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

Bachmann 32-991

Wickham Type 27 Trolley Car BR Maroon

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

Prototype Eras
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest

Manufacturer description

Wickham Type 27 Trolley Car BR Maroon

History

 

The Wickham trolley was a railway engineering personnel carrier, used on British Railways as the type No.27 Gang and Inspection trolley. It was introduced in 1948 and over 600 were built between then and 1990, of which 25 went to the Ministry of Supply / MoD between 1954 and 1960. One was featured in 1966 film The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery, filmed in part on the Longmoor Military Railway.

 

Some versions did away with the rear passenger carrying area and used this section for tools and even a diesel generator or air compressor. It was capable of pulling a trailer wagon with tools, but was then restricted to a two-man crew.

 

On later models a standard four-cylinder motor car engine, e.g. the Ford Anglia car 100E engine, provided power through a standard three-speed gearbox to a final chain drive transfer gearbox which included the forward and reverse selection.

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 Wickham Type 27 Trolley Car in British Railways maroon livery is presented in a pristine finish. The model measures 75 mm in length and is not equipped for digital command control. It is capable of navigating a minimum radius curve of 371 mm (first radius) and includes a realistic load. Power is supplied by a diesel motive source.

The item was produced between 1949 and 1980, with a total of 600 examples manufactured. It represents the British Rail Wickham Trolley class used by British Rail, featuring a four‑wheel trolley wheel arrangement. The manufacturer part number is 32-991 and the model depicts the early crest period of British Railways.

The Wickham Type 27 was an engineering personnel carrier introduced in 1948, serving as a gang and inspection trolley on British Railways. Over 600 units were built, including a batch supplied to the Ministry of Supply/Ministry of Defence between 1954 and 1960. Later versions incorporated a four‑cylinder car engine, such as the Ford Anglia 100E, coupled to a three‑speed gearbox and chain‑drive final transfer gearbox, allowing forward and reverse operation. One example appeared in the 1966 film The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery, filmed partly on the Longmoor Military Railway.