Bachmann 31-741SF

Bachmann's Description & Specifications

The Midland Class 1532, and other 0-4-4Ts that were collectively classified as 1Ps by the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS), formed the backbone of the LMS’s local and light passenger duties for decades, and now the OO scale model of this ornate prototype returns to the Bachmann Branchline range.

A vast tooling suite caters for the many variations seen on the real locomotives throughout their careers, whilst the technical specification is equally impressive, employing a coreless motor and with a Next18 DCC Decoder socket, firebox lighting and pre-fitted speaker – SOUND FITTED models are available too. The livery application is the icing on the cake and whilst the LMS black livery is far from complex, the paint application is deep and consistent upon which sits the vibrant numbers and lettering, replicated using advance printing techniques to capture every element of decoration.

MECHANISM:

• Coreless motor
• Electrical pickup from all wheels
• Separate metal bearings fitted to each driving axle
• Diecast metal chassis block
• Diecast metal gearbox, with gearing arranged for prototypical running speeds and haulage capabilities
• Pivoting and sprung rear pony truck
• Optional wheelset supplied in the accessory pack with traction tyres fitted, to provide increased haulage capacity where required
• 5mm (OO gauge) wheels to NEM310 & NEM311 standards with authentic profile and detailing
• Detachable coupling pockets to NEM362 standards fitted at each end
• Designed to operate on curves of second radius (438mm) or greater

DETAILING:

• Diecast metal running plate with integral side tank weights
• Precision moulded plastic boiler, side tanks and cab
• Separately applied details including lamp irons, push-pull gear*, condensing apparatus*, handrails, whistle, vacuum pipes and turned brass safety valves* (*where applicable)
• Highly detailed and decorated cab interior including separately fitted regulator, reverser, handbrake and valve wheels
• Running gear detailing includes springs, brakes and separately fitted brake gear, sandboxes and sandpipes
• Glazed cab spectacles
• Sprung metal buffers
• Each model supplied with an accessory pack including cab doors, additional bufferbeam pipework, cab steps and screwlink couplings

LIGHTING:

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

DCC:

• Next18 DCC decoder interface

SOUND:

• Speaker installed in all models for optimum sound reproduction
• ESU Loksound Micro V5DCC Sound Decoder fitted to SOUND FITTED versions
• Sound files produced specifically for the Bachmann Branchline Midland Class 1532 (1P) using recordings from real locomotives
• SOUND FITTED 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

The Midland Railway 1532 Class represented Samuel W. Johnson's refined 0-4-4T suburban tank design, with 65 locomotives built at Derby Works between 1881-1886. Featuring 5ft 3½in driving wheels optimised for stop-start suburban acceleration, these elegant crimson lake tanks formed the backbone of Midland branch and suburban operations from Yorkshire to Somerset. Thirteen locomotives carried specialised condensing apparatus for Metropolitan Railway London underground tunnel work, whilst the remainder saw widespread distribution across the entire Midland network.

The class exemplified the Midland's famous "small engine policy," classified 1P for light passenger duties hauling 3-6 coach suburban formations. Under LMS ownership from 1923, many locomotives received Belpaire boiler replacements that dramatically altered their appearance, creating two distinct visual variants—original round-top elegance and angular Belpaire practicality. Progressive modifications included push-pull equipment for branch line auto-train operation, various chimney patterns (Johnson shaped, Deeley, Stanier), and altered bunker profiles.

Service life totalled an extraordinary 75 years, with the final survivor, BR No. 58051, withdrawn in October 1956. Though none survived into preservation, Bachmann's comprehensive OO gauge range since 2020 offers unprecedented accuracy across Midland crimson lake, LMS black, and BR lined black liveries, with both DCC Ready and Sound Fitted variants capturing this historically significant yet previously overlooked class.

No prototype found.

Operator & Livery

The London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) was Britain's largest railway company from 1923-1948, formed by merging over 120 independent railways under the Railways Act 1921. Operating 7,790 route miles across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the LMS became the world's largest transport organisation and the British Empire's biggest commercial enterprise. Famous for iconic locomotives like the streamlined Princess Coronation class, versatile Black Fives, and Royal Scots, the company evolved from inherited pre-grouping designs to revolutionary Stanier innovations. The LMS operated major routes including the West Coast Main Line from London Euston to Scotland, serving as the UK's second-largest employer after the Post Office. Nationalised in 1948 to form British Railways' London Midland Region, the LMS legacy continues through extensive preservation efforts and remains a favourite subject for railway modellers seeking authentic British steam-age prototypes.

The LMS plain black livery served as the standard finish for freight locomotives and represented practical railway economics during the company's existence. Applied without lining or embellishment, this utilitarian scheme recognised that goods engines operated in inherently dirty conditions where elaborate paintwork proved both expensive and impractical.

Most LMS freight classes including the ubiquitous 0-6-0 goods engines, 0-8-0 heavy freight locomotives, and tank engines used for shunting duties wore plain black throughout their service lives. The scheme extended beyond locomotives to goods wagons, where black paint provided adequate weather protection at minimal cost.

During World War II, plain black became increasingly common as material shortages and wartime economies forced the abandonment of more elaborate liveries. Even some passenger locomotives temporarily adopted unlined black finishes when crimson lake supplies became unavailable. The practical benefits of black paint - its ability to hide dirt, soot, and industrial grime - made it ideal for locomotives working coal trains, mineral traffic, and heavy industrial duties.

For modellers, plain black represents the workhorse reality of LMS operations, particularly appropriate for freight yards, colliery branches, and industrial settings where authentic weathering and operational realism take precedence over passenger train glamour.