When it comes to jobs, railway enthusiast Simon Howard is living the dream.
Not only does he spend his days repairing cherished model trains, but he does it overlooking the site of the birthplace of the railway.
From the window of the Accurascale warranty office or model ‘train hospital’ he runs from a unit at Innovation Central in Darlington, Simon has a view of full-scale versions of the miniatures he’s fixing up – as well as reminders of the town’s rich railway heritage.
“Let’s face it, my little train hospital couldn’t be anywhere better!” said Simon, Warranty Technician for award-winning model railway company Accurascale.
“I’m surrounded by railway history. It’s amazing to be doing this job where rail travel as we know it began with the Stockton and Darlington Railway. The only downside is that I’m occasionally distracted by what’s going on outside on the rails when I’m on a video call with the team!”
Accurascale was born in 2015 when four modellers came together to disrupt the market with a fresh approach to model manufacturing.
By creating a streamlined way of working, savings are invested in innovative design techniques such as 3D scanning to provide much more accurate scale models of locomotives and rolling stock than traditional manufacturing methods which relies on line drawings.
Accurascale now ships tens of thousands of its multi award-winning models to customers around the world and fans have voted the brand Manufacturer of the Year every year since 2021.
The company’s team of experts are located around the UK and are home-based – all except Simon who needs a dedicated space to run Accurascale’s warranty hub and honour the lifetime warranty provided with each product.
Digital Manager Richard Watson said: “The company has enjoyed massive growth thanks to the innovative way we work. Every person in the team has been handpicked for their talent and because they are home-based there are no geographical constraints when it comes to recruitment.
“But we need a professional front door for the business and a UK postal address for customers worldwide, and Innovation Central is the perfect choice for us.
“The facilities ticked all of the boxes, it gives us the hybrid way of working we need and it’s an unbelievable bonus that we’re sitting on the site where all of the amazing history took place!”
Dan Sanderson, Centre Manager at Innovation Central said: “This is a perfect example of a dynamic, modern company designing its office infrastructure around its team and its needs. We love nothing more than to strengthen businesses by providing them with the facilities and community they need to grow and thrive and it’s extra special to share such a historic link with Accurascale.”
Innovation Central and neighbouring sister site Business Central provide a connected business community at the heart of the town’s Central Park development. Both are owned by Darlington Borough Council and are managed by the North East BIC.
Innovation Central features 45 Grade A offices and five labs, all designed as flexible spaces where businesses can grow. The project is jointly funded by Darlington Borough Council, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), £3.55million from the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority, and the Government’s Getting Building Fund.
To find out more about Innovation Central and Business Central visit darlingtonworkspace.co.uk