📢 Please take a minute to read this personal message from the creator of RailwayModels.uk

Bachmann 31-061SF

LNER J72 Tank 68733 BR Black (Early Emblem)

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest

Manufacturer description

Announced as part of our Autumn 2021 British Railway Announcements, we are delighted to offer the popular Bachmann Branchline LNER J72 Class locomotive in BR Black livery with Early Emblem with SOUND FITTED.

This newly tooled model was designed from the ground up and features a wealth of detail including representation of the inside valve gear which can be seen beneath the boiler, sprung buffers and a cab interior which is fully detailed with intricate decoration. An accessory pack is supplied which includes headlamps that clip onto the locomotive’s lamp irons, plus three-link couplings and etched cab doors.

Enhancing the cab detail, the model features realistic firebox lighting and this has been configured with the pre-fitted DCC Sound Decoder in this SOUND FITTED model for a truly authentic operating experience- whether used on DCC or Analogue control.

MODEL FEATURES:

• Bachmann Branchline OO Scale
• Era 4
• Pristine BR Black (Early Emblem) livery
• Running No. 68733
• Accessory Pack including posable headlamps
• NEM Coupling Pockets
• Sprung Buffers
• Powerful Coreless Motor
• Realistic Firebox Lighting fitted
• Detailed and decorated cab interior
• SOUND FITTED – Fitted with a ESU Loksound Micro V5DCC Sound Decoder – See below for function list
• Length 115mm

SOUNDS

F1 - Sound On / Sound Off

F2 - Brake (activates brake sounds and increases the rate of deceleration)

F3 - Cylinder Drain Cocks

F4 – Whistle (Playable)

F5 - Normal Load / Heavy Load

F6 (STATIONARY) - Firebox Door Open (red firebox light flickers)

F6 (MOVING) - Firebox Door Open (red firebox light flickers and yellow light pulses in time with the exhaust)

F7 - Injectors

F8 - Whistle

F9 - Flange Squeal

F10 - Shovelling Coal (F6 must be On to activate this function)

F11 - Blower (with F6 On and the locomotive stopped the red and yellow firebox lights will also flicker)

F12- Hand Brake (locomotive will not move with the Hand Brake applied)

F13 - Water Tank Filling

F14 - Coupling/un-Coupling Clank

F15 - Safety Valve

F16 - Guard’s Whistle & Driver’s Response Toot

F17 - Coasting

F18 - Sound Fades Out / Sound Fades In

F19 - Shunt Mode (reduces speed)

F20 - Acceleration/Deceleration inertia off

F21 - Volume Control (LATCH = Volume On/Off) or (TRIGGER = cycles 6 Volume Levels)

F22 - Rail joint clatter

Analogue Users: Please note that exhaust and motion, automatic and randomised sounds will also operate when this model is used on analogue control (DC) straight from the box!

E1/J72 HISTORY

The J72 Class steam locomotive possess the unique record of having been constructed at varying periods over a span of 53 years by three different railway companies: the North Eastern Railway (NER), the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and British Railways (BR).

Designed by Wilson Worsdell and originally designated Class E1 by the NER, the J72 was introduced in 1898 for light goods and shunting duties. Worsdell’s brother Thomas had introduced a similar locomotive in 1886, known as the E Class (later LNER J71), and the E1s were a development of this design, with smaller wheels but larger cylinders. Built at the NER’s Darlington Works and by Armstrong Whitworth, a total of 75 passed from NER to LNER ownership in 1924.

The LNER built ten further J72s at its own Doncaster Works in 1925 and had plans for a further 65 but these did not come to fruition. Remarkably, following Nationalisation BR built another 28 locomotives giving a total of 113 J72s with the last completed almost 53 years after the first had entered traffic.

Primarily designed for shunting and light goods duties, the NER and LNER locos were built with steam brakes, but during the 1940s vacuum brakes were fitted to some allowing them to be used on carriage shunting duties and several examples were allocated as station pilots.

Withdrawals began in 1958 and all had gone by 1964, except for two which were transferred to departmental stock for de-icing duties at Gateshead, North Blythe and Heaton. This life-extension sealed the fate of No. 69023 which was not withdrawn until 1967, by which time the preservation movement was gathering momentum and the loco was purchased by Mr R. Ainsworth who restored the loco to running order and named it ‘Joem’ after his parents, Joseph and Emmeline. Decorated in BR ‘Station Pilot’ livery, No. 69023 is now cared for by the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group and is a regular performer at the Wensleydale Railway.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

Bachmann Branchline OO scale model of the LNER J72 Class steam locomotive, running number 68733, in BR Black livery with the early emblem. The model is 115 mm long, fitted with a coreless motor, NEM coupling pockets, sprung buffers and realistic firebox lighting. It comes with an accessory pack containing headlamps, three‑link couplings and etched cab doors.

The locomotive features detailed interior work, including an articulated valve gear visible beneath the boiler and a fully decorated cab. It is equipped with an ESU Loksound Micro V5 DCC sound decoder, providing a full range of locomotive sounds and firebox lighting for both DCC and analogue operation.

Announced as part of the Autumn 2021 British Railway announcements, the model represents the British Railways period with the early crest. It is supplied as a pristine‑finish, ready‑to‑run item, reference number 31‑061SF.