New Tooling Leads the Way in Bachmann’s Summer 2024 British Railway Announcements

The anticipation for today’s announcements has been building since March when Bachmann shared news of two new tooling projects that it is working on – the BR 12T ‘Palvan’ in OO scale and the Anchor-Mounted Tank Wagons in N scale, for its Bachmann Branchline and Graham Farish ranges respectively. This news signalled a changed approach to Bachmann’s British Railway Announcement policy, and today details of the initial models to be produced from this new tooling have been confirmed. Where before items included in the British Railway Announcements were scheduled to arrive in the three months after each quarterly instalment, this may now not always be the case for the new projects announced in this manner. Whilst the Anchor-Mounted Tank Wagons will be arriving in shops later this month, the Palvans will not be released until the turn of the year. It will also be late-2024 when the new Bachmann Branchline BR Mk1 BSO, FO and RB coaches arrive in shops and again, details of the first models were released today after this tooling project debuted at last weekend’s Model World LIVE event.

For those looking for a smaller locomotive, the LMS Fowler 3F ‘Jinty’ Steam Locomotive and the Class 03 Diesel Shunter will be of interest – both return to the Branchline range in a selection of liveries and each with a choice of standard of SOUND FITTED versions.

Another new tooling project set for delivery this Summer is the Graham Farish N scale Class 450 Electric Multiple Unit, and a new model in the contemporary South Western Railway livery has been added to the previously announced South West Trains version. Further new tooling variations appear on the 102 Ton TEA Bogie Tank Wagons, catering for wagons built with conical ends, and there are more releases of the venerable BR 20 Ton Brake Van to add the finishing touch to goods trains.

Bachmann has shared the identities of the locomotives and wagons which will lead its new Bachmann Narrow Gauge NG7 range, with the complete launch range due to arrive with Bachmann stockists in the next three months. Unveiled in mid-April at the Statfold Model Railway Exhibition, NG7 marks Bachmann’s entry into the British 7mm Narrow Gauge market and the launch range comprises the Quarry Hunslet Steam Locomotives, Dinorwic Wagons, and complementary buildings and accessories from Bachmann’s Scenecraft brand.

The Scenecraft range will once again broaden this Summer and new models in OO scale include a canal lock, two types of smaller station building, and for the modern scene, a GSMr Telecom Cabin and Monopole. The popular Ffestiniog Railway series is also expanding with new models of Minffordd Waiting Room, Tan-y-Bwlch Footbridge, Boston Lodge Engine Shed and Harbour Station Goods Shed all joining the 4mm scale range for use on OO9 and OO scale layouts and dioramas.

The final two new tooling announcements today are for the EFE Rail OO scale range, the first of which is the Plasser 12T General Purpose Crane. A new model designed and developed for EFE Rail, the Plasser Crane has been a regular sight on the railway network since the 1970s, making it a fitting subject for EFE Rail’s first piece of ‘On Track Plant’. The final new model is the GWR ‘Bloater’ fish van which is modelled in OO scale for the first time. Built for fish traffic from 1916, the EFE Rail models cover the S8, S9 and S10 diagrams and include options for the ‘Bloater A’s which were fitted with dual braking systems. Lastly, whilst the Adams O2 has previously been released by EFE Rail, new tooling variants have been added for these OO scale locomotives, which now appear with the original, open coal rails – this option is available for both the mainland locomotives and Isle of Wight versions.