Bachmann 35-231

London, Midland & Scottish Railway Stanier Class 8F 48703 British Railways (Black with Late Crest)

Bachmann's Description & Specifications

The Stanier 8F is an all-time icon of British locomotive design, few other classes were as numerous as the 8Fs and they played a vital role in the allied victory during World War Two, yet surprisingly OO Scale models of this unsung hero have never been produced by Bachmann Branchline, until now. With an award winning model of the 8F already part of the Graham Farish N Scale portfolio, we’ve answered the countless requests to make a model just as good for OO too, and with even finer detail and new features that simply aren’t available in the smaller scale, the Branchline model is the ultimate rendition of Stanier’s ultimate freight machine.

Constructed from a diecast metal boiler, running plate and chassis, the Branchline 8F certainly packs a punch and its strong, powerful performance is coupled with the latest technological features like the firebox lighting system, Bach-Up Stay Alive System and Dual Fitted speakers. SOUND FITTED models take advantage of the Dual Fitted speakers to provide realistic sound effects while the SOUND FITTED DELUXE versions take things a step further with Bachmann’s revolutionary Auto-Release Couplings fitted to the tender providing hands-free, automated uncoupling at the press of a DCC function key. With a comprehensive tooling suite, the various detail differences seen across the 8F fleet can be replicated along with a choice of three tenders so that many of the 800+ locomotives can be accurately portrayed at any given time in their operation career.

• Bachmann Branchline OO Scale
• Era 5
• Pristine BR Black (Late Crest) Livery
• Running No. 48703
• Equipped with a Plux22 DCC Decoder Socket – recommended Decoder item No. 36-570B
• Length 260mm (over couplings)

DETAIL VARIATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS MODEL

• Welded Stanier 4,000-gallon Tender
• Smokebox Door with Large Numberplate
• High Front Lamp Iron (Top)
• Straight Reverser Rod
• Steam Lance Valve Mounted Low on the Smokebox and with External Pipework
• Countersunk Bufferbeam Rivets
• Fabricated Wheel Balance Weights
• AWS Equipment

MECHANISM:

• Coreless motor mounted in the locomotive, driving the third set of driving wheels
• Electrical pickup from all driving wheels along with tender pickups
• Separate metal bearings fitted to each driving axle
• Diecast metal chassis block (locomotive)
• Diecast metal gearbox, with gearing arranged for prototypical running speeds and haulage capabilities
• 16.5mm (OO gauge) wheels to NEM310 & NEM311 standards with authentic profile and detailing
• Valve gear of metal construction
• Adjustable tender drawbar with integral loco-tender wiring
• Sprung front pony truck with integral coupling pocket to NEM362 standards
• Detachable coupling pocket to NEM362 standards fitted to the tender
• Auto-Release Couplings fitted to the tender – DCC operated, hands-free uncoupling with the press of a function button (SOUND FITTED DELUXE models only)
• Designed to operate on curves of second radius (438mm) or greater

DETAILING:

• Diecast metal running plate and boiler
• Precision moulded cab, tender tank and tender chassis
• Separately applied details including smokebox door, smokebox saddle, front frame extensions, steam pipes, lubricators, reverser and sandboxes
• Individual metal detail components including handrails, handrail knobs, boiler feeds, lamp irons, safety valves, sandpipes and tender vents
• Highly detailed and decorated cab interior including controls, dials, gauges and tool cabinets with separately fitted valve wheels, regulator, reverser and crew seats
• Hinged and posable metal fall plate between the locomotive and tender
• Tender fitted with coal-effect load
• Running gear detailing includes brakes and separately fitted brake gear on the locomotive and tender
• Glazed cab windows
• Sprung metal buffers
• Each model supplied with an accessory pack including cab doors, screwlink couplings, front steps and cylinder draincocks

LIGHTING:

• Firebox Glow (on analogue) / Firebox Glow & Flicker (on DCC or when SOUND FITTED & SOUND FITTED DELUXE models are used on analogue)

DCC:

• Plux22 DCC decoder interface located in the locomotive
• Bach-Up Stay Alive Systemproviding uninterrupted power to prevent stalling, light flicker and sound cut-outs (operates on DCC only)

SOUND:

• Dual Fitted speakers, one in the locomotive and one in the tender, installed in all models for optimum sound reproduction
• Zimo MS450P22 DCC Sound Decoder fitted to SOUND FITTED & SOUND FITTED DELUXE versions
• Sound files produced specifically for the Bachmann Branchline 8F using recordings from real locomotives
• SOUND FITTED & SOUND FITTED DELUXE models operate on DCC and Analogue control as supplied

LIVERY APPLICATION:

• Authentic liveries applied to all models
• Multiple paint applications employed on each model
• Logos, numerals and text added as appropriate using multi-stage tampo printing incorporating authentic typefaces, logos and colours

Class & Prototype

Class: London, Midland & Scottish Railway Stanier Class 8F

• Traction: Steam
• Built: 1935-1946
• Total Built: 852

The LMS Stanier Class 8F was Britain's most successful freight locomotive design, with 852 examples built between 1935-1946. Designed by Sir William Stanier to replace the LMS's inadequate freight fleet, these robust 2-8-0 locomotives featured 18½" x 28" cylinders, 225 psi boiler pressure, and 32,440 lbf tractive effort. Selected as Britain's standard WW2 freight locomotive, 8Fs served globally in Egypt, Iran, Turkey, and Palestine, with many remaining overseas permanently. On home metals, they handled 1,000-ton coal trains until steam's end in 1968. Eight locomotives survive in preservation, while modern models from Hornby and upcoming Bachmann releases ensure continued appeal for railway modellers seeking authentic British freight operations.

