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:
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.
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.
The Class 410 4-BEP EMU Picture copyright and courtesy of Bachmann.The Class 410 (or 4BEP) electrical multiple units (7003 to 7012) were delivered from Eastleigh works in 1958/59. The 4BEP was conceived alongside the existing 4CEP to provide buffet accommodation and were often to be found as the centre 4 coaches in a 12 car formation between two 4CEP units, but could also be found running singularly or paired with a single 4CEP.
The Class 410 4-BEP EMU in Blue and Grey Picture copyright and courtesy of Bachmann.The models feature full underfloor equipment, dedicated coupling system, internal lighting and illuminated train head code boxes.
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’.
The ‘Merl Evans’ Colas Class 37 No. 37099 Picture copyright and courtesy of Bachmann.I had the pleasure of dealing with Merl during his time at Bachmann and this is a fine tribute to the work he put in to moving the hobby fowards as a whole. The locomotive has just been extensively overhauled and modified for the latest chapter in its working life with Colas working on the Main Line. As part of these works, a change had to be made to the headlight position on the nose (something that we will replicate on our tooling) and it was out-shopped in the latest Colas livery proudly carrying its unique tribute to Merl. A donation will be made from the sale of each model towards LOROS, the chosen charity of Merl’s family. LOROS provides hospice care in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and further details can be found here.
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
The 00 ex SECR C Class is getting reduced to N gauge. Picture copyright and courtesy of Bachmann.C Class (which is sound enabled) Designed primarily for goods duties, Harry Wainwright’s ‘C’ Class 0-6-0 also proved useful for local passenger and excursion trains. Built by Neilson, Reid & Co., Sharp Stewart and the South Eastern & Chatham Railway’s works at Longhedge and Ashford, they proved to be a successful and long-lived class with the last trio surviving in use until 1966. No. 592 is preserved at the Bluebell Railway.
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
Graham Farish 474-432 Bulleid Semi Open Brake Third number S4109 of Set 84Note that the four versions of Bulleid coaches, although being sold separately, will be numbered and branded to make a correct 4 coach Set Number 84, as introduced in May 1949 for the South Eastern Section, with set numbers on the ends of the two Semi Open Brake Thirds. Set 84 remained in this livery until gaining the darker BR(s) green in August 1956.
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.
