Tag Archives: Bachmann Collectors Club

Model News

Bachmann Europe issue new Combined Volume, some new liveries and a change to new tooling announcements

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Bachmann Europe have announced a change to their new product announcements and produced a new catalogue encompassing all their British Outline brands / scales including: Branchline, Graham Farish, Narrow Gauge, Scenecraft and other complimentary products; called “The Combined Volume” a term which I am sure will be familiar to those who were trainspotters in their younger days.

This new Combined Volume illustrates ongoing items that are available to purchase, or have been included within previous catalogues for delivery at a future date. It does not include any new re-liveries (announced today) or new tooling products.
We have come to expect new tooling announcements from a number of manufacturers during the first couple of months of each year with some having been criticised in the past for the length of time between announcements and the products being released. Some of you might have been expecting a post regarding new product tooling announcements today.

Bachmann’s Managing Director; David Haarhaus explains about their ‘new era’:
“In response to customer and consumer feedback, we have taken steps to reduce the lead time between the announcement and release of new products. Working with our colleagues at Kadar, real progress has been made in the latter half of 2019 to release many of the outstanding items announced several years ago.  Last year 13 new tooling products were released, plus more that 200 re-liveried or modified models.”
David continued that in appreciating the support of and benefits to members of their Collectors Club:
“Each issue of the club’s Bachmann Times magazine will feature a new product brochure, highlighting completely new items to be released during the following three months. New tooling announcements will no longer be illustrated by black and white photographs of the original prototype, replaced instead by pictures of our actual models.”

New livery items

As Bachmann continue to deliver the models previously announced it does mean that fewer items and no new tooling announcements are being being made at this moment in time, but that this will clear the path for new models to be revealed later in the year. However the SR related new 00 livery items, out of a total of 20,  announced today and due to arrive this spring, within the next three months, are as follows:

  • 31-464A – ex SECR C Class 0-6-0 No. 1573 in post 1931 SR Lined Black livery
  • 39-600A – SECR 60ft Birdcage Brake Composite Lavatory No. 1157, Set 143 in SECR Dark Lake livery
  • 39-610A – SECR 60ft Birdcage Composite Lavatory No. 1150, Set 143 in SECR Dark Lake livery
  • 39-620A – SECR 60ft Birdcage Brake Third No. 1164, Set 143 in SECR Dark Lake livery,

Also announced within the Scenecraft range are the suite of Bluebell buildings in either Crimson and Cream or Green and Cream including: Booking office, station canopy, Waiting room and toilet, and office and store room.

Work in Progress Update

A total of 30 previously announced models are confirmed as being released this spring,  however by way of an update of items with a Southern / Southern Region flavour I advise as follows:

Branchine 00 Gauge 

Graham Farish N Gauge

The full details of other new, non SR related, livery announcements can be found on the Bachmann website or downloaded here

Model News

New Bachmann Collectors Club Limited Edition Ready for N-Gauging Duty

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The latest limited edition model to be produced exclusively for Bachmann Collectors Club members is the N Scale Class 08 Diesel Shunter as No. 878 ‘Basra’ in Longmoor Military Railway livery (371-020K). Although not technically Southern Railway related the extensive Longmoor Military Railway was located in the heart of the Southern Railway territory in Hampshire between Bordon and Liss, where it had a connection to the SR network on the Portsmouth Direct Line.  The model is priced at £109.95 and just 504 have been produced, each is supplied with a certificate of authenticity.

The real locomotive was delivered new to the LMR from Derby Works in 1945 as War Department No. 70272. It later gained the number 878 and was named ‘Basra’, carrying the iconic blue and red livery of the LMR. When the Longmoor Military Railway closed in 1969, ‘Basra’ was transferred to the Ministry of Defence site at Bicester and was renumbered to AD601. After spells at Bicester, Shoeburyness, Welford Park and Thatcham, the locomotive was eventually sold to the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway in 1980 where it survives in preservation.

The Bachmann Collectors Club produces a range of limited edition models, which are available exclusively to Club Members, and the latest model was launched in the Spring 2019 Bachmann Times – the official quarterly magazine of the Bachmann Collectors Club. For further details visit the Clubs website here.  

This latest release is based on the popular Graham Farish Class 08 Diesel Shunter and features a highly detailed body with numerous separately fitted detail parts. The chassis incorporates NEM coupling pockets and an accessory pack is included with additional bufferbeam
detailing parts. ‘Basra’ joins a growing number of LMR-themed models from Graham Farish, with the Longmoor Military Railway Train Pack that was produced in 2015 now highly sought after and the WD 2-8-0 No. 79250 ‘Major-General McMullen’ (372-429) due for release later this year.

Model News

Bachmann and Graham Farish mid term work in progress update from an SR and BR(s) perspective

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As has been the case in previous years the team at Bachmann have provided the media, and Bachamnn Collectors Club members, with a mid-term update on work in progress across all the many stages of the manufacturing process from: research, Drawing office CAD, Tool room, Engineering Prototypes samples, livery artwork, production and being shipped. This post is a quick summary of the status of those models of a Southern Railway / British Railways Southern Region flavour. Although some items have been a long time coming, what can be seen is that catch up / progress is being made. Click on  the linked text to get more information on the details of each item from my post on the original announcement.

