The British Rail Class 37 is a favourite among enthusiasts and modellers alike and, having been a firm fixture in the Bachmann Branchline OO scale range for many years, in 2022 an all-new model of this iconic locomotive was launched. Built to unprecedented levels of accuracy and fidelity, the new Branchline model incorporates the latest technology and shares many common features and specifications with the award winning Bachmann Branchline Class 47. This example depicts No. 37069 ‘Thornaby TMD’ which carries it’s home depot’s take on BR blue livery, complete with white shoulder-height stripe, orange cantrail lining and Thornaby’s Kingfisher motif.

Following in the footsteps of the Class 47, our all-new OO scale Class 37 has been designed from the rails up to ensure this classic locomotive is modelled in all its glory. With high fidelity mouldings, numerous separately fitted parts and countless tooling variations to capture the minutiae of the real locomotives throughout their lives, our new 37 is brought to life with an exquisite livery application using true-to-prototype colours, fonts and logos. Along with an exceptional array of lighting features, our Dual Fitted speaker system is fitted to all models – bringing to life our SOUND FITTED models. For the ultimate experience, choose one of our award-winning SOUND FITTED DELUXE models with their motorised radiator fan and authentic tinted windscreen glazing!

• Bachmann Branchline OO Scale
• Era 8
• Pristine BR Blue (White Stripe) livery
• Running No. 37069
• Named ‘Thornaby TMD’
• Etched Nameplates included
• Equipped with a Plux22 DCC Decoder Socket – recommended Decoder item No. 36-570B
• Length 245mm

DETAIL VARIATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS MODEL

• Split Headcode Panels – Plated and fitted with Marker Lights
• Bufferbeam Valance Removed
• Oval Buffers
• Original Windscreen

• Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Cantrail Grilles (with additional upright strengthening bars)
• Rivetted Boiler Roof with Single Row of Rivets
• Blanked Boiler Port and Safety Valves
• Sealed Water Filler Door and Plated Access Steps
• Cast Bogies
• Original Speedo Drive
• Mileage Counter
• Twin Fuel Tanks with Ex-Water Tank Gauges Plated Over

BACHMANN BRANCHLINE CLASS 37 SPECIFICATION

MECHANISM:

• Five pole, twin shaft motor with two flywheels providing drive to both bogies
• All axle drive
• Electrical pickup from all wheels
• Separate metal bearings fitted to each axle
• Diecast metal chassis block and bogie towers
• Diecast metal gearboxes, with gearing arranged for prototypical running speeds and haulage capabilities
• 16.5mm (OO gauge) wheels to NEM310 & NEM311 standards with authentic profile and detailing
• Detachable coupling pockets to NEM362 standards fitted to each bogie
• Designed to operate on curves of second radius (438mm) or greater

DETAILING:

• Bogies constructed from multiple components featuring full relief detail
• Rotating radiator fan, driven by an independent motor and gearbox, operated as part of the sound project on DCC and Analogue control (SOUND FITTED DELUXE models only)
• Tinted windscreen glazing (SOUND FITTED DELUXE models only)
• Separately applied metal detail parts, including grab handles, windscreen wipers and etched fan grilles
• Sprung metal buffers
• Each model supplied with a full set of decorated, model-specific bufferbeam pipework and accessory parts

LIGHTING:

• Directional lighting, including headlights and high intensity headlights where applicable, switchable on/off at either end on DCC or Analogue control
• Cab lighting*, assigned to two DCC functions for separate switching of each
• Separately switched Engine Room lighting*
• ‘Yard Light’ mode*, red tail lights and/or marker lights displayed at both ends (*when used on DCC)
• Authentic light colours and temperatures selected for each model based on era and application

DCC:

• Plux22 DCC decoder interface

SOUND:

• Two quality speakers employed for optimum sound reproduction, fitted to every model as standard
• Zimo MS450P22 DCC Sound Decoder fitted to SOUND FITTED and SOUND FITTED DELUXE versions
• Four sound projects to accurately capture the sounds of Class 37/0s as originally built, those with thermostatically controlled fans, Class 37/4s and DRS-modified locos.
• Sound files for each project produced specifically for the Bachmann Branchline Class 37 using recordings from real locomotives
• SOUND FITTED and SOUND FITTED DELUXE models operate on DCC and Analogue control as supplied. On Analogue, an authentic engine start up sequence and running sounds are produced when power is applied

LIVERY APPLICATION:

• Authentic liveries applied to all models
• Multiple paint applications employed on each model using BR and corporate specification colours
• Logos, numerals and text added as appropriate using multi-stage tampo printing using authentic typefaces, logos and colours
• In addition, where applicable Etched Nameplates and Plaques are also provided

CLASS 37 HISTORY

The British Rail 1955 Modernisation Plan paved the way for the large-scale replacement of steam traction with diesel locomotives, and one of the most successful diesel locomotive designs to result from this was the English Electric Type 3. These 1,700hp Types 3 diesel-electric locomotives were built at English Electric’s Vulcan Foundry and by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns between 1960 and 1965, with 309 examples produced in total. When TOPS was implemented the type was designated Class 37.

The class proved popular with railwaymen and so in 1985, a major refurbishment programme for the Class 37 locomotives was sanctioned to extend the working lives of 135 locomotives. Features of the refurbishment involved plating over the four-character head codes and sealing off the nose end communication doors. Dedicated freight locomotives received lower gearing to increase the tractive effort, and some were fitted with extra ballast or even more powerful engines. A new subclass was created for locomotives refurbished with Electric Train Heating (ETH) equipment, allowing their use on passenger trains the whole year-round.

With the sectorisation of British Rail taking hold in the early-1980s, the locomotives returned to traffic following refurbishment in a wide and diverse range of liveries. Passenger machines appeared in BR Blue Large Logo, InterCity and Regional Railways schemes to name just three, whilst freight engines received numerous varieties of Railfreight livery, Transrail, Mainline and Loadhaul. The Class continued to be widely used into the Privatisation-era, with examples operating for the likes of EWS, DRS, West Coast Railways and Colas, whilst others have received ‘retro’ heritage repaints.