Bachmann 35-235SF

London, Midland & Scottish Railway Stanier Class 8F 48339 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
• Weathered BR Black (Late Crest) Livery
• Running No. 48339
• SOUND FITTED - Fitted with a Zimo MS450P22 DCC Sound Decoder
• Length 260mm (over couplings)

DETAIL VARIATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS MODEL

• Riveted 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
• Raised Bufferbeam Rivets
• Cast Wheel Balance Weights

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: 48339

• Ordered By: London, Midland & Scottish Railway
• Built By: London, Midland & Scottish Railway
• Built At: Horwich
• Built: 01/1944
• Withdrawn: 10/1966
• Length of Service: 22.8 years
• Running Numbers: LMS 8339, BR 48339
• Names: -

LMS No. 8339 was built at Horwich Works in January 1944 as part of the wartime production batch numbered 8331-8399. This locomotive represented Horwich Works' contribution to meeting the urgent demand for heavy freight locomotives during World War Two, when the facility had resumed locomotive production after being converted for munitions manufacturing during the early war years.

Following nationalisation in 1948, 8339 became BR 48339 and was initially allocated to Rose Grove, a major steam shed in Lancashire that specialised in heavy freight operations. Rose Grove was strategically located to handle coal traffic from the Lancashire coalfields and was one of the last strongholds of steam operation in Britain.

In July 1949, 48339 was transferred to Saltley in Birmingham, one of the LMS's premier freight sheds serving the West Midlands industrial area. This allocation would have seen the locomotive handling coal trains, general freight, and the heavy industrial traffic that characterised the Birmingham area during the post-war industrial boom.

The locomotive's final move came in September 1966 when it transferred to Croes Newydd near Wrexham in North Wales. This was a typical end-of-career allocation, as many steam locomotives spent their final months at smaller Welsh depots handling local freight and trip workings as main line duties were increasingly taken over by diesel traction.

BR 48339 was withdrawn from service in October 1966, giving it a working life of 22 years and 9 months. This withdrawal date places it among the earlier casualties of the dieselisation programme, withdrawn two years before the official end of steam in August 1968. Like most withdrawn steam locomotives of this period, it was likely scrapped rather than preserved, representing the end of an era for both Horwich Works production and the steam-hauled freight operations that had defined British railways for over a century.

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.