now being modelled" by any means. I've very little knowledge (or interest) in 3rd rail emus but even I'm aware that there was a wide range of types. No doubt LC&DR and Mortehoe can give

us chapter and verse on the range that ran on the Southern. Also remember the Gresley articulated stock that ran around Newcastle, the LMS type that ran around Liverpool and the 504s (side contact 3rd rail) on the Bury line.