Bachmann 00

The EP1 of the 2HAP EMU. Picture copyright and courtesy of Bachmann.

The long-awaited ex LBSC H2 Class 4-4-2 Atlantic is very imminent, being released in two versions No. 2421 ‘South Foreland’ SR Olive Green and No. 32424 ‘Beachy Head’ BR Black Early livery. I have been fortunate to have a review sample in my possession and will be posting a review in the next week or so, watch this space.  Being produced alongside the H2 Class is the earlier H1 Class version initially as No. 39 ‘La France’ in LBSCR livery, which is also being shipped.

Within the drawing room are the many permutations, 5 types, of the Bulleid coaches along with the 4BEP (Class 410) EMU.

A front end close up of the 2HAP EP1. Picture copyright and courtesy A York

The 2HAP (Class 414) EMU is at the first Engineering Prototype (EP1) stage and as from the accompanying pictures is looking the part.  Three livery versions will initially be released being: BR green livery, BR blue & grey livery and Network South East livery. At the second Engineering Prototype stage is the 158/159 DMU with with the  3 car 159 Class to be released as No. 159013 in Network South East livery.

Graham Farish N

Recently shipped have been the four versions of the Bulleid coaches in BR(s) malachite green that together, BTK – TK – CK- BTK, create four coach set s84.

The lovely ex SECR Birdcage coaches, already released in 00, scaled down for N gauge and being released in SECR Wellington Brown, Southern Railway Olive Green and BR Crimson liveries are now approved for production.

The Class 450 and Class 319 EMUs are in the drawing office, whilst the 3 versions of the ex SECR C Class 0-6-0 as No. 271 SECR plain green livery,  No. 1256 Southern Railway Black livery and No. 31227 in BR Black livery with early emblem along with the Class 170 2 Car DMU No. in 170308 in South West Trains livery are at the artwork approval stage.

I hope you find this round up interesting and as stated above watch this space for a forthcoming review of the ex LBSC H2 Class 4-4-2 Atlantic.

General, Model News

Bachmann announce that it is to produce a 00 scale ex London Brighton and South Coast Atlantic H2 Class 4-4-2

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Bachmann Europe Plc today, 31st August, have announced the addition to their range of an 00 scale ex London Brighton and South Coast Atlantic H2 Class 4-4-2

The announcement was made at their annual Bachmann Collectors Club members day that co-incidentally was taking place at the Bluebell Railway.

The new model will be released as:
31-921 – 32424 “Beachy Head” BR Black Early Emblem
31-920 – 2426 ‘St. Albans Head” SR Olive Green

Although none are preserved a replica of Beachy Head is currently being built on the Bluebell Railway.

Edit: just clarify this will be a general release anticipated to be available during 2015. Only the two liveries have been announced but maybe others will follow in due course.

In other news Model Rail magazine have today announced that their USA tank will now be produced by Bachmann rather than Dapol.

Further details will be posted later once I have returned from the event and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bachmann and the Bluebell Railway for the hospitality provided to myself and fellow members of the media, retailers and collectors club members that have attended. The day has included guided tours of the Wagon & Carriage Works, Locomotive Workshops and of course the Atlantic House workshop to see the progress being made on the replica, along with train travel along the entire line including the new Northern extension to East Grinstead aboard heritage rolling stock chartered by Bachmann.

General, Model News

Bachmann Collectors’ Club goes Grey with C Class 689

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The Bachmann Collectors club have announced today the following:

“We are pleased to present our latest limited edition model. The popular Bachmann Branchline C Class 0-6-0 locomotive is now available exclusively from the Bachmann Collectors Club depicted in South Eastern & Chatham Railway Dark Grey livery as No.689. No.689 was one of a batch built in July 1900 by Neilson, Reid & Co of Glasgow, the class eventually totaling 109 examples with 70 being constructed at Ashford Works. During World War 1 in an effort to reduce cost and relieve the shortage of labour in the workshops, a simplified green livery with yellow numerals was introduced by the South Eastern & Chatham Railway.
This livery change coincided with the Operating Department’s adoption of the American despatch system which required easy identification of the locomotive as part of the procedure. Considerable difficulty was experienced with the colours weathering quickly and becoming difficult to read so the livery was changed to a dark slate grey with large white running numbers on the tender to aid identification in signal boxes and yards, particularly at night. This is the period of operation depicted by the release of the latest Bachmann Collectors’ Club model. 

Picture courtesy of Bachmann Europe Plc

 Just 504 certificated models of the C Class have been produced (31-460K). This product is now available for Bachmann Collectors’ Club members to purchase through the Club website at www.bachmann-collectorsclub.co.uk and can also be ordered via telephone on 01455 841756. The model costs £84.35 and is available for immediate delivery.”