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

Bachmann 35-429

Class 47/7 47791 'Venice Simplon Orient Express' Rail Express Systems

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

Prototype Era
Era 8 (1983 to 1994) British Rail Sectorisation

Manufacturer description

Bachmann’s award-winning Class 47 is back, and our brilliant Brush is better than ever following a brief spell in the works to add further enhancements to this stunning OO scale model.

After winning a public vote to be crowned Model of the Year 2021, the Bachmann Branchline Class 47 has a proven track record, and now we’ve taken things to the next level with an even higher technical specification alongside refinements to two key details.

Every Branchline Class 47 now comes with our Bach-Up Stay Alive System pre-installed, providing uninterrupted power when running on DCC to eliminate stalling, light flicker and sound cut-outs. Talking of sound and our SOUND FITTED and SOUND FITTED DELUXE models now boast the Dual Fitted XL speaker system, combining two speakers for optimum sound reproduction – including the new enhanced bass reproduction speaker, a patented component which incorporates a passive radiator design for sound effects like you’ve never experienced before.

Not only was the Class 47 crowned Model of the Year in 2021 but our SOUND FITTED DELUXE features – motorised radiator fans and tinted windscreen glazing – were voted the Innovation of the Year and the SOUND FITTED DELUXE specification just got better with the addition of our revolutionary Auto-Release Couplings, fitted at either end to provide hands-free DCC uncoupling at the press of a single function button.

To define the Class 47 look we’ve turned our attention to the cab windscreen glazing and made improvements to the fit and finish of this important area. Snowploughs were a significant feature of some Class 47s too, and we’ve totally redesigned this component which now attaches to the chassis of the locomotive, providing a fixed position for a realistic appearance even when running on curved track, and allowing the bufferbeam detail to be fitted at the same time.

These enhancements only add to the stunning model that is the Branchline Class 47, with its high fidelity mouldings, a wealth of fitted parts and countless tooling variations to capture the minutiae of the real locomotives throughout their lives - ensuring each model is faithful to its prototype.

 

• Bachmann Branchline OO Scale
• Era 8
• Pristine BR Rail Express Systems livery
• Running No. 47791
• Named ‘Venice Simplon Orient Express’
• Etched Nameplates and Depot Plaques included
• Equipped with a Plux22 DCC Decoder Socket – recommended Decoder item No. 36-570A
• Length 255mm

DETAIL VARIATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS MODEL

• Plated Headcode Panels with Sealed Beam Marker Lights at No. 2 End
• Twin Bufferbeam Brackets denoting a Crewe-built Machine
• Cut-Cab Locomotive
• Bufferbeam-mounted ETH Equipment
• Scottish Jumper Cables
• TDM Jumper Cables
• Single Arm Windscreen Wipers
• High Intensity Headlight
• RES Taillights with Multifaceted Lenses
• Round Buffers
• Checker Plate Kickplate below Cab Door
• Partially-plated Cab Roof Vents
• Serck Radiator Grilles
• Smooth Exhaust Panels
• Blanked Roof Boiler Port
• Water Tanks Removed
• Later Extended Range Fuel Tanks
• NRN Aerials
• Plated Bogie-mounted Cab Steps
• Slow Speed Speedo Drive

 

BACHMANN BRANCHLINE CLASS 47 SPECIFICATION

MECHANISM:

• Five pole, twin shaft motor with two flywheels providing drive to both bogies
• All axle drive
• Electrical pickup from all wheels
• Separate metal bearings fitted to each axle
• Diecast metal chassis block and bogie towers
• Diecast metal gearboxes, with gearing arranged for prototypical running speeds and haulage capabilities
• 16.5mm (OO gauge) wheels to NEM310 & NEM311 standards with authentic profile and detailing
• Detachable coupling pockets to NEM362 standards fitted to each bogie
• Auto-Release Couplings fitted at both ends – DCC operated, hands-free uncoupling with the press of a function button (SOUND FITTED DELUXE models only)
• Designed to operate on curves of second radius (438mm) or greater

DETAILING:

• Precision moulded bodyshell and locomotive main frames, with numerous separately fitted parts including lamp irons, aerials and underframe components such as tanks, battery boxes and pipework
• Separately applied metal detail parts, including grab handles, cab-front footsteps windscreen wipers and etched fan grilles
• Bogies constructed from multiple components featuring full relief detail
• Sprung metal buffers
• Rotating radiator fans, driven by an independent motor and gearbox, operated via a DCC function, or randomised when operated as part of the sound project on DCC and Analogue control (SOUND FITTED DELUXE models only)
• Tinted windscreen glazing (SOUND FITTED DELUXE models only)
• Each model supplied with a full set of decorated, model-specific bufferbeam pipework and accessory parts including body-mounted snow ploughs

LIGHTING:

