Bachmann Europe have continued their new policy of making quarterly product announcements the highlight of todays announcement of new tooling is the SECR/SR Maunsell/Lyons Diagram 1559 25 ton good brake van first introduced in 1918.

These ‘modern’ 24ft long 16ft wheel base brake vans with their spacious guard’s accommodation were given the nickname ‘Dancehalls’ . Although the later SR standard brake vans had shorter bodies they used the same underframe design. A total of 60 of the vans were built between 1918 and 1927 with the first 20 being on 12″ channel underframes to Diagram 1559 and the following 40 on 15″ channel underframes to Diagram 1560. The difference between the two diagrams can be easily spotted as the Diagram 1560 vans did not have the bottom 3″ plank across the sides. Ten of the vans were rebuilt in 1963 for departmental use, these had one balcony incorporated into the van section and end windows added becoming diagram 1571, some of these after being both vacuum and air piped lasted until the 1980s.

The four Bachmann models of the SECR Diagram 1559 brake vans being released are as follows:

• 38-915 D1559 SECR Grey livery No. 11902 (also the number of the  preserved prototype at the Whitwell & Reepham Station in Norfolk)
• 38-916 D1559 SR Pre-1936 Livery No.55462 (although many would have survived in this livery style well after 1936 and throughout the war)
• 38-917 D1559 BR Grey livery No. S55457 as based at Hither Green
• 38-918 D1559 BR Departmental Olive Green No. DS 55455 as based at Eastleigh Permanent Way Dept.

These models are complete with interior detail such as stove, brake handwheel and desk visible through the end windows.

It is good to see these excellent looking (and often requested) models now coming to the market as I know, having provided some assistance, that these have been development for a couple of years.

The full details of the Bachmann Showcase announcement can be found on the Kernow Model rail Centre website here.