December 4, 2023 Richard Watson

Fitting your Class 37 Headcodes

You've purchased your new early Class 37, and you'll no doubt have noticed the headcodes on either end of the model. These played a huge role in identifying locomotives and their trains to signallers up and down the network, allowing them to recognise the train's type and its intended route. This simple guide will show you how to easily change your locomotive's headcodes to suit best your needs.

Step one: Remove the body from the chassis by teasing the body over the four clips (two located at each end of the model). This is best done before buffer beam detatil is added.

Step two: Turn the body over and locate the rear of the headcode boxes.

Step three: Gently push the headcode face out of the body, for best results use a small blunt instrument like a modeller's flathead screwdriver. Once removed, they can be separated into three parts, the headcode face, the headcode itself and the supporting frame.

Step four: In your Locomotive box, we've provided a full set of Headcode numbers and a reference sheet for your convenience. Select which option best suits your layout.

Step five: Attach a frame to the back of the chosen number, note the headcode numbers are sticky, this helps keep the frame in place while handling.

Step six: Now place the frame onto the inside of the headcode face. Note the position of the handle when arranging the orientation of the numbers.

Step seven: Replacing the headcode faces onto the locomotive, they may require a tiny drop of PVA glue just to hold them in position. We recommend PVA as it can be removed in future should you wish to change the numbers at a later stage.

Step eight: While the body is removed from the Chassis, this is a good time to add an Accurascale crew to your locomotive. (https://www.accurascale.com/collections/crews-and-people)