Today Bachmann Europe Plc. having brought forward the timing from their traditional March slot, and hot on the heals of Hornby last week, announced their plans for the next 18 months, or so (as we have seen in the past progress on some of the previously announced models have certainly taken, or are taking longer longer than their intended 18 month timescales for a number of reasons), for both the Bachmann Branchlines (00) and Graham Farish (N) brands. They also provided updates on the current work in progress. I outline below the items of Southern / Southern Region interest.
Following the last few years that have had to be a case of consolidation, to catch up with previously announced models due to resource and manufacturing capacity issues, the addition of new resources put into the areas of CAD and tooling has started to see an improvement in bringing existing projects to fruition, overall 12 new tooling products have been delivered to the market in 2016, such as the excellent USA tank on behalf of Model Rail magazine and also the progress now seen in the Engineering prototypes of the ex SECR Birdcage coaching stock and the ex LBSC 4-4-2 H2 Class ‘Atlantics’.
The overall theme for both brands this year is the 30th Anniversary of the launch of the RailFreight sector in 1987, the Railfreight brand was relaunched with a bold new colour scheme combining three-tone grey paintwork with colourful sector symbols and imaginative depot plaques.
Also included in both brands is a unique Vulcan collectors pack featuring Class 37 ‘Vulcan XH558’ locomotives in each respective scale and newly tooled 1:144 scale models of the Vulcan aircraft.
The full details of the Bachmann and Graham Farish ranges can be found on there website here.
Despite post Brexit exchange rates falls (up to 20%) Bachmann held pricing during 2016 and although rises will be seen during 2017 they tried to mitigate this and keep such rises to a minimum as much as possible. Just 28% of the 00 range (36% in N) will see an increase with an average rise of approximately 6% (4% in N).
Bachmann 00 gauge
The headline new tooling is the Class 410 4BEP EMU.
- 31-490 4 BEP 4 Car EMU No. 7003in BR Green livery with Small Yellow Panel
- 31-491 Class 410 4 Car EMU No. 7010 in BR Blue & Grey livery
Other items of SR / BR(s) interest being released as new items for 2017 are as follows:
- 32-860 BR Standard Class 9F Numbr 92211 BR(s) Large Tender with late crest as allocated to Eastleigh 1961, then to Feltham 6/1963 before being transferred to ER 9/1963. Used on Fawley Oil traffic.
- 31-236A Class 205 No. 1121 BR Green livery with Small Yellow Panel (Weathered)
- 31-238 Class 205 No. 1122 in BR Blue livery with Full Yellow Ends – No Headlight (Weathered)
- 38-526 Mk1 Horse Box in BR Green(S) livery
New tooling for 00 also includes: Midland Class 1532 (1P), Class 20/3, MK1 Carflats (to a different diagram to the Oxford Rail planned release), VEA Vanwide ventilated vans and BR ‘Prestwin’ Twin Silos wagons.
Not specifically SR / BR(s) related (although she visited Salisbury only last week) I also feel it is worth mentioning their release of Class 37 ‘Merl Evans’
To honour their colleague:, who unfortunately passed away last year following his retirement from being head of Research and Development, Bachmann are producing a OO scale model of the Class 37 locomotive number 37099 in Colas Rail livery that was recently named ‘Merl Evans’.
- 32-789 Class 37/0 No. 37099 “Merl Evans” in Colas livery with Split Headcode
Graham Farish N gauge
New tooling in N Gauge is the ex SECR C Class 0-6-0
This will be a perfect companion for the SECR ‘Birdcage’ coaches, also due to be released this year, as well as the many Southern Railway goods wagons in the range.
