GOES RED WHITE AND BLUE

L I A R - U O L O C n by RICHARD FOSTER Photography: CHRIS NEVARD

here was a distinctly red, white and blue theme to Bachmann’s 2016/17 range as the company celebrated 30 years of Network Southeast. The celebrations kicked off in style on March 1 with new Bachmann Europe Managing Director David Haarhaus presenting a ‘OO’ gauge Nse-liveried Class 47 to Chris Green, former Managing Director of Network Southeast. The NSE theme extends across both the Branchline and Graham Farish ranges and encompasses new tooling and existing models (see panel). There are just two all-new items for 2016/2017: a Southern Region ‘2-HAP’ EMU (later Class 414) in ‘OO’ gauge and a Class 319 EMU in ‘N’. The comparative lack of new tooling compared with previous years will allow Bachmann’s factory to clear the backlog of new ‘OO’ and ‘N’ models, some of

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2016/2017 6061, BR plain green 6062, BR blue/grey 4322, Network Southeast

2016/2017 319362,

www. bachmann.co.uk which have been under development for some time. Public Relations Manager Dennis Lovett told Model Rail that Bachmann Europe’s parent company Kader was adding extra engineering resource to its Hong Kong factory to help. In the meantime, Bachmann’s own research and development department is working on new products that will be announced in the future. Both catalogues are packed with models in new liveries and some innovative products. Great Western Railway’s new green livery comes to ‘OO’ gauge, applied to Class 57/6 57603 Tintagel Castle and Class 166 166206. Other liveries of note are hybrid DB/EWS maroon (Class 66 66065) with Great Central Railway green ‘D11’ No. 501 Mons at the other end of the historical spectrum. Livery highlights in ‘N’ include Class 20 20227 in London Transport colours and Class 37s in Regional Railways and Colas liveries. Also of interest is the ‘OO’ gauge ‘Highlander’ coach pack www.bachmann.co.uk 319004, Network Southeast 319382, Thameslink featuring a Mk 2a TSO and Class 101 DMU trailer in Highland green and cream livery. New liveries aside, Bachmann is to roll out Next18 decoders and sockets in ‘N’ and smaller ‘OO’ models, as well as ‘sugar cube’ sound speakers. This will mean that the ‘OO’ gauge ‘Jinty’ and Class 03 can be sound-fitted. Bachmann is to offer selected Mk 1 and Mk 2 coaches, along with Class 101 and ‘2-EPB’ multiple units with factory-fitted passenger figures. R&D Department Manager Alistair Marr told Model Rail that production procedures were in place to ensure as random a pattern of passengers as possible. Meanwhile, ‘OO’ and ‘N’ gauge open wagons will be supplied with removable loads, allowing them to be modelled loaded and empty. New BA containers have been produced for the ‘OO’ gauge ‘Conflat’, while the tooling of the 21t grain wagon has been tweaked to allow the production of private owner liveries.