Bachmann renews its Class 37

A brand-new English Electric Type 3 locomotive is the latest in Bachmann’s programme to retool its older ‘OO’ gauge diesel locomotive models. A classic BR-era locomotive, No. 37034, is one of a batch of six different models released during the summer and autumn. How does this blue machine measure up? Unboxing impressions

DETAILED models of the 309-strong fleet of Class 37s has been part of Bachmann’s range for several decades, starting with a highly controversial first model of a Class 37/4 which was subject to some criticism for poor bodyshell proportions.

Times have certainly changed, and the gradually retooled, upgraded and rejigged model of the last two decades (amounting to around four different batches) has now given way to a completely brand-new set of moulds covering the various bodyshells, features and fittings needed for most versions of the class to be modelled.

As the unboxing of the standard model of No. 37034 soon revealed, this is no upgrade of a prior version of the model. It is completely new, from the drive and internal electronics through to the bodyshell, the additional parts applied to it and down to the way it is assembled and presented, sitting low on its bogies as it should.

Review model

No. 37034 entered traffic in March 1962 as No. D6734. It was an Eastern Region locomotive for most of its BR life, being allocated to Hull Dairycoates, Healy Mills, March and Stratford, prior to TOPS renumbering in March 1974. It remained at March and Stratford for most of the 10 years leading to its transfer away from the Eastern Region, when it was moved to Motherwell in the summer of 1985.

The model is decorated in

BR blue with Stratford (SF) depot markings, matched to a fully modelled bufferbeam cowling, round buffers, domino headcode dots and steam train heating boiler. This (theoretically) places the model in the post-1976 to 1984 period after which the boiler was isolated, based on a brief survey of records. Further investigation into photographic evidence revealed that the fourcharacter head codes were taken out of use in 1976, being set to zeros for a short time until the domino dots were applied. At some point, the locomotive gained oval buffers on the No.2 end, thought to be around 1981-82, further narrowing down the model’s time line to

1976/77 to 1981/82. This creates the difficulty that the locomotive is widely documented as having been allocated to March between 1975 and 1981 and not Stratford as the SF depot sticker applied to the model suggests.

The bufferbeam cowls were removed by the Scottish Region and in 1986 the locomotive was chosen for heavy general repair to become No. 37704, allocated to Cardiff Canton.

Bachmann’s choice of a BR blue era locomotive is well made, one which can be given a renumber at least to widen the fleet for an Eastern Region layout theme, perfect for Bachmann and Accurascale Mk.2 coaches.

Some minor modifications, including headcode box covers or the application of train reporting codes will help to carry off even more Series 1 Class 37/0s in 1970s and early 1980s BR Blue condition.

Body shape and proportions

This time, Bachmann has nailed the Class 37 shape as closely as is possible in 4mm scale, including a less prominent tumblehome tapering neatly towards the bonnet ends, and accurately shaped cab window panels for the era of the locomotive. Cab door recesses are also faithfully replicated in a bodyshell with the right curve to the cab and main roof panels, along with the shape of the bonnet top and where it curves down to the bonnet fronts.

Notably, the bonnet fronts are separate mouldings, applied to the main bodyshell with barely a visible seam line, which is aided by the position of the yellow and blue paint edge of rail blue livery. Using separate tooling for bonnet fronts reduces the number of bodyshell tooling required to cover the extensive bodyshell

formats seen in Class 37s,

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