Bachmann Branchline is a British OO gauge model railway brand manufactured by Bachmann Europe PLC, a subsidiary of Bachmann Industries, and is used for British outline OO scale model railways.
thumb|right|U.K. prototype model of a 00 scale (1:76) [[British Rail Class 25 shown with an 18mm-five pence coin for scale]]
Bachmann, a US company founded in 1835, was purchased by Kader Industries in 1987. Kader had previously produced models for Palitoy under the Mainline brand. Palitoy required its manufacturers to produce and retain ownership of the toolings and Kader had used the toolings and added new ones for models commissioned by Replica Railways following the demise of Mainline.
Kader formed Bachmann Europe PLC in 1989 with its main UK headquarters in Moat Way, Barwell, and the following year launched the Bachmann Branchline range for the British market with the moulds that had previously been used for Mainline Railways and Replica. From this starting point Bachmann has developed the range further and now produce a large range of models competing in particular with Hornby.
In 2000, Bachmann Europe PLC bought Graham Farish, an N gauge manufacturer, and since then many of its models have been made available in both gauges.
Items
Bachmann is known for its consistent quality of model trains . Many of its trains include NEM pockets, making it possible to replace standard tension lock coupling with close couplings such as Kadees or screw link couplings.
Models produced
The following locomotive models have been produced, or announced by Bachmann Branchline:
Diesel locomotives
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Class
! Liveries
! Notes
|-
| 03 BR/Gardener Shunter
| BR Plain Green, BR Green & Wasp Stripes, BR Blue, NCB Black
| Special Edition models in Network SouthEast and WAGN liveries. DCC Ready (18 Pin)
|-
| 08 BR/English Electric Shunter
| BR Black, BR Green, BR Blue, EWS, Freightliner, First Great Western (limited edition of 512)
| Later models Digital Command Control (DCC) ready. Formerly available in LMR blue. New tooling releasing 2025.
|-
| 20 English Electric Type 2
| BR Green, BR Blue, DRS, Harry Needle Railroad Company, Waterman Railways (collectors club limited edition), GB Railfreight
| DCC Sound version available
|-
| 24 Sulzer Type 2
| BR Green, BR Blue
| DCC ready. DCC Sound version available. Post 2008 versions features directional lighting and 21 pin DCC socket.
|-
| 25 Sulzer Type 2
| BR Green, BR Two Tone Green, BR Blue
| DCC ready. Post 2008 version features directional lighting and 21 pin DCC socket. DCC Sound version available.
|-
|30 Brush type 2
|BR two tone green.
|DCC Ready, Released 2024.
|-
|31 Brush type 2
|BR green, BR blue, BR railfreight, petroleum sector grey, mainline freight blue.
|DCC ready, Released 2024.
|-
| 37 English Electric Type 3
| BR Blue Large Logo, BR Green (collectors club limited edition), Civil Engineers, Coal Sector, Intercity Mainline, Transrail, EWS, Direct Rail Services (commissioned limited editions), DB Schenker (limited edition of 504).
| New revised version released summer 2007; all versions now DCC ready. First DCC Sound versions released spring 2008 as "Coed Bach" in Coal sector livery and "Viking" in BR Large Logo Blue.
|-
| 40 English Electric Type 4
| BR Green, BR Blue
| Post 2015 models DCC Ready. DCC Sound versions available
|-
| 42 Warship Class
| BR Maroon, BR Blue, BR Green (As of Jan 2020)
| Old Mainline Model replaced in 2015 with brand new tooling
|-
| 44 BR/Sulzer Type 4
| BR Green
| Post 2015 models DCC Ready. DCC Sound versions available
|-
| 45 BR/Sulzer Type 4
| BR Green, BR Blue With White Roof
| DCC Ready
|-
| 46 BR/Sulzer Type 4
| BR Blue
| Post 2015 models DCC Ready. DCC Sound versions available
|-
| 47 Brush Type 4
| Two Tone Green, BR Blue, InterCity Swallow - Windsor Castle (limited edition of 500), BR Great Western 150 Green - G J Churchward (limited edition), First Great Western Heritage two-tone Green - Abertawe Landore (limited edition)
| Released 2021 - DCC Sound version available
|-
| 66 Electro-Motive Diesel Type 6
| EWS, Direct Rail Services, Freightliner, GB Railfreight, Belmond Royal Scotsman, Stobart Rail, DB Schenker, Fastline (limited edition of 504).
