Bachmann 31-962Z

Tooling

The Bachmann Branchline A4 tooling introduced in 1995 marked the company’s entry into high-speed LNER Pacifics using designs inherited from Trix. At the time, this model filled a gap in the OO gauge market for streamlined Gresley A4 locomotives, competing with Hornby’s tender-drive offerings. While later superseded by a full retool in 2011, the 1995 version remained in production for over a decade and was widely regarded as a solid mid-range model for its era.

Tooling Features

• Scale: OO gauge (1:76).
• Construction: Die-cast split chassis with plastic body shell; tender and locomotive bodies featured separately applied details for their time.
• Detailing: Streamlined casing with moulded handrails, separately fitted nameplates on later releases, and optional detail packs (brake rigging, crew figures).
• Couplings: Standard tension-lock couplers; accessory packs included cosmetic screw-link couplings for display.

Mechanical & Electrical

• Drive: Motor located in the locomotive (not tender-drive), driving the main driving wheels via a gear train.
• Chassis: Split-frame design, typical of Bachmann steam models of the 1990s.
• Minimum Radius: Recommended second radius curves (approx. 438 mm).
• Lighting: No factory lighting provided.
• Weighting: Substantial die-cast chassis gave good traction compared to contemporary tender-drive models.

DCC Capability

The 1995 tooling was not DCC-ready. Conversion was possible but required hard-wiring due to the split chassis design. Later service sheets indicate space for an 8-pin socket in upgraded versions, but original releases were DC only.

Liveries Produced

A wide range of authentic liveries were offered, including:

• LNER Garter Blue (with and without valances)
• LNER Silver Grey (“Silver Jubilee”)
• LNER Wartime Black
• LNER Grey
• BR Express Passenger Blue
• BR Green (early and late crests)

Special editions featured named locomotives such as Mallard, Silver Link, Commonwealth of Australia, and Union of South Africa.

Performance & Reviews

Contemporary reviews praised the model’s weight and smooth running once properly serviced, but noted limitations:

• Split chassis design made maintenance and DCC conversion challenging.
• Detailing considered good for mid-1990s but dated compared to later super-detailed models.
• Some users reported gear wear and electrical contact issues over time.

Despite these drawbacks, the model was popular for train packs such as The Elizabethan and remained a staple on layouts until the 2011 retool.

Media & Community Commentary

The tooling is frequently discussed on forums and YouTube reviews, often compared to Hornby’s A4. Enthusiasts highlight its nostalgic appeal and robustness, while acknowledging that modern standards have surpassed it. Videos such as Sam’s Trains unboxing of Silver Link and Golden Eagle showcase the model’s finish and running qualities.

Interesting Notes

• The tooling originated from Trix designs, adapted by Bachmann for UK OO gauge.
• Models were often supplied with accessory packs for enhanced realism.
• Collectors value limited editions like the Silver Jubilee liveries for rarity and presentation.

Class & Prototype

No prototype found.

Operator & Livery

The North Eastern Railway dominated Britain's industrial north-east, operating the country's most profitable coal-carrying network across Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland. Formed in 1854 from four constituent companies, the NER achieved a near-monopoly over regional rail traffic, handling over 50 million tons of minerals annually at its peak.

The railway pioneered British electrification with the 1904 Tyneside suburban scheme and experimental freight lines. Under chief mechanical engineers Wilson Worsdell and Vincent Raven, the NER developed distinctive locomotive designs including successful Atlantic express engines, innovative three-cylinder mixed-traffic locomotives, and robust freight classes that served until the end of steam in 1967.

Notable achievements included building the world's largest station at York (1877), completing the East Coast Main Line, and operating extensive dock facilities. The company's engineering excellence earned recognition during World War I when Vincent Raven supervised munitions production at Woolwich Arsenal.

The NER merged into the London and North Eastern Railway in 1923, but its locomotive designs continued in production well into the British Railways era. Today, the railway's legacy lives on through preserved locomotives, heritage railways, and comprehensive model ranges available in all popular scales, making NER subjects ideal for authentic British railway modelling.

The LNER plain black livery emerged as a practical economy measure that ultimately became the most widely applied colour scheme in the company's history. Initially introduced for goods engines in 1928 to reduce painting costs and labour time, this austere unlined black finish dispensed with decorative red lining whilst retaining the basic yellow lettering and "L N E R" tender markings. The livery reflected the harsh economic realities facing the LNER, particularly as the company served Britain's struggling industrial regions during the depression years of the 1930s.

The plain black scheme reached its zenith during World War II when, from 1941 onwards, austerity measures mandated that all locomotive classes receive unlined black paint regardless of their previous prestigious liveries. The transformation was dramatic – even the magnificent streamlined A4 Pacifics like Mallard and Flying Scotsman were painted in stark black, their elegant engineering unchanged but their glamorous appearance replaced by wartime utility. The austerity deepened in October 1943 when tender lettering was reduced from "L N E R" to simply "N E", halving material usage and painting time whilst creating one of the most recognisable images of Britain's wartime railways. For modellers, this livery authentically represents the challenging economic and wartime periods, offering dramatic visual impact and historical accuracy when depicting late 1920s freight operations, 1930s depression-era scenes, or the austere years of 1941-1947 when Britain's railways prioritised function over form.