Bachmann Europe have revealed today its Autumn 2025 British Railway Announcements that includes new versions of the LBSC E4 0-6-2Ts and 2-HAP EMUs including SOUND FITTED versions along with brand new tooled Stanier 8F in 00 Gauge.
The LB&SCR E4 0-6-2 Tank returns to the range this Autumn having been upgraded for sound and four models will be available with optional SOUND FITTED (Netx 18 decoder socket) including the sole-surviving E4 in BR guise as No. 32473.
- 35-075A LB&SCR E4 Tank 514 LBSC Lined Umber livery as carried to c1924 (screw reverser and air braked only)
- 35-076B LB&SCR E4 Tank 2505 SR Maunsell Green, post 1931 livery carried until c1941 (lever reverser, dual braked)
- 35-079A LB&SCR E4 Tank 32473 BR Lined Black (Early Emblem) livery (lever reverser, dual braked)
- 35-080 LB&SCR E4 Tank 2487 SR Black (Sunshine) livery as carried from c1941 to c1950 (lever reverser, dual braked)
The 2-HAP Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) also joins the Autumn 2025 range with two new livery options, and again for the first time this model will be offered with optional SOUND FITTED.
- 31-393 Class 414 2-HAP 2-Car EMU 6079 BR (SR) Green (Small Yellow Panels) as running from c1965 to when repainted in BR Blue in February 1969.
- 31-394 Class 414 2-HAP 2-Car EMU 6089 BR Blue as running between November 1968 and March 1982.
Ninety years since the first example emerged from the LMS’s Crewe Works it’s time to welcome OO scale models of the LMS Stanier 8F 2-8-0 to the Bachmann’s Branchline range for the first time.
Designed by William Stanier for the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS), the 8F was the modern solution that the LMS had been looking for to reduce dependency on its overstretched fleet of 0-6-0s, and its ageing 0-8-0s. The construction, operators and working lives of the 8Fs is complicated, but essentially 852 were built, albeit just 331 had been ordered by the LMS, the first of
which was built at Crewe in 1935 and the last at Horwich in 1945.
Orders for the War Department were placed with a multitude of workshops across England and Scotland and 8Fs were built by all of the ‘Big 4’ – the GWR, LNER, LMS and Southern Railway (SR) at Eastleigh works which built 23 between 1942 and 1944, and Brighton Works which from 1943 built 93 at the incredible rate of one every 4.5 days. The 8Fs were often seen on North London transfer freight workings which took as far as the yards at Norwood.
The models features a die-cast running plate and boiler and a wealth of tooling options ranging from tenders, smokebox doors, driving wheels and balance weights, reverser rods, AWS system and snowploughs. Initially five livery versions from LMS to BR Black late crest are being released.
The full Bachmann BRA Autumn 2025 announcements video can be viewed here. Remember these announcements cover models that are due to become available during three to six months.
You can of course pre-order the and all their newly announced items, at retailers such as Kernow Model Rail Centre here.
Surely the 2-HAPs did not have yellow panels when introduced in 1959?
Well spotted, duly amended.
Whilst small warning panels started appearing in earnest late-1963, the earliest record of BR 2 HAP units receiving these is in March 1965.
However, some units appear to be painted ad-hoc which might explain why some were seen in traffic with warning panels but without the UIC 1st class yellow cantrail banding (applied during painting /varnishing) and were still equipped with whistles instead of air horns.
The early headcodes (with larger numbers) were promptly changed on EP units as the replacements included two red blanks thus reducing the reliance on oil tail lamps.
Thank you for the ‘heads-up Graham!
The all-Blue 2 HAP is a most welcome addition to Bachmann’s range.
As an aside, none of the Phase 1 Batch 2 units (as modelled by Bachmann) appeared in blue livery with small warning panels.
I have two E4s from the first batch. Excellent runners and very good models. Am looking forward to a 8F to replace my aged Hornby model