Today Bachmann Europe Plc. announced their plans for the next 18 months, or so 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.

The full details of the Bachmann and Graham Farish ranges can be found on their  website here.

Bachmann 00 gauge

The headline new tooling for Southern Railway and Southern Region modellers is the much requested Bulleid 64ft coaches. The original Bulleid 64ft coaching produced by Bachamnn are now a bit long in the tooth and these completely new toolled versions will be most welcome especially as the range will incorporate both the SR and later BR(s) built versions with both 10″ and 15″ window vents and also the later bodyside strengthening rib within tooling options.
Five body toolings will include: Semi Open Brake Third (BTK), Corridor Composite (CK), Brake Composite (BCK), Corridor Third (TK) and Open Third (T).
This will allow number of possible correct set combination and the initial releases are as follows:

• 

• 3 coach ‘L’ set 790 (BTK-CK-BTK) from range 770-793 with 10″ window vents in Southern Malachite introduced 1946
• 5 coach ‘H’ set (BTK-TK-CK-TK-BTK) 847 from range 830 -849 with 15″ window vents in  BR Crimson and Cream introduced in 1950. These sets often also ran as 3 coach ‘L’ sets (often a winter formation) minus the two TKs’
• 2 coach ‘R’ set (BTK-BCK) 69 from range 63 – 75 with 10″ window vents in BR Green livery with side strengthening ribs

Initial release as follows:

• 34-725                 Bulleid Semi-Open Brake Third Dia 2123 (10″ Vents) in Southern Railway Malachite Green No. 4341
• 34-725A              Bulleid Semi-Open Brake Third Dia 2123 (10″ Vents) in Southern Railway Malachite Green No. 4342
• 34-750                 Bulleid Corridor Composite (10″ Vents) in Southern Railway Malachite Green No. 5771
  New Tooling, 34-725/725A/750 will make set 790
• 34-775                 Bulleid Corridor Third Dia 2019 (10″ Vents) in  Malachite Green but with BR “S” prefixes as delivered in late 1948, this coach is a ‘loose’ coach that would be added to strengthen sets. No. TBC from  range s1932 to s1936
• 34-726                 Bulleid Semi-Open Brake Third Dia 2123 (10″ Vents) in BR (SR) Green No. S4377S
• 34-800                 Bulleid Brake Composite Dia 2405 (10″ Vents) in BR (SR) Green No.S6706S
  New Tooling, 34-726/800 will make set 69
• 34-727                 Bulleid Semi-Open Brake Third Dia 2123 (15″ Vents) in BR Crimson & Cream No. S4005S
• 34-727A              Bulleid Semi-Open Brake Third Dia 2123 (15″ Vents) in BR Crimson & Cream No. S4006S
• 34-751                 Bulleid Corridor Composite Dia 2318 (15″ Vents) in BR Crimson & Cream No. S5865S
• 34-776                 Bulleid Corridor Third Dia 2019 (15″ Vents) in BR Crimson & Cream No. S75S
• 34-776A              Bulleid Corridor Third  Dia 2019 (15″ Vents) in BR Crimson & Cream No. S76S
  New Tooling, 34-727/727A/751/776/776A will make set 847

LBSCR H1 Class Atlantic 4-4-2

Five H1 Class locomotives were built for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway by Kitson & Co. between December 1905 and February 1906 to the design of D.E.Marsh. The first was withdrawn in January 1944 and the last in July 1951. This is new tooling specific to the H1 Class. Differences from the H2 Class currently in production include the curved running plate, early cab and boiler fittings. It has been developed alongside the H2 and will available for delivery later this year. Initially only the LBSC livery is being released but others will be in the pipeline for future years.

• 31-910                 H1 Class Atlantic No. 39 ‘La France’ in LBSCR livery

Class 171 DMU

9 x two-car and 6 x four-car units were built between 2003 and 2005 for Porterbrook Leasing Company for use on Southern’s Uckfield branch which is not electrified. This model is based on new tooling also being developed for the Class 170 DMU.

• 35-580                 Class 171 2-Car DMU No. 171722 in Southern livery

Class 159 DMU

22 x three-car units were originally built as Class 158 units by British Rail Engineering Ltd in 1992 for Regional Railways, by the time construction had been completed they were no longer required. Rosyth Dockyard converted them in 1992 and 1993 to a new specification for the Network SouthEast sector of British Rail. These units were to replace locomotive hauled trains on the London Waterloo – Salisbury – Exeter route. All saw service post privatisation with South West Trains and more recently with South Western Railway (since 20th August 2017).

• 31-520                 Class 159 3-Car DMU No. 159013  in Network South East livery

New liveries from existing tooling

• 32-510 – BR Standard Class 5MT No. 73118 ‘King Leodegrance’ BR lined black early emblem and large tender
• 39-603 – SECR 60′ Birdcage Brake Composite Southern Railway Malachite Green No. 3527
• 39-613 – SECR 60′ Birdcage Composite Southern Railway Malachite Green No.5484
• 39-623 – SECR 60′ Birdcage Brake 3rd Southern Railway Malachite Green No.3455
  Items 39-603/13/23 will correctly make set 622
• 38-083A – 12 Ton Southern 2+2 Planked Ventilated Van GWR Grey
• 38-080C – 12 Ton Southern 2+2 Planked Ventilated Van LMS Grey

Graham Farish N gauge

Southern  steam modellers in N Gauge  get revised tooling for the N class model that has seen revisions to the tender tooling to provide a Next 18 DCC decoder socket and space for Digital Sound to be fitted. This year sees the much requested southern livery fitted with smoke deflectors for the first time.

• 372-934DS          N Class No. 1823 in Southern Railway Lined Maunsell Green (DCC Sound)
• 372-935               N Class No. 31810 in weathered BR Black (Late Crest) livery

Class 450 EMU

The Class 450 is a member of the Siemens Desiro family for which Graham Farish already produce the Class 350 variants. The Class 450 EMUs were built by Siemens for South West Trains. A total of 127 four-car units are currently in traffic on South Western Railway long distance routes in and out of London Waterloo (since 20th August 2017).

• 371-725               Class 450 4-Car EMU No. 450073 in South West Trains livery

Work in Progress

From a work  in progress perspective, in 00: the ex LBSC 4-4-2 H2 Class ‘Atlantics’ and the newly announced H1 are now at the artwork / livery samples stage. As reported from Warley the the 45 ton Ransomes and Rapier steam crane is now at the Engineering prototype stage. and both should along with the H1  be delivered during 2018.  The Class 159 DMU is already in the tool room, whilst the Class 414  2HAP and 4 BEP  are still in the drawing office.

In N: the Class 319 EMU is now in the drawing office. The SECR C Class 0-6-0 is at the Engineering Prototype stage and the Birdcage coaches are at the livery sample stage, both of which should be delivered during 2018

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.