Product Preview: Railway Celebrations Range
The world’s first passenger carrying railway was the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which opened on the 27th of September 1825. The opening of the railway sparked a revolution over not just the UK but the whole world, leading to huge changes not just in the way that people travelled, but also how they traded, communicated, and even measured time!
The measuring of time is an especially important theme when it comes to the railways in 2025, as it means that 1825 was two hundred years ago! The influence that the railways have had on the world during these two centuries has been celebrated several times, with special events being held to mark the 50th, 100th and 150th anniversaries.
These celebratory events have provided the inspiration for Bachmann’s new Railway Celebrations range, which will depict some of the locomotives and rolling stock that took part during these historical jubilees, and other items that have a strong connection to the Stockton & Darlington area, as the birthplace of the modern railway. We have a number of exciting new models, in multiple scales, planned for Railway Celebrations, and the first OO Scale models were revealed as part of the recent Spring 2025 British Railway Announcements, so let’s take a look at these upcoming but still historical arrivals!
LNWR G2 No. 9446 LMS Black
Our first model is the London North Western Railway’s G2 Class No. 9446 which is decorated in the LMS Black livery that the locomotive wore during a procession to celebrate the centenary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
This locomotive has a diecast running plate and there are also several metal components fitted along the bodyshell, including handrails, whistles and safety values. The bodyshell is made from precision moulded plastic and features crisp details such rivets and boiler bands. Inside the cab, there is a hinged poseable smokebox and fully decorated controls dials and pipework. Under the solebar, there are brake blocks, sandboxes and brake rigging, along with separate wire sandpipes. The tender also features several separately fitted details including lamp irons, tank vents, fire tool holder and handwheekls, along with a realistic coal load.
Driven by a powerful three Pole motor, our model features an adjustable tender drawbar, NEM Coupling Pockets, sprung buffers and an accessory pack. The standard version features a 21 Pin DCC Decoder Socket, whilst the SOUND FITTED version is fitted with an ESU Loksound V5DCC 21 Pin DCC Sound Decoder programmed with a sound project that contains over 20 functions.
GWR 57XX Pannier Tank No. 7752 GWR Green (GWR)
Our next locomotive is Great Western Railway 57xx Pannier Tank No. 7752, which is decorated in the GWR’s Green livery with GWR lettering. This locomotive took place in the 1975 Cavalcade between Shildon and Heighnington to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
This model features a injection moulded bodyshell which includes details such as the rivets and panels. Along the bodyshell are several separately fitted components including tank fillers, safety valves, whistles and the whistle guard, along with metal handrails and handrail knobs. The locomotive’s chassis depicts several details such as springs, brake blocks, brake rigging and sand boxes along with seperate wire sandpipes.
Our model is powered by a three pole motor, and also features NEM Coupling Pocket and sprung buffers. For modellers who wish to upgrade to DCC, there is an 8 Pin DCC Decoder Socket.
| Era | Running No. | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7752 | 32-215A |
3 Plank Wagon North Eastern Railway ‘NE’ Grey
The first wagon to join our Railway Celebrations range is three plank wagon No. 800055 in the grey livery of the North Eastern Railway, who took over the route of the Stockton and Darlington railway in 1863.
This injection moulded wagon features engraving along the sides and deck in order to depict the wooden planks. There are depictions of the hinges along each edge and the securing chains on the corners. Under the solebar, there are W irons, axleboxes and springs along with separate brakes and brake levers. The buffer beams feature metal buffer heads and cosmetic coupling hooks, whilst the wagon runs on metal split spoked wheels.
| Era | Running No. | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 800055 | 37-944 |
5 Plank Wagon Steel Floor ‘Tarslag (1923) Ltd.’ Grey
The second wagon to join our Railway Celebrations range is Tarslag (1923) Ltd’s five plank wagon No. 825, which has close ties to the Stockton and Darlington area whilst also symbolising the revolution that the railway began.
Each of the planks is visible along sides of the wagon, with the side doors and steel deck cleanly depicted along with finely moulded metal work and rivets. The W irons, axleboxes and springs are all present below the solebar, with the metal split spoked wheels surrounded by separate brakes and brake levers.
| Era | Running No. | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 825 | 37-026C |
The products in this new range will be making their way to Bachmann stockists throughout the year, so head to the Bachmann Europe website where you can find more information about the full range. Once you’ve selected your models, get in touch with your nearest retailer to order yours!
Your nearest retailer can be found by using the Retailers page on our website, which can be accessed either from the menu at the top of the page or by clicking on the button below
