More than just HBs from Bachmann!

Good News for Southern Electric modellers! From their Spring 2025 programme of new products Bachmann are to produce even more “goodies” in 4mm scale. Firstly, before we get to new announcements made today, details of the EFE HB/Class 74 large electro diesel model (announced last week) are now available. Even though BR blue with full yellow ends is the only authentic livery for this locomotive EFE are to produce half of the class:
The recommended retail price is £214.95 pristine and £224.95 weathered, but they may be on sale for about £189 (£197 weathered) with the commonly available discount. |
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EFE RAIL CLASS 74 ‘ELECTRO-DIESEL’ SPECIFICATION MECHANISM: • Coreless, twin shaft motor providing drive to both bogies • All axle drive • Electrical pickup from all wheels • Separate metal bearings fitted to each axle • Diecast metal chassis block • Gearing arranged for prototypical running speeds and haulage capabilities • 16.5mm (OO gauge) wheels to NEM310 & NEM311 standards with authentic profile and spoke detailing • Close coupling mechanism fitted at either end, each of which is fitted with coupling pockets to NEM362 standards • Designed to operate on curves of second radius (438mm) or greater DETAILING: • High fidelity injection-moulded bodyshell • Bogies constructed from multiple components featuring full relief detail • Separately applied detail parts, including lamp irons, metal handrails, etched grilles, cab-end jumper cables, windscreen wipers and whistles • Sprung buffers • Cab interior detailing including seats, control desk, controls and dials with authentic decoration • Slide in destination blinds with a selection of routes, white and red blinds provided for user-fitment • Each model supplied with a full set of decorated, model-specific bufferbeam pipework and accessory parts including bufferbeam skirt infill pieces to be used when the tension lock couplings are removed LIGHTING: • Illuminated headcode blinds, with the rear blinds turned on/off via a chassis-mounted switch on Analogue control. On DCC, headcode blinds can be switched on/off independently at either end via dedicated functions • Cab lighting, switchable on/off via a chassis-mounted switch on Analogue control, or via dedicated functions on DCC • Authentic light colours and temperatures selected for each model based on era and application DCC: • 21 Pin DCC decoder interface SOUND: • Space provided on the chassis for a speaker which can be connected to the main circuit board via the solder pads provided |
At long last Bachmann are to produce a South Western Railway version of their existing very good Class 450 Desiro model. For our review of this please CLICK HERE. For the first time there will now be a DCC Sound version.
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The recommended retail price is – take a deep breath – £499.95 (£599.95 with sound), but they may be on sale for about £438 (£525) with the commonly available discount. |
Finally there are two Southern Electric area modern station buildings newly into the Scenecraft
The recommended retail price is £59.95, but they may be on sale for about £53 with the commonly available discount. |
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It is hoped to post pictures of the actual HB and Desiro models when they become available. Colin Duff. Modelling Officer. 5th February 2025 |