| DCC Sound and DCC onboard versions available, others DCC ready (recent models are fitted with a 21-pin socket rather than the 8-pin one found in earlier models). 66/9 variant released in Direct Rail Services and Freightliner liveries. New tooling Announced April 2025.
|-
|69 electro-motive diesel
|GBRF blue, BR large logo blue, BR green.
|DCC Ready, released in 2025. Made under an exclusive agreement with GBRF.
|-
| 70 General Electric Type 5
| Freightliner PowerHaul
| DCC ready, fitted with a 21-pin socket.
|-
| D16/1 English Electric Type 3
| BR Black (Early Emblem)
| DCC ready, New Model for 2020
|}
Electric locomotives
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Class
! Liveries
! Notes
|-
| 85 "AL 5"
| BR Electric Blue With White Roof, BR Blue
| DCC ready, fitted with a 21-pin socket.
|-
| 90
| BR Intercity Swallow, BR Railfreight Grey, Freightliner Green "Powerhaul".
| DCC ready, fitted with a 21-pin socket.
|}
Diesel multiple units
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Class
! Liveries
! Notes Hornby produces competitive models. No longer in the range.
|DCC Ready
|-
|LNER Class K3
|BR Black, LNER Black, LNER Green
|See GNR Class H4
|DCC Ready
|-
|LNER Peppercorn Class A1
|BR Apple Green, BR Blue, BR Brunswick Green, LNER Green
|60163 Tornado released in BR Apple Green 2009/2010
Tornado in works grey livery produced for Bachmann Collectors Club
|DCC Ready
|-
|LNER Peppercorn Class A2
|BR Apple Green, BR Brunswick Green (Early Emblem & Late Crest), LNER Green
|60532 Blue Peter produced during production run.
|DCC Ready
|-
|BR WD Austerity 2-8-0
|BR Black
|
|
|-
|BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T
|BR Black, BR Green
|
|DCC Ready, On Board
|-
|BR Standard Class 9F
|BR Black
|
|DCC Ready
|-
|BR Standard Class 4 2-6-0
|BR Black
|
|DCC Ready, On Board
|-
|BR Standard Class 5MT
|BR Black, BR Green
|
|DCC Ready
|-
|BR Standard Class 3 2-6-2T
|BR Black, BR Green
|
|DCC Ready. Released late 2009/2010
|-
|GNR Class C1 (large boiler)
|GNR Green, LNER Green and BR Black
|
|DCC Ready
|-
|ROD 2-8-0
|ROD Black and LNWR Black
|
|DCC Ready
|-
|LB&SCR H1 class
|LB&SCR Brown and SR Green
|
|DCC Ready
|-
|Caledonian 812 Class
|Caledonian Railway Blue, LMS Black and BR Black
|Produced for Rails of Sheffield
|DCC Ready
|-
|NER Class O
|NER Green, LNER Black and BR Black
|Produced exclusively for TMC (The Model Center)
|DCC Ready
|-
|LNWR Improved Precedent Class
|LNWR Black, LMS Crimson, LMS Black
|Produced exclusively for Rails of Sheffield and Locomotion Models
|DCC Ready
|-
|GWR 9400 Class
|GWR Green, BR Black, One version exclusive to Locomotion Models
|
|DCC Ready
|}
OO9 Gauge Steam Locomotives
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Class
! Liveries
! DCC?
|-
|Baldwin Class 10-12-D
|ROD Black, WHR Black, ALR Crimson and ALR Black, WHR Maroon, GVR Black, SDR Black & SR Green
|DCC Ready
|-
|Dinorwic Alice Class
|Blue, Red, Black & Green
|DCC Ready
|-
|Ffestiniog Railway Double Fairlie
|FR Lined Green, FR Lined Maroon
|DCC Ready
|-
|Penrhyn Main Line Class
|Penrhyn Quarry Lined Black
|DCC Ready
|}
OO9 Gauge Diesel Locomotives
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Class
! Liveries
! DCC?
|-
|Baguley-Drewry 70hp Diesel Locomotive
|Yellow, Green, crimson, ICI orange and grey and industrial sands white
|DCC Ready
|}
Rivals
- Hornby Railways - Bachmann and Hornby are the two largest OO manufacturers in locomotives, wagons, coaches, scenics and more
- Dapol - Produces models of locomotives and wagons in OO and N
- Heljan - Produces a number of locomotives and wagons
- Rails of Sheffield - Recently started producing OO locomotives with Dapol and Bachmann Branchline
- Accurascale- produces models in OO and O.
- Rapido trains UK- produces models in OO and N.
References
External links
- Bachmann Branchline pages on the Bachmann Europe website