• Directional lighting, including illuminated headcode panels and high intensity headlights where applicable, switchable on/off at either end on DCC or Analogue control
• Cab lighting*, assigned to two DCC functions for separate switching of each
• Separately switched Engine Room lighting* (*when used on DCC)
• Authentic light colours and temperatures selected for each model based on era and application

DCC:

• Plux22 DCC decoder interface
• Bach-Up Stay Alive System providing uninterrupted power to prevent stalling, light flicker and sound cut-outs (operates on DCC only)

SOUND:

• Speaker Fitted – a pre-fitted speaker is included with every model as standard
• Dual Fitted XL Speaker System – SOUND FITTED and SOUND FITTED DELUXE models feature two speakers, including our new speaker with enhanced bass reproduction – a patented component which incorporates a passive radiator design for optimum sound performance
• ESU Loksound V5DCC Sound Decoder pre-installed in SOUND FITTED and SOUND FITTED DELUXE versions
• Sound files produced specifically for the Bachmann Branchline Class 47 using recordings from real locomotives
• SOUND FITTED and SOUND FITTED DELUXE models operate on DCC and Analogue control as supplied. On Analogue, an authentic engine start up sequence, including the momentary dimming of all lights during engine start up, and running sounds are produced when power is applied

LIVERY APPLICATION:

• Authentic liveries applied to all models
• Multiple paint applications employed on each model using BR specification colours
• Logos, numerals and text added as appropriate using multi-stage tampo printing process, incorporating authentic typefaces, logos and colours

 

CLASS 47 HISTORY

Towards the end of the 1950s, British Railways began planning a new fleet of diesel locomotives and after investigating several prototypes, BR decided to place an order with Brush Engineering for 20 locomotives during February 1961. The resulting design became the iconic Brush Type 4 Diesel locomotive, a practical, versatile design with a very distinctive cab. Powered with a Sulzer engine and initially rated at 2,750hp, the locomotive could achieve a top speed of 75mph with a tractive effort of 55,000lb. Building commenced in January 1962 and the first locomotive No. D1500 appeared in late September of the same year with test runs on the London Midland Region and Western Region. The design was a success and BR went on to order a total of 512 with continuous production through to early 1967, forming the largest single class of main-line diesel locomotives in the UK.

During this time and subsequent years, several variations appeared with an increase in speed and tractive effort to 95mph and 62,000lb respectively. Originally fitted with four character train reporting head-codes, these changed to marker lights, with the addition of high intensity lights and roof aerials in the late 1980s. Other variations involved the fitting of different types of steam heating boiler for early BR coaching stock, later replaced with electric train heating for use with modern rolling stock. The numbering system started with four figures but changed to five with the introduction of the TOPS coding system which saw the locomotives classified as Class 47 Diesels with variations such as 47/0, 47/2, 47/3, 47/4 and 47/7. By the end of the 1990s, half of the Class 47 fleet had been withdrawn or scrapped, 33 have been converted into Class 57 locomotives and several have been preserved, including the original No. D1500, now numbered 47401.

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 Class 47/7 (model 35‑429) represents British Rail’s sectorisation era and is supplied in the Rail Express Systems livery as locomotive 47791, named ‘Venice Simplon Orient Express’. The OO‑scale model measures 255 mm in length and includes etched nameplates and depot plaques.

The locomotive is DCC ready via a Plux 22 socket and comes pre‑installed with the Bach‑Up Stay‑Alive system to prevent stalling, light flicker and sound cut‑outs. Both the Sound‑Fitted and Sound‑Fitted Deluxe versions feature a dual‑speaker XL system with a patented passive radiator for enhanced bass, and the deluxe model also incorporates motorised radiator fans, tinted windscreen glazing and auto‑release couplings that release on a single DCC function.

Mechanical details include a five‑pole, twin‑shaft motor with two flywheels driving all axles, die‑cast metal chassis and bogie towers, and NEM 310/311 16.5 mm wheels. The model has all‑wheel electrical pickup, separate metal bearings on each axle, and detachable NEM 362 coupling pockets fitted with auto‑release couplings. It is designed to negotiate curves of second radius (438 mm) or larger.

A comprehensive set of prototypical details is fitted, such as plated headcode panels, twin bufferbeam brackets, cut‑cab structure, bufferbeam‑mounted ETH equipment, Scottish and TDM jumper cables, single‑arm wipers, high‑intensity headlight, RES taillights, round buffers, checker‑plate kickplate, partially plated cab‑roof vents, Serck radiator grilles, smooth exhaust panels, extended‑range fuel tanks, NRN aerials, plated bogie‑mounted cab steps and a slow‑speed speedometer drive.

The model’s lighting system provides directional headcode and headlight illumination, separately switched cab and engine‑room lights, and authentic colour temperatures. Sound is supplied by an ESU Loksound V5DCC decoder with recordings from real locomotives, and the model operates on both DCC and analogue control. The product won the Model of the Year award in 2021 and the Sound‑Fitted Deluxe specification was voted Innovation of the Year the same year.