The model will feature a NEXT 18 DCC decoder socket, coreless motor, loco drive, fine cab detail and NEM couplers
- 372-775 C Class 0-6-0 No. 271 in SECR plain green livery
- 372-776 C Class 0-6-0 No. 1256 Southern Railway Black livery
- 372-777 C Class 0-6-0 No. 31227 in BR Black livery with early emblem
Other items of SR / BR(s) interest being released as new items for 2017 are as follows:
- 374-432 Bulleid 63ft Semi Open Brake Third in BR(s) Malachite Green livery, number S4019 of Set 84
- 374-432A Bulleid 63ft Semi Open Brake Third in BR(s) Malachite Green livery number S4020 of Set 84
- 374-442 Bulleid 63ft Corridor Third in BR(s) Malachite Green livery, number S34 of Set 84
- 374-462 Bulleid 63ft Corridor Composite in BR(s) Malachite Green livery, number S5831 of Set 84
- 374-951 BR Mk2A FK Corridor First in BR(s) Green livery
- 374-631A SR 50′ Bogie B Luggage Van in BR(s) Green livery
- 374-683 BR Mk2 BSO in Network Rail livery
- 374-633 SR 50′ Bogie B Luggage Van in BR Departmental livery
- 377-850A SR 25 Ton ‘Pill Box’Brake Van in SR Brown livery with white Roof
- 377-854A SR 25 Ton ‘Pill Box’ Brake Van in BR Bauxite early livery
New tooling for N also includes: Stanier 8F 2-8-0, Refurbished Class 31, Thompson coaches and retooled 100 T TEA tanker wagons.
Work in Progress
From a work in progress perspective, in 00: the ex SECR Birdcage coaches and ex LBSC 4-4-2 H2 Class ‘Atlantics’ are as already seen at last year at the Engineering Prototype stage and are now at the artwork / livery samples stage. The 450 Desiro EMU should be available in June this year and the warflat wagons should also be in production this year. The Class 414 2HAP and the 45 ton Ransomes and Rapier steam crane are both still at the R & D stage.
In N: the Ckass 319 EMU is still at the R & D Stage whilst the SECR Birdcage coaches are in the drawing office.
The full details of the Bachmann and Graham Farish ranges can be found on their website here.
Note: for both brands and scales I have not relisted above those items already announced last year as per their announcement here.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bachmann for their kind hospitality at their media event today.
The news of phase 1 4 BEP units is most welcomed and is excellent news as the Bachmann 4 CEP proved to be an excellent model.
However, 4 BEP 7003 may not have received a yellow warning panel being the second 4 BEP painted into BR Blue with small yellow warning panels (12th December 1966) with Blue Grey received 21st July 1969. Whilst works & unit records do not shew a yellow warning panel it of course remains possible one was added between 1964-66 as a few electric units had these painted during depot visits for minor attention. The TB of 7003 was equipped with commonwealth bogies in September 1961.
Unit 7010 received Blue Grey livery 22nd November 1967. The TB of 7003 was equipped with commonwealth bogies in early 1960.
Reblogged this on sed30's Blog.
really great news about the 4bep, maybe they’ll release the ceps with commomwealth bogies and the haps as well
kris from poole
Thanks for posting this Graham, I take it the Bullieds are still the old mouldings so not much for me this year🙁 Well roll on 2018
The Bulleid coaches are in the Graham Farish range and therefore in N gauge and was new tooling last year.
Sorry about that, thought they were 4mm models!
Naught new for the pre-BR North Cornwall modeler. Not much was expected anyway.
Agreed, pity no changes in the variants/liveries for the SR brake van and PMV
Thanks for update Graham. As I have a Southern Pride 4BEP in my collection might give this a miss and await the Birdcage coaches and Atlantic.
Re 4BEP. The only known regular booked useage of the 4BEP units singularly was a period in the early 1970’s when at weekends 2 4BEP units were used on the Victoria – Gatwick Airport service, calling only at East Croydon (Headcode 10). This was the first break from the traditional method of providing a 2-car (Post War all steel 2HAL) unit at the London end of Victoria – Bognor sei-fast services via Horsham, whch dropped the 2-car unit at Gatwick. During the week all 4BEP’s (not allocated to maintenance) were in regular scheduled multi-unit services both on the Central and South Eastern Divisions. The success of running seperate Gatwick trains at weekends, lead to their introduction 7 days a week, but by that time sufficient new 4VEP’s were available, some of which were later altered to 4VEG (removal of seats and replacement with luggage racks).
Note the picture with a green 4BEP is actually one of the prototypes of 1956, although it appears to have already had its buffet remounted on Commonwealth bogies. From memory the Headcode 40 was a weekends only Bognor Regis to Victoria via Sutton service. On weekdays the headcode was 20, and the train divided at Barnham with one 4 CEP proceeding to Portsmouth Harbour. The service was later diverted (about 1978 by which time I was a Conductor Guard working these services) via Crawley and Gatwick.
Anthony McDiarmid
Liaison Officer, Railway Museum, Mora la Nova, Tarragona, Spain.