Prototype: 48703

• Ordered By: London & North Eastern Railway
• Built By: Southern Railway
• Built At: Brighton
• Built: 06/1944
• Withdrawn: 09/1967
• Length of Service: 23.3 years
• Running Numbers: LMS 8703, BR 48703
• Names: -

BR 48703 was one of the 25 LMS Stanier Class 8F locomotives built by Brighton Works of the Southern Railway in 1944 for the London & North Eastern Railway as part of their Class O6. Originally numbered LNER 7653, it was part of a batch temporarily numbered 7651-7675 before being renumbered 3100-3124 under the LNER's revised numbering system (48703 would have been 3103).

This locomotive represents one of the most complex numbering histories in British railway practice. Built during World War Two as part of the Railway Executive Committee's programme to standardise freight locomotive production, it was constructed by the Southern Railway but lettered for LNER ownership. In 1947, the entire O6 class was renumbered into the 3500-3567 series (making 48703 become 3503), before being transferred to LMS ownership on loan and receiving LMS number 8703.

At nationalisation in 1948, it became BR 48703 under the standard British Railways renumbering system (adding 40000 to LMS numbers). The locomotive was fitted with LMS Type 3C boilers and standard LMS 4,000-gallon tenders, despite being built by the Southern Railway. These Brighton-built locomotives often featured welded rather than riveted tender tanks and sometimes had disc wheels instead of the standard LMS spoked wheels.

As one of the former LNER O6 class locomotives, 48703 would have operated primarily on the London Midland Region after nationalisation, serving the heavy freight routes that had been the backbone of LMS operations. The locomotive was withdrawn during the 1960s dieselisation programme, though specific withdrawal details were not found in the available sources.

This locomotive exemplifies the complex wartime production arrangements where rival railway companies built locomotives for each other, creating some of the most interesting and historically significant examples of British locomotive standardisation during World War Two.

Operator & Livery

Operator: British Railways

British Railways transformed Britain's fragmented rail network into a unified national system following nationalisation on 1st January 1948. Created from the "Big Four" companies under the Transport Act 1947, BR operated most of Great Britain's railways until rebranding as British Rail in 1965, managing over 20,000 route miles and inheriting nearly 20,000 locomotives of diverse designs.

The organisation pioneered standardisation through its revolutionary BR Standard locomotive programme (1951-1960), producing 999 advanced steam engines under Robert Riddles' direction. These included the versatile Britannia Pacifics, mighty 9F freight engines, and mixed-traffic classes that incorporated the best features from all predecessor companies. The 1955 Modernisation Plan accelerated diesel and electric traction development, creating fascinating mixed-traction operations.

Notable achievements included establishing unified locomotive classification systems, introducing distinctive corporate liveries, and managing the complex transition from steam to modern traction. BR's six regional structure preserved operational diversity whilst enabling standardisation of practices, signalling, and rolling stock that had eluded private enterprise for over a century.

The BR era represents steam traction's final flowering alongside emerging diesel technology, creating unparalleled locomotive variety. Today, this heritage remains highly popular with railway enthusiasts through extensive preserved fleets, heritage railway operations, and comprehensive model ranges from manufacturers like Hornby, Bachmann, and Dapol, making BR subjects essential for authentic post-war British railway modelling across all scales.

Livery: Black with Late Crest

British Railways' plain black livery remained the standard finish for freight and shunting locomotives from 1956 onwards, representing the most economical and practical scheme for inherently dirty industrial operations. Plain black locomotives retained red buffer beams and received white lettering in Gill Sans style, maintaining the utilitarian approach established in the early BR period. The livery was applied to a vast range of locomotive types, from powerful freight engines like the 9F class down to humble shunting locomotives and industrial engines working in goods yards, collieries, and freight terminals.

From 1956, these locomotives received the new "Lion and Crown" emblem (nicknamed the "Ferret and Dartboard"), a proper heraldic device featuring a rampant lion emerging from a crown and holding a spoked wheel, enclosed in a roundel with "British Railways" displayed on bars either side. Unlike earlier practice, the new emblem was positioned centrally on tender sides or tank sides without reference to axle boxes, following heraldic conventions with the lion facing left. This livery period coincided with increasing neglect as steam operations wound down, with locomotives often covered in layers of grime that obscured the paintwork and made the already austere black finish appear even more weathered. The plain black finish continued until individual locomotives were withdrawn from service, with many examples lasting into the final years of steam operation in 1968. For modellers, this livery represents the twilight of steam freight operations, capturing the workaday reality of British Railways' industrial locomotive fleet during the final phase of steam traction.