Bachmann 32-515

British Rail Derby Lightweight DTCL E79044 British Railways Green with Small Yellow Panels

Contents

Tooling

In 2011, Bachmann Branchline launched a new OO gauge tooling to represent the iconic Derby Lightweight DMU. These pioneering post-war vehicles built at Derby Works between 1954–59 were the first mass-produced DMUs on British Railways, featuring lightweight aluminium construction and hydraulic/mechanical transmissions. The Bachmann tooling brought this classic into OO scale with accuracy and finesse.

Model reviews and unboxings (e.g. on Sam’s Trains, BluecoatCheesyPoofs) applaud the tooling’s excellent detail—especially piped underframes, glazing, and lighting—and note smooth performance across radius-2 curves. DCC readiness is praised, though users occasionally report flickering lights which may need minor resistor or capacitor adjustments.

Online forums and social media buzzed about the tooling upon release in 2011, with hobbyists impressed by the level of separate piping, handrails, and realistic window surrounds. The “Test Unit Gemini” variant, released later in collaboration with specialist retailers, generated excitement as the first ready-to-run OO gauge representation of this unique BEMU prototype.

Detailing: Chemically blackened wheels; body with factory-fitted separately moulded details including handrails, piping, footsteps, vestibules and multiple bufferbeam options supplied via detailing pack. Precise glazing with separately fitted window wipers, painted body piping for front/rear, vestibule surrounds, roof railing in kit, footplate, interior and cab detailing. International hook & loop between units where applicable; detailing pack includes dummy coupling alternatives.

Class & Prototype

  • Running Number: E79044

The British Rail Derby Lightweight pioneered diesel multiple unit operation in Britain from 1954, employing revolutionary aluminium alloy construction and Lysholm-Smith hydraulic transmission. Sixteen Red Triangle power twin units (79000-79007, 79500-79507) served exclusively from Bradford depot on West Riding routes until 1964 withdrawal. The wider 217-vehicle fleet transformed branch line economics across England and Scotland through 1969. Bachmann's award-winning OO gauge models (catalogue numbers 32-515 through 32-518) faithfully capture these historically significant vehicles across multiple livery variations, earning third place in Model Rail's "Model of the Decade" awards.

Operator & Livery

  • Operator: British Railways
  • Livery: Green with Small Yellow Panels
  • Era: 5 - British Railways Late Crest

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.

British Railways' green livery with small yellow warning panels represented a significant safety evolution during the early 1960s, combining the established prestige of the Deep Bronze Green finish with new visibility requirements for locomotive operations. The basic livery remained the standard BS224 Deep Bronze Green used on express passenger steam locomotives, maintaining visual continuity across the modernising fleet whilst incorporating practical safety improvements mandated by changing operational practices.

The distinctive feature of this livery was the addition of small yellow warning panels to the lower portion of locomotive ends, initially introduced around 1960-1962 as BR began implementing enhanced visibility measures. These panels were typically rectangular and covered only the lower section of each cab front, leaving the majority of the end in the base green colour. Many locomotives in this livery also featured additional decorative elements including grey roofs, white cab window surrounds, and various stripe configurations - some had broad horizontal grey or light-coloured stripes at solebar level, whilst others featured narrow white stripes positioned at waist height along the bodysides.

This livery variant appeared across numerous diesel classes including the Class 24, 26, 27, 35 (Hymek), 46, and others during the early-to-mid 1960s transition period. The small yellow panels were later expanded to full yellow ends from around 1966-1967, making the intermediate period with partial yellow treatment relatively brief but historically significant. Locomotives carried either the early "Lion and Wheel" or later "Lion and Crown" crests depending on their painting date, positioned centrally on the bodysides. This livery represents BR's cautious approach to safety modernisation, gradually introducing visibility improvements whilst maintaining traditional railway aesthetics before the comprehensive Rail Blue revolution transformed the entire fleet's appearance from 1965